Aesthetyx 'La Tiendita' at The Grove Opening!

For those of you who made it to the Grand Opening of our 'Tiendita' (mini-store) at The Grove in South Park during their first 'South Park Walkabout' of the year on March 29th - Mil Gracias! It was a fun-filled evening that flew by! We prepared one of my new Sangria recipes 'Primavera Sangria' which is a white-wine based Sangria mixed with Italian Grapefruit soda, blood oranges, peaches, grapes, and more! It was well received by the guests who attended the event.

Special thanks to Farra and Agnes from Mano Imports who helped us serve Sangria and entertain guests. Farra and Agnes bring in amazing textiles and wood work from Guatemala and we are thrilled to showcase some of their treasures in our new space at The Grove. We also really enjoy their company as they love Latin-American culture and artisan work as well as great food and wine as much as we do - Gracias Amigas!

We are excited to be celebrating our new space at The Grove in South Park. We have been at The Grove now for 2 years but recently moved our location which we feel much more at home in. Please come by and visit us if you have not already done so. The Grove is located at the corner of Juniper & 30th Street in South Park, an eclectic and great neighborhood in San Diego. The Grove is open Tuesdays - Sundays 11am-6pm, closed on Mondays. We hope to bump into you down there sometime soon.

P.S. There is a fabulous new Gourmet Mexican Restaurant 'El Camino' that will be opening just across the street from The Grove soon - we can't wait. We will be hosting monthly events in San Diego and we hope to have a few at El Camino once they open. Look out for info in our monthly 'eNews and eVents' e-mail blast.

Returning to SMA (San Miguel de Allende)

What can we say about San Miguel other than we absolutely love coming back and look forward each and every time to walking down the cobblestone streets gazing at the gorgeous distressed hues of colors of the walls, discovering the 'Doors of San Miguel', going to the Mercado and buying the roasted corn and 'pan' (bread) made fresh every day, relaxing on a bench in The Jardin, visiting our artisans talleres (workshops), having cocktails on a rooftop, enjoying creative Mexican cuisine, watching all of the locals enjoy an evening in The Jardin with their families, and SO much more!!!!

We are currently working on putting one of our 'Aesthetyx Experience' trips together for San Miguel de Allende and as soon as we confirm the dates and itinerary we will post on our blog. If you are interested in any of our upcoming trip itineraries please send an e-mail to judy@aesthetyx.com.

Viva San Miguel!

Meet San Miguel Master Tinsmith Cecilio Hernandez 'Chilo'

One of the first artisans whose work we began importing 4 years ago is master tinsmith Cecilio Hernandez (fondly known as 'Chilo' to locals, clients, friends, and family). Chilo owns a small tienda in San Miguel where anyone can visit and buy his lovely designs. We came across these designs on one of our first trips to San Miguel over 6 years ago and fell in love with them. His designs are so original, beautifully hand-crafted and exquisitely hand-painted. Chilo has a team of artisans and tinsmiths who work for him who are the best of the best in San Miguel. Chilo's attention to detail and meticulous nature is evident in his sought after work. Chilo is a local celebrity of sorts who is commissioned by many local homeowners (including many Americans) to design grand mirrors and decorative tin for their grande haciendas in San Miguel. Chilo was recently awarded the honor of the Best Tinsmith in the State of Guanajuato with an intricately hand-cut gold mirror which we were fortunate enough to see on our recent trip to his taller.

On our recent trip we were able to take our friends with us to tour his taller (workshop) and see how his one of a kind creations are made. We began at his tienda where a small fraction of his work available for sale, most of his designs are custom and require being special ordered. Above the tienda is where his extremely talented artisans who specialize in painting work. Jose being in charge of this portion of the business takes great pride in his and his fellow artisans' work. Jose is one of the only artisans who works for Chilo who speaks English so he led our group up the cramped stairway where larger than life examples of Chilo's fine design and craftmanship reside, including the now famous gold mirror that won him the award as Guanajuato's Best Tinsmith. As you reach the top Jose escorts us out onto the terrace where he explained the entire painting process to all of us in great detail. The process is very time consuming and labor intensive but once you see their finished piece there is no question that they produce a high quality product very worthy of the prices they charge. Actually after learning about all of the artistry that goes into every single painted piece everyone in the group had a greater appreciation for their 'artesania'.

