The Fresh Daily

As I sat down last week to start designing some spring pieces, I realized that I needed to do a little research on the trends. I tried to find points on style or color where there seems to be a consensus. As designers, we all take suggested trends with a grain of salt. It’s our job to do our own thing, but if you’re looking to sell your creations, it can’t hurt to know what’s popular Here is what I found:

I couldn’t find a “great new trend” like large rough stones, filigree, or chain from the past few years. From what I can tell, it seems like trends from last year remain strong, although I pray that the 80s resurgence will pass soon! More and more women are looking to Michelle Obama as a fashion icon, much like my mother and grandmother looked to Jackie O.

Kingii Necklace at Anthropologie

In terms of style of jewelry and components, I noticed an increased use of feathers, leather, and chain. I also found a lot of cuff bracelets, big earrings, and bold necklaces. Not that delicate pieces are under appreciated, but even they are getting some zing to be bold without needing to be chunky. Art, especially “pop art” has inspired many designers this season in their choices of color and lines. If art is going to inspire me, I’d like to stick to the impressionists.

Memory jewelry and charm jewelry are being created by more and more designers. I think this is because designs with more of a “handmade touch” seem to be very popular. I asked Matt if Deidra would get a charm bracelet when their baby is born and he said she doesn’t wear bracelets. Hmmm, how about a charm necklace?

Color is playing an important role again this season. Based on what I’ve read, the most important thing in your color choice is to be very deliberate in your choices. Gold metals (both matte and antiqued) continue to rise in popularity. I used to tell my mom when I was little, that I’d never wear gold, but here I am starting to work bits and pieces into my designs. I try to avoid being trendy at all costs, but I have to admit, I’m drawn to the warmth provided by gold, especially in filigree and chain. Pantone has named *turquoise* the color of the year for 2010. They state that turquoise “evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of well being.” Wow! Turquoise can do all that? It sounds ideal, because we want our designs to carry people away and make them feel great. I’m glad I found that stash of huge Chinese turquoise nuggets under my beading table the other day

Pantone also selected green yellow, tomato red (one of my favs), champagne, dove gray, Mediterranean blue, and violet. This is starting to get exciting! What a great bunch of colors.

I’ll most likely keep these color suggestions in mind as I create my spring pieces. Good luck to everyone finding your style and theme for spring and summer! I think we’re going to see a lot of interesting things as people continue to mix their components, metals, and methods.

Lima Beads customers have been helping us support charities since 2004. When you place an order at Lima Beads, you’ll notice the option to choose a charity at the bottom of your shopping cart. Lima Beads will donate a portion of the profit from your order to the charity you select. This does not add any cost to your order — we just like to let our customers decide where our charitable donations should go. You are the reason we’re here and the reason we’re in a position to help others. Thank You!

It’s that time of year again to choose the charities we’ll be supporting in 2010. This year we have some wonderful causes we’d like to support. Voting will be based on category. Choose your favorite charity from each category below. We’ll be supporting a total of 6 this year. Voting will be open through January 21, 2010, so get your votes in soon!

Environmental Organizations

Greenpeace

Greenpeace is the leading independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful direct action and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. (more…)

Beyond Pesticides

Beyond Pesticides seeks safe air, water, land and food for ourselves and future generations. Beyond Pesticides works with allies in protecting public health and the environment to lead the transition to a world free of toxic pesticides. (more…)

Animal Organizations

World Wildlife Federation

We seek to be the voice for those creatures whom have no voice. We speak for their future. We seek to apply the wealth of our talents, knowledge, and passion to making the world wealthier in life, in spirit, and in living wonder of nature. (more…)

ASPCA

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was the first humane organization to be granted legal authority to investigate and make arrests for crimes against animals. Our organization provides local and national leadership in three key areas: caring for pet parents and pets, providing positive outcomes for at-risk animals and serving victims of animal cruelty. (more…)

Humane Society of Huron Valley

Our mission is to support the loving, responsible care of all animals in our community by ensuring proper, nurturing care, for the animals in our shelter; placing all adoptable animals in loving homes; reducing pet overpopulation; providing education and outreach; and stopping animal cruelty. (more…)

Children’s Organizations

Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan

Since 1926, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan has provided high quality youth development programs, sporting activities, events and a safe haven for children from all walks of life. (more…)

The BackPack Program

The Backpack Program is an undertaking of the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan which attempts to reduce child hunger, educate students on proper nutrition and promote healthy lifestyles. (more…)

