There’s a particular feeling that arrives this time of year, somewhere between the last warm afternoon and the first hint of holiday lights — an awareness that the season of gift-giving is drawing near, and with it, all its wonderful traditions. It’s early yet, but it’s exactly the right moment to begin. Not to buy, necessarily, but to look. To wander into the neighborhood boutiques nearest us and see what the talented shopkeepers who bring our streets to life have been dreaming up this season. They will, as always, surprise us — with new ideas, new sources, new colors and textures that excite us like meeting someone new. That’s the quiet magic of looking: it turns into knowledge, and knowledge has a way of turning into temptation. And when the right piece finally crosses your path, the one that feels like it was made for someone in particular, or for yourself, yielding to that temptation is one of the season’s great pleasures.
This installment of SOURCE is an invitation to start that browsing now, while there’s still time to let inspiration wander. And as always, we chose local, because every one of these finds keeps a real shop, a real maker, and a real neighborhood thriving. Visit them and discover the talents flourishing right beyond your doorstep.
Your First Look at Holiday Gift Ideas From New Mexico Shops and Makers
Catori Life
Jewelry can be more than adornment — especially resonant pieces can be talismans and amulets. The Ma’at ring, named for the Egyptian goddess of truth, justice, balance, and order, pairs beautifully with the Akash Shield ring, a potent reminder of your own inner strength. Both are available in recycled bronze, sterling silver, or gold.
Barton’s Bloom Boutique
Celebrate the beauty of fall with the Autumn Grains wreath, made from natural dried materials like avena (oats), flax, and grains on a twig base. It’s equally at home on a covered portal or as an elegant centerpiece.
Zane Bennett Contemporary Art
Melanie Brauner is a metalsmith, papermaker, and artist who combines all three crafts to make jewelry that speaks to the natural world. Inspired by the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, her pieces carry their own terroir — an organic quality that connects the wearer to the land.
H Bar C
Wear a piece of western history with suede jacket designs drawn straight from the H Bar C archives. With roots stretching back to 1897, H Bar C knows western wear inside and out — whether it’s the Omaha buckskin suede fringe jacket or the iconic Austin archive suede snap jacket in sand-toned hues. Classic, timeless, and effortlessly stylish.
Golden Eye
The Chasca pendant is named for the Incan goddess of dawn and twilight — a fitting name for this stunning 12.8-carat Peruvian pink opal that seems to glow from within. Set in 18k gold with pavé white diamonds, it’s a statement piece to wear and treasure. Chain sold separately.
Discover more places and products to shop locally in New Mexico.
About the Author
Julia Platt Leonard is Regional Editor for TABLE Magazine’s New Mexico edition, covering Santa Fe’s food, shopping, and community scene. A graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, she has worked as a pastry chef, food consultant, and television reporter, and is co-founder of the Santa Fe International Literary Festival. She is the author of the novel Cold Case (Simon & Schuster) and has written for publications including The Independent. Reach her at julia@tablemagazine.com.
About the Author
Keith Recker is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Owner of TABLE Magazine. A color and trend forecaster for nearly 20 years, his clients have included Pantone, WGSN, Stylus, and the Color Association of the United States. He is the author of three books on color, including Deep Color: The Shades That Shape Our Souls and True Colors: World Masters of Natural Dyes and Pigments, and PANTONE: The Twentieth Century in Color. He is co-founder of the Open Source Colour Association, a new organization devoted to inclusive and transparent color forecasting. Earlier in his career, he was a vice president of home merchandising at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Gump’s San Francisco. Listen to his podcast appearances at The Color Authority and EcoFashion Hub.
Read more of his work here or contact him at keith@tablemagazine.com. Follow him on Instagram as @TheChromosapien.
Featured Photo From H Bar C
Sponsored by Ricky Allen – Tara Earley Real Estate Group
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