Hi guys, can you imagine – it is only a few weeks until Christmas?!?!
It seems it is time to think about gifts to our dear friends and family. I don’t know about you but I never know what to give and always put off to the last moment, and then run around and buy all sorts of crap not what I would like to. So how about a gift from Mexico?
A few months ago I had an idea – to collect small gifts of authentic Mexican souvenirs. However it was not so simple to bring it to life – everything that that is sold in local markets did not impress me – all sell the same stuff, and the quality is so-so. So in search of a really good, authentic souvenirs I explored the local shops, markets and boutiques for a few months. And finally, I chose what I liked and collected it in one gift set!
So let me tell you what I included in this set!
- handmade Mexican doll
- Sugar-skull earrings
- All-natural Soap
- Traditional Mexican candy
- Four kinds of chili-pepper
- Surprise
And now I want you to tell you a little bit about each ingredient of gift set. I’ll start with the one I like most – dolls! In any city in the central squares of Mexico there are women dressed in traditional clothes with large baskets full of little dolls in bright dresses and ribbons in pigtails. All of these women claim that these dolls are handmade, but after traveling around Mexico I noticed that these dolls are identical, that gives me the idea that they are sewn somewhere in one place (I really hope it is not China).
So I kept looking, and one time passing along the rows of the local market in San Miguel, I came across a wonderful shop. At first glance, it was obvious that it was very different from others – jewelry, clothing and souvenirs were not only beautiful, but also unique! Frankly, I was stuck there for 40 minutes!
Rosio – a woman who works there, makes most of the things and she decorates clothing. I wish you could see what she did with a simple denim jacket!! Here at Rocio’s I saw little dolls! I did not notice them right away because they were in a basket on the floor. They were made by Rosio’s friend who used to live in San Miguel, but recently moved to Mexico City. Without hesitating, I ordered a few dolls for my sets – Frida-doll, Mexican boy and a Mexican nun, praying for peace on Earth. All dolls are different! Handcrafted! On the top of their head they have a leather rope and a key ring, so that they can be attached to key chain or hung somewhere. Or just sit on a shelf – legs and arms can bent.
Next thing – earrings. Those I had found quite by accident too. Every day I walked by one shop, but did not see anything that would make me come in, so I just passed it. And one day I decided to come in and found these beautiful earrings! They are made from clay and painted by one artist from Oaxaca. On the photo – wedding couple, small sugar-skulls of Frida and a little Katrinas – in a dress and hat with real feathers! :) And there are others, all different :). What you get is a surprise!
Natural fragrant soap was bought in a boutique in downtown San Miguel. Made, as expected, from fats and lye. You can tell by the color that there are no chemical dyes in it. All different types – honey, almonds, mint, tangerine and, my favorite, cocoa – smells like real chocolate!
Mexicans love sweets – candy and ice cream are sold everywhere. And I wish I could send other sweets, such as Cajeta – caramel made from goat’s milk, or sugar skulls, but I do not think that will make it without breaking. So I added guava rolls bought in a small Mexican town Dolores Hidalgo.
Oh, that chili! It is used all over Mexico but to my surprise not all dishes are hot and spicy! I learntone thing about chili – there are lots of different peppers with varying heat range and some chilis are used for the color and flavor only! So now when I cook I always add chili – to soups, meat, steamed vegetables.
All this and something else (a little surprise) is packed in a handmade gift bag – in order to make them I had to run twice to the fabric store and borrow a sewing machine from Anjelica, our Mexican neighbor. That is a gift from Mexico – a chance to give your loved ones a unique present for Christmas!
Price – $45 with FREE shipping.
To order – please pay through PayPal (I put a pretty button below) with your name and address in notes (or send me an email to polinaharbert@yahoo.com). I will ship the same day and email you the tracking number. It takes 2-3 weeks to mail to US but remember that Christmas is the busiest time of the year for USPS and it might take longer!!
With love,
Polina
Отличная идея! Если вы случайно разузнаете о мастерской, продающей интересные принтовые ткани или оригинальную одежду и сумки в стиле хобо шик, то сделайте обязательно фотки! Я бы что-нибудь из этого попробовала через вас заказать.