Living and Designing in the Wild Wild West....Home of Pecos Bill!

Drop off Center for Victims of Fort Davis/Marfa/Alpine Wild Fires!

2011-04-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

As I sit here in Oaxaca and watch the ongoing stream of news on my Facebook page it is absolutely devestating to see all of the destruction of the ongoing fires. Fort Davis has a special place in my heart as well as Alpine. I spent my summers in Paisano and our family always escaped to Fort Davis to cool down and used the town as a resting point to visit our family in Mexico. To see it up in flames is unnerving and leaves me feeling helpless for the victims.

As I watch in horror photos being posted by friends and their families I cannot imagine what I would do or how I would feel if this was happening to our family or to our homes. So the only thing left for me to do show my gratitude to the universe for allowing our family to be safe from harms way is to help.

Pecos is full of generous hearts. We need all the help we can get to be able to help the victims of the fire. They need water, food supplies, clothes, furniture, money. Etc.

But of course we can't pull this off without you. I'm in Oaxaca, Mexico. I have a laptop. A fan page. A building. That's the best I can do. If I can get volunteers to arrive to accept donations wooohoo. But keep in mind,, after we get everything donated. We need to get it all there. So I also need volunteers willing to drive whatever we get donated to the victims.

Our building is huge. It can hold a lot of stuff. But...logistics is important. We are very dependent on being able to get everything out. So here is where we stand. Councilman Cody West will be annoucing information on our drop off center. Mayor Venetta Seals is part of the volunteer team to assure that all donations go to victims in need. My mom can open the building for volunteers and little by little I hope to be able to gather needed goods for the victims from over here in Southern Mexico. If you would like to donate directly here is information. I am not sure what we will do with the money that we receive. Join our fanpage and i'll put a voting widget up so it can become a democratic decision. Who knows...maybe we sponsor a family. A non-profit. A student. An Elderly person. Who knows. But one thing is for sure they need our help. I'll donate all processing fees on my paypal account. I am 100% verified! Find out more about me at http://www.sandrarenteria.com/

Please keep in mind...I'm in Oaxaca, Mexico. Communication isn't easy. But as long as I have internet...we can pull this off together! Thanks in advance!

Help Fire Victims of the West Texas Fires.

Join Pecos Citizens in assisting our fellow neighbors in Fort Davis Marfa/Alpine Wild Fires.

Volunteers in Pecos are creating a drop off center in the Main Street district for victims of the Fort Davis/Marfa/Alpine Wild Fires. We are currently accepting donations and will be housing them at 124 S. Oak Street in the building formerly known as Fonville's. Join our Mayor Venetta Seals as a volunteer to accept donations, or help our neighbors out by donating water, non-perishable food items, clothes, shoes, etc. Victims include animals- The animals are in need of hay, cat food, dog food, etc. A special thanks to Wal-Mart for their GENEROUS donations that will help to keep victims and volunteers hydrated and a special thanks to our friends at KPTX FM98 and KIUN AM Radio Pecos, Tx for spreading the word! We are in need of volunteers to man the donation drop off center. Please sign up for a time slot at 124 S. Oak Street.

Hour for donations vary depending on volunteers. We hope to have a volunteer team there from 1 pm to 6 p.m.

For more information please write me at recyclechic@yahoo.com or go onto our blog at http://www.thewinkingowl.com/ to keep up with current posts.

Exit Letter to the City. We wish Pecos the best during our Hiatus.

2010-06-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

As many of you might know, our family is leaving to Oaxaca for a year or so to take a break from our buildings-- physically and financially. We are looking forward to coming back recharged and ready to go full force when we arrive.

Since our dealings here with local government have not been a positive experience, we have decided to base our business in Oaxaca, Mexico in hopes that our hiatus will be a time of reflection for all. This past year we have been lied to, disappointed, and stepped on. However, for every negative action we have had an equally as positive reaction from another member of the community or city government who have been there to give us a hand up, cheer us on, and performed with integrity. We still have not figured out the complicated web that the past has created, and honestly we have no interest in trying. We will continue to focus on our goals, our visions and our family. We came in with an altruistic heart ready to roll up our sleeves and be a part of the change that we wish to see, and soon found out that no one wants change. It seems that most want change as long as the change that happens is exactly the same as that individual/entity envisioned the change to be. It has been really tough on our family to come in and have been promised what we were, only to find out that none of it was real and we most certainly learned from the experience.

However, with all that went wrong here, we blame no one but ourselves. We blame ourselves for trusting and believing and putting so much faith in the leaders who speak more than they implement. One can only sympathize with all of you who are in a position of power because we have personally gotten to experience firsthand how hard it is to accomplish the simplest of tasks here. We ourselves are all hitting similar walls and feel the same frustration as everyone else. We all handle obstacles differently...some fight, some hide, and some leave. As much as we love being near family it feels disheartening when we are constantly listening to everyone place blame and living with a negative attitude. Negativity is a contagious disease that is choking this township. We are all imperfect human beings. That is something that we all have in common. Mistakes happen and misunderstandings are simply that-Misunderstandings.

We know that change doesn't happen overnight, but passion and vision can do wonders. Despite all of the hang ups and hurdles, we have still managed the situation with our dedication and drive to bring the end result to fruition. We hope that with the new change in administration that the same dedication will maneuver the town into a more positive direction remembering the past as we move into the future. A past that Pecos has built its legendary namesake on.

