Southern California Bead Shop Hop Day 3

When I posted my last blog, I really didn’t know if I would be able to finish hopping to all 22 of the stores on my passport.  I knew that I would be coming back down to Oceanside, on the third weekend of the hop, with my friends Mary and Cloe, so I told Gene that I would be ok with whatever I could talk them into doing as far as the hop is concerned.  Instead of acting like I was letting him off the hook, he asked me how he would get his passport finished if he didn’t come back, and he set out to plan a quick trip down on Friday. 

We generally stay in a timeshare, but it’s not as easy as booking a hotel or motel if you have short notice, and you want to book something in a very specific location .  We had enough points available on a credit card to get a free night in a motel, so we booked a room for one night in a “hot tub” room in a big chain motel with a three star rating.  It sounded ok, but when we checked in, I was not so impressed with the accommodations.  When we opened the door we were hit with a blast of “dirty old motel room” smell, but I’m getting ahead of myself.  Note to self:  if staying in a hotel/motel in the future consider splurging for 4 stars.

Friday morning we got up early, packed the car and headed out.  By the time we hit Barstow, I needed a break.  Anyone who’s taken a Disneyland trip with a youth group from Vegas knows that you stop at Barstow Station McDonalds on your way.  It’s always crowded, and isn’t like other McDonalds.  It has gift shops and is a tourist destination in itself.  We were rushing, so we stopped at the quieter Burger King.  I was ready for breakfast, and Gene was ready for lunch.  We were quickly back on the road to hop. 

We started our hopping at Brea Bead Works.  I entered to find a woman wearing dog ears.  The theme was “Marley and Me”.   We got our free charms of a doggie on a leash, and a trivia question.  Mine was true or false, “a Dalmatian puppy is born all white, and the spots darken as it grows”  I said true, and I got a prize.  Gene’s question was which breed is more intelligent, and his answer was Border Collie, and he got a prize.  Just like every store before this I found lots of fun jewelry making supplies that I simply couldn’t  live without.  I got the free gifts for the second level of purchase here.  Woot woot!  We chatted with the owner about our Bead Shop Hop that's coming up in Las Vegas, and they have talked to Shae that is the mastermind behind it, and told us to say Hi!

Even though we only had four stores to visit today, we still felt like we needed to rush just a little bit.  So we were off to the store we had missed by the skin of our teeth last week: Beadtopia.  We already knew the theme, and were immediately given our free charms and a fill in the blank quiz.  I never studied the poetry of Emily Dickenson, so I didn’t hold out much hope of doing well.  My friends were the ones that knew how to find cliff notes, Gene’s friends were the ones who actually studied the books that were assigned.  He did much better than I did.  Out of 6 or 8 answers, I got one right, because there was a clue on the wall.  We were told that the best anyone had done was 2 right, and that’s what Gene did also.  They gave Gene a pair of earrings as a prize.  They were so impressed that he really seemed to try, and he did really well.  I think they also were impressed that he was even there with me instead of sending me by myself.  In fact most stores commented what a trooper he was, or how great that we could do this together or, what I already knew, what a wonderful husband I have!

Our next stop was Beadology.  I was a little bit familiar with this store because they came to the Las Vegas Bead show in 2012, and I bought a bead on it board and a Kumihimo kit.  The woman there inspired me to learn kumihimo with beads.  I made sort of a lanyard for my keys that looks an awful lot like the crocheted pearl necklace that my mom made when I was about 12 years old.  Their theme was Willie Wonka and the Chocolate factory.  They had a daily drawing for the "golden ticket", and when you reach in you pull out a chocolate coin with a number on it.  Even if you don’t win, it feels good to get a piece of chocolate.  The free gift with purchase was a cute little necklace with a pendant that they had made with candy sprinkles inside of resin.  They had matching make and take bracelets.  (or take and make in this case).   We each took one, and we also bought some O beads.  They had a really good selection of colors there. 

