san cristóbal, chiapas

Three years ago around this time, I took a solo trip to Chiapas - a southern Mexican state. Here's a little tribute to the gorgeous city of San Cristóbal.

making a shawl with a back-strap loom.

find-anything-you-can-imagine market outside church...WWJD?  :-0

old church, newly dug graves?  yoooowza

sleeping with 10 strangers in your hostel dorm room? not so nice.

view at the hostel? very nice.

another reason to love Mexico...paint your house any color you want!

nutty for tagua

Ever since I worked for Future Green in Milwaukee waaay back in '07...I've had a small obsession with a little thang called tagua. It's a nutty little seed from a palm tree that is dried and carved/cut into things like...

Baby turtle egg sculptures! Now that's what Morgan would call "ca-yute!" 

The material is more common down in South America but up here they do a little bit of tagua craftin' too. I'm starting to build up my collection of seedy jewelry: red tagua-slice earrings, a gi-normous ivory-colored ring. You know - just the basics. 

And how could I resist this smorgasbord at the arts & crafts market in downtown Cuernavaca?

The family who makes these necklaces were cool with me showing them off on my Etsy website and spreading the love up north! I've also dabbled in making some tagua earrings that I also put up on Etsy.  

Do you love it too? Or am I the only one drawn to large, bordering on obnoxiously colorful jewelry?? Hope it's not just me!

tepoz love

Jaim & I spent a great afternoon in Tepoztlan yesterday - a small market town about 30 minutes from Cuernavaca.  Who's been there?  I ask because every visitor I've had so far has made the journey over to this little pueblo.  On the weekend - food, drink, artisan and (of course) ripped-off-brand-name-item booths pop up out of nowhere.  It's an explosion of bright jewelry, "Gucci" sunglasses, Micheladas and quesadillas galore.  Take a look at the fun we have here in Morelos...then book your ticket to come down and check it out!     

totally awesome wood carver booth

totally delicious, extra spicy Michelada

just strollin'

too obvious

The pic below of the tree & the darling hummingbird was way too easy I guess. But at least you've gotten a glimpse of an adorable colibri that lives & feeds right outside my classroom. I am distracted at least 3x an hour by the little sweetie. My goal - to catch him in action on film (aka with my digital camera), sipping nectar from the appetizing flowers in the school's garden.  Yum!

Gotta go install my colibri feeder on the window of my room...I'll get that pic - just. you. wait!  ;)