Inspiration of the Week - Teri of TheBeadedBranch

Welcome back to another Inspiration of the Week. This week I bring you one of my favourite online friends.. and I'm sure if we lived closer we would be offline friends too. This woman is a major inspiration to me, and to many other people I know. Despite her own life challenges she is there for her friends and peers with kind word or a warm hug and she delights in sharing the escapades of her gorgeous little boys, with the pride only a parent can display.
I asked Teri to share her favourite 10 things in the whole world and what follows are her responses in her own words. Read on to find out more about this wonderful woman.

1)  My hubby.  I love my hubby (Tim) and my kids (Nick and Joe), even though any or all of them are likely to make me go nuts at any given minute.  But they do help out in the own way, every chance they get.  Tim is not only my hubby, but also my best friend.  Lately, life has gotten to be a little crazy around our house, and not necessarily in a good way.  I looked at him and said "If I had to go through this, I'm glad I'm going through it with you!"  He's a rock at my back, my strength, and my love.  

2)  My children.  My kids are a joy to me, even when they are driving me nuts.  I really never know what those two scoundrels will be up to next.  Whether they are making me a cup of coffee, drawing me a "birthday card" (when my birthday is nowhere in sight), or trying to hide in my washing machine they are my joy.  Life is never, ever dull with those two around, and what one doesn't think of, the other one will.  I've always wanted to be a housewife and mommy.  I was never one the type of woman who felt she needed a career outside the home.  When people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always say "a mommy".  How many people can honestly say that they have acheived their lifelong dream?

3)  My extended family.  In laws, cousins, aunts, uncles, all of them.  Yes, family can make one crazy at times, but in the end, it's really all we have, and I adore them.  Once again, if it wasn't for my extended, my life would a lot more dull.  (I think someone once hit me with the ancient curse of "May you live in interesting times", but at least I'm never, ever bored!)

4)  My home.  I love my little home, even if it does look like a whirlwind hit it most of the time.  But it is my favorite place to be.  I can relax here, and be myself.  I can let my hair down.  Soon, I might even be able to repaint the walls and add color that I so desperately want.  I have to admit, that after almost 5 years of living in this home, I'm still re-organizing and paring down all the nonessentials that we don't use, but it's fun, instead of the chore it used to be when I was still living at home, with my mom and dad.   

5)  My books.  I'm an avid reader.  I pretty much always have my nose stuck in a book.  I always have and (God willing) always will.  I love to read.  And I read just about anything.  I think in the 40 years I've been on this earth, I've actually only come across 3 or 4 books that I *don't* like.  Pretty amazing, huh?  I do, of course, have some books that I love more than others, but all in all, I just love my books.  So does my hubby, thankfully, and he's willing to indulge me in my little obsession.  And our boys are become avid booklovers too.  How wonderful is that???

6)  My online buddies.  A year and a half ago, I never thought that I would part of such wonderful online communities.  I was always a little shy (okay, a lot shy) of taking the plunge into online forums, and things like that.  And then I discovered Plurk, and through that, The Sassy Sisters in Sales.  These two groups are my friends, my confidents, my equals.  Growing up, I never had a wide circle of friends, and through these two online communities, I have made friends that I laugh with, cry with, hug, hold hands with, and are just generally wonderful to be around.  I'm really looking forward to the day when we can all meet face to face, and hug in real life.  To all my Plurk buddies and to the Sassy Sistahs:  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

7)  Coffee.  I love coffee.  I love the way it smells.  I love the way it tastes (sugar and creamer, please).  I love the way it makes me feel.  I love the way it helps me to wake up in the mornings.  

8)  Chocolate.  When I was younger I thought I loved chocolate.  And then about 10 years ago, my boyfriend (now my hubby) brought back some chocolate from Switzerland, where his brother lives.  He brought me back 150 bars of chocolate.  It filled his carry on bag.  The guards at the gate in the airport were jealous.  And that is when my passion REALLY began.  I adore chocolate.  GOOD chocolate.  Rich, creamy, smooth decadent European chocolate.  Made by the people who KNOW what chocolate is supposed to taste like.   It's not just a snack, it's an obsession.  And woe to my darling brother in law, Andrew, if comes back to the US without at least one bar of chocolate for me.  And he knows it, too, although, it's always his darling wife Isabelle who picks it out for me.  (Another reason I love my inlaws.... they are my suppliers....)

9)  My slow-cooker.  Call it a crock pot or slow-cooker, it doesn't matter.  I love mine.  I know, it's weird.  But I love the fact that I can dump a bunch of food into it at the start of the day, and by dinner time, there is a wonderful, home cooked meal ready and waiting.  I love that it is versatile, and I can use it to make main dishes, side dishes, breads and desserts.  It's just awesome.  They are so awesome, that I actually have two of them, a really big one for large pieces of meat, large amounts of broth (yes, I make my own chicken broth in my crock pot), chili, whatever, and a smaller one for dinner just for the family.  

10)  Crafting.  You knew it had to come in here somewhere.  I love crafting, all sorts of crafting.  I'm not sure if it's a "love", "favorite", or "obsession".  DH would probably say obsession, but I think it qualifies.  

So,  perfect day for me would be:  working on a bunch of crafts with my hubby and kids in my home, while dinner simmers in my crock pot, with several calls from extended family members, drinking coffee and eating European chocolate, chatting with all my online buddies, and then fall asleep reading one of my favorite books.

Thank you so much Teri. Your joy in life, your family and what you do is in every word, and this is one of the reasons you are an inspiration to me and many others.

Teri briefly touched on her craft, and let me tell you, she is very talented. You can see for yourself what I mean by visiting Teri at her online stores - The Beaded Branch on ArtFire and The Beaded Branch on Etsy

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