Pink Moon Beauty Labs Ribbon Cutting
Inbank Promotes Jennifer Portillos to Market President
Grow Raton Host Business Meeting
Santa Shops Raton
Business Spotlight

Pink Moon Beauty Labs Ribbon Cutting

Posted March 10, 2024

The Pink Moon Beauty Labs, 246 Clark Avenue, Raton, celebrated a grand opening on Friday, March 8, 2024 at 1:00 PM. Several Raton Ambassadors, Raton MainStreet, friends and family were on hand to celebrate the business opening by Caitlin Romero. Raton Ambassadors provided a ribbon cutting and Raton MainStreet presented Caitlin with the traveling “Key to Downtown.”

Pink Moon Beauty Labs is open Tuesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Wednesday through Friday 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM and on Saturdays 8:00 AM – 10:30 AM. Appointments can be made for manicures and pedicures by calling (575) 643-8211 or book online at https://caitlinromero.glossgenius.com/services.

Inbank Promotes Jennifer Portillos to Market President

Posted March 2, 2024

Inbank announced that Jennifer Portillos has been named as Market President in Raton, NM. Jenn is a Raton native and has been with InBank’s Raton location for over 15 years in various roles, including consumer and commercial lending, credit administration, mortgage banking, loan operations and as an executive assistant. She succeeds Lois Romero who held the role of Market President in Raton previously. Jenn is heavily involved in the local community with various organizations, including the Raton Mainstreet Board of Directors, the City of Raton Personnel Board and Raton Public Service Company as Advisory Director. Congratulations Jenn!

Business Spotlight

“A Sweet Shopping Experience at Carrie’s Honey & More Store”

February 18, 2024 – by Mary Elder

Carries Honey Store storefront — Carrie’s Honey & More Store at 613 S. Second St.

Within a sales floor measuring just 6 feet by 12, owner Carrie Gonzales has created one of the coziest shops in the region. In business since 2017, her “Honey & More Store” at 613 S. Second St. celebrates bees with myriad products made or inspired by them, ranging from raw honey to lip balm to pure beeswax candles and other “bee-utiful” housewares and jewelry.

Her bee boutique also houses an observational hive where visitors spend more time than they could have imagined searching for the queen and watching her minions at work. Often, they fall into easy conversation with other shoppers and before you know it, email addresses are exchanged, and friendships are born. This never surprises Carrie. “Nothing but nice, happy people come in here all day long,” she insists. “They are my life.”

About 90% of her customers are “faithful locals”. Many of them discovered the store during the pandemic and now return regularly with jars to be filled from urns brimming with the good stuff: the finest honey from nationally recognized Rocky Mountain beekeepers in varieties like alfalfa and clover. She’s known many of her suppliers for decades— “we grew up in the business together”—and they can tell her where the bees gathered the nectar for every batch. That matters because the flora in each area give each type of honey its unique floral or spicy character.

Those keepers continue to honor pricing agreements established with Carrie years ago when she owned a much larger store near Rocky Mountain National Park, enabling her to sell honey less expensively than many other outlets.

They also provide her with the 35-pound, skateboard-sized slabs of yellow beeswax she uses for making both molded and hand-dipped candles. Crafting either is a labor of love that first requires melting and painstakingly filtering the wax to remove any impurities, like bees’ wings or leaves. Then she patiently dips wicks for tapers in the purified wax up to 27 times to achieve the desired shape and finish. Making candles in molds is also time consuming, as they must cure for eight hours or longer after the wax is poured. The process brings her joy, though, as her molds are like old friends. Several are antiques and all of them yield stunningly intricate designs. She prices the finished candles by the pound with tapers starting at $2.50.

When I note that’s not much of a markup, Carrie explains that she opened the store to keep herself busy in retirement and as long as the operation pays for itself, she’s satisfied. She’s always avoided amassing debt as an entrepreneur, an approach that allowed her to pick up and move her business to Raton when a flood destroyed her home in northern Colorado in 2015. Housing was scarce and the community just didn’t feel the same, so she and her partner made the decision to relocate. But where would they go?

