week 31 - readers

this post is dedicated to kathy and kelly...and all of our weekly readers. we deeply apologize for the short post last week, and hope to make up for it today. really, i can't believe how many of you are out there and depending on our monday night post to make your tuesday morning a sensation...okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, although i am truly impressed that we have readers at all...so thanks!

sherry and i have been off of our weekly beading nights, due to busy travel schedules over the past month or so. we see each other at our shows as we haul our goods out of our cars and into our venue for the evening. we have been meshing for so long now that we don't really have to see each other to run this side business of ours as a team. we are already coming up on our 5 year anniversary show, IIDA bizarre bazaar at the mart (november 11th, 5:30-8:30pm). i can't believe it has been that long already...this was our first show in november of 2005! yowsa, how time flies.

we are doing everything we can to inspire ourselves and keep everyone surrounding us intrigued. we have a spectacular new year of products around the corner and can't wait for you all to share in the excitement.

as i was beading our six-hundredth (or so) one-of-a-kind necklace tonight, i can't help but think of where they all are. i hope they are not in your dresser drawers waiting for a special occasion, because tuesday is an occasion enough to make a mesh statement...even if it is faceted glitz, offset by multi colored felted wool balls...work it mid-week!

on the table | over-stated combos

-melissa

week 30 - countdown to christmas

so, it’s 67 days until christmas. and guess what…? mesh is making this really easy for you.

you can complete all your shopping for the women on your list the first weekend of december. that is, if you attend our two day / two city open house!

saturday, December 4th 2010 | sherry’s house
(chicago’s west loop)
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
RSVP @ meshdesigns@yahoo.com or on facebook


sunday, december 5th 2010 | melissa’s house
(oak park)
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
RSVP @ meshdesigns@yahoo.com or on facebook

in addition to our one-of-a-kind necklaces, come browse our scarves, earrings, bracelets, cuffs, clutches, ear mufflers,headbands….well, every type of woman’s accessories! scarves make a great stocking stuffer...and all are $20.

FREE mesh T-SHIRT to all attendees!

-prices range from $20 - $150 -cash, check & credit card accepted

on the table | everything listed above!!

week 29 - shanghai

as you have read in the past few posts, i survived my first trip to shanghai. although it was a 14 hour flight there (12.5 hours back), it did not feel at all like I was half-way around the globe. in fact, the city itself was a bustling mecca of everyday people working their tails off to make a living...much like those in the u.s. of a. it actually reminded me a lot of nyc, as it was filled with lights everywhere i turned (other than in the slightly creepy dark alleys). there is led lighting on the river boats, the buildings, the cabs in some cases, etc... in fact, there is a code there that every new building must light up to some extensive degree from dusk until 1am...the place is truly ablaze. other than the fact that i could not read the signage...i would have thought i was in the middle of times square at midnight.

as i mentioned, the alleys were a bit less lit than the bulk of the city, although far too thrilling to avoid. we were guided through the 'secret' shops by our very own 'personal shopper'. he was dedicated to us, to say the least, and actually may have been the only reason we made it back to the hotel that night...slightly sketchy. it was quite fun to see all that these little hidden shops had to offer; whether it was silk scarves we were looking for, or discs of tea leaves, or jade and pearl necklaces...our guy knew exactly where to find it all. the people in these shops were more than friendly when they saw our faces walk in the door...little did they know that we knew how to barter with the best of them...even with a slight language barrier :)

i can't wait to visit the city again to discover all that the true markets have to offer...stay tuned, as i believe my next trip will already be in a few weeks.

-melissa

on the table | quilt square clutches prepped and ready to go to their new home at Salon Rhapsody in Frankfort, IL.

week 28 - travel inspiration

i am always inspired after traveling! over the past few weeks melissa and I were both traveling…and to two completely different places with very different experiences. I was fall foliage hunting in Vermont, while melissa was in shanghai for work (more to come on this topic in next week’s blog I’m sure…!). either way, both trips were very inspiring!

i’ve grown up in the mid-west and thought we always had the most beautiful fall seasons…that was until this past week! I have never in my life seen fall colors like those in new england! wow! i recommend this fall trip to everyone! every turn we take along the road is jaw-dropping!

(travel tid-bit) despite the lack of starbucks in this region, i am supplementing with apple cider at every stop...and maybe the occasional pumpkin donut.

this is the best part…so, you can take the ski lifts up to the top of the mountains to view the fall colors! It was breath-taking! (enjoy a few photos from an elevation of 4,241 feet!)

anyhow, I think the traveling was a much deserved mini-mesh break for us…as this week we begin the official holiday mesh shows!

we are excited about all the shows we have this season and the opportunity to show off a bunch of new product!

on the table | chamomile tea

-sherry