Thanks to my new tulips, my desk just got a whole lot sweeter… 

Have a great weekend!

… Well, not quite but I just read an excellent article about Bogotá’s new TransMilenio bus system put out by GOOD Magazine in this months transportation issue. The development of the TransMilenio bus system has played a pivotal role in transforming Bogotá from a “traffic-choked mess to a model of sustainable urban development.” Amazingly, the first phase of this enormous project took only 18 months for Bogotá’s then major to get up and running!

I think the most thought-provoking statement made in the article is this: “A city in a country that most Americans associate only with Pablo Escobar and Juan Valdez is now running the most modern, high-tech bus system in the Western Hemisphere. As you step aboard your first TransMilenio vehicle, it hits you pretty quickly: When it comes to buses, the United States is a Third World nation.” Personally, I think this is a huge statement to make and something to really think about.

Congrats to Bogotá for bringing sexy back to the bus, or rather, creating sexy where sexy did not exist. I’m proud to see Latin America really stepping up to the plate in our global fight against pollution and degradation of our planet.

Happy Earth Day to all!

To read the full article, click here. Beautiful photo courtesy of Oneris Rico.

These adorable new laptop cases will be here very soon. In fact, at this very moment they’re flying on a plane from Argentina. These cases are handmade my designer Julieta Racket. I couldn’t be more excited to share her lovely work with all of you. Bonus! By popular demand, these cases will be available in 13″ for all of those mac users with newer laptops. Hooray!

At the moment, some of LAMA’s new merchandise is being held hostage by customs in Miami (let my tablecloths go please. Thank you.) So, I thought until my new lovelies are released by the men and women keeping our country safe from foreign tablecloths and aprons, I would share some images of all the cuteness to come! Get ready! 

Just what you’ll need for the warm weather season! Full and short cotton aprons (I’m thinking this is the perfect Mother’s Day gift), double sided tablecloths (yes, that’s correct, they’re two tablecloths in one… talk about getting your hard earned money’s worth!) and the perfect 100% recycled and very eco-loving market/picnic baskets! 

There are more product sneak peaks to come! I hope you’re as excited about Spring/Summer ‘09 at LAMA as I am.

*photos courtesy of violraviol*

Living away from my family, I have almost completely forgotten that this Sunday is Easter! Oops! How could I forget? Easter was such a special occasion in my household growing up. I would wake up every Easter Sunday to find a basket full of goodies at the foot of my bed. Such a great memory! Aww, thanks mom and dad for being so cool.

So what ever happened to those great Cadbury Creme Egg commercials that used to remind us of these occasions? You know, the clucking bunny sitting on top of the chocolate eggs? Anyhow, being reminded of Easter earlier today, I decided to offer a special on LAMA’s very own Mamina Bunnies by Argentine designer Marina Bandin. 

From now thru Easter Sunday, save 15% off your very own adorable Mamina Bunny! Besides maybe a basket of those delicious Cadbury Creme Eggs, can you think of a better gift? I know! I can’t either.

Last week my good friend Ben told me about a great blog called Lovely Package. Lovely Package is “the leading source for the very best package design has to offer.” Being a sucker for anything with a great package (I’ve been known to hold onto boxes, bags, paper, etc. because they were too beautiful to throw away), I was instantly smitten with this blog and have made it a daily read since. 

Coincidentally, Lovely Package recently posted about our very popular Est Soaps! It was great to see they were just as in love with Est’s fabulous packaging as I was the first time I picked up their soap collection on a buying trip in Sao Paulo. 

Thanks Lovely Package for the great mention! To read check out the Lovely Package’s review of Est Soaps, click here.