Convocatoria de Casting — Casting Call — Una Chica Indigena de Oaxaca para Nueva Película –Un Rol Principal — Comparta, Por Favor (Please Share)
The emotional heart of our movie follows a young, Oaxacan Indigenous teenage girl skater named MONA. Could you please spread the word about our casting call? Please circulate widely, throughout the pueblos, please. We are focusing our search on one of the lead roles: MONA Character Description: MONA 12-15 years old, Indigenous Mexican or Central American […]
Textile ExpoVenta in Albuquerque, NM: April 3-5, 2025
SPECIAL EVENT! EXPO-VENTA SALE!April 3-5, 2025 — Albuquerque, New Mexico Oaxaca Cultural Navigator Textiles-Folk Art-Jewelry AND Hoon Arts Uzbek Silk Ikat + Baskets of Africa Norma is Participating One Day ONLY — Thursday, April 3, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. @ Fiber Arts on 4thhttps://FiberArtsOn4th.com 6463 4th Street, Los Ranchos, New MexicoOpen to Public — Thursday, 10am […]
Oaxaca Coast Textile Study Tour: Discover the Mixteca Baja
Arrive on Tuesday, December 2, and depart on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 — 8 nights, 9 days in textile heaven! Home in time for winter holiday preparations. Please send us an email to tell us you are ready to join! December is a perfect time to visit the Oaxaca coast. The weather is at its […]
Dental Tourism in Oaxaca: It’s a Thing
Come to Oaxaca for a two-week vacation and leave with excellent reconstructive dentisty. And, if it isn’t, it should be! Two years ago while in Taos, I had a front tooth break off. It wasn’t pretty and I needed an immediate remedy. I could not be walking around with a missing front tooth! My local […]
Espadin Agave Replaces Native Landrace Corn Fields for Mezcal Production
We call native corn here CRIOLLO. This term refers to landrace varieties of plants that have adapted to local conditions over generations. Maiz (corn) criollo is a traditional, non-hybrid corn variety grown by indigenous and rural farmers. Criollo can mean something authentic, traditional, or deeply rooted in a region’s culture. I’ve written a Substack essay […]
Pop-Up Sale: Norma’s Collection + Rugs, Teotitlan del Valle
When: Saturday, February 22, 2025 Time: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Where: Norma’s Casita, Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca RSVP: WhatsApp or text +1 919-274-6194. Send an RSVP and I’ll send directions. Payments: We accept pesos, dollars, Zelle transfers. With PayPal, Venmo, and credit cards we add a 4% transaction fee. Spend $100-299 and we will […]
Oaxaca Textiles, Craft + Culture Tour with Taos Wools January 2026
This January 8-15, 2026 program is more than a tour. It includes weaving and natural dyeing for workshops, a visit to artisan markets, and studio visits to meet makers. Immerse yourself in all that Oaxaca has to offer with travel and hands-on experiences. We are partnering with Joseph Barry and Taos Wools, located in Arroyo […]
Driving in Oaxaca
It’s not for the faint of heart. Driving in Oaxaca can be daunting, especially if you are a foreigner who doesn’t live here. It is for me, and I’ve lived here for twenty years and driven a car here for sixteen of those. First off, you need to know that while car rental costs may […]
It’s a Dog’s Life in the Campo
Twelve years ago, when I moved into my casita in the campo, I was the only one out here except for a few wild dogs, discarded by owners because they were either no longer cute puppies, grew bigger than expected and ate too much, or needed veterinary care that was too expensive. It was all […]
A Writer’s Life in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca
Oh, goodness. Where to start? Since Thursday evening, January 2, I have participated in a women’s creative writing workshop retreat in the Oaxaca village of Teotitlan del Valle. I have produced this workshop (or something like it) for the past fourteen years (minus the last two, when we took a break). We end on Wednesday […]
Holiday Greetings! Best of the Best Oaxaca Photo Workshop
Sending you warmest greetings from sunny, sparkly Taos, New Mexico, where we are basking in high desert winter sunshine and 50 degrees (20 degrees above average). Perfect walking weather. Global warming? Definitely! I’m getting ready to return to Oaxaca on December 30. I won’t be complaining about the mid-70’s there. I want to thank you […]
Sweetening the Pot, Now 25% OFF Oaxaca + Chiapas Textiles
Still time! Brighten your holiday season with a stunning selection of handmade clothing from Oaxaca and Chiapas — to wear or to gift. We offer 11 pieces today. Get it before 12/24 (depending on the post office) — order today. I will mail within 24 hours of your purchase. How to Buy: Send me an […]
Reduced 20% — Holiday Sale
Brighten your holiday season with a stunning selection of handmade clothing from Oaxaca and Chiapas — to wear or to gift. We offer 11 pieces today. Get it before 12/24 (depending on the post office) — order today. I will mail within 24 hours of your purchase. How to Buy: Send me an email to […]
Norma’s Taos Collection Sale Continues
The Collection Sales continues, with most pieces priced at or below cost. Brighten your holiday season with a stunning selection of handmade clothing from Oaxaca — to wear or to gift. We offer 12 pieces today. Be sure to scroll down to see them all. How to Buy: Send me an email to tell me […]
Sale from Norma’s Taos Collection
We haven’t had any snow in Northern New Mexico since I arrived on November 19. It’s been sunny and unseasonably warm, with temperatures rising to the low 50’s. Great walking weather. At night, it dips down to the 30’s, just perfect for sleeping. I’m returning to Oaxaca on December 30, in time for our January […]
Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Portraits
Yesterday, Luvia Lazo, our instructor, scheduled an online review of photographs I had taken during our recent Day of the Dead Photography Workshop in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca. Everyone who participated sent Luvia a selection of what they considered to be their best 10-15 shots taken during the three days we were together. She arranged […]
Day 2: Shop Wool from Norma’s Oaxaca Closet: Deep Discounts
Ends Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 3 PM! Perfect for winter warmth. For years, I’ve stored beautiful wool hand wovens from Oaxaca and Chiapas in a cedar chest that Teotitlan del Valle carpenter Elias made for me. This cedar chest is called a baule, which traditionally is gifted at Zapotec weddings to store valuables and […]
Norma’s Shop Oaxaca Closet Sale: 4 Wearing + Gifting
Ends Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 3 PM! I’m at my casita in Teotitlan del Valle and will return to the USA at the end of the coming week. I’m looking at the handwoven blusas and huipilesin my closet here! A collection of naturally dyed and artisan made textiles that I have treasured because I […]
Norma’s Oaxaca Closet Sale: 4 Wearing + Gifting
Ends Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 3 PM! I’m at my casita in Teotitlan del Valle and will return to the USA at the end of the coming week. I’m looking at the handwoven blusas and huipilesin my closet here! A collection of naturally dyed and artisan made textiles that I have treasured because I […]
Photo Workshop Day 3: Luvia’s Grandmother +
We met at Luvia’s photography studio at 9:30 a.m. Before that, most of us returned to the village market to take more pictures. The early morning light here is illuminating. The light plays with shadows and texture; there is so much to capture the eye. This is a daily market in Teotitlan del Valle, one […]
Photography Workshop Day Two: Portraits + More
On the second day of our photography workshop in Teotitlan del Valle, our instructor, Luvia Lazo Gutierrez, made appointments with families to visit them in their homes. This was an incredible exercise to capture a more intimate view of village life and to understand the technical aspects of light, shadow, distance, and perspective. Luvia, whose […]
Oaxaca Photo Workshop: Day One, Day of the Dead
We gathered in photographer Luvia Lazo Gutierrez’s studio this morning at 9:30 a.m. to start our three-day photography workshop in Teotitlan del Valle. We are here to explore the Day of the Dead visual landscape of the village, gain creative insights and technical skills, and see the world through a more defined lens. I found […]
Oaxaca Street Life and Re-Entry
On Monday, despite bumping around a bit in the sky atop the last remnants of a tropical storm that painted a picturesque landscape of layered clouds as we came in for a landing, I arrived in Oaxaca. Re-entry was easy. I’m always grateful to pick up my luggage from the conveyor belt after passing through […]
Returning to Oaxaca for Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead in Oaxaca is a magical experience, especially if you spend it in the villages. This December will mark my twentieth year of being there. I’m thinking about how to celebrate and involve you in the celebration! All ideas and suggestions are welcome. In 2007 i began writing this blog, so another […]
Loving Indigo Blue from Oaxaca and Japan
I’m smitten with indigo. I first fell in love with it years ago in Oaxaca, Mexico, where I discovered it is grown along the tropical, humid southern coast of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The type of indigo grown in Oaxaca is a different strain. The botanical name for the Oaxaca indigo plant is Indigofera suffruticosa, also […]
Returning to Oaxaca, but first Japan
Good morning from Denver. I’ve got my ticket to Oaxaca for Day of the Dead, arriving on October 21 and staying for three weeks. Like many of you, I like to be home with my family for the winter holidays. I plan to participate in the Teotitlan del Valle photography workshop led by Luvia Lazo. […]
Oaxaca + Comings and Goings
Summer is winding down. It will be Labor Day weekend in ten days. I’m recovering well from spinal fusion surgery, though I’m far from perfect, and need to walk with two REI hiking poles to keep my balance, but I’m managing between 5,000 and 7,000 steps at least four times a week. Yesterday, I almost […]
LAST DAY TODAY! 20% OFF the Shop Sale
Don’t miss out! Sale ends TODAY, Tuesday, August 20 at 9 p.m. Mountain Time. Use Code AUG20 on Shop Oaxaca Culture our online store for all things Oaxaca and Mexico — through Tuesday, August 20. It’s still summer and we have some beautiful, lightweight clothing for sale in the Shop that will carry you through […]
Last Two Days! 20% OFF the Shop Sale
Don’t miss out! Sale ends TODAY, Tuesday, August 20 at 9 p.m. Mountain Time. Use Code AUG20 on Shop Oaxaca Culture our online store for all things Oaxaca and Mexico — through Tuesday, August 20. It’s still summer and we have some beautiful, lightweight clothing for sale in the Shop that will carry you through […]
Don’t Forget: 20% OFF the Shop Sale
Use Code AUG20 on Shop Oaxaca Culture our online store for all things Oaxaca and Mexico — through Tuesday, August 20. It’s still summer and we have some beautiful, lightweight clothing for sale in the Shop that will carry you through the dog days of August and into September. And, as we transition into autumn […]