Archive for March, 2009

Est Soaps in DailyCandy!

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

The wonderful folks at DailyCandy have us jumping up and down once again with their wonderful review of our Est Soap collection! It was so cool to see this incredible product featured in the Beauty & Fitness section of DailyCandy EVERYWHERE this past Friday. 

 

The response was so HUGE that we completely sold out of nearly all of our Est Soaps over the weekend! Not to worry though, if you weren’t able to grab one or ten bars yourself, we have more on the way. Be patient, they have a long journey to make all the way from Brazil but we promise, they’re worth the wait. 

Thanks DailyCandy! LAMA loves you!

Polarized

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

I’ve had an iPhone for 2 years now and just recently started getting into all the great applications available. What was I thinking?! Yesterday I downloaded polarize, a great application that turns all the photos you take with your iPhone into polaroids! Cool! Miles and I decided to try out our new ap. on a little neighborhood stroll. Here’s what we saw… enjoy!

Miles is ready to go!

I love old trucks

Succulent Garden

Love the decal on the door. 

Cool address

Miles and this cat are great friends. It’s bizarre but they love to wrestle!

Great way to remind neighbors to pick up after their pooches. 

Imbibe Magazine

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

When I initially conceptualized LAMA, my dream was to expose Latino artists and designers to an American audience that may not have otherwise been able to see or purchase their work. It’s always exciting for me when I find a person or company abroad that has yet to find US representation despite having enormous talent. I think that’s what makes LAMA so unique. 

Lola Goldstein was one of these artists for me. I had seen her work floating around the blog circuit and was thrilled that we were able to work together to bring her work into LAMA. I was overjoyed a few months back when Imbibe Magazine contacted me about featuring Lola’s Teapot with a Cold. Not only did they want to place a photo in their magazine, they also wanted to do an interview with Lola! I was so delighted to be able to facilitate the story they did about her work. I mean, that’s what LAMA is all about! In case you can’t read the teeny text on the image below, I’ve typed out the article directly below. It’s definitely worth reading. Congratulations Lola! We can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Sweet Tea

Sure, tea keeps you warm-but what’s going to keep your teapot from shivering? Argentine artist Lola Goldstein answers that by wrapping her adorable, hand-painted teapots with tiny scarves and hats. Goldstein started her artistic career in drawing and then sculpture. She only began seriously working in ceramics about two years ago-though, considering the anthropomorphic and almost cartoon-like nature of much of her work, perhaps we should say “working whimsically.” The inspiration for this charming “Teapot with a Cold” came to her from the idea of useful objects (like teapots) requiring useful objects of their own. “It amused me to think of these details as if they really were indispensable,” she says. “I didn’t want, for example, a fabric scarf that didn’t actually open up and untie; it had to be made to fulfill it’s function perfectly.”

Goldstein doesn’t knit the teapots’ accessories herself: For that, she brings in a pro. “The scarves and hats are all knitted by my mother, with the dedication and love due a grandchild,” she says. “She calls me to tell me about some color she’s found in a tiny store after walking all day looking for yarn. Working with her gives these teapots their sense of meaning.” -Hanna C. Feldman

 

 

Underbites: Hawkeye!

Monday, March 16th, 2009

A while back I introduced a LAMA contest that never really got off ground. In fact, I had almost completely forgotten about it until this morning when I checked my email and found LAMA’s first ever Underbite Contest submission! Woohoo! The lovely Natalie Davis of Miss Natalie was kind enough to share her beautiful photos of her adorable lhasa Hawkeye.

You know it’s going to be a good week when you open up your inbox on Monday morning and this is the first thing you see. 

Just to refresh your memory, Underbites is a special LAMA contest inspired by my favorite Underbite (Miles the shop dog). To enter, please send in your photos to info@lamadesigns.com with the subject Underbites. I’ll feature all photos as they come in and award you with a 10% discount on your next LAMA purchase just for participating! 

Thank you so much Natalie for sharing Hawkeye with us! 

 

 

Just Be Nice

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

I don’t often like to complain about my job because, no matter how tough being in the retail biz can get, I feel fortunate everyday that I get the opportunity to live my dream. Not to mention I get to hang out with my best friend Miles the dog all day long. In fact, if we want to get out of the office and go for a walk on a beautiful day, we can do that without hesitation. I find that the freedom to do as I please in my work is a gift I cherish every day. 

