I will not be out in public for the next few weeks, BUT...

I will be selling from home and from over the internet!
Read my sad saga:

For those of you who have known me for over 12 years, you may remember my horrible, very bad year of 1997. It started in February with a continually dripping nose - ok, not exactly dripping, more like I had literally sprung a leak! Doctor after doctor kept saying it was allergies and try this and try that. I DON'T HAVE ALLERGIES - NONE, never have!
Well then one month later, in March, I find a lump in my breast and off to the races I go with breast cancer. Surgery at the end of March. Radiation starting in April, ending the first week of June.
But in the mean-time a great doctor decides to test the liquid coming out of my nose and eureka! it is Cerebral Spinal Fluid! "IT'S WHAT?" I said. "My brain juice is dripping out of a hole in my nose!"
Well with all the breast cancer stuff I was going through, we decided to postpone the patching of my nose until beginning of July. They took a patch of skin from inside my right nostril, shoved it up my left nostril and then to make sure the patch takes and doesn't spring a leak again, I had to have my spinal fluid drained down to very low levels and so I lay quietly in a hospital bed for 4 days with a horrendous migraine headache! But, it all worked and by mid-August I was myself again.

That was 12 years ago.

But last Monday, Labor day, I woke up to moisture on my upper lip, didn't think much of it (maybe I drooled a bit?) but as my husband and I were walking up the walk to a restaurant, a giant stream of liquid poured embarrassingly from my left nostril. We were both horrified to say the least. The dripping of liquid got worse each day so today, the 10th, I spent the entire day talking to doctors, enduring scopes pushed up my nose, having MRI and CT scans.

YES, I have sprung a leak AGAIN! WHY ME? Sure it can be fixed and I can most likely get the surgery within the next week but I KNOW WHAT IS COMING UP! The 4-day migraine from HELL!

Anyway now that everyone is bored to tears, that means:

No Bowenwright booth at the Avenues Street Fair this Saturday the 12th!

No booth at the People's Market for probably the rest of September!


BUT...

I will spend all this time away from People I love loading stuff on to Ebay and Etsy!

AND....

I can still mail out purchases from email orders! You can pay by check or paypal!

I EVEN PAY THE POSTAGE!
So keep in touch, I'm just vacant for a bit whilst I deal with "CSF Rhinorrhea"

I am LOVIN' this cooler weather...

But, I don't want summer to be over yet!
Good thing the People's Market is running clear through the end of October!

I had such a great time talking to people last Sunday at the People's Market. And I'm sorry Kyle if I hurt your feelings about your torn and well worn shorts. They did look mighty comfortable and that is what this market is all about! Good job advertising!

I constantly hear how everyone loves the slow pace and comfort of this market - a great place to go on a beautiful Sunday morning! from 10am to 3pm!

So the Avenues Street Fair people still haven't announced who all their vendors will be for the HUGH Street Fair on Saturday, September the 12th. I HOPE I am there. But you can always catch me Sunday morning or via email.

So last week was "I want a Harley necklace" and this week is (surprisingly) the "I want a Bible pages necklace". Hmm... does that mean anything or just a strange coincidence? And Yes, I can and will do those Bible bead necklaces and there will even be extra Harley and Bible necklaces for all!

What else is happening? Hello, School is starting! Us teachers stumbled in to work yesterday looking all healthy, well-tanned and happy to see each other. By the end of the day today however, we were already showing signs of wear and tear. Get those rooms ready because kids are a' comin' on Monday. Wahoo. How many more days until June?

Cloudy then a Spit of Rain, then Windy then HOT, HOT, HOT

This blog's title was indeed a weather report for yesterday at the People's Market! But a GREAT crowd! What a fun day!

I bought myself a scrumptious Iced Coffee Mocha with real grated Mexican chocolate from Mexicali's (6th West and North Temple), then I bought a bag of apricots! and of course had to get more Soy Wax melty things to put in my Scentsy warmer. I love the smell of scented candles but refuse to burn them in my house so I melt them to release the scent. When you use SOY wax you can use the melted wax as a skin softener! It rubs right into your skin - chalk full of Vitamin E! I have hot soy wax to put on my heels after most every shower - what luxury!