She had hitchhiked through north central New Mexico as a 16-year-old. The striking images of mountains—the first she’d ever seen, having grown up in Nebraska—never left her. As they began the search for their new town, she was delighted to encounter photos of the same mountains on Raton’s Wikipedia page. From there she surfed over to Zillow to look at real estate listings, and the rest is history. “We love Raton!” she exclaims. “After we lost our previous community we really weren’t sure what we were walking into. We didn’t know a soul. Even the Realtor who helped us find our house had left by the time we got down here. But the people, the city and other businesses welcomed and embraced us, and still do. Honestly, we wish we’d have moved to Raton even earlier.”

Carrie engages independent artists and crafts people to produce bee-themed goods for the store, like these beaded pendants and earrings made by her grade-school friend Mary Beth Adams. “We were classmates, lost track of each other, and reconnected recently on Facebook,” she says. “Turns out she makes beautiful jewelry.”

You can connect with Carrie on Facebook at Carrie’s Honey & More Store, by phone at 505-570-7676, through email at wixperiments@gmail.com, or stop in Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. You’ll “bee” happy you did.

Owner Carrie Gonzales in a cozy corner of her shop

Embroidered vintage-look tea towels, writing implements, ice cube trays, greeting cards and lip balm are among the myriad bee-themed wares for sale at Carrie’s Honey & More Store.

Posted December 17, 2023

Grow Raton Business Meeting Held at AJML

Grow Raton, the organization focused on economic development in Raton, held a business meeting at the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library (AJML) on Monday, December 11, 2023 at 11:00 AM to provide local businesses with resources, ideas, and the tools needed to be successful in today’s day to day economic fluctuations. Grow Raton President Brandy Dietz welcomed several business owners and individuals interested in improving the economy of Raton. She introduced the guest speaker, Kristine Olsen, who had traveled three hours to attend that morning.

Kristine Olsen, co-president of the Northeast Economic Development Organization (NEEDO), presented a Power Point slide show and explained opportunities provided through the New Mexico State University (NMSU) CREATE Bridges Program. During the three-hour meeting, the group broke into groups to discuss and later present information about marketing and promotion and the need and importance of business exit plans.

Grow Raton will schedule additional meetings to provide a path for economic development in Raton. The next meeting will be announced at a later date.

Santa Shops Raton

Raton Business Community offers a wide variety of options. Some of those options are explored with Santa. Scouting those unique finds for the holiday shopping season is Mary Elder, our contributing writer, roving reporter and sometime photographer. She presented a Raton business each day and share their unique gift ideas.

Did you know that we have many wonderful shopping opportunities right here in Raton?

Made in Raton Consignment Shop

Category: Artisan Crafts Consignment Shop

Street address: 216 North 2^nd St.

Social media address: thornbush1120@yahool.com (email); Made in Raton (Facebook)

Phone: 505-604-0571

Hours: Thurs-Sat 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Message from owners: “We wanted to create a space for local people to put their work on consignment to earn enough money to be able to keep doing what they love. This is our third Christmas, and it keeps getting better every year. To that end, we continue to welcome new vendors; please email us if you’d like to learn more about joining our Made in Raton community.”

Mary’s fun finds: Could there be a more appropriate place to end our “Santa Shops Raton” series than the Made in Raton store? Everything here is either made or curated by locals. Currently, you’ll find items from 43 different craftspeople and artists, ranging in price from fifty cents to $3,000. Among them are: the Orb Aliens game, paintings, sculptures, photography, striking hand-sewn Christmas centerpieces, knitted toques and mufflers, custom-embroidered aprons and aprons in vintage fabrics, tortilla warmers (who knew?), bowl cozies, jewelry, hair accessories, handbags, painted furniture, singing Santas and whimsical wreaths made from coffee filters. I could keep going…and going…but you get the idea. I hope you will visit and support our creative neighbors who make our town more vibrant through their expression. Happy Holidays and all the best to you and yours in 2024!

Roses Honeysuckle Station

Category: Gift boutique

Street address: 119 Cook

Social media address: Roses Honeysuckle Station (Facebook); roseshoneysuckle (Instagram)

Phone: 575-445-9080

Hours: Wed-Sat Noon-4 p.m.

