Just a little tid-bit on who we are and how the shoppe came about.  My name is Chris Silva and my husbands name is Lou.  We have two girls.  We have been married 20 years, yes I know I don't look a day over 30!  Lou & I are best friends and we both share a passion for art.  Well, he has the art degree and I just exploit his natural talents.  I'm really more of the brains behind the operation. 

We started the store in March of 2003 as a Artisan Gallery.  We sold handmade pottery, baskets, stained glass, soaps & lotions and a few small antique pieces that Lou would rescue and refinish.  I made jewelry.  I had my stash of beads in the store that I worked with and people soon were more interested in buying my beads than my $250. piece of stained glass.  Needless to say, the kids enjoyed being fed everyday, not just Tuesday & Thursday.  The bead thing grew and grew.  We had no intention of becoming a bead shoppe.  We were supposed to be Artisans and help other Artisans sell their wares.  Nothing sold.  Slowly the artists pulled out one by one.  Could you blame them?  We had to pay the rent and feed the kids.  We had a lease, a loan, and a growing happy clientele.  We bought more beads, and more beads, and more beads.  People gave us nothing but positive feedback.  We get the occasional question about the two bead shops in town and I always say " It's like having a Burger King and a McDonald's in town, we both do burgers, just differently".  

It's been seven years and we have grown so much.  We have met some amazingly talented people along the way and I'm sure will meet many more in the years to come.  We really love what we do, and I think our clients feel that when they walk through the door.  We want everyone to feel welcome and special when they come in to visit.  The design team we have now are tremendous.  They are genuine, knowledgeable & very creative.   Each lady has such a special talent and we are very lucky to have each and every one of them. 

People always ask if our girls come to the store.  Yeah sure!  They were trapped here the first 2 years we were open (they were 6 & 10) every day and all day in the summmer.   They wouldn't cross the threshold if I offered them $20.00 each!  They do however have there father's amazing talents.  Both of them are gifted artists.  They can do just about anything....kinda makes me just a bit jealous sometimes! ** (Update 10/09...Ariana is now an employee, she's a senior in high school and broke!  Someone had to hire the poor kid, and we all know there aren't any jobs out there!)  Update9/10.Ariana is off to college! Maybe we can start training Olivia next? One can only hope...

So that's who we are, and how we came about.  We will continue on until we are independently wealthy from the sale of all these beads and run off to an island somewhere without the kids.  Lou will build us a hut ( because he is so super talented like that, and did I mention handsome?!) and we will eat pineapple and fruity drinks all day........Ahhhh..........someday.   For now I get the pineapple!