Women/Mothers Organizations

One HEART

The mission of One HEART is to save the lives of women and children, one birth at a time. Saving the lives of Tibetan women and their children is of utmost urgency for the survival of the Tibetan people and culture. (more…)

Women Thrive Worldwide

Women Thrive develops, shapes, and advocates for policies that foster economic opportunity for women living in poverty. They focus on making U.S. international assistance and trade programs prioritize women. (more…)

The Grameen Foundation

At Grameen Foundation our goal is simple – we want to see poor people, especially the poorest and those living in harder to reach areas, have access to microfinance and technology and as a result of access to these services, move themselves out of poverty. (more…)

Food Organizations

Food Gatherers

Food Gatherers exists to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes in our community by: reducing food waste through the rescue and distribution of perishable and non perishable food; coordinating with other hunger relief providers; educating the public about hunger; and developing new food resources. (more…)

Oxfam America

Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 100 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice. (more…)

Health Organizations

The Michigan Difference

The Michigan Difference as it relates to medicine in the 21st century is about ideas, about people intensely dedicated to using those ideas to make the world a better place. (more…)

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

At Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, we are committed to ending breast cancer forever by energizing science to find the cures and ensuring quality care for all people, everywhere. (more…)

DMC Children’s Hospital

With more than 40 specialties, the Children’s Hospital of Michigan sees more kids and trains more pediatric medical and surgical experts than any other hospital in the state. (more…)

Thanks!

Thanks for taking the time to help us pick the organizations we’ll support together in 2010. For more details and to see the charities we supported in 2009, please visit the Lima Cares page.

Update: Haiti Relief Effort

In response to the tragic series of earthquakes on January 12 that devastated Haiti, Lima Beads will be redirecting our giving for the entire month of January to the American Red Cross to assist in emergency relief and recovery efforts. For those who’ve placed an order in January and are curious, we’ll still factor in the charity you selected for our end of year giving.

2009 certainly was a year full of inspiration. Check out some of the favorites from December below…

Welcome New Pickers!

The following beaders picked up a new hobby at the end of 2009: creating Fresh Picks!

• Vampire Chickie Ravin
• DIANA Z
• blue chick AKA TBARTON
• D Cauley
• Sparkik
• D Meyer
• Erin J
• BLUE CHICK AKA Tanisha
• Lyone f
• Susanna F
• Sophiebug
• stormy chic aka D Snyder
• Early Peanut
• Andrew M
• Theatrical Me
• Lady of Beads

Top 15 Favorited Design Gallery Pieces

1. motherless child by doktordesigns
2. SANTA FE BRACELET by cdpatricketsycom
3. Blue Ridge Bracelet by Beadazzled
4. velvet pine by Jeannes Gems - Gem Chick
5. Leapordskin Jasper Pendant Necklace by knjns0
6. Metallic Blue by Leigh D
7. Aventurine Dream by Breezy Chick aka Bree
8. Sugilite Jasper & Silver by Wemai Coffee Chick
9. Rose and Copper Cuff by Chicky D aka Debra
10. Beads and Chain by Fine Designs Jewelry
11. Twilight Inspired by Nicki - Taylored Designs
12. Midnight Blue by Little Round Chick
13. Vintage Rose Rememberance by Lynette O

There are some very cool bracelets in the top 15 this past month. None of your pieces look the same, which really makes your unique talents stand out. Great mixing of bead types and chain/metal. Awesome stuff!

Top 15 Favorited Picks

1. Sweet Fairy Tales by Breezy Chick aka Bree
2. Eskimo Kisses by Cuban Queen Crazy Chick
3. Russian Roulette by Chicky Zee aka Alice
4. Christmas Wreath by Elaine aka Belly Chick
5. Kalli Pink Poinsettia by D D Mystic Chick
6. Lima Beans Lima Beads by Lady of Beads
7. Aunt Fern by Atomic Toad
8. Ice Skating by Luv2bead - Little Chick
9. White Christmas by FaeryGoth Chick
10. Fly, Fly Away by Anita QoG Funny Chick
11. Bead Therapy by Purple Chick aka Violet
12. Candy Canes by Faithful Chick aka Faith
13. Blue Man Group by Jeannes Gems - Gem Chick
14. Bronzed Garden Gateway by Leigh D
15. Cuivre Elegante by Chicky ChaCha

It looks like maybe the snow is softening your choices in color or you are dreaming of warmer days, either way they are beautiful. The subtle greens, pinks and purples that were chosen go great with winter whites. What would you design with these picks? In the words of one of Payton’s favorite stories – “What could I be, what do you see?”

