Speaking of chilly weather...
I'm finding myself searching Etsy Shops first when I need to buy a gift for someone... or even when I don't. I'm also starting to gather little gifties for my kids' Christmas stockings... they're all in their 20's, but still want the Socks! I'm all over supporting real people making real things. I refuse to buy into the lazy Walmart Mentality! I want Good Stuff made by people who care and are paid a fair wage for their work. That would be other artists!

Last night I found these beautiful merino wool arm warmers at Overcast, an Etsy Shop based in New Zealand. I had to buy them. My fingers get cold when I'm working at the computer, and I'm already a terrible typist, so frozen fingers only make it worse. Looks like she still has a couple of these snuggly wonders left... go get 'em! We'll be twins!

here it comes

We had our first little snow yesterday. Winter is on the way before the leaves have finished changing. Yikes! Not sure I'm ready for this, but I guess winter isn't exactly optional except for the rich folks who can just go someplace else if they don't care for the weather.

This should be our last winter in Taos, so I plan to snuggle in and enjoy all the things I like about it. We had our first fires yesterday, which always seems lovely and romantic until we remember that the first time you fire up the wood stove each year, all the dust burns off, and it's just a stinky mess. Well at least that's over with, so we'll be ready when the real cold hits. It's just practicing now, and as long as the sun is out, like today, this little house stays nice and warm until dark, thanks to the entire south side of the house being glass. The studio has it's own wood stove, and the torch and kiln do the rest of the heating when I forget to put wood on the fire... it happens often.

So we're set for heat, and the soup recipes are coming out of hiding. Last night Rick made an amazing seafood bisque. One of the best things I've ever eaten. Ever. We found the recipe on cooks.com. Here it is for you to try...

SEAFOOD BISQUE

6-8 oz. shellfish chunks and liquid
1/4 c. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. half and half
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. mace
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
2-3 tbsp. sherry
1/3-1/2 can tomato soup

Some heavy cream may be used for a richer bisque.

Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in flour and blend well. Slowly add milks and cream, stirring constantly. Place over medium heat and continue to stir until thickened and smooth. Add seasonings, tomato soup and sherry. Blend well. Add seafood and heat slowly for 20 minutes. Yield: 4 servings.



We didn't have mace, so skipped that, and used vodka instead of sherry... who has sherry anymore? Ick. We also went a little light on the cream, and added some regular milk, and used lots more seafood than they recommend. Too much crab? Not possible! Serve it up with some great bread and nice wine... man, if this is what winter is going to taste like, I say, bring it on!

help is on the way

Who watched Oprah yesterday? Yes, I do watch her often. Say what you will - I know a lot of people don't care for her... I even know a man who claims she's a cult leader!... Anyway, I usually watch Oprah in the afternoon, because by 4:00 my day is winding down and I like the company. We don't subscribe to cable or dish TV anymore, so we now get a clean and simple two channels. It's easy to decide what to watch!

I don't watch my friend Oprah when she does those horrid tear-jerker stories. It's dangerous to play with fire and glass while sobbing uncontrollably. The shows I look for are like the one yesterday. She talked to Dr. Christiane Northrup about being "a woman of a certain age". That's most everyone I know! And it was definitely me yesterday. I needed help, and there it was! I'm not a big fan of doctors, and I don't much trust our so-called health care system in this country. But Dr. N rocks, my friends. She was talking straight to me about how we all tend to do, do, do for others for years and years, leaving ourselves for last, and how about now, it's no surprise that we start to fall apart physically and emotionally. The word "depleted" kept coming up. Oh yeah...

I watched the whole hour while making new versions of Heart Beads. That told me I was on to something. And damn, if I didn't well up with tears a few times. Permission to say This is what I need now is pretty big to an aging ex-catholic people-pleaser. As soon as the credits rolled, I ran inside and ordered her book from Amazon. I even paid for rush shipping. I'll add it to the stack on my nightstand, where I'm now rotating between "Eat, Pray, Love", "Zen Flesh Zen Bones", "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind", and "A Handmade Life" by Bill Coperthwaite.

