...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
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Motivation...Making a Come Back
After starting the week off a little wompy about the slow-going of my Artfire shop...I seem to have made a slow turn around. Of course, with the support of my loving sister and fabulous Artfire sellers!
I've come away from this week, with new subject matter ideas, interesting ways to show off my prints! I unburied some note cards I had printed a year ago, which then motivated me to get some more note cards printed and some desk calendars. (Both of which, I'm still waiting to arrive in the mail....Hurry up postman!)
The next part...well, is kinda a long story. My current laptop was my high school graduation gift. It completely crashed my junior year in college (I had LITERALLY just printed the last part of my interior design studio semester project before it died...I still cried from the stress though!) My father had the hard drive replaced and boosted some memory and RAM (If you can't tell, I don't talk computer!) Well, apparently when I left college, the school-mandated antivirus software did NOT. Meaning that I've been wandering the internet past few years unprotected. My father, again, found my issue. I went to the store to purchase antivirus software, opened and insterted the disk into the computer. After a few minutes of it spinning and sounding like the disk drive was going to take flight, the computer spits it out! Huh?! Silly me! I thought that I had MS Windows XP...apparently I have the previous version of Windows. Oops! After weighting the Pros & Cons, it would be better to replace the laptop (for fear of the impending 'Crash of 2009') then upgrade my operating system (and I'm sure that would crash this poor laptop anyway!) Today, I stopped buy the computer store. I had an idea of what I wanted, but since I don't know much about technology, I asked the expert. I let him know what this is for (photography, not paper-writing) and well...I'm awaiting the delievery of my new toy! A MacBookPro!
Thinking into the next few months and years, it only made sense to get a laptop that can take the expansion of my photography. I'm hoping to break into engagements, weddings, and baby photography.
Again....I've got my eyes on the mail! I've done a LOAD of listings up in my Artfire shop...Now, I just hope that the rest of my holiday weekend is as relaxingly productive as today was!
Christine
I've come away from this week, with new subject matter ideas, interesting ways to show off my prints! I unburied some note cards I had printed a year ago, which then motivated me to get some more note cards printed and some desk calendars. (Both of which, I'm still waiting to arrive in the mail....Hurry up postman!)
The next part...well, is kinda a long story. My current laptop was my high school graduation gift. It completely crashed my junior year in college (I had LITERALLY just printed the last part of my interior design studio semester project before it died...I still cried from the stress though!) My father had the hard drive replaced and boosted some memory and RAM (If you can't tell, I don't talk computer!) Well, apparently when I left college, the school-mandated antivirus software did NOT. Meaning that I've been wandering the internet past few years unprotected. My father, again, found my issue. I went to the store to purchase antivirus software, opened and insterted the disk into the computer. After a few minutes of it spinning and sounding like the disk drive was going to take flight, the computer spits it out! Huh?! Silly me! I thought that I had MS Windows XP...apparently I have the previous version of Windows. Oops! After weighting the Pros & Cons, it would be better to replace the laptop (for fear of the impending 'Crash of 2009') then upgrade my operating system (and I'm sure that would crash this poor laptop anyway!) Today, I stopped buy the computer store. I had an idea of what I wanted, but since I don't know much about technology, I asked the expert. I let him know what this is for (photography, not paper-writing) and well...I'm awaiting the delievery of my new toy! A MacBookPro!
Thinking into the next few months and years, it only made sense to get a laptop that can take the expansion of my photography. I'm hoping to break into engagements, weddings, and baby photography.
Again....I've got my eyes on the mail! I've done a LOAD of listings up in my Artfire shop...Now, I just hope that the rest of my holiday weekend is as relaxingly productive as today was!
Christine
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Coffee Lovers, Rejoice!
For some calorie-free, guiltless indulgence:
All prints are listed in my Artfire shop - Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did! :)
Christine
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
From Let Down to Turn-Around
Well, I'm a little bummed to say that, due to the weather (and therefore directly affecting the amount of 'idiot drivers' on the road) I canceled my trip into DC on Saturday and rather, spent it with my dear friend who is recovering in the hospital. The hope is that I'll make it to the Basilica sometime after work this week...we'll see...