Happy New Year, everyone! To start off 2010 with a bang, we’d like to announce the Crossword Sale–a new sale every day in January! We’ve put together a crossword puzzle with 31 hints, one for each day in January. The answers indicate which items are on sale for that day. We think it’s going to be a blast!

The sales last 24 hours each, so you need to add the items to your shopping bag that day in order to get the reduced prices. Once they’re in your bag, you have 7 days to complete your purchase (all the details are available on the Shopping Bag page).

The Bonus…

As a bonus, if you complete the crossword puzzle early, you have the chance to unscramble a secret series of letters to reveal a hidden message. If you guess right, you’ll get a prize! So head on over to the crossword page, and check back daily to see what’s on sale!

Hi, happy beaders! I have a quick announcement… the annual Lima Beads Gift Giveaway is winding down, and there are only 3 more days to get a free gift with every order! So hurry and place your order by midnight (US eastern time) on December 31, and remember to choose your free gift. We’ve got a wide variety of gifts to choose from–and we added even more last Thursday, so check them out and choose YOUR gift!

Here’s to the last week of 2009! We know that 2010 is going to bring new challenges and opportunities. We want to make the most of it with you! Be sure to sign up for our e-mail list if you’re not already… we may or may not have a fun little announcement this week!

Without further ado, here’s a wrap-up of the inspiring work our customers have been up to!

New Pickers for November

Our Fresh Picks section keeps growing and growing… here’s a list of the newest pickers from November. Feeling inspired? It’s easy to design your own!

• Shawn l
• Pamela E
• Janz Joolz
• Peace Love Hollybeads
• Lynette O
• tiny chick aka kelsey
• Lorri G
• JulzJewlz
• Thissideofgaudy
• Cathy d
• Nicki - Taylored Designs
• LizzCreations
• Reina
• Regina
• A Regina
• Cattywumpuss
• Carla d

Top 15 Favorited Picks

1. Uluru Ayers Rock by Breezy Chick aka Bree
2. Stormy Seas by D D Mystic Chick
3. Brass Menagerie by Chicky ChaCha
4. his eyes by M mccallister mrs chick
5. A Winter Iris by Cotopaxi Chickie Sue
6. Orange Delight by Anita QoG Funny Chick
7. Septaria Sensations by Luv2bead - Little Chick
8. Snow Falling on Cedars by J Yee smart chick
9. Roast Chestnut by Chicky Zee aka Alice
10. walk on the beach by Shelly m
11. Silvery Red by FaeryGoth Chick
12. Winter Winds - MPS by Smoky Rose
13. Grapevine by Cuban Queen Crazy Chick
14. Simon, Do Something! by Little Round Chick

I love the combination of subtle and calm fresh picks with the zippy ones with splashes of color such as chartreuse, orange, red, and purple. Great work choosing less obvious stones for your picks – septaria, Mexican painting stone, agua nueva agate, Monaco agate, … I could keep going on and on…

Top 15 Favorited Design Gallery Pieces

1. Broken Glass by Luv2bead - Little Chick
2. For the Love of Dragons by Nicki - Taylored Designs
3. The Beauty of Septaria by Wemai Coffee Chick
4. Pearly Dewdrops by Starsparkle Spiral Chick
5. two autumn improvisations by doktordesigns
6. Crowned Jewel by Wickwire Jewelry
7. In Love with Amazonite by Froggy Chick aka Wendy F
8. What a Whopper Copper Cuff Bracelet by Jewelry by Shannon Leigh
9. All the leaves are brown by Brenda H
10. The Bronze Age by K H
11. Blue Sky Chalcedony ring by Irina s
12. Ocean Jasper by Little Round Chick
13. Sandy Waters by Gemme Designs by Johanne
14. Mediterranean Sea by Dutchy Madelon
15. opal spirals by Jeannes Gems - Gem Chick

There seems to be quite a bit of crossover in colors and themes used in Fresh Picks and Design Gallery pieces this time around. I’m not sure if it’s just a coincidence or if they are inspiring each other. I hope it’s the latter.

There was a lot of beautiful wire-work this past month. Personally, I do so much stringing with some basic wire wrapping (when Payton is napping and the little boy in my belly isn’t kicking me… really, it’s the “perfect storm”) that it’s nice to see interesting styles like the What a Whopper Cuff Bracelet and the Blue Sky Chalcedony ring. But it doesn’t stop there… all of the designs posted in the Design Gallery have been wonderful, and I’m pretty sure tons of people have been inspired by the pieces they get to see. We talk to customers all the time on the phone who mention it!