Our family respects the past that everyone seems to hold onto in this town, but let's not be short sided and not look towards the future as we struggle within the present. The future needs to be thought of in the here and now in order to have it be more prosperous. Having said that, Let's discuss our ongoing concerns about the sinkhole that lines up behind our 4 contiguous properties. This sink hole has been created from leaking faulty sewer lines from lack of maintenance on the city's part. This issue has also severely damaged one of the own city's building-The Senior Center, which has now been condemned. Although the city chose the easier/and more inexpensive route to close down a building and remodel elsewhere, we are not willing to let our building fall under the same category.

Attached is a photo of our cracking 100 year old building. Please pay special attention to the spectacular hand pressed tin that is becoming rarer and rarer to find. The building is getting worse with every key stroke and day that goes by. Every day that meetings are being held and the sinkhole is being tabled for another emergency or "newer vision" our building is crumbling due to negligence on the city's part. We will not allow OUR buildings to end up like many of the city's buildings. WE care about our buildings and will not stand for the city's inability to find the funding to professionally repair an issue that was brought on by neglect and lack of funding.

Pecos is blessed to have a Main Street program with dollars allocated to improving Main Street. If the City of Pecos is limited to funds to cover the cost of this endeavor I would highly stress that it should lean on the Main Street program for assistance. Main Street is nothing without the skyline of the buildings. These buildings hold the history and the past. Without the buildings there is nothing tangible to encapsulate the times gone by that everyone seems to hold onto so dearly. We are here to make sure that these building s are here for another hundred years. This means...we need to save them TODAY!

We have been here a year and have waited patiently for this issue to be resolved and will be gone for another year expecting this issue to be resolved. If we arrive and find ourselves in the same situation, I promise that we will not come in with such a pacifist approach.

As we leave we are wiping the slate clean because that is the only way to have a flourishing future. Held grudges do nothing but harm. We hope that everyone has a spectacular year and understand now that we also share your vision of seeing Pecos grow and thrive. But it's time we all clean the slate. Breathe, don't look back and only move forward.

I know it seems like there are mountains beyond mountains before change can happen. But if you believe it....it will happen.

May this year to come be a more fabulous with for our township.

Sandra Renteria & Abel Chavez

Saturday June 19th 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Open House at the Desert Star Building along with Esmi Talamantez' Texas Summer Jam Camp Early Enrollment Sign up!

2010-06-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

We are having an Open House Saturday- June 19th 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

FOR RENT 1800 ft²

Historical building on Main Street Restored! Great for Office or Boutique...Space has 800 square feet for showroom and over 1000 square feet for office/storage.

100 years of restored history. Updated and modern with brand new fans and Air Conditioning--Tin Ceiling beautifully featured.

Perfect for gallery/coffee shop/land man office/boutique. Fully furnished for Land man use including leather sectionals, wood tables, Bose docking station, stove, microwave, dishes etc. Bi-Monthly cleaning service available. Walk to title companies and Court house!

BUT ...if attending an open house tomorrow isn't appealing enough to drag you into this heat. Come by and hear Esmi Talamantez sing unplugged. She has her guitar in tow and is signing people up for her Texas Summer Jam Camp. BRAVE the weather....we have cold water waiting....

Click for more information on Esmi's camp! Texas Summer Jam Camp

COME BY!!

Call 303.304.7079 Abel

122 S. Oak Street

Make sure to come to the Open house.See More

The Garcia Family! They lost their home to a FIRE! Please donate to get them thru this...Let's all chip in and help a Neighbor!

2010-05-22T03:26:00.000-07:00

The Garcia family lost their home...this is my childhood best friends home. I just found out today that Lorri's parent's house burned down! Imagine....40 years of love and care gone up in smoke..This could me my parents as well as your parents! I am in complete shock for them. Luckily they are safe--- but imagine ...having to recover from this.

Sometimes my life is so busy that I miss the news about situations like this, I'm usually more up to date with global happenings than local happenings, but somehow news of this horrific local disaster made it to me. I have created a donate button below for anyone who would like to donate to the family!

It's easy and it's safe and it will definitely help them out!

Please help them out! Any amount helps...this could happen to any of us...let's not forget our neighbors and those still around trying to pump life into this little town!

Thanks a ton

An Organic farmers market on Main Street Pecos March 6th 10am to 4 pm

2010-02-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

Life in the "Wild Wild West" offer gorgeous skies, vast openness and friendly folks. On beautiful nights we get on our rooftop and enjoy a nice bottle of wine and star gaze. It makes this insane journey seem worthwhile.

After the dreaminess wears off and reality sets in- I realize that I am a city girl who is constantly experiencing caffeine withdrawal and am always wishing that a venti mocha loaded will magically appear next to my laptop! I am hoping that my creative visualization skills will be strong enough to make that happen for Pecos some day. For now...I hope that my constant nag and severe addiction to caffeine will be an inspirational driving force.

When I am given the choice of a "roof and shower" or "espresso machine and lattes" - I somehow think life wouldn't be so great without the former, so I'm going to focus my future energy on dream building the latter ....baby steps..baby steps.

With the vision of a coffee shop that makes a great cafe con leche' also comes the dream of being able to find beautiful foods and product-preferably organic.

