Dedication is...

driving 80 miles to the nearest Hobby Lobby because my favorite components and supplies are on sale.

I'm loving my resin lately but in order to do what I want I need bezels.  I'm not ready to start making my own with some sheet metal and a torch (someday I will but I've already burned one hole in my apartment's carpet.)   Plus, I don't want to pay a fortune because, well, I just don't want to pay a fortune.  So, I stalked Hobby Lobby and watched for the sales flyer.  I really want to have a big stash for my upcoming class at Bead Haven so students can buy extras in different sizes and shapes.   The flyer came out on Sunday night and I was in luck!  50% off my faves!  Alas, the nearest store is in Richmond which is up the road about 80 miles or so.  So, I took off from work a little early to try to beat traffic and headed north.  I ended up going in uniform because it took me too long to transition out of the office and I didn't have time to go home so I got a few odd looks as I perused the aisles in my blues--uniforms are normal down here but not so much around there.

I splurged a little since I was already going off the deep end of craftiness and picked up some more of this suede cord even though it wasn't on sale.  I loooooove the color and the softness.  I have pics of some of this in use that I'll share eventually.  This pic is dedicated to my friend, Amy, a fellow bead addict who was drooling over colored leather while suffering from a yucky cold...I sent her a little leather pick-me-up and now she's paying it forward with a giveaway at her Copper Diem blog.

I posted about my June goals back on the 1st and one of them was to go two weeks without buying any crafting supplies...I made it to the 13th which isn't perfect but it's actually better than I thought I'd do!!!!!

Other goal updates:

- I want to work on a couple of tutorial ideas that I have floating around in my brain - nope, still floating around.

- I want to finish a couple more lessons in my Photoshop Elements workbook so I can actually start using it for something productive - no progress; book is still closed on the table.

- I want to sell some beach-inspired pieces to one of the gift shops in my neighborhood - in progress - I created a bunch of pieces and now have some ideas for resin and shell pendants so this plan is still on track.

- I want to leave my office by 1730 every evening - yes!  - Heck, last night I left at 4!!

- I want to lose five pounds - work in progress - last night on my little Richmond adventure I stopped at McDonald's but had a hamburger, small fries and a Diet Coke.  Apparently there's a hamburger meal that's only $2.50--it was a total of 13 PointsPlus which is just about half the day's allotment, but it was damned good and I'm proud that I didn't get a quarter pounder like I normally would have a month ago.  

- I want to get mentally prepared to turn 40 in July - uh, not working all that well but I think that's because I keep finding gray hairs.

- I want to work on a project for Operation Tackle that Bead Stash; the color palette is gorgeous!  Plus it works into my beach-inspiration - not done yet, but I still have time and because it's blue I want to put something together for the 7000 Bracelets for Hope project.

- I want to see if I can go two weeks without buying any beads or other crafting supplies.  OOOOOH, so close!  

- I want to get something together Marcie's Margie & Me palette this month - the suede cord is my inspiration but it's not done yet.

Off to the gym...writing about the five pound goal is a little bitty reminder to get up and move.