Lately I’ve been spending a little less time with design blogs and a little more time following the times…the New York Times that is. I was thrilled this morning to learn about the new laws of nature that Ecuador voted on and passed yesterday giving “Ecuador’s tropical forests, islands, rivers and air similar legal rights to those normally granted to humans.” The set of articles that have passed are the first to appear in any Constitution. One passage within these newly adopted set of articles reads that nature” has the right to exist , persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, functions and its processes in evolution.”

I was so excited to read about this major development in Ecuador. I visited twice last year and I was fortunate enough to visit nearly the whole country. A family member of mine took me on extensive rainforest tours where I took the above photos. I can’t even describe what I felt there. It was a truly amazing and unique experience. I’ll never forget how it felt to hold a baby monkey in my arms and the joy I had sitting beside him sharing sugar cane. I remember feeling incredibly sad at the thought of these beautiful rain forests being destroyed and what that would mean for this monkey or the parrots I saw sitting in the trees above me or the gorgeous orchids the size of large fists that bloom every spring. 

What a relief to read that the Ecuadorian government is taking such major strides to ensure that this land will be protected. A set of laws granting inalienable rights to nature are the first of their kind and certainly something I hope will continue to catch on all over the world. Click here to view this article.

It may have it’s perks but working from home can get a bit lonely at times. Miles does his best to keep me company but sometimes a little human interaction is necessary. On the days I really need to be around others, I like to head out to my favorite cafe (Nomad) here in Oakland. Without fail, I always meet some super intelligent and interesting people to chat with.
Earlier today I jumped in on a conversation with a few Nomad patrons I was sharing a table with, who were discussing their plans to attend a debate party tonight being held on a large screen in Downtown Oakland. They kindly referred me to this site where I could check out the details on debate viewing parties all over the country.
With banks closing, the economy crashing and the government wanting $700 billion of our hard earned cash, it’s more important than ever that we all get our facts straight and listen up to hear what’s going on. Make an evening of it! Invite all your friends, grab some snacks and watch tonights oh so important debate. Want to make it really fun? Check out these great “Political Party Drink Recipes” here. My vote is for the Blue Stater. ” it’s fussy and a wee bit pretentious – but it means well.” Fantastic!

*photo courtesy of Marie Clair

One of the best things that has come from creating LAMA has been the opportunities I have had to meet some extraordinarily sweet and talented people. It has been so fun and amazing to see that, although we grew up in very different places and don’t always speak the same language, a passion for good design is universal and the love for what we do goes without words. 

Emi Elias is the creator and owner of CouCou, one of my favorite shops in Buenos Aires, and someone who I feel proud to call my friend. Right off the bat, I felt like I had known her for years. It’s been a pleasure to work with her and get to know her better over the past year. I hope you will all feel the same way about Emi after you read this little interview we did together. (The original interview was conducted in Spanish. I hope I translated everything correctly!) *fingers crossed*

Where do you live?

In a home that I like very much in Vicente Lopez, Argentina with Santi, Domingo and Ignacio.

What is your favorite thing about the city you live in?

There are many places that I like but what I like the most is visiting new places in Buenos Aires. I love walking, driving or taking the bus through new neighborhoods. 

What do you love most about owning your own shop?

Getting to know people, making friends, receiving energy and love from those who visit and that the store can transform the way we live in our home.

What are the most difficult things you encounter being the owner of a small business?

Bringing a different point of view to what already exists and remaining faithful to what I like and what I want for CouCou.

Who are some artists and designers you admire?

Haruo Wada, Shinzi Katoh, Minä Perhonen, Saelee Oh, Lola Goldstein, Jimena Rios, Kit+Lili, Scandinavian design

What things inspire you?

Looking at designs from Scandinavia, Japan and Brazil. Sunny days make me very happy. On those days, I can create even more beautiful things. 

What are your favorite websites and blogs?

Bloesem and Bloesem Kids, Lena Corwin, Design is Mine, Creature Comforts, Krisatomic

What is your favorite local shop?

Sunrise, Castilllo, Pesqueira, CouCou!!

What musical artists are you listening to right now?

Hot Chip, Caribou, Koop, Jarvis

What is your most treasured belonging?

The love from Santi and the way he looks at me. The unconditional love from my parents. 

Gracias Emi! La mejor suerte del mundo! 

Click here to view Emi Elias products for LAMA

Bloesem has been one of my favorite blogs for a long long time so I was absolutely thrilled when the lovely Irene gave me the opportunity to be part of her Bloesem World Tour segments by writing about beautiful Buenos Aires. 

I had so much fun writing this post and sharing a bunch of photos I took on my last trip there. I absolutely fell in love with everything about this incredible city. I highly recommend visiting Buenos Aires if you ever get the chance. I’m already planning my next trip! To read the full post, click here. Enjoy!

They say lightning never strikes twice but how else can you explain being on Design Sponge not once but TWICE! About a month ago LAMA was featured in this amazing post and yesterday, my very own apartment was a Sneak Peak feature! 

To check out the full post click here. Thank you so much Grace and Anne for including me in your wonderful home tours! What a dream come true. 

Amongst friends and family, Miles is known for three things, his oh so sweet disposition, his ability to remain completely silent in restaurants and movie theaters and his underbite! I have found, over the years, that his very pronounced underbite gets a lot of attention and has sparked numerous in-depth conversations, spontaneous laughter, frightened pauses, and nicknames (my favorite being from a man in tiny gym shorts and knee high socks that named him “LC” – little chomp – then quickly retracted that name and went with “LBC” instead – little big chomp). 

I decided to investigate the phenomenon of underbites a bit further this morning and realized that there are a whole lot of people out there that love a good underbite as much as I do. Here are some of my underbite flickr favorites…

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I had so much fun checking out underbites that I decided to create a new “Underbites” segment on the LAMA blog. If you have a favorite underbite photo, please submit it to info@lamadesigns.com with “underbites” in the subject line. I’ll be sure to include all of your photos in a weekly underbite post. The best part is, my favorite underbite of the month will receive a special LAMA discount code good for 10% off at LAMA! Underbites can be found just about anywhere so don’t limit yourselves to dogs. Get creative and keep your eyes open for the underbites! One more just because I can’t resist…

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I recently heard the song “Carmencita” by Venezuelan-American folk rock singer/songwriter Devendra Banhart. Let’s just say, it’s quickly made it’s way to my “Top 25 Most Played” playlist in my iTunes library. After a quick wikipedia search on my new crush of the moment, I discovered he originally gained popularity while living in San Francisco and attending the San Francisco Art Institute. Cool! 

Along with being a super talented musician, Devendra also had a recent collection of his original artwork on exhibit this past February at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Wow! no wonder girlfriend Natalie Portman is so smitten. If you haven’t had a chance to hear my favorite Banhart tune “Carmencita,” turn up your speakers and check this out!

Carmencita – Devendra Banhart