Cyber Monday Sale - Two Days! Get Great Gifts Now!

Get 25% off photos now though the end of Cyber Monday!  I've got great prices and quality.  Right now there are many listing that are Ready to Ship!

The Route 66 and Ghost town images make great holiday gifts for him.

Which Way Today 11x14 - 25% off

For her, maybe some flowers:

Bleeding Hearts 8x10 - 25% off

Check out LJLonfellow Photography for more and remember everything is 25% off for a limited time.

For more great sales on Photography, check out fPOE's blog.

And there are lots of great handmade and vintage gifts on Etsy:

It's a Route 66 Holiday with these Fab Cards

I've been asked many times over the years if I would make some Route 66 Christmas cards from my photos.  Honestly, I wasn't sure they would sell, but this year I decided to take the plunge.  I have two cards sets I am offering in limited quantity.  

 Each card is 5x7 folded and comes in a set with envelopes.  

These are offered in LJLonfellow Photography.  Just click to see more or purchase.

Route 66 - Blue Ford in Holbrook

I love to just drive and see what is out there. On a road trip it takes me forever to get anywhere because I keep stopping and exploring little ruins and other sites along the way. I love to take the back roads and stay off the highway. This spring break a friend and I ventured to Vegas and on the way home we stopped for the night to stay at the wigwam motel. This is the second time I've stayed at this Route 66 classic and it is always so much fun for the kids. The family has classic cars sitting around the parking lot and it is just such a great place to get some pictures. This is done with two exposures merged using HDR. I saturated the blue paint and the red rust for fun.

I have so many photos taken and just archived that I really need to get to work on them. I hope your like this new addition to my collection.

For more Route 66 photos visit my etsy shop.

New ACEO's inspired

For some reason when it comes to my Artist Cards I feel the need to do something more then to add to the edition of a popular print. I feel they should take on a life of there own and often are a result of inspiration from others or just experimentation. This time it was a bit of both.
I recently joined ILP (I love Photography dot com), a website primarily for Child Portrait Photographers. It is a group of photographers that talk about and share their craft. One of the post, a tutorial about how to get an Ice Grunge look by photographer Andrea Joki, inspired me to play with layers more.
The results are four new limited Edition ACEOs. Each one as a different reason. The first was inspired by Valentines day and my love of bleeding heart flowers.
This card is limited to an edition of 14. The next image, Desert Dancer, was inspired by the many beautiful photos from this shoot that I have yet to process and list. It is a personal favorite because of my love of dance and the desert.

This card is also available in a limited edition of 14. and the image will not be offered in any other size.
I was also inspired by Mothers day and did a small edition of 6 of a beautiful ACEO titled "Love & Joy: Motherhood".

And last but not least, (Actually, this is my personal favorite,) is "Lost in Enchantment: Dreaming" Inspired by Route 66 and New Mexico's beautiful night sky. The original image was actually taken during the day, but the sky came out so dark in the original photo that it lent itself to becoming an evening sky. For those that don't know too much about New Mexico, it is the Land of Enchantment. The Whiting Brothers sign is just off of I-40, and on an old stretch of Route 66. Not much left but the sign these days.


All of these ACEO are or will be available for sale starting this week in both my LJDesignphoto etsy shop and my fine art photography 1000 Markets shop. Each is printed on archive Endora Professional paper and then backed with acid free watercolor paper. They are signed, titled, and numbered.

Last Minute Handmade Gifts for Him

Each Christmas I find it difficlut to go gift shopping for my husband. If he wants it and we can really afford it. He is not into nick-nacks or buying things just to give as a gift. He doen't play video games, so new games are out, and just how many pairs of underwear can you give as a gift? Really?

So I thought as I searched I would share a few ideas for all you out there still searching:

Instead of one more necktie, check out this great wallet made from a recycled necktie, by Prix-Prix. This Bi fold is made from recycling a vintage necktie and a wool suit. Extremely functional it features pockets for cash and cards.
Also great for almost any guy is soap from the Beer Soap Company. They have all kinds of "scents" including this Outback Lager soap which is made with Foster's Lager. This would be a great stocking stuffer for any guy.


