New Year's Resolution

Ok, it's been entirely too long since my last post... so my New Year's Resolution is to make sure to post at least once a week.

So this year has been an eventful one, to say the least. It's all been good and exhausting! In case you didn't hear, we moved the store in January. This was no easy feat, moving from around 5500 sq ft to about 1600. We didn't lose any bead selling space, and we still have two nicely sized classrooms, but we don't have much storage at all. This was the big challenge. Eight years of stuff to go through. I think that was more difficult than moving my house! I got to see a lot of old jewelry that I made many moons ago (some are 20+ years old!), and cringed at some of the things that I've made and sold. It's good to know where you have come from so that you can appreciate where you're going.

Once the move was done, literally within a day or two, Deanna and I left for Tucson. I have posted about our Tucson trip before, and it's always interesting to me to see how much it has changed. Going to a show of any kind where I am strictly there to buy and not sell gives me a different perspective. The economy has taken it's toll on the industry, shows that had up to a 10 year waiting list now have empty booths. I talked to people who are not planning on returning, and to people who had their best show ever. One seasoned professional told me that he had his single biggest day ever at any show in Tucson this year. I was very happy for him, and glad I could contribute to it! The majority of vendors said that business was looking up. Fewer people in Tucson means that only the more serious buyers were there. And heaven knows I left a good chunk of change there! The weather was great, it did rain the first day, but it was 70+ degrees the rest of the time, and considering the rest of the country was blanketed in snow, we were very fortunate.

Now we're back, spent a week getting everything priced, and Monday it all gets opened up to our customers. We have a ton of Semi-Precious beads, more pearls than I've bought in years, lampwork beads by Lewis Wilson and Harold Cooney, high end Chinese Crystals, Glass Pearls, amazing Czech Glass beads and more! If you are in the area, make sure to come by and check it out.

So now I can take a breath, enjoy the new store, enjoy the ton of new merchandise, and hopefully watch everyone else enjoy the fruits of my labor! I love what I do, and want to do it as long as I possibly can.

If you are on Facebook, become a fan of Piece of Mind Bead and Jewelry Studio and we'll keep you updated with the latest news about the shop. And as I have promised, I will update this blog more often!