Fall is a beautiful time of year

And today is glorious. This weekend John and I went for a drive in the Jemez Mountains north of Albuquerque. The road winds through the Jemez Pueblo and then through canyons with wildflowers in bloom. The sky was such an incredible blue it was dazzling.

The last month has been a blur!

We left on September 19th for our annual trek to San Diego. The first change was that we decided to take our four year old grandson with us. It would be his first trip away from home.

We started ourvacation by going to Payson Arizona to be a race crew for my son. He was participating in a 24 hour endurance mountain bike race, the Payson Stampede. Whoever rides the most miles in a 24 hour period wins.


He rides in the Solo Single Speed Class. This means he rides alone on a bike with only one gear. He rode 13 laps for a total of 130 miles. Each lap the altitude rises 1350 feet!

He took First Place in his class and Second Place overall Single Speed Racers. I am so proud!!! He's worked really hard to train for this and the other events he participates in.





We stayed awake most of the night helping Gabriel with his bottles of water and nutrients and food. It was nice to be able to help him achieve this goal! He did finally sleep a couple of hours early in the morning. I gave him my cot and tried to get comfy in the front seat of the truck. John and Jude were asleep in the tent. Needless to say I didn't get a lot of sleep.


After breaking camp and packing everything up, we rested up the rest of the day. We hung out with Gabriel, ate a great dinner at a Mexican Restaurant and then a great breakfast the next morning. After that Gabriel left for home and we left for California.

About an hour south of Payson we blew a radiator hose going up the mountains. No cell phone reception! Thanks to the DOT guys and AAA we got to a repair shop and back on the road after 5 hours.



We pulled into our beach front hotel room at 10:00 PM that night. It had been a looooonng day in the truck. We decided we'd take the grandson to the beach. He'd never seen/heard the ocean before and he was astounded! We played in the waves for a bit and then it was off to bed.



The next morning we took grandson to the beach again and this time he COULD see it. LOL! He was astounded all over again.

What followed was 10+ days of hanging out at the pool (where grandson learned to swim and use a mask, flippers, and snorkle) or at the beach, driving around to different beaches and playgrounds, playing with the dogs and grandson and just generally having a great time. We visited Tide Pools, the Zoo, light houses and Old Town San Diego to name a few. It was so much fun! John took off one day and went to jump out of big planes.

Even though I took my laptop I only checked my email once while I was gone! That is a record! And, no, I didn't touch a bead.

On the last day we drove up to Costa Mesa to the Gem Faire. Managed to surprise some friends and wandered around for a bit. It was fun. I bought some really cute Chinese lampwork spacers and a few beads as well.

Got home and was playing catch up and got invited to an informal bead retreat in Frisco Colorado. It was a great bunch of ladies and we had a great time even though I had a bit of altitude sickness the whole time I was there. But, what a beautiful place! It was a beautiful drive up there through the mountains but I drove home as fast as I could on the interstate because I was ready to be home! LOL!

Now I'm getting ready to head to Houston for the International Quilt Festival next week. I'm working for Beyond Beadery and will have a limited selection of kits there for sale.

I'll get home a week later and the next day head off with my friend Star to Oakland California for the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza the first weekend in November. It's a great show with really interesting vendors. I'll be there selling my kits again this year.

This is a fun laid back show and I'm looking forward to see some folks I don't usually get to see. I also love the bay area and look forward to spending a few days there. Maybe I'll even manage to get into San Francisco this time!

I won't be able to stay long though because the weekend after that I have to be back in Albuquerque for the Bead Renaissance show where I'll once again be working for Beyond Beadery. I hope to have a selection of kits there to sell as well.

So that's what I've been up to for the last month and what I'll be doing for the next couple weeks. Then, after that, it's my bday and the beginning of the holiday season that runs through New Years LOL!

Sometime in between I hope to get a couple of new things done. It just never ends! LOL!

Wait! What happened to the Summer?!?

I am having a hard time believing it's September already! The last few months have flown by! I've managed to keep myself busy with bead shows and a couple of fun trips.

I've also been beading as much as I can. I've become obsessed with these little crystal medallions. Joining them, adding to them...really fun! I've managed to make a whole box full!

