Threading the 7th bead


“Save the date,” my travel mate reminded me a month back when I stayed at her place in Manila coming in from a trip from Bangkok.

“Is it that time of the year again?” I asked, to which she nodded with a smile.



Seven years & counting. Beth Martin fills her small shop with unique & affordable finds from her travels around the globe



Seven years. It’s been that long since Beth decided to go into fashion retailing. It was a small business she “really didn’t need,” as everyone close to her tells her. It was as if she wasn’t busy enough with her day job in the music industry, the family business, juggling two households in Davao and Manila while fulfilling wife, mother and lola duties.

Maybe small business venture was born out of love for traveling, shopping on the side and spotting unique finds she personally took fancy on. Finds that caught the eye of friends and offered to buy from her. That might have lit the light bulb. Being the business minded person that she is, Beth decided to inject the business opportunity into her travels. It was a win-win situation, and still is today.



Elizabeth Alojado with daughter Carla Kay Tan with the former owner of Beadworks Mae Hipolito.




With Davao as a regular destination for this wife, she took the small RTW trade to town to fill her spare time. She started with a rack and a glass display case in Beadworks, a made-to-order shop owned by a good friend. No sooner, her display area doubled. When asked if she wanted to take over the entire area after her friend decided to give up her side of the business, Beth nodded.

Expansion. Beth saw it as “more opportunity to travel” and that thrilled her most.

Beadworks can’t be branded as a shop with Bangkok goods as she fills the space with one of a kind pieces from Korea, Hong Kong, Macau and even as far as the USA. Yes, the small business certainly opened a window to travel more. 



Beth with Naty Rodriguez Fortich, her regular companion in Macau.



Beth still keeps her business “small” and manageable by her standard. It afforded a more personal interaction with the shoppers, shoppers who became loyal clients, and clients whom she saw as friends.



Success is not without the support of friends through thick & thin. Friends through the years, Jocelyn Tobias & Desriee Fanlo.


Remaining Beth's great company after The Company, Tetet Tolentino


Friends more than Beadworks clients, Dinggay Sasin with Jennifer Sasin-Floirendo


Good neighbors make good clients. RCBC's Edgar Tejamo, Milita Ballescas, Roselle Acompañada & Rimoj Pidor.


A Beadworks regular Sandra Alojado


Small business venture, seven years, one happy traveler. Congratulations on the seventh year of Beadworks my dear travel mate and looking forward to the 8th bead on the fabric of your “small” RTW trade.

For more photos of these events & more lifestyle & travel stories, visit http://apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com/ and http://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com/