What can I say? I'm 50. This is new territory for me. All the rules have changed, and even though there's still work and family stuff as part of the regular menu, it's finally time to add a little something extra just for me. How about you? If "depleted" fits into your self-description in any way, it's time to take a closer look. Go on! You have permission!

hi, my name is...

No, I'm not taking you to a 12 step group. But I will tell you... I'm disturbed. Before you leap to your feet in agreement, I'll explain that there's something quite specific that disturbs me this morning. It's the rampant use of Catchy Business Names, Secret Identities, and Anonymous Signatures.

I'm making an effort to spend time wandering around the Etsy Community. I live there now, and want to know my neighbors. But as I look around, I notice that many people feel the need to hide behind an alias of some sort. I find this curious. Of course it isn't specific to Etsy. Everywhere you look you'll find quirky names disguising the identity of an actual human. Of course I can see a use for this in places like MySpace and FaceBook, and I'd want my kids to be a secretive about their personal information as an undercover agent. But what about the rest of us grown-ups? Am I the only one who thinks that if a person has something to say, they should say it in their own voice and claim their words? Or that an artist should use their own name instead of a witty business name? To fit in with this new trend, Vincent Van Gogh might have been Acid Trip Art. Leonardo Da Vinci could be Secret Smile Portraits. And Claude Monet might call his Etsy Shop Luminous Liquid Landscapes...... are you following me?

I just want to suggest that if you make art, be brave and put your name on it. Those who are just starting hopeful art/craft businesses are often caught up in the clever possibilities of self-naming. But I feel strongly about this. If you care enough to make it, say it, write it, think it, you ought to be willing to stand up and own it. Sure, clever names are fun, but at least add your own real name in there somewhere.

And when it comes to internet identity, what is so wrong with communicating and shopping under our own names? What are we hiding? What are we protecting? And what the heck is a Secret Admirer on Etsy anyway?

So there you are. Free advice for the budding new business person, and a bit of a rant for everyone out there hiding behind an adorable alias. And in case there's still any question, I'll start the introductions... Hi! My name is Kim Miles, and who might you be?

William Tell Overture

I'll let someone else do the talking today... this is a good one. Here's to all the Moms out there! (Thank you, Nancy, for sending this.)

feelin' the love

Well, well... I have to say I'm kind of overwhelmed by your responses to "Talk to me". (But before I go on, can one be simply "whelmed", without being overwhelmed? One of the many things I wonder about.) Anyway, I truly was/am open to some constructive criticism. I'm thrilled to have so much open-minded support, and still I realize that I'm in a competitive business, and I need to stay sharp. I'm always aware that making changes in my "business plan" is risky. I lose a few people each time I mess with things. But I know in my arty little heart, that if I leave things comfortable and familiar, they will soon become stagnant and dull, and so I keep thinking, changing, tweaking, learning-as-I-go. Somewhere, down the road a piece, I can see a book on all of my experience in growing a small, hands-on business. Those who have followed me all these years are really getting the advance copy of the book, and I congratulate you on your courage and character!

For me, the Big Picture will always have to have room for "adjustments". The bead world is growing and changing at alarming rates, as is the internet world. I regularly read jewelry/fashion/design/marketing publications, in hopes of coming across a useful nugget of knowledge now and then. The underlying theme is "adapt or die". So what you can still expect from me is a truthful, if sometimes blabby, blog, and ch-ch-ch-changes in the way I do business as often as they seem useful to me. I'll do my best to not jerk you around or confuse you. I'll also try my best to treat you as the intelligent, insightful, free thinkers you've shown yourselves to be. Thank you all for your thoughts. I'm blushing a little bit, but I do appreciate all the lovely praise. How cool would it be if we all sent someone a Special Email Of Encouragement each day? Maybe we can start a movement somehow... Ready, set, go! Tell someone how great you think they are. I'm telling you ALL, here and now, I have the best bunch of friends/customers in the world. Fabulous Humans, each and every one of you! And I hope you're blushing too... a bit of pink makes the world look pretty.

