Friday night I went to a couple of Halloween parties hosted by Kalmbach friends. I was thinking about how lucky I am to work with creative people like… Serene: BeadStyle 's graphic artist. She is super efficient but always has time to help you pick... Read More

It's still October and the world is doing its best to drag me into 2008. I spent the early part of the afternoon looking at the final proofs of the Dec./Jan. issue of BeadStyle and the late afternoon working on the March issue. Last week I started... Read More

Jane's blog (All ears) about earring organization/storage came just in time. The advance copies of BeadStyle 's 365 Earrings special issue hit my desk yesterday. Wow, we made a lot of earrings! I think we're all a bit earring-ed out here,... Read More

Last night, I went to a book signing by Frank Warren, the Post Secret guy. The bookstore was packed — maybe because secrets are universally interesting? Most secrets carry pain and suffering with them, and it's amazing to see how people put their... Read More

I had a chance to take Cathy’s suggestion and referred to Real Simple’s Web-site for jewelry organization ideas. I have one to add. I stapled a piece of window screen to the backside of a set of window shutters. If hung properly, the shutters are like... Read More

I was nursing a cold this weekend and used my hibernation to go through the mountain of magazines that I've been ignoring for months. While I was ripping out pages for my ideas file (recipes I'll never make, exercises I'll never do, organizing... Read More

I've been thinking about jewelry trends lately. We want to make sure the pages of BeadStyle are keeping up with (but not ruled by) the latest in fashion. It's becoming a lot like predicting the weather. The picture changes depending on which direction... Read More

I’ve noticed this pattern that I have fallen into. I’ll envision of a piece of jewelry I want to make, I’ll order really neat beading supplies to make the project, but if I don’t make the piece within a week after receiving my order, the project moves... Read More

This Friday, October 19, I'll be on Living the Life . Do any of you have experience doing TV? It's surreal how fast it goes. I had planned on demo-ing Pretty in Pink, a Lucite necklace from Cool Jewels . But after the interview part, we didn't... Read More

What can I say? France was beautiful. Paris, in particular, was spectacular. I imagine all the great food, wine, clothes, shoes, art, and architecture. make them feel better about not having BeadStyle (or any other beading magazines) on their newsstands... Read More

Lately I've been pouring my creativity into redesigning my bedroom. After reading up on feng shui and Moroccan design, I painted the walls a deep fuchsia and got a garnet-colored velvet duvet cover. Now, I'm hunting for gold, amethyst, and turquoise... Read More

This past Monday, I taught my jewelry class at Notre Dame Middle School. It was my first time teaching a jewelry class, and it was, to say the least, an adventure. I started out by getting lost on the highway no less than three times and showing up five... Read More

Last week I was called to jury duty. The experience was very interesting. I learned a lot. One of the things I learned is that many women don’t take advantage of the fact that we get to play dress up any time we please. I sure am glad I was down at the... Read More

I'm leaving tomorrow for a long-anticipated vacation to France. A few days in Paris and a week in Sarlat. I expect to come back physically exhausted but creatively reinvigorated. What could be more inspiring than the fashions of Paris and the colors... Read More