So in order to appease my constant need for caffeine I have ordered in a bulk an organic shipment of Gen Mai Cha and Gunpowder green tea along with other herbal teas in order to start my cleansing process. Since these product are not available in West Texas, I decided to make them available to all who are striving to achieve maximum wellness. I love teas and hope that having access to them will assist with the constant pull towards a cup of Java. Gunpowder tea has always helped me with the vice, but not having access to it has caused me to fall off the wagon. (well at least that's my excuse for now)

After solving my "tea" shortage, I decided to start focusing on my food issues..I know...I know...i have lots of issues, I'm quite aware of that, but for now lets focus on my "food" ones. :-)

But seriously...FOOD is a topic I do not take lightly. It is said that your "body is your temple", if that's true, as of current, mine should be condemned for slum and blight. In my search for crucial ingredients for a healthy lifestyle I find myself giving up and consequently have become a consumer of way too many burritos. My hips and heart are begging me to stop!

With every aching ascent of my steep stairs my knees are screaming at me to take the excess weight off, which means that I need to get back in groove with my heart song. A perfect day for me is cooking, painting, writing, and spending time with my family. Currently cooking and painting are out, but I need to get that back in focus, I am steadfast about getting back into a healthy groove.

Like I said earlier, I take food very seriuosly. One can always tell about the quality of our family life simply by looking at us. When we eat badly, we look and feel badly. It is as simple as that. Food is Life-Life is Food.

Lucky for us that my favorite hobby in life is cooking- the kind of cooking that means something is ALWAYS on the stove. When I travel internationally I usually order my food and ask if I can help to prepare it. It has been fascinating to learn all the different customs in preparation. I have a tendency to lean towards Asian food...anything with ginger and lemongrass really rocks my world. I am fortunate to be able to find ginger and coconuts here and even with my two burner coil cook top, I have managed to knock out decent coconut chicken ginger curry.

Because of my absolute respect for food, I consider it a privilege to live in a country with an abundance of resources. With these resources comes the responsibility to understand food and the complexity of what it takes to get a meal to the table. I have a tremendous respect for farmers and feel that they are the backbone of our nation and are not compensated nearly enough for their selfless profession. Having said that, I understand the financial pressures they are faced with in order to survive and how difficult it is to produce an Organic product without any GMO's (genetically Modified Organisms). But...I feel that if we as consumer make a stance and buy ONLY organic which is better for our families and our environment, that the cost of doing organic business will help to make resources for our farmers easier to create a pesticide free product. With this principle in mind I always buy organic when possible.

To buy organic produce I have to drive 78 miles each way to my nearest health food store. (YIKES) I have been torn between shopping locally and cutting down on my carbon imprint or buying organic and burning more fossil fuels. Shopping locally has won; however, the yearning to buy organic is at the forefront of my mind at each meal. After months of research, I was able to bring organic produce to us, but only in bulk. With that in mind, I decided to host a small farmers market to offer organic produce, grapeseed oils, cheese, range free meats, baguettes, etc and hope to do our part in giving our community another reason to shop locally and reduce the carbon imprint that has become a part of our daily reality.

I am excited about our small market. We will have award winning cheeses available from http://www.bellechevre.com/ - a company that is purposefully small, and each chevre is hand made by its passionate cheese makers. The result is an artisan cheese with a mild and distinct taste and texture that reflects the care with which it was made. Belle Chèvre cheeses have received numerous national awards from the American Cheese Society and the American Dairy Goat Association, and has been featured in many top culinary books and magazines. We are also excited at working directy with Skyler from YT Beef to bring you range free meats that are not only healthier but tastier.

http://www.ytbeef.com/

YT Beef cattle have access to all of the fresh air, nutritious grasses, clean water, and the finest mineral supplements that they care to eat. When YT ranchers work their livestock, they take care not to cause undue stress to them. It is in their best interest to have contented cattle, because if they are stressed, they don’t gain weight.

Along with great cheese, meats, oils and organic produce (keeping fingers crossed that our produce get in timely) we will have organic teas, essential oils and various sundries. My goal is to give our community a reason to shop locally. I understand why everyone drives out of town. I do it too (no judgement on my part) and feel that the day that I can sell our vehicle and survive with our bicycles is the day that we have succeeded. Until then I'll keep staring at our gorgeous sky and keep dreaming of the day when I get to order a mocha with a plate of chevre smothered in a gorgeous rasberry vinagrette and walnut dressing under it's vast greatness.

As Ghandi so simply stated "Be the change that you want to see in the world."

Our first farmers market starts March 6th 10am to 4 pm...Spread the word and help to be the change that you want to see.

Help Haiti, Understand her more and STOP the tweeting!

2010-01-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

The second news broke that Haiti was victim to a massive earthquake, I have to admit that I did not react. As someone who has been in an out of Haiti since the late 1990's I've been thru this more times than I care to admit. I am in the middle of my own nightmare trying to preserve and restore a historical building in order to provide my 7 year old a home. I was not quite ready to take on another Haitian nightmare.

Most who know me, know me as someone with strong ties to Haiti. That is quite a burden to carry. In a way I wonder if I thought moving to a small town like Pecos, Texas would allow me to start all over and leave the nightmares behind. I have a recurring nightmare when it comes to Haiti. In my nightmare I am falling into a black hole looking for someone or something to hang onto. I usually wake up sweating and shaking and think...oh "My Haiti Dream." UGH...not again. I have been to therapy and have learned to channel the negative images and spin them into a positive outcome but it does get exhausting.

