Biddness

I start the small business class I signed up for Wednesday morning (ha! schooling! go figure. I just want to know stuff.). Tomorrow is dedicated to working on my branding and wrapping up the last of old biddness (mail the wedding [just got the address Sunday], edit Erica's home photos, and edit Eliz's preggers shoot so I can finalize photos for my website). 

I was reading a post on Promise Tangemen's blog (she's amazing, fyi, so check her out for more than her recent post please) and realized I don't know where to start with creating my own vision, but the last thing I want to do is copy someone else's branding visions; I need to figure out where to start for myself. 

I have the following intentions:

- doodle. & dick around with fonts because I'm a typography nerd.

- go through some old business notes from class (just in case I missed something).

- Flip through my misc folder on my computer, containing every inspirational photo I've stumbled upon in the last 2 years, and see if they've got correlations I can work with.

- Go through the 3 questions list my SB councilor gave me to establish a "business plan foundation" so I have somewhere to really start.

...and I need to optimize about 45 photos at least so I can finally update my website. She's a struggling corner of the web, to say the least. 

I'll be working hard, it's a Tuesday, those are my non-photo-taking biddness days, and I need to champ it. 

Here's to motivation!

In other news, I've become obsessed with Craigslist, just perusing.

In other other news, Laur & Christine just adopted the cutest baby barn cat piece of fluff ever yesterday. Romeo Moolenschot. He's a stud. 

Epic.

I'm going to give you the briefest of stories on such an epic night, as best as I can. 

Read set go:

Last night started with 630 sushi and bubble tea with Kevy, Mikey, Zoe, and Jill - it was Kev & Zo's "going away party" that, if I wasn't home, was being thrown for them by them and attended by them alone. Kev is traveling cross country couch surfing and Zo is headed to China for one of those teaching position things. 

Post soosh, Jill and I headed down town Bing for the end of the Art Walk before the galleries closed. We caught some good lookin assemblage pieces and visited with Ethan at The Cube (where we also gathered some little gifts for a future Kate M.F. Sculley care package). 

From State St we wandered back to Lost Dog for an appetizer and "a drink" with Miss ElBotting that I hadn't sat and and caught up with since high school. She's still a hoot. Several drinks later, along with her friend Ann (Anna? I don't remember exactly), Jill and I were going to just go home, but we were coaxed into going to Tranquil, an outskirts of the city bar that I'd never been to, and they were clearly regulars. 

Tranquil is located right behind Binghamton Met's Stadium, and because it was Friday, there were fireworks. They were fantastic and the night was so beautiful - not buggy, or too hot, or even too cold, just a clear night with fireworks. ElBot stole me a wicked cute tiny salt shaker, and bought a pitcher of Yuengling. We grabbed a table outside and enjoyed the night and continued to catch up on everyone we remember from high school. Tony text'd and wanted to join us. 

I don't remember how it happened or how it came up, but out of no where we all decided that we'd never been a strip club, yet two were right up the road from us. Therefore, we grabbed Tony and hit up Tzers and Madame Oar's. Free for us, and even though we played the gay boy card, he still had to pay $10. The actual pole dancing was really impressive, but the girls... pass. Mostly butterfaces as far as I could tell. El & Ann got motorboated, and Tony complained that the girls' "straddles" could and should be a lot better if they just stretched every day. 

From there, El dropped me off at my car back downtown, and I was going to just take Tony home but I realized it was going on 3am and I was starving. While heading to The Spot, I got pulled over on Front Street. I knew I wasn't speeding, so I was completely unthrilled by the situation. The very polite officer told me my headlight was out. Awesome. 

After a series of super unforuntate events, I awaited his return to my car with my information, and the streetlights are hitting my windshield just enough for me to see a big ol spider crawling across my windshield (rather quickly actually) towards my open window. As quick as I could, I turned my car back on and did my best to hurry the automatic window up, but to no avail. I'm already concerned that the Officer probably thinks I'm trying to drive off by how fast I whipped my car back on, but now I'm geeking out that there's a great big spider somewhere in and around my area of the car... and I'm in a skirt (with an earlier situation going unmentioned for couth). 

Now the Officer is at my window, and I have to quickly explain what just happened - all I really get out is 'Iamsosorrybutnowthere'sahugespiderinmycarthatjustcrawledinthroughthewindow!!!' and, I kid you not, the Officer leaped back away from my car like the spider was about to get him. My geeking was obviously worthwhile. Thankfully, he just gave me a "fix it in 24 hours" ticket and ignored the fact that I clearly had other issues last night.

Angry that I got a ticket just for trying to feed myself, I continued to the diner with the kids anyway even though I'd completely lost my appetite by now. Tony and Jill sensually ate fries. They shared some moments. It was adorbs. 

Took Tony home and promptly called it a night (morning?) by 330-4ish. Slept for about 4 hours and took my car to deal with the headlight before the post office closed this afternoon. Went back to sleep for a bit, then got Applebees & trounced around the JC Field Days for about 10 minutes. Today's for taking it easy. 

