Ingenious

A woman with a striped hat and large smile came into my studio today and announced that she's seen my jewelry at shows around the area. Taking another look at her, I realized that I'd probably seen her before, or at least I'd seen her distinctive blue and white hat which flopped over her eyes.

"Your bracelets look so delicious!" she exclaimed in admiration.

"Thank you, but I wouldn't recommend eating them," I replied. "They look much better on your wrist."

She poked around my studio some more. Another woman, who had seen one of my necklaces at a silent auction, had made a beeline for my bigger necklaces and was in the process of trying on half a dozen. Having a sale - this time a rather generous one -brings in the serious shoppers.

Ms. Floppy Hat ogled my basket of Czech glass bracelets and cooed, "Your jewelry is just so joyful and cheerful!" I wished that I could be so joyful and cheerful, rather than having my jewelry act as my positive emotional ambassador to the world.

But, she sighed, "I can't spend the money right now."

"But this is the least expensive they've been," I explained. "If you buy two, you get another one free. That's 33 percent off. Now is a great time to buy them."

"You're right," she sighed, agreeing with my logic in theory.

She took a final appreciative look around and loudly declared that my combinations of beads were "ingenious."

Her pleasure in my jewelry and her comment - especially the use of an "I" word - made my day. And it didn't hurt that the other woman expressed her enjoyment by purchasing four necklaces and a pair of earrings. Acting on one's good taste is, perhaps, another kind of ingenuity.