Albuquerque, Santa Fe & a bit of Hollywood! Part One

Hello friends! I hope you are all finding time for creativity these days. Lots going on for me the past month and just recently a special trip was my escape from the heat here in Texas, so thought I'd share it with y'all. New Mexico was the destination, specifically the ABQ /Sante Fe area. Lots of shopping to be had in ABQ - one stop being the new ABQ Uptown Mall with upscale open-air shopping.

First stop: Anthropologie! Check out the cool display they set up in the bedding section .....don't think I'd get a good night sleep in that bed but I love the concept :>



And although I mostly window shopped, I did pick up a few special items: a beautiful, big mug to sip my herbal teas from, an illustrated calendar / dayplanner by the talented Geninne, and a fun bundle of twig-wrapped colored pencils.....



More shopping was followed by a quick trip into Trader Joe's (their carrot cake is simply AMAZING) and Starbucks, then we were on the road to Santa Fe - only a short 40 min. drive away.......plenty of time to finish coffee and cake :>

Since we got there late afternoon [and did I mention it was only 59 degrees, that's cold to south Texas folks this time of year!] we decided to head down to Canyon Road and check things out for the next day. Canyon Road is a gallery & studio lined street near the historic downtown area in Santa Fe. As I travelled on foot up & down the narrow street with camera in hand, I marvelled at the rich colors, ornate doors and style of the adobe buildings, as well as the fabulous outside metal & hand-carved wood displays. It truly is an art mecca - and the second largest art market here in the US. I wish every artist could experience the amazing atmosphere & vibe of Canyon Road at least once - it gave me lofty aspirations to say the least.



I loved the color of this little chair paired with the clay pots.....



And I adored these painted metal birds....



Well that's it for now! Stay tuned for Part Two - Canyon Road cont'd, downtown Santa Fe and a walk on the Hollywood side......

IMT - 'Find the Art in the Everyday'

"Let’s revisit a favorite theme of mine: Find the Art in the Everyday. As you go through your day, look for the beauty. Find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Take a photo, draw a sketch, journal about it, then share with all of us here."

We've only been here at our new home in south Texas less than a month but I've been exploring our town and local communities with day trips. San Antonio is on my list to visit very soon, however I know I'll need a weekend (minimum for starters!) for that. I do believe that art is everywhere and that window-shopping, store displays and out of the way places yield some of the most amazing pieces of 'everyday art'!

Walking throught the doors of this building was a breath of fresh air and a bit like stepping back in time.....

The Emporium - Del Rio, TX One of the town's most historic buildings - you can feel the history & charm of this amazing shoppe the minute you walk through the doors! Old fashioned ice cream sodas, coke floats, or a real fountain drink can be found and all of the ice cream treats are made with Texas Blue Bell Ice Cream. They also serve specialty coffee drinks and Italian sodas, such as frozen cappuccino or frozen lemonade.

Other items available include antiques, Texas jams & jellies, gifts, children's games, stationery and scrapbooking supplies.

Betty and Jim Sanders are the owners of this delightful place! Jim's grandfather originally purchased the building back in the late 19th century. I introduced myself to Betty, told her a little bit about my art/creative background - we had a great time chatting and I promised I'd be back for a treat real soon!

What flavor are you? I'm 'Butterscotch' :)