The Rosas-Standring Family

** I have a lot more pictures coming!***

It is not very often that you hear about something that someone is doing and it just makes you smile from the inside. Well, the project of Dutzi Designs Inc. is one such story.

The project is that of Ariane Dutzi. Ariane lives here in the Yucatan and has started a line, Dutzi Designs Inc., to help the communities of the Yucatan. As a former fashion editor from New York and Paris, she moved to Mexico and where she is making an impact in the beautiful community that she is now a part of. I just got to meet her and she is ever so as amazing as this project and I cannot wait to do an interview with her.


When the Swine Flu scare erupted in Mexico last April it created a mass exodus of tourists in the Yucatan and the communities of the area really suffered. As the “infodemic” spun out of control, a whole bunch of totally healthy people sat in the deserted towns of the Yucatan and the found themselves without people to sell their handiwork to. Ariane has since developed the Dutzi Design Rescue Bag.

Complete with a label befitting of the project, a small outlined face of a pig, these bags are as eco-friendly green as they are well made and beautiful.
The whole project really is something special. As a way of helping the Mayan community that lives in the areas around Valladolid, about 70 women as well as some men make each and every bag. The project is not only a means for so many women to help provide for their families, but also helps preserve the beautiful culture of the indigenous Maya. With all of the proceeds from the sales of the bag going directly into the project, this community of women continues to be able to help sustain themselves especially in a time where so many of us here in the Yucatan are feeling the devastating consequences of the hype of the swine flu.


I have not even started to tell you about the amazing bags themselves… these bags, made of vintage burlap or 100% recycled white raffia. They are absolutely beautiful and are not only made by hand with love and care but, probably because of that fact, are incredibly well made.

These bags are being sold in stores and boutiques all over New York as well as in Paris, Santa Fe, Malibu, CA, Mexico and over the Internet. One of the best ways to get your own Rescue Bag is to drive over and see the project for yourself. Valladolid is a beautiful town about an hour from Tulum and wonderfully worth a visit. What a fantastic souvenir of a trip to the Yucatan. Luckily you can also buy one online and have it sent to you. Check out the website with information about how to purchase your very own bag.

These bags are perfect for both men and women. I especially love the bike messenger bag for men. These bags reflect both a consciousness for the earth and an effort to protect and cherish it, but also for the wonderful communities of Mayan women in the Yucatan.

I am trying to get the word out as far and as wide as I can. I simple love this project and i know that there are so many others out there that will too. Please pass this information along. If you own or manage a shop-- These would be a GREAT thing to carry. You can get more information from their website. Or feel free to contact me and I can pass you along. Here are some great links for Dutzi Designs. I will also be featuring them on www.TulumLiving.com very soon.

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Ever since my grandma died this past Spring I have been going back and forth with my feelings about it. I mean, I guess that it is your normal grieving process but I flip all over the emotional spectrum like a bi-polar spaz. My religious and spiritual views tend much more to the Buddhist way of thinking which has always given me a greater sense of peace when death comes knocking. I do not fear death, I do not think it is by any means the end but I do feel a very selfish loss.

I am not sad for my grandmother's death. I know that the body she was in was no longer comfortable for her and was not allowing my INCREDABLY head strong and independent grandmother to be and do the things that she loved.

On one of my later trips - either right before I moved to Mexico or one of my trip back she was working on this beading project from this strange looking necklace she found at one of her favorite little cheap spots. (she had a small collection of stores she always found deals at!) Anyway... I digress...

When I was up at the service my sister-in-law Amme saw the bag of beading that my grandmother had been working on. - Sitting by her chair in the den (a room she had not been in a very long time because of the step that goes into it.) Amme thought of the idea of making a simple beaded bracelet for the great grand kids. I thought that it was a really beautiful idea. My kids love wearing their little wooden bead bracelets. They love knowing that it was grandma greats.


When I left my grandmothers house after the service I noticed that there was my grandmothers robe that she had bought a few months before from her (and mine) favorite consignment shop. When I visited her from Mexico I drove her all over to find new buttons to put on it. We finally found these beautiful star shaped turquoise jeweled start shaped buttons. The robe was hanging on the back of the door - buttons on and pinned waiting to be hemmed.

I asked if it would bother anyone if I took the robe because it made me think of grandma. As the only grand daughter I was sure it would not and I was able to take the robe home.

Well, yesterday the feeling of loss and missing my grandmother completely engulfed me. We have had some strong storms here lately and when I wake up in the morning --VERY VERY early-- it was actually a little cold. I put on my grandmas robe and could feel her eyes when she saw it for the first time. I can almost hear what she would have said about the color, the cute sleeves and the horrible buttons that she would have to change. I just got goose bumps. I used to have a friend that believed goose bumps were the spirits of those that you were thinking about at that moment. I could see it. But for me, I can feel my grandma when sudden wind blows in to the house, especially when I am baking.

I have my grandmother's very old hand mixer and every time I use it I picture her and her perfectly soft and delicate hands. I miss her a lot and I am so glad that there are things around me that I can feel my grandmother on. I can feel her wrapped around me.

Even wearing it now I can hear my grandma telling me that the sleeves are too long and that I need to hem them. She would then tell me that her when she was given her first sewing machine by her mother -in-law that if she only hemmed pants, that the machine would pay for itself. I heard that a lot from my grandma.

I miss her. But I am lucky that I can feel her.

Well, We got adopted. This is sort of common around here. You have to be careful because you could end up with so many more animals then you intended.

On the first day of school, just outside the front door was the cutest little grey kitten. He was clearly scared so we brought him into the house and even though he the tiniest kitty I have ever seen (especially after being so used to Calvin) but he just devoured the cat food.

While the kids were in the bedroom with the little kitty my neighbor asked me if this was my kitten that she was holding in her hands. I was a little confused because I thought he was in the room with the kids. Well, I was right. This was an entirely different kitten. She too was tiny and scared.

After getting all of the tiny kittens into the house and fed and given water. The kids immediately called out which cat was theirs and started to pick names.

They wanted to name them both Hobbs but since he died we thought that it might be better to give them their own names. Lena named her kitten Princess and Akilean named his Lightning McQueen. It was at this point that we checked to see who was a boy and a girl.

We got very lucky. Lightning McQueen is a boy and Princess is a girl. Calvin is not a huge fan. She leaves for most of the day and then comes back in at night. I think she is glad that their are 2 of them and they play with each other instead of bothering her.