Message from owners: “We are a family-owned business specializing in locally made items, including soap, handcrafted jewelry, gnomes and silicone items, such as key chains, wristlets, charms and pens.”

Mary’s fun finds: Jean Rose and her daughters are the charming proprietors of this equally charming shop. They make many of the goods you’ll find there, including chunky, fragrant soaps. (No kidding, I was tempted to lick the lemon-lime bar I chose for my sister-in-law—it smelled that delicious!) Their handcrafted earrings feature original and intricate designs, depicting everything from succulents to lace, and everyone I’ve gifted them to has raved. You’ll see friendly gnomes throughout the store, too, in a variety of guises: as ornaments, shelf sitters, and earrings. They have fun mugs and noodle bowls with fanciful images; the one I sent my ramen-loving stepson is covered in colorful carp. Don’t miss the nice selection of baby gifts and women’s apparel and accessories, including handbags, hats, and gloves.

Nifty Thrifties, Part 2

Category: Consignment, Secondhand and Thrift Stores

Street addresses: Alternatives to Violence Thrift Store, 224 South 1^st St; Arthur Johnson Memorial Library, 244 Cook Ave.; Zeebs Vintage and Thrift, 113 South 2^nd St.

Hours: Vary by store

Mary’s fun finds: We are lucky to have several resale outlets in Raton where plucky shoppers can uncover great bargains, for themselves or to give. While not everyone appreciates receiving a thrifted item, many people do—especially those who hate to see anything more go into landfills. If you’re looking to live more sustainably and make your money go further, shopping in our local resale shops is a perfect way to get started!

This richly decorated tin tray and candlesticks came from the Alternatives to Violence Thrift Store. Cost for both? Less than $5. I’m gifting the candlesticks in their original shade of pale green to complement the leaves on the tray, but it would be a moment’s work—and inexpensive—to spray paint them gold for a Christmas table, silver for a Hannukah or New Year’s Eve celebration, or black, red or dark green for Kwanzaa. These candlesticks also hold either pillar or taper candles, making them doubly useful.

To me, Christmas isn’t Christmas without at least one book under the tree. My family and friends happily share new and used books at the holidays and throughout the year. Our local Arthur Johnson Memorial Library is a terrific resource for adding to your personal collection or finding a perfect read for someone on your list, typically for a couple of bucks or less. During the library’s ongoing Holiday Cookbook Sale, prices start at just a quarter (!) for spiral bound editions, fifty cents for paperbacks, and $2 for hardcovers. Some of us can never have enough inspiration in the kitchen, and titles like Christmas Cooking From the Heart and Easy Weeknight Dinners will hit the spot. Or how about surprising that nostalgia buff in your life with Alice’s Brady Bunch Cookbook?

I have found any number of treasures shopping secondhand stores in Raton, but this framed art from Zeebs Vintage and Thrift might be the best of the bunch. It’s a double-matted print of E. Martin Henning’s “Passing Indians,” marked 123 of a limited edition of 1500. It boasts two interesting New Mexico connections. First, the painter was a member of the renowned Taos Society of Artists. Second, the inscription indicates the print was presented “to express the appreciation of Anne and Jeff Bingaman to members of the Bingaman Circle” and includes Bingaman’s signature. Bingaman represented the state in the U.S. Senate for 30 years prior to his retirement in 2013. I’m sure you’ll agree, that’s a lot of amazing imagery and history for $9.50!

All Seasons Gift Shop

Category: Gift store

Street address: 1616 Cedar St.

Social media address: All Seasons (Facebook)

Phone: 575-445-9889

Hours: Daily, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Message from owners: “Because of our location, many people come off the highway to shop here, so we stock a variety of goods to appeal to different tastes, including a wide selection of Raton and New Mexico souvenirs. We also ship on request.”

Mary’s fun finds: My hands-down favorite find at All Seasons is the wind chimes, available in a range of sizes, designs, tones and price points. I gave myself one for our new house. They also carry Dionis, Burt’s Bees, and Naked Bee products, including a soothing repair cream that would make a great stocking stuffer for everyone whose hands take a beating during our northeastern New Mexico winters. Cozy Snoozies slippers come in cheery holiday patterns and handsome tartans for adults and children—pair them with flavored coffee, cocoa and mugs for a Christmas morning to remember. Add a dip mix, cookbook or printed dish towel to one of their festive chip-and-dip servers to create a welcome gift for hosts. The state-themed ornaments are fun, too. You’ll be able to cross a lot off your list here—and the pretty gift wrapping is free!

