I'm fairly recuperated from my trip; coming home was like hitting the deck running - I've been working at the bookstore 10 hours a day for the last four days, catching up on all my chores and odder jobs. It was a great visit - Charlie is, naturally, the Most Beautiful Child Evar. Even with his face full of plum.

In addition to drooling all over him, I also spent a great deal of time at my daughter's place of employment - The International Bead Market in Omaha.

Spent just enough time and waaaaaay too much money there, I can tell ya. This year I learned how to do pearl knotting. I always learn something new by taking one of my daughter's classes. Last year it was Ndebele stitch.
At any rate, overloading my carry-on bags with the more precious acquisitions and stuffing the rest into mailers made me realize I've got to destash again. I did this 2 1/2 years ago - I had a beady indoor yard sale, then put the rest up on FeeBay. Cleared out about 30 pounds of beads that time. Looks like I've got that much and more yet again, but this time my daughter's convinced me to open a destash store at Etsy, in addition to my shop of finished pieces.
I've been stockpiling stuff for a show at the end of November, but I have serious doubts about doing it. I've re-opened my Etsy shop and I'll be listing (and relisting) things as I can,
like my medicine bags.I may have to start drinking coffee in the late afternoon just so I can stay up long enough in the evening to work on NaNoWriMo AND all the beadwork I've got lined up.
Inspiration #5:
The Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha.

I must have taken 100 pictures there (and not all of them with a baby in the middle). The main indoor exhibit is the Chrysanthemum Walk and it wowed me completely. The spider mums were breathtaking. It was heaven, being surrounded by so much color and texture.
I love to travel, but I love to come home. Now back to the beading . . .