Lucky for me that my dream evaporates when I wake up, however, for the people that live on the impoverished island, my nightmare is their daily reality. They cannot escape it by waking up. But even holed up in a small town in the middle of nowhere the reality once again becomes mine. But now it's personal. I cannot get a hold of Turgo Bastien. TURGO is one of my best friends and I do not know how to react or feel. The majority of my being wants to hide and come back a week later after the dust has settled and see what happened, but my conscious is not allowing for such a cowardice act.

Knowing Turgo as well as I do, I can see him covered in soot and cuts removing rubble off of the victims. He is strong, relentless and caring. That is how I am choosing to see him right now- that is the only way that I can move forward because I can hear Turgo's voice screaming to me "Cheri, I'm fine, GET HELP!"

As much as I wanted to just sit around and work on my own project that causes me my own level of grief and angst, I had to halt it and focus on the forgotten Island. Despite how tempting it is to turn the other way (after all haven't I done my part already) I decided to face my nightmares again! I co-founded an organization in Haiti moons ago with Judy Hoffman. Today, Judy steers the helm and has dedicated her days and nights to the organization. I have always helped when I can or under emergency situations. SADLY, emergency situations are often and huge, so it means I have to roll my sleeves up and get to it more times than I would care to say.

Turgo Bastien, our other co-founder, is on the ground with his family. His family is the glue that keeps the foundation going. Without them http://www.artforhaitianchildren.org/ would not exist.

So as I try to make sense of all of this piece by piece, I would like to share information that might help you decide how to help Haiti, should you choose to.

As I mentioned earlier, ACFFC (http://www.artforhaitianchildren.org/) is a grassroots organization that is dedicated to feeding, empowering and raising 63 children. As of current there have been no communication with the leaders of the foundation, however, photographs taken nearby are preparing us for macabre news.

So until that moment comes when all the shards of reality presents themselves in front of me to create a shattered mirror that I am forced to look into...I am choosing to stay with Turgo in spirit. I am there behind him pulling rocks and debris off the victims of Haiti the only way I can from this location. It is within this delusional dream that I can focus and stay proactive.

TURGO IF YOU CAN HEAR ME...I AM BEGGING FOR HELP!

I know that it has become second nature to support the Red Cross and Unicef: Let me explain briefly, without sounding too negative, why one should not. Think of them as a government entity; Archaic and slow. Grassroots organizations are like little ants on the ground that know how to maneuver, speak the language, understand the culture and know how to negotiate for everything according to the norm. The bigger agencies pay for big advertising space, screen print their boxes for "photo ops" and make sure everyone is given shirts and water bottles to show the world that they have a presence.

The smaller agencies share camps and resources, I can already see PIH and HAS sharing doctors, supplies, space, food and water. No egos involved. Red Cross will have their own camp and for the most part isolate themselves. Their staff usually does not know the language nor the customs and require all agencies to "sign" and account for ever syringe etc that is taken to help a victim. What you will see with the smaller agencies is how quickly they adapt to each other's moves and needs. Before you know it, they are a fast moving millipede that has been created with a little of this and a little of that. The larger agencies will still be setting up their fancy camps that show all of their LOGO work on them with a diagram attached within the box it came in. I can go on and on and on and on....but I won't. Don't get me wrong, the larger agencies do help, but for the MILLIONS of dollars that go their way, only a small percentage trickles in.

If you donate a box of medical supplies to an organization like http://www.zanmilakay.org/ who is not designed for this set up, they will negotiate and beg for free shipping to get the product in. When they arrive in Haiti, they know enough people that they do not have to pay the "bribe" to get it in and have someone they know waiting for them at the airport to rush them into action. They will arrive not knowing what is before them with supplies and become part of the millipede team that is moving piece by piece to create a safe space. Because they speak the language and know many people there they add to the legs of the millipede that continues to morph and change as necessary. Nothing is constant but change. They become part of the Haitian Millipede that gets two new legs for every tired one they lose. This is the Haitian core group of devoted humanitarians who have been crying Haitian tears for most of their lives. These grassroots teams have been there, are there, and will be there after all the major names pack up with the fancy logos and leave. These teams will be crying with the victims, because the victims are their friends and their family. Their compassion is steadfast and their emotions are rooted. Below are the organization I give money to and assist when I can. Whatever you choose to do, is fine...but PLEASE HELP.

PLEASE DON'T TWEET MONEY! Because of the admin process it can take up to 90 days to reach the victims! Donate via their website, it isn't as fun as tweeting but it's more effective.

I will continue to edit this page and post photos and more links but for now I wanted to get it out there.

First Responders
http://www.pih.org/
http://www.hashaiti.org/

2nd Responders
http://www.lambifund.org/

Healing Responders
http://www.artforhaitianchildren.org/
http://www.zanmilakay.org/

Companies and People trying to help

Ted Frankel of AVAM has been going to Haiti forever...his love for the land and the people is immeasurable
He is raising money for Haiti and it's aritsts! HIS PRICES ARE VERY VERY LOW, The money is going back to the artists/who have become friends and http://www.artforhaitianchildren.org/. Please share this info. Prices are low and quality is HIGH HIGH! He has pieces by George Valris, Yves Telemaque...Internationally recognized... artists. He just listed and has sold a lot. Shop Shop Shop
http://www.sideshowbaltimore.com/SIDESHOWsite/HELP_HAITI.html

NADINE LAFOND has put together an online store with our children's art work. Pieces as low as $10 These pieces were created by OUR children at www.artforhaitianchildren.org. 100% of the money will go back to them. Please share this link around. Thanks Nadine and Narcisco! SHOP SHOP SHOP. THINK BIRTHDAY...THINK ANNIVERSARY....THINK ITS A GOOD CAUSE!! THANKS EVERYONE.
http://www.artlives.net/acffc_artwork.htm

I have set up some paintings on my http://www.winkingowl.etsy.com/ site, as time and energy allows I will add to the list.

