I feel like blogging is a huge part of being a small business and an artist today. It gives people a chance to connect with you on a more personal level and learn more about your work and what you are about. The bummer is I think I kinda suck at it. 

There are some things that I think I do well; I use a lot of photos, I feel like I write in my own voice, and I link to other blogs and other resources whenever possible. I am, however, terrible at how often I post. Articles differ on this-some say 2-3 times a week and a couple even said once a day! Personally I think that might be a little overkill. Plus, you know how much time I would spend trying to write one post a day? (I tend to overanalyze what I write to the point where it could take me hours to write a post. Seriously. I am timing how long it takes to write this one) You'd get the "This is what I had for lunch" updates after about 3 days into that! 

I think I could do 2 times a week but even then the problem becomes what do I blog about? There are things that I don't blog about even though they are the ''it'' things like crafty tutorials and cooking stuff. 99% of the time I get my ideas from Pinterest so I don't see the point in repeating the info. There are things that I would like to blog about more-Fashion and Style (but I am not sure if I am ready to be in the camera that often and right now my style is rarely blog-worthy), Weight Loss, but a) does anyone really care (about any of it)? and b) first I need to lose weight, haha, and Traveling...but first I need to travel. I'll work on these things. 

I do have several posts in my drafts but I am waiting for things to happen before I can finish them. For example, the blog post about our epic cleansing and purging of the house complete with how-did-we-let-the-house-get-so-disgusting Before pics. But I can't finish the post because we are still in progress, may not be completely finished until after the holidays, and I have to have redeeming After pics! I am also super excited to share pics of our new fireplace mantle but I am waiting to finish installing it and decorate it before I talk (anymore) about that. 

Yes, I have a few things up my sleeve but not much. So I am reaching out to you my blog audience...what would you like to see, hear about, know about me? There is little I have a problem discussing so just throw a suggestion out there in the comment section. Thanks in advance and have a wonderful weekend!

(final blog time: 75 minutes. Told you it took forever!)

Did everyone have a thankful and filling Thanksgiving? Per the usual we drove a couple hours away to Heath's dad's childhood home in the middle of nowhere...someplace near Falcon, KY (population: 91). It's always referred to as Tick Lick which I guess is because it's on Tick Lick Rd. or near Tick Lick Creek? I dunno, but either way it's in the middle of nowhere.

The very first time I went to TL I was a little wigged out. The way it was described to me I wasn't sure if this place even had running water! (it does) That side of the family is large so sometimes things can get a little cramped. I can't believe that Heath's grandparents raised 9 kids there! 

Crowded, yes, but the food is always delicious. See those yams? So. Dang. Good. Like dessert good. Heath's aunt Sue makes them and a dessert called Pastor's Delight*. Have you heard of it before?  It's got a crust of Pecan Sandies, then something, then butterscotch pudding topped off with Coolwhip. I'd never heard of it before my first Thanksgiving with the family but now it's the only dessert that I care about and I eat like three pieces. 

It was a gorgeous day that day so we were able to go for a walk after lunch. Ruby was rocking some rain boots (her choice for the day) and being a sassy little thing...

and then she was sweet as can be. These two might be my two favorite pictures of her so far. She basically ran around non-stop with grandpa the entire time so when we left it took her literally 2 minutes to fall asleep- allowing for a peaceful drive back to Lexington. We spent the evening with our friends and their family. They have two daughters who kept Ruby occupied enough to allow Heath and I to enjoy round 2 of Thanksgiving dinner, wine, and dessert. I felt quite spoiled and very relaxed. It was so, so awesome. 

This past Friday was Gallery Hop and the opening reception of For the Delight of the Children at Christ Church Cathedral, a group show that I participated in. We brought Ruby with: 

I guess the rookie mom in me is still naive enough to think that Ruby would behave at an event like this. Yeah, right. I could have gotten a babysitter or put her in daycare for the evening but I want her to see these kinds of things-plus she needs to be out in public in order to learn how to behave in public. Still, I ended up being very frustrated that night. It was a bad combo of she can never sit still for more than 5 seconds and she's been very, very clingy lately, but only to me. She wants very little to do with Heath right now. So if I wasn't holding her she was running around like a nut up and down the halls, up and down the aisles in the sanctuary, and repeat. Heath tried to wrangle her but...yeah...

Eventually Heath took her into the closet that was right next to wear my work was displayed. They were in there for a few minutes and a friend and I made jokes about the noises she was making, saying we could tell people that's where they kept the Holy Ghost during events. 

We were able to keep her kind of, sort of occupied for just over an hour and then you could just tell that a meltdown of epic proportions was brewing. We left and I was disappointed because I had wanted to see some more of my friends. Very selfish, I know. It's times like this that I question my parenting skills. I know I shouldn't expect too much of her but at the same time I don't want to coddle her. Lesson learned: Either get child care or drive separately so Heath can take her home when the time comes. 

On Saturday we took Ruby to get her first haircut. Nothing major, just enough to even things out a bit and make her look a bit less shaggadelic. I got off one blurry shot before she decided that she wouldn't do this thing without sitting with me. 

