Beaded Expressions by Marla

Today I’m celebrating my 29^th birthday…with the flu. While it certainly has not been the most pleasant way to spend the day, I have had plenty of time to reflect on a near decade of my twenty-something life. The past nine years have been filled with tremendous growth and opportunity along with some unexpected life changes that whilst painful and unforgiving, have led to more growth and opportunity.

I spent the first half of my twenties trying to gain control of my life: graduating from college, selecting a career path, working tirelessly to move forward on that career path and living life like a strong, independent woman. 

I spent the second half of my twenties trying to accept that we’re not always in control of our lives, that despite our best laid plans and work ethic, sometimes circumstances beyond our power have a different path for us to take and all the kicking and screaming in the world won’t change the new trajectory.

I’m excited to use this year to prepare—not just for my thirties—but for the rest of my life. I’m in a place both personally and professionally that’s most unexpected, but that somehow feels meant to be and I’m excited to embrace the possibilities and see where else they’ll take me.

So here’s my list of 30 things I’d like to accomplish (some already accomplished) before my 30^th birthday next year:

1. Get published in Bead & Button
2. Enter Bead & Button’s Bead Dreams competition
3. Take a metalsmithing class
4. Take a wirework class
5. Go to Bead & Button in Milwaukee, WI
6. Go to the bead and gem show in Tucson, Arizona
7. Bead with Sherry Serafini
8. Bead with Laura McCabe
9. Develop a regular, serious meditation practice
10. Volunteer
11. Buy a kayak
12. Shop the flea markets in Paris
13. Go wine tasting…how have I not done this in 29 years?
14. Learn to knit…I want to make my own mohair scarves
15. Keep a plant alive
16. Finish the Agony and the Ecstasy…somehow the book feels more like the former and less like the latter and I haven’t been able to get through it.
17. Pay for the person’s coffee behind me in the Starbucks line
18. Treat myself to a quilted Chanel purse
19. Get a dog
20. Get my nose pierced
21. Start a blog
22. Visit an energy vortex in Arizona
23. Become a certified yoga instructor 
24. through 27. Personal goals that I’ll keep personal…a girl with a blog has to keep a few secret
25. ;)
26. ;)
27. ;)
28. Visit Las Vegas
29. End my twenties with no regrets
30. Celebrate my 30^th birthday with great friends and family…Vegas, baby! Will I see you there?!

Let it Bead,


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