we came. we SAW. we conquered.

You may have noticed the absence of blog posts here recently. No, I haven’t just been lazy. My sister and I have been working hard to combine our two Etsy shops and blogs into one—get ARCH’d. I wanted to thank you all for reading and following me over the past year and I hope you will continue to read all about my art, photography, etsy shop, videos, etc. over at the new blog. Plus, you’ll have the added bonus of my equally amazing sister, Lindsey, there to keep you company whenever I’m slacking. Click over and #getARCHd at the new site! Thanks again, Kristen

The best rooftop in Memphis

Life is what you make it.  This includes quality of life and seeing the good in where you live.  I always roll my eyes when I hear on the radio or read online that Memphis has made yet another “worst …

Santa Fe Etsy Treasury

In March, I visited Santa Fe for the first time for my friend Kelly’s wedding. I had been told beforehand that being “artsy” would easily allow me to fall in love with Santa Fe.  This turned out to be true. …

Elizabeth and Dan

I first got to know Elizabeth and Dan during a 10 day trip to Maui in 2011.  We traveled to Maui with my sister for a friend’s wedding and all shared a room in a cute bed and breakfast owned …

Jenn and Scott

Engagement shoots are my forte. I have a special area in my brain that holds creative ideas specifically for engagement shoots.  I truly love these type of shoots more and more each time I do one. I met Jenn at …

Emmerson – 9 months

Photographing children is interesting because they make so many different expressions.  Trying to get them to laugh and smile is sometimes a challenge.  When you get the laughs and smile, all the crazy jumping, noise making, standing on your head (ok maybe …

Bicycle Themed Bridal Shower

Themed showers are my favorite.  Kelly is getting married in Santa Fe in a couple of weeks so we decided to throw her a surprise bridal shower. I have never tried to throw a surprise bridal shower. A few things …

10 ways to make V-Day meaningful

Flowers die. Candy gets digested. Teddy bears should be given to children.

Valentine’s Day can be more stressful than it is worth. The pressure to find the perfect gift that says “I love you” is multiplied by 10 on this one day of the year. Valentine’s Day is silly when you really stop to think about it but it also gives you the opportunity to score some BIG points with the significant other. Single? Who cares. Exchange gifts with your best friends who are also single. You love them, right? The ten ideas below scream “I love you” louder than flowers, candy and teddy bears. I promise.

#10

Do you remember the place you met your significant other? No? Well then figure it out – trust me. Yes? Take a photo of it (even iPhone photos work most of the time as seen in the photo below) and send it my way. If the place is in Memphis, I will take the photo for you. Place it on your mantle or a book shelf or even in the bedroom to remind you both how you met. Here is one I did for my best friend, Kristin and her husband – The Bunganut Pig in Murfreesboro, TN. I was there when they met 🙂

For single gals who want to exchange gifts choose the place where girls night is always a success. For me, Celtic in Midtown.

#9

Is your man or woman a sports fan? Choose his or her favorite team and let my sister know. She can re-create their logo or create a typography that represents that team. Below is one she did for our cousin who goes to Ole Miss. Lindsey is a huge MS State fan so the creation process was amusing to watch.

#8

Remember the first trip you took with him/her? Or with their family? Great memory to transfer. If it was not a great memory, keep reading. Below is the couple’s first trip to the beach with his family. They are still together so I guess it went well.

#7

What a difference a day makes. Your first kiss. The day you got engaged. The day you found out you were pregnant. Your child’s birth day. The day you got married. The day your first grandchild was born. The day you closed on your first house. The list goes on and on. Choose the dates that mean the most to you and my sister will create a design of all of them and transfer them to wood. Below is one she did for my mom for Christmas.

#6

People who love animals have big hearts. Hearts that will melt when you give them a wood piece of their beloved. Meet sweet Spencer.

#5

Antique photos. There is something about antique photos, especially on wood, that look amazing. For my mom’s birthday, I took two antique photos and transfered them to wood. One was of the house she grew up in and one was of her aunt’s house where she spent her summers. She loved those so much that she bought another one of her grandmother’s house.

My friend Angie gave her grandmother an old photo transfer of her and her brother with the grandparents for Christmas. These are the types of gifts that make people cry meaning SUCCESS.

#4

Babies. Just like pets (ok…even more) people love their babies. I am not a mother so most sonograms looks like aliens to me but one day I will understand. I think transferring a sonogram to wood and using as nursery decor would be the perfect touch. Plus, the nerdy side of me loves the contrast in these photos because they transfer better 🙂

Also, photos of little ones always look cute on wood.

#3

Quotes. Everyone has a favorite quote or saying. Some of these are inspirational and some define the person in a way because it reminds you of them every time you hear the quote or phrase. Send that quote our way and my sister will make it look artsy and transfer it to wood for you. Below is an example of a popular one that is currently for sale in her Etsy shop.

#2

Hobbies. Most people have a hobby. They love these hobbies because they most likely do them for fun. Send me his/her hobby and I will either take a photo of something that represents it or my sister can some up with a design that represents it. Below are some ideas for photographers, musicians and writers.

#1

The gift for the one who doesn’t like gifts. The wood transfer below was given to my boss’s brother in law for Christmas. She told me how hard it was to buy for him because he will give away gifts to those less fortunate. This is an admirable trait but difficult when gift buying season is upon his friends and family. This photo was taken during a mission trip and will always remain close to his heart.

If you love the idea of wood transfer but none of the ideas above catch your attention. Email me at kristen.archer@gmail.com. Call me at 901.301.1543. I guarantee I can think of something that will be the perfect gift for the special someone. You can also visit my Etsy shop where I have other custom pieces for sale.

Happy early Valentine’s Day!

Kristen

The Seemans

Usually on photo shoots it takes children a few minutes to warm up to the idea of me taking their photo.  During this shoot, at Cheekwood in Nashville, this was not the case.  Aeriella was a blast to take photos of …

Family love

I love antebellum mansions especially during the fall.  I have been dying to post these photos for months but have not been able to because Christine was surprising her parents with photos for Christmas.  Well, Merry Christmas! One of the …