If you haven’t picked up a copy of Bead Star 2009 yet, you should Check Out our ad towards the front to see who was featured. I wish we could have fit everyone… You are all great!

The Lima Beads holiday parties are always fun, but this year’s gathering ended with a challenge. I won’t say who, but somebody suggested a “Dance-Off” between the office staff and the distribution team.

We would have laid down some cardboard and settled it the old fashioned way but nobody wanted to get hurt. Instead, we decided that each team would create a dancing elf video on ElfYourself.com and let you vote on which team wins.

Watch the videos and cast your vote below. Which team of dancing elves do you think wins the First Annual Lima Beads Holiday Dance-Off?

The Jingle Bell Jammers

Ho Ho Do-Si-Do

They say good news comes in threes. They couldn’t be more right! Imagine our surprise not too long ago when we found out that not one, not two, but THREE Lima Beads babies are due in the spring.

Andrew’s wife Elizabeth, Matt’s wife Deidra, and Ali are expecting little Limas on March 27th, March 30th, and April 11th respectively. And guess what? They’re all boys!

The newborns will be the first for Matt and Andrew, and of course Payton is excited about having a baby brother. So far, everything is looking good and we are all excited as can be. Stay tuned for more updates and if you have any boy name ideas, we’re all ears.

Also, if you want any beads, make sure you get them before the 3rd week of March. Things are going to get crazy around here!

Lima Beads is a big believer in giving back to the communities that we inhabit. It’s never been a better time to contribute to worthy organizations that help others in need.

We are supporting the following 5 charities in 2009 by donating a portion of our profits based on your votes. This does not increase the cost of your order because the donations are taken from our profits. To select a charity, all you have to do is remember to choose one in the menu on the bottom of your shopping bag. We’ll take care of the rest!

Next to each name is the percentage of “votes” each has received so far. It’s not too late to help these wonderful organizations by choosing your favorite the next time you place an order.

C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital (Ann Arbor, MI) – 29%
Every day, University of Michigan scientists are developing the next generation of therapies for children…and Mott patients are among the first to benefit from these discoveries.

Food Gatherers (Ann Arbor, MI) – 13%
Works to reduce food waste through the rescue and distribution of perishable and non perishable food; coordinating with other hunger relief providers; educating the public about hunger; and developing new food resources.

Hope Clinic (Ypsilanti, MI) – 8%
Offers medical care and dental care to the uninsured, plus a variety of social services to minister to the whole person.

Sasha Farm (Manchester, MI) – 23%
Provides a safe and secure environment, lifetime care and medical treatment for unwanted, neglected, misused, and abused farmed and domestic animals, as well as fostering through education a better understanding of these animals.

Women Thrive (Worldwide) – 27%
Develops, shapes, and advocates for policies that foster economic opportunity for women living in poverty.

To see more details about each charity and links to their websites, visit our Lima Gives Back page.

Charities for 2010

We will select 5 new charities for 2010 in January. Look for a blog post from Ali next month about choosing the new recipients.

Thanks for helping us improve the lives of others!

It’s officially “the holiday season” and a lot of us will no doubt be eating a lot of leftovers. This post is about a different kind of leftovers – leftover beads.

My definition of leftovers is (a) beads that are remaining after a planned project has been completed, or (b) components that didn’t get used or are from an item that is broken or lost. I never seem to use all of the beads I buy for making a birthday or Christmas gift, I always seem to lose one earring out of the pair and I also have a habit of buying funky pieces that don’t end up getting used. All of that is about to change…. I hope.

Here are some great ideas (I think) that I have come up with so that these treasures don’t go to waste:

• Share your beads with friends or a group.
• Create a simple (or difficult depending on the recipient’s experience) project and put together a homemade bead kit to give as a present.
• Make a funky/unexpected piece of jewelry – throw everything leftover in a baggie, shake it up and start stringing.
• Make a charm bracelet out of those lone earrings. I recommend a heavier duty chain, like the Tiffany chain bracelets that were so popular when I was in college. Also, I would go with an antique finish on the chain, with all of the different metals and stones that could be in your lost earrings you probably don’t want to use a chain that will look shiny and new when the earrings or other parts probably don’t.
• Make bead chain.  If you are familiar with rosaries, then you know what I am talking about. A couple different ways this could be done:

1. Just use your leftover beads along with a decent gauge wire (not too thin or your chain will break). If the beads won’t fit on the wire, I would recommend not using them in the piece rather than using a thin wire that could potentially break on you.
2. Use a combination of your leftover beads as described above, but instead of linking each bead together using wire, add in leftover bits of chain in random or consistent lengths in between the beads.  This will add great movement and interest to the strand.

