Hi Soledad friends, fans & family,
April is half way over, tax deadline has passed, the signs of spring are here and the unveiling of our Showcase of Homes 2009 is upon us! For those of you who have followed our work over the years you may be surprised at our latest home at 342 Armijo St., Downtown Las Cruces! It is not only “Uniquely New Mexico”, it is “Uniquely Alameda District”. It was our intent to respect the architecture of the Alameda area, yet put our own touch on the architecture of the home both through the rammed earth walls and the clean, soft lines of the home. From the antique front courtyard gate to the on demand hot water heater, we have covered the gamut. Other highlights include the Energy Efficient Dacor appliances, Stout Oak wood floors, Toto Dual flush commodes, and Hurd wood windows. The home will be furnished by Melissa Tafoya of M. Waldrop Furniture. We are excited to present the Stowe’s Home at 342 Armijo to you. For those of you who are out of town and will not be here to see it we will photograph it and present it you via the internet.
We will open the doors to the home this weekend, a week before Showcase. 
The opening will be with the Las Cruces Symphony Guild Tour of Homes. This is the 18th year the Guild has put together a tour of homes. In the past they have featured celebrity homes, homes in Old Mesilla, The Depot District and most recently, the Mesquite Street National Historic Neighborhood. This year it is “Green Homes”. There are 12 homes on the tour that demonstrate all “shades of green”. We are thrilled to have three of our homes on the Tour. The “Greening of Las Cruces” 18th Annual
Las Cruces Symphony Guild Home Tour will be:
Saturday April 18 · 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Sunday April 19 · 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 on the day of the tour. Tickets are available at several locations:
Color My World 540 N. Telshor
Guzman Greenhouse 655 E. University Ave.
Unsettled Gallery 905 N. Mesquite St.
Big Picture Gallery 311 Downtown Mall at Las Cruces Ave.
Kaya’s Cottons 2340 Avenida de Mesilla
Jones & Co. Jewelers 1300 El Paseo
On the day of the tour the tickets are available at 2 of the homes: 4311 Isleta Court (located in the Pueblos—one of our homes that belong to Jim & Lisa Lamb) or at 7004 Calle Arco in Picacho Mountain. We encourage you to support the Symphony and enjoy Green Homes of Las Cruces.
The Showcase of Homes will be the following two weekends after the Symphony Guild Tour.There is no charge to attend the Showcase of Homes. There are about 25 Homes through out Las Cruces in the Showcase this year. Maps will be available at all the Homes as well as local news outlets. The dates and hours are as follows:
Friday April 24 · 4:00 pm -7:00 pm
Saturday April 25 · 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday April 26 · 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Friday May 1 · 4:00 pm -7:00 pm
Saturday May 2 · 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday May 3 · 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
On Saturday, May 2 we will be holding Cooking Demonstrations at our Showcase Home! Representatives of Dacor Appliances will be on hand to show off their appliances and their culinary expertise!
On a personal note, I was totally overwhelmed with emotion last night when my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter gave me a Carolyn Bunch pastel portrait of Mario. It is an exquisite piece of Art. Mario gave me a piece of Carolyn’s work 12+ years ago when we built the rammed earth walls of Adobe Patio Art Gallery in Mesilla. Since then I have been a collector of her work and love it so much. She has captured his image to perfection. She worked off a photograph of him that I love, taken in the early 90’s. We will hang the piece at our Showcase.
As usual, I want to encourage you to take advantage of what Las Cruces offers. This time of year is especially full of many opportunities in the Arts and Entertainment of the Mesilla Valley. The Las Cruces Bulletin is a fabulous resource for keeping up to date on all the happenings. They do an excellent job of covering Las Cruces. It is a publication that is truly local in its support of our community. Kudos to David, Jackie, Bethany and all the people at the Las Cruces Bulletin.
The Southwest Environment Center is selling tickets for a 2009 Toyota Prius to be given away on Earth Day. Only 400 tickets will be sold $100 each. Call (575) 522-5552 for more information.
Next newsletter will bring you up-to-date on other projects. Until then, live well, it does your heart good.
Pat Bellestri-Martinez
President and Lady Contractor