'I don't let anything hinder me': Meet Samantha Thurman, owner of Lavender + Lee

When it comes to crafts, Samantha Thurman is a Swiss Army knife.

Known to hyper-fixate on hobbies, Thurman started originally as an Etsy business called Alpacas Some Wine.

"That name did not make any sense at all," Thurman said inside her jewelry studio in downtown Corpus Christi. "At the time, I did jewelry, wood burning, decals and stickers. One woman told me I should focus on my jewelry — she said it was what I was really good at — so I took the advice and here I am."

Thurman rebranded as Lavender + Lee, a local jewelry business located in Wildflowers in the Water Street Market. Aside from her classic line of minimalism and daintiness, Thurman specializes in permanent forever jewelry — the latest trend to take over social media.

While scrolling through TikTok, Thurman saw a user creating jewelry in New York.

"I hadn't heard anything like that down here, and I was already making jewelry, so I knew I had to bring it here," Thurman said.

What is permanent forever jewelry?

The trending jewelry are bracelets, anklets, necklaces and rings that are welded to your body without a clasp. The only way to remove it would be to cut it off.

Thurman said when she brought the trend to the Coastal Bend, that's all she did for six months.

She said she believes the jewelry is popular with her clientele because of its one-of-a-kind nature.

"It's a signature piece; it's personal," Thurman said. "For me, whenever I go shop somewhere for jewelry, I try to find a piece that speaks to me. I try to encompass that feeling. I help people find that essence when they are here looking at my work. I want them to feel confident and feel represented with my jewelry."

Finding her talent through restlessness

Thurman and her fiancé moved to Corpus Christi from New Mexico back in 2015.

While pregnant, she ended up falling down stairs.

"I ended up in a wheelchair and was stuck at home for months," Thurman said. "I had a newborn and was stuck at home in a wheelchair — so I started to pick up crafts."

Once she was able to walk again, she visited Wildflowers at its former location on South Padre Island Drive. She went to a pop-up event and asked the owner, Terrie Moore, if she could join in.

"I told her of course," Moore said. "I've known Sam since she first started with us back in our old parking lot on SPID. She's super talented and so sweet. It's amazing to see how she's grown. She's really taken an initiative to learn her craft."

Becoming Lavender + Lee

Still going by Alpacas Some Wine, a self-proclaimed silly name, Thurman rebranded to be taken seriously.

In 2019, after giving birth to her daughter, she became Lavender + Lee.

"Lavender because I'm from New Mexico, and my logo has the Zia sun," Thurman said. "And Lee is my dad and daughter's middle name."

Her business has been inside Wildflower since it opened back in July 2023.

"Before this, I had a studio in Made in Corpus Christi," Thurman said. "I knew I needed an actual space though, so I tried to get my own place but it fell through. Then Terrie told me about this extra space and I got so lucky."

Moore said as soon as she rented out the location in downtown Corpus Christi, she reached out to Thurman to offer her the upstairs space.

"I wanted Sam to be part of Wildflowers," Moore said. "We purposefully put glass doors up there in her shop so people can see the process of her crafting. And if she's closed, people can still go up there, look through the glass and see her beautiful work. Her jewelry is so unique."

Requesting a signature piece

Thurman learned the craft of silversmithing and goldsmithing to make her jewelry more classic.

She sources all her stones from New Mexico, which she visits at least once a year.

With requests, Thurman said people are able to do walk-ins or reach out to her directly via her Instagram at instagram.com/lavenderandlee.

"If someone wants a silver piece, it's typically $60 to $200 for a custom fee," Thurman said. "I try to keep it affordable and accessible for everyone. I want to be affordable but I don't want people to think I'm cheap and my product isn't worth it."

If your jewelry were to break, Thurman said she guarantees everything and will gladly fix it at no extra cost when it's brought back to her.

Thurman also offers specials frequently.

"I try to run them at least once every quarter, but sometimes I'll do it for fun," Thurman said. "I also sell tote bags for $15. If you purchase one and bring it next time, you will get 15% off your purchase."

To keep things fun on her birthday in early December, she holds a scavenger hunt around Corpus Christi where Thurman hides about seven to 10 boxes in local businesses.

"I'll post a photo of the box in the store, but just a clip of it and I'll leave a hint for people to figure it out," Thurman said. "People have to identify the photo, figure out where it's at and be the first one to get it. The prizes retails from about $80 to $200, so it's always something good."

'The sky is the limit'

Being accident-prone, Thurman broke her wrist in March.

While at the gym, she was doing landmine squats. As she was coming up from doing a squat, she got light-headed.

"I misstep, toppled, hit my head, hit my back, landed on a weight and the pole bent my wrist backwards," Thurman said. "After a week of recovery, I was back in the gym and back at my shop. My wrist is a work in progress. I don't let anything hinder me. I don't have time for that."

To better her skills, Thurman said she is taking a class this summer on professional gem setting so she can eventually create engagement rings.

"I would like to elevate my jewelry with old-school, traditional engagement ring styles," Thurman said. "I will keep the line I currently have and am known for, but I would like to have a line that is a bit more elevated. The sky is the limit here, and I'm excited for more people to come in and find their signature piece."

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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or X @johnpoliva.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi's Lavender + Lee jewelry shop features trendy pieces