Friday, January 27, 2012

Book Signing & Free Jewelry Workshop!

Free event alert!


Have you tried your hand at jewelry making? Come to Mama's Minerals for an exciting event taking place on Wednesday, February 22nd from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Santa Fe store or at the Albuquerque store on Thursday, February 23rd  from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.


Show Your Colors co-author Sarah Hardin Oehler will be on site for personal autographs. She will also be holding a FREE  "make it and take it" project workshop. The project will include free tools, beads and supplies. Free refreshments complete this fun event. 


There's no registration required for the book signing but spaces to participate in the "make it and take it" project are limited so hurry up to RSVP for the workshop via Mama's Minerals Facebook page, on the Duke City Fix website or in their store. For more information, call 505-266-8443. 


Read more: http://www.frugalburqueno.com/2012/01/book-signing-free-jewelry-workshop.html 

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Lone Ranger To Begin Filming In NM

Any Johnny Depp fans in Lincoln Heights?? He’ll be in Sante Fe next month for filming... 

Although reports of Johnny Depp sightings have already begun, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez said filming of The Lone Ranger will begin next month.

Depp has been cast to play Tonto in the Walt Disney production.

The film, which became a symbol of the flap between Martinez and the film industry, will shoot in and around Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Shiprock through the middle of August.

In a press release Friday, Martinez said, "The Lone Ranger is proof New Mexico's film industry is alive and well." She said it also proves her commitment to the industry.

"It's a perfect fit, and its great for the state," New Mexico Film Office Director Nick Maniatis said. "We want to get as many of our iconic backdrops in that film. It's great for tourism."

A number of productions went to other states last year after the governor proposed legislation to slash tax breaks. "Lone Ranger" producer Jerry Bruckheimer had threatened to take his film to Louisiana. A compromise with lawmakers to cap annual payouts eased tensions with the industry. The incentives have been capped at $50 million.

"On a local level, they'll hire over 300 crew members from our state, 30 actors and over 1,200 extras will be on this film," Maniatis said.

Besides the boost to the budget, Maniatis said he and the governor hope the movie will put to rest the concerns about the future of the local film industry.

"We were able to budget in a way that's predictable, but yet, again, we have the Lone Ranger coming to New Mexico. We're going to film here and the industry will continue to grow in our state," Maniatis said.

"The Lone Ranger" will also star Armie Hammer as the Lone Ranger.

Read more: http://www.koat.com/news/30209626/detail.html#ixzz1jkxFn05D

Friday, January 13, 2012

New Mexico needs a new state slogan

What would you pick as a state slogan?

New Mexico calls itself the Land of Enchantment. But the spell isn't working all that well.

Overnight tourist trips in New Mexico have dropped by nearly 10% in the past three years, and spending on everything from souvenir magnets to turquoise jewelry fell by hundreds of millions of dollars.

When state tourism officials convened focus groups in Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles to ask prospective travelers about their perceptions of New Mexico, the same depressing descriptions kept cropping up: "Arid." "Barren." "Dull."

Also: "Close to Arizona."

So state officials are launching a $2.5 million effort to rebrand New Mexico as a place of charm and character, adventure, excitement—and really good green chili cheeseburgers. As a model, the state is looking north to Colorado, which routinely gets praised in focus groups as "majestic," "glorious" and "heavenly."

But rebranding a state can be a risky proposition. New Jersey hired a consultant a few years ago to come up with a new tourism slogan. The result? "New Jersey: We'll Win You Over." That may have been an improvement over its 1970s tagline, "New Jersey's Got It," which inspired innumerable jokes about venereal disease. But state officials thought "We'll Win You Over" sounded defensive and spiked the campaign.

New Mexico, too, has had some marketing misfires. One recent come-hither campaign played off conspiracy theories about UFO landings in Roswell, N.M., and featured bug-eyed green aliens. The state's Rose Parade float in 2008 featured the creatures.

REBRAND

By Jessica Austerlitz - Art at a gallery in Santa Fe.

"I don't know that it resonated," said Veronica Valencia, who recently joined the Tourism Department as marketing director.

