Mystery Meat

Well, it's clear that this manifestation of an instant dinner took longer than a 5 minute warm up.

Tabletop

Within Anthropologie there are numerous "classes" or divisions within Apparel and Home merchandise. I am the Tabletop specialist. Dinnerware, serveware, and the glassware classes fall into this specialty.Every week I get time to review the numbers, and evaluate how these classes are selling. This is the part I love: essentially I get to "run" the business of these classes. I take into account the product's placement on the floor, visibility, the way things are placed next to one another...i.e. color palettes, themes, etc. I also get to know the product. Some of my favorite items recently went on sale, and with our employee appreciation in effect for the holidays, I was able to get 40% off sale prices. My new favorite aquirements:

Pen & Ink Love

I stumbled across this artist's page through the dearada blog. Her drawings alone are gorgeous. The lines cross and dance their way into small networks that comprise an animal/map/image.

Myers Brigg simplified

I took this brief quiz and the first round gave me ENFJ. Sydney has told me emphatically that this is who I am, she being the expert. I took it a second time, changing the answers to a few questions that I was on the fence about. The second assessment is only slightly true.

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. In love, you are very protective and supporting. However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous. At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist. How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

What's Your Personality Type?

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends. You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules. Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives. You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller! In love, you are quite the charmer. And you are definitely willing to risk your heart. You often don't follow through with your flirting or professed feelings. And you do break a lot of hearts. At work, you are driven but not a workaholic. You just always seem to enjoy what you do. You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist. How you see yourself: compassionate, unselfish, and understanding When other people don't get you, they see you as: gushy, emotional, and unfocused

What's Your Personality Type?

Let's Celebrate Color

Ian Hundley's work gives me a new appreciation for the quilt. I'm not sure whether I would want to hang this up on the wall or actually use it on these cold Seattle nights. The interlocking lines and shapes seem to reference city maps taken from an aerial view. Though I am somewhat biased, considering I have been working with line, abstraction, geometric shapes, and maps myself this past year.

Three Cheers for quilts!

Yes, the rumors are true

Wes Anderson strikes again, and it looks like another winner!

The Woman in Art

Be patient and wait for it to load fully. It's a little long, but worth it (in my opinion)

Today I have spent many hours attempting to organize my many worldly possessions that I have accumulated over the last 4 years. Everything was fine until I started finding old art projects. How can I convey to you the feelings I experienced? Embarrassment, regret, disbelief, and questions of "why?" ran through my head. SO many of the projects were lame. I wish I could rewind time and do them all over again. There were moments of triumph here and there, but they were not enough to eliminate the pesky evidence of amateurish artistry. I guess everyone develops their talents in different ways and in their own time. My growth has really shown itself within the last two years of college. Particularly the last year and a half. I know that its only upward from here, but how i wish that the money spent on art supplies, hours spent conceiving and executing projects, could have produced more sightly pieces.

I won't even bother posting pictures. I'll save you the eyesore.

Pandora's Box

You may just get lost in this amusing website as you click,click your way into cyberspace. This blog is dedicated to the crafty, artsy, and superfluous to fulfill your 'need' of all things handmade. Holly Becker, the creator of this domain updates the site frequently. To the left of the page you will find links of interviews, links of interest, and what may be called easy time wasters. If some of the content may be too craftsy or not to you particular tastes, the blog is worth rummaging through, because Becker has found an array of artists, stores, and DIY to showcase. I could go on, but you can just take a look yourself!

http://decor8.blogspot.com/

I would like my own peacock blue, synthetic material, suit please. oh, and throw in some back-up dancers too. thanks.

It's called a Mortarboard

A Chic Songstress

I want this album! Leslie Feist could be singing about anything and I think I would still enjoy it. Her effortless voice is a must-have in any music collection.

I'm Graduating!

In two weeks! May 26th is the commencement ceremony. Four years, one BFA, sleepless nights, substantial relationships, and a semester abroad later....and I am done!

This is the new addition to my life. My poor little G4 just bit the dust. My hardrive experienced a "fatal error" that no techie could fix. FORTUNATELY I did have the foresight to back up my portfolio and some essential folders right before I left for New York. UNFORTUNATELY I have lost all of my pictures, even the ones dating back to High School...all of those pictures now gone almost brings the tears. I have also lost my music. Gone. I lost my lessons for a correspondence class as well, and now have the unhappy task of recreating all of those lessons and face the danger of not completing in time now.

I have had my time of mourning, but the Lord has blessed me monetarily and I have been able to replace my loss.
Its not that my MacBook could ever really replace PowerBook. I love them both, just in different ways. I will miss the PowerBook for the sentimental aspects. While it was a flawed machine, its LCD screen blaring a magenta color after sleep mode then slowly color correcting itself, or its scratches and pathetic battery life, it brought me through 3.8 years of college; sleepless nights slaving over Illustrator of Photoshop. However, I cannot deny the appeal of the sleek, chic silver design of MacBook Pro. The quiet purr of the computer, the informative and enjoyable widgets, the added vanity of a built in camera, and a new processor equals an attractive toy.

and just for fun, I will now post pictures that any self-respecting artist would not show, purely because it requires the admittance of the pleasure of "cheap" effects.