Patchwork Phoenix

Category: Shop

Street address: 228 South 1^st St.

Social media address: Patchwork Phoenix (Facebook),

www.patchworkphoenix.com (website)

Phone: Laura Brewer 575-445-8000 or 575-707-0395

Hours: Tue-Fri 1:30-4:30 p.m. with occasional Saturdays for workshops and classes

Message from owners: “Patchwork Phoenix carries all things for sewing; fabric, needles, thread, scissors, marking pens, patterns, books, and quilting or sewing gift items as well as some craft supplies like hot glue guns, glue sticks, beads, felt, and even sewing machine parts. We usually carry those items that we use for the sewing, quilting, crafting, and painting classes that we give. We also have a nice selection of DoTerra Essential oils on hand for sale. But my main focus is providing classes and workshops in all creative outlets; sewing, crafting, painting, crochet, knitting and more. I also provide a free workshop for young people ages 10–17 called Fashion Fling which starts up again in January 2024. I am usually only a phone call away. If you have an emergency and need a needle and thread and an emergency repair. Just call.”

Mary’s fun finds: Laura’s shop is always a beehive of activity with people doing, imagining and learning. It’s fun to poke around the nooks and crannies of the historic building where Patchwork Phoenix makes its home, discovering baskets of ribbons, good reads by local authors, notions galore, and bolts of fabric including supersoft “Minky” in pretty pastels. It’s a place where color reins: I bought a color wheel and color workshop book for a friend and found myself mesmerized by the display of “Blendables” threads featuring a blend of colors in the same range and intensity on one spool. If you know someone (a kid, an elder, you!) who’s been talking about starting a hobby, Laura can help you pull together the basic tools to get them started—say, knitting needles, yarn and a how-to book. She also offers gift certificates that can be used for products as well as classes and workshops; register here for future offerings.

Disclaimer: Laura Brewer, owner of Patchwork Phoenix, is the publisher of TheRatonian.com.

Dancing Eagle Gifts

Category: Gift shop

Street address: 473 Clayton Rd., located in the Best Western Plus Raton Hotel

Social media address: Dancing Eagle Gifts (Facebook)

Phone: Lynda Brown 575-445-8501

Hours: Daily, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Message from owners: “We have authentic Native American jewelry, fashion jewelry, Raton and New Mexico T-shirts and jackets, crosses, pottery, Leanin’ Tree greeting cards, magnets, and funny t-shirts.”

Mary’s fun finds: For those who love the adrenaline rush of last-minute shopping, Dancing Eagle has your back! They’ll be open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They offer a glorious selection of handcrafted jewelry and pots—I can’t walk past without stopping to look and wish—and cuddly black bears sure to be adored by recipients of any age. Their t-shirts are the perfect gift for that co-worker, friend or family member who enjoys a good laugh; among the pithy sayings are “I told my wife she should embrace her mistakes…she hugged me”; “I work so my dog can have a better life”; and “I’d love to explain it to you, but I don’t have any crayons.” I also really like their Raku pottery medallions, priced around $15. I can imagine them shimmering on a Christmas tree now and in a window after the holidays.

Nifty Thrifties, Part 1

Category: Consignment, Secondhand and Thrift Stores

Street addresses: Alternatives to Violence Thrift Store, 224 South 1^st St; Avila’s, 1034 South 2^nd St.; MCMC Thrift Shop, 955 South 2^nd St.; Willow Springs Traders, 1222 South 2^nd St.

Hours: Vary by store

Mary’s fun finds: We are lucky to have several resale stores in Raton where plucky shoppers can uncover great bargains, for themselves or to give. While not everyone appreciates receiving a thrifted treasure, many people do—especially those who hate to see anything more go into landfills. With just a little bit of imagination and creativity, it’s easy to reuse, recycle, and upcycle secondhand goods. You’ll see some examples where I’ve done that below. In other cases, the items I found were in such excellent condition they were ready to use or wrap, with no extra effort required. If you’re looking to make your money go further, shopping in our local resale shops is a perfect way to get started!

