An Amazing Trip

Ok...so I'm back ...and surprisingly I woke up at 7:30am!  Surprising because I don't think I've ever been as tired as I was on this trip.  When you do the PJ commute and your class is just 5 minutes away there's not much need for being behind the wheel for long.  So putting 1300 miles on the car in five days means I spent many, many hours driving. About 8 hours freeway driving days one and five and about four hours a day the middle three days driving around neighborhoods. As I only wear my glasses for driving and distance having to wear them so much made my eyes sore.....just not used to it.

At the end of each day I was so tired, I could barely do more than look at the computor to see where I needed to be the next day so I was most definitely absent from FB.  If you asked me something, know I will get caught up today :)

As some of you know I actually sold a couple of pieces at the Bead Show, this was totally unintentional...lol! I know enough not to go anywhere without taking samples of my work but this is the first time I've sold that way .... thankyou ladies!

The Bead Show was very cool, busy and bustling, I had a limited time there as I had to get back to Mom who stayed at the hotel so I didn't get to see everything.....which may be a good thing for my wallet!   I did stock up on 15s which are almost impossible to find here, some 11s and I couldn't resist some vintage Swarovski rivolis from Kandra's Bead...and no, I have no idea what to do with them...lol!

I met Sandy who is the mover and shaker of the CCBS and a lovely lady who was helping Kandra with her booth. Next to them were Bead Artistry ownded by mother and daughter team Penny and Stephanie....I stopped by their store, which is uber elegant, the next day, twice actually as talk of my doing a workshop there left no time to shop the first visit.  I was all over town that day going from realtor to bead store to hotel to bead store to neighborhood snooping.  I did manage to stop by Beads Etc in Clovis and spend a relaxing visit with the delightful Arline Lewis....how fun for me to sit and yap about designing with another designer/instructor.  Another great little bead store with another Mom and daughter team, Becky and Beth.  I found the missing fire-polished rounds I needed so badly there, more seed beads....can a gal ever have enough?

There are more bead stores in Fresno than I had time to visit on this trip and I am so looking forward to moving there so I get to see and shop them all.

Today I have to unpack, and deal with my car which was parked in the garage while we were away and obviously liked it so much it wants to stay there...which it will until I can get the flat battery jumped...sheesh!

For everyone I met on my trip, Jacquie, Leslie, all the above mentioned and everyone whose name got lost in my jumbled brain....it was fabulous to meet you, match FB friends with faces and I can't wait until I'm amongst you and have my booth at next year's Bead Show :)  Thank you all for your amazing welcome, introductions, support and heck...just for being beadaholics like me :)