About Us
The End of the Rainbow
So, there is a story behind the Name of our Shop and the Business (Somewhere Over the Rainbow LLC). When we had our first adventure in Fort Davis (the 1990s) we lived on the side of Delores Mountain. I could see the entire town through our front window. During those years I saw more Rainbows than I think I have in my entire life. It amazed me that living in a climate as arid and close to the desert as we are, that nature should paint the sky every time there was enough ambient moisture to do so.
There was a particular day when, having already seen two or three rainbows, a break appeared in the clouds over sleepy little Fort Davis, and a glorious Rainbow arched down, seemingly from my vantage, and I clearly saw the End of the Rainbow right on State Street near the Downtown area. It was more Magical than I can convey now, and it stuck with me through all these intervening years.
At that time, I was contemplating opening a shop in town, and I became determined that I would name it for that magical Rainbow. As life would have it, we had to move away from Fort Davis. It was two decades before I got back, but when we opened this Shop, I remembered and named it for that most profound of Memories.
West Texas is my Home Over the Rainbow. There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the most beautiful and intriguing places I have ever been . I love it here, and am thankful every day to be back.
Who We Are
We are family, a mother and two adult children with a common love for art, creativity and a life that includes both. We share a passion for sustainability and caring for this planet. We like small town living, and the ideals of community and social responsibility that go with them.
Gabriel Robinettte
Gaia Robinette
Gwen Simmons
Why and What We Are
Our business, Over the Rainbow TX, is meant to be a retail/graphic fusion with an online (still in the future as I write this) as well as brick and mortar presence. We recognize that running a business in a small town largely dependent on a seasonal tourist trade likely won’t prosper without access to a larger market. Though it is our aim to always put Community first, we would like to do so from a broader foundation of economic stability. We are cheerleaders for small business, for shopping local and for supporting our neighboring businesses .
It is our intent to focus first and foremost on this local community and economy as it coincides with our deep environmental concerns. Though continuing to maintain a diverse market base, we hope to keep our social and environmental ethics as the lodestone of our lives, professionally and personally.
It is our wish is that this business reflect our spiritual and ecological ideals, and become a vehicle toward realizing a more Regenerative lifestyle. However, we wish to accomplish this through education and illumination, never by indoctrination or evangelism. We hope to demonstrate and teach by example. It is our pledge to give back and participate in the community for the betterment of all. Additionally, a percentage of our profit will be allocated to Earth-Centric Organizations such as the Nature Conservancy.
What We Sell
Over the Rainbow has evolved, as businesses will from our original vision, and continues to do so. We have become quite eclectic, but that suits our varied tastes and interests as well. We still sell in-house designed new items (tee shirts, cards, stickers and other graphic products made with co-owner Gaia Robinette’s art ), curated eco-friendly, sustainable living and whenever possible low waste packaging merchandise, health and wellness related goods, alongside an ever changing selection of vintage/pre-used/recycled items.
We like the General Store/Mercantile Model of retail. We continue to carry seasonal items; art, jewelry, gifts and greeting cards, among much else. We have a nice selection of crystals, gemstones and related merchandise. We’re happy to offer some awesome and often unique home decor, and we have a growing selection of pre-loved clothing and vintage when we can source it. We offer a collection of reading material, mostly aimed at the spiritual and esoteric side of life. I’ll update this list as things change.