I scored this beautiful English transferware platter at Willow Springs Traders for $10. It’s lovely enough to give as is, but the grapevine border inspired me to add a bottle of wine, a bow, and two wineglasses ($2) from the Alternatives to Violence Thrift Store.

I challenge you to find a full-price gift this special for under $30. You could replace the wine with sparkling grape juice to spend even less.

This sweet ceramic village, comprised of a school, candle store, public library and residence, cost $5 at Avila’s. I wiped them off and settled them in some “snow” for a windowsill full of Christmas cheer.

These like-new kids’ books came from the MCMC Thrift Store for a total outlay of $3.

The flameless candle embellished with chickadees and the forest green porcelain candleholders came from the Alternatives to Violence Thrift Store. I added candles from Records Ace Hardware and a pre-made bow from Dollar General to create this festive table decoration for less than $7!

Stay tuned for more thrifty finds in future editions of Santa Shops Raton.

Santa Gifts an Experience, Part 1

Category: Memberships, tickets

Mary’s fun finds: There are lots of fun things to explore, see and do in Raton and the surrounding area. So today I’m sharing recommendations for memberships, passes or tickets you can purchase for recipients to enjoy—an experience instead of something to hold in your hand. These are great options for that “friend who has everything” or a family member who likes to get outdoors. Further, your purchase supports the ongoing work of these organizations. Definitely a win-win! I gleaned most of this information from websites, so be sure to connect directly with the providers to verify costs, hours and benefits.

OPTION A: The Raton Museum

What: Annual Membership providing access to this year-round venue offering art, history and research facilities.

Cost: Memberships are available at two levels: Regular, $35 or Heritage, $75

Street address: 108 South 2^nd St.

Social media addresses: theratonmuseum.org (website); ratonmuseum@gmail.com (email); Raton Museum (Facebook)

Phone: 575-445-8979

Hours: Tues-Sat 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

OPTION B: The Historic Shuler Theater

What: Subscription to the 2023-24 Performing Arts Series or tickets to individual performances of “A Christmas Carol” (Dec 14-17) or other offerings throughout the year.

Cost: Varies by series/event

Street address: 131 North 2^nd St.

Social media addresses: shulertheater.com (website); Shuler Theater (Facebook)

Phone: 575-445-4746

Hours: Vary. You can visit the Old Pass Gallery, 145 South 1^st St. for more information and to buy Shuler tickets. Gallery hours are Tues-Fri 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

OPTION C: Capulin Volcano National Monument

What: Annual Pass providing access to the park which showcases the volcanic geology of northeastern New Mexico. Includes a visitor center, interpretive displays, bookstore, and hiking trails.

Cost: The Capulin Volcano Annual Pass is $35. You can also purchase an interagency pass for $80 (The America the Beautiful-The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series) that covers the entrance fee to Capulin and more than 2,000 other recreation sites across the U.S. Both passes may be purchased using credit/debit cards only at the Capulin Volcano visitor center.

Street address: 46 Volcano Hwy., Capulin, NM 88414

Social media addresses: nps.gov/cavo (website)

Phone: 575-278-2201

Hours: During winter, the park is open Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The park will be closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Solano’s Boot & Western Wear

Category: Western wear store

Street address: 101 South 2^nd St.

Social media addresses: www.solanoswesternwear.com; SolanosWesternWear (Facebook); solanoswesternwear (Instagram)

Phone: 575-445-2632; 888-808-1956

Hours: Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Message from owners: “Boots is our business, hats is our business, and we have everything else in between. Our Tack Shop can custom make anything in leather. Also, our repair shop is always busy rejuvenating boots and shoes. We offer free gift wrapping. We have gift certificates in-store and gift cards on-line. Our website has free shipping on certain items. Our Christmas sale runs from 12/16 to 12/25 with 10-50% off sale items, and anything that’s not on sale we’ll discount by 10%.”

