Have you ever had something happen to you that is wonderful, perfect, right up your ally and yet would never have occurred to you that it would be all of those things in a MILLION FREAKING YEARS?
Hi, my name is Loralee and I am now employed.
Let me repeat that in case you weren’t listening.
I HAVE A JOB, PEOPLE!
A job that includes an amazing array of things like wearing a totally over-the-top and fabulous tutu for a 5k in New York City during BlogHer to represent, and made on behalf of, my employers brand, writing content, giving input on website design and monetization, social media planning, going back to The Pioneer Woman’s ranch this week for a cover photo shoot for the launch of an incredible magazine in December called, Where Women Cook, and has thrust me in the heart of all things “craft and handmade”.
(I know, right?)
Let me explain.
Wait…in the words of Inigo Montoya…no, there is too much. Let me sum up.
Back in May I was speaking at a conference and I was approached by a women as I was hurrying out to lunch. She told me that she was the creator and Editor in Chief of the quarterly magazine Where Women Create.
It’s a beautiful magazine that features women artists and the spaces they create in. She wanted me to be featured in the magazine and also to come and speak about blogging and social media at a conference she was putting on in Minneapolis in September called The Creative Connection.
After I clarified that, “Uhhh…you realize I am my own product, a non-crafter and pretty much just write about things like my boobs online, right?” I told her I’d be thrilled to participate. The more I learned about her, her magazines, her company, and conference, the more impressed I became.
As we kept talking I realized a couple of things.
One, that despite it not being focused on what I do, THIS CONFERENCE WAS GOING TO BE FREAKING AMAZING. Seriously, it is. It’s one of the best put together conferences I have participated in and you cannot BEAT it for the aesthetics, people.
To quote the website, “If you are a crafter, artist, DIY person, passionate about handmade, an entrepreneur or “mompreneur” it is a must attend..”
And I AGREE.
(And if you missed it, here is an opportunity to win one of 3 fully paid trips to attend The Creative Connection).
Another thing I realized as we talked about where she saw her conference and magazine going is that I was talking to one very smart lady with killer instincts.
This is her.
Her name is Jo Packham and she is just wonderful.
I ADORE HER TO BITS.
She and I spent a lot of time talking about each other’s professions. I told her about my blog and believe I said something like, “I’ve been doing this for over 5-years, which is a fairly long time.”. Then she filled me in on her life and that she’d been in publishing for 35 years. (By the way, if you want to feel like an utter TOOL, tell someone that 5 years at any job is a long time and then find out they’ve been in publishing for 35.)
Somehow, we went from me speaking about using social media at her conference to me working for her and with her fabulous Internet Marketing Manager, Paige, as Director of Internet Operations for Where Women Create and Where Women Cook , overseeing social media of The Creative Connection ’10 and designing the internet portion and panels of her conference for next year.
I’m so excited about the work. I love the thought of helping such a fabulous community of women get and grow online and to help get these beautiful magazines into people’s hands. I am also pretty dang excited about the office I’ll be working out of a couple of times a week. It’s in a historic building and it’s this magical-holy-cow-every-inch-of-this-place-looks-like-some-amazing-design-and-crafting-antique-fairy-of-AWESOME-barfed-on-it.
I MEAN LOOK AT IT, PEOPLE!
It’s like freaking Disneyland in there.
I have NO IDEA what I would do with most of that stuff but it sure is pretty to look at.
See…er…I am not exactly “Craft Talented”. You are talking to the girl that tried to make an etched mirror with the words “I LOVE TO SING” on it for a church youth group activity that was to show off our talent. Only the “G” didn’t etch the glass and I ended up going home with a mirror that said, “I LOVE TO SIN” on it instead.
It all went downhill from there, I’m afraid. Here are some examples of “LORALEE’S CRAFT PROJECTS”:
“The Remains of the Day lunchbox” (Ala “Waiting for Guffman”. Totally wish I had one as a kid.)
“Wilbur’s Scarlett Letter collar” (Dude. My cat is totally slutty. It is completely fitting that she have a Scarlett Letter “A” collar.)
And who could POSSIBLY FORGET The 2005 holiday gingerbread bed of depression?
Considering my tactile (non) talents, this whole “I work for a company that features people who create amazing things with their hands” is just delicious irony, no?
So, yes.
I admit that I totally have no idea what I am doing in the craft world but THANK THE HEAVENS Jo doesn’t want me for that!
She wants me for the experience and connections that 6 years of having fun faffing about on the Internet has brought me.