So, recap for those of you who didn't read all that: sushi, bubble tea, ta ta for now's, art, booze, drove El's car, more booze, stolen salt shaker, fireworks, reminiscing, Tony, strippers, pulled over, one spider that is no more thrilled it's trapped in my car than I am, no real ticket, egg and cheese on a bagel, and sleepytime. 

Saw a free Lady Antebellum concert on Thursday, just by the way. It had perks, but the experience was rough til the actual concert. However, I did win a Domo, making up for the Aerosmith concert / Fair sitch.

I might post pictures later, but there isn't a whole lot to share.

Too busy making memories than to take pictures.

Hope you're making some good early fall memories too.

Always Busy

Somewhere between the small business meeting and today, I attempted volunteering at the local Humane Society, saw Aerosmith, shot mostly nude pregnant photos of my cousin, attended said cousin's baby shower, and saw my queenie Jordan win the Miss Chemung Drag Queen Pageant. I really have no room to complain about my life's activities. 

Can't volunteer until we take the training course, and that won't be offered until October, but you best believe Casey and I will find ourselves there asap for it (and it won't stop us from going, say, this afternoon because Casey wants to donate cat food). 

Aerosmith is old. But they put on a decent show still. Our seats were ungodly far away, but it was so so good to see HannerMuffin again.

My cousin loves getting her picture taken, and her style pregnancy shoot is the sort that I prefer doing, so I'm beyond thrilled that I have some solid advertising photos to work with now. Her baby shower was darling.

And finally, my bffqueen Jordan, aka Miranda Moreae, won the whole shebang Sunday night, and I couldn't be more proud. 

(Sorry it's sideways & dark, I haven't had a chance to edit them at all)

I also got to meet Angel, my employer for the Mr. USofA Pageant -- FINALLY DETAILS!!!:

I am the official photographer for the Mr. USofA Drag King Pageant, taking place September 18th at TREXX in Syracuse NY! It's hosted by the one and only Pandora Boxx (cohosted by local favorite Dusty Boxx) & LOGO TV is supposed to be there, and I'm just wicked excited to be a part of it. Manning is coming into town to see it and I'm renting a hotel room so that everyone can crash with me for the night after the show. It's going to be a blast, the women are going to be handsome and sexy men, and if you're available/in the area, I had best see you out there supporting!

Today is the first day of classes for most colleges (specifically Caz) and frankly, I feel no loss or heartbreak over not getting up at 815 for an 830 class today. Instead, I set my alarm for 830, crawled out of bed at 9, made some coffee, and have been working on my ad for the Mr. USofA Pageant ever since. 

My own coffee mug. My own advertisement. In my own command center green Salvy chair. No grades or bra required.

I love my real world too much to miss classes right now.

woot small business!

Yes, I wore suspenders to my small business councelor meeting. What of it?

Meeting went so well! I had basic questions and got my basic answers, and an accountant referall, something I was nervous about. I am also pretty set on joining the September class - it's 3 Wednesdays, all day, and they have all sorts of speakers coming in such as lawyers, accountants and other successful small business owners. I think it'll definitely be the best $60 to invest in this business so far. 

Once those basics were covered, we discussed my marketing strategy (or lack thereof) and my need to revamp my branding before I start advertising. She gave me a bunch of questions I need to answer before I can move forward, otherwise I won't know what I'm moving forward to or from (would that make me go backwards?). I can't wait to start but I have a slew of other loose ends to tie up before focusing solely on the actual "business" side of work.

From there, I told her my immediate future plans and lack of private work space. She offered me her house, in exchange that I let her dog out in the afternoon when no ones home before work - ridiculous and totally feasible & loveable offer, something I definitely didn't expect to discuss during this meeting! I just might take her up on it. It'd give me somewhere to "go to work" every day, and it'd benefit her family. Can't really argue with an offer like that...

Bought some vanilla creamer (for my pending coffee addiction), blue staples & reorganized my entire desk, including the box of desk supplies just cluttering my space left over from school.  

I think I'm finally ready to take this seriously. 

This afternoon I'm going to the Humane Society shelter with Casey to find out about volunteering with the animals each week - a goal I've had for a few years now, and actually have the means to pursue finally.

Time to answer a few emails, apply for my EIN, take the KGB test for some randomass income, and shoot a call to my first boudoir client, promptly followed by as much attempt to wrap up the wedding edits as humanly possible before tomorrow.

How productive were you before noon?

I wanna make stuff. 

There are a whole lot more meaningful things I could say today, but that's all I'm preoccupied by right now. I just wanna make stuff. 

Tshirts and a Halloween costume, in particular, but the details aren't necessary.

The last few days have been full of some of my favorite people, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Ithaca and drag and roller disco and pancakes and reminiscing and movies and snuggling.

(My new salt and pepper shakers! Aren't they beauties?!!)

Today & tomorrow are biddness, Thursday is for fun (Aerosmith concert!!), Friday is for catching up / a Preggers shoot with my cousin, Saturday is a baby shower, Sunday is a drag pageant, and I go back to real life on Monday, with all the edits and emails like usual. 

I just wanna make stuff.