Cam... Just Ranting About Bead Caps.

Be warned. This post is lame, and reading it is not a good use of your time... Disclaimer done.

Now please be sure to leave comments. :)

So I'm working on a necklace project, and I ran out of bead caps... you know, these:

Simple, cup the bead without taking up a whole lot of space, and stamped out of a sheet of very thin metal. Extremely inexpensive to manufacture.

I'm extremely short on time, and I am slightly limited geographically to stores I can make it to during my lunch break.

And so on Monday, August 23, I go to this store... supposed to have everything.. I won't name names, but the store has a particular website dedicated solely to pictures of the people who shop there.... Not a single bead cap in the store. Nada. Annoying, but life goes one.

Day two, second try. There is a bead specialty shop... Going to take my entire lunch hour to get there and back, but I don't have any other options. Drive all the way there only to discover they are having an unscheduled day of CLOSED. Not out of business, just a messy hand written note taped to the inside of the door,

{We will be closed, Tuesday August 24th.}

Fantastic. I left my own sign. It said:

{I will not be back, Wednesday August 25th.}

Which brings us to today.. and a special hobby store, that really does not have a lobby so I'm not sure what their PROBLEM is. (Yes, I'm feeling rather annoyed.)

Way to far for me to make it there and back in an hour.. so I'll be making up the extra time at work...

An entire Isle of BEADS and accessories! Yay!! They have to have bead caps.

Yup. They do. I checked, and checked and checked again... ONE style remotely similar to a stamped bead cap...and it's only available in sterling silver. for. 6.00. fricken. dollars. a. fricken. bag. of. 20.....

I hate getting ripped off... seriously, and this is a complete rip off.

But there is a sign!

[Metal Bead Accessories 50% off!]

Okay, I still know I'm getting royally ripped off, but I'm desperate. I grab two bags and head to the register..

Wait... wait... wait... one checker... line... wait...

And then... as it turns out only the brand name: 'Metal Bead Accessories,' is actually on sale.. Mine are full price. I commented to the sales lady that I don't even need silver, but it's all they have. The lady insists they do have them in non silver, and suggests I come back tomorrow and check and see if any come in on the truck....

I'm three days in and I've already wasted 3 lunch hours... So I paid my $12.50 for 40 bead caps and leave

After work I took a short detour to one other large "warehouse" craft store to try my luck. Another huge bead department, same crappy bead cap selection. They did have some bead caps... right style, but quite a bit large than the ones I need, not sterling silver... BUT on sale for $.10 each. $5 bucks for 50 later, and I'm going to make them work... and then make another trip to that lobby store and get my $12.50 back.

Oh... the picture of the bead caps above... Found those on a particular Oriental site that trades a lot... $5.99 for 100....

It's not about the money, is about me being annoyed... and the fact that the whole world should revolve around me and it hasn't this week and that's lame. I hope you feel for me, I really do.

I know.. and I warned you. Don't worry they won't all be lame.. eventually the stars will align and I'll have an unlame post. Until then, just know that I love you.

xoxo

Cam

PS. I have a really exciting changes to my blog coming soon, but I can't talk about them right now... they are too cool, and totally allergic to lame. SOON.

Express the Moment!

My Brave Girlfriend, Kim Rose, over at Express the Moment asked me to do some layouts for her August scrapbook kits. The papers are beautiful, and the embellies divine.

Here's a sneak peak, but you'll have to check over at Express the moment if you want a better look!

This weekend: Camping.

Then I seriously owe Teresa Collins... Seriously.

And I've gotta make Jennica a dress.

xoxo Love ya, Cam

My Bestie - Beware it's Gooshy...

This evening a friend of mine asked me, "What was your favorite part about Australia?"

No question. Ali.

My Best Friend, my Bestie, my Most Favorite Friend in the whole wide world.

I wish my Ali lived next door, or even in town, even 200 miles away, or 500 miles away... but no, she's about 13,000 - 14,000 miles away... and really what's a 1,000 mile difference when your talking about that kind of distance? It takes about 20 hours on the fastest available forms of non billionaire transportation to get together for a cuppa. Shes always 18 hours ahead of me - convenient when she comes to visit here because the clock when she lands in Boise reflects about the same time her clock said when she left home in Australia... not so convenient on the way back... And, huge plus... she can always let me know ahead of time if the end of the world is coming based on whether the sun rises.

[Ali and Cam July 2010 - Magnetic Island, AU]

TRUE friends are so important. I don't know how I survived before her, and I can't imagine how it would be to lose her. There is no topic off limits. We can trust each other with our opinions, decisions, and feelings because we love and care about each other unconditionally. Even when we don't agree. She can give me objective advice about the most sensitive topics without offense. She already knows everything so I'm afraid that part of our friendship is one sided... No joke.

[Cam and Ali - July 2010 Northern Australia Outback.]

[This picture taken moments before Ali dove into the water and wrestled a crock. REALLY.]

So when asked what my favorite part about Australia is, my mind goes straight to Ali's kitchen table, crafting together, watching Glee, and being about to talk, just talk, nonstop for hours, face to face. Ali and I have been best friends for five years, total time spent in person: about 4 weeks - total.

[The outdoor catalogue pose]

Ali is Australian, I am American. We met through eBay of all places. After several transactions we started emailing and just never stopped.

[Ali and Cam - July 2010 Cairns to Townsville lookout point]

I remember after one transaction that occurred probably months before we ever started to email as friends. The package I mailed to her never showed up. It was several weeks late. Usually when this happened I would offer to replace the merchandise, if the buyer would agree to pay shipping for the new package. Ali would not... She would not allow me to replace the merchandise without paying me something for it. That was a first... and it really impressed me.

((I wouldn't have done that. I would have wanted my seller to feel responsible, and probably tried to get extra free stuff out of them for my inconvenience of having to wait extra time for the replacement... I know, right? I need to be more like Ali.))

[Cam and Ali - July 2010 Beach in Cairns]

By the way, have I mentioned Ali is 6ft tall, gorgeous and has a fabulous accent (and a fabulous husband... so leave her be)? Meanwhile, I am 5'5'', and have an American accent.. and American manners... need I say more?

We balance each other.

Love you Ali. xoxo

Cam