And THAT I can totally do.
And in my book, when you wake up in the morning excited about what you’re going to work at in the day?
It just don’t get better than that.
Oops… forgive the misspelling of your NAME. I do know how to spell your NAME. DUDE… Sorry ’bout that… LORALEE.
CONGRATULATIONS! This is awesome Loralee and I am so happy for you. Awesome, awesome, awesome (and they are lucky to have you.)
You, if anyone, are completely deserving of this incredible opportunity, lady.
I’m no crafter, but that office is a Wonderland (just like John Mayer wrote of me in the song about my body).
Congrats, m’lady. I’m proud to know you.
I am SO excited for you because:
A) That office has just blown all our minds with amazingness
B) You’re happy and you totally deserve to be
C) We’ll be able to find you more places, and more Loralee is always great
Woot!
So thrilled for you!
And seriously, that work space looks UH-mazing.
dear llc
all the years of hard work have paid off. good for you
Hey talented woman…
I love that you get to do this. What you have to understand is that NON-crafty does not mean NON-creative. You have one of the most CREATIVE minds that exsist and what this woman wants is for you to CREATE an internet image that matches her CREATIVITY. You are SO up to the task! I am proud of you and Know you will be amazing! She looks like a remarkable women and I hope to hear more about her! Hugs and kisses:)
How incredibly wonderful! The photos of that office make my heart go pitter-patter and make me want to loot the bins for all the fabulousness.
They couldn’t have picked a better loon…I mean person… for the job and I’m excited on two fronts: Getting to see how you get to bring the Internet to life for them and discovering a new website about crafting. (I’m also putting the Conference on my calendar for next year!)
Congrats!
Congratulations! It sounds like an awesome job. And lady, if you were trying to convince me by showing me those three examples that you are NOT creative, you didn’t succeed. :-) Take it from someone who considers herself a crafter, you have plenty of creativity in you. Maybe you just have not found the right craft yet! But it sounds like this job is right up your alley and that you will be working with some awesome people to boot. Can’t get much better than that! I’m thrilled for you.
p.s. In the blogging world, five years is a LONG time!
p.p.s. I just the other day used that very line of Inigo Montoya’s for a post title. Were you in my head? Sorry if it was messy and dark in there. :-P
p.p.p.s. Ack! The multiple postscripts are catching! I’m getting outta here.
Seriously…how cool is this! I hope you much success! Say HI to Paige and Jo for us! xoxo
Wow, that does sound like the dream job. I want to go there!! :) Congrats, girl. You will be great.
What a smart lady to hire you. She could not have signed on a better helper. Sounds like a great place to work for and promote. Interested in the artsy stuff!
Yay! This job is perfect for you! And? Double yay for being *excited* about a job!
Way to go!
Congrats! I like the cake!! It looks like my daughter!! :-)
M
I am so, so proud of you! I know you will be successful, I’m so happy for you!
well this is why all women blog. We dream of being noticed by dream opportunities like this.
You deserve it…you will do great….
I think you will be perfect. Congrats on the new job. You owe me a phone call to tell me all the details or I promise I will make you look fat (very hard to do) in all your photos.
/heart
Bridge
AWESOME! Congratulations! I’m SO excited for you!
That’s really awesome! I’m super happy for you.
Holy cow! What a completely awesome opportunity. (P.S. The office is FANTASTIC with a capital F!) I’m so happy for you, sweetie.
I’m so excited for you! This sounds amazing and since I know you, I know how much effort and passion you will put into this. And, dude, I totally need to get moving on our scrapbook from our China trip with PunditGirl, so any “inside information” on making it look great would be MORE than welcome! ;)
xxoo
While you’re blogging skill are breathtaking, I fear nothing can surpass the Remains of the Day lunchbox. Simply legendary.
Loralee, I am soooo excited for you!! What an amazing opportunity! Hard work in the blogosphere and being a social media maven certainly paid off! :)
And that office? Incredible! Holy inspiring mama!! Congrats again!!
xo
Congrats! Sue sent me over! How super exciting!
Loralee! What a fantastic job! And what a fantastic job for YOU! I’m dying to go to that conference and am thrilled to hear you’re involved in it. At first, I was like, “What? LL doesn’t craft. I’m a tad confused.” But now I get it. And, good heavens, you don’t have to be super crafty yourself to recognize good work and write about it. I’m so excited for you in this new job. Congrats and hooray!
P.S. That place? Looks freaking amazing!
