Ghost Towns, Landscapes, and More Now Decorate the Walls

I told you I would tackle getting things up on my walls. Finally! I just took my time today getting this post up because it is my birthday and I didn't want to work too hard.

I still have to wait for my cupcake frames from American Frame, but I've got the entry, living room, kitchen, and dinning room done for now.

Do you like it?
First I have Goldfield Garage and Goldfield Night next to my dinning room hutch (which I just love). These two ghost town photos were taken on my honeymoon road trip. Goldfield is a mining town north of Las Vegas, NV that once posted the grandest hotel in the Southwest. Today that hotel is one of the southwest's most haunted hotels and the town is slowly disappearing around it. The garage I hear is no longer there, but it was on the main highway though town. The shacks in Goldfield Night are in the back of the Santa Fe Saloon, the oldest continuously operated saloon in Nevada.
On the opposite wall in the dinning room I hung my New Mexican Church, taken in Golden New Mexico, and a photo of the Upper Colorado River, taken on our way to Moab, Utah last summer. Both these photos are available for sale, just LJDesignphoto - Choice from Shop and let me know in the notes that is the photo you would like. I have them in my LJdeisgnphoto photostream on flickr, too.
I filled the niche, for now with a star, a vase, and a matted print of Route 66 that I found on the road.
The entrance has two black and whites on each side. This one is Twisted Tree. I love this photo. I go poked by cactus and had to stand on the edge of a cliff to get it but I like the way the tree leans and the contrast and twist in the trunk. Again available for sale, just go to my etsy shop and let me know which photo you want. On the opposite wall, not pictured, is Kilns and Snow, a limited edition photo taken in Death Valley National Park.
Now in the living room I hung Anthony Foronda's Painting just where I was, just on the wall now. I also put my little Mexican hearts in a vertical row between the heating stove and window. I think they are so cute.

When I get my cupcakes and sweet little girls from ElegantSnobbery aka Marisa Hopkins framed and up I will share. Hopefully they will be here soon.

Filling Blank Walls - Tackle It!

If you have been following my blog or life at all for the past few months you know in June my family moved from Kingman, AZ to Santa Fe, NM. This move was very sudden because, after looking for three years, we finally found a house we love.

So we moved in early June and had to get lots of things right way because we didn't bring a lot of furniture with us. This was actually fun and exhausting. We were able to get some great deals via consignment shops, but we still have some things to get, like something for the TV in the Family room.

Even though we have some things to still get, I'm finally feeling like I can hang some of the artwork I've collected . I was afraid before that the spot wouldn't work with the furniture we had yet to purchase and that I would end up moving it all and putting to many holes in the loved paint job that the previous owned did.

So today my goal is to hand what I have framed and plan the framing and spots for those items I do not have framed. By the end of the day I'm hoping to no longer have artwork just sitting on the floor in my hallway, dinning room, the living room and elsewhere.

Many of the pieces I'm planing on hanging are my own, including my Goldfield Garage Photograph, with the classic truck and blue sky, but I have some lovely things by other artist too.

Anthony Foronda, a super great illustrator and artist, was a friend and co worker back in my Dali Museum days. When I graduated from college my mother commissioned him to do painting just for me (he also, as a graduation present painted my cap and gown which someday I will figure out out to fame.) This painting will donate our living room and I'm so excited to have a wonderful place to display it.

The Family room will be dominated by Marisa Hopkins of Elegant Snobbery. I have a few of her cupcakes, one an original, and these two wonderful prints. In Our Hand, with the little girl hugging the animals, will look great with the custom illustration I ordered to go with it (will have to post it when she is done). The illustration of Jimmy in Flight, the sock monkey, will be going into DD room. I ordered it because she said she loved it.

As you can see, I have a lot to get done today. The prints that need frames won't get finished today, but just deciding on and ordering the right frames is an accomplishment.

For more inspiring Tackle It Tuesday post visit Five Minutes for Mom.

And if your interested on seeing how it turns out, I will post it tomorrow. Tonight I have a date with DH for my birthday.

UPDATE:
I'm done, see Ghost Towns, Landscapes, and More Now Decorate the Walls to see how it turned out.

New Route 66 Items and Getting Things Accomplished

It is so quiet my mind is wondering. I've been going and going for days, first traveling and now getting back into our routine. This minute my daughter is napping, something she doesn't do everyday anymore, and while I have lots to do I'm just glad to be sitting down in front of the computer without interruption. Feels so strange and my mind keeps wondering to things I would rather be doing then what I should be doing. A blog post is a good balance of that so here I am. I really need to get a new post up and enjoy writing.

So what was I so busy with this week? I know I missed a whole week of blogging. I went back to Kingman, AZ to visit my mom, my friends, and have a playdate with my daughters best friend. Oh, and to check on our house and get photos and video of our Kingman, AZ home for sale website to help advertise. Anyone want to move to Kingman?