After the painting taller we all were caravaned in 3 cars that took us to the main taller where they cut, craft, and weld the tin into the mirrors, headboards, and other decor. This taller is also Chilo's personal 'casa' and a museum of sorts. Every nook and cranny of his house is filled with his award-winning work. As soon as you drive into his carport/front door area you are greated by massive scale mirrors displayed on the stone of the exterior of his home, some mirrors are probably over 10 feet high and perhaps 6-8 feet wide. As you enter his home you find his love for his 'rosas' designs everywhere. His dining room wall is embellished with a 'Marco de Rosas' mirror probabaly 8 feet wide and then bookended by 2 large floor lamps all made from the 'rosas. His bedroom is the 'piece de resistance' with a magnificent natural colored (silver) headboard all hand cut in the most intricate design perched against a cobalt blue painted wall- it was jaw dropping!

After the home tour he escorted all of us upstairs to the taller where his tinsmiths and craftsmen work at oversized tables with sheets of tin penciling out designs that are to be cut and punched. Chilo took time to demonstrate how each one of the 'rosas' are made which he is currently so fond of. Chilo took a sheet of tin and hand drew with a sharpie the shape of petals then hand cut and did this 5-6 times and then punched through the center and utilized several metal tools to make just 1 rosa! Some of his 'Marco de rosas' mirrors contain hundreds so there is no surprise that these mirrors are expensive due to the intense hand-crafting each mirror takes. We were also treated to a demonstration of how they 'oxidize' the tin to make it look 'viejo' aged - they literally will dip the tin in a batch of 'acido' (acid) and keep it out in the sun to achieve this look.

After an amazing demonstration at the taller we headed back to the tienda where Chilo charmed everyone by signing each of the pieces they bought, and not with a black sharpie as I assumed he would - he literally hand-tooled a piece of tin for each person and wrote their name and did a unique design for each one with his own signature - quite a special treat. Now that's a great example of the Mexican artisan pride and hospitality we love so much!

Good Friday and Easter Celebrations San Miguel Style

San Miguel is famous for it's celebrations and parades, especially those celebrating religious holidays. On our recent trip this March we arrived towards the end of 'Semana Santa' (Holy Week) on Good Friday. Since we caught a red-eye and arrived in town early in the AM we were able to grab a great seat in The Jardin (the main center in San Miguel across from The Parrochia) before the crowds started forming to see the Good Friday Procession. The procession which was supposed to begin at 11am starting on typical 'Mexican time' around 1pm. Needless to say we waited awhile and the sun started getting stronger and warmer. We were fortunate enough to meet our group of friends who were in town for their daughter's wedding which was being held the next day so we all gathered in the square before the festivities and enjoyed a great view once they began. It is a very solemn day in San Miguel and the procession begins on the side of the Parrochia and goes around the entire square. We watched an amazing parade of locals who carried grand figures of all of the Virgins including a beautiful Mary dressed in blue velvet, and an amazing figure of Jesus (shown here in our photos). They also perform a short reenactment of Pontius Pilate and local men are dressed as Roman Soldiers as they stomp through the square in an almost ominous fashion. It was an amazing procession to watch on a glorious sunny and warm day in San Miguel.

Aesthetyx Experience No. 1

We have now safely returned home from a wonderful Inaugural trip to Guadalajara with a fun and festive group of 6 great guests! We would like to thank all of them - Carol, Charlotte, Leslie, Madeleine, Phil, and Sandra for joining us on our 'Primera No. 1 Aesthetyx Experience.' We have put a small slideshow together of some photos from our trip but there are far too many photos to feature on the blog so please visit www.aesthetyx.tv for more as well as some amateur video we shot.