A dream being held closed with red tape-My letter to the head of the bank

2010-01-03T01:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Sir/Madame:

My name is Sandra Renteria and I have been waiting for months for my 203K HUD Loan to be processed. I am writing you this letter with a heavy heart and determined mind.

Everyday that you go into your office, drink your coffee, hold your meetings, type away at your computer and allow my file to sit at the bottom of your pile- My dream is stalemated.

Here is a day in our family’s life- We live in a building that has no shower, no kitchen and LIMITED heat! We draw buckets of water from a small faucet and carry them over to a stove to boil water in order to bathe my daughter in a swimming pool that we have to self drain with more buckets. Before the luxury of a stove; we were building a fire outside in a fire pit in order to maintain a hygienic life for our 7 year old. This process can take up to two hours of our day. Measured in lost opportunity cost, one can only imagine how impactful and draining this is on a daily basis. I would liken this situation to trying to do your job with a ledger book and an abacus. I would challenge you to meet your Profession Development Goals under these circumstances.

Despite the fact that every day that I wake up to do additional back breaking work on top of my already demanding schedule, I do it with an altruistic spirit. We are a family committed to Main Street America and we are willing to sacrifice during this time in order to bring to fruition a concept that can be impactful to our family as well as our local community. However, the financial and emotion impact on our family that these months and months of delays are causing are NO LONGER TOLERABLE!

If your concerns are regarding the appraisal, please take note of a recent Kiplinger article written on the top 10 housing economies. “Texas makes a strong showing, with six cities in the top ten, reflecting the state's population and job growth in recent years, much of it related to strong energy prices”-December 16th 2009 Kiplinger.com. This speaks highly of our region. There is much substantiated data available should you need more back up for our file. (Remember the file-the one at the bottom covered in red tape. I’m happy to increase the girth.)

Our financials are solid and our dedication to this dream is unyielding, however our patience and funding is finite. As much as I would love to create a detailed accounting of monies invested and lost as well as additional expenses incurred due to the delay of this loan, it would only create an additional delay to a project that is important to our family, local community, and supporters.

It is with urgency that I write this letter to explain that the seller, Mr. Cooksey, has selflessly extended our closing deadline multiple times with the understanding that January 15th was our final extension. The clock is ticking with every stroke of a key. I am no longer willing to impose on his generosity and kindness. Mr. Cooksey is the biggest proponent for this project. His willingness to accept the delays for my dream is unfathomable in today’s culture. My dream has become his dream. Our dream has become the dream of a community. The dream of our community has gone national, (please view http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pecos-TX/Preserving-a-Pecos-Tx-Jewel-The-Fonville-Jewelry-Building/212720605267?ref=ts.) You are no longer holding a file that belongs to a faceless applicant; you are now holding a dream that is being followed by thousands. This is a dream that started with the planting of a seed which has branched out to become larger than you or me. It has now become a glimmer of hope as well as a movement of change for this historic and iconic building on Main Street America.

In order to make this dream move along, this is what I NOW need from you. First... dig my file out of the bottom of the pile, then pull the scissors out and cut thru the red tape. Then, please attach a sticky note handwritten with “URGENT-Handle With Care and Love” to my file and hand process my application. Please consider this your dream as well. Hand carry this to every office for every needed signature and review with the understanding that time is running out and this dream needs an answer.

Thank you in advance for your dedicated follow thru to our dream. Nena Tiahrt, my loan specialist, has been untiring and passionate about our file. If everyone could show the same dedication and passion for their work as she has, this letter would not be needed. So as a Texan who is looking forward to the day she can turn a knob to bathe her beautiful little girl with HOT water in a tub that self drains “GET HER DONE!”

Sincerely,

Sandra Renteria

A hardware store to an Artist is a must. A 70 year old mainstay in a historic building-- is a PRIVELEGE! BROWNLEE HARDWARE

2009-12-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

As an artist rehabbing a historical building, I'm not sure what is more important to me, internet connection for resources or having a hardware store across the street. It is hard to imagine what life would be like without either. The owner of Brownlee Hardware Co., Mr. Brownlee (Everyone calls him James) is not only knowledgeable, but kind. His staff is attentive, and very helpful. In a time where good old fashion customer service has almost become an extinct artform, it is refreshing to have this luxury across the street from our family.

