New Mexico :: Part 2 (Albuquerque)

About halfway through our trip to New Mexico, we headed over to Albuquerque to visit with an old friend.



He lives in an old school that has been converted into lofts. It is really a gorgeous complex.

One of sites he took us to was Sandia Mountain.




We took the cable car up to the top of the mountain. I wasn't sure what that experience would be like, but it was quite enjoyable. Lots of fun pictures and a gorgeous view to absorb.




The view from atop Sandia Mountain was breath-taking no matter where you were.




Of course, the view is best from the very top of the mountain. It's a great place to look off into the distance and think about very important things (like where the bar is and so on and so forth).




There were more people skiing than I had expected. I like to keep my bones unbroken, so I kept myself entertained by the scenery.







It was, of course quite cold. I was very happy that this was one of the few times that we found ourselves properly dressed for the weather.

Just like Santa Fe, we ate a lot of really amazing food here as well. If you're interested, you are welcome to check out my Yelp reviews (and filter by location) here.

Stay tuned for New Mexico :: Part 3 (To Dallas). Sounds like it should have been pretty boring, but it was actually a gorgeous drive and a stunning sunset.

New Mexico :: Part 1 (Santa Fe)

It will come as no surprise to you that I am behind on posting pictures again. Its so easy to take them, and so difficult to find time to get them out in the world sometimes. So, I'm going to take a break from my Multiple Series to re-visit our December/January trip to New Mexico.



This was the longest road-trip that we have taken since I was very young, so it was certainly a new experience for me! We did decide to take it easy and stop over in Amarillo though, so the drive was beautiful and very pleasant.




We stayed at The Old Santa Fe Inn which is right in downtown Santa Fe. The hotel was an older, recently-renovated building. I'm not sure how many rooms are there, but it felt like a very cozy, comfortable, mom & pop operation. There was a kiva fireplace in our room that I mainly thought was just, you know, cute. Cut to three days later when it's below zero and our heater can't keep up. Thank you, dear fireplace, for keeping me from freezing.




Despite the feet of snow and freezing weather, we walked pretty much everywhere. The snow was gorgeous, especially for a Texas girl. You can barely tell, but Richard is standing in front of that fountain. That's right, we weren't just walking from place to place... we were frolicking.




This snow was not lightly dusting the area. It was coming down in buckets. I'm not sure I've ever experienced snow like that in my life.




Apparently, neither had this guy!




I was happy to see people enjoying the snow as much as we were. I saw one 6 yr old that had built a snowman as big as her torso and was carrying it around the plaza. These girls cracked me up. Their snowman is not only prepared but chic.




I don't know what these are, but they looked amazing covered in all the bright white snow.

In between our snow adventures, we ate a lot of really amazing food. If you're interested, you are welcome to check out my Yelp reviews (and filter by location) here.


Time to hit the road again... stay tuned for New Mexico :: Part 2 (Albuquerque)!

Multiples Part I

I've always been a fan of close-ups, which you can probably tell by looking at my pictures. But, getting up close and personal with multiplies creates some of my favorite photos. Well that's my favorite type of shoot. There is something inherently beautiful about a million similar objects that come together as a group, but manage to keep an essence of individuality. Each piece catches the light in it's own special way, each piece has a personality as a piece, and as a whole collection.

So, I thought I might do a series of posts about multiples, and you are reading the first of many!



I am especially fond of this picture, as it captures the characters created for my small business: The Curious Cake Shoppe. I was so excited to see each and every one of the buttons when they arrived, but when they spilled out of the box--I fell in love with the whole mess. A great example of loving both the individuals and the entity they combine to reveal.

Doves

Do you ever stumble upon a picture and think: "Did I take that?" Since I have a fairly short term memory, this tends to happen a lot. This was one I ran into tonight.



I really love this picture. It was right before my husband and I closed on our first house. Two doves had built a nest on our apartment balcony and we had the pleasure of watching their two goofy kids grow up. This was their mom, who was rarely far from the balcony. I think her blue eye shadow is particularly gorgeous.

Bath Time!

I have been taking plenty of pictures lately, but they are mostly product related. I could post them here, but the products are still a secret! So, today during bath-time, I decided to grab the camera and take a couple of shots.





Jake was quite please to be featured in this blog post, as the fame and fortune from his debut in the Green Mountain Energy commercial has died down. He still thinks highly of himself and wanted to remind you all that you should too.

If you are interested in seeing Jake's cameo, I have posted it below.

Secrets Silversands Resort, Mexico

Usually, sorting through and posting pictures is the first thing I do when I return from a vacation. However, this time around life took over my schedule and I am just now getting around to it. It's kind of nice, saving this procedure for a couple of months after the vacation, because it really brought back a lot of memories. We had a wonderful time, and here are a few shots from around the resort.



The resort had several pools throughout the grounds, all sparkling and clean. There was always room for you somewhere, and the water was always cool and inviting.

One of the things I liked most about SSS, everything felt like luxury right down to the lighting. It was obvious they spent a lot of time and planning on the lights from the rooms to the restaurants and everywhere between.



See what I mean?

One of the lobbies at SSS, this area was huge with a variety of chairs and couches to lounge on. There is a bar right in the middle, where you were served at your seat any drink that you would like.

The beach was not huge, but perfect for strolling, sun bathing, or just relaxing. It was a beautiful view, and we could even see all this from our room.



This was the one of the most delicious appetizers I had during our stay.



Mmm, need I say more?

The resort sent up flowers for our anniversary. They lasted almost the entire 7 days!



The resort looked stunning at night. I never tired of the beautiful lighting and peaceful atmosphere all over the resort grounds in the evenings.

For more pictures, hit up the flickr album by clicking any of the images above.

Furniture Photoshoot

"Real Photography" or maybe just an excuse to post pictures from a furniture photo shoot this weekend, I'm not sure.

For one of our wedding gifts, my husband and I received a fabulous custom head/foot board from my Uncle. Flash forward over 5 years, we commissioned him to help us finish out the suite!

We received the furniture a week ago and it is perfect! He did a fantastic job of matching the new furniture to the head/foot board that we already had, which is no small task. We got everything moved in with the help of our dear friend, Greg, and finished arranging and hanging everything this weekend.



I feel like a serious adult now, having a complete bedroom suite and being able to store away all my clothes in drawers rather than assorted baskets all over the bedroom floor.



The handles were selected by Richard and I, based on our memory of the color of our headboard. I'm pretty please to see that it turned out well!



I may have furniture, but I am not ready to give up all my baskets just yet...



So there you have it, pictures of a staged bedroom! Yes, okay, I admit it. My bedroom is not nearly this clean and organized in real life.

A big thanks goes out to Allen's Sawmill in Mineral Wells, TX for the fabulous new furniture. This is the place to go for all your custom furniture and cabinetry needs!