i'm back!

Sorry for the delay in posts.  Its been a madhouse around here lately.  However, I'm looking forward to some time off from work this week/weekend and I'm all AMPed up about it!

To celebrate, I've posted a new picture that you can buy for the bargain price of $15!

I took Sunset Trees while in Nagoya.  My brother brought us to a park with a small shrine around dusk on New Year's Eve.  We hiked through the hills and took some pictures down by a river near the train station.  This park was nothing special - but at the same time it was beautiful!  I was wandering around on my own taking in the scenery when I looked up to find that the sun was setting and there were these three trees... all by themselves.  It was perfect!

results post

If you hadn't noticed, the results for the poll are conclusive...

COFFEE SHOP INFATUATION 

will be the next theme!  Thanks to those who voted!

A new poll will be up shortly and look for a chance at a free $5 Caribou Coffee gift card for those who vote!  You can't beat great coffee for free!!

Hopefully everyone is enjoying their Friday and aren't feeling too green from their Irish beer last night!

a shout out

Last weekend I went out to play paparazzo to the runners.  While out walking around the lake I took this picture and I must say that I am quite a fan of it!

That being said, I must give a shout out to lovingtherun.com for helping me to break into the world of Twitter and always being there for advice, feedback and suggestions.  Check 'em out!

So, here's to the upcoming running season!  I totally enjoyed stalking runners this last weekend and can't wait to join them on the running path... once it warms up since I'm a total wimp in the cold ;)

Oh - and Happy Beer Day!

hump day

What better way to celebrate Hump Day than by checking out my original greeting cards?  I have sweetened the deal even more from last week by giving you 10 cards and 10 envelopes for $10!!  It's the 10-10-10 deal!

10-10-10 DEAL

Don't see what you want in a greeting card?  I'm always open to suggestions and requests and I'd love to know what you want to buy!

Leave a comment with your ideas and if I pick your idea you'll get a free set of cards!!  Pretty great deal, huh?  Yeah, you betcha!

twitter tuesday

Twitter, Twitter everywhere.  What am I talking about?  I'm finally becoming fluent in Tweeting.  Yes, I'm slow to learn but I'll catch up.  I never felt a need to use Twitter until I realized that if you want your business out there you need to keep yourself in everyone's loop.  So, with the help of my good friend and cousin, I am learning the ropes.  Ah, it feels so good to Tweet.

So, if you want to follow me - and you should - find the Twitter badge located on the bottom of my blog or search for me by typing in abbymariephotog on Twitter!

bikes!

Lets start Monday off with a picture!

I took this picture in Japan - Nagoya to be specific - while I was visiting my brother.  In fact, his bike is somewhere in this picture!  More towards the back of this double decker bike rack and I love that they automatically have free bike parking next/connected to their train stations.
 
My brother was very proud to show us his bike because he bought it at a great deal and it was practically new (something you don't find too often in a country where bikes are a main means of transportation).

I was so excited to be able to take a series of pictures of bikes throughout our travels in Japan - mostly because I love bikes!

Check out this photos and other photos from Japan at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AbbyMarie09

sunday funday

Are we ready to start our week?  Yes, no, maybe so, all the way to... well, yeah, I wish I were going all the way to Mexico.  Aaah, warm sun and beaches and maybe an icy, cold margarita!!  Snap back to reality!

Anyway, to kick off the week I wanted to lower my pricing on gift cards!  Hooray!!!!!!!!  Now you can get yourself some fun, blank, totally rad greeting cards for $10 a pack!

Check them out on Etsy - http://www.etsy.com/shop/AbbyMarie09 

And remember that from now until March 20th 10% of each purchase goes to help Japan!  Its a feel good purchase!

another snowy saturday

Good morning AMP followers!

The temperatures may be warming up, but we're still getting snow!  I can't complain though.  The melt to accumulation ratio leans much heavier to the melt variable and I'm hoping to lace up those running shoes and hit the pavement sooner rather than later!  Oh yeah, I'm a runner... of some sort.

This is me running a half marathon last year.  This is my standard pose while running.

Little factoid about me, not only do I spend my time with camera in hand, I *like to run too!  Although, in the winter I am typically stuck on the treadmill or lifting weights instead because I am a wimp with a capital W when it comes to snow & cold.

Yeah, yeah.  I know where I live and I know that the warm months are very limited.  I'm an indoor girl for most of the year :( but I love Minnesota because it has so much to offer for someone like me - nature, low-key night life, great breweries, friends and family.  I've lived here pretty much my entire life except for my college years and a summer abroad.

But enough about my running/personal life.  What am I working on today, you may ask?  Well, I'm attempting to become a better blogger and tweeter.  I have enlisted the help of a great friend, who happens to also be a great cousin, to get my rear in gear so that all of you followers will not only be informed about all that AMP has to offer but you'll also be entertained in the process!  If I were you, I'd be much more excited about that!

I know my followers are few at this point and that is to be expected because I originally put ZERO effort into letting the Etsy buyers and sellers know that I'm here.  Selling on Etsy started as an experiment to see if I was any good or if anyone was even interested in what I had to offer.  There has been some interest, so now I'm curious to see how far I can take my hobby turned business venture.

My photo editing and furry little friend.  Eda - she's the best!

So, today I am going to work on Etsy, Twitter and the blog.  I'll also be working on more of my Japan pictures... all 2000 of them... literally.  Good thing its snowing and I have nowhere to go!

*I actually complain more about running than I gush about my love for it, yet I feel compelled to get out there and do it because I am lost without it.  Weird?  Yes.  I am.

help japan!

I've been thinking all day about how I wish I could help out Japan and all of those hit by the earthquake and tsunamis and then I thought, "Hey!  Why don't I put my Etsy sales to good use?"

From now until March 20th - I will donate 10% of every sale to the American Red Cross and their Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief!  Sound good to you?  Check out my items for sale on my Etsy site!

For now I will temporarily suspend my SpringSprung promo and give everyone the opportunity to put that 10% to good use!  If you want to help donate further you can visit the American Red Cross or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

You can make purchases on my Etsy site - http://www.etsy.com/shop/AbbyMarie09

a shaky friday

Shaky is a great way to sum up today.  Japan was hit by a massive earthquake followed by extreme tsunami action.  This would shake my core just to be a person who watched horrified on the news, but I felt like the earthquake shook my entire body with as much energy as it shook Japan and surrounding countries because I have someone near and dear living right in Nagoya, only 160 miles from Tokyo.

This morning was a hectic flurry of phone calls and emails all while keeping an eye on Skype and hoping that my brother was able to get cell or internet service.  Fortunately, he was rather unaffected by the earthquake, other than a fierce shaking of both the building he was working in and his mental state while contacting friends and coworkers nearby to make sure that everyone was okay.  He contacted my immediately following my email and we were assured that everything was fine and he had made it home from work unscathed.

I am grateful that were able to visit him earlier this year and see the sites before such tragic circumstances and I'm sending as much positive energy to all of those affected by all of the horrible events.

I would love to promote his Etsy site and show off his amazing paintings.  however, since moving to Japan, he has had little time to complete many paintings and is worried about the cost of shipping to his customers so he hasn't been posting any new work for sale.  Either way, you can look at his sold items and maybe contact him if you are interested in something.  Check him out here for he is much more talented than I!