If good customer service wasn't enough, another amazing thing about this business space is how easy it is to find "repair" parts. I, along with most, am guilty of throwing something that doesn't work away. "Parts" have become a rare thing of the past. At Brownlee they carry pieces and parts to FIX things...Imagine that one! Yes, a hardware store that sells parts that fix broken things that can be repaired and do not have to be replaced. Amazing! Not only do they know how their random doo dads function, they also give you ideas (simple old fashion ones) that make our complicated life seem simple.Without realizing it, Brownlee's is an eco-friendly "green" store ahead of its time; Standing still made them progressive. Remember the days when you needed a single bolt and you were able to buy only what you needed instead of the entire box that ends up in some random drawer causing clutter and bringing an accustomed additional expense to your pocket book? Well at our neighborhood hardware store (literally), I can buy ONE bolt, ONE hook, and ONE nail. For a family of environmental advocates, this has been a great simple pleasure.

One can only imagine the hair-brained ideas that I concoct in the middle of the night which I attempt to create the next day. When my eyes allow me to see the light of day, I go in like a deer caught in the headlights trying to explain my random thought process explaining what it is that I am trying to do and they work me thru the concept. By the time I walk out, I feel like I actually know what it is I'm about to attempt and feel equipped to create my midnight madness vision.

Slowly, I have had the privilege of peeking into nooks and crannies of the building, which are not only breathtaking but full of history and stories. If you get a chance to go in and buy some chain it is worth the experience. To locals, it is just another day in the hood, but to someone coming back home, it's a blast into the past. After being led thru a hundred year old grand door, you walk into a room full of shelves with old labels and amazing ladders. If that wasn't enough to give you vertigo, just look up. The pressed tin is enough to give any antique geek a run for their money. (AND NO...the ceiling is not for sale...So don't even think about asking!) Please-- try to remember why you are back there in the first place...to buy chain, so try to focus when they ask you what size it is that you need. As the size you selected falls out of a container created over 70 years ago, pay close attention to the "cutting" contraption. It's a sculptural masterpiece....sigh. Yes...all this from buying a few feet of chain.

It's nostalic to imagine how the past has been so perfectly preserved within the Brownlee Hardware store. We sit outside daily and drink coffee on our sidewalk patio area and watch the cars and people ebb and flow. Each individual unknowingly becomes a part of the buildings past, present and future. For those who come, they are just buying a piece or a part, to us, they are part of the reason the Brownlee Hardware store has a viable business in our historic Main Street District. They have been operating for over 70 years this year! Everyone should be as lucky as we are to have a hardware store across the street from them as grand as the Brownlee Hardware Co.

Brownlee Hardware Co Inc

131 S Oak St

Pecos, TX 79772

(915)445-2813

Sherwin Williams White

2009-10-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to focus on getting any work done. Currently I am defining work as "Creating a kitchen" in the studio. As "closing" nears we are starting to move out of our temporary space into the studio to save money. The studio is a very large building that is also 100 years old. It was the "Cable Company" for many years. So locally, everyone here refers to it as such. So it's time I start painting (straight painting.)

I wasn't very excited at the prospect of buying this cracking money pit, but after Jonathan, my architect, stressed that it was crucial to protect our investment, I begrudgingly caved in and decided to purchase it. Since I do not have the budget to "rehab" the building, we hope to win grants along the way and keep it limping along. The back of the building is cracking and caving due to a sink hole. The contractor felt that we basically needed to just slice the dilapidated part off and create a whole new exterior wall. SIGH....but I can't think about that right now, it's too far away and I have too much to think about in the present.

So anyway, here I am trying to get motivated, and somehow, somehow, come up with a wave of energy to start creating a room that will house a "temporary" kitchen that we can survive in. The kitchen is crucial, not only for food, but as a way to boil water to bathe. Yes BATHE, we don't have a shower here. I guess for us it really isn't that big of a deal. We managed to live in Haiti without electricity, or should I say ONE hour in an average 48 hour period, we lived in CHILLY Cusco Peru without heat (lots of sweaters, layers and for Serena, her baby alpaca bears), and we loved our life in Thailand without running water. Remember stories of me running around with buckets catching rain water? So boiling water to bucket bathe isn't that big of a deal, not ideal, but still something we can live easily with.

I can only imagine the therapy bills that will be coming my way from our little princess Diva Serena? Can you see it? "Well, Life was confusing, I remember visiting my dad at his ocean view condo and enjoying the best of Balboa Island, and then coming home to bathe in a bucket in West Texas!" Can you hear it already? Oh well, I guess I better start saving for the therapy bills. :-).........which is really why I need to get off the computer and start to work. lol

Seriously though, I don't even think Serena know what "normal" is. Today she decided that she wanted to hike the Inca Trail again. When I told her that she might have to wait until she was older, she said that it was fine, maybe when she turns 10 she will go again! LOL, she has such a clueless innocence about her.

As I go in to tackle the kitchen I have bought and am starting to live and learn "Sherwin Williams White." This is the color Jonathan wants the exterior and interior of the space! For those who know me well, has there ever been a white wall in my space? NOPE! For those who don't you can see how colorful my world usually is at http://www.2842raleighstreet.com/ So anyway, I'm starting to try to envision a life with Sherwin Williams White (SWW).

I really like what Jonathan is doing with the space and I totally dig it. It's about blending in with the beautiful sky here in the Wild Wild West. It's about creating a living space that floats like a cloud within the natural backdrop of sky blue. As a maximalist, I feel like I need the simplicity in our living space. I can clutter up my studio!

As I am trying to learn to live with SWW, I started creating with it. It's an interesting transition for me, It begins with reversing my color palette. It somehow calls for more simplistic creations. I have a lot of pieces started but I finally finished one piece.

It's a fun place to be. I'm sure more SWW pieces will be completed in the next month or so.