Is your man a traveler? Does he like little gadgets? Then these Working Celsius Thermometer & Compass Cuff links might be great for him. These handmade cuff links by luv4sams of the Empty Nest are so much fun, he will want to wear a dress shirt again.


If your looking for a gift that says a bit more, how about this beautiful tuxedo ring by Blazer Arts. This ring is made of oxidized sterling sliver and 14K white gold. This is a ring that would look great on any guy. You can find more by this jeweler at www.blazerarts.com.

Photography by Ryder Gledhill and property of Blazer Arts

Keep him warm this winter with this fab Hazelnut latte - Hand Knit Scarf by GreenCouch. This classic scarf in a wonderful natural color will go with every thing he owns. It is a made with a blend of wool and acrylic, so it is both soft and warm.

And if you man loves the open road or the nostalgic Route 66 check out my Route 66 Clocks. One features a beautiful Red Corvette and the other has signs pointing to the best known towns on the road. Both would make a great gift and look great in a family room, man's den, or office.



Good luck in your last minute shopping and have a wonderful holiday.

Interview with Photographer LJDesignphoto: now on 1000 Markets

I've started listing work for sale on 1000Markets, this great new marketplace. I'm only a member of three markets so far, but Camera Angles, a group of all photographers, is one of my favorites. Recently BriefMoments, who help write the market's blog, asked me to do an interview and she just posted it. She asked me some questions that no one has before, so I thought it would be go to share it with the readers of my blog. To find the interview click here, Photographic Reflections: LJ Design & Photo.
To find my 1000Markets shop use this link: LJDesignphoto Americana and Route 66 Fine Art Photography. I've been trying to add new images every week and it where you will find my newest work.

Wordless Wedensday - Route 66 in the Mojave

Wordless Wednesday - New Route 66 Photos

New Route 66 Photos for Sale

I finally got some new Route 66 photos listed in my etsy shop and I thought I would share them with you.


This Motel Sign still stands in Kingman, AZ, but the motel is long gone.

Sleeping in a wigwam is lots of fun in Route 66 in Holbrook, AZ. The motel is still owned and run by the original family.

Laguna Pueblo is in New Mexico on what was Route 66, but is now covered by I-40. The view from the tiny rest stop is beautiful.

The Frontier Motel and restaurant still serves up greasy road food in Truxton, AZ, on the longest strip of Route 66 left.

Route 66 Calendars and Shirts - Free shipping Monday only!!!!!

CafePress is offering Free shipping on orders of $75 or more this Monday, Dec. 1st only. This is a great time to stock up on gift for the Route 66 lover in your home from my Route 66 tee-shirt and more shop.

You can get tee-shirt and sweat shirts for both men and women with some of my classic route 66 images on them. There is also a calendar featuring 12 classic route 66 stops and more! This offer can be combined with any items on cafepress. So come and find that perfect gift for the holidays or just for yourself.

Black Friday to Cyber Monday Free Shipping and More Sale

Fine Art Prints for the whole family are on sale at my Fine art Photography shop on etsy. Route 66, Southwestern Landscapes, Motherhood, Flowers, and more.


Free shipping offer is already in each listing, but if you spend $50 or more you will also receive 10% off your purchase. Just wait for me to send you a revised invoice to pay. Offer good though Midnight PST, Monday, December 1st.

And look for more deals during the first 12 Days of December, a different offer almost everyday with my Fabulous Artistic Moms Group!!

Twin Arrow, AZ on Route 66 - Losing an Icon

When I travel Route 66 I'm always wondering what it was really like to travel it during it's heyday, the 1950's and 60's. In my head I can see travelers stopping for the night at the local motor courts or, their precursors, motor camps and fill up on some local food and coffee at the local diner or 5 and 10. Their eyes widen as the see new wonders traveling west across the Missouri river into wide open country filled with Cowboys and Indians, across the red rocks of New Mexico that blend into the vastness of the Great Basin High Desert of Arizona and finally into the beautiful and unforgiving beauty of Mojave Desert. I can imagine family's heading towards Disneyland packed into their Station wagons, stopping for gas and ice cream at the road side stops that doted the route. For those that drove the whole way, the coastal mountains of California must have seemed amazing after the desert, then only to be farther amazed at the dropped down into the boom town of Los Angles and views of the Pacific Ocean.