Today is one of those days that I have to keep reminding myself of just how lucky I am because sometimes it gets difficult in the midst of dealing with a (and this is the only way I can think to describe this individual) cruel and unusual customer. I firmly believe that all businesses, large or small, have the right to uphold the policies they set in place. Policies are what make our businesses run smoothly and protect our rights as vendors to do what we do in the most successful way we can do them; in the same way that laws protect us all. Without these policies, where would we be? Just as I feel it’s the obligation of businesses to clearly post their policies, I feel that patrons are just as obliged to read and follow said rules both before and after a purchase is made. Reasonable, right? Well, apparently not everyone agrees. I won’t scrutinize anyone for having their own thoughts and opinions regarding certain matters but I do draw the line when that individual’s hostility becomes both hateful and hurtful. There’s never a need to lash out at a small business owner who’s just trying to operate their business. And there’s especially no need to predict someone is going to go out of business because you don’t like their 30 day return policy. Now is not the time to be throwing that one around when so many small companies are doing their best to stay afloat during tumultuous times. 

It seems these days that more and more big retailers are bending over backwards to keep customers coming through the door. Things like free shipping and returns and ridiculously slashed prices on otherwise expensive items are great for consumers. I know I have taken advantage of these perks on several occasions recently. But what happens is that, over time, this becomes the norm and customers actually become irate when these new policies aren’t adopted by all retailers. I believe these expectations are unreasonable for several reasons but primarily because tiny retailers like myself simply cannot afford to adopt these “perks.” Because of the nature of the business we run, the nature of the products behind that business and the individuals behind those products, it’s simply impossible. My hope is that customers will appreciate that we’re trying to do a good thing here by offering special and unique items and support and respect what it is we’re trying to do. 

Perhaps this individual just had a lot of displaced anger which I can sympathize with on some level. I mean, there is a lot to be angry about right now. Here’s my two cents, for what it’s worth: if you’re so angry that you’re going to lash out at a little shop owner just trying to do her job, take all of that rage you feel inside and write a letter to congress. Also, keep this quote in mind, (I saw it at the bottom of an email a customer sent me a while back), “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” -philo

And lastly, start reading Melissa Morris Ivone’s blog, Operation Nice. I stumbled upon it recently and have made it a daily read. Melissa is a girl after my own heart and I couldn’t agree more with her ideologies. Operation Nice is a breath of fresh air and I so appreciate the message it spreads. Reading her daily posts is one of my favorite ways to start the day. What a wonderful contribution Melissa makes to blog land. 

Now that I got that off my chest, I think I can continue on productively with my day. Yes! So, to wrap all of this up, please please… just be nice! thank you. 

10 Day LAMA Pillow Sale Starts TODAY!

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

Hope you’re as excited about our first ever 10 day pillow sale as we are! Don’t miss out on your opportunity to score one of our oh so special pillows at 35% off!

Because a great pillow goes a long way, LAMA wants to help spruce up your home decor by offering 35% off our fabulous pillow selection! Oh, and did we mention our exquisite alpaca throws are also on sale? We know, now we’ve gone and made it too irresistible!

NEL colectivo

Monday, March 9th, 2009

I stumbled upon the NEL colectivo this morning via a brief mention in Design Sponge. Interested to find out more about this collective of Mexican designers, I decided to check out the NEL website. In their words, “NEL is a platform for experimentation formed by an evolving collective of Mexican designers. The collective, founded in 2004, serves as a channel to create and exhibit projects that focus on the conceptual and playful side of design. The organic nature of the collective allows for an ever changing pool of designers, which in turn generates a wide variety of projects that range from political statements to playful storytelling or aesthetic explorations.” Below are some images of my favorite projects…

Global Warming 2008:

Pack of Dogs 2007: 

Stitch Kit 2005:

I love seeing incredible work coming out of Mexico. It gives me such a thrill because it’s the next place on my long list of places to go hunting for some fabulous LAMA finds. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to step out of the office and head out on my next LAMA tour but without a doubt, Mexico is destination numero uno! 

To check out more work from the Nel colectivo, click here.

 

 

Handmade Nation

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

At long last, Handmade Nation is premiering in San Francisco a week from today (March 11th)! If you live in the SF Bay Area, I HIGHLY recommend checking it out. First time director Faythe Lavine gives us an in depth look into this burgeoning art community that I happen to love. 

Following the film, there will be a discussion with Lisa Congdon, Derek Fagerstrom, Natalie Zee Drieu and Stephanie Syjuco as well as an amazing line up of some of my favorite artists and vendors! For more info and to buy your tickets, please visit the San Francisco Film Society. I can’t wait to check it out myself! Hope to see you all there!