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May 11, 2004
OoooWeee...! We bought it all
Our trip yesterday was a blast a minute. We laughed the whole way there and back (about a 2.5 hr drive to the West side of Houston)...Our first stop was to Big Stone Inc (www.bigstoneinc.com) where they had a fabulous supply of Swarovski crystals, some nice pearls and semi-precious/precious stones and findings. I didn't plan on getting any Bali - I've avoided sliding down that slippery slope because its hard to keep it under control...
But we pooled our Bali consumption and came up with 500 grams and a very nice price break...I spent less than $100.00 on Bali and got a nice beginning to a very addictive habit...yikes, I tell ya...
After spending a few hours in Big Stone, we hopped in the car, downed a few HoHos for lunch (nice) and then were off to Oriental Crest (www.orientalcrest.com)...This store in much more disarray, stone strands just dumped in boxes, pearls everywhere, findings in file cabinets - it was a blast a minute! The prices were very sweet - the little seed pearls you see in the pic were 1.80 a strand in the 'sale' bin...the large strands of pearls were 10.00 and 12.00 a strand. How could you beat that? I have no idea what I'm going to DO with this stuff, but that's not the point. Buy it when you see it, cause you may never see the same thing again...
My friend Mick who's 4 months pregnant was getting light headed (probably the lack of 'real' food) and so she was given some Chinese cookies to settle her low blood sugar...After the beadstores, we hit IKEA (www.ikea.com) on the way home and I picked up a Swedish candy bar (very tasty, like Toblerone, only no nuts)...and some wicked cool curtains with animals on them - who have fake fur tails that you velcro right onto the curtain...I dunno where I'll put them, but aren't they cool?
Posted by Donner at May 11, 2004 11:50 AM
Comments
Beads in general are addictive. I was horrified at how much I spent at my first bead show (back when I was just going to make myself a few things) and now I only wish I could spend that little on beads...and no thanks to you by the way...a major part of my addiction! Those pastelly purple/green/blue beads that I bought a few weeks ago were a huge hit...the first person who saw them, bought them...so much for keeping them for myself!
Are you originally from the Boston area? I only thought people here said "wicked"!
Posted by: Jean B. at May 11, 2004 03:27 PM
nope - grew up outside Chicago, but have been in Texas for 27 years, so I consider myself a 'Texan'...I probably picked up 'wicked' from watching Harry Potter the other night...hee..
i'm here to make everyone's life miserable as you are all being brainwashed into buying my beads...
Posted by: donner at May 11, 2004 03:54 PM
Hi!!
I think "Wicked" is originally part of the British slang but we Bostonians picked it up too!!! Wicked Cool!!!! Jean, where are you from???
Love your "stash" Donna!!! Looks like you got some GREAT stuff. I LOVE beads and the BEST part about them is they are small so it is easier to hide from the husband and he STILL thinks that a little handful doesn't cost much - nobody tell him, PLEASE!!!!
Posted by: Katie at May 11, 2004 04:32 PM
Katie,
I'm with you....leave the hubbies in the dark as much as possible....how much could a tiny little bead possibly cost! If only they knew...
I live in Franklin, about 40 miles southwest of Boston...what about you?
Posted by: Jean at May 11, 2004 05:45 PM
Hi Jean! I'm in Norwell which is about 20 minutes South of Boston...best of both worlds...midway between the Cape and the city!!! Any good bead shops in Franklin???? And doesn't Donna make the BEST lampworks?????
Posted by: Katie at May 11, 2004 07:13 PM
Katie...yes, Donna is one of the best..the only thing that would make her better if she lived around here! There is absolutely NOWHERE to buy beads around here. I know that someone is opening up a store in Mansfield, but I have no clue if it's going to be any good or not. For the most part, I buy about 95 percent of my beads online...the other five percent I buy at the pitifully few shows in the area. I missed the big one last weekend, but that's ok...I didn't need to be going nuts on beads right now anyway! I've heard that there are some good bead shops on the Cape...I'll have to check them out this summer. In the meantime...I'll just wait until Donna opens her catalog back up again!!!!!
Posted by: Jean at May 11, 2004 08:08 PM
Well, hello fellow Massachusettsians!
I'm from Marshfield....and I can attest to the fact there are NO good places to buy beads around here. I've had good luck buying online so far, Thank God we have that option.
And yes, I have my favorite bead artists...Donna is definitely very high on that short list!
Have a great night everyone
Posted by: Rachel at May 11, 2004 09:07 PM
Hi fellow Massachusettsians (It's late). I'm in East Bridgewater. I agree-no bead shops around but 1 or 2 summers ago I found a great one on the cape...can't remember exactly where, Hyannis maybe. (I'll ask hubby-his memory is better than mine).
Posted by: Donna 2 at May 11, 2004 09:31 PM
WOW.....Miss Donna has quite the fan club here in Massachusetts, huh? LOL
Maybe she needs to relocate.......I know, wishful thinking..
Posted by: Rachel G. at May 11, 2004 09:42 PM
Well Ladies, I think one of us should open a bead shop!! I always wanted to open a yarn shop but I think beads might be the way to go. Thank goodness for the internet otherwise I wouldn't have any beads and that is a tragedy!!!! :) And I do think Donna needs to relocate....although Austin sounds like a pretty cool city to live in!!! Have a great day all!!
Posted by: Katie at May 12, 2004 07:41 AM
Donna,
Those curtain are too much!!!
Sorry I missed you all yesterday.
It was a "pain" day for me so I stayed in bed.
Bye.
Posted by: Leisha at May 12, 2004 07:59 PM