Binge

Make that: a beading binge. Good lord. I am on a roll! But it's so much fun. I can't stop. I've even restrung a couple of my vintage necklaces inherited from my grandma.

I feel like I've been living in my head so much lately that now that I've found this semi-brainless creative outlet, all the stuff I've been putting off 'til later is just pouring out into this jewelry-making frenzy. I don't really have time or money to do a big wardrobe update, but maybe some new jazzy jewels will perk things up enough until I make the wardrobe more of a priority.

It's making me happy, and really, that's the main reason why I'm doing it. Sometimes, I am able to find the 'off' switch in my Virgo mind that says if I'm going to do a creative project, I *have* to do this, and this, and I have to finish that, and I have to do it all by this time. When I can flip that switch off, suddenly I am freed to just enjoy the doing. I'm cranking out the projects and I can't wait to do more, but I also feel like it's okay if they end up back in the bead box for next time. Maybe it's because I've been beading on and off since high school... I still have unfinished projects in the bead box from waaaaay back when. I don't feel like I need to complete them. But I like having them there.

I dismantled some old earrings, too. I wanted to salvage the hooks, since I didn't like the earrings so much. But I didn't take apart the beads, I just tucked them away. I kind of like that, it's like those watch faces that you can change. I'll just tuck these earrings away until either I want them again or I need to reuse the beads. I have another couple of earrings that I want to restring - I *almost* like them but they are dated now (at least in my mind).

I like also that I'm forcing myself not to get too hung up on the exact sequence. Earrings are easy, 3, maybe 4, beads max. Not so much to stress over. The necklaces are requiring oodles of beads, and I'm just not worrying about the sequences so much. Just 'painting' the necklaces, making sure they're balanced, but not worrying about 'imperfections.' It's liberating. I am always very surprised at how orderly and Virgo-y I can be, since I strive to be pretty easy-going in my life. Imagine if I didn't! I'd be a nightmare micromanager. Scary. I get glimpses of this shadow self now and again. It's not pretty.

Well. It's time for bed. Count for today: 1 necklace, 4 pr earrings, 1 restring of vintage necklace. Total count so far: 3 necklaces, 5 pr earrings, 2 restrings. On deck: 2 more necklaces, 2-3 more earring pairs, at least 2 bracelet sets, 2 more restrings.

See what I mean? There I go.