Relaxation | Bead Happily Ever After

Ya Gotta Love a New Year!

Posted on January 5, 2009 by crystal

It’s true that New Year’s resolutions are usually not much fun – but putting those aside for a moment – it seems to me there’s a lot to love about the beginning of a new year.

Here are my top five reasons:

1. There’s the adventure of selecting the new calendar! Talk about choices! No matter what you fancy, there’s a calendar for you. They’re available in a dazzling variety of sizes and formats. Some are funny, some are thought provoking, and some are absolutely beautiful. If you’re like me, you wait until the last minute to buy yours – at 50% off 😉 This year I found a very sweet one with pictures taken from vintage children’s books!

2. There are the after-Christmas SALES!!! Doesn’t it make your heart beat a little faster to see those “60-75% off” signs? Sometimes this reverie lasts all through the month of January and even into February. If you received a gift card or money for a holiday gift – lucky you! You’re probably going to be able to double your buying power in the early weeks of the new year.

3. Taking down the tree! I love the holidays, but as my mother used to say: “There’s nothing as OVER as Christmas when it’s over!” All of the sparkling decorations suddenly begin to look like the last rose of summer, and the now opened gifts (though very appreciated) take on a cluttered appearance under the tree. In our case, the tree has been up since Thanksgiving, so we are not too sad to see it go. I’m always amazed at how spacious and neat the house looks once everything is carefully packed away.

4. There’s some free time on the schedule again – woo hoo! With all the holiday preparations, shopping, social events, family parties, and other responsibilities, there are years when it seems as if there isn’t a minute to rest between mid-November and January 1st. How wonderful to look at the new calendar and see blank spaces again!

5. And what shall we do with this newfound empty space on the calendar??? Anything we want! 🙂 This is the time to try new recipes, or learn a new craft, or read that book you’ve heard so much about! Maybe you’ve been meaning to write a letter to an old friend, or visit a museum, or redecorate the bedroom. It’s lovely to know that there will be a little extra time as the year begins to spend however you please.

As 2009 unfolds, what would you like to do?

Someone Shook the Snow Globe!

Posted on December 22, 2008 by crystal

Here in New England, for the last 3 days it has seemed as if we’ve been living inside of a giant snowglobe!

And I mean a snowglobe that someone was continually picking up and shaking! 🙂

It was so beautiful to watch the huge fluffy flakes swirl and dance and frost the trees. The best part was that most of it fell during the weekend – so we didn’t have to leave the house. It gave us a chance to catch up on our Christmas preparations and also to take a break from the whirlwind of rushing that the holidays so often bring.

Here was the view from our back door.

Even if you don’t have the snow excuse, remind yourself to take a little time to relax before the holidays, ok?

Tea Tales

Posted on November 24, 2008 by crystal

Would it surprise any of you coffee drinkers out there to know that I can go MONTHS without a cup of coffee?

I love tea.

I know that tea is very “in” right now but, honestly, I’ve been drinking it forever. I love everything about it – the flavor, the warmth, the relaxing ritual of preparing it, the tinkling sound of the spoon while stirring it – all of these things bring a moment of calm reflection to an otherwise hectic day.

Tea Party

Perhaps I developed this affection for tea from my grandmother. She believed that tea was the quintessential answer for everything! If you had a very bad day, she would make you a cup of tea to cheer you. If you were bursting with wonderful news, she’d urge you to sit at the table while she put the kettle on, and as soon as the tea was poured, she’d sit beside you and want to hear every detail of your good fortune. If you were sick with a cold or a stomach ache – well then, a cup of tea would surely cure you!

I must admit I am kind of fussy about the tea I drink. I prefer black tea. I know green tea is good for you, but many studies suggest that black tea is very beneficial, too. With milk, please – not cream! And the water must be HOT. Every once and a while, in a moment of sheer lunacy, I order tea at a restaurant. Most of the time I’m given a pot or a cup of barely lukewarm water, and no tea bag in the world can steep properly under those conditions. Talk about drinking dishwater!

Part of the fun of drinking tea is all of the “accoutrements” that go along with it – teapots, pretty bone china teacups with gilded edges, silver tea strainers, and little tea bag holders! And while I don’t use all of those things daily, I love to collect them and I do use a pretty bunch of china mugs that easily pop into the dishwasher.

Well, that’s my take on tea. What do you like to drink? 🙂

Finding Your Bliss With Beads . . .

Posted on July 21, 2008 by crystal

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Did you know that beading can be good for you?

It’s true! Experts agree that a hobby can have a very positive effect on both our physical and emotional health. Studies suggest that we all benefit from the relaxation that occurs when we are deeply involved in an activity we enjoy, and that we should try to set aside a little chunk of time every day to “play”.

The key is to be so absorbed in the hobby, that for a few minutes, we almost forget what time it is or what day it is. It is during those moments that the worries and stress of the day melt away, and our bodies and spirits are refreshed and regenerated. We don’t even have to finish a project to benefit, because it’s the process of planning and dreaming, as well as the creating, that does it!

Beads lend themselves perfectly to this purpose. It’s so much fun to arrange the different styles, colors, and sizes as you imagine and plan a design. Of course, many other hobbies and even listening to music or reading a page-turner of a book will help you achieve this relaxed state of mind. But if you’re looking for a suggestion, I know that bead-lovers everywhere will agree – you’ll find your bliss with beads! 🙂