Oh, Loralee, I am so stinkin’, freakin’, ridiculously excited for you! This job sounds just too perfect for you. Oh, and that office! EEK! To die for. I’m swooning a little here. I’m a total crafting nut, so I’m super jealous besides. Though this year is a little tough for me to attend the CC conference, I’m going to keep it on my radar for 2011. And I might even drag my mom and sisters (all crafting fiends like me) with me! That would be too much fun. Thanks for turning us onto this mag. Didn’t know it was out there, and so excited to hear about it via awesome you! Congrats, my friend. So proud and so excited for you.
wow! i am so excited for you. i mean i wish it was me, but since i don’t live there and the commute would be a booger i’m glad it’s you! and you will be perfect for this job!
i think one of my most favorite things about blogging and the internet is the fact that things are constantly refreshing themselves. i love that there are always new and exciting opportunities in this crazy world wide web. there really is something for everyone, and what a great company to be involved with! the marriage of creativity and social media is an amazing thing.
What a wonderful place to work. Dreamy. I love all the ribbon everywhere.
dude! I’ve known you for long ass time and I’ve never known you to have a job. congrats!!! i heard Jo on the radio this afternoon and I felt inspired… but I’m sooooo not crafty . I want to be, though.
Congratulations. What a wonderful job and such a fun work office. Best wishes on this new adventure for you. You will be amazing at it.
Wow – what a fantastic opportunity! Congratulations! I love the Where Women Create brand….am entering the contest to go to the CCE and look fwd to seeing your name pop up from time to time now that you are working there! And your description that the craft fairy came and barfed goodness all over that space was priceless! LOL Congratulations!
Your boss sounds great and that office is to die for. Does she know what a catch she got having you as an employee? You are a rock star and I hope she appreciates what good hands she is in with you guiding her through the blogging world. You are so loved people will love her just cause you do!
Awesome! Congrats on the new job!
I’m super late to this game, but… WOOT WOOT! So happy and excited for you! Couldn’t happen to a more deserving party. Best of luck to you in this new adventure — you’re going to shine! Lots of love.
CONGRATS BABE! :)
YAY Loralee!
Oh honey, I’m so excited for you! That’s absolutely amazing!!!
Congratulations honey, you truly deserve all the amazing things coming your way!
xxooxo
I’m laughing so hard I have tears…”I love to sin”…hahaha! That’s awesome! :) I need to write that one down for future reference!
That’s great news! Congrats on the new path :) I agree that it looks like Disneyland for crafters, I’m finding the sheer organization of so many things to be a little exciting myself.
So thrilled for you, Loralee! And Jo even looks like a fun and friendly woman in her photo. Yay! What a cool office, too. Wow. Yay, just YAY.
Wahoo! This is a fabulous opportunity and I’m so thrilled for you!
That “office” makes me all excited even though I wouldn’t have the first idea what to do with any of the things. Except maybe wrap lots of presents, using too much tape and getting paper cuts. But SO PRETTY!
You’ll be awesome at this and have all of us (and our networks) at your disposal. :)
How amazing! Congratulations!
First time commenter here! Your gingerbread bed of depression has me literally ROLLING around with laughter!! That is so hilarious…oh man. Wiping tears. Congrats on the new job!
It seems we’re living parallel lives. I just got my dream job at Canada’s best known parenting magazine. I LOVE the offices, my hours, the people. Insanity. Congratulations, my friend! See you at BlogHer! xoxo
I’m waiting for my dream job, but can REJOICE in yours! Wow, what a blessing Loralee! I will say a prayer for your success this very evening! Whooohooo!
Hellz to the YEAH!
Congrats sweetness, you will truly be an asset to their company.
Especially seeing you know such awesome people *cough* like me *cough*
MWAH!
drooling. at. your. workplace. oh. you. lucky. girl.
Loralee,
Congratulations.
As to your office. Drool heaven. Boxes and more boxes in pretty colors. So incredible.
Congratulations! I bet you’re going to be amazing at this!! I am also NOT crafty. I can’t even begin to tell you how awful I am at anything even remotely requiring originality and glue or thread. I loathe school projects that require me to make something for my kid to wear or show off because I know he’s the worst dressed Abraham Lincoln in the school!
Wow! Congratulations! You are an inspiration and I know that you will do really well. I am excited for this new phase in your life, and I wish you all the best! I love your workplace by the way. If I work there, I’d be crafting all day haha!
How exciting! I love Where Women Create, it’s a great publication. I’m jealous that you have such a great job! Hopefully someday something wonderful can happen to all of us. Good luck!