We had a growing interest list for our trips prior to our first one and now we have a waiting list -so for those of you who might be interested in one of our upcoming 'Aesthetyx Experience' itineraries, here's a sneak peak of some in the works, dates and details still to be confirmed:

*No. 2 -San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico - Tuesday, May 27th - Sunday, June 1st

*No. 3 - Tlaquepaque, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico - Friday, June 20th - Wednesday, June 25th

*No. 4 -Tlaquepaque, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico - Friday, August 15th - Wednesday, August 29th

*No. 5 -Tlaquepaque, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico - Tuesday, November 4th - Sunday, November 9th

If you have an interest in a particular itinerary please e-mail judy@aesthetyx.com and advise which number/s you are interested in and the names and numbers in your party and we will add you to the list for that/those itinerary/ies.

Greetings from Guadalajara - No.2

Our itinerary for today was to see the Guadalajara Centro Historical District which is located in downtown Guadalajara, about 20 minutes from Tlaquepaque. Our wonderful driver and tour guide 'Don Abel' takes such great care of us and makes sure we see everything and explains their significance while simultaneously making sure it is safe for us to cross the street and then rounds us all up before heading to the next stop.

Our first stop today was to the Cathedral which as you drive into the Centro you are greeted by its' amazing limestone structure, gorgeous dome, and spindles. Don Abel showed us the gorgeous Cathedral and was able to get us access to the sacristy where groups are usually not allowed, this room is where the clergy changes and so does the Pope when he visits. The most amazing part of this room is the gorgeous art from the 1600's done by some of the most famous painters from Spain including Murillo. The room is also filled with gorgeous hand-carved dressers that surround the room, it is like a small museum, filled with the incredible paintings and other stunning pieces of porcelain pottery and woodwork.

Our second stop was to the 'Palacio Gobierno' to view the famous Orozco mural of the famous priest, Miguel Hidalgo, the Father of Mexican Independance. He holds a torch light in his fist. After so many years, it continues to be a beckon or warning. The magnitude of this mural is amazing, it is on the ceiling of a section of the building where you walk upstairs a limestone staircase. The murals are dark but somehow simultaneously moving once you learn what he trying to depict.

Our next stop was to Teatro Degollado, the Opera House, which as you approach is a stunning building of grandeur made of limestone whose pillars greet you as you approach, when you enter there is a lovely foyer of marble floors, and beautiful crystal chandeliers. We unfortunately could not go inside as they were practicing but we were able to hear the orcheastra practicing, quite a treat. We walked behind the Opera House where a modern bronze frieze 'Frisa de Los Fundadores, decorates the back side. This 68 ft. sculpture depicts Guadalajara's co-founders facing each other on opposite sides of a big tree.

Our next stop which by far I think was one of the most memorable was to the Hospicios Cabanas, this domed neoclassic colonial building was designed and financed by Bishop Juan Ruiz de Cabanas, the purpose of the 'Guadalajara House of Charity and Mercy' was to be a home for a sick, helpless, and homeless. It served as an orphanage during the 70's but the building needed to be restored so they moved the orphanage into the suburbs, restored the building and changed its purpose. It now houses the 'Institudo Cultural Cabanas' a center for the arts. The inside houses one of Jose Clemente Orozco's famous murals- his work could be described as dark, fiery, apocalyptic. Orozco painted the famous mural in the chapel from 1938-1939 where the central dome his 'Man of Fire is wreathed in flame, and appears to soar into a hellishly red-hot sky. His murals depict his concept of Evolution and Revolution and contain many optical illusions. Our guide, Ernesto, explained every panel in great detail and made sure we saw all of the optical illusions, which were not discovered until the 60's. Although very dark the murals are captivating, especially once you understand his thought process.

We strolled through the Plaza Tapatia and then headed to the Mercado Libertad which was built in 1958 and is the largest market in Mexico. After finding some great buys in the mercado we headed out to the Vallarta area to have a comida at one of the favorite restaurants in Guadalajra, 'El Sacromonte' where the charming spanish building greets you and the festive decor and piano music invite you to enjoy a long lunch - which we did. Everyone enjoyed the unique strawberry quesadillas and sangrita.

After a long day of touring everyone was ready for a siesta and then we enjoyed a relaxing dinner at Quinta Don Jose's Mexican & Italian restaurant 'TlaquePasta'.