Mary’s fun finds: This was the first store I visited in Raton; I felt welcomed then and still do whenever I stop in. Among my favorite items are those for little buckaroos, like my Goddaughters in Virginia who’ll be receiving “big girl” cowboy boots from Solano’s for Christmas this year. The toddler-sized fire engine red union suits are surely classics (not to mention adorable). One day when I was there a handsome cowboy tried on an equally handsome gray wool vest; I smiled when he bought it because it looked like it was made with him in mind. Look for the scarves in a waterfall of jewel tones and the jewelry, Minnetonka moccasins, belts, buckles, denim and dusters. (Sandy wasn’t kidding when she said they have hats, boots and everything in between.) There’s even a fancy men’s western shirt embroidered with poinsettias for the holidays. Yeehaw!

The Old Pass Gallery

Category: Fine art and gift shop

Street address: 145 South 1^st St., next to the train station

Social media address: The Old Pass Art Gallery (Facebook)

Phone: 575-445-2052

Hours: Tues–Fri 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Message from owner: The Raton Arts & Humanities Council, Inc. (RAHC) owns and operates the Old Pass Gallery and Gift Shop located in the former Wells Fargo building (circa 1910). The gallery features well over 200 local and regional artists during the year. The RAHC’s mission is to encourage and strengthen the cultural life of the area, providing residents with opportunities for artistic participation, self-expression, education and enjoyment.

Mary’s fun finds: It is exciting to see works by Ratonians and other area artists on display at the Old Pass Art Gallery. On my most recent visit, there were pieces by Joseph Bertola, Tim Gianulis, Jesus Gomez, Sam Hughes, Karen McKelvie and Carl Swanson, among others. There was also lovely holly-themed serve ware by local potter Jeannie Poulter. I am struck by how affordable these original paintings, pots, and sculptures are, with many priced below $200. The gift shop offers greeting cards, books by local authors, decorative crosses, plaques and distinctive jewelry. The necklaces and magnets by Ron White are ideal for mailing to distant friends and family: they are inexpensive and lightweight, and the images evoke the beauty of life here in the West. The gallery is also a relaxing place to catch your breath when the holidays get too hectic. Browsers and deep breathers are welcome!

Tina’s Goodies

Category: Gift and accessories store

Street address: 211 Park Ave., next to the Raton Post Office

Social media address: Tina’s goodies (Facebook)

Phone: Tina Vigil-Torres 575-707-1320

Hours: Mon–Fri 1:30-4 p.m.; Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Message from owner: “I started the business four years ago in a virtual environment doing Facebook Live events, and then opened the boutique to try something new with a wider variety of items.”

Mary’s fun finds: This shop is stocking stuffer heaven. There are press-on fingernails, wristlets, pencil pouches, fancy pens, key rings, ankle socks, decorative bobby pins and colorful ponytail holders—any of which I would have loved as a kid. The festive plaid hairbows are perfect for the holidays, and the pastel-and-patterned ones are great for every day. There are shoe charms for boys, girls and grown-ups. Speaking of adults, ladies will find faux eyelashes, shiny lip glosses, shimmery skirts, and spangly high heels just made for stepping out on New Year’s Eve. Tina’s is big fun in a small space!

Ramel Family Farms

Located in the Heirloom Shop on First Street.

Category: Eclectic store with fresh produce and other goods.

Street address: 132 South 1st Street is the retail store. Our farm is located at the old recycling facility/Armex building, 420 East 4th Ave.

Social media address: @ramelfamilyfarms (Instagram and Facebook)

Phone: Kayvan Khalatbari, 720.273.6835.

Hours: Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Message from owner: “We try to offer things you can’t find elsewhere in Raton.

Fresh produce is a major focus of ours. If it doesn’t come from our local farm, it largely comes from other small, local farmers in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. In winter, we try to focus on our produce and supplement that with other organic, American-grown grocery items. We offer (mostly) regional supplements, mushroom powders, etc. Our mushroom production is back up and we’ll be selling fresh gourmet mushrooms again, including oyster, Lion’s Mane, king trumpet and chestnut! We sell local and natural household cleaning and personal products. We also want to be a place kids feel comfortable coming into and shopping, hence the comics and ever-growing supply of Asian snacks. We have a huge selection of comic trade paperbacks coming in for the holiday season.”

