I have a degree in Computer Science, and worked in the tech industry for 8-9 years. After being laid off from the tech industry in 2002, I was trying to decide if I even wanted to work in tech anymore. I was pretty burned out.

I had started making jewelry 2 years before; I was turned into a beading addict by a similarly afflicted friend. I decided to start selling my jewelry as a way to keep myself sane while job hunting. That's when I started Lizzie's Things.

Through a random series of events, I ended up with part-time jobs at 2 different bead stores. I really enjoyed it! I ended up selling my house because I had finally decided I didn't want to be in tech anymore. Someone suggested I open my own bead shop, and I figured it was a good time since I had the proceeds from the sale of my home. My brick and mortar bead shop called Lush Beads opened in Lowell, MA in 2004. I ran the shop until December 2013. Now I focus on jewelry making.

Meanwhile, I opened an Etsy shop in 2005, and did very little with it until 2009-2010. My shop's primary focus is on patterns.