April Newsletter

The April Newsletter is almost done, and I'm including a 25% off your entire purchase coupon for use in the store, as well as a bonus drawing for a free class for the first 10 people to turn in the coupon! Obviously, some exclusions apply ;) , like you have to receive my Newsletter!
You can sign up via my website at http://www.PeacockBeadShop.com, or e-mail me at Megan@PeacockBeadShop.com to be added!

Welcome Everyone!

I just wanted to take a moment to welcome all of the new people who are following my blog. The beginning of the year started with 5, and now I have more than twice that! You like me! You REALLY like me! And I appreciate it ;) Feel free to chime in with comments and suggestions whenever you feel compelled to. Stick along for the journey....it could get interesting ;)



And just for you, my fanly followers:



A pair of earrings that I made recently to enter into a random summer earring contest. Made with laminated shell rings, A grade Pearls, and Swarovski Crystal, these are the perfect flowy earrings to go with that summer dress I haven't bought yet ;) I'll know it when I see it right?

Postal Rant

Bear with me here. So last week, a customer of mine purchases an item of small value. She pays very adequately for the shipping, and I send it off. Thirteen days later, she contacts me to let me know that she hadn't received the item, so I call the U.S. Postal Service to see what the problem was (usually things only take 3 or 4 days to get to the other side of the country), and they tell me that First Class mail can take up to 14 days, so I should wait. I contact my cutomer, and let her know that if it doesn't show up by the next day, to let me know. She lets me know that it still hasn't shown up, so I get into my workshop this morning, and I make another of the item to send, I package it, and I decide that I'll send it via Delivery Confirmation to make sure that I can track it. I get to the post office, and I wait in line, and I'm told that I can't send it delivery confirmation because it's not 3/4" thick, but I can send it via Certified Mail where my client will likely have to traipse to their local post office to pick it up because they have to sign for it. I'm a little confused because I don't see why it matters whether it's 1/2" or 3/4" thick, so I mention this to the man who holds up a package in a pantomime of my stupidity to show me what 3/4" looks like. I am incensed at this point, needles to say. He continues that my other option is to send it Priority Mail which costs quite a bit more, but is more reliable. So I repackage the item into a Priority Mail envelope, and I go back up and get to the counter where I ask about tracking, and am told that there is no tracking on Priority Mail packages, that I'll have to add Delivery Confirmation....I kid you not. So I sent the damn package via Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation, and stalked out of the building. Needless to say, I am less than amused, and it's no wonder why they're losing business...after all, customer service is key in any face-to-face retail, and they lack it utterly. So, by the end of all this, I've spent nearly the price of the item in question in postage, and really, really hope that the item gets there, and my customer is happy. Anybody have any additions?



P.S. I feel the need to add this to clarify that this is the 10th+ issue that I've had with various post offices in the last month, and I understand that they're frustrated with their corporate practices, but so are the girl behind the counter at the bank, and the guy at the gas station, but at least I get a smile and a 'have a nice day' from them.

Chain Store Sadness...

So, I've been debating whether or not to order the new Pink Camo 'gun handled' tools for the shop. This is mainly due to the pricepoint which is higher than the 'normal' ones, but well worth it for the fabulous grip and quality, and still WELL under $20 (around $12 I think)....then I went to Michaels today to pick up a piece of scrap paper, and I decide to wander down the jewelry isle (most of it makes me sad really), and then I realize that they're selling pliers for $20, and they're so NOT worth it with they're wimpy plastic grips and lack of precision tip....guess I'll order those camo tools after all ;)

Great Movies to Bead by...

I spend a lot of time beading 'alone' in my bead room with my trusty computer, and I watch a lot of movies that I've seen a million times (you know, the ones that you don't actually have to look at the screen for because you know them by heart?) I love to see movies that have great jewelry, romance, drama, costuming, or all of the above. I thought I would take a moment to highlight some of my favorites here.

This month: Pride and Prejudice 1996 version starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. This movie has it all: from action to drama to romance to suspense (not to mention some fantabulous jewelry in the ballroom scenes mainly on Mr. Bingley's Sisters). And, no matter how many times I watch it, I still wonder whether Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy will end up together at the end. It is 3 discs long (around 6 hours), and is good at least once every couple of months for an extra long beading session.

Don't have time for an extra long beading session? Try the 2005 version starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen which is a more modest 2 hours. At first I had a hard time visualizing Keira as the buxom Elizabeth, but the alluring Matthew Macfadyen is such a fabulous Mr. Darcy, that one hardly notices after a few scenes.

Seen both movies, and want a bit of a change? You've got to see Lost in Austen (2008)!
Lost in Austen is a neo-historical remake of the movie where a modern-day fan of the Jane Austen book Pride&Prejudice accidentally crosses over into the books' fictional world and proceeds to muck things up between nearly every character in the book! Warning: this movie deals with a lot of 'modern day' issues that would not have worked 'back then' in the book such as the main character not being a 'pure maid' ( if you catch my drift), so don't watch if you're offended by this type of banter, or by movies that are generally rated PG.

Completely Random....

Anyone who has seen me in person in the last 30 years knows that I love socks. I mean, I REALLY LOVE fun socks! From the little turn-down socks we had as girls with the frilly lace (need to make some of those for big girls you know!), to fruity-colored striped over-the knee socks, I love 'em and wear 'em....sometimes to my husbands' dismay....in public. Target has had a super-cute line of knee-high and over-the-knees this past winter season, and I ended up with several of them. So today I'm updating my Facebook Fanpage, and I see that one of my friends has become a fan of this shop called Sock Dreams, and at first I think it's GOT to be something naughty, so I check it out, and it's a whole store based out of Portland,OR that is dedicated to selling me all kinds of wonderful socks! Short and tall. Striped and solid. Lacy cut-outs, and tie-dye...they seem to have it all.

Well Sock Dreams, you have a new fan, and a life-long customer in me. And wait until Vanessa finds out ('Nessa, you will just die! They even have Sock Garters with little spiders!)! So check them out if you get a chance, and tell them the Megpie sent you ;)