So anyway, back to me. I have a lot of special orders this week. I need to make two necklaces from paper with a USA flag on it for the couple who donated a ton of pages of these paper USA flags. Then make a bracelet out of the graduation program from a gal who finally returned to high school to get her diploma - that one will be cool! Then I must make another Bible pages necklace with black beads accenting the Bible beads. I have to cut more sheet music pages to make music note paper beads and get at least two more necklaces out of that. Then a request for more Harley-Davidson necklaces! IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'VE BEEN WANTING?
Now is the time to order!

Hopefully I will soon get the call saying, "Yes, you are invited to vend your paper jewelry during the Avenues Street Festival". This festival is one of the best attended festivals in Salt Lake. It will be on Saturday, September the 12th! 10am to 6pm. We should get word by Aug 15th as to who has been accepted! Keep your toes crossed!

Another Week Closer to Start of New School Year...ugh!

But, one word about the weather for the 'I heart Utah' festival....

Can you say, THE WORST EVER FOR A FESTIVAL!

I gave up on the 'Earth Jam' festival in April due to the beginning of the Freaky Utah monsoon this spring. Now I had to give up on the 'I heart Utah' festival because of the 103 degree temperature. Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point is pretty new so the trees were not much taller than me. Very little shade - which is not good for hundreds of vendors, many of them being food vendors with hot grills! I was under the pavilion so I fared much better than most all the others. The morning was gorgeous, all vendors were rather 'hyper' with anticipation of the day's events. By 9:00am it was beginning to feel warm, at 11:00am it was really warm and then it proceeded to get downright miserably hot by 1:00pm. By 3:00pm I called my husband and said I'd have to stay longer because there was no way I was going to clean up, haul stuff to my car in this heat, I'd have to wait until it started to cool off! Clouds came over within 45 minutes of my calling the hubby and it was amazing to see everyone acting like Alaska Caribou heeding the migratory instinct, (only because of the heat I guess we were more like African Wildebeest!) I felt real bad about abandoning the festival which was continuing until 7:00pm, but it literally had been about 7 hours since I had last needed to go potty. I had downed 3 liters of water and still had no urine output! That's not good.

So those festival attendees who braved the heat and who came to visit me and purchase, I say Thank You!

I couldn't wait to get back to my Home Sweet Home, the People's Market today! The weather was delightful (I would probably have said hot if I hadn't experienced the previous day). I enjoyed meeting the young lady who had been to Africa recently and had actually seen the women of Africa "in the bush" making paper beads. I said I made these paper beads in the way yonder bush of Utah called Murray! and even better, my beads were indigenous to Utah. Real authentic Utah, indigenous junk mail beads. (Her male companion laughed.)

The young lady who had recently returned from Africa then asked if I also coated my beads with clear fingernail polish? Hmmm.. no, I use the sap from the local polyacrylic tree! How do they get enough clear nail polish in Africa to coat all those beads? These women in the bush are really poor people aren't they? How do they even buy fingernail polish?

I was very impressed with a young lady, Catherine, who also makes jewelry mostly out of pennies! yes, pennies. I had to buy a pair of penny earrings. Please check out her ETSY store and support a young entrepreneur - http://www.cmmay.etsy.com/

By the way did you see the full page write up on the People's Market Chain-mail lady in last Sunday's paper? You need to come see her wares! How about a 35 lb. chain-mail vest? But actually her wallet chains are to die for! If I were thirty years younger and male and cool, I'd buy one!

Oh, and how bloody cool that a couple from Scotland bought a necklace from me! I thought my hearing was getting worse when I couldn't understand what this one cute little lady was saying to me. So I finally said, "What part of England did you get that accent from?" "Scotland! not England," she correctly me quite harshly, I must say. Well, anyway my Tiger Eye pendant will now be sported around in Scotland because they are just here on vacation and bought from me! How sweet is that?