At Bead Station the theme was the collective works of John Steinbeck.  They had suitcases overflowing with strands of semi-precious chips, and a display of “Travels with Charley” and another display with a bowl of grapes.  I found some breast cancer awareness beads for a really good price.  I would expect to see them everywhere this time of year.  I’ve been wanting to make some bracelets for breast cancer awareness, and I keep forgetting to go looking for charms or beads.  They also had quite a selection of charms here.  When I showed up at the counter with some charms I had marked much lower than the actual price. She let me have that price because the container I got them from was marked wrong, and she quickly fixed the mistake, (so don’t try to go find the mismarked charms yourself).  I found some chain at 80% off.  I really hit the jackpot on that one!  And we are done hopping!!!  We got all of our stamps, and turned in our passports at Bead Station where they promised not to lose them, and they would turn them in for us.  Then they safely placed them in the drawer under the Butterfingers. 

What a fun time we had.  I never would have dreamed in a million years that Gene not only would go with me to 22 bead stores over 3 days, but that he would have fun doing it.  He said it was just like a scavenger hunt, and was better than a good sport, he was a great hopping partner.  I have Shae Wilhite to thank for this.  Shae owns Sweet Beads in Las Vegas, and using the Southern California Bead Shop Hop terminology, Sweet Beads is my home store.  (I like that, cause I really feel at home there!)  Shae had heard of the California hop, and organized one for the Las Vegas area last year.  Of course with only 5 stores, it didn’t compare to 22 stores, but it was still fun enough that I wanted to try out hopping on a Grand scale down in SoCal.  After three weeks of hopping there, it will be so relaxing to hop to 4 stores and have a whole 3 days to do it in.  Our Las Vegas area Bead Shop Hop is coming up soon on the fourth weekend of September, the 26th, 27^th and  28^th.  Gene asked me if I were a bead store owner in the hop what book I would choose.  I didn’t have an immediate answer, but after pondering it I think it would have to be The Wizard of Oz, because there’s no place like home!  (and by home, I mean my home store Sweet Beads!)

After we were done, of course it was rush hour, so we stopped for dinner before heading to our motel.  Baja Fresh was the first place we found that sounded good, so we waited out the rush hour there.  As we came out of the store there were hundreds upon hundreds of black birds flying over head, and cawing and annoyingly 

 loud caw.  After about five minutes, I pulled out my phone to take a picture. There weren't nearly as many, but it was still very strange. It doesn’t show up as well as I’d hoped, but I did sort of feel like I had stepped into the movie “The Birds!”   

By the time we made it to our motel, we were both completely wiped out.  I wasn’t going to share this part, but someone told us he thought my description of the motel room was funny, so here you go.  I think the photo really says it all.  We walked in, and after we picked ourselves up from the smell, and did the obligatory bedbug inspection, I was so tired that I just crashed, but Gene wanted to see if he could get some relief from his newly developed back pain, so he tried out the “hot tub” as they called it.  This tub was a lovely color of true bright red.  I said was, because I’m sure it was lovely, once upon a time.  It looked like it had been there for decades.  There was a chip out of the fiberglass in one place, and a whole strip along the top edge that the colored part was completely worn off.  The flat rubber drain plug is the kind you can buy in the kitchen tools section of your local grocery store, and as I was checking the light switches, there was one by the bed that sounded just like a garbage disposal when turned on. Uh oh,  is that why they chose the bright red color?   It was the jets for the tub.  I asked Gene if he really dared climb in after hearing that sound.  He’s a brave man.

We almost headed straight home after breakfast.  I had forgotten to take the picture of our first store yesterday, so we headed over there.  They were so happy for us that we had completed the hop!  They wished us well, hoped we'd have fun on our Vegas Bead Shop Hop, and we were on our way.  It was a warm drive.  By the time we got to Baker, I felt like I was the her getting baked.  Now I'm really excited for our Little Las Vegas Bead Shop Hop!

Check out my new Etsy store here!   much more to come.  I'm just getting started.  I can't wait to post everything I make from the hop materials.

