Wow!

You never really understand just how technically challenged you are until you try to get a web site up and running without truly comprehending just how everything works!!!! What a riot today has been and I'm still not fully ready to switch it to "live". Very interesting process..........

Book Mark Weekend

It has been a busy week for me, and I'm really happy with the response from my co-workers when it comes to my beaded bookmarks. Several special orders have kept me busy and I was so pleased with the final results. Now a couple more special projects to keep me from dwelling on the upcoming tax deadline and I hope to be a happy camper. Life is fine, and the arrival of my new business cards have made things even better. I will now be able to continue forth with plans that I have for some donations to support one of my favorite causes.... Breast Cancer Awareness .........

Pink ribbon and red dress charms

This has been an exciting week for me. I took delivery of my new Red Dress charms (Women's Heart Health) and my new Pink Ribbon charms (Breast Cancer Awareness).

I spent an entire weekend searching the internet for Red Dress charms and was so disappointed when I couldn't find any that I decided to have my own manufactured. Luckily, the company that I work for has a division that makes this possible.

Women's Heart Health is near and dear to me, having survived a heart attack 10 years ago. I figured that I wouldn't have any other major health issues because of that...... but did I ever get the shock of my life this last year!!!

Some could say that pink is now my color. Others could say that I'm just being militant again. Whatever anyone says....... I just say that I have got to be one of the luckiest people that there is. I managed to survive a heart attack without any damage (thanks to a husband who immediately knew that something was very seriously wrong AND paramedics who were stationed less than a mile from our house which resulted in emergency medical care within 30 minutes of the start of the attack), so being only 12 years overdue for a mammogram AND having a family history of breast cancer, the doctors were able to catch mine while still in Stage 0.

Who would have thought!!! I sure to heck didn't and yet this is what I'm facing now. Is it going to get worse? Is it going to remain the same? Are the drugs that I'm taking going to do the trick? One thing is for sure............

My beading has become a passion for me and the causes that I support are the outlet, but my focus is on my web site ( www.treasuresbymelanie.net ) so the items that I create and feature in my "I Support" section can help me to raise money for the various causes. The charms will be featured both by themselves and used in jewelry. Please take a look so you can see what I am so proud of.

Getting started

I discovered just how much fun ankle bracelets were about a year ago, and just how little selection there really was of the type that I wore all the time. I wanted tiny beads in a variety of color and I wanted them to be on an elastic thread. I also wanted them to match the clothing that I wore to work all the time and that was where the problem began. Living in sunny SoCal, everything is geared to the beach. I don't work on the beach (the sand gets in my high heels), I work in an office and management frowns on beach attire at work.

I got tired of constantly searching and went to my local craft store and found BEADS!!! Beads of all sizes and colors and shapes. Beads that become decorations for my ankles and wrists. My friends wanted... and I began to sell to them. I started creating necklaces and multi-stranded bracelets and suddenly everything snow-balled. The beads started replacing my beloved books on the book shelf and I didn't dare let my hubby see the spare bedroom. Everytime I walked near that room, the beads called to me....... and then I didn't even need to get near the door.

I knew I was hooked the day that I was driving down the street and suddenly found myself designing a new style of necklace with my hands, which were supposed to be on the steering wheel! That was when I knew that something had to happen............

Treasures bymelanie

I call it "Snoopy dancing"! After months of planning and work, my web site has finally gone live. I'm so excited and actually a little scared. Will people like what I've done and what I'm doing? Then I realize, I'm not doing this for others...... I'm doing it for myself.

Want to see what I've done thus far? Visit me at http://www.Treasuresbymelanie.net or www.Anklesbymelanie.com to see what I do.