Gift Giving with Santa Fe Style

Last time I gave you a great early holiday shopping tip by telling you about IFAA's holiday pop-up shop. Now, it's time for some more gift giving ideas from SantaFeStyles. I promise to give you the most unique, cost conscious, and style savvy present ideas. When we are done, you will be able to present all of your holiday presents with confidence.

For the men in your life shopping can be difficult. Santa Fe will squash those difficulties and make gifting for your guys a breeze. Start with Santa Fe Stoneworks where you will find classic stone handled blades from steak knives to pocket knives and beyond. Tap on my link to start your perusing of these one-of-a-kind gifts. Or, if you are already in Santa Fe, you can head over to Santa Fe Cutlery in the shops at the La Fonda hotel. From there, make your way over to the corner of Galisteo and Water Streets. Here you will find Sequoia. Sequoia is both the name of the shop and of the gentle-natured artisan who owns it. Although the gallery-like furniture and art store is filled with high end, high cost original furniture pieces. It has many small offerings as well. You will find hand made leather medicine pouches for under $50. They also have really neat diving men or climbing men wall sculptures for around $125.

If the previous suggestions fail to hit the nail on the head, go across the street to The Collected Works. The Collected Works is a Santa Feans favorite bookstore. Surely there is a gift here for any guy on your list. The staff picks for reads are always well informed and entertaining. If you are completely clueless, I bet they would be happy to guide you on your gifting adventure. Not able to shop the store in person? They have signed copies for sale online to please even the most discerning librarian.

Keeping it local in Santa Fe, and also on Galisteo St. is Artful Tea. You can also find Artful Tea at the Santa Fe Farmer's Market at the Railyard. The adorable packaging will make a few ounces of loose leaf tea an appreciated and stylish gift for any hostess you may encounter this season. In an impromptu visit to the Galisteo St. location last weekend, my husband and I scored a couple Urban Tea Tumblers by Steepware. They are portable glass tumblers that have a small container for steeping loose leaf tea within the tumbler. The tumblers are $30 and would make great gifts for college students or people who love cold weather outdoor events like football games. Add some of Artful Tea's single cup tea samples at around $2 each and you will have a well stuffed stocking.

Everyone knows that Santa Fe is THE place to go to buy authentic Native American jewelry. What you didn't know is the amount of contemporary artisan jewelery also available in the capital city. The Pop Art Gallery is currently hosting an array of vintage inspired baubles. Beautifully odd bees preserved in glass pendants, Victorian steam punk from Compass Rose designs and rocketships in various pieces. You can find great jewelry for under $200 here.

For fast gifting solutions there is the Sena Plaza on Palace Ave. Here you can find La Casa Sena and their world renowned wine shop. Restaurant gift cards and bottles of wine are sure to fit the bill for someone on your list. Also in the Sena Plaza is a cool and quirky sock shop. Do what you will with that info. Now get out on the town and enjoy the beautiful weather while you get your gifts with ease.

Happy St.Patrick's Day

What do we, at Santa Fe Styles do to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? First I realized that I have no idea why we celebrate St.Patrick's Day. To me it's a food holiday. I associate St.Patrick's Day with Irish potatoes (the coconut confection type) and corned beef and cabbage. Okay and its an excuse to drink like an Irishman even though I am not. I will take this time to acknowledge here that perhaps my northern French ancestry could be at least partially Gaelic of some sort. That would give me an advantage I bet. Anyways, so I drink.

I believe it was Hemingway who said "Write drunk and edit sober." It has always been good advice. I am, as most of us are, more creative when less inhibited. That's not the point. The point is that it's St. Patrick's Day. Last year, in my "creativity" i made corned beef and cabbage with red cabbage. Disaster mostly. So, I decided to stick with a more traditional recipe this year. Then all of the sudden this food based holiday snuck up on me and as I was unprepared, I decided to try corned beef and cabbage at one of my local eateries.

When I walked into the bar at Rio Chama, I was surprised to learn the legislative session had not yet ended. I wanted to run away but Missy was there behind the bar and she is so professional and sweet. In the end I had to order the classic Rio Chama Lunch...the blackened primed rib sandwich. it's open faced on asadero cheese and sliced sourdough. Don't forget the au jus and horseradish sauce. It is pretty much the perfect Santa Fe lunch if you are a carnivore downtown that is.

Luckily, I had my husband with me and he ordered the St.Patty's day special. I was eager to get a bite. Unfortunately, it was done very poorly. The dish was plated beautifully but the vegetables were severely undercooked. I would call them raw. After two crunchy potatoes, he sent it back and decided that his appetite was ruined. I felt guilty that I had thoroughly enjoyed a chipotle bloody Mary and my steak sandwich.

Back at home, we promptly called Joe's Dining in the Rodeo Plaza and ordered their corned beef special to go. Joe's is so close to our house that we often walk there. I feel very lucky to have such a consistently delicious farm to restaurant establishment nearby. Of course, the Irish fare here was perfect and delicious. I was so happy that I didn't have to cook the meal. Not because I don't enjoy nourishing my family but because I'm getting drunk! No, no, no. It's because of my deathly allergies. The worst I have ever had. Not many things bloom in New Mexico but after a decade or so of living here, you wonder how you can ever leave your house again. It is very very itchy in the outside world.

So, in order to continue my celebration of St. Patrick's Day I have concocted a new cocktail. My first original cocktail in over 2 years. It's the Aller-gin Elixir. I made a gin Martini with the Evolution Fresh Ginger limeade as the vermouth and used a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of local bee pollen to coat the rim of the Martini glass. It will help my allergies one way or another. Cheers!