 

Southern California Bead Shop Hop day 2

Gene is determined we are going to get to all 12 stores left on the list today.  We wake up around six am, and get everything packed and on the road by 7:30.  According to his calculations we’ll make it to the store in Palm Desert before they open the doors.  After a quick stop at a Carl’s Junior drive-thru for breakfast, we’re on the road.  This man who drives like an old grandpa is flying like a bat out of hell.  I’m in the back seat typing on my computer being thrown this way and that.    It is a narrow winding road through some beautiful scenery before we hit the desert.  We think we’re making really good time when gps tells us to pull into a trailer park.  Hmmmm?  We struggle to follow the directions and we end up in front of someone’s

trailer.  I’m sure this isn’t it.  I’m getting ready to call and ask them where we go, when we decided that if we type the store name in we might get a different result.  Yep.  We’re 20 minutes away from the store, and it isn’t in someone’s livingroom.  We get to the store right at 10:00, and in we go to Monica’s quilt & Bead Crations.  Their theme is Betty Crocker’s cook books, any of them.  They have some cute cooking charms that I simply can’t resist.  I peruse the stone donuts to wire wrap.  They have some cute mother of pearl carved flowers that catch my eye, but I already have a bunch of those that I really need to turn into jewelry.    They have quite a selection of intricately carved bone beads.  I’d love to stay and browse, but I’m already over my time limit.  I just didn’t want to drive all that way just to get a stamp on my passport.  Boy am I glad we hit this one first thing.  The hottest climate of all the shops, and it’s already unbearably hot.  On to a Rolling Stone one hour drive. 

Before I even entered the, I was loving the wind chimes that were hanging outside of the store.  Most of them used vintage silverware for the chimes, but some of them used keys.  Once inside the store there were more wind chimes.  I love them!  I’ve made one wind chime, and was gearing up to make more after my last trip down to the Oceanside Farmer’s market I saw some nice ones.  This store had a side room with snacks and “Grandmother” from little red riding hood.  You spin a wheel for your discount and a prize when you purchase.  Also with a minimum purchase there are Coke bottle top necklaces with Little Red Riding hood pictures in them.  They have lots of vintage buttons and clip on earrings as well as vintage jewelry.

As I approached  the Garden of Beaden I noticed more wind chimes and some hanging candle holders.  We entered the Jungle Book!  The charm was a cute little monkey.  I’m sort of partial to monkeys.  Then we were shown the snacks, and I believe this was the first one with some healthy snacks thrown in with the chocolate.  There was fruit as well as veggie sticks.  Of course I went straight for the Mr. Goodbar minis.  The make and takes were really cute, they had two types of charms that were Genie bottles, and a key fob made with leather strips and flowers riveted together.  There was a trunk show for passion for paper beads, and the woman who owns it was there showing someone who had come a long distance to get tips on making the beads.  I picked up her card to check out her youtube videos.  The owners were so impressed that we had come all the way from Vegas, that she wanted to take our picture.  I guess I need to watch their website for our photo.

Bead it!   Was spotlighting Black beauty, and as I neared the front door I see next to the bale of hay there is a tiny little black pony. They were getting pictures of all of the hoppers with the pony, and they will be posting it online.  Sorry I don’t remember what they said about that.  As soon as I entered the store I’m given a black bag with a coupon offered a snack, some cold water, and my charm. She points to a discount table and tells me of the gifts with a $15 purchase.  I’m told to head to the back table where there is FREE make and take.  It’s a little charm beaded in a spiral stitch and a horseshoe charm at the end.  Knowing that we’re trying to get all of the stores in, they offered to let me take it with me, with instructions.  NICE!!!  So I make my purchase, get my free gifts, and we’re off to the San Gabriel Bead company.   We thought the phone said about 20 minutes, but when we looked again it was saying almost 30.  Uh oh!

As we neared the location the phone was telling us to go, we just knew it was telling us wrong, because the address is in the 300 block, and we were in the 4100 block.  All of a sudden the addresses went from the 4000s to the 500s.  I’m really trying to rush, because Gene is still thinking we can get to all of the stores.  I’m directed right to the table to get my charm and my passport stamped.  The trunk show is right there, so I start looking.  There are stones galore.  I start asking for specifics, and one after another He doesn’t have what I’m looking for.  Then I see it!  Vintage Czech glass graduated pearls.  $3 and $4.50 a strand!!!!.  I take all that he has.  Yes, I’m spending my fortune!!!  I’ve got a lot of pearl knotting in my future!  After I had already made my purchase I made a once around the store, and was torn, because I really felt familiar, and comfortable with the types of materials and components that were sold there.   They’d already given me a free make and take right with the check in.  They did a great job.  Oh yeah, the theme was Secret Garden, and the make and take was seed beads in a seed envelope.  Really cute idea!  I look again at the paper they handed me, and I realize that there are more freebies.  There are 3 free patterns there just waiting to be picked up.   I want to stay, but we have more shops to hop to.  I’m starting to see that it’s impossible to hit all of the stores today.   Soon I’ll have to break the news to Gene.  He’s repeated several times how much fun he’s having.  Yes, you read that right.  He’s not just tolerating it and being a good sport, He’s actually having fun!  He said it was sort of like a scavenger hunt.  It really is.  We’re off to the Castle  the Creative Castle.  I wonder what book they’ve chosen.

