Blog - Amy Buchanan Arts

Amy Buchanan Arts offers professional services for businesses including marketing, web development, videography, photography and editing.

Santa Barbara website development, santa barbara marketing, santa barbara graphic design

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July 11, 2018 In Art, Design, Fashion & Style, Website Design By Amy

Client Feature: Karen Hazarian Jewlery

This weeks blog post features my client Karen Hazarian Jewelry

Karen Hazarian designs and makes beautiful one of a kind necklaces, earrings and rings. Her hand carved pieces are very special and can even be personalized with the actual handwriting of someone special in your life. Karen also makes Armenian inspired pieces featuring charms and hand etched with designs inspired by the beautiful shrines, churches and monasteries in Historic Armenia.

One of a Kind Jewelry by Karen Hazarian

Inspired by the beautiful Santa Barbara Courthouse, this delicate necklace represents the tiles set in the courthouse interior. It is etched in 14k gold fill and sterling silver. A one of a kind piece, its perfect worn alone or layering with a collection of chains and charms. Karen’s jewelry is all handmade in Santa Barbara, California.

“I love creating jewelry that makes people happy and reflects their authentic self.

Why wear jewelry if it isn’t meaningful?

From the day I started designing the collection, my desire has been for my clients to wear what they love.”

~Karen Hazarian

Karen had an old website that was outdated and difficult for her to update. I wanted to give her a website that she could easily update and manage herself so we switched her to WordPress. WordPress is a great content management system for web design since it has an easy to use dashboard that makes it simple to update your website! It also can be less expensive than a website builder program because you just need your domain and hosting and once the site is set up there is no monthly fee like some website builders. I set her up with hosting from Green Geeks which is eco friendly and affordable. If you are in need of a new website or would like to update an old site that isn’t working well for you Contact me today!

April 1, 2016 In Art, California, Design, History, Reflections, Travel By Amy

Hearst Castle a California Treasure

Hearst Castle is a place I had heard of many times having lived in California pretty much all of my life, but I had yet to take the trip up the coast to see it. So when my friend Lia suggested we drive up to Hearst Castle it I was excited to go and check it out. Hearst Castle was purchased in 1865 by George Hearst a wealthy businessman and U.S. Senator. The over 250,000 acres of ranch land on the California coast in San Simeon was inherited by George Hearst’s son and newspaper publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst in 1919. Hearst commissioned architect Julia Morgan to help him build the resort of his dreams. Julia Morgan was the first woman to receive a certification in architecture from L’École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and California’s first licensed female architect.
Lia and I decided to drive up to Hearst Castle from Santa Barbara on a Saturday. There are several different options for the tours so make sure you visit the website to plan your visit. Luckily for us we arrived just at the right time before the 60 minute Grand Rooms tour began. We purchased tickets for $25 when we arrived, but you can also reserve tickets in advance from the Hearst Castle website. To get to the castle which is all the way up on top of what is called the “enchanted hill” so you must take a bus. The bus goes up the winding roads of the ranch and driving up the road it transports you back to the time when Hearst and his guests would arrive at the property.

September 26, 2015 In Adventure, Photography, Travel By Amy

NOLA Adventure Part 2: Haunted Mansion and Café du Monde

Jackson Square and St Louis Cathedral

Where my last NOLA blog post left off I had just been drenched in a thunderstorm and had to run from St. Louis Cemetery #1 to CVS to buy an umbrella. I was then able to go check into my room at the Inn on St Ann Street. The room at the Inn was tiny, but comfortable and the location was great since it is right in the center of the French Quarter. After drying off and relaxing a bit I was starving so I asked the hotel desk clerk for a recommendation of a place to eat. He recommended the Oceania cafe which was off of Bourbon street. I ordered the BBQ shrimp and a Dixie beer. The shrimp was ok, but I was not that impressed. I was actually a little disappointed because I had been looking forward to eating some delicious NOLA food. The Dixie beer was good though.READ MORE

September 24, 2015 In Photography, Travel By Amy

NOLA Adventure Part One: Ghosts of New Orleans

A business trip last month brought me to Louisiana. It was my first trip out there and since I didn’t know when I’d get the chance to go again I decided to visit New Orleans. I only had a day to check out the city so after finishing my work near Alexandria and spending a night in Baton Rouge I headed down to the Big Easy. New Orleans has a very interesting history of voodoo, ghosts and haunted places. So as someone who is interested in all things creepy I tried to visit as many of these places I could in the French Quarter. The first place I decided to visit was St. Louis Cemetery #1. I wasn’t able to check into my my hotel until 3pm so I parked my at a 24 hour lot and I walked over to the cemetery. I got to the entrance to find that it was guarded and the guard told me the only ways to enter was with a tour guide.

The statue of this large mausoleum watches over St Louis Cemetery #1

I really didn’t want to visit the cemetery with a tour guide so I decided to walk around and explore the French Quarter. I went in some art galleries and checked out Bourbon Street and then I made my way down to the waterfront of the Mississippi river. The riverfront is very pretty I walked by the Audubon Aquarium of the Pacific and also saw the steamboat Natchez on the water. After taking my stroll along the water I decided I would really like to see the St. Louis #1 cemetery so I decided to book a tour through the Voodoo Lounge.