Fleeting Moments...

Today was the last day of the show.  It was busy and bustling and I got to see a lot of my favorite customers that I met this past September.  (Hey Donna!  Hey Susan!)  I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little sad that the show is over.  The great thing about bead shows is that they are not only a place to find beads, but a meeting place of creative minds.  I love the fact that people from all different levels, walks of life, and a variety of approaches can meet, talk, design, and most importantly... laugh together.  How apt that the show should be on Oahu!  Oahu means in Hawaiian, "The Gathering Place."  

It's hard to really capture the energy that goes into a really good show.  It's kind of like trying to capture a sunset.  No matter how good the photo, it never really captures everything.  It doesn't capture how your heart races, the smell of the sea in the air, or how you're swept up in what feels like a miracle.  The above picture was taken after the show closed up, as we walked along the beach behind our hotel.  It felt like sort of an "Aloha!" to our friends at the show, goodbye, hello, and I love you!

Luckily we were able to have dinner and make plans for our remaining days here in Hawaii with our friend, Cathy Collison of Glass Garden Beads.  She's got an amazing line of bottle cap beads that are domed out and soldered together.  To the left is a picture of her posing with the GIANT pitcher of Kirin beer that they brought to the table at the Japanese restaurant.