How do you use leftover beads? What would you think of an easy way to swap beads & supplies online?

It’s time for another round of First Come, First Served deals!

The past two times we’ve done this, the majority of the items have sold out within hours, so if you see something you like, get it fast! This particular batch of items could be considered a sample sale. These are all items that we’ve purchased as samples over the past couple of years and decided not to carry for various reasons. The most common reasons are price (too expensive) and material availability (we can’t reliably stock them). None of these items have quality issues. Because they were ordered as samples, most of the quantities are very low. We have an average of 10 strands of the gemstone beads and about 20 pieces of each CZ item. See all of the items now!

You’ll find some interesting stones that you’ve never seen at Lima Beads and also some funky CZ cuts that we’ve decided not to carry on a regular basis. Good luck!

About First Come, First Served items

Before you add these deals to your shopping bag, you should know that all of these items are FINAL SALE. So take a good look at the photos! If you like what you see, we’re confident that you’ll love the beads. Here are a few more guidelines to read over before you place your orders:

It’s that time of year again. Starting tomorrow, the holiday season is officially in full swing. We’ll eat great meals, give and receive some gifts, and hang out with friends and family. All of the lucky Lima Beaders get to do one more thing every holiday season — they get to choose FREE BEADS with every order they place at Lima Beads. We do it every year to say thanks for another great year and for helping us make the Lima Beads web site a special place.

We’ve got some great gifts this year. We’ve expanded the number of selections to as many as 8 per level. With any order you can get Stampt Metal, Vintaj, TierraCast, or choose from some great gemstones. If you spend $75 or more, your choices include: olive green or pearly white pearls, Green Girl Studios, African green jasper, or some awesome smoky quartz nuggets.

Sapphire CZ

Get up to $150 and it really gets interesting. We’ve got the most popular piece of Green Girl Studios pewter (owl), amethyst (A) round 8mm, big gorgeous pearls, and two pieces of CZ never before seen on the Lima Beads site. This is the only way to get them. A lot of people ask for sapphire blue and ruby color CZ and the fact is, it’s just too expensive to carry. We ordered samples this past year and they’re gorgeous, but we’ve decided not to sell them, but we thought, why not give them to our customers?!

Tanzanite Rondelles

If you get all the way to $300, you can get the coolest toggle clasp I’ve ever seen (Green Girl Shibuichi), Mexican fire agate nuggets, or (and I’ve saved the best for last) a strand of blinding tanzanite faceted rondelles.

See All The Gifts

Again, thanks for being with us this year. Lima Beads has grown a lot with full lines of chain, metal beads, and findings. The Lima community has also grown, which is shown by more than 2,000 gorgeous designs in the design gallery.

Next year, we plan to keep pushing forward with more stringing material, more silver, and a Stampt Metal surprise that is going to provide you with hours of fun.

Thanks again everyone. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

-Kevin

You may have noticed that it’s been a little quiet around the blog lately. That’s because we’ve been working on something top secret that we think is going to help everyone in a big way when you shop at Lima Beads. Starting today, the Shopping Bag just got a lot smarter!

Easy Shopping from Different Computers

We have so many ways to get special deals (daily Fresh Pick sale, the Big Green Bead Machine, Lima Lunch Specials), but it wasn’t easy to do all your shopping from different computers or locations… until now. As long as you’re signed into your account, your shopping bag will be available from any computer, at any location. All your special deals will stay with you!

More Informative

When you have a special deal in your shopping bag that expires (from the Bead Machine, for example), the shopping bag now tells you when it will expire. Moving your mouse over the clock gives you additional information, and you can even sort your shopping bag by expiration time to get a look at how much time you have left on your deals.

Shipping Estimates

Another new feature we just launched is the ability to get a shipping estimate right from your shopping bag. This will be ultra-helpful for holiday shopping when shipping times are so critical!

Have Feedback?

We’re always happy to get your feedback so we can improve your experience with our web site. Have something to say? Leave a comment below!

As much as I love the season of fall, I love the Christmas time of year even more. So much so that I’m usually one of those people that like to decorate the tree the weekend after Halloween. We’ll, it’s been a couple of weeks since Halloween and to my wife’s dismay, the tree still is not up.

She’s been hounding me for these past two weeks, but I haven’t really had the urge to set up a Christmas tree.
I get why all of the stores are setting up early. Based on the numbers, it totally makes sense. One of the local radio stations started playing 100% Christmas music a week ago. Every time Deidra turns it on, I say to her, “Really?”

A couple of years ago, I would’ve said, “Crank it up!”

