Happy Belated Anniversary

Okay, so this is truly embarrassing. For some reason, I have been convinced that I started this blog on July 31, 2007. I just checked, however, and it seems that my first entry was actually July 30, 2007 - so, I missed my own blog anniversary! (Puts head under pillow and mutters for 30 seconds.) At any rate, though, whether yesterday or today, the sentiment is the same. I've been doing this for a year - the blog has gone through its drooling, spitting up (so to speak), rolling over and crawling stages and should by now be tottering around unsteadily on its feet. And possibly saying "Mama" at odd hours of the night and day.

Just between you and me, for several years I never really "got" blogging. What was the attraction of reading about the daily life of a complete stranger? When you sit down to think about it, it is a bit of an odd phenomenon. However, one day, when I had a bit of time on my hands, I surfed over to the Yarn Harlot's blog, which had been recommended to me by some knitting friends. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life, at least not in front of the computer. So, I started lurking on a bunch of knitting blogs (I was just on the cusp of turning into a bead fanatic back then but had not yet fallen).

After I started collecting art beads, I began visiting bead blog sites, such as Melanie Lukacs' excellent blog (I believe I pulled the blog address from one of her business cards, originally, after making a purchase from her). I stumbled upon the new Art Bead Scene blog shortly thereafter and by then I was not so much sliding down the slippery slope as hurling headlong down it. When Melanie and Heather Powers of Humblebeads (who also has excellent blogs, by the way) invited me to participate as their designer in a Bead Exploration Collaboration project, I said yes immediately. In order to participate, I needed a forum in which to post my jewelry designs and, thus, this blog was born.

Honestly, I never thought I would have enough to say to maintain a blog full-time (now, of course, it's hard to get me to shut up, but that's another story) or be interesting enough for anyone to want to follow the blog or even check in from time to time. However, according to my comments section and stat counter, there are those of you who do, and I am very, very grateful to you all. Thank you so much for making writing this blog such an enjoyable experience.

I thought I'd share a little love with you today, so I am giving away one of my "Geek Love" pendants this week to celebrate. For anyone not familiar with this particular pendant - it spells out "love" in binary code (with a red resin heart in place of a zero). Like most of my work, it is fine silver. In order to enter to win, please leave me a comment below. Next Thursday, I will have the Short One pick the winner from his hat. Once entered, you must come back to see if you've won, and I will provide details on how to claim your prize.

Thanks again!