More Portland Christmas Ornaments

© Mesman Images

Here are some more of the Portland themed Christmas ornaments that we've recently listed on Etsy.  They are Portland Japanese Garden, the Evolution of the White Stag Sign, the International Rose Test Garden, and Oregon Landmarks featuring Mt Hood with the Portland skyline, the Portland sign, and Vista House at Crown Point.

Small Business Saturday a Bust?

Multnomah Falls, Oregon in Autumn                             copyright Mesman Images

We're small business owners.  Along with nearly 300 other small businesses, we sell directly to the public every Saturday and Sunday, ten months a year.  So, Small Business Saturday would seem like a slam-dunk, no-brainer perfect event for people like us.  This year, we promoted the heck out of it.  We had a special 20% off sale that day.  We put up the special signs generated on the SmallBizSat website.

In talking with our colleagues and customers, though, one question kept coming up:  How could Small Business Saturday be scheduled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?!  Everyone spends their money at big-box stores and online that weekend.  Let's hope that, next year, Small Business Saturday gives struggling small business owners a chance to actually make some money!  www.mesmanimages.com

This is our new ornament, featuring Portland's iconic White Stag sign.  It measures 2.5"  square, with "Made in Oregon" on one side and "Portland Oregon" on the other.  You can buy them on Etsy for $12.00 each in the MesmanToo shop.

9/11 Tribute Collage

We were in New York for the first week of September, 2001.  On Labor Day, we photographed Lower Manhattan, including the World Trade Center.  We left for Pennsylvania and were camping near Washington, PA on 9/11.  We were so close to where Flight 93 crashed, we heard the emegency vehicles responding.  A few days later, we returned to New York and again photographed Lower Manhattan and Ground Zero.

My 9-11 tribute collage incorporates my images of ground zero taken just days before and days after the twin towers fell. A soaring bald eagle and artist rendering of the Freedom Tower represent hope for a bright future at ground zero.  Framed picture measures 15" x 32".  The words "We will never forget" are inscribed between the dates of 9-11-2001 and 9-11-2011.  Framed in Nielsen Profile 15 (rounded)  matte black metal frame.

Oregon Landmarks Collage

We've created a collage that combines some of the beautiful destinations in the state of Oregon, the most visited of which is Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. Also not to miss is Crown Point, with its Vista House overlooking the Gorge. The illuminated buildings of Portland's waterfront skyline are reflected in the Willamette River. Two views of the state's highest peak, Mount Hood, and the magnificant Ecola State Park on the Oregon Coast round out the scenery. The collage wouldn't be complete, however, without J. Seward Johnson's Portland sculpture "Allow Me". Here, the pedestrian's umbrella shields him not from a Portland downpour, but, rather, a light spray from Multnomah Falls. You can Purchase this image on our fine art photography website.