It was great to see several online friends and meet some new ones at the shows this year!

I'm looking forward to going to Houston for the Quilt Show in October and Oakland in November for the BABE show. Anybody in the area, it is a really nice show with an excellent selection of vendors. I look forward to shopping this show myself. This year my friend Star (head bead enabler at Beyond Beadery) will be with me. It should be fun!

I'm hoping to be able to blog a little more often. I kinda blog in my head. Just need a hotwire that will plug into my computer, eh?

More to come. Check out my new kits at http://www.buythekit.com/newstuff.html I think you'll see where this obsession is leading me.

OK, I've got a new bracelet on my board, back to it!

My trip across the pond

I've been meaning to blog this trip of a lifetime since I got home. The first week I was recovering from jet lag (OMG! I haven't been so tired since I was a party queen). We left on April 23 for our first transcontinental flight. I even upgraded our flight to "Economy Express" to gain an extra 5 inches of leg room (oh boy, hold me back). Wouldn't seem real important except my DH J1 is 6'6" tall and is mostly legs. He was still cramped. I took a chill pill, put in my ear plugs and put on my eye mask and slept 6 of the 8 hours across. We landed about noon and went through customs. Why is it that even though I knew I had no contraband, had all my lotions and gels in my zip loc bag, passport in order, etc., I was still nervous and had a serious case of the stoopids when the customs agent was asking me questions (these were EASY questions like "Why are you visiting London?"...yeesh!

My BIL had arranged for a car to pick us up and drive us to their flat. So after leaving customs and getting our baggage we see Manny the driver with a sign with our names on it. You don't know how long I've wanted that to happen! I felt quite posh. We got into the car and drove into London. Now, I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you had tried to find a place more different from New Mexico, you couldn't have found a better place than London.

We got to the flat and got our luggage in and settled and then my BIL J2 took us on a little walk-about to show us the general vicinity. First things first, we went to Starbucks (there were two within a block of each other). We saw the Tube stop, got maps, went to a convenience store and bought a few things. That was about all we were up to after the trip. Went back to the flat and just chilled out.

This flat is just beautiful. It is located across the street from St. James Park. Two blocks to the left is Buckminster Palace. A block to the right is No. 10 Downey Street and a block behind us is Scotland Yard. Couldn't have been a more perfect location!

The next day we were woken up to get ready to go to Tea. Yup, that's tea with a capital T. We were off to the Ritz. We all got dressed up in our best duds (see pic above) and the car arrived to whisk us off to the Ritz.

I have always read historical novels, many of which took place in London and Tea at the Ritz was a ritual that always seemed so far removed from real life. And yet, here we were. The Ritz is a beautiful and ornate space. We weren't three steps in the door when we were approached by a doorman and the gentlemen were asked to put on their ties. So they all trooped to the men's room to have J2 tie their ties. J4, J5 and I waited in the foyer looking at the beautiful jewels displayed around the room (advertising their jewelry store). When the boys got back we were escorted to a beautiful table. The Palms Room where tea is held is like stepping back into a time warp. It was quite elegant. We selected our tea (Earl Grey Afternoon Tea for me) and were chattering away. Then the wait staff (in tails) brought our tea and food to the table. It was so beautiful. We tried to keep our voices down but I'm afraid that isn't our strong suit. Plus, we hadn't seen each other in about 2 years and had lots of catching up to do. So it was pretty obvious we weren't natives. LOL! We ate as much as we could hold and regretfully left. But, not before I checked out the powder room! The toilet paper was on heated rods so it was warm and when you went to wash your hands there was a lovely lady to hand you a towel and offer you a spritz of scent. Oh my!

J3 and the twins went home and J2 walked us around Picadilly Circus (where there are not lions, tigers, or bears) and showed us some of the sights. Wow! The architecture, the people, the smells! It was all I could do not to walk around with my mouth open.

The next day we did the sightseeing thing, wandering St. James Park (so beautiful! The flowers were magnificent), checked out changing of the guards at the Palace (too crowded, didn't stay) and window shopping in Picadilly Circus. The Tower of London was one of my favorites. I even managed to make the guard there smile....just a little and John saw him too!