Mary’s fun finds: This is without doubt the hippest store in town, with a growing inventory ranging from fresh fruits and veggies to curry paste to plants, clothing, hats and footwear. They have used and new books, including works by the brilliant food and culture writer Michael Pollan. There’s a great selection of vinyl starting at just $3.99, with something for everyone—well, everyone who has a turntable—from Dean Martin to Ashanti. I left with one album of trumpet concertos and another of cowboy songs. As a pet mom, I was happy to find organic dog treats in flavors like duck and squash. There are intriguing snacks for people, too, including Mexican chocolate cookies (gluten free and vegan) and prickly pear kettle corn. You’ll be glad you stopped in. And be sure to mention having seen this post to receive a 10% discount on your purchase!

The Pack Rat Gift Shop

Category: Gift store

Street address: 207 Park Avenue

Social media address: The Pack Rat (Facebook)

Phone: 575-445-3242

Hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Message from owners: “We have unique, affordable gifts for everyone along with custom-made gift baskets. We offer gift certificates, free gift wrapping, and can ship certain items, depending on size and weight. We just learned that we lost our lease, so we will be relocating to 207 Park Ave. in February 2024. That means that in addition to our holiday promotions, we will be having a moving sale. Please stop in between now and Dec. 30, when we will close to get ready for the move. Thank you for shopping with us and for your continued support as we transition.”

Mary’s fun finds: Belying its name, The Pack Rat is well-lit and roomy. Their elegant, affordable ruanas are THE perfect gift for women on your list, as one size fits most. I bought two for friends to throw on when they head out the door in winter (and to fend off the chill of air conditioning come summer.) The distinctive wallets and purses would be another good option for them. The cute and practical kitchen gadgets make nifty and thrifty stocking stuffers. Since I can never pass up New Mexico Piñon Coffee, we’ll be enjoying the biscochito flavor Christmas morning. You’ll also find jigsaw puzzles, Coca Cola and John Deere collectibles, and dozens of decorative crosses. Oh–did I mention the serving ware, pitchers, coffee presses and tea kettles?

Willow Springs Traders

Category: Consignment/Antiques Store

Street address: 1222 South 2nd St.

Social media address: butchpriest@bacavalley.com

Phone: Butch Priest 505-400-6603

Hours: Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Message from owners: “My focus is to have an outlet for people to sell good used items they no longer need and to provide a place where local people can buy good quality items and livestock feed. We are a customer service-based business. We have new local handmade items including jewelry, wood vases, wood bowls, and pottery vases. We also have vintage collectible items. Being a consignment business new items come in frequently. Stop by often to see what is new in the store.”

Mary’s fun finds: The first time I stopped into Willow Springs Traders I was immediately drawn to the display of vintage Frankoma Pottery, including dishware, trivets and a set of handsome green canisters. I went home with a $10 earthenware crock and a beautiful transferware platter (more on that in a future post.) On a subsequent visit, the silver jewelry and collectible aviation banks caught my eye. (Consider gifting one of the highly detailed airplanes to that hard-to-buy-for man or boy on your list.) That trip, I picked up a bag of wildflower seed for a friend who wants to attract more pollinators to her property. Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time for browsing among Butch’s large assortment of saddles, tack, blankets, tools and lanterns.

Buffalo Chip

Category: Gift shop

Street address: 112 So. 2^nd St.; look for the purple awning next to the Raton Museum

Social media address: Buffalo Chip (Facebook)

Phone: 575-445-7659

Hours: Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun sometimes

Message from owners: “We’re a unique one-of-a-kind shop. Come see inside for promotions. We offer gift certificates and shipping.”

Mary’s fun finds: Buffalo Chip has such a wide array of goods that I hardly know where to start! I paired a bar of prettily packaged olive oil soap with a cheery dish towel for a hostess gift costing less than $15. They also have jewelry, socks, fun signs, ornaments, oversized Christmas stockings and decorative pillows. Among their most popular items? Clay in motion pottery, including serving pieces, bakeware and mugs—the colors are amazing—and Touch Lamps to add warmth to New Mexico’s cold winter evenings. And don’t overlook their thoughtful selection of toys mid-store: the scratch boards, mosaics, origami and other kits are perfect for spurring creativity and giving kids a break from their devices.