Apparently all of the crazy driving and the battery popping out of my computer not once, but twice, I’ve lost a few hours worth of blogging.  I’ll have to try to remember and reconstruct what happened.  When I opened it this time, it looked normal, but it said read only.  It was letting me type, but maybe that’s what happened after the battery fell out the first time.  Time to reconstruct.

Creative Castle had a trunk show with Swarovski rivolis, cameos, shibori ribbon, and suede.  I found some peacock eye rivolis, and some cameos that caught my eye.  Their theme was the secret life of bees, and I got a nice little bee charm.  I bought a few charms, a stone donut and some lacy stiff stuff.

Beadiak I was greeted by a hearty Aloha.  I asked if we were in Hawaii, and was assured that we were.  The book was Hawaii by James Michener.  On the table to the right, there was a platter of Spam Musubi.  I knew when Gene made it inside that he would want some.  He walked in, and he was mesmerized staring at the tasty morsels.  The lady who made them was happy that someone wanted them.  Most of the people had no clue what they were.  I think she even told him how to make them.  I found some copper charms that I can’t remember now the name of the finish, but I had typed it before.  Lol. 

Beadahs  was a challenge to get to, because we were here on a Saturday evening at dinner time.  We were right on Wilshire BLVD where all the beautiful people go to be seen.  The gps told us we had arrived when we were square in the middle of an intersection.   We got stopped at the next light, so I got out and walked to the store.  Gene was gonna try to find a parking spot, but if he couldn’t, I was supposed to meet him at the corner.  My phone was on silent, don’t ask me how that happened, and he tried 4 times to call me.  Then I tried to call him to tell him where the parking was.  He was driving and was yelling at his phone that was on speaker.  Can you picture that.  Well he didn’t hear that I was telling him where to park, he thought I was telling him where to find me.  He drove around and around, and called back and asked where I was.  Eventually he made his way into the Great Gatsby!  They had some really cute earrings for the free make and take.  I even bought a couple of extra kits.  For a moment I thought they would have a donut in the Pink Crazy lace agate.  They had geometric shapes in that stone, they had flat round beads in that stone, they had at least two dozen donuts on display with more under the counter, but no luck. They had no donuts in the Pink Crazy lace agate.  After playing their version of beer pong with green olive colored ping pong balls into the martini glasses, and neither of us were successful, we rushed off to …. To find the car.  It wasn’t on the third level, and the elevator didn’t believe we really wanted to go from the 3^rd to the 4^th level.  Don’t they know sometimes people get off on the wrong floor and need to go up one more floor?  We punched the last store we expected to go to into the gps.  Too late.  Then we punched a closer one in.  maybe we could make it?  We headed out.  I asked Gene why everyone was passing him, and I could tell that he wasn’t having so much fun anymore.  As we finally pulled up in front of the store, I was so disappointed to see that it was less than 5 minutes after 7 and they were still in there.  So close, but yet so far.  I saw a poster for the collective works of……Emily Dickenson.  At least if it were Edgar Allen Poe, I could have quote the Raven and just said Never more. 

Then end of another long day hopping.  Gene really did seem to be having fun.  He even is trying to figure out a way to come back on Friday.  I really appreciate his commitment to me, and to our family.  

 

 Here's the view at Peperdine University as we drove past.

