Oh girls, first of all I must apologize for my lack in blogging.. what in the world have I been doing I say.. it has been forever.. I promise I won’t be such a Gossip Girl junkie (yes, I am addicted to high school drama shows.. you name it I LOVE it.. Gossip Girl, O.C., One Tree Hill.) and try to be more of a Queen Bead junkie! Oh that sounded funny. I will try to be more faithful to the blogging.

First off, today is my 11th year anniversary. Now let me just say that last year for our 10th we went to Vegas and so for the 11th I wasn’t really expecting much besides I had committed to doing a local craft fair selling my pretties not realizing it landed on my anniversary. Which brings me to the crazy craft show comment. So I have done this craft show ever since I became the Queen Bead and usually it has been a really successful show for me, but you know the people that attend craft shows are just kind of a breed of their own if you will. Not that some wouldn’t call me a bit “kookie” but I don’t think I really feel like I fit into their catagory.. always good to get a little craft show culture and get the name out there.. besides there is usually a really good piece of pie that is avaliable, so that is worth all the crazy that goes with it.

I haven’t blogged since I completed my training and ran my 5K race.. I think by the time it was all said and done I ended up training for 3 months for a race that took under 40 min. My goal was to run the 3.1 miles in under 40min. and I ended up running it in 39.2 min. which just makes me laugh in a way but all the same I BEAT my goal which is what I was striving for.  The day was a Sunday afternoon at 3pm and was unseasonably HOT. I usually trained at 6AM in the DARK so already I had the daylight and the heat against me. Ended up getting a massive headache, I mean a headache like NONE other, and I have alot of headaches the morning of the race. Which was another strike, like I thought any of this was going to be easy?? Good grief girl. Anyway, the actual race was probably 1 of the hardest things I have EVER done, but at the sametime the most amazing things I have ever done. Running a race I NEVER thought I could run, with my 2 sisters, and finishing under goal is just down right Amazing!  I compare it to giving birth to a child, not physically but mentally. You know that surreal feeling after you give birth, like I just had a baby 2 hrs. ago, that is how I felt for many days.. I ran a 5K yesterday.. CRAZY

Well thanks for checking in on the Queen.. life is good, I have been married for 11 years, I am living my passion with a website, and I just ran a 5K 3 weeks ago.

Razzle Dazzle

Dana..The Queen Bead

Hello ladies.. I missed you!! Life is busy here at the home of the Queen Bead. I am here to say that business is going good, well let me rephrase that business is going FABULOUS and that is all becuz of all of you that are creative and passionate about beads and jewelry.. way to go ladies!  Check out the site and some smokin’ hot deals I have going on there.(Sorry it is Homecoming week here and everything is “smokin” around town. If we aren’t careful we just might be too hot to handle.. hee hee.)

So I have this group of friends that make up our Bunco group.. until about 5 years ago I didn’t have a clue what Bunco was, but then all the sudden EVERYONE was talking about Bunco and Bunco groups. My thought was how in the heck do I get into one of these groups? Do I fill out paper work, take a blood test, what? I was almost to the point of desperate, well let’s not go that far but still I wanted in on the fun. For those of you that don’t know, Bunco is a dice game that takes absolutely NO talent or concentration to play but merely a way for girls to get out and enjoy a night with the girls to say the least. So I get in to a group, I am pretty sure it is because I am pretty darn cool, but that is beside the point. So Saturday night we get together this other group of “coolies” and I and we only end up playing a little bit of Bunco but did a WHOLE lot of laughing. Ya know the laughing that starts out with 1 person laughing, then because we are women someone else starts laughing just because  the other is laughing. Pretty soon we are all laughing and at many points in the night it went like this.. laugh laugh laugh laugh… silence cuz no one can breath…big gasp and then it all starts over again. Pretty soon we are all crying and wiping our eyes cuz the tears have started to role. My abs still hurt, that was way more fun than trying to crank myself into a Pilates position to get the same affect. Ok maybe not quite the same affect but I like to think it is. So thanks girls, and you know who you are, for the best laughs I have had in a long time. You guys are the best!

