It's Beginning...

...to feel like Christmas! I know! It's not even October yet, but as CEO of my own online business, I am WELL aware that there are 92 shopping days before Christmas and 85 days until Black Friday (closely followed by Cyber Monday) I am still a "Bah-Hum-Bug" about playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving (and would even go so far as saying "No Jingle Bells" before December!) but the population as a whole is preparing earlier and earlier each year. So, I'm working to push personal containment of Christmas to the month of December and find ways to prepare my Artfire shop and my art show for the Ho-Ho-Holidays!

I might be a little behind the eight ball on preparing for Christmas (HA-I think that WalMart's beat me to Christmas!) but I think it is (again) my personal disdain for winter and the cold! So, I'm developing a POA (plan of action) to get me through my to-do list and to the top of Google searches for "Gifts for Him/Her."

ART SHOWS:
I'm not typically a procrastinator. My mother raised me to be an "over-achiever" so for me, it's really hard to deal with the fact that I save all my massive amounts of shooting, printing, matting, signing, dating, prepping, and framing for my art shows until the week OF the show! It a combination of not having a large in-stock inventory and making sure that I have all the most recent photographs to display. Well, I'm hoping NOT to repeat that this season. I made the executive decision that all the prints that leave my studio from henceforth will be titled, numbered, and signed...thus creating the need that EVERY print needs to be matted. I must say, a day of matting prints turns into a loopy one! The scent of spray-mount and rubber cement waft from my work space and I think that I stumble around for the next two days. But the end product is WELL worth it. Nothing says "Professional" like have the 15th print in a limited edition of 50. I'm going to get working on getting some Halloween/fall photos this weekend, but it might prove difficult! The leaves are not yet changing and my schedule's tight. I'm also on my month long search for the perfect old barn...been unsuccessful so far.

ARTFIRE:
Cyber Monday is 88 days away. Just typing that sends an adrenaline rush coursing through my veins! Eight-eight days! Sunday, 1 November is going to be a BIG day for me. That will be my conversion of all the listings in my studio to appear in Christmas/Holiday specific searchs. "Is dad hard to buy for and a mustang lover? Well, here's the perfect gift!" I'll have to determine what to change my banner and avatar to at that point...since I'm HIGHLY doubtful that there will be any snow fall (THERE HAD BETTER NOT BE SNOW IN OCTOBER! Otherwise, I'm putting my house up for sale, and moving to the Tropics NOW!) so I'll probably need to bake up some Christmas cookies for a snack...I mean photograph or too! ;)

So, I may not be singing about Santa coming to visit or a silent night any time soon, but Christmas is on my mind as September is coming to a close...Much to do, better get the elves to start working overtime!

Christine