When Deb Vance first moved from Texas to Sierra County, New Mexico, she cried, thinking this was not at all where she wanted to live. That was almost forty years ago! It didn’t take Deb long to fall in love with the area, and she still loves it today. She’s put down some real roots here, including opening a delightful new boutique on the southern end of Truth or Consequences. So, let’s see what changed her mind so many decades ago and learn what led up to her decision to open Cactus Ranch.
Meet Deb Vance
Finding Her Way in Sierra County
Deb felt quite lost when she first moved to Sierra County as, short of her husband and daughter, she knew no one. Fortunately, she soon learned it was a welcoming community and an easy place to make friends. She first went to work as a receptionist but when her husband needed help with his plumbing business, she jumped in, got her contractor’s license, and started life as a plumber, which, over the period of many years led to a carpet cleaning business and then flood and fire restoration. When her husband passed away, Deb shifted gears, taking advantage of her creativity by working as an independent graphic designer.
An Unexpected Turn of Events
Several years ago, Deb met her now boyfriend, an electrician and ranch owner. Deb learned to ride, brand, and help with ranch chores – and she loved it all! It was that same boyfriend who was the catalyst for some other unexpected turns in Deb’s life. The first was a Christmas gift he purchased for Deb – a Cricut, which can cut intricate designs from a number of materials, including leather. She started making her own designs for shirts and also started creating leather jewelry, all of which she sold at rodeo events.
The second turn of events was when a building Deb’s boyfriend owned became available. Situated on the main road through Truth or Consequences, Deb thought the space would be perfect for a shop. With her boyfriend’s permission and help from friends and family, Deb transformed the building into the inviting boutique it is today – Cactus Ranch, which opened in June of 2023.
Cactus Ranch: A Fun, Eclectic Experience
What A Lovely Place to Shop!
Deb has managed to create an intimate and personal shopping experience for her customers while providing a wide range of unique products to choose from. The jewelry alone makes Cactus Ranch well worth the visit as each one-of-a-kind piece is beautifully handcrafted, including Deb’s leather earrings, another artist’s license-plate bracelets, and a wide variety of stunning silver pieces to choose from.
When it comes to clothing, the selection is amazing. Choices range from jeans to tops, dresses and T-shirts sporting Deb’s unique designs, including the ever-so-popular T-shirt with the phrase “The drinking will continue until the fishing improves!” It’s best to plan at least ten to fifteen minutes just to go through the T-shirts as you’ll surely have some good laughs and will find “must-buys” along the way! Plus, it’s important to remember Cactus Ranch for custom printing individual items or hundreds.
Other treasures include a stunning display of indoor and outdoor plants, coffee mugs with Deb’s designs imprinted on them, jellies from El Paso, handmade greeting cards, aluminum flowers made from cans, and gorgeous purses, which, as Deb says, simply fly out the door! In other words, Cactus Ranch is an ideal personal shopping destination but also an amazing place to find gifts, even for those hard-to-please people in your life.
Behind the Scenes
What happens behind the scenes at Cactus Ranch is as interesting as the shop itself. Deb has created a workroom where amazing things happen, from creating new designs to printing T-shirts, sewing items for sale and imprinting designs on mugs, glassware, promotional items and so much more. Best of all, the workroom is where Deb’s creative juices get flowing, which is a lucky thing for all of us!
What’s Next?
How dare we ask that question of a woman who has already proven herself as a receptionist, plumber, contractor, ranch hand and boutique owner! But ask it, we did. And Deb had some answers. First, she wants to see where her creativity will lead her in relation to Cactus Ranch. She already has customers from abroad, such as the UK, Germany and Australia, so there’s no telling how far her Cactus Ranch brand and products will take her, particularly once she launches her website. Deb is also planning to start teaching classes in a large back room at Cactus Ranch, including sewing, painting, and jewelry making. In addition, she’ll be welcoming a tattoo artist, who will launch a by-appointment-only tattoo studio in a separate section of her building. Lastly, we’ll just need to sit back and see what else this amazing woman has in store for us!
Conclusion
When Deb Vance first opened her doors, she wondered if anyone would be interested in her products. Now, today, she’s already focused on not growing too quickly! Deb certainly feels blessed. The people of Sierra County who welcomed her decades ago have warmly embraced Cactus Ranch as well. Thanks to family, friends, her assistant, Tara, and more customers than she ever thought possible, Deb Vance has already seen great success in the few short months that Cactus Ranch has been open. You can surely expect this is not the last notable effort by this most talented and enterprising woman! To learn more, visit @cactusranchnm on Facebook or call 575.497.0200.