I don't believe I've ever felt so much like a fish out of water! I loved it but was definitely out of my comfort zone. Nevertheless we had a great day of wandering around and checking out the city.

While we were there we got to go to the London Tower, Westminster Abbey (just wandered the grounds, what a magnificent building!), spent two days at the British Museum, and did a lot of just walking around. J2 took us on several walking tours in the evenings after he got home from work. So much fun!

We took the Underground (tube) all over the place. It was easy to maneuver and my years of riding the WashingtonDC metro came in handy. I loved the Tube! Mind the Gap!

The highlight of our trip was getting to be with the family. They are such fun wonderful people. It was a joy to get to know the J4&5 better. (16 yo twins). I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend so much time with my SIL J3.

We got to go to Camdenton to check out the punk rock/hippy scene. Ate Chinese Food in China Town (where I discovered I love Crispy Duck!). Ate at the Hard Rock Cafe (worst meal we had the whole trip) and got to go down into the vault to check out the Rock and Roll memorabilia where I got to hold Jimmy Page's guitar! (lead guitarist Led Zeppelin - my absolute favorite band since I was 15) It brought me to tears...yeah I know, silly. Also checked out guitars of other great musicians, including Sting who just happens to live across the street from BIL and family. Never got to see him but did see his beautiful car....low slung midnight blue Jag. Got to go to Harrods, an incredibly huge department store....WOW!

We wanted to stay one night at a London Hotel so I went on priceline right before we left and got a reservation at a 4-star hotel. I had heard that the hotel rooms there were small so when we got there and the bellman took us up to our room I didn't actually gasp when I was led into a tiny room the size of my studio (maybe). But it was furnished nicely and had lovely amenities. So that was a fun experience. After going down to the executive lounge for drinks and enough hors d'oeuvres to be dinner we sat in our room and watched the local news. Very interesting. My DH actually bought me the robe and slippers in the room for a souvenir LOL! that was fun to find room for! Luckily we'd brought a suitcase full of American foods for the family so I was able to stuff it in there.

We wanted to see a show while we were there so J3 got online and got us some killer tickets to go see Spam-a-Lot. It was hilarious! Beautiful theatre even though the seats were designed for very little people. We decided to walk back to the flat from the theatre and go through Trafalgar Square. I was walking and talking (I should never do this) and stepped into a tree well. The sidewalks were damp and I slipped and did a beautiful flying fall onto the sidewalk and then slid about 10 feet. Landed on my shoulder and boy howdy did THAT hurt. Luckily DH is a nurse and determined nothing was broken and I hobbled to a taxi and rode home. OMG that hurt...still does.

The things I remember most, besides the sights...never enough ice. And if you ask for more you get a "look". The English have no idea what lemonade is (served Sprite) and heaven help you if you ask for Iced Tea. I heard more foreign (to me) accents than I ever have. In London the pace is very fast (as opposed to the New Mexican Carpe Manana ((sieze tomorrow)) attitude. Heaven help you if you were walking on the sidewalk at a leisurely pace. I got knocked off the side walk, pushed, bumped, and not an apology to be heard.

I'd always read about how people from other countries referred to us yanks as "Ugly Americans" well, I take humbrage at that! The rudeness there was rampant and service? Pretty much non existant. Oh, and everything was about twice as expensive as here. Needless to say I didn't do a lot of shopping other than souvenirs. But we did a lot of windowshopping and sightseeing.

It was so much fun! We're already planning a return trip!

And, nope did not see ONE bead store. They were there but there was so much more to see! Next time!

I heard I lost an old friend today

His name was Last Chance Angel. He was my son's 12 year old pit bull/boxer. My son rescued him within minutes of him being put to sleep as a puppy because he had been confiscated from a dog fighting kennel.

My son raised him to be a loving guardian. He learned to love the other dogs in his family and to tolerate and perhaps even like the household cats. He was good around children. He loved to play with his big red kong and when younger would chew on it for hours.

He lived with me for several years and was always a soothing presence in my difficult world at that time. He would put that bowling ball head of his on my knee and gaze into my eyes and if I knew nothing else I knew he loved me and that brought me a measure of peace.