This week will be a bit less hectic. Maybe I can visit some relatives. Maybe I can vacuum some floors and dust... hmmm, I better think those last two over a bit more.

The final week of summer coming up - It's all down hill to school starting after the 24th of July!

Summer is the Time Between July 4th and July 24th!

Dates to remember:
***Every Sunday through Oct. 10am-3pm People's Market 1000 So. 900 West SLC
*** I "heart" Utah Festival, Saturday July 18th at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, Utah 10am-7pm


Happy Summer! The heat is on. Sunday at the People's Market was extraordinary. Lots of vendors and lots of visitors!


It is so fun to see familiar faces. Thanks for coming by!

I'll be making Harley Davidson necklaces for men this week. I have a special order in for a man's necklace made from a Harley magazine so words show up on the beads that relate to motorcycle riding. In between the Harley beads will be orange and silver beads with a silver motorcycle pendant. It is easier to make several once you get going so maybe stop by my booth later this month and I'll have one for you also.

Besides the motorcycle special order necklace, I had a request by a gentleman to make him a necklace with pure black paper beads with silver in between. This was a "guy" week, I guess. The black paper beads look like black oiled leather, they are quite beautiful I must say!

I know I promised to begin men's and boy's jewelry last fall, but... but... well, I just like girl's stuff the best I suppose! But I shall begin.

I also promised to make more bracelets! Ok, OK! I'll do that also!

I just sorted through all my cloth scraps this morning and have them separated by color so I can go into major production with more cloth scrap beads. I saw some scraps tday that were from my old dresses back in the 1950's. I think I'll have to make jewelry for myself from some of the great "memory cloths". One cloth scrap was from my "rick-rack" dress. Rows and rows of rick-rack on cloth that had little red and blue sail boats. The gathered shirt of the dress was so full that I could hold onto the hem on each side and raise my hands above my head with still plenty of material in the skirt left to still cover my knees in front. If I twirled just right, the skirt would stand straight out like a ballerina skirt!

So how was your 4th of July? Most of my relatives (sister's families) got together at my parents old home and watched the fireworks from their front lawn. That would have been fun to have seen all the kids! The hubby and I decided to go see a Bees baseball game and then watch the fireworks afterwords for the 4th of July. Good intentions - We decided to go down early Saturday morning and buy the tickets and how harsh! they were all SOLD OUT! I guess 4th of July at the Old Derks Field (I can't remember what the new name is... some phone company, I think) is pretty popular now. It is so fun to ride TRAX downtown to the ball field and then stand with everyone and wait for the TRAX train to head back home afterwards in the summertime! That's when I know summer is here, it is still pleasantly warm outside at midnight!

So not only do you have the People's Market on July 12th to attend, but don't forget the:

.................."I

....................... Utah Festival"

at Thanksgiving Point on Saturday, July 18th! Tons of fun! Farmer's Market, Crafts Market, Entertainment, Prizes, Food, Games! A whole day of celebrating UTAH! FREE entrance. http://www.iheartut.com/ for all the details.

I am excited!

I'll be in the big tent - see you there.

OMG! Did you just see me on TV?

I guess fame is just my middle name! I have to plug my current FAVORITE TV STATION - Channel 4!

Today at the People's Market all three major TV channels were there. It was amusing watching the camera dudes walk around the market interviewing and filming the goings-on. I happened to see the handsome Channel 4 camera guy just standing a bit from my canopy, perhaps thinking maybe what to do next, so I said something clever like, "Too bad you have to work on such a great day". We talked for a bit, never did I see the camera going but then tonight on TV, every channel did a brief blurb about the People's Market... BUT, only on CHANNEL 4 - there was a brief camera roll of an older, chubby, dark but short-haired lady, wearing a lime green shirt and a coin purse strapped across her chest and talking to some customers and - YES, IT WAS ME!

I was just talking to some customers about my recycled paper and cloth jewelry. I will sign autographs later!

Yes, Kyle, I saw that you got to talk longer on one of the other channels, but really who was cuter?