The department also has a new tourism secretary, Monique Jacobson, who comes to Santa Fe fresh off a decade spent marketing PepsiCo Inc. brands such as Gatorade and Quaker Oats.

The way Ms. Jacobson sees it, New Mexico ought to be an easier sell than warm porridge.

"Oatmeal was tough because people knew they didn't like the texture," Ms. Jacobson said. "With New Mexico, it's not an issue of people not liking what we have to offer. It's a question of them not knowing what we have to offer."

Indeed, the focus group members seemed clueless about New Mexico, which is celebrating its centennial. It entered the union as the 47th state on Jan. 6, 1912. Yet several focus group members wondered aloud whether they needed passports to visit. Others, apparently confusing Albuquerque with Acapulco, said they had heard good things about the landlocked state's beaches.

Even some tourists who ventured into New Mexico over the holidays had low expectations. Kamran Mogharreban, who is 57, came from southern Illinois to visit his brother—and was surprised to find himself enjoying touring museums in Albuquerque, shopping in Santa Fe and taking the commuter rail that zips between the two cities. It wasn't at all what he had expected of New Mexico. "I thought it would be more backward," Mr. Mogharreban said.

The tourism department hasn't yet announced its new slogan, but Ms. Jacobson says it will be built around the premise that New Mexico offers visitors "adventure steeped in culture."

A key goal: attracting younger families. State figures show 24% of tourists who stay overnight in New Mexico are 65 or older—a higher proportion than in nearby Arizona, Colorado and Utah, where on average 17% of overnight visitors are senior citizens.

Those demographics matter because older visitors tend to spend less—and aren't as likely to generate a positive buzz for the state by tweeting about only-in-New Mexico experiences such as llama trekking in Taos, spelunking in Carlsbad Caverns or tramping in the dusty footsteps of Billy the Kid.

REBRAND

By Jessica Austerlitz -  The entrance to Carlsbad Caverns, where tourists watch the bats leaving the cave at dusk.

At the moment, fully a third of overnight visitors to New Mexico are just passing through, state officials said. That pains Lynnae Molidor, who owns a clothing boutique in the historic Santa Fe Plaza. "People think New Mexico is all hoity-toity, high-end—or, for the real out-there people, there's Roswell" and flying saucers, Ms. Molidor said. "They don't think there's an in-between."

To focus all its firepower on the new campaign, set to launch in the spring, the Tourism Department has cut some staff at its promotional magazine and this year scrapped its tradition of entering an elaborate float in the Rose Parade.

That leaves $2.5 million for advertising—far less than some neighboring states spend. Arizona's governor recently announced a $7 million investment in marketing. Colorado spends more than $12 million a year.

On the other hand, in this era of perpetual budget crises, many states have eliminated promotions altogether.

Washington State recently closed its tourism department and Connecticut's was shut down for stretches of 2009 and 2010. (As a result, the state didn't pay its dues to a regional marketing collaboration—which retaliated by erasing Connecticut from the map of New England on its website.)

In New Mexico, Ms. Jacobson, the tourism secretary, says she's confident she can leverage her limited resources to build "a strong, iconic brand."

Some of the state's biggest fans, however, aren't so sure they want her to succeed.

Jimmy Dietz, a veterinarian from Houston, regularly brings his family to ski at Taos. He can't get over the peace, the lack of crowds, the friendly and attentive service, he says. In fact, he loves New Mexico so much that he has stopped touting it to his friends, for fear that an invasion of tourists would ruin the small-town charm.

"New Mexico is one of the greatest-kept secrets in the U.S.," Mr. Dietz says. "And it's nice because of that."

Write to Stephanie Simon at stephanie.simon@wsj.com

Read more http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204257504577150570289294592.html

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Walmart to open third Albuquerque neighborhood market

This is an interesting development given that we just lost some of our local Sears and Kmart stores. Do you like Wal-mart better? Or do you wish the other stores were sticking around?

Walmart  has signed a long term lease to place one of its Neighborhood Markets in the site once occupied by a Wild Oats store in the Foothills Shopping Center at Juan Tabo and Menaul NE.

The 34,000-square-foot anchor site in the Northeast Heights’ center will be the nation’s largest retailer’s third grocery operation in Albuquerque.

