Night time is the right time...

...to get some pretty shots of The Container Park down on Fremont St. in the Fremont Street East Entertainment District. 

Jessica Galindo Leather Couture @DTContainerPark

This just in from DTnews...

http://dtnews.org/jessica-galindo/

A little peek at Jessica Galindo's sweet new space at The Container Park in Downtown Las Vegas. It's such a lovely space that I'm giving you guys first peek at this insipring face. You must go visit as she is far more beautiful in person and the store is seriously off-the-hook. There is tons to see, many new stores and eateries, a barber shop, and an amazing play space for the kids (and me) *giggle*. If you haven't been already, make your way down there, trust me when I say, you'll be very glad you did. xo

The Container Park

The highly anticipated Container Park down on Fremont St. is finally open! It's on the 700 block of Fremont St. in what is now known as the Fremont East Entertainment District and it's an urban outdoor shopping and entertainment center, as you may have already guessed, that is built from shipping containers. 

I am so proud that this has become a reality here, as it means so many things, on so many levels. Since the onset of "the recession" here we have seen little growth or movement on the building front of any kind. Huge projects were stalled all over town, and sat forlornly for the past several years, and although economists talked of the "the upswing" the average person here would have had a hard time discerning it. Until now. Many projects have picked up again and we have seen a few through to completion. I am hopeful for several more by the end of 2014. There are cranes in the sky again. The downtown is hustling and bustling with new ideas and many many projects, one of which was the Container Park. For me it marks more than just the beginning of the revitalization of the downtown. I see it as part of a bigger and brighter picture for Las Vegas and a brilliant ray of hope for what is yet to come. I'm feeling really great about this town right town, this little town that could, and did. 

It's an amazing place, full of familiar downtown faces. And just look at how GREEN it is! They had me at that sign...LoL. Don't just take my word for it though, come see for yourself what these amazing people have done, and fall in love with downtown Las Vegas all over again!! 

The Hustle...

...and bustle has begun. Of course, it's nothing like years past where by now you could really tell people were gearing up for The Holidays and some Xmas shopping here in Las Vegas, but it is none-the-less in the air. After all the horror stories of Black Friday shopping across the nation gone terrible awry, I am somewhat disheartened about how and why we celebrate Christmas today. We have really forgotten what the reason for the season is. 

On the up side, I see more of a trend towards shopping small and being more conscientious than ever before as well. I believe it's a pretty delicate balance these days with the ability to shop for almost anything online, but it's good to see those truly committed to their own communities, doing a lot of local shopping from the smaller retailers, and supporting area artists and hand crafters. 

I have also seen the tree lots cropping up, and my first tree shoppers with the big green bundles strapped to the tops of their cars. I personally use a faux tree and greenery because I'm pretty green in my home, but that's not to say I don't love to see the real trees some too. Sadly, I think that's one of those things we will see less and less of as time goes by as well. 

I think it's time now to look at the way we are doing our celebrating and shopping and decide if it's the right way for you. I've never worried about going against the status quo, and have always done things just how they fit me, in spite of popular opinion. I think everyone should do the holidays the way that best fit them. I try to reach out a little more, think of things that I think will be appreciated beyond the trappings of the season, and do things I think will support my community and my peers more than simply buying gifts for my immediate family and friends. 

And that of course means finding some good to do. Random acts of kindness are wonderful all year but now I start thinking about those far less fortunate than I am, who are cold, troubled, and yes, sometimes addicted. I might not think giving a $5 bill to a junkie is a good idea, but I do know that Walgreens has little fleece blankets for that same $5 bucks. And my husband and I find that a hot cup of coffee, tea, or soup, is rarely turned down. We know we're not saving the world, but genuine kindness towards someone in need IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. That and a spiked eggnog or a lovely body warming cocktail with friends after a long week or a hard afternoon of shopping...Just sayin' 

Be big, shop small this year. Support your own community with your Christmas shopping dollars. Reach outside your circle and your comfort zone. I promise you, you will feel it, and it's a good feeling. So for now, I'm just asking you to maybe enjoy your shopping as much as you would the holiday itself, say hello to old friends, or make some new ones. Hang out a little longer, laugh a little more. Make this year the first year of doing it your way.... 

...and have a Happy (and green) December!! ...pun intended...xo

Neon Bazaar 2013

Once again the downtown Neon Bazaar had a great turn-out! It was a gorgeous November day and the support from the community was amazing! I am experiencing technical issues getting pictures and formatting from my PC to here but I'm working on that. Hope to have some pics here soon. 