On a more optimistic note: I got my Artfire shop linked up to my Facebook page(s)...it also motivated me to finally publish my Vance Studios Facebook page
In other events, I've started to do a "Makeover" on myself and my life! I signed up for a gym membership a few weeks ago, and I've been going NEARLY everyday since then...some days are harder to get there than others! But my short term goal is to regain about half of my wardrobe that's been 'off limits' for a long while...my long term goal is to drop thirty! I do have to remind myself every few days that the first thing is building muscle, losing inches, then losing the excess.
I've also decided to dedicate time to a local youth group. I'm no longer coaching soccer, so I have a whole in my life in more than one way...so I thought that it would be the best way for me to meet other young adults in the area AND to serve this group of high schoolers! I'm really looking forward to the adventure that is in store for me! :)
Well, I have some ideas for a few more prints to add...let's see if I can actually stay put long enough to get them done! ;)
Christine
On a more optimistic note: I got my Artfire shop linked up to my Facebook page(s)...it also motivated me to finally publish my Vance Studios Facebook page
In other events, I've started to do a "Makeover" on myself and my life! I signed up for a gym membership a few weeks ago, and I've been going NEARLY everyday since then...some days are harder to get there than others! But my short term goal is to regain about half of my wardrobe that's been 'off limits' for a long while...my long term goal is to drop thirty! I do have to remind myself every few days that the first thing is building muscle, losing inches, then losing the excess.
I've also decided to dedicate time to a local youth group. I'm no longer coaching soccer, so I have a whole in my life in more than one way...so I thought that it would be the best way for me to meet other young adults in the area AND to serve this group of high schoolers! I'm really looking forward to the adventure that is in store for me! :)
Well, I have some ideas for a few more prints to add...let's see if I can actually stay put long enough to get them done! ;)
Christine
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Back in the Swing of it!
I've been a little bit of a slacker lately towards my art...and thus my blog! In my defense, I did spend all last week after work preparing my house for a surprise birthday party for two of my college friends! This week, I still haven't recovered from the lack of sleep...
I'm looking forward to this weekend...for one, I get to sleep in (YAY!) but I'm getting the Nikon back out (first time since the vacation!). I've joined a DC/Maryland/Virginia photography group and I'm going out for on outing! We're going to the National Shrine in DC (Not to be confused with the National Cathedral...that's in a few weeks!) I've been to the Shrine many times before, but mainly for the purpose of Mass...not photography! I'm really looking forward to the trip! Next Saturday, I'm going to the Bull Run Battlefields...it's actually really close to my house, and to think that I've lived in the Civil War Battleground State of Virignia for....far more years than I would like to remember...and I've never yet been to see them!
Hope to post and list some new prints this weekend! :)
Christine
I'm looking forward to this weekend...for one, I get to sleep in (YAY!) but I'm getting the Nikon back out (first time since the vacation!). I've joined a DC/Maryland/Virginia photography group and I'm going out for on outing! We're going to the National Shrine in DC (Not to be confused with the National Cathedral...that's in a few weeks!) I've been to the Shrine many times before, but mainly for the purpose of Mass...not photography! I'm really looking forward to the trip! Next Saturday, I'm going to the Bull Run Battlefields...it's actually really close to my house, and to think that I've lived in the Civil War Battleground State of Virignia for....far more years than I would like to remember...and I've never yet been to see them!
Hope to post and list some new prints this weekend! :)
Christine
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Artfire Set-up
Wow! After almost THREE months of having a verified Artfire account (www.vancestudios.artfire.com) I have finally scrambled up the energy to FINISH my shop set up! This morning (slightly procrasting going to the gym!) I decided that I was going to add my banner, some categories, and 18 new prints! That's a good start, although I have a LOT more that I would love to get into the shop! I'm really excited to see where this update takes me from here!
Christine
Christine
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