She did very well, I think. She didn't scream or cry during the cut she just wouldn't sit still!

Linsey was able to get the last little bit cut when Ruby became occupied with stuffing Mum Mums in my mouth. If you're thinking "what the hell is a Mum Mum", a Mum Mum is sort of like a rice cake for babies. As you can tell from my expression they aren't particularly good. Blech. 

On Sunday we spent a lot of time working on organizing the blue room (our office). At one point Ruby was very quiet and when I found her I discovered that she had opened the pantry, knocked down the peanut butter jar, somehow got it open, and helped herself:

Towards the end of the day Ruby decided to be naked and started playing in front of a big mirror. The really funny pictures are those of her fully naked dancing with herself in the mirror but I'll save the fully nekkid pictures for her Shutterfly book. I'm pretty sure that this little gal is ready to potty train. She climbed up on her changing table and said, "diaper pease!" Just another interesting adventure! 

Back in June I worked with Angela Shay as a second shooter at Kylee and Chase's wedding at Red Mile. (this is the glory of being a second shooter-I don't have to edit photos until months later!) I don't usually edit photos into a square format of course, but I am obsessed with Instagram (laurieapplebywilliams), and thought what the heck. Why not? Enjoy! 

Every once in a while you shoot a couple that is so into each other that you feel like you should just put down the camera and walk away for a little bit. It was very obvious the these two crazy kids were in l-o-v-e. Occasionally it can be slightly uncomfortable but for the most part when I'm with a couple like this I turn into a big mushy ball of Awwwww! 

This was my first time shooting a wedding at Red Mile. The barn was perfect for the Shabby Chic look. At night, with all the lights lit it was really gorgeous.

At the end of the night, in the early hours of the next day, the remaining guests went outside the barn to light and send off these giant paper lanterns in honor of those who were no longer with us. I'll admit, I was a little skeptical that they'd lift off (and I kept waiting for one to burst into flames) but they all made it and it was pretty cool. 

November 11 marked a significant milestone in my life. It was my 15 year anniversary with Target. I came to Target after 4 years with Kmart, my very first job where I started off making $4.35 an hour!! I was beyond excited to make the switch. The management at my particular Kmart treated everyone like total crap. I was so unsatisfied with my job that I quit the moment I got the call from Target that I was hired. I started at Target 2 days later as a team lead. My first store was in Chanhassen, Minnesota right down the road from Paisley Park, Prince's recording studio (the Artist Formerly Known As? The Artist?). No, I never saw him. 

I remember what I wore on my very first day. A pair of GAP flare corduroy pants and a GAP long sleeve red top along with this pair of brown clog/mule shoes that were totally not appropriate. It was an extra awesome day because I started on the same day as my roommate. I worked in toys through the end of the year and then was placed in jewelry/accessories/cosmetics. I remember working with a blonde named Jennifer and a Colleen who were both very nice. I remember my first long string of overnight shifts during a cosmetic reset. Ugh. By the end of the third night I was ready to snap on the guys on the planogram team and the death metal they blasted all night long. 

Eventually I moved to Northeast Minneapolis and transferred to my second store, affectionately known as Targhetto. This store was pretty much the opposite of the first. Instead of being in the ritzy area it was, well, I'm sure you get it. Chanhassen had about 20 check out lanes, this store had 8. It was rumored that the glass on the front of the store was bullet proof. I never had confirmation on that but we did have a cop in the store every day because the theft was out of control. I can't remember how many times I had to sit (awkwardly) in on an apprehension. Even the carts had security. If you passed with a cart outside the perimeter of the building the wheels locked up and you couldn't push it anymore. 

The team was great. Bernita in Food Avenue made the best ham and cheese omelets. Chris was the best Store Team Leader I had ever worked with, Dee and Susan on the price change team were awesome. Martha in cosmetics was so, so amazing and so sweet. She called me her Diva. I had three really good girlfriends at the time (we are no longer friends...you find out who your real friends are when you move 800 miles away) and we watched 30 minutes of Days of Our Lives on our lunch breaks all the time. 

I learned a lot of valuable skills. Like how to condense a 12ft planogram of purses into a 4ft space because the store was so teeny that the layout didn't match with anything that headquarters had on file and how to totally rock the lingerie department and pick up a Viper sales award for best sales increase in the district. No small feat in a store that did maybe $30K a day in sales while being surrounded by 20 higher volume stores. You had to be creative in that store to make things work and I really enjoyed that aspect. 

It did have it's challenges. I was in charge of several areas-jewelry, accessories, hosiery, cosmetics, lingerie and body wear, the first week of the month was hell on earth, guests were especially messy (and I mean Messy), theft was high, and I was threatened with a beating, once, for asking a child to stop running through RTW (the ladies department). The cop came in handy here. But really, even with all that it wasn't that bad of a store to work in, largely because the people were so awesome.