Okay, maybe I've gone a bit to far in my description, but these thoughts really tear at my heart when I see an icon of the route torn down to the foundation with maybe, if we are lucky, only it's rotting sign left or a place like Twin Arrows, that should have survived because when the Mother Road was paved over it received its own exit.

Twin Arrows, located about 23 miles east of Flagstaff, AZ, was a classic road stop with a cafe, filling station and a curio shop. It is estimated to have opened sometime in the early 1950's. In 1955 it was purchased by the Troxell Family who, with Mrs. Troxell's parents, ran it until the 1980. In an article for the AZDailySun.com, Jean Troxell, 88, was quoted saying, "...it was one of the biggest in its time. It was very busy. We had signs on Route 66 across Arizona. A lot of good things went on there" After that it was bought and sold numerous times and was finally closed in the late 1990's.

Today the buildings and land are in the care of the State Trust. The state has put of barricades to keep people from stopping there, but had done little to not thing to protect the historic stop. The buildings are boarded up, windows are broken, the gas pumps torn apart, trash litters the area and the arrows that gave the spot its name are falling apart. It didn't looks so bad during my first visit years ago, but after six years it has suffered so badly that now only the feathers are left on one of the arrows, so to be just two polls sticking out of the soil.

Often I think to myself, why did this happen. I remember hearing that the Twin Arrows was loved by truckers. They were known for their classic American road food and a joke menu that included fried pack-rat tail, meteor crater stew, and buzzard eggs to name a few of the dishes.
They even, as I mentioned earlier, had their own exit on the new I-40 Interstate.

My perception is that as gas tanks got larger and cars able to travel farther and faster on the new Interstate and the need for smaller stops was gone. People became in a hurry to get where they were going and wanted something familiar when it came to food and a place to rest. Chain restaurants, gas stations, and motels started dominating the new road, the interstate. It became easy to bypass small town America. Enjoying the trip and stopping to enjoy the local fare and attractions was no longer part of the trip. American's lost the joy of the road and apart of it's history as a result.

There is some hope for this site. The Diner on the site is a Historical Valentine Diner. There has been some effort to restore those diners left around the country. Also, in January 2008 the Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley announced that a site near Twin Arrows "as the most profitable in Arizona." according to a press release from his office. "This site provides the best chance throughout the Navajo Nation for the development of a destination resort,” Shirley said. “In addition to the casino, which will have about 800 slot machines, plans include a hotel, RV Park and conference center, as well as other amenities."

Of course when I heard this news I wondered is this good or bad for Twin Arrows. The site and land are not for sale, but as a whole 872.5 acre site could be acquired for a price from the state. Will someone who believes in the dream that history can be saved and has the funds to purchase it come along in time, or ...? What will happen to this icon of the road?

You can enter to win a free 11x14 in my giveaway post if you enter before the deadline on August 1st.

To purchase the photo above visit my web site:
ljdesignphoto.com
or
my etsy shop.

For more information on Twin Arrows visit:
AroundAZ - Twin Arrows page
Fallen Feather

Cool Springs Camp - Route 66 in Arizona

One of the earliest alignments of Route 66 cut right over the Black Mountains of Western Arizona and headed towards the Colorado River and California. This was rough terrain, including some serious mountain grades and a narrow road with hairpin turns. Many cars of the time couldn’t make it up the hill and cars were driven by locals or towed over the Pass. On the eastern side of the mountains that rises up from the Mojave Desert is Cool Springs Camp.

This route existed as the Old Trails Highway and officially became Route 66 in 1926. The increase of traffic created a need for services to assist travelers including water, gas, oil and a bite to eat. Eventually, the Walker family built cabins so weary travelers could get rest along with their chicken dinners.

Thanks to America’s love affair with the car and Nat King Cole’s hit song “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” (written by Bobby Troop), traffic on the road increased to the point where the road through the Black mountains be came extremely dangerous. The heyday of Cool Springs and all the small towns along this alignment was short lived. In the early 1950’s a new and less dangerous alignment of the road was created and Cool Springs was by passed. This new stretch eventually became interstate 40. By 1957 the traffic though the old route had decreased so much that it became increasingly difficult to maintain.