Greetings from Guadalajara - No.1

We started our first day of our Aesthetyx Experience with an excursion to the talleres (workshops) of Tonala, an area outside of Guadalajara famous for all of its' workshops and factories that hand-craft everything from pottery to iron, hand-blown glass, furniture, and more! Our first stop was to see the Salazar family who has been creating beautiful hand-blown glass for the past 30 years and primarily using recycled glass to do so. Everyone was amazed at the process of how they take molten glass and shape it into everything from glasses to large esferas (spheres) while working in extremely hot temperatures. After viewing the process for themselves our group had a much higher appreciation for the products that they purchased in their store next door.

Our second stop was to visit the famous Ortega Family who are renowned for their 100% hand-crafted 'betus' technique using simple 'barro' (clay) to create the most colorful, whimsical, surreal art of imagination. This technique has been passed to 5 generations of the Ortega family, 2 of which currently run the operation - the older 'hermano' (brother) Gerardo is the 'Gerente General' and then the other brothers Oscar and Eleutario oversee production and painting. The sons, daughters, nephews, and nieces who range in age of 16-30 work in production, design, and painting. It is truly a family operation. Their home in Santa Cruz de las Huertas is one in same their taller. We were immediately greeted by a small 'perro' (dog) and then once we walked through the casa were greeted by another dog and a very boisterous 'pato' (duck) who really wanted some attention! Everyone marvelled in the process which they showed us started from the fine clay powder which they mix with water to create the clay which ends up a very dark brown color, then they mold all of the individual pieces needed to create a design and then piece them together, then the design is left to dry in the sun for 2 days, then they paint the designs and finally fire them in the kiln. We were fortunate to view the sons and nephews all sitting at a table painting everything from 'gallos' (roosters) to 'sirenas' (chickens), everyone left with a piece of Ortega to take back home.

Our last stop was to visit the Jimon Family whose work is featured in the book 'Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art'. This family has passed down the art form of 'brunido' (burnished) pottery down 5 generations and we were so fortunate to meet 3 of them on our visit. Agustin Jimon's grandparents started the family tradition and Agustin who is most likely in his 80's now has passed this tradition to his sons Florentino and Zacarias who now primarily make most of the pottery, Agustin still molds the clay into forms. The Jimons work with natural clay which they mold into everything from plates to gourd shapes to bells, ornaments, large pots, and much more. Their gorgeous hand-painted designs are done in beautiful neutral colors which feature everything from birds, fish, suns, and small snapshots of local life. We have carried their charming Christmas ornaments and bells in our store and will continue to do so this holiday season.

After a great morning of meeting amazing artisans we were very hungry and headed to lunch at our favorite restaurant in Tonala 'El Arandense' who specialize in 'mariscos' (seafood) and our favorite thing being their 'coctel camaron' (shrimp cocktail) which is very different than the shrimp cocktail we are used to in the states - it is muy delicioso! After satisfying our hunger we strolled through the shops in Tonala and then headed back to our B&B for a margarita and to get ready for dinner.

After cocktails at the bar we strolled 2 blocks to town for dinner at one of our favorite spots - Fonda Adobe, a restaurant with a menu not to dissappoint including Tuna Tacos Al Pastor to great Filets to a delicious Cinnamon Mole Chicken. Fonda Adobe is also attached to Adobe Diseno, one of the most innovative and dynamic stores in Tlaquepaque owned by creative visionary Martha Figueroa and David Luna.

Aesthetyx Experience No. 1

As some of you may have heard we are inviting you to join us this year for our our 'Aesthetyx Experience' trips. We will host our inaugural trip to Guadalajara February 17th - 22nd, 2008. If you are interested please e-mail us at judy@aesthetyx.com and we will be happy to forward you a copy of the itinerary. For those of you who cannot make it this February we are planning on 2 additional trips to Guadalajara and its' surrounding areas in June and November, both will be in conjunction with Art Shows that are scheduled. The June trip will be centered around 'Premio Ceramica' which is a national competition amongst potters from all over Mexico. The November trip will be centered around the 'Maestros del Arte' show featuring some of the 'Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art' from all over Mexico. Please contact us if you would like to be added to our interest list.