Some things you may not know about me: 1. I actually did leave Target for a bit. In 2000 I was tempted away from Target by Lane Bryant who offered me $45,000 a year for an assistant manager position. That was at least $15K more than I was making so I said, "Um, yes please!" I hated it! So much. Probably didn't help that the guy supposedly training me was a complete prick. I left after 3 1/2 weeks and went back to Target. 2. Yes, my hair was black. I didn't go red until a year or so after this, and 3. I am kicking myself for getting rid of that shirt! and 4. I have no idea why I am holding up those plates like that.....

Anyway. 

I've seen a lot of changes. When I started Target was part of Dayton/Hudson Corp. Now it's so awesome that it runs itself. The format of the stores has completely changed, the marketing is so much better, the Target dog, Spot, is adorable! There are things I miss from the days of old like Jean Day for the United Way and dressing up on Halloween, but the different designer collaborations make up for that! 

I've been at my current store for just shy of ten years. I transferred in as a Guest Service Team Leader but then demoted myself to planogram team member (to get out of working nights and weekends) and then re-promted to Price Accuracy Team Leader, and then eventually re-demoted myself to Price Accuracy Team Member after I started taking classes at UK. I've been doing that ever since.

Target has always been so flexible with my schedule, that and the paycheck allows me to do what I need to do outside of Target and pay for art supplies. The 401K benefits are great-the main reason I have a nice chunk saved up for retirement already-and I appreciate that Target is open minded enough to accept purple hair, tattoos, piercings, or whatever-not that I ever push those boundaries too much, but I could if I wanted to. 

Most of all I enjoy (most of) the people that I work with and it is just a fun place to be. It fits me and it's comfortable and familiar, something I need right now as I delve into this world of the working artist. 
I doubt that I will be leaving Target anytime soon and it will be interesting to see what the next _____ years bring. 

On Saturday I took a Narcissism workshop offered by artist Paul Shortt at the Lexington Art League as part of the Approach performance art exhibition. (you can learn more about Paul's work here). 

I don't consider myself much of a narcissist, in fact, I try very hard NOT to be.  I don't want to seem cocky or full of myself or that my stuff doesn't stink just like everyone else's.  Unfortunately the way the world works these days, and the fact that I am an artist, I have to promote myself and my work. I'm uncomfortable with it most of the time but it's a necessary evil.  Anyway, I decided to take the workshop because I thought it sounded interesting and it would be an opportunity to get out of my comfort zone. 

The first thing you do when you arrive is you pick a tag, a condition of narcissism, that most represents you: 

My tag said something like:

 I react to criticism with rage, shame, and something something internally
(dang, why didn't I keep my tag?)

Several participants made up a second tag with another statement. My second one said:

Once everyone was settled we had a short discussion about narcissism in society today, which centered mainly around Facebook (imagine that). Then we made a list of the 5 best things about ourselves and went around introducing ourselves to each other and telling them one of the awesome things. So you'd go up to someone and you'd say, "Hi! My name is Laurie and I have a nice rack." and they'd reply, "Hi! My name is Christine and I am a fabulous painter." 

For the next activity we busted out the crayons, markers, and pencils to draw a self-portrait: 

Yes, believe it or not, I actually did graduate from art school. At one point I might have been able to draw a decent portrait but obviously I am a little out of practice. Instead it looks like a 4th grader drew me. That's not insulting to 4th graders, is it? 

Then we had to post 5 pictures to Facebook with either cocky or mundane captions. Here's one of my 5: 

I guess it isn't as cocky as I could have been. I could have said, "My work is the BEST" but I know it's not THE best artwork in the world. This is where Heath says I am pessimistic and I say I am being realistic...I really love my work but is it THE BEST art in the world? No.  I probably had the hardest time with this portion of the workshop just because I knew that people would see it on Facebook. (I probably should have made another name tag that said, "I care too much about what others think)

The last activity of the day was to make an award for ourselves and then write a corresponding speech for someone to read about us as we accepted our own award. Here I am reading Christine's speech:

And then it was time for me to accept my award for All Around Cool Chick: 

The workshop was a lot fun.  As Paul said, a chance for us to pat ourselves on the back, since most people don't suffer from Narcissistic personality disorder and generally aren't all that narcissistic. After all, we should all show ourselves some love every once in a while, right?

I haven't always been the most motivated person in the world. Sometimes it's just like pulling teeth to get me moving, even if it's something that enjoyable to me. Because of this I find that deadlines are absolutely essential for me. In school there were always deadlines. A paper due, a critique to make work for, a BFA show to prepare for. Now that I am not in school I have to make my own deadlines. I spend a lot of time looking here and there to find a project, a show to enter...any excuse to keep me busy in the studio. 

Right now I am preparing for a big IF. I am entering a show at a gallery in Cincinnati.  IF I get accepted then I am going to need cells, and potentially lots of them. This wouldn't be a problem other than the fact that I am hanging some cells at Christ Church Cathedral on Monday which will take up a good portion of my current supply. That show stays up until February of next year, I need to deliver the goods to Cincinnati by December 8. So yeah, I might need more work. 

If I don't get into the show the cells will go in the Etsy shop and I might be able to snag a few sales for the holiday season. I will slowly start building my inventory for when (I'm trying to be positive here) I get into any art fairs next year. So whether or not I get into the show it's a win, win situation. 

I really, really want to get in though!