Southern California Bead Shop Hop 2014 Day 1

I woke up excited and ready to hop.  We were dressed and out the door before 9:00.  The stores opened at 10:00.  Not only did we have time to get breakfast, but we had time to sit and eat it.  We went to Angelos burgers.  That’s one of those places that we would usually use the drive-thru, but today we were going inside.  The whole time we were eating, I was ansty, like we were in a hurry. 

 We were the first ones through the door at Ocean Sky beads in Oceanside.  I already knew their book was Charlotte’s Web.  The owner had made some beautiful wire spider’s web signs with the word beads, and the names of the people who work there.  I had thought that I had my blinders on, but as soon as I walked through the door, her dollar box lured me in, and I quickly filled up a tray full of shiny baubles.  I had purchased enough to play 5 carnival games and get a free prize!  Yay!  I let Gene play the carnival games, and we got a free prize at each of those games.  I knew we were in a hurry, so we scampered off to Ocean Sky beads in Carlsbad.

I was greeted by the Queen of Hearts and her over top costume and faux Royal accent.  She made it loads of fun.  She offered to let us play croquet with the pink flamingos as mallots, and then a game of “Utter nonsense” where you utter nonsense to win up to 3 charms.  I decided to do the make and take here.  Then we scurried off to Oskadusa.

When I saw the name, I expected to be greeted by a quiet Japanese woman.  Instead I was greeted by a little mermaid complete with a tail and long hair with pink highlights.   When we arrived it was difficult to find, because there was a big truck parked right on the sidewalk in front of the store, but by now I’m sure it’s easy to find, because that truck had guys installing the “Beads” sign.    I asked the owner if there were any significance to the name Oskadusa.  I was told that her aunt was given a doll that was made by her mother who was the grandmother of the owner.  She had made this doll, and her arms and legs were too long, and she was a floppy doll.  The aunt(sorry I don’t remember names, I heard so many new names today.) who was under 6 years old had named the doll Oskadusa.  When she was just 6 years old her mother who had lovingly made this doll passed away of ALS, and this doll is what she had to remember her mother for the rest of her life.  The store was named after the doll in honor of her grandmother.

On the way to the next store we passed the San Diego LDS temple.  What a beautiful edifice!  If we had planned better, we would have been headed north, and would have had a great photo opportunity.  Headed south, the angle doesn’t have the pretty plants showing, just bridges and other buildings.    

At Beads & More we were greeted by Thing 1 and Thing 2.  We were immediately told of the make and take, the deals and gifts, and shown the game to start.  I wanted to take pictures of the game, but after asking if it was ok, they suggested that I would have people posting the answers to the clues.  Clearly he thinks I have a bigger following than I do.  There were 12 numbered piles of charms, and each one represented a movie.  Then there was a 13^th bonus movie clue.  I knew Shae from Sweet Beads in Las Vegas would love this game, because she is such a movie buff!  I decided to do the make and take bookmark.  It was so cute, I couldn’t resist.  Then we had to scurry off to The Beading Bar.

The store was neat and well organized, and when I first entered I thought that they hadn’t gotten the memo about book themes.  The man behind the counter was wearing a conservative button up shirt with a gray tie, and the woman was nicely dressed in business attire.  The greeted us politely, and just sort of waited for us to say something.  Now I know they were waiting for us to guess the name of their book.  Since none of the others had really made us guess, it threw me for a loop.  They handed me the charm, which was a pair of handcuffs, and continued to wait.  Finally they asked if I knew what book it was.  Oh, all of this was the book.  Since they wanted me to guess, I guess I’ll let you guess as well.  I must say they did have an impressive collection of handcuffs.  The gentleman also told me that one of the stores I was headed for was the Bible, and I could gain redemption from their book there.

I was a little bit disappointed when we got to the Bouncing Bead that they didn’t have the Bible waiting for me.  Theirs was Pet Cemetery, and there were a couple of fun ladies working there.  I found their clearance table, and I was thanked for taking the EZ necklace sizer off of their hands.  They had had it for a long time, and were glad to see it go.  I mentioned that I really needed one for bracelets.  She walked into the back room and came back with an old one, and said if I wanted it, that I could have it.  It was cracked, and in need of some TLC.  As with most if not all of the stores, there was a gift for spending $15, and I got a bead mat in a color that I actually like! 