Talk to me

It's been gently suggested to me, by a well-meaning sometime-customer, that I'm "inconsistent" and "unnerving". I guess I have to agree to a certain extent, and because I feel all grumpy and bristly and a bit defensive about it, I know I need to take a look in the mirror on this one. It's possible that my willingness to try new things, and share the inner workings of my business and family with you is unprofessional. But how important is it to be slick and smooth and apparently in control all the time? Maybe it is important. I need to think about it. But it makes me sad to think that people shy away from buying my beads because I don't come across as a well-oiled corporate entity. I'm just a beadmaker, trying to make a living with my own two hands. There doesn't seem to be a lot of value placed on that in this society of ours, but I'm sticking to it anyway. If anyone out there needs an apology for my apparent flakiness, you've got it! But please also consider that my changes, adventures, and experiments are part of the evolution of my work, my life, and my business. I share it all with you, and you can, of course, take it or leave it. What do you think? Would you prefer it if I clam up and act more "professional"? Or do you want to ride along with me and see where we go next? I want to know. I really do. Leave your comments here please. I don't want a bunch of private email over this - I want a community discussion because you all are part of how I make my living. You're a big group. Talk to me. Talk to each other. You're such lovely people, I wish I could throw a big party so you could all meet. But for now... what do you think? Hmmm???

Happy Birthday Jim

This is completely embarrassing. Rick, Karena, and I sang Happy Birthday to Jim last night, over a wonderful chocolate cake. Jim is in New York, so in order to get the song to him, we made this dumb little video. Then I couldn't get the video to attach to an email... so here we are, publicly humiliating ourselves, because we feel very strongly about getting this Special Birthday Wish where it belongs. Happy Birthday Jim! A day late, but just as heartfelt!

I'm Home

Well, here I am, back in Taos, after 10 days in San Jose. I won't say it was a fun trip. It was difficult and exhausting. Now my Dad is out of the hospital and back in his house, but to be honest with you (which you know I always am), I'm sure this is only a break between trips, and I'll likely have to go back again soon. But for now, I'm happy to be home, ready to get back to making some beads, and enjoying this amazing fall weather we're having here.

And there were a few high points in my trip back to my childhood stomping grounds. Dick's Bakery for one... the sacred place where all of our birthday cakes were made, with sugar, magic, and great little plastic decorations we got to keep for ever and ever... Linda and I went in searching for some cupcakes, but late in the day, we could only score a bag of cookies. No complaints out of me. I like cookies too.

My sisters and I tidied up Dad's house while he was in the hospital. It was actually quite a big job, like maybe bears had been living in the house with him... but I found some of my old stuff, and brought this one thing home with me. It's an egg. I drew on it and painted it back in about 1974. It reminds me that the tiny detail work I still prefer to do in beads started much longer ago than my first go at the torch. Mostly I'm just shocked that it's survived all these years. I'm glad it's a small bit of fluff. I'll be able to find a place for it even with all the downsizing we're doing.





Jill and Mike and some friends took me out to shoot bows one day. Jill is way more of a jock than I am. She's such a Warrior Goddess. Just look at her with this thing! I shot it twice, but it thwacked my arm and scared me, so I just enjoyed the scenery after that...

Then one day Linda and I took a much needed break and went over the hill to Santa Cruz. We used to go there a lot, from the time we were little, on through high school, when we maybe should have been in class... It was a spectacular, sparkling day. We had lunch on the water, and walked along the pier and the boardwalk.

Our first-ever rides on a roller coaster was here on the Giant Dipper. The three of us sisters, before there were height limits on these scary rides... we sat in the seat in front of our Dad (Mom wouldn't go on anything but the merry-go-round), and he held onto the hoods of our little matching turquoise sweatshirts, to keep us from flying out... yes he did that. I adore roller coasters to this day, but we didn't get to ride this time because everything was closed. Whistful sigh...


The sea lions lounging on a platform below the pier were cool too. I had to take a little video of them, for the whole effect. Here you go...
And so... while it wasn't by any means a vacation, there were some darn fine moments. Now it's time to catch my breath and get some work done. I hope I don't have to go back soon, but there's no way to know for sure... At least I was a Girl Scout. I know how to be ready for anything...