Upcoming January Events

We wish all of you a very Happy New Year and all the best for a great 2008! Here are some events we currently have planned so mark them on your calendar and please join us!

*What: Celebrate 'Dia de Los Tres Reyes Magos' (Three Wise Men) Happy Hour Toy Drive Event, sponsored by Los Abuelos Tequila
Where: Alfonso’s of La Jolla
When: Monday- January 7th from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Please bring an Unwrapped Toy
to Benefit the Emmanuel Orphanage in Tijuana

What: Cuban Nights
Where: Le Papagayo
When: Thursday -January 10th from 7-9pm
Enjoy Latin Cuban Guitar Band 'Lluna Lena' and select from an authentic Cuban menu.

What: Our FIRST 'AS IS' PARKING LOT SALE!!!
This is an incredible opportunity to pick up some great DEALS on merchandise that might be slightly scratched, dented, or slightly chipped but not very noticeable. For those of you who are handy or creative this is a great chance to pick up unique items that you can fix yourself or use to make something creative of your own!
When: Saturday - January 12th starting at 9am until the store closes at 6pm


What: Hillcrest Farmer's Market & Open Aire Bazaar
Where: Normal Street between Lincoln & University, Hillcrest
When: Sunday - January 27th from 9am-1pm
Enjoy the best farmer's market and Open-Aire Bazaar in San Diego
Everything from amazing organic produce, to delicious food, beautiful flowers, worldly treasures, and more!

Christmas Thoughts

Today as we celebrate this special day that Christ was born I am reminded that today is actually a birthday party of sorts. With all of the hectic business of trying to get everything done for Christmas and all of the commercialism of the holiday it was probably the first year that I didn't really feel the spirit of Christmas until today. I was enlightened this morning that we should have gifts to offer for this birthday party, especially to those less fortunate than ourselves. So, today in the true spirit of Christmas I give the gift of gratitute for the rich life I am blessed with. I also give the gift of peace to all of you and your families this special time of the year. Merry Christmas and may we all take time to remember the true meaning of this special day.

2 More Days to shop for Christmas!

We will be open extended hours this Sunday, December 23rd from 10am-5pm and Monday, December 24th from 9am-4pm for all of you who have not yet finished or started your Holiday Shopping.

*FREE Gift Wrapping Available
*Lots of great stocking stuffers for $10 and under
*Lots of great gifts for $20 and under

Holiday Events starting this Thursday, December 20th

Thursday, December 20th - Don't miss our 1st Annual Men's Shopping Night from 6-9pm
This is perfect opportunity for all of you MEN who have not started your Holiday shopping! Get ALL of your shopping done in ONE night and enjoy holiday refreshments and snacks while checking off your list. You don't even need to worry about wrapping any of your purchases as we will wrap ALL of them for you FREE of charged. We can even ship your packages too!

Saturday, December 22nd - Join us for an encore trunk show of local artisan Jean Ryan's work 'Madonna Arts' from 10a-2pm. This gorgeous collection of Madonnas are all hand-crafted by Jean herself. Please come join us to see this one of a kind collection.

Don't Miss Sweet 15 Quinceanera @ The San Diego Repertory Theater!

Last year Charles took me to this funny, light-hearted play at The San Diego Rep written by local playwright and Latino actor Rick Najera. Charles and I enjoyed it so much that we wanted to let all of you know about it as it is only running through this weekend, the last show is on December 16th! Visit www.sandiegorep.com or call for tickets (619) 544-1000.

Holiday Events starting this Thursday, December 13th

Thursday, December 13th - LATE NIGHT Shopping Event
We will be open this Thursday and every Thursday night during the holidays until 9pm so that you can stop by after work and shop at your convenience while enjoying a warm beverage and some tasty treats.

Saturday, December 15th - MANO Imports Trunk Show
Shop this ONE DAY ONLY from this amazing selection of beautiful textiles and 'Santos' hand-crafted in Guatemala. We will have Cafecito's famous 'Chocolate Mexicano' and Mexican Wedding Cookies on hand to enjoy while shopping.