Font ResizeHAYWARD — Last weekend, the owner of the little Tu Tienda Azteca boutique at 1014 B St. decided to throw a party to mark the shop's one-year anniversary.
The event featured food and refreshments, and local artists came to show off their works — some painting pieces right there on the spot.
The boutique invited its regular customers, and everyone had a great time, said owner Rosario Cisneros.
And that's good: She threw the party for them, after all.
"A lot of my customers helped me get through the first year," she said. "They would come in just to buy little things and help me survive."
Cisneros said she set up shop because her struggling-artist son, Oscar, was trying to find a place to sell his works.
They teamed up, with Cisneros running the shop while Oscar scouted for art.
Soon, the shop began carrying a variety of Mexican arts and crafts, with many hailing from the Cisneros family's home state of Guanajuato, Mexico.
The items include traditional ceramic Lupita dolls, and tin wall decorations in the shape of unfurling ribbons. Brightly painted jewelry boxes sit alongside T-shirts created by a local tattoo artist, which in turn complement Day of the Dead decorations.
"I knew that we would sell (Day of the Dead items) around November, but my son said, 'That stuff is popular all year round,' " Cisneros said. "He was right."
The neighborhood has been kind to Tu Tienda Azteca, she said,
Of course, Cisneros wouldn't mind attracting more business.
"We need to do more promotion and reach people outside of Hayward," she said.
Nevertheless, she said, the first year was a good one.
"I don't think this will ever make me rich," she said, "but I'm having fun."
Eric Kurhi covers Hayward. Reach him at ekurhi@bayareanewsgroup.com or 510-293-2473.
