Neighborhood Details

Musings from the Feb 2011 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

Most of the posts to this blog focus on the artist, the art/craft she or he creates, and the process we go through to find those special people. In the process, I'm often distracted by my surroundings. One afternoon in San Miguel de Allende (Guanajuato, Mexico) we were in search of a particular paper mache workshop. I couldn't stop myself from recording some details on our walk through a very regular neighborhood.

The sky is so blue!

Fish as rain spout; wires everywhere.

Verde (green) painted advertisement on a wall.

Bilingue/bilingual in the side of an exterior wall.

So many unexpected architectural details!

And finally we find the door that opens to a display area and workshop for some very creative paper mache.

A worker graciously pauses to show the colorful shakers.

Partners Beth And Jim M return from the Aug buying trip tomorrow, Aug 26. I wonder what photos and stories they will bring home.  kl

Copper Connections

Musings from the February 2011 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

Lourdes (Lulu) and Alfredo operate two businesses in Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacan, Mexico. Lulu manages the decorative copper shop called Casa Felicitas near the zocalo and Alfredo oversees the construction of furniture with copper panels in a business called Dona Mariquita. They are an amazing couple; fun, energetic, serious about their business, and very hard-working.

This photo was taken at the furniture exposition in Guadalajara last February. We met up with Lulu and Alfredo at the end of a long day. I must have taken dozens of shots of this dynamic couple and almost none turned out. Lulu is so expressive and energetic she's a blur on most photos.

Most of the furniture at the exposition is quite imposing, perfect for hacienda-style homes. We buy selectively knowing that many of our customers have small homes or condos. No matter the size, the copper and distressed wood is warm and inviting. And there's always a sip of tequila to warm the spirit while shopping!

We often write of forays into the hinterlands of Mexico, but in this case we travel to a huge exposition center in Guadalajara to visit our friends. There's nothing rustic about this venue! We usually breathe a sigh of relief when we leave big metropolitan areas preferring the pace of small town life in Mexico.

 

This photo of the zocalo in Santa Clara del Cobre is more indicative of our preference. One can spend ours watching people and the life of the small town. But, we seldom have time for that! When in Santa Clara del Cobre we're shopping for the perfect copper pieces for Chiripa. That always includes time with Lulu and Alfredo. 

You can see some of the copper on the Chiripa website.