Entrepreneur Spotlight: Las Vegas, NM

Blowin in the Wind New on Bridge Street

If you haven’t been to Blowin in the Wind you must stop by. Margaret and David Smith have created a beautiful bright space and filled it with irresistible items, much of it treasured mementos from their previous home, a 7,500 square foot property decorated in charming eclectic style. You look at what they have and immediately picture it in your own home.
In my interview with Margaret she talked about what took her away from the area many years ago, and why she and David returned. The couple live in Pendaries and enjoy the challenges and joys of their new shop.

Margaret was born in Rociada, N.M., but didn’t spend much time there. She was adopted by her older sister when she was small and spent most of her growing up years in Colorado. She and David moved back to the area in 2006 from Nine Mile Falls, Wash.

“I have come here on vacation every year since I was born,” Margaret said. “My real mother and the sister who adopted me both died in 2004. I don’t know why, but I had this need to move here. I can’t explain it. I just had to move back to Rociada. Now I live here and vacation from here.”

She said they opened the new shop because her artist husband had it on his bucket list.

“David is a fourth generation carpenter. He makes all the wood urns, bowls, art pieces and pine furniture we are featuring at Blowin in the Wind.”

Formerly his father made many of the sculpture pieces, but David is an artist in his own right.

“We took his parents to Sedona, Ariz., 15 years ago. David’s father fell in love with the wind sculptures. He started making them and hasn’t done any woodworking since. We live in Pendaries and I have many pieces David’s father made for us. Golfers frequently ask to buy them, but I can’t sell them. I used to give my father-in-law’s phone number, and people would order from him. He would ship directly to them. He is 75 now and sells the sculptures out of his yard. He doesn’t want to do the shipping.”

David’s father suggested he make the sculptures and sell them instead, which he has been doing for a number of years.

“David normally sells his art at the annual Pendaries art show every 4th of July. This year the show was cancelled. David had worked all winter and had no room at his shop. We thought it might be a good time to start on that bucket list.

The Smiths looked at a lot options when searching for a location. Initially they were thinking of a small space, but the building at 108 Bridge Street had everything they were looking for, most importantly big windows to showcase David’s wind sculptures.

“This spot was bigger than we were looking for but I told David I could fill it.” And fill it she did. Along with the wind sculptures and wood pieces David makes, Blowin in the Wind carries clothing, jewelry and may other items.

“These are things I’ve had in storage since we moved  here. I broke my foot the day we moved into our house in Pendaries. By the time I got out of the cast and boot I had gone from a size 0 to a size 10. Once I got out of the cast and boot I lost the weight and that’s why I have so may clothing sizes. I never got a chance to wear most of them so the original tags are still on them, along with the price I have marked them down to. I also have made a dent in my jewelry collection. I call it my artsy fartsy jewelry. It’s not expensive, just fun pieces I have collected over the years. Necklaces start at $15. At that price they won’t last long. I have a ton of candles that start at $2. We also have many New Mexico art pieces I have collected since we moved here.”

It is evident the second you walk into the store that Margaret loves clothing. She intends to expand her stock over time, but for now she invites buyers to check out the spring garments she has on the racks.

“I will start bringing fall and winter clothes in August. The sizes will still be 0 to 10 until next spring when I get to shop again.”

Margaret said the shop’s best selling items are the copper double spinner’s like the one on the store sign, and the Dahlia’s.

“They’re made in copper and any color the customer wants. David does custom orders, and it is up to a two week wait,” she said.

The store is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Margaret is aided in the store’s operation by sales associate Connie Garcia. For more information call 505 454-1050.

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This article also appears in Happenstance Magazine, published by Happenstance Publishing. For more information go to www.vandermeerbooks.com.