Northern New Mexico Gift Guide 2023
Many of my clients are visitors to Northern New Mexico, and some have asked me where to find locally-made gifts to bring back to family. With the holidays approaching, I wanted to share some favorite local artists and give back to this community who has given so much. No one paid to be featured in this post nor were any products offered for free. This was a personal project to get to know more of my amigos in Northern New Mexico, and I truly cherish the time I've been able to spend with these amazing humans.
Toas Bee
Committed to sustainable bee farming, Taos Bee creates wonderfully hand-crafted balms and soaps from their own hives in Taos. My absolute favorite product, Zinc Pink, is an all-in-one moisturizer, sun shield, and lip tint made from beeswax. It protects my lips from these dry desert days, and I often have it with me when I'm out photographing.
Susan's Christmas Shop
Susan just happens to be my neighbor, and I always see her and her daughter, Melissa, bustling to stock her shop near the Santa Fe Plaza that Susan has operated for the last 40 years. Her hand-selected gifts include a variety of native-made ornaments, like this Navajo hummingbird. If you're looking for something really special, she also has a couple of Nativities by the renowned Sabinita López.
Ramblin' Rose Hat Co.
Sam's start in costume design and a class in millinery at the University of North Carolina led her to her passion: hat-making. From there, she made her way to Santa Fe as the Assistant Milliner at Santa Fe Opera. Friends encouraged her to open her own business, and in 2018 she was able to found Ramblin' Rose. With a focus on quality and function, Sam's hats are meant to be worn.
I started the process of ordering my custom-made hat in the late summer, and it was finished just in time for my 2023 gift guide . The care and attention that goes into Sam's beautifully-shaped hats can be felt as soon as you walk in the door of her workshop on Upper Canyon Road. Her work is so clearly inspired not only by her love for hat-making and utilitarian design, but also her clients.
I chose a Pecan felt (and her pronunciation PEE-CAAAN brought me back to my own North Carolina heritage), and lucky for me, she had some macaw feathers collected, a nod to my time working in a Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park.
To start the process, jump on the waitlist. She starts custom commissions a few times a year. She will also be selling her straw hats and some other new creations at the upcoming String of Lights holiday market at the Railyard.
Herndon Forge
Drawn from her indigenous and hispanic roots, Naomi hand-crafts some of the most unique and beautiful jewelry in Northern New Mexico. I especially love their earrings and the details of the hammered silver paillettes. When you buy a piece from Herndon Forge, you're buying a work of art steeped in history and care.
Milagro Goat Farm
I was lucky enough to visit Milagro over the summer. Their Truchas farm, located just up the street from where Milagro Bean Field War was filmed, is where they turn Nubian goat milk into organic soaps. They've just released a biscochito soap in time for the holidays!
Mini Falls Farm
Located in Chimayo, Mini Falls Farm focuses on organic, seasonal bouquets. They will soon be releasing their 2024 Flower Subscription, which could make a thoughtful and romantic gift for someone special in your life.
Bailey Sachs Ceramics
Inspired by her work in Interior Design and generations of her family who have cherished New Mexico, Bailey creates treasured mugs, vases, and bowls for the home. When you hold one of her pieces, you feel the love and dedication that goes into her work. Bailey has an eye for clean, simple design and her handmade stoneware is no exception.
Talented potters abound in New Mexico and often create small batches of their stoneware, so I am also going to mention Hanselmann Pottery in Corrales and Innovate Ceramics in Los Lunas.
MexiModern
Jessie Baca has become known for her incredible murals in Santa Fe (check out Paloma Restaurant next time you are downtown). But she also has printed her whimsical, Mexican folk art inspired designs on stickers, bandanas, candles, and tea towels. I absolutely love her style and am hoping to have a mural done in my home next year.
...and that's a wrap!
If you're looking for something special and locally-made this holiday season, consider one of the artists mentioned or visit the 2023 String of Lights Holiday Market in the Railyard on December 9. Of course, you can also set up a photo session with yours truly, which would make a wonderful gift for a mama or mama-to-be. I look forward to meeting and photographing more of you in 2024, and I am wishing you all a beautiful holiday season filled with peace and joy.
