New Year's Resolutions

So I've had a few people call me out on my complete failure to keep up with this blog the last few months. For those of you who actually check in, thanks for being patient with me... it's been a crazy few months, between my many careers I feel like I've been going non-stop!

My New Year's Resolution is to do MUCH better at keeping up with this blog so you can enjoy my work and hopefully spread it around! This year is a big year for me, as many of you know I am getting married in September, so I've been working extra hard to bring in the business to help grow the "keep the newlyweds out of their parents' basement" fund :o) That in mind, please remember that all of my work is available in just about any size print or canvas if you're interested in purchasing one for your home, for a gift, or whatever! You can also purchase note cards featuring any of the photos featured here. All you have to do is send me a note at ShutterbugRvR@gmail.com and I will send you a quote. I ship anywhere, so don't let geography hinder you!

I'd like to also remind you that I am on Facebook, so you can become a fan (see link on sidebar) and keep in touch with me that way as well!

So for now, dear readers, I leave you with the first Photo of the Day of 2010. Wishing you all much Happiness & Harmony, let's rock this year!I took this photo in our backyard. This stone marks the grave of our cat, Domino, who spent his entire life trekking around the globe with us (he was born under my dad's desk and lived in 3 countries with us) I bought the stone several years after he died at a craft show. I often go out and sit near it when I need to think or am feeling lonely, and this particular day the snow was just so beautiful I wanted to capture it as another memory.

New Shutterbug Storefront!!

Well I finally figured out how to add a storefront to my website that is WAY more user friendly than my old storefront, so now you can order my products directly from www.ShutterbugDesign.com!! The products currently available include several stationary sets featuring my photography, and hand-painted onesies (all designed and painted by me!)

Please check it out, and pass it along to anyone you know of who may be interested! I will be expanding my products quite a bit over the next 6 months to include more stationary, calendars, mouse pads, reusable shopping bags, and some cool coasters I've started making from recycled magazines...

Hope you enjoy, I welcome any suggestions y'all may have. Also remember that I am currently saving up for a place to live and a wedding... so happy shopping!! :o)

Notecard Sales

So my notecard sales have been going pretty well, and I'm really pleased with the response I've been getting to them... I currently have 3 sets available: Doors & Windows, Bridges, and Flowers. It's great to see I've finally found a product that works for people, showcases my photos, and doesn't cost me too terribly much in time or financial investment! If you haven't checked them out yet, you can order through my website www.ShutterbugDesign.com
The photos included in this entry are one from each series (each set contains 10 different photos on the front of blank notecards). Enjoy!

New Merchandise!

Yay!! My new note cards came in! I now have 2 lines of note cards for sale online featuring my photography. They come in packs of 10 with a unique photo on each card and are blank on the inside. There are two different series of note cards: Doors & Windows and Bridges. I have Flowers on the way but haven't gotten all of the merchandise in yet. If you want to order them, just add any photo in the album to your cart, then in the shopping cart page select "note cards (10 assorted)" in the product listing. They are $12 per pack (incl. s&h) and make great gifts ;o)

10% of all profits go to feed Detroit's Homeless, and the rest goes into my house fund so I can finally get my own place... so please buy lots and spread the link around so other people buy too! :o) I'm also willing to create customized series for you, so if you see other photos of mine you'd like to have made into note cards just let me know!

And now for today's Photo of the Day...

I took this photo in Gatlinburg, TN on my first trip there with Austin a few years ago. He was so excited to take me because his family had gone there on vacation every year for a week when he was growing up. His grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brother and parents would all trek down there and have a blast. We had an incredible weekend hiking, camping, hanging out in the arcades, and walking all over the town so Austin could show me all of the places he used to go and hang out and eat and play etc. etc. It was really cool to see him in an environment that held so many great memories for him! This heron was hanging out in the river that runs through the town and I just had to take a photo of him to share with my mum... as I was shooting him, he decided to fly away, and I managed to get some great action shots!

Photo of the day

This photo will be featured in my soon-to-be-released bridges notecard series. (I'm just waiting for the product to come in in order to launch it...)

I took this photo on a walk to the metro with Xander and Austin when Austin and I went to the Netherlands last fall. We had a fantastic trip, and it was amazing to be able to share that part of my life with him. (more trip photos here) Xander, Patricia and Tim live in a great house on the very outskirts of town, with lots of room for development, which right now means lots of nice green empty space and canals.

Photo of the day

Well I ordered another series of notecards to start selling on my storefront... the first series is a 10 pack with various photos from my "Doors & Windows" collection. The new series features various flower shots I've taken (including this one). I'm excited to get the stock in so I can launch the line (accepting pre-orders... $12.- for a 10 pack of notecards, incl. s&h!!)

I took this photo in Scottsdale, AZ at Jack Canfield's Breakthrough to Success seminar back in 2007. I was invited to attend the seminar because my boss couldn't go at the last minute, so he offered me his registration. I went in with pretty much no expectations, and ended up really having an incredible experience, and meeting some fantastic people...! The resort the seminar was held at was phenomenal, and it was pretty cool because one of my best friends from my high school years lives there now, so I got to see him a couple of times and catch up on life. I'm not normally taken by Arizona scenery (deserts only offer my eyes so much... at least the deserts I've seen thus far...!) but this place did a good job of bringing in the desert feel, and still maintaining the pretty (like these awesome orange flowers!) :oD