Four months ago I was headed toward a senior show and what I thought would be my defining moment as an artist. Four months ago I could never have imagined myself on the other side of the stress and pressure I was enduring. Now, after this milestone has been completed, like a check mark on "Lauren's Life Goals," I find myself staring ahead to a future that remains a thick fog...it is only speculation and conjecture from here on out. But I'm ok with speculation. I will admit, there are days when I begin to doubt my abilities to function in post-college-adult-world. A perpetual voice whispers, "you don't have enough experience" or "you don't know enough about computer and print terminology." But when can you ever be fully prepared? Who will give me a chance to prove myself. I am a fast learner, and will do my job well.

The plan as of now: Finish school. I am able to walk this May, but will graduate deficient. I have to take summer school courses in order to finish. Not too shabby considering I did take time off for New York. Once done with summer school, I will be moving home temporarily. In the fall I hope to take a trip to NY, and then come back down to California. But who knows, plans are not written in stone.

I realize it has been awhile since I last wrote. Blogging is the last thing on my mind these days. I am now down to three weeks until my show on March 19. I have a hard time sleeping at nights for all of the thoughts that run through my head, I am always tired, I am drained emotionally, mentally, physically and all those "ally"s and I am just looking forward to the day when the show is over and I can have a social life again. I realize that this makes me sound ungrateful for the opportunity to be showing at the University Gallery, and I do not mean it to, because I understand that this is a great thing. But when you are in your studio day in and day out...a studio with practically zero natural light and all flourescent...and you are drawing minute and obsessive little drawings, your eyes start to burn and you forget to eat and all you can think of is how many more drawings you need to do. You become so focused that sometimes you forget to enjoy the process and get lost in your work.

I am trying to write a philosophy paper...clearly its not going well or I would not be spending 10 minutes writing all of this down. But I needed to update my public on my life. I will be sending out showcards at the end of this week, so if you would like one, please send me your mailing address: lauren.k.mcconnaughey@biola.edu

I still get a kick at this. One of those things that only I think is clever... This is a silkscreen print I created last year for a class. I found it in my files yesterday as I was clearing out the ol' hard drive.

My computer is 4 years old. That is old in a computer's life. I am starting to notice odd quirks. For instance, I have already had the screen replaced after is snapped off last winter (from no abuse of mine). However the new screen turns pink after the computer has been asleep. Slowly it recovers back to its normal state. Its slow to load when I turn it on, really slooooow. The battery life is down to one hour before it needs a charge up, and my applications continually shut down. I need to save up for a new one, and in the meantime, I'm in the process of backing everything up...my whole portfolio is on this machine.

Who has free time? There's too much to do

I really enjoy spying in the studios. I am always curious to see what other students are up to. Usually a competitive feeling comes over me, and I feel that I must begin to make work. Sometimes this results in a feverish pursuit of ideas upon ideas upon ideas. I have great ideas. I do. I keep them written down in a notebook for use in the future. I don't like talking about my ideas too soon, because I would not want anyone to steal them. The problem arises when I do not have enough time to pursue these all. I learned a valuable lesson in NY...just work on one project at a time. Seems like common sense, right? I am still working on this lesson. Last night I was not able to sleep for an hour, because of all of the new ideas rushing through my head in regards to my senior show. The visions of the completed projects are stunning, really fantastic. I wish I could just show you what runs through my head. I hoard ideas.

Speaking of hoarding, I was involved in a very pulchritudinous conversation with my friend Adam about books (like that word I slipped in? Used as an adjective it essentially means lovely, beautiful, splendid, etc.). That is, we talked about our deep fondness for them and the impulse to constantly buy, buy buy! I was informed by said friend, that the word Bibliophile is a person who loves and collects books, but a Bibliomanica is an exaggerated preoccupation with the acquisition and ownership of books. I might be bordering on the maniac. We'll need to keep an eye on that. It could be a social hazard.

I am currently reading "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safron Foer. Very bittersweet.


Do you remember the show Reading Rainbow? Well guess what kids, its still on the air! http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/
I couldn't ever remember LeVar Burton's name, all I knew was that Reading Rainbow was on Star Trek and wore a headband over his eyes. I remember one episode specifically. RR got into the trunk of a limo that was in fact, a spa. Oh that RR, always having adventures.

Good Ol' La Mirada, Home of the Biolans

Back at Biola. I am taking a class on the book of Job during interterm, which is proving to be far more interesting than I originally thought it would be. I have started moving stuff into my studio, but its still a bare, sad studio. This weekend i have plans for you little studio, oh yes...spending quality time figuring out my senior show tactics. I need to get rid of this ulcer and start sleeping at nights.

I am already making my strategy for a return to New York. Alright, so maybe not a definite strategy, not a spokenoutloud plan, but they are there. CNN.com reported that over the weekend a pungent odor permeated Manhattan, from Midtown down to Battery Park city. A few buildings were evacuated and though this didnt stop the subway lines, my guess is that most opted to walk that day. Odor and toxicology tests revealed that this was an non-threatening odor. But I'm going to be honest here, I wanted so bad to be there...a bit jealous of the hubub and all that is New York. And I would take it too, odor and all.

I am going to be updating this here blog, it doesn't stop with New York. So don't worry your little heads, you will be able to read these tasty nuggets I leave you from now and forever on...

I have efficiently wasted 2 hours perusing the internet. My new apartment is lacking in wireless these days, which has proven a good parameter in keeping me to task with the Job class homework. More to come...