I hope channel 4 doesn't mind me placing their logo at the top of my blog! It really is to freely advertise their wonderful channel. as they freely advertised for me!

I had a GREAT day: talked to a lot of people. I love talking to young kids. It was a hoot watching them do the sack races, the "carry the egg" race, and the water balloon toss! They were all so adorable and Talented!

I loved talking to the couple from Mexico! The woman was from Chiuahua, and the man from Cabo San Lucas. They bought a newly made cloth bead necklace set. It was made of shimmery black cloth and I added silver colored beads and jet black crystal beads! I just finished it Saturday night!

And Thank You to Sammie and her mother who rode their bicycles all the way from Murray to come see me! Sammie was a student of mine a couple of years ago. The rode from about 6000 South to 1000 South - ON BICYCLES! I had a hard time riding that far in a car!

Thank you to all who have directed people my way. I couldn't count how many customers today said they had seen my necklace on someone and then were told to go to the "People's Market"! Referrals are so good to hear about! Thanks to all of you once more!

This week, no extra fairs or festivals, I'm just going to look forward to next Sunday at the People's Market!

il Divo, HFB Air Show and People's Market!

I SAW THEM UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL - YES! Il Divo! Last Friday Night!

My little sister and I bought tickets to see Il Divo, a quartet of massively excellent maleness and 'epic' singing ability, at the Energy Solutions arena. (Doesn't the Energy Solutions Arena need a nickname? like EnSol or something? It's just too much to have to pronounce) Anyway, we bought the very best tickets available - price was no object- and we sat, I am NOT KIDDING! about 8 feet away from their bodies! They had a circular stage and at the peak of the circle as it juts into the audience, there was our seats! I literally saw spit jump from one of their mouths! (No, I did not jump to catch that drop of spittle!)

Ok, let's get serious, yes they are extremely good looking young men. Heavy emphasis on the word YOUNG. But it is their voices that knock me over. How can anyone sing that well? And there are four of them! Carlos is the cocky baritone from Spain. I just like to look at him. Sebastian is the Frenchman and I'd love to hang out and talk to him, he seems very amiable. Urs, the German-Swiss is so cute you just want to cuddle him and his voice IS like an angel BUT I want David Mills, the American, to sing to me. His has the most extraordinary voice. He is from San Diego I believe, and guess what ---? Pay attention to this Lisa! David used to sing for the Logan Opera! 10 years ago he hung out in Logan, Utah and says he really loves Utah! Cool, huh. Well I was honored to be able to hear their talents and I hope they only get more popular (is it really possible to get any more popular?) and hope they come back to Utah!

Saturday Morning, after breakfast and seeing my sister and her husband off to get their tattoos (that's another story), my hubby and I made our eternal pilgrimage to Hill Air Force Base to see the Air Show. We left the house at about noon. Got caught in an extremely bad wreck in North Salt Lake. Finally we were diverted by the cops to go across a dirt road divider to get up onto highway 89 and off the freeway to finally get to HAFB to only be in another huge traffic jam! Finally we got parked and walked like 8 blocks through metal detectors and we were finally at the air show. Terry got to go aboard the airplane his Dad flew on D-Day (probably not the very exact one but same model) but Terry was thrilled! And teary! Then we finally found someone willing to tell us when the Thunderbirds would fly -- 4:30pm! Two whole more hours! I am not what you would call an airplane enthusiast, not even by a long shot and Terry being the gentleman, says, "let's just go, that's too long to wait". "Like HECK it is" I answered, "I came all this way, through all that mess and we are staying!" So we did, we found some lawn there on the base, and listened to Ipods and wasted time! It was wonderful and the weather was wonderful and the Thunderbirds were as exciting as the 2,000 other times I have endured them!

But, hurray, the People's Market begins this next Sunday, the 14th of June. 1000 South and 900 West in Salt Lake City, Utah! It runs from 10:00am to 3:00pm every Sunday morning through October!