When my son was going through a bad time in his life Chance was there for me to love when I couldn't love my son. He was there for my son as a loving presence in what seemed to be a dark and dismal world. And, when my son began building a positive life for himself Chance was there to love him and be his boon companion.

I saw him last in February and he was showing his age. His limp and slow response saddened me but he was more than happy to sit beside me and let me love him. He would bring me his kong and put it on my lap even though it was hard for him to chase or chew.

As sad as I am to know he is gone from the world, I comfort myself with the knowledge that he had a wonderful life with my son and, he doesn't hurt anymore.

There is no greater love than that of a dog for his people. Chance loved us fiercely and I'm so sad he is no longer in my world. He will, however, always be a bright memory in my heart. Rest in Peace my dear friend. I'll be seeing you.

Pay it forward

OK so here's the deal...I love this idea.

These are the rules ...I will send a beady something that I made to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange (and email me their mailing address and favorite color), and who make the same pledge on their own blogs.

The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward, by posting a pay it forward on your own blog.

Now doesn't that sound like a fun thing to do! I am also going to try to pay it forward in other ways as well. I'll post about it here.

Wednesday already?!?

AAAAArrrrrgggghhhh! I've got soooooooo much to do in the next week and a half!

But, enough of that...I've been beading like crazy the last few days. That may be why I'm not getting all my work done.

The three bracelets I just finished are some of the purtiest ones I've done in a while.

Here's my favorite. I'm calling it Kaleidescope Blossom and hope to teach it and some killer variations next year at B&B and some of the other shows. At least, I'll propose it. It's got a funky thread path but man is it purty! I'm currently working on another variation that I hope to be able to kit.

My bead tray got dumped last night. Either cats or kids, dunno which, I've got plenty of both in the house. At any rate I have several hundred crystals, firepolish and misc. seedbeads all mixed together....ugh, guess I know what I'll be doing while I watch TV tonight!

OK so check this out...this is my schedule for the next few months:

I leave on Easter for Bead Expo. I'll be working for Beyond Beadery and selling some of my kits at their booth. If you're in the area look me up, eh?

The week after Bead Expo (Apr 3-5) I'll be at Beads, Etc. in Clovis, CA for a trunk show and teaching a couple of classes (Fabrege Caged Beads and Over the Top - Full Bloom )

You can find more details at http://www.beadsetc.net/ I'm very excited as these are two fun fun classes.

I get home and 12 days later I leave for London with my DH for 10 glorious days across the pond. Pray for sun please. I'm from the Southwest and can handle about 2 days of cloudy days at a time....I'm frantically shopping for waterproof clothing, i.e., raingear...I don't own any. LOL!

A month after I get home I go to Milwaukee for B&B, July is Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA and August is BeadFest Philly in Valley Forge, PA....travel much? LOL...

I'll be sure and post from the various venues and let you know what's shakin' in the bead "world".

OK, let me see if I can get some work done on this new bracelet....taxes? repair my samples for the show? Naaaaaaaaa....gotta need to bead...

All text, graphics, pictures Copyright 2008 - Nikia Angel - All Rights Reserved

Ta-Daaaaaa

Well, I've finally succumbed to the bloggy thing. Welcome and I hope you enjoy your visit.

I've been exploring new venues to promote and sell my kits and jewelry. I have a couple of websites...one commercial and one with pictures. http://www.buythekit.com is where you can purchase my kits and the kits of an extremely talented group of designers. Check it out when you have some time.

I'm currently working on a new website that will be mostly a place to put up pictures to share my work. Since I've been beading obsessively for 20 years I have a few pieces laying around. If you'd like to take a look you can go to http://www.nikskits.com.

And, last but not least, I've recently opened an etsy shop. There you will find very limited edition kits, patterns, and destash type items. I'm about to put up a bunch of vintage German Glass cabs and have LOTS of other stuff waiting for me to photograph it and get it up.

So that's it for now. I hope you'll stop by now and again to see what I'm up to.

Have a splendiferous day if you so choose...it is up to you after all

sloppy smooches!