Bead Gallery had no parking in the front, so Gene dropped me off and headed to park the car.  I walked past the skeleton sitting on the bench who was waiting for his wife to finish beading.  Their book was Mars vs Venus.  There was lots of chocolate there.  They had a pretty bracelet for a make and take that reminded me of Saturn’s rings, so I decided to sit and learn how to start it while I waited for Gene to park the car.  My phone battery had died, so not only did I not take a picture of the store, but I didn’t know that Gene was texting me trying to find out where the parking was for this store.  As I was making the bracelet, the woman who was teaching me, commented that she was more worried about my husband than I was.  She sent out the posse to find him.  He didn’t recognize the parking lot as being for this store, and it had a sign that it was only for the stores in this center.  By the second time someone saw him, he had found that the flyer for the hop describes the parking, and he was ready to come inside.  As soon as he arrived, we took a quick picture and scooted off.  The next leg of the hop was a little bit longer, and my foot was beginning to swell, so I hopped into the back seat to put my legs up.

At the Dancing Bear Indian Trader I was immediately greeted by quotes from Harry Potter.  I was taken back to the choosing hat where I was given Gryffindor.  I then had to choose my challenge, which was Quiddich practice.  I wasn’t so good at that, only one ball in.  Gene also got Gryffindor, and his challenge was to find the *creature* like a baby  spider.  Their make and takes were great for their theme.  There were hair picks or wands made with chop sticks.  I bought some materials to make mine later.  They had Kumihimo bracelets in the house colors, and they had a wire wrapped *something*tooth.   I’m not into Harry Potter enough to remember the names of these things, but it was really cute.  I got a star candy wand and other things I can’t remember for spending my $15.  We were given a coupon good for FREE chicken teriyaki sliders at Surf Brothers just a few doors down in the same shopping center.  Boy did that come at the right time.  We’d been having lots of sweet snacks, so we weren’t starving, but needed some protein!  Thanks Surf Brothers and Dancing Bear!

The second location of Bead Gallery is where we finally found redemption!  We walked into the Garden of Eden.  I’m kicking myself for not taking a picture of their garden.  They had a beautiful tree with other plants all around it’s base.  There was a rubber snake in the tree, and an apple earring.  I decided to do the make and take and buy a couple of things, because they said that the gift for spending $15 was worth 8 dollars.  I also got 25% off one item.  I made a pretty ring with spacer beads and a Swarovski cube.  It was a cute ring, and all the employees were wearing one.  It took about 5 minutes to make, and we were on our way. 

By now it was clear that we weren’t going to make it to all 11 stores I had hoped to hit.  I laid down in the back seat again, because this was a long leg to the next shop.  We arrived at Bead Island with 20 minutes left before closing time.  It was larger than most of the stores.  We were immediately greeted by the owner, and given a flyer with their specials on it.  She showed me a table with some wire wrapping tools on it, and a few wire wrapping books by local artists that were on special for the hop.  I kept looking around trying to figure out what the book theme was.  It finally dawned on me that the owner had told me at least a half dozen times that their book theme was Wire wrapping 101.  There was a lot to see here, and I was wiped out, so my recollection of the store is severing lacking.  I remember they had a couple of signs in the store that said to ask for help with metal blanks.  They have quite a large selection of metal blanks for stamping, but you have to ask for the book that they are displayed in.  They also had large selection of charms of varying designs. 

As we made our way back to the Oceanside Wyndham resort, Gene and I discussed what we had accomplished, how many stores were left, and which ones we wanted to see the next day.  We decided that it would have been smarter to try to go to the stores that weren’t as close to the resort, because when I come back in 2 weeks, my friends Mary and Cloe aren’t as interested in Bead shop hopping as they are in relaxing and beading on the beach.  I figured I could convince them to hit a few stores close by.  I suggested leaving the stores along the coast in the northern region for last, and that those were the ones that we were most likely to hit.  By now Gene realized that I was trying to get all 22 stamps on my passport, and I wasn’t trying to make him go to all of them.  All of a sudden he started making plans and figuring out travel times for all of the remaining stores.  He told me how much travel time, and how much time was left for the stores.  NOT MUCH!  Well, tune in tomorrow to see how many stores we made it to on the second day of hopping!