It is yard sale day! So besides vendors having their regular stuff to sell, many bring yard sale items so it should be a lot of fun. Maybe a bit rainy but the rain this week doesn't seem to last too long and it sure keeps us cooler! Come and say HI and then take a quiet, beautiful tour through the International Peace Gardens which are right in back of the Market!

I will have new "music notes" necklaces made from an old 1917 music methods book I found discarded! Plus plenty of junk mail bead necklaces also!

Home Parties, Craft Shows, There's a Way for us to get Together!

It's nearly Summer Vacation Time!

I had hoped that by this time I would be celebrating retirement rather than just Summer Vacation. Oh, well. It could be worse: I could be homeless pushing my shopping cart with all my belongings under the freeway somewhere!

I don't know how much longer I will teach, I only promise to go one year at a time. The big problem is, is that teachers (at least the Salt Lake Valley) no longer get health insurance when they retire! It's great that we have a 30 year retirement but no life time insurance coverage. The Benefits package used to be one of the big reasons people would go into teaching! So, I don't dare retire with the economy the way it is and chance not getting another job to cover costs or provide me with health insurance benefits! Besides, I really like the people I work with, I really do like teaching - it suits me, and I really do love having weekends off and holidays off and 9 weeks in the summer with which I can:

SELL MY "Recycled Products" JEWELRY

(I love this recycling picture since I also use scrap cloth pieces to make beads for jewelry)

Read the email I just received yesterday:

"I stopped by your booth at the Live Green Fair and could kick myself that I didn't buy some of your beautiful jewelry. Are you coming to a fair or show in Davis or Weber County? I could buy some on ebay but I love to see it in person. The pictures on ebay don't really do them justice. They are really stunning. R.G. ~ North Ogden Utah."

I don't know of any craft shows in Davis/Weber County Area. I'd love to visit my old hometown - I used to live on Ogden's 6th Street and about 1300 East - back in the olden days! So why not throw a party?

I love doing home parties! Get a bunch of friends together and I'll come to your house! If you host a party, you receive 10% of all sales to put towards purchase of jewelry for yourself!

But I now have a beautiful Studio/Show room in my home and you are welcome to stop by most every day through the summer. Just call my cell phone:

801-209-1382

and tell me when you'd like to drop by - I'm located in Murray, Utah. It is quite close to the Fashion Place Mall! or - email me I we can set up a meeting time!

bbwright98@hotmail.com

Well, I'm looking forward to starting the People's Market, June 14th - every Sunday morning through October from 10am to 3pm at the International Peace Gardens, 1000 South and 900 West in Salt Lake City. It is a beautiful, quiet, comfortable, cozy way to shop the craft and food booths - especially if you don't like the hectic, crowded Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. Then you can take a tour through the stunning gardens of the International Peace Gardens! What a way to spend a beautiful Sunday Morning!

First Snow, Oct 2008

I couldn't believe it when I woke up this morning - SNOW! We have been waiting all weekend for this horrible snow and it seemed like everyone around us was getting rain or snow. We've had very little rain but this morning, finally the snow. I was rather glad I decided not to go to the People's Market. Not only busy with Dad's funeral (on Oct 18th) but trying to get my house back to semi-workable order while Terry builds my enlarged office space. We finished tearing down the rest of the shelves in the new office area and then hung those old shelves in my bedroom so I at least have space to work on jewelry until the new place is finished! Hooray! I have a bedroom back again!
I sounds like tons of relatives will be coming into town next weekend for Dad's funeral. What a tribute to him. All of his sisters are trying hard to get here. Please weather, don't go funky again next weekend! Please!

And Kyle... I will definitely be to the People's Market End-of-Season party! Sounds great!
What a great summer, I can't wait for next year!

But, don't forget the Family Christmas Show at the South Towne Expo Center November 14, 15 and 16th! The Soy Candles Ladies will be there also! You want your room to smell beautiful when you step gracefully into it wrapped in beautiful, hand-rolled recycled paper bead jewelry don't you???