The store is scheduled to open later this year. It will carry groceries and health and beauty products as well as a limited supply of general merchandise. Walmart debuted the smaller neighborhood market concept in 1998 and has fewer than 200 in the U.S.

Walmart Neighborhood Markets currently operate at 9600 Sage Road SW and 8511 Golf Course Road NW in the Duke City. There are seven Walmart Supercenters in the Albuquerque metro region and most encompass more than 200,000 square feet. Walmart Neighborhood Markets average 42,000 square feet nationally.

Brett Hills of NAI Maestas & Ward represented Texas-based landlord Red Tail Acquisitions in the deal while Jay Schneider of Scottsdale’s Frontera Development represented Walmart. Lease terms were not disclosed.

Read more http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2012/01/04/walmart-to-open-third-albuquerque.html

Friday, January 6, 2012

Happy Birthday New Mexico: Food Freebies & Deals

Happy Birthday to us! Make sure to take advantage of these great deals. Thanks to ABQ on the Cheap for putting this list together.

It’s our state centennial today, even though some people STILL don’t know that we’re part of the USA…

On this day, January 6, 1912, President William H. Taft signed the proclamation confirming New Mexico as the 47th state of the United States of America.  So how will we celebrate? In traditional New Mexico style, that’s how. Let’s eat…

El Pinto $6.50 Off Online Orders of jars of salsa and sauces, using the coupon code:  START2012

Get a $10 Subway gift card and two movie tickets for $24, today only. The movie tickets can be redeemed via Fandango for many Albuquerque area (and national) movie theaters including Century 14 Downtown Albuquerque, UA Cottonwood, UA Winrock 6, UA High Ridge 8, UA Four Hills 10, and Century Rio 24. You know where to spend the $10 Subway card!  They’re calling the deal the 2 Footlongs and a Flick Saveology promotion, available only today, while supplies last.

Gold Street Caffe Facebook friends can get a free $15 gift card to use on their next visit when dining at the restaurant by January 7. Get the card at dinner only, spend minimum $20 per table, and it’s one card per table and per person. Mention that you’re a Facebook friend.

You can also get $5 off dinner for two at Gold Street Cafe with the coupon when you order two entrees and two drinks on Tuesday to Saturday from 4 – 9 pm.

Whole Foods Market beef sale gives $2 off on 85% fresh ground lean beef from January 6 – 8. The ground beef sale price is $2.99 a pound instead of $4.99. They’re also discounting ready-to-cook beef roasts by between $1.50 – $3.50 a pound.

KFC Weekend Bucket $11 Get 10 pieces of chicken for $11 on Saturday and Sunday only!

Hotel Albuquerque Q Bar coupon for 50% off any food item at the Old Town hotel.

Like Quiznos on Facebook to get a free sub coupon, when you purchase one sub and a regular fountain drink. The Quiznos BOGO free coupon is under the Fan Coupon tab once you’ve liked their Facebook page, and it’s valid until January 23, 2012.

Quiznos free drink coupon Get a free regular fountain drink when you buy any sub through January 11.

Red Lobster Four Course Seafood Feast for $15 deal returns, including soup, salad, a choice of seven entrees, plus dessert. It’s a limited time promotion so if you like seafood, go fish for the deal pronto!

40% Off Starbucks Home and Away Gift Set including a Starbucks ceramic mug, Starbucks stainless steel tumbler, 4 bags of Starbucks coffee, 2 boxes of Starbucks cookies, 1 box of Tazo Teas, all in a gift box. The package price is $46 for a $77 value. Maybe it would make a nice housewarming or wedding gift? The offer is available today (January 6) only via Saveology.

Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes Coupons include:

  • Buy one get one free breakfast on Sundays
  • A free kids’ meal with the purchase of an adult meal on January 9 and 10
  • Dinner for two for $14.99 when you buy two drinks on Monday to Thursday
  • Lunch for $6.99, dinner for $8.29, and a family meal for $19.99 plus many more…. There’s a whole slew of coupons with different expiry dates – check the fine print.

NOTE: Not all locations may be participating in all offers – call ahead if you want to be sure.

Read more at ABQ on the Cheap. Picture from http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1630863/

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