Science & Art in Washington DC

I recently took a trip to Washington DC. The nation's capital definitely is beaming with art, from museums housing portraits and American history icons, to even the architecture of their monuments. However, I enjoyed finding artwork in unexpected locations...like the Air and Space Museum.

My favorite unexpected finding, was this stained glass piece that displays the electromagnetic spectrum in the earth's atmosphere


The different colors symbolize different light rays, as well as how deeply the rays from space penetrate the earth. Below is the placard that explains further about each of the different color.

Handmade Collective in Costa Rica

My husband and I just went to Costa Rica on an adventurous eco-tourism honeymoon! Inspired by City by the Sea Ceramics' blog entry about her and her husband's anniversary tradition , I was hoping to find something memorable during our honeymoon trip as well.

During our visit to Monteverde, an area known for its Cloud Forest Reserve, I read that a great place to pick up souvenirs was at CASEM which is filled with products all made by local artisans. CASEM stands for "Committee of Aristans of Santa Elena and Monteverde." It was started in 1982 by a group of 8 local women - and now it has grown to 94 artisans, 3 of which are men. The goal of CASEM is "to enhance the economic and social well-being of local women artists" and their community.


Monteverde & Santa Elena Reserves are famous as a wildlife reserve with 100s of species of mammals, 400 species of birds, 2,500 species of plants and tens of thousands of insect species! So you can imagine why so much of their artwork are of various flora and fauna of the region.



During our visit we were so lucky to catch a glimpse of the elusive Resplendent Quitzal! Unfortunately, my photo does not do this gorgeous bird justice!



But because of that rare sighting - we definitely wanted a fun memento of this bird in what we pick out for a souvenir as well!



These magnets are all made out of leather and hand-painted. Definitely was excited to get the Quetzal one to spice up our new bare refrigerator!



I also love to collect Christmas ornaments - ideally one a year symbolizing a special place or memory from that year. So you can imagine how excited I was to find this adorable felted Quetzal ornament! It will be sure to stand out in our tree this year!

Trickets of Martha's Vineyard

One weekend in July, I went with some of my friends on a daytrip to Martha's Vineyard. It was a fantastic day of sunshine, ocean breezes, sandy beaches, and visiting the familiar sites of Aquinnah lighthouse, the gingerbread cottages, etc. However, what really caught my eye this time around were all the funky art for sale in various boutiques around the island. I admired the nautical themed pieces, items that hinted at Boston/Massachusetts pride, the fanciful and inspirational handcrafted decor, to the outright funky and silly.

fun seashell mirror and decorations

Haha keeping the rivalry alive!

I just love the colors and design of this table and the little sayings!

Signs with sayings on them were sold in all shapes, sizes, and designs!

Wow, very unique trinket!

Portland's Saturday Market

I just recently returned from a short trip to Portland, Oregon. Nestled within a state known for its natural scenery, Portland is a funky city that has been ranked as one of the "greenest" cities in the USA. Not only does Portland seem to be environmentally conscious, but there seems to be very strong support for local businesses and an expanding and thriving handmade community!

During my visit, I had the opportunity to check out their famous Portland Saturday Market - and it was quite a site to behold! The sheer number of handmade artisans was already awe-inspiring and to see how well-attended it was, so very exciting to see!

It wouldnt be Portland without some tie-dye!

Some neat signs made out of saws

impressive ideas for lawn ornaments

You can even buy some gourmet catnip here!

I just love how colorful this booth was

very cool wooden sculptures

These were only a small sample of the 250+ vendors that were there! Definitely worth checking out!

Landing on Plymouth Rock

The other weekend I was in Plymouth, MA doing some errands, and just had to wander over to find the historic site of Plymouth rock! Although I didnt have anytime to experience Plimouth Plantation , I did take a stroll to find a replica of the Mayflower and some other statues and memorials for the Pilgrim settlers and Wampanoag Native Americans.

If you look carefully you can see 2 little bears on his pipe!

Of course it wouldnt be a trip to a coastal New England town without a visit to one of the ubiquitous antique shops!

Photo of Paradise - Featured!

My "Sail Off to Paradise" 8x10 photographic print has been featured in an Etsy treasury!

This photo was taken in Phuket, Thailand, one of the areas that got hit the hardest during the tragic Tsunami of 2004. This photo was taken in Phuket almost exactly a year later, with its resilient community still thriving. The beaches in Thailand are lined with soft white sand, warm ocean breezes, and crystal clear aqua tinted water - truly paradise!

This print can be purchased at my eboutique at www.majentadesigns.etsy.com. The photo is listed here http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7887703 but feel free to browse all my other items as I sell handmade jewelry and houseware as well!