** I'm a MOVIE STAR! **

Ok, not really a movie star, more like a TV STAR... ok not really a TV star, more like an Infomercial Star! I was on the KUTV2 Morning Show today (the 16th) and was interviewed by Mary Nickles! How cool is that? (Yes, she is gorgeous).
When I got to the building, (I knew it because I have taken tours of their facility in the past), I had to rattle the locked front doors, a good looking guy came and un-locked the door and then went to fetch the producer. My husband (carrying my load of jewelry) and I were led on a winding path through the facility finally to their little outdoor porch with teeny waterfalls and pool. I was shown a very small and very tall table and told to set my stuff up there. I was thinking the table they promised would be more like the 8' long table I used at the fair. I think it was more like 2' x 3' at most. So I picked through my wares and tried to get an example of all the different kinds of paper I use and some of the cloth ones also. I was set up with a microphone and was cued with a wave of a hand to look like I was "futt-zing" with jewelry. I waited a bit more and then... Mary came out looking like a runway model. All I could say to her was "I've always tried to make my hair look like yours!" She replied, "your's looks great, my hair is really dry." It is this deep and intimate look into others lives that really draws me to TV...
I think Mary (we're on first name basis now) was really impressed with my jewelry (she seemed honestly tickled with the Sunday Comic paper beads necklace). I bet I looked great next to her... they had me stand on a stool so I wouldn't look so short! and no one did my make-up or hair - HELLO! How can I possibly stand next to, let alone compete with MARY NICKLES? Did anyone out there see me? about 10:15am today? Did I have anything stuck between my teeth? Was my bra strap hanging out? Did my upper lip stick to my teeth?

But it was truely fun and everyone there was helpful and happy. I got a feeling it was fun working at the station. My hubby took pictures as they were filming so as soon as I can get him to download them, I'll post a few (whether you want them or not).
If you found this blog from watching the show and want to see my stuff or get in touch with me, click on the links on the right side of this webpage, or leave a comment.
Also, my niece and mentor, doing business as: "Embracelets Jewelry", works with me doing parties and festivals and such. She does the really elegant jewelry. (I'm the more earthy line of our accessorization facility.) She does wedding sets for brides and their bridesmaid that are to die for! Together we can do a party for you! Get an early jump on our holiday supply of jewelry so you have more to choose from!

Or, come see me and all the other vendors and farmers at the People's Market, 10th south 900 West SLC every Sunday 10:00am to 3:00pm. until Oct 20th.

Now I must go languish in the glory of my 2.5 minutes of fame from this morning....

Should September be my Favorite Month?

(Picture of Salt Lake's International Peace Gardens from their website.)

Everything slows down in September, in a Park! Come see the People's Market just outside the Gardens in Jordan Park - 10th South 900 West, Sundays from 10:00am to 3:00pm through Oct. 28th.

Was this last weekend the most beautiful weather or what? I can't wait to see what September is like without the overhanging responsibility and dread of school. Forever I have associated September with school in one way or another. But this is the last one. Next year I hope to see September only through the feel of coolness in the morning air, the smell of leaves on the ground or of ripening fruit, and fireplaces. And maybe even discover more of what goes on in September without any distractions like work - just through the eyes of plain, simple enjoyment!
The People's Market yesterday was delightful - I think it was my favorite weekend so far. Maybe I was just in shock at how much easier it is being outside working when the temperature is not in the 90's. There were a lot of vendors/farmers and a lot of visitors. Everyone was happy, calm and walkin' slow! Like we all wanted to savor these last few precious days before winter!
I have two special orders this week. One is for a 6 foot long wrap necklace with beads made of Bible pages. And then a very special order where I have been asked to make beads from a folder that has an impressionistic painting on it of a flower garden. A young lady said her father painted the picture that was used for the folder's cover and she would like me to make beads and then a necklace so she can have her father's painting with her more often. How cool is that? It should make a gorgeous necklace because of all the colors! I will get pictures!
Well I only hope the fall is much more healthy for my family than this last summer was! I can't take any more people with holes in their hearts! or pneumonia! (or however it is spelled) or anything! Everyone, please think healthy thoughts!