On a different note. Everyday when I carpool my kids to school, 2x a day I drive by a store that has these most beautiful “smokin Hot” RED washer and dryer set. Not the old school kind but the very new, very spiffy, almost sexy if you will. So as I drive by each day, wiping drool from my mouth, I just keep dreaming. Well never underestimate what kids pick up on.. because everyday my 9 year old is with me in the car because it is on the way to and fro to his school. Yesterday I was getting ready to make supper and looking above my stove on the cupboard door that is layered with kids artwork, verses, quotes, and there it was.. in all it’s RED glory. My sweet thinking 9 year old had cut out a picture of the very same RED washer and dryer set and taped it up on my cupboard. When I questioned the 3 kido’s he said well everyday you about hit the curb cuz you are looking at the one in the store window so I thought maybe if you had a picture  it might help. Ahhh how sweet.. or possibly he was just afraid for his life because of my driving or gawking.. I just love the things that come out of kids mouths. So I put the RED washer and dryer set on my Christmas list and according to my kids that means by Dec. 25th. I will have it with a big red ribbon on it. “Santa doesn’t disappoint mom.”  So here is to getting excited about appliances.. until next time..

Razzle–Dazzle

Dana

Greetings ladies:  Well the weather has been dreary here lately. Cool. Fallish. But dreary too. I love the fallish part but not the dreary part. So ontop of having my baby go to kindergarten, starting my own business, I decided that I wanted to run a 5K. Ok the funny or should I say HILARIOUS part of this is that I have NEVER ran in my life.. oh wait back in 6th grade when I didn’t have baby hips or wasn’t a DD cup. I was really fast then.. imagine?? Anyway I have been training for over 12 weeks and will run the race in Oct.  My dear sweet husband is the one coaching/training me. Now his love and passion is running. Just as mine is beads his is running. He has trained many a state champion so why not his wife? hmmmmmm Maybe it is becuz the girls or boys he trains are in high school, at the prime of their physical shape and eager to run. Anyway. I wasn’t eager at first but I am now.

I realized I was eager this past week when the alarm would go off at 6AM. It is dark and rainy and I STILL went to run.. I am eager to show myself that something I never thought I would do I am kind of doing. I will run the race to the finish and then I will go to Carlo’s O’Kelly’s and eat like I have never eaten before.. more chips and salsa please.. I just ran a race!

I realized I was eager when all week it has been raining at 6AM and I have gotten up each and everyday and went and put the miles in. I don’t know what I love more.. the running or my husband telling me he is so proud of me sticking to it. I love this man. Not only is he training me he is supporting me. When it all comes down to it, it isn’t even about running in the rain anymore but the fact that I am doing I NEVER thought I would do!  Gotta say I am pretty proud of myself too.. until another day..

Razzle Dazzle.. Dana

Well I had somthing major happen this week.. no the earth didn’t move but my youngest child and only daughter went to kindergarten.. WOW! There wer no tears on either one of our parts and it was definetely time for the next stage of life but there are times when I am in my VERY quiet house during the day wondering “what now?”

I guess I never thought the days of diapers, spit up,  feeding a kid in a high chair, potty training, and all the other joys that go along with raising kids would ever end when I was in the throws of it but it did and here I am. Home during the day to watch whatever I want on tv, to do a task and not be interrupted a million times, or asked a million questions.

God knew what he was doing for sure cuz she LOVES school and I must say I LOVE having them all in school. I love the little darlings but I do love the freedom it gives me or at least that I feel.  All I can say is thank goodness for kindergarten teachers and all their hard work that they put in cuz I couldn’t ever do it.

Life is moving on and changing and I am excited to move and change with it. This business is just a way that I am doing that. It gives me all the freedom of still getting to be home to greet their cheery little faces after school and I LOVE that. Thanks for stopping.

Razzle Dazzle.. Dana

Hello to each and everyone of you.. I am excited about this new and excting venture that life is taking me on and am glad you stopped by to see what it was all about.

Beads are my passion.. actually all things creative but mostly beads! I have had lots of great people along the way helping me out to see that The Queen Bead got up and going and was a success. Lots of sweat and tears but the satisfaction is all kinds of worth it.

I am so glad that you stopped by to see how this all works and you can all grow with me. We are on the ride of a lifetime and I am not ready to get off anytime soon. So join me, it will be a HOOT!!

The Queen Herself

Dana