The death of Cool springs came when in the mid 1960’s the buildings caught fire and left nothing but the foundation and the stone pillars. The frame of the station was rebuilt in 1991 for the movie “Universal Soldier”, only to be blow up and ruins once more.

The true rebirth of this historic landmark was in 2001 when Ned Leuchtner was able to purchase the property and follow his dream of rebuilding it. You should visit the Cools Springs website for a more in depth history and/or to learn more about the rebuilding of this landmark.

This photo was taken right after the first phase of rebuilding. Since they have added on, based on the original foundation and photos provided by the original owner’s family. You can stop by and get a drink or some road memorabilia and support the history of the road.

Don't for get to visit my website and/or etsy shop for this and more Route 66 photographs. In my etsy shop I also offer magnets of some route 66 landmarks.

The Whale of Route 66

When I think of Route 66, I think of a route though small town America born to take travelers and adventures westward. I think of the great dust bowl of the 1930 and 1940's that helped to create the California Dream. I think of curio shops, gas stations, motels, and dinners serving pie. I also think of tacky tourist traps and attractions.
In the late 1950's and 1960's it was popular for families to take a trip along Route 66 to visit the Grand Canyon or to Anaheim, CA to visit Disneyland. And at a time when interstates and speed limits over 55 didn't exist, it took much longer to get anywhere. Families and other travelers could make their whole trip a vacation, thanks to the roadside attractions, small but fun stops along the way.
Catoosa, Oklahoma's now famous blue whale was actually one of the later arrivals, being built in 1970, but is still one of the most recognizable attractions of Route 66 to fans today. For one of the most complete stories on the whale and its original owner, Hugh S. Davis, you should visit the Oklahoma Route 66 Association's website. The story of the whale has romance, local flair, and a great love of animals. Who could ask for more?
The waterpark closed only ten years later, but this beloved whale has had fans over the year raising money to refurbish and paint it's 2,520 square foot surface. The latest being Hampton Hotels' “Explore the Highway with Hampton, Save A Landmark” Program.

Tuesday - Starting a new theme - Route 66

I've been thinking about doing a photo of the week or a photo a day for the blog, but I wasn't sure if I should do a theme or a just whatever comes to mind. Once a week doesn't seem like a lot, but then once a day just sounds to overwhelming with everything else I do, unless I just posted a photo and that doesn't seem right. But I think I've finally decided on something.
Today I'm going to start a Tuesday theme photo, I can handle that. It will be Mother Road Tuesday. Each Tuesday I will post a photo from my adventures on Route 66 and try to give you information on where it was taken. Of course all of these photos are available for sale.
Route 66 has a large following, and there are many photographers and writers who use it as a base for there work, there are websites dedicated to it's history, and a great magazine that covers both historical and present happening on the road. Hopefully I can give another interesting perspective on the road and in the future I many cover other of America's back roads that are worth the time to just drive and enjoy.
This photo is titled, "Which Way Today." It was taken in Truxon, Az on the longest stretch of original road left. Cowgill’s, mini-mart with a drive-up window, has a sign out front that list all the towns in the classic, "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" song. The place has recently been sold, the cars have been moved, but the sign still remains today. This photo was taken during a winter storm with Black and White film.

This is also the print that Marisa won in the Earth Day giveaway. Congratulations again Marisa.

Looking for something fun for Father's Day?

I know, we haven't even gotten past Mother's day yet. And if you haven't gotten you mother a gift yet you could consider one of my flower photos, or a great magnet. Just check out my etsy shop. There is still plenty of time to ship.

But now I've gone off in the wrong direction. This post is about Father's Day. And what father isn't a classic car lover. Check out this tee-shirt with one of my best selling Route 66 Red Corvette prints on it. I offer the tee -shirt in my Cafepress shop in many styles. There are also a few other images to choose from.The image is also available in a limited edition fine art photograph. You can order this from my etsy shop or my website at www.ljdesignphoto.com .