Record Breaking Heat at the People's Market

The weatherman said it was officially 99 degrees in Salt Lake today. I felt it! I kind of goes contrary to the idea of school starting. Didn't we used to have cool, crisp mornings to walk to school in? Today kids ride to school in sweltering heat - but didn't school also used to start AFTER labor day? Oh well, I care not, this is my last year of teaching (quickly I knock on wood).

The People's Market located at Salt Lake City's International Peace Gardens, is really growing - lots of people today, and I bet it gets even better as fall comes upon us and the crisp air revives everyone.

My favorites at the market still have to be the young adult vendors. It is only a $5.00 booth fee for young people so it is so cool to see those young entrepreneurs trying their hand at selling. There still if lots of space for any other young vendors who'd like to join our fun! Sell fruits and vegetables from your garden or sell that cool stuff you handmake!

I've got to get the link to young Mr. Long's website. He handmakes "Duct tape" wallets. He sat next to my booth and made wallets all day long, as people watched - pretty cool. I'll put a link on - as soon as I find his card...

So, teachers went back to work last week getting ready for a new school year. We had the 7th grade students come all by themselves the Friday before school officially starts (last Friday) so they can get all the mistakes made before the 8th and 9th grade students join them (and make fun of them!) Getting their locker open is a MAJOR obstacle for most, getting to the right class at the right time is also hard the first day. Lunch and gym class are always some of the most feared tasks a first time junior high student must face. I only had two students come into the wrong class period (it's pretty bad to have to get up and leave after class has started - remember?), only one I helped was almost in tears over their locker and absolutely no one, at least that I saw, had lost their lunch money yet - that's got to be a record! All in all, a great day. Next Monday morning then, all the 8th and 9th graders go to school with the 7th graders at home, breathing deep, trying to get in control of their queezy, scared feelings for the big day when ALL students are all together in the big building down the street! All together in the school that will dominate and perhaps become the biggest part of their lives for the next 180 days! All the drama, the noise, the fears, the elation and crushes and failures! Did I mention DRAMA and NOISE? Two things I don't look forward to, too much.

Remember your locker fears? Write back and tell me your biggest fear, experience, etc. of junior high - I'd like a good collection!

Aug 10 Sell, Sell, Sell

Tonight my hands hurt. I've rolled way too many beads in getting ready for a Saturday show/party set up by my good friend at work. Then the very next day, Sunday morning I was back at the People's Market. Most of the pieces shown in the slide show are now living in the homes of their new owners!

The weather was spectacular for the Farmer's / People's Market! A very cool morning (compared to what we have had lately) and just barely started to heat enough to form rain clouds after we had packed up and gone.

Most spectacular thing happened at the Market today! I looked up to see a woman standing in front of my table with a very familiar face. I couldn't believe it was one of my old traveling companions from Eastern Airlines, who I haven't seen since 1989 when Eastern went out of business. Four of us girls who worked in reservations at Eastern Airlines, flew to Paris, Rome and Athens - pretty much backpacking around those cities for about 7-10 days. I had the absolute time of my life there. I figure we must have done this in about 1985 by my best recollection. We four lost track of each other after the downfall of Eastern Airlines and here before me was one of the "backpacking in Europe" girls! I actually thought I was going to cry! She looked great, heck we both look great with all the passing years! Looks like her son is going to get a booth here at the Market and sell his duct-tape wallets! I'm so thrilled to be able to talk with her more! Maybe I could even find those old photographs... hmm, where to start looking?

I have a lot of special orders to do this week and I only have a week to work on them because I start back to school for my, hopefully, final year of teaching (wahoo) a week from tomorrow.
Has the summer gone by fast or what?
I'm going to make beads out of the napkins used by a lady for her sons birth celebration, going to do a necklace for a lady who found paper with just the right colors she likes and hopefully another love note necklace a son wants to give his Mom! Cool!