Well anyway, I should head off and paint our temporary kitchen SWW so can start to understand how to live with it and learn to use objects as paint brush strokes instead of the other way around.

Sherwin Williams White...Here I come!

Turgo Bastien's Tangerine "Erzulie Freda" Kitchen-A Haitian Outsider Artist

2009-10-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.turgoartcreation.com/

Turgo Bastien is one of my all time favorite artists! He created this piece for me and definitely kept in mind my obsession with the color orange. I just love orange...it's just so Juicy. I definitely can't wait to hang this piece back up.

The best thing about the building we are restoring (if my loan ever goes to escrow........snooooze) is that we are designing it to have two kitchens (Thanks to Jonathan Card my architect for figuring out a way to give me that great luxury).

I LOVE FOOD! YES....Love to the point of obsession. When I travel I usually end up back in the kitchen assisting the cooks/chefs with the preparation of my dish, or enroll in some random cooking class. I am fascinated with every aspect of food. So it seems natural to have a small 10x10 kitchen upstairs and a HUGE kitchen downstairs.

For those who know me well, You have more than likely been to one of my "Turgo" parties! We start cooking 36 hours in advance and serve everything on real plates, glassware and all that an eco-friendly group should be doing! Feeding close to 200 people starting from 12p.m. to 4 a.m is no small task. Chef/Artist Turgo always smiles thru the process and the only time he gets a bit antsy is when someone decides to turn down the music to converse better. Then you usually hear him say "No music...No Food!"

In a strange way I may be designing this kitchen for Turgo. So really ...I shouldn't even be calling it "MY" kitchen. From now on I think that I will refer to the downstairs kitchen as "Turgo's Kitchen." I will refer to the upstairs kitchen as "Mine." :-) OK TURGO...that means you have to come down and cook for us!!
Every time I see this painting I will always remember hanging out drinking many bottle of wines and listening to full blast Reggae with the outdoor speakers full blast. ("Could you be loved......."....sorry neighbors)

This particular painting is titled "Erzulie Freda" The goddess of love! Erzulie Freda is a lwa of great wealth and the embodiment of luxury. Turgo blessed me with this piece to oversee me on a day to day basis.

I found this fabulously mod velvet swag lamp in Odessa, Texas. I am not sure if it's too over the top for the kitchen....but for now it stays. I just can't imagine parting with it--hmmm, how about in the bathroom?

The chip bowl is a 1950's California pottery find! Lucky ME!

Don't let them change ya, oh! -

Or even rearrange ya! Oh, no!
We've got a life to live. (ooh, ooh, ooh)
They say: only - only -
only the fittest of the fittest shall survive -
Stay alive! Eh!
Could you be loved... and be loved...
Could you be loved... and be loved... Bob Marley

I have been finding these heavy pieces of brownish earthware pottery peppered around and cannot for the life of me figure out who created them. The dancing ballerina/flamenco girl is just fab! I figured these could make for fun accent pieces, at least for now if nothing else yummier comes along....and if so, it's off to Etsy! http://www.winkingowl.etsy.com/

This drip glaze orange pitcher will have to be pryed out of my hands! I dragged this piece in all the way from New Port Beach, California. I kept looking at in and saying....DON'T....but the temptation was just too much and here she is, in rural Pecos, Texas!

So for now this is where my mind is wondering off to....holding on for my October 15th closing date! Keeping in mind that my loan has been delayed two times. So for now I am dreaming and creating vignettes to nail everything down when they are ready to tear down the walls.

Turgo...I miss you!

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Turgo Bastien
http://www.turgoartcreation.com/

Known primarily for his paintings in acrylic,he has also acquired skill as a sculptor, using found objects-aluminum,wood,scrap metals and natural fibers-to further explore and explain his vision.

Turgo searches for the light in the ultimate darkness and presents a global vision of truth and reality in each piece. Known primarily for his paintings in acrylic,he has also acquired skill as a sculptor, using found objects-aluminum,wood,scrap metals and natural fibers-to further explore and explain his vision. For the past 20 years, Bastien has maintaind homes and actively worked in studios in Jacmel, Haiti Nassau, Bahamas, and West Palm Beach,Florida. He is also a Co-founder of Art Creation Foundation,(http://www.artforhaitianchildren.org/) an art school for children that he was instrumental in his native Haiti. His pieces have been exhibited in Museums and galleries world-wide, and have been reviewed in several books and publications; Here...There and beyond, The 303 Magazine, Haitian Art in the Diaspora and many more.

Bejeweled Road Runner by artist www.sandrarenteria.com

2009-09-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

A collage of inspiration

http://www.sandrarenteria.com/

What do you get when you cross an Enid Collins handbag, a Fenton Robin Egg Blue Poppy lamp, Recycled/Salvaged Cabinet Door and a Pheasant Hen Milk Glass Candy Dish.....?

"THE BEJEWELED ROAD RUNNER" 20"x28"

Can be seen at

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31814523

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE CREATION

Enid Collins- Vintage Purse "Road Runner"

History of Enid Collins--A TEXAS GEM!

More info on the purse at

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31812615

"Enid Collins did just what she loved, combining art and fashion, and in doing so she created one of the most recognizable purses of the retro crazes. Her purses exploded on the scene in the glory days of what we now call the "vintage era", the retro craze.

