Like the refrigerator

So I keep checking all my friend's blogs as if they make hourly updates. What a weird obsession I have with their blogs. It's like going to the fridge and standing there wondering what to snack on. Then you come back 2 hours later still looking for something and see all the same stuff as if something magical happened and there's new food. Man, we're all fighting this cold thing going around. That's the last thing I want in this house since little man is always sick.

I'm real excited. I did some searching on Facebook and MySpace the past few days and found a couple of my old best friends from grade school and high school/college. It's so strange to talk to them about what's been going on in your life and theirs, because at some point, it seems as if there wasn't all this time that's passed since then. So that was fun to find them finally. I always get excited when people find me that I haven't seen in years. It's been fun talking about the old days and seeing old photos and cracking up at the styles back then. Plus those are more people that may want to go on the group cruise next fall! HECK YES!

Gotta go, it's late and my medicine has made me sleepy.

Ciao!

Bosses who don't care

Something really funny that I laugh about a lot...one of my old bosses once told me on the way to a photoshoot that she hated this one piece of art that she had to translate into a store guide for the WM associates. I don't remember how we started talking about it now, but I'm guessing we were discussing the person she thought did it and I guess she had issues with her. Anyway, she's going on about how this one seasonal sign was so terrible and how it was the worst thing she'd ever seen. I asked what it looked like and she started describing something that immediately I recalled. BECAUSE IT WAS MINE! She thought someone else had done it and apparently she has no respect for this person. So I laughed along with her never saying a word about how it was mine. It was my first sign I'd ever built for the U.S. stores. I worked in WM International at the time. The U.S. side needed help so I offered to do one of the seasonal signs. It was for June. Well, nothing happens in June as far as a celebratory theme. So I even came up with the theme of "Midsummer Savings". All of WM's signing needed a savings message. Shall I describe the art of such horrifying design? I shall. It was dark purples and blues that emulated dusk, right as the lightening bugs come out. There were trees in flat shadow colors of navy blues ranging in different sizes and shades to give depth perception. Then I had little lightening bugs that had a soft fluorescent green glow to look as if the night were full of these little glowing insects. When you looked at it, it made you instantly hear crickets chirping and quite wind blowing. I loved it then and I love it now. I still wish I had the artwork. That was probably created in Illustrator 3 or 5. Some really old version. So I never admitted that I did it instead of this other person. I didn't want her to feel like an asshole. Feeling like one and looking like one are two different things. So I just sit back and laugh because when I tell certain people that story, they laugh and are confused because they liked it too. But what do we know. We're only artists that actually graduated with Graphic Design degrees. And all that trashing comes from a person without one. What is this world coming to, I tell ya! Maybe it was because she had to start in a department that did nothing but boring store guides. I'd be pretty bitter, too. I was once told by an arrogant WM Buyer that "everybody wants to be the buyer". Really? Well, asshole, everybody wants to be the art director, too. So stick that up your...

Ciao!

Looks like this is the start of a new business

So I think I'm finally starting something here. Janet's got me all in a tizzy trying to help her get a new idea she has up and running. And because of that I've finally named my business and created my logo. So I got that goin' for me. Again with that line. I laugh every time! Anyway, I love it and am now on my way to getting a website started next week with the help of Janet. I'm more than illiterate when it comes to that kind of stuff.

So stay tuned. More developments will be underway.

Ciao!

Commence with the Rain

So the rain started last night. It's supposed to last till Friday or so. Can't rely too much on the weathermen. But we'll see. So it's dark in the office today. I don't like turning the lights on. Too bright. So I choose to use a desk lamp. It's 9:35 in the morning and I still haven't turned it on. But at least I've had my first cup of coffee so far! So I got that goin for me. (That last line is for my movie buff friends). I laugh everytime I hear or see that line. So with the dark and rainy day, I'm listening to Coldplay. Normally they're a band I listen to in the winter. They're the perfect snow and cold day sound. Maybe that's the meaning behind the name. Weird. Anyway. Work has been scary slow here the past two months. My co-worker left for Saatchi. I'm the only artist left. So basically, I'm kind of like the Creative Director/Sr. Art Director/Art Director/Graphic Designer/Production Artist and anything else in between. I'm not complaining at all. Just stating facts. I actually am loving it here. I'm really rooting for the underdog here in hoping that my job stays the course. Mike and I were actually joking, but not, about me having to mow grass at my job, but when your boss says that to you in a business meeting...  I know, it's very scary. Especially since I'm the only one carrying Greyson on insurance until Mike's starts in September. My boss told me yesterday that we signed on 3 new jobs which is good. And he reminded me that he still wants to hire me another artist. I know he does. I just hope the work keeps coming so his business can keep truckin'. I love my job, my people, my boss, the work I get to do. Everything about it. Although I recently had to deal with a buyer's assistant and a guy that use to be a buyer's assistant at WM. What a joy that was. I'm only reminded why working at WM made me stressed out. I really HATED my experiences with those kinds of people. The learnings I take with me are invaluable though. You just can't get good experience like that anywhere else, I'm convinced. It's sad that the few buyers that are a joy to work with get mixed up in that mix. The rest of the world is so much easier after you leave. And when you hear people complaining about their situations, all I can say is "it's STILL better than Wal-Mart!"

My friends and I have been dying to start our own thing. One of them has a huge craft room and we always say that we need to have craft day someday and we never do. I've decided that we're going to have craft day if it kills us! We'd all like to sell things on Etsy and Elsewares. We'd all love that if that were our business everyday vs. dealing with the everyday business or art and how subjective it is. Now we could make things and if you don't like it, then don't buy it. So there! Karla makes awesome necklaces and lanyards, I want to make plush characters. Regina wants to make something but isn't sure what yet. As for Jennifer, I'm not sure what she wants to do, but she'd be happy doing it. I'd also like to do cards. I know I've been talking about this for years now. But the fact is, I'm lazy. Honestly, I can't start a business being lazy. So there that is out in the open.

I was just reading my friend Brian's blog and he always inspires me to write on mine. Whether I follow through on that or not is another thing. LOL! Again with the laziness. That seems to be that crutch for something broken that I can't quite heal fully. Hmmmm, maybe that's why they call it a crutch. How genius of a word with such a meaning. Besides the point, Brian mentioned that he'd gone through a bunch of old photos of his times here in Arkansas. Those were the good ole days. I miss them but then again, I don't. I'm enjoying my time in the now and look forward to the future. Greyson is getting so big now. I can't believe that it's July and he'll be 2 in November already. People always say it goes by fast. It seems really slow while you're thinking that and them BAM! it's gone by in a flash. It's so hard to believe that he use to be so little and now he's up and running. And as cute as can be, I might add. But of course I'm biased.

So, it's now 10:00 and I should be getting to work. Unfortunately, there's no work to do at this very moment. It's a whole lot of waiting. Luckily the days go by fast with the hours we work here. Now if I were at WM, I'd be dying! Well, gotta go, I just got an important job asked of me. I have to make some sweet tea! Don't laugh. Sweet tea is a staple here!

Ciao!