Customer Orders and Hacked

Mom working on resizing a bracelet

Well, today started out as a good day.  I arrived over at mom's house and then we went to breakfast at our favorite restaurant.  We went home and I did some stuff on the computer and mom started straigtening out the garage.  Mom also laid out all the bracelets for custom orders and I looked for glass to make beads for a custom order for earrings.

I went through our glass and we didn't have the color I needed so we went to our favorite store - Inspired Fire.  They were out of the glass I needed so I got a color that was close.  We will see how close I was when I get the beads out of the kiln tomorrow.

This is one of six cookies sheets mom and I use to lay out our projects we are working on.  Right there is about three projects - upper left corner is a bracelet that I need to patina and then assemble, the Scottish Thistle will be a necklace once I get the beads made up - the bottom right corner is a necklace I laid out but both mom and I ended up not liking so need to rethink that one.  And then just beads, a button I want to use for a clasp and some seed beads and wire.

Here is Viking Knit that mom and I just pulled through the draw plate to reduce the diameter of the wire we want to work with.  I was experimenting with two of the chains by using several different colors.  I really like how both of the chains turned out.  Now, just need to figure out how we want to use it in our necklaces or bracelets.

Mom and I also had our business debit card hacked today.  Thank goodness mom wanted to work on the EB budget; because we purchased the glass today she wanted to update the spreadsheet.  While she was doing that she went out to our bank and noticed that someone purchased items from Bed, Bath and Beyond in New Jersey.  Mom called me in and we started calling Bed Bath and Beyond to let them know we didn't purchase anything from their store that day.  Once that was done we called our bank (which had just closed the hour prior) so we had to call the 800 number and had both of our debit cards cancelled.  We are waiting for a police office to arrive to take our statement (we called the police station asking if we should report it and they said they would send an officer out).

Mom and I are both in panic mode because that is our money from the last month of shows.  This is money we use to purchase much needed supplies and some ass hat went and used that money that isn't even theirs.  This truly pisses me off because mom and I work so hard for that money - that is the money to buy new beads, gemstones, saw blades, enamel, frit, etc.  You guys know how hard it can be and then someone just thinks that they can take what you worked hard for - that is so wrong on so many levels.  Just so that ass hat knows - Karma is a Bitch and you better hope she gets you and not me or mom (especially my mom!!!)!!!!!

Mom and I want to warn everyone to check their bank accounts more often.  Both of us went out to our own accounts to make sure everything was good.  We just wanted to warn you all!!!!!

Okay - enough of that.  I will finish this off with some photos of this tree stump that I love.

This tree stump is along the road I take to get to mom's house.  I have been telling mom all summer that I wanted to take a picture of it.  Just so you know, during the summer the leaves were green.  When I was driving home on Tuesday I finally pulled over and took pictures of the tree stump.  I just love the colors the leaves turned and the texture of the bark.  I keep telling myself there is so many wonderful and gorgeous things in life and we just have to take the time to look for it.