Her two main purses were the wooded mahogany box bag and the canvas bucket bag. The bucket bag had a wooden bottom, leather trim, and made from linen. The backgrounds were often matte-screened or painted by hand.

Her whimsical designs were reminiscent of the Texas landscape and surrounding abundant critter life. The purses were covered with roadrunners, lady bugs, peacocks (raised on nearby farms), horses and the like. You would find her box bags and purses disputing colorful saying of the late 1950's....I can still hear my mother preaching, "Money doesn't grow on trees." only to find money did grow on trees if you owned an Enid Collins!

Husband and wife started out small on their Medina ranch in 1959. Her first purses sold for 100.00 or more and were made of fine leather or Belgian linen.

Enid and Frederic soon found a way to bring cost down. Enid cleverly developed a simple box bag made of wood. The dimensions were 11" by 5 1/2" and cost 10.00 each in 1963. Her husband fashioned the hinges and latches. They started out simply enough with hand paintings and personal art work, but soon a factory developed turning out thousands of purses. From 1966 to 1968 they created paper mache purses at a factory in Puerto Rico. This factory produced the most coveted purses of all.

By 1968, her whimsical purses were in such hot demand that a factory sprung up, turning out purses by the thousands. Remember this - all her original purses were signed and dated. The best purse to have is a pre 1968 purse, in mint condition, signed with the small "ec", the copyright "c", and the date, because these are the times when Mrs. Collins owned the company. Later purses are signed differently. The Tandy Company used the running horse with Collin of Texas logo or a capital "C", which purchased Enid's company in 1970. Although Tandy purses are just as "glittery" as a Collins purse, they are not as desirable in todays vintage market." http://www.retrovintagecollectibles.com/

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Fenton Glass-The Gone with the Wind/Student Lamp "Satin Blue Poppy"

This piece can be seen at

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31810903

This fabulous Fenton Glass Robin Egg Blue Satin Milk Glass lamp has really inspired the current color palette that I am working with. I was torn between make this a focal point in my current "white" Living room idea. BUT it didn't blend well, so for now...it goes...but who knows if I will change my mind.
Two months ago I had no idea what "FENTON" was, but after becoming fascinated with "Milk Glass" the word "Fenton" kept showing up. So I bought my first book. "Fenton Glass " by Mark F. Moran. This was a wealth of information. I am so glad I made the investment.

I have also learned quite a bit from http://www.fentonglassusa.com/

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Nesting Milk Glass Hen Candy Dish

This piece can be seen at

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31815458

I have no idea who made this piece...but I think it is very sweet.

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With all of these combined I have created by own version of the "Jeweled Road Runner"

My work can be seen at http://www.sandrarenteria.com/

http://www.winkingowl.etsy.com/

Please Join our fan page at
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Winking-Owl-Studio/129927372388?ref=ts

Mid Century Design...A bounty of goods.

2009-09-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

After deciding to buy the Fonville building, I was faced with financial design challenges. Although the building itself had a "sky is the limit" design aspect to it, my budget did not allow for it. The commercial space where the Fonville family had been selling jewelry out of for over 70 years (great feng shui), had dated lighting and shelving units. Sadly, I'm just not a fan of verneers and mirrors, but after talking it over with my Architect, Jonathan Card, I decided insteading of trying to re-design, I needed to rethink my vision. So I decided to go in with a "if you can't beat them, join them" attitude. Thus, we decided to go with Mid-Century design. If there is one thing that I find amazing about the Wild Wild West is how time has stood still in the design world. Mid Century pieces are everywhere as long as you have the eye and knowledge to spot them. So I decided to take the design of our gallery/studio/cafe to a level of extreme. Somehow I live life that way..it's ALL or NOTHING.

After buying books on Mid-Century design, 1940's to 1960's Home Magazines and surfing the Information Highway to absorb all that I could, I started to buy. One piece at a time.

As I buy, i just BUY! The piece doesn't have to have a complete set, it doesn't have to have a destination or a purpose, it just needs to be in our space to see if there is any organic growth to the fruition of the project.
Along the way I started encouraging Abel and my daughter Serena to study some of the books with me and it has now become a family project.

Serena is the "owl and mushroom" expert. She can spot those pieces a mile away, she can bring in milk glass and she has a tendency to be attracted to depression glass and Fenton hobnail pieces. My precocious 8 year old has decided she is going to be a fashion designer when she grows up. Vintage fabric really rocks her world!

Currently we are still in the "buying" phase of the project. We are applying for a HUD 203K Rehabilition Construction loan which is very admistrative, but the ONLY loan that was created for our situation, so I have had to learn patience. Instead of getting frustrated I have used this down time to go on Mid-Century hunts and somewhere in the middle of all of this chaos I decided to open an Etsy Store. http://www.winkingowl.etsy.com/

Winking Owl is a family venture, Serena likes to "match vignettes", Abel does the photography and I do the listings. We are in the middle of nowhere so we have some hiccups to deal with but, I think for that exact reason we are finding amazing things that are shaping the sculpting of our living/studio space. Each piece has the potential to change the design outcome.

You can see my artwork at http://www.sandrarenteria.com/
Make sure to support a foundation I co-founded http://www.artforhaitianchidren.org/
http://www.thewinkingowl.com/

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Pecos-TX/Preserving-a-Pecos-Tx-Jewel-The-Fonville-Jewelry-Building/212720605267?ref=ts