So, “Why the change of heart?” To be honest, I can’t really put my finger on it. I still get the same, warm, fuzzy feeling every year around Christmas time. Maybe I’m just getting grumpier in my old age.

I’m trying to weigh the pros and cons of decorating early. Here’s what I could come up with.

The Argument Against Decorating Early for the Holidays

This gem came from my Father-in-Law: “Whatever happened to Thanksgiving? I’d rather put the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving and take it down in January, than put it up the day after Halloween and take it down the day after Christmas!”

Not only is there the risk of growing weary of the holidays, but I think that starting the holidays in early November starts to diminish the integrity of this special time. It only comes once a year, but when it lasts for over two months, I think it loses the “Wow!” factor.

The Argument For Decorating Early for the Holidays

For me at least, the obvious argument for setting up early is that it is, in Andy Williams’ words, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!” It’s undeniable. In most cases, there’s no time like Christmas time.

On top of that, regardless of how early I set up the tree and turn on the Christmas music, I always feel like Christmas just comes and goes so fast! There’s always something that I wished I would’ve done, but didn’t really have the time. The last couple of years, it’s been Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village. I hear it’s pretty great, but I’ve yet to check it out.

Here are a couple of things that I absolutely have to do each and every holiday season:

• Set up the Christmas Tree and other decorations
• Go to Frankenmuth and Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland
• Visit my Grandparents
• Go to Cincinnati to visit family the weekend after Thanksgiving
• Help Mom set up her Dickens’ Village
• Listen to “Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis“
• Watch the following movies:
  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
  • Frosty the Snowman
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas
  • Christmas Vacation
  • The Santa Clause
  • White Christmas
  • Home Alone
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (TV Special)
  • Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town

The realization that I’ve come to after writing this is that Christmas time can be as long or as special as you make it. It could last all year, so long as we keep the spirit in our hearts and the peace in our lives. The stores and radio stations shouldn’t decide when we’re supposed to be preparing for this most special of times. It’s up to you.

What about all of you Christmas lovers? Do you love that the holiday season seems to be creeping earlier and earlier on the calendar? When do you start decorating? Do you have a list of things you absolutely need to do every holiday season?

This past weekend, I found myself going through my now out-of-control bead room with Payton. I thought it would be an easy project to gather all of my favorite finds and organize them while she was playing with some fabric beads. There can’t be too many favorites, right? Well, as it turns out I have a lot of favorites and a lot of beads in general. Then I thought, at least I can thin out my bead stash by donating or reselling. The problem with that is that my favorite beads change with the seasons, my mood, etc. What am I supposed to do? This is my mission for November: Get my stash together before I start jamming on Christmas jewelry for gifts.

This is what I’ve tried in the past that worked at the time:

• Dixie cups: Works for holding head pins and eye pins
• Big red “keg” cups or a box: Works great for holding tools (these were always on hand in college )
• Tackle boxes: traveling with beads. They have great little compartments for taking beads on the go. The only problem is that I now have too many beads to choose from and the tackle box I would need is the size of a small piece of luggage. I will say though that this also worked great when Kevin and I lived in a small apartment and I had to bead at the dining table. Tackle boxes are also great for storing glass or cz beads.
• Plastic storage drawers on wheels: This worked in my apartment when I didn’t have a permanent beading spot. What I didn’t like about this storage method is that if you make the drawers heavy with too many beads, they don’t pull out very easily.
• Beads in baggies inside of Tupperware bins with lids: This option worked great for the last year and I think that concept behind it could still work if I could find a better storage option. I used to store all my gemstones together, all my pearls together, all my vintage together, all my glass together…you get the drift. The problem then became that I would miss out on using a cool red bead because I had only been looking in my gemstone bin. I then decided that the best way to organize my beads because of the way I design was to do it based on color, regardless of material. For instance, I take all of my red beads no matter the type, put each in a Ziploc bag and put it in the bin labeled RED.

The last option is by far my favorite for actual bead storage. The only remaining issue is that Payton likes to play with beads almost as much as I do. Our house is not huge, so her playroom doubles as my beading room. There are two problems with this. First, I have a limited amount of space to work with. Second, every time I go in the room, my beads are pulled out of their containers and strewn across the floor, because my little designer has been hard at work when I wasn’t looking I think what’ll happen is that I will find an amazingly perfect desk and come up with a fantastic wall storage for above. Sounds realistic right?

I would love to see pictures of your bead storage and/or studios. Not necessarily your beading desk or table, but the place where you store the beads and supplies you’re not actively working with.

