Oof.

Virgo:: "Welcome to the never-ending brainstorm session," reads an advertisement for Barclays Bank, one of the most successful financial institutions in the world. It's an approach that has some similarities to the ethic that prevails at Toyota, the company that makes the world's best-selling car. Its core principle is kaizen, a Japanese word meaning "continuous improvement," though it can also be translated as "to take apart and put back together in a better way." A blend of these attitudes is what I recommend to you during the coming weeks, Virgo: kaizen meets the never-ending brainstorm.

I started putting things together in a better way when I took apart one of the necklaces I made a few weeks to re-purpose the beads. The "Somethin' Fishy" necklace really wasn't doing much for me, and I have other ideas for the pink coral.

I bought some new focal beads-- donuts in color-stabilized turquoise, amethyst quartz, strawberry quartz, and amazonite. The amazonite has been put into a necklace with white coral and amazonite chips-- all seafoam colors. The turquoise is being used with rustic turquoise nuggets and lime Czech glass. It looks very festive. And while one of my abalone teardrops cracked (woe!), the other will be mixed with opalite in a necklace that might even be sold before I get a picture of it online. Sarah, Becky, and Anna were over for dinner last night, and it's true that that opalite is appealing to just about anyone with ovaries. Next week, Becky's bringing her checkbook.

Outstanding packages? I'm stupid and brainfarted and they'll be sent tonight. I've been at Sky's for the last week since being terribly ill, and well... out of sight, out of mind? Durr. Fear not.

In other news, I'm not gonna be around as much, especially on Gmail chat. We're apparently not micromanaged enough at work, and the brass is being all OMG INTERNET TIME. So. There that goes.