Intro

Hi! Welcome to my blog and thank you for visiting!

This is my first post (obviously) so I thought I’d start off sharing a little about myself. My name is Kim and I live in Austin, TX with my fiancé Ken and our dog Cabo. We live by Lake Austin and enjoy spending time outside and on the water. I grew up in Houston where my parents still live. I’m very close with my family. My sister lives in Houston as well, with her husband and 2 kids.

I am a two-time cancer survivor. I had Hodgkin’s Disease when I was 16, and then was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 30.

While undergoing chemo for the breast cancer in 2005, I taught myself beading and made breast cancer awareness jewelry. I was really sick from the chemo so my employer of 7 years terminated me since I wasn’t able to come in to work. I turned my beading into a full time business and started a company called MissBerly’s Designs.

In early 2007, we acquired a company called Assistwear. We provide post-surgical garments for women to heal with dignity after breast and/or abdominal surgeries.

I’ve also fallen in love with bead weaving, especially Herringbone and peyote stitches. I've been making all my non breast cancer awareness items under the name Hill Country Collection. I’m amazed at being able to design a pattern of my own on the computer and then be able to make it with just beads, thread and a needle. I’ll be sharing more of those designs here on my blog.

Stay tuned!