What you think the best method for organizing your beads, tools, and projects is?

What special circumstances have you had to work with?

Please help!

Are you familiar with the theory of “Six Degrees of Separation“? It states that all 7+ billion humans are linked to each other by no more than 6 connections. So, if I know Steve and Steve knows Matt, I am connected to Matt through 1 degree (Steve). If Matt knows Ali, I am connected to Ali by 2 degrees.

I’ve always thought the idea is fun to think about in theory, but it’s even cooler when you discover some of the completely random connections between people in your life.

My Favorite Customer

My siblings and I ran a small lemonade stand every weekend during our summer vacations as kids. We set up shop on the corner of a busy street in suburban Atlanta that attracted hundreds of runners, walkers, and cyclists each weekend.

Thanks to the Atlanta heat and “Rock Bottom Pricing“, we sold gallons of watered down lemonade at $0.25 per cup. On a good day, we would each profit $5 or more (after paying mom and dad back for expenses, of course). That was BIG money in those days. Now I wish I had listened to my parents and saved it.

We began to attract regular customers, but one British lady always stuck out in my mind because I loved hearing her accent, peculiar jokes, and strange phrases from “across the pond”. She also packed extra quarters in her fanny pack to buy our lemonade before and after her morning run. She quickly became our favorite customer.

Of course, eventually we grew up, got out of the lemonade business and never heard from her again. But the story doesn’t end there…

About 10 years later my grandparents took a sightseeing trip to London and stopped in a pub for a pint and some fish and chips. They started talking to the British lady on the next stool about travel and living overseas. Wouldn’t you know it…this woman had lived in the States just outside of Atlanta and was a frequent runner. (You know where this is going…)

It didn’t take long for them to figure out that the nice British lady was our favorite customer! They laughed at the near impossibility that they would end up at the same pub after 10 years on an entirely different continent!

We’re All Connected

I love the random moments in life that remind us how connected we are to each other. I’ve got plenty more, but I’m sure you do too. So, it’s your turn. What random connections have you discovered that seem to prove the theory that it really is a small world after all?

Photo Credit

Winter warmth by Carolinawren

New Fresh Pickers for October

• Monkeykat Rhi
• whistling bird
• Froggy Chick aka Wendy F
• Carolinawren
• dawni-jo
• Faith
• Tracine
• Silver Leaf
• tweetybird59
• Sweet n Sassy
• Artful Accents
• Sarahcita
• Kitty Girl
• Charlene C
• L Soponis
• Traci C
• Aussie YoKel
• MONIKAPIP
• Melissa
• lizzieo68
• Lis G
• P Canales

Top 15 Favorited Picks

1. 100% Chance of Rain by Chicky D aka Debra
2. Pinked!!! by Leigh D
3. Spa Delight by Alice t
4. Sister Goldenhair by Atomic Toad
5. Caelia by FaeryGoth Chick
6. First Impressions by Breezy Chick aka Bree
7. Wild Purple Asters by Mary S AKA Sweet Chick
8. Walk Softly by Cuban Queen Crazy Chick
9. Vintaj Venture en Bleu by Chicky ChaCha
10. Copper and Ice by L Soponis
11. Winter warmth by Carolinawren
12. out of my comfort zone by M mccallister mrs chick
13. Olympic Peninsula by Smoky Rose
14. Cinnamon Toast by Jane MS
15. Smoky Impressions by Luv2bead – Little Chick

100% Chance of Rain by Chicky D aka Debra

This group of favorite picks really showcases the use of subtle and warm tones. There are however a few that feature purples and blues. I always say that purple is my least favorite color, but oddly enough I was reading Vogue UK and found that they are saying the top colors for fashion this winter (2009/2010) are: Indigo (the more saturated and intense the color the better) and regal tones of violet, purple and inky grape. I guess I’ll have to embrace these colors, at least for this season…

These colors are gorgeous when used the right way.  How would you use them? Let’s see some Fresh Picks!

They are all beautiful combinations.  Which Fresh Pick would you be most interested in creating a piece of jewelry out of and what would you create? If you do, be sure to show us in the design gallery

Top 15 Favorited Designs from the Gallery

1. Waterfall of Pearls by Taylored Designs
2. Amazonite by Chanda C
3. Amber Waves by Jeannes Gems – Gem Chick
4. Blue Jeans by Starsparkle Spiral Chick
5. SANTORINI by Beadazzled
6. Jasper ‘n Copper by Little Round Chick
7. A mermaid for my friend by Wemai Coffee Chick
8. Misty Morning Sunrise by John M
9. Turquoise and Copper by Kathryn Lobert
10. Autumn Wine Charm by Chicky D aka Debra
11. Bon Jour! by Sali Jo GemsChica Chick
12. Bohemian Tigress by Judith Ann Boyer
13. Chocolate and berries by Gunilla B
14. Two Favorites by Brenda H
15. Laboradorite Nugget and Faceted Gemstone Necklace by Jewelry by Shannon Leigh

Waterfall of Pearls by Taylored Designs

I have to say the design gallery has never looked so good!