It's June 30th and it is HOT, HOT, HOT

Speaking of HOT: I spent last Thursday at my oldest nieces house and played with her and her two daughters, my grand-nieces! What a fun day. I ask Karmen the 5 year old, if she would write a note to her mother on the top of some origami paper and I would make the words into beads to make a necklace for her mother. Karmen wrote: / I love / you / Mom / from / Karmen / age 5 / - six beads in all and made them into the necklace on the right above. My niece wanted it to match a brown and green ring she has. Imagine wearing this necklace when Karmen is a Mother herself and remembering the sweet girl struggling to write her best and her smallest for her Mom!

Karmen wanted a necklace also so the blue on the left is hers. She wrote, 'My favorite things are, Mac n' cheese, cats and dogs, playing, drawing, nintendo, my bike, Ava (her little sister), and blue! It made 14 beads in all and of course I had to put everything blue into the necklace - blue dogs and cats, frog, hearts. Again, all in Karmens own handwriting that can be viewed and worn for years and years. I have made beads out of maps, book covers, magazines, sheet music, love notes, tissue paper, wall paper, scrap cloth - if there is anything you have that you'd like to see put into a necklace, leave a comment and email address and I'll get right back to you!

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The People's Market last Sunday was great! A lot more vendors and a lot more visitors. It was fun. The pleasant morning temperature, however, soon faded into a roasting oven, but by about 2:00pm the breezes kicked in and it didn't feel quite as bad. I love meeting all the people and seeing everyone's ideas. You really ought to come out and have a look. And thanks to the young girl, whose name I have forgotten, for that wonderful acapella song she sang at the end of the day - It gave me goose bumps! Next life I want to come back as a singer!

New hint from this week:

"Quilling! What in the world is that", I said. One girl suggested I look it up on the internet and try it because that was the next thing I would probably get into since I do all those paper beads!

So does anyone out there have any suggestions of a good place to go to learn quilling? I looked at some pictures of quilling but need more information, inspiration and lessons!

June 22 People's Market

Well, this market day was rather slow. But still I would rather sit 5 hours outdoors in beautiful weather selling and watching people than be indoors all day! The weather was spectacular. This first picture is a surprise picture taken by my husband as I was setting up in the morning. The wishing wells to my left belonged to the only other people there before me. And no, I did not wear the hat all day long! I tried an experiment and just laid out a few necklaces but all of the earrings I had on hand. I thought more people would buy them because of the lower price for a little souvenir for the day and because of all the young girls that come to the market. Did it work? No, not really. The earring themselves didn't seem to draw people to well...

But next week I will have 4th of July themed items and mostly bracelets. I think bracelets along with the paper bead necklaces will be the highest selling because of the prices and uniqueness, but we will see! I am definitely learning! The 2nd picture is of my point-of-view from under my canopy out to the center of the market. It is near the end of the day so people are sparse.

The park is so beautiful because of all the very old, huge trees. Just a few steps to the west of the market location is the entrance into the Peace Gardens. The walk through the Peace Gardens should be part of everyone's Sunday morning reflections!

Interesting happenings of the day:

I had one lady come to my booth who, after looking at the paper beads, said that she had just been to a wedding in Green River, Wyoming about a week ago and someone had given the bride a necklace made out of a map of Wyoming. She said it was so beautiful and maybe I should try something like that. I said, "I made that necklace!" I then asked, "Did you see it close and see I cut it so that some of the names of cities and such showed up on the beads and that it was five strands twisted together?" She said "YES, that was so clever"!

My cohort at work gave me a map of Wyoming asking me to make that necklace for him to give to his girlfriend because she was moving from Wyoming to Utah. When he came to get it he said he was in a hurry because he and his girlfriend were on their way to a wedding in Green River, Wyoming!!! Now what are the chances of having that happen? But now I just need to ask him about which girlfriend got the necklace... OR did he get married????

Anyway, I also want to say thanks to the brave man who said I looked 42 years old! It's pretty sad when that is a really exaggerated compliment! And actually his dog liked me the most!

Well, I'm off to make some 4th of July bracelets - catch you next time!