I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to see, but I got most of what I wanted to get done accomplished and that was good. I also traveled I-40 back and was able to stop and get some new Route 66 photos along the way. I wish more of the road was left and trying to drive it didn't involve getting on and off the interstate so often.

Here is the one photo that I did finish so far, I even got it listed in my etsy shop.

It is taken in the back of the closed Ortega's Trading Post on Route 66 in Lupton, AZ. This town is on the Navajo Reservation and actually straddles the boarder of New Mexico and Arizona. It is one of my favorite places to drive though becasue the red rock is so beautiful. I often stop at the Arizona rest stop for a brake here just to soak it in.

Before I left for my trip I did list a new item in my shop. A Route 66 Mother Road clock with one of my most popular Route 66 images on it.

I thought it would make a great gift and I could put any of my images on it. I chose this one because I will be happy to have it if it doesn't sell. Just visit the Route 66 photography section of my etsy shop to see these new items.

Oh ,and something totally exciting happened while I was away. I made the Front Page of Etsy for the first time!!! and the featured item sold. Yea! Just click on the link if you'd like to see an image of it.

Red Sunflower Triptych Photo - Tackle It

I have been so behind in things this summer. I still feel like I just moved and not really settled. Artwork still needs to be hung on the walls, boxes are still packed, thank you letters from my daughter's third birthday are still not written, and that is just the beginning.

I'll admit I have put a priority on meeting new people, getting in shape, and adding things to my ljdesignphoto etsy shop. I figure I will have a little more time once my daughter starts preschool and with that right around the corner I'm just not going to worry too much about everything else. If your visiting my blog hoping to read more of my adventures on Route 66, please know that it will become more of a priority in fall when I have time to really sit at the computer and write.

One thing I did accomplish (or tackle) this summer was to grow a red sunflower. I had never seen or heard of a red sunflower and wanted to see one myself. Now it has finally bloomed and I think it is beautiful. Here is a triptych that I made of it yesterday. I'm going to put it above the bench in my entry way. If you like it you can have it to because I named it Red Suflower Triptych Photo and added it to my etsy shop yesterday.

I made this an edition of only 25, so that means only 24 are available after I get mine framed and hung.

You can find more inspirational people who have tackled something today here:

New Cards, ACEO, Holdiay, Friends, and more.

I've been trying to add some new items to my etsy store. Things for people that have no space left on their walls, or can't afford larger prints right now.

I started by adding some Route 66, the mother road, note cards and Christmas cards.

Then I was making a family member a card and decided that I should use the extra materials to make a card and bookmark to sell:

The card is a gift set that includes a bookmark. I've gotten a good reaction from my FAM friends on etsy, so I decided to make another card and bookmark gift set. I really enjoy this creative outlet and I'm thinking of opening a second etsy shop. But not sure yet.

I also listed my White ACEO,

And I will be listing this new route 66 Magnet later today.

I have lots of ideas, so keep and eye out for new items, both photography and paper. I'm planing on combining them too.
Oh, and here is a peek at my papercrafting work space:

I need to move it to a better space then the dinning room table soon.

And now to Announce a winner! And a Bonus!

This week has been a tough one, but has had some highlights like at the great entries to my giveaway. Why tough? Well, my daughter was sick a the start of the week and by Wednesday I was down and out myself. I'm so glad to have a small family so once we have all caught the cold or flu the sooner it is over.

But this isn't what you've come for, you're wonder, "Did I win? If not, who did?" You might even be wondering which print the winner choose. (And don't forget to check out the spectacular Bonus offer at the bottom of this post!!!!)

Let's start with getting ready to pick a winner. I spend part of my week cutting up small pieces of paper on my rotary cutter (this was paper with printer marks, or bends, that needed to be recycled in some way) and writing the names of each person who entered along with the number of the comment, just to be sure I had the correct name in case of repeats.
I put these into my favorite blue bowl, and thought, wow 113 doesn't look like a lot in this bowl. This AM, after the last entry was in I asked my DH (darling husband) to mix them up really good.
Then I asked my DD (darling daughter) to pick one out of the bowl and show me what it said. (Cute outfit isn't it? Traci of iSassy custom made it for her. She loves it.)
And the Winner is:
Misty!!!! Let me know your address via email so I can send you your prize.

And what did Misty choose? My Bleeding Hearts Limited Edition Print.Thank you to everyone who Participated!!! I have really enjoyed your wonderful comments.

AND NOW FOR THE BONUS!!!!

I would like to offer 20% off any purchase over $10 from my etsy store, including special orders, though the end of August. Just use the code "JulyGiveAway" in the notes to seller, and don't pay until I send you a revised invoice. Also, any purchase from now until Aug. 10th will give you an entry into the FAM B2S Treasury hunt where you could win $100 in FAM bucks to use in participating FAM stores, including mine. Visit the FAM Blog for more information.