The designs you’re creating and sharing with the rest of us are really beautiful. There are some great textures, colors, and metal work – especially in the top 15 this month.

I do have one request, and I know it might seem cumbersome because everyone is getting so busy this time of year, but I’m going to ask it anyway. If you have a piece that requires more than basic stringing technique, would please add some instructions or tips applicable to your piece? I think that it would really help, because the pieces are gorgeous and inspiring but it would also help to teach people how to achieve the same coolness. Again, if you have time

Thanks everyone!

Thanks to everybody that helped make Scream Week such a success! We had a blast putting it together for you. Even if you weren’t scared by our haunted warehouse video or didn’t laugh at our pet costumes, many of you took advantage of the Scream Week sale and entered the drawing for a $250 Lima Beads Gift Certificate.

The Gift Certificate Winner Is…

We randomly chose an email address from all the brave souls that survived the video. I’m happy to announce that Seema M. from Overland Park, Kansas is the big winner! Seema is going to receive a $250 Lima Beads Gift Certificate along with the envy of lots of beaders.

Thanks for playing, and if you didn’t win this time stay tuned for the next round of sales, games, and contests. Who knows what the mad Lima scientists will come up with next?

Ali and I just got back from trick-or-treating with Payton. It was a perfect Halloween. Cool, crisp air. Orange, red, and yellow leaves strewn about and a couple of neighbors that are really into Halloween. Payton was Snow White this year and I might be biased, but she definitely achieved maximum cuteness. We got all of the usual goodies: M&Ms, Snickers, Twix, Licorice, Milk Duds, and my personal favorite, NERDS. Lucky for me, at only 17 months, she’s not allowed to have much candy.

Our first trick-or-treating

I hope you all had a great Halloween. Now, onward to Thanksgiving…

At Lima Beads we thought it might be fun to share our pets’ Halloween costume pictures.

Dakota

I can honestly say that we’ve never dressed Dakota up in anything. We’ve tried our T-shirts, bandanas, and booties, but he is never very excited. So when it came time to shop for a costume, I headed to Target. I know a homemade costume would be much cuter, but I barely have time to make a pair of earrings I enlisted the help of Payton (17 months old) to choose the right costume. She loves Dakota and loved nothing more than the idea of dressing him up to make him even more furry and cuddly. It came down to a chicken or a squirrel and as you can see, Payton chose the squirrel.

After putting Dakota through all of this without being able to enjoy his candy, I am feeling a little guilty so I was thinking about baking him some fresh doggie treats (recipe courtesy of The Martha Stewart Show October 2009)

Izzy’s Apple Cheddar Dog Biscuits

• 2 cups barley flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients and about 3 tablespoons water to form a dough. Roll out mixture between two sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thick; remove plastic wrap and cut out biscuits with a 3 1/2-inch bone-shaped cookie cutter. Reroll scraps and continue cutting out biscuits.
3. Space biscuits 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until nicely browned and firm.
4. Transfer biscuits to a wire rack. Turn off oven and place biscuits on wire rack in oven overnight. Remove from oven and store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

The rest of the Lima staff also got in on the action:

Andrew

Sammy

This is Sammy, our 5-year old Yorkie. He’s not really the costume type and I couldn’t get anything else on him. Just getting these pics cost me 2 milk bones. I’ve had this candy corn tie forever, which apparently he didn’t mind wearing because it’s similar to a collar. He’s all set for a night on the town.

Matt

Minnie

Here’s our bunny Minnie! I mean our dog Minnie. Which I think most of you have already met in our “We Love Our Pets” post. She’s generally pretty easy going, so dressing her up in ridiculous costumes is loads of fun. The ashamed look on her face is the only reason we don’t dress her up more often. If she only knew how cute she was…

Steve

Reesey

This year, Reesey wanted to have a little more bite with her bark, so we fashioned a tiger dog coat and booties. It was a tight fit, but I think she appreciated the ferocious twist on her typically laid-back personality! That is, until she shook the whole thing off.

You!

Do you have a photo of your pet all dressed up? Submit it in the comments below!