Maya Angelou Quote on Travel and Understanding

"Human beings are more alike than unalike, and what is true anywhere is true everywhere, yet I encourage travel to as many destinations as possible...Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples laugh, cry, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try to understand each other, we may even become friends" - Maya Angelou

~~~~~

I read this quote in one of my textbooks but I thought it'd be great to share as I love inspiring quotes and I love travel! Its so true, the more you travel, the more you realize that we have alot more in common with each other than you originally thought, and have more understanding of each other too! I am getting antsy for my next travel fix, but no vaca time in the near future though!

FYI: The photo above was taken in Gwangju, South Korea, nearby their Democracy Memorial. I love finding these "May Peace Prevail" polls whereever I travel. You can see the collection I have in my Etsy Shop.

"Lovers' Embrace" Card

This Photo card was featured in the Etsygreetings Blog!

Location: This was taken inside the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. This is one of my favorite statues, its of “Psyche & Cupid”, the legendary tale of how Psyche’s beauty was drawing more attention than the Goddess Venus, so Venus sets out to punish Psyche. Venus orders her son, Cupid, to make Psyche fall in love with the ugliest man on earth. However, Cupid ends up falling in love with Psyche, which then causes lots of drama and almost losing each other…but in the end, they end up finding each other again, giving a message that love will always triumph in the end.

This photo has Sepia tones and a special soft glow effect so that the focus is just on the two lover’s embrace. This card is great for Valentines Day for anybody who loves fine art, photography, travel, or a great love story (or anybody looking for a card that isnt pink, red, or with hearts).

FOR SALE: This card can be purchased in my Etsy shop here http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9116842

But be sure to peruse the rest of my shop, as I sell jewelry, accessories, as well as other photographic prints. http://www.majentadesigns.etsy.com

My First Notecards Sale!

My Etsy shop is quite the eclectic mix of things for sale, from jewelry to household items to photographic prints to notecards. I havent had any success in selling my photo notecards, that is until yesterday! One lucky buyer swooped up 3 of my notecards yesterday! I was so happy!

These all have some great stories behind them. The first one is a Buddhist temple in Gwangju, South Korea during autumn. I just love the vibrant colors of the building against the brightly colored leaves too. The second is of Naijangsan in South Korea, an area famous for people to flock to during Autumn to check out the Japanese maples. And finally, the last one is Springtime at my Alma Mater, Mount Holyoke College. A restful spot for someone to recline and nap out on the green or bring their books out to study.

I wonder if its worth it to try to relist these items or not, if you're reading this, please let me know!

Also, today is the LAST DAY of my 20% off sale! so please check out the rest of my Etsy for more items! http://majentadesigns.etsy.com

Summer's Sunset Over Martha's Vineyard

STORY: This photo was taking on a beach in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. A group of close friends all went out there during the summer after we graduated from high school and before going off to college. Its quite nostalgic thinking back to that trip, as we all watched the sunset and reminiscing over high school memories, wondering what college will be like, etc.

FEATURED: this photograph was featured in an Etsy Treasury, check it out along with some other New England sellers’ top items!

FOR SALE: This 8×10 photographic print is for sale in my Etsy Shop. Dont forget that I am having a 20% off sale for ALL items in my shop until Jan 15th, so check out the rest of the shop for some great deals, as if you spend over $50, you get FREE SHIPPING too! I sell other photographic prints, as well as jewelry too! http://www.majentadesigns.etsy.com

May Peace Prevail on Earth

FEATURED!: My "May Peace Prevail on Earth Greeting Card in Korean" has recently been featured in an Etsy treasury as well as the Greeting Card Set is also featured in the Etsygreetings blog!

PHOTO’s STORY: This photograph was taken in Gwangju, South Korea, where it says “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in many languages, including English and Korean. This sign was posted near their “Democracy Memorial” where it recognizes the tragedy that happened on 5.18 known as the Gwangju Uprising, which is similar to the Tienanmen Square Massacre in China, where people protested what was going on the government, and here they rallied for democracy.

For the greeting card set that was featured in the etsygreeting has other pictures of the sign post I found around the world!:

1. KOREAN: Gwangju, South Korea - near their 5.18 Democracy Memorial, in honor of the uprising to restore democracy from military rule(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Massacre)
2. KHMER: Siem reap, Cambodia - within Ankor Wat - the world’s largest single religious monument. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankor_Wat)
3. JAPANESE: Kyoto, Japan
4. RUSSIAN: Connecticut, USA - on “chapel island” at a YMCA camp - a location where morning devotions are held
5. HEBREW: Connecticut, USA - the bridge leading towards the “chapel island”

SALE: I am having a storewide 20% off sale, plus if you spend over $50 (after sale price adjustment), there is FREE SHIPPING as well! Please browse my site for other items as well, as I have a wide selection of jewelry and accessories and other photographic prints too! Click the links here, or check me out at http://www.majentadesigns.etsy.com

Bamboo Rainbow in a Treasury!

My Bamboo Rainbow photographic print notecard was listed in another Etsy Treasury! This 4x6 photographic print greeting card is of Damyang, the famous bamboo forest in South Korea.

This is again part of the New England Street Team (NEST) Post Holiday Sales Promotion! Check out everybody's sales!

Dont forget my shop is offering 20% off EVERYTHING, plus if you spend over $50 (after sale price adjustment), you get FREE SHIPPING as well! Come Check out my Etsy Shop!