I've been busy.....

I've sadly neglected my little blog for the past few ... months...  But here I am back again and hopefully can keep it going better :) At least a post a week maybe???

I've started running & exercising more.. this takes a lot of my spare time! Well.. that and the beading! So... where should I start? I think I've blogged once about SlimKicker and MapMyRun so I will post about beading today... :D  Because beading is FUN!

As you all know, I'm part of Beading Babes! This was founded by Karyn of Releases by Rufydoof and is now going totally wild on Facebook! Our small group has expanded to over 100 members I believe! While I do miss the small group and knowing everyone a little better, the larger group has really started to inspire me more in different color choices and styles! So it's All Good :D

Our latest pattern is 4-Leaf Clover Cuff & Echoes of Nefertiti, both created by Helena Lang-Tim at Manek-Manek. I have long looked at her patterns in awe.. they appear so incredibly intricate and detailed! And they are! BUT!! Helena has written out some of the best patterns I've seen! They are SO easy to follow that the project just grows from your bead mat!!
I see myself purchasing more of her tutorials in the future!

I have a sneak peek of one of the elements from Echos... I'm not quite finished with the whole project yet.. and I already have several new color choices to make more of them! It really is a terrific piece!

 The stone is a swirling grey Jasper of some sort.. something I found while wandering around Obsessions while I should have been was working....
Here is a sneak peek of the other pattern, 4-Leaf Clover cuff.. This worked up so quickly! And again, Helena's pattern was SO easy to follow! I will be making this in other colors as well!

So there is my recent beading story! I have about 8 projects on my table right now that REALLY need finishing up... So if you find something you think is totally awesome and needs to be made please send it to me right away so I can start another! just tuck it away and show me later! :D

Time to feed the ponies and get ready for a day of work! Hopefully my next blog post will be in a few days instead of weeks :)

Happy Beading, Happy Running!!

Holeee Meow!! AND Beading Babes Reveal!

HOLEEE MEOW!!!! Ok.. got that out of the way.... So as you might or might not know.. I have been working out lately and really watching my diet and trying to get in shape. When I worked 6 days a week at the barn I didn't NEED a gym!!  But now I do... so I'm trying!  I love SlimKicker and MapMyRun and all of my online buddies that keep me motivated! I also LOVE my boss!!! She has really helped me stay motivated and we are helping each other get in shape! Carving the Goddess we call it D

 Except we WILL have arms :D
So... along with us walking each day at our homes, we have started going to a 'free gym'... basically this personal trainer runs classes out of an old high school gym in the area for a $1 a class.... not bad, huh?
Well he KICKS YOUR BUTT!!! Seriously!!! I love it!! LOL But it is rather hard to move around much afterwards..... today was our second time going... I thought I would have improved over last week's visit.... Well, let's say I didn't die... but wow. My thighs are screaming, my calves are crying, my lungs are aching, my shoulders.. oh my shoulders!!!!! But it's all for a good cause right?? RIGHT????

Ok... so enough of that.... Let's get on to why we are all here... The Beading Babes Reveal!!!   We had THREE wonderful projects to do this month! WOW!! One was a new pattern contributed by Nancy Dale. What a great gift!!  Well... I would like to say I did all three.... but I did not.. I barely squeaked in with one of the projects. But I did make TWO versions of it!
These great Paisley Drop earrings are just so fun and work up quite quickly. I absolutely love them! I see me making them in many different colors and beads in the near future! I love what the other ladies in the group have done with this as well!

Speaking of the ladies in the group... we have a Facebook Page and our group is growing daily!!! Karyn has really outdone herself running this group and keeping us all organized and excited each month!!!

So now I have to drag myself off this chair and see to my night chores on the farm end of things... Speaking of, I have to share this picture of my 'dragon' playing surrogate mother to one of my peeps that hatched in the freeze we had last weekend.

Thankfully the peep is doing well and is back with mother and siblings before going to it's new home this weekend!

See you all next blog post!!!

Thursday Ramblings

Hello again!

Well I had planned to blog daily the past two weeks since it's my big return to internet land.... but I've just been busy and really trying to do tons of things all at once.
Working on a schedule though to set time to plan for this blog and make my posts more regular. I really enjoy it and my mini army of minions dedicated followers :D

That being said, today's post will probably just be short and sweet unless I really do get rambling!

I've been running and working out lately. Trying to be fit and healthy again .. I would really love to wear an actual swimsuit to the beach this year instead of shorts and a t-shirt! Plus I just miss the energy I had when we were regular gym-goers! It still amazes me how you can do a strenous workout and be panting for breath at the end and then 30 minutes later you are BUZZING with energy and looking for things to do!!

 

If you are online and looking for ways to motivate yourself, here are a few I've tried lately that I simply LOVE!!  SlimKicker is a fun online and iPhone app program I've just joined through a friend's recommendations. It's fairly simple to use and provides me with a LOT of accountability. You basically log in your stats and it gives you a diet guideline.. not foods, but calories, carbs, sugars, etc... then each day you log in your food intake and it tracks it for you and even gives you tips on healthier choices! You can also log in any exercises you do. You get points for everything you log in and this helps you level up... you can set your own reward for the Levels. My Level 3 reward is a new pair of running shoes. :D  Try it out!! Look for me under the Friends tab: LittleBear 

I've also been using MapMyRun for iPhone (and Android too!) It tracks your workouts for you, you can just Record a workout, like a run or walk or bicycle ride... and it shows your map and tracks your distance and time via GPS. I LOVE this! The new update even has a voice every mile that reads out your distance, time and average.

AND I'm also still creating things with beads! Since that is what this IS all about after all! :D  Kate, my sister and I are looking into possibly having a booth in TWO WEEKS (!!) at MayFest ... we're hammering out details and I'll keep you posted on that! In the meantime we are working on making more inventory! Not only do we want to do this booth but I really NEED to get my Etsy store up and running!

Ok.. once again this short and sweet post turned into a ramble!! It's time to get ready for work and walk the pups one more time before they get crated :) 

Planning a special post for Friday so be sure to drop back in and say Hey!