Neon Bazaar

So the Neon Bazaar was this past Saturday. I'm posting about it because if you're local, and you're not tuned in, you should get tuned it. It's a bi-yearly downtown shopping event of pop-ups of favorite local shops. The one in November (The Neon Holiday Bazaar) was so fun, and I was looking so forward to going to this one that was just last Saturday. Unfortunately I have bronchitis and was just not feeling up to attending. I actually coughed so hard the night before I pulled a muscle in my back! Ugh!! Thankfully, my lovely friend Jessica, from

                                                        Jessica Galindo Leather Couture

was on hand to snap some snaps for me, and send them my way. It was the next best thing to being there, and she took such cute photos that I was thinking I just may just have to ask her to be my roving reporter again sometime!!


I urge you to become a part of this if you can, if you have time or energy to spare.You know how much I love downtown, and I would be so thrilled if more people became active in this new renovation process that's going on there right now. Events like this one are a big part of all that. They need to be encouraged and supported. We need to support one another and our OWN local economy and art scene. The growing pains aren't easy, and it takes adjustment on almost everyone's part to make this happen. If you are interested in doing something, or becoming more involved in any way, hit me up, and I will be happy to help guide you in the direction of someone you can talk to, or someway to get involved.

The Jeweler's Daughter

The Jeweler's Daughter

J. Galindo Leather Couture

Happy Feet!!

Leather Couture

The lovely Ms. J Galindo

Leather Couture

Raw Vegas Kaleidoscope

...is fast approaching. Bobby is showing at this show, and we're doing a little collab: a little Steampunk, a little Clockwork Orange...have I piqued your curiosity yet?? If you live in Las Vegas and have not yet had the thrill of experiencing a Raw Vegas show then this show is your chance! You can be a part of it by purchasing a pre-sale ticket from us for a mere $15 bucks! Please understand your ticket purchase contribution keeps us out there being creative because it keeps things like Raw Vegas here in Las Vegas and around the country going strong and working hard to support artists (like us) and artistic endeavors like this one. Your contribution goes directly to helping keep The Arts alive!! And that's pretty wonderful any way you look at it!!

And these are not mere art shows, they're productions!! Fashion, glamour, art, and music, all coming together in a four hour extravaganza in one of the most exciting new venues in Las Vegas! All for $15 bucks?? You have to be asking yourself, how can that be? If you don't know about Raw Vegas, or want to know more, then please read about them here...

                                                              Raw Vegas Kaleidoscope 

Your ticket purchase contribution is greatly appreciated. Tickets are higher at the door, and from the website, so please purchase your tickets through us. We want to get you the best deal possible. And also,  please don't worry, if you'd like to make a ticket purchase contribution but fear you may be unable to attend. Simply mention when purchasing your tickets from us that you would like to donate the tickets to someone who would love to attend, but doesn't have the money. Win/win right? You've then been generous AND supportive and donated your tickets to someone that otherwise might have been unable to attend. That's a great feeling, for ALL of us!!

If you haven't heard of The Act Nightclub please read about it here...

 
                                                               The Act Nightclub 

I'm peeping The Act here because if you haven't seen it, its like part Parisian Opera House, part Bordello,
and part Victorian mansion with a little White Rabbit thrown in for a good measure! 

Do you want to see down the Rabbit Hole? Don't answer that, I know you do. 

Photoshoot

So when I'm not working on art, which is never, and I'm not hanging out by a pool somewhere, my favorite thing to do is take off with the hubby and go exploring. For those if you who don't know him, his name is Bobby, and he is a commercial photographer here in Las Vegas. Let me introduce you.

                                                            My wonderful husband

Anyway, we love day trips or weekend trips that take us to interesting places to shoot as you might have guessed... interesting people, places, or things. As I posted in a previous post, I love Kitschy America and have yet to tire of seeing too gem stone huts and alien jerky stores. What is that stuff REALLY anyways?

Just yesterday, we got to head out to the dry lake bed, and watch the sun go down in the desert, with these hotties...The Suicide Sirens of LasVegas. To shoot some promo stuff for their upcoming tour!! Now this is my idea of a real good time...

My my, what's in the box??

How can you not fall for a girl with a toolbox full of armor, grinders, poi, and fuel?

Gearing up

Nanu Nanu

Bambu Jessica

and her fab DiY headpiece!! 

Holla! Windy out here!!

I apologize for the audio. It was really windy out there and we knew it, but I didn't realize how much until I tried to watch one of the videos myself on the way home. 

One of the girls even prayed to the Wind God, but to no avail. If you turn your volume down a little it helps. =)) 

P.S. I can't help but get attached to the beautiful souls of artists and performers.

 This town has more than its share of them, and for that I am grateful...that these are the carefree beautiful creative spirits I get to spend my time with! Love Love <3 p="">