Recently I discovered the work of  photographer Pancho Tolchinsky via sfgirlbybay. I was instantly smitten with his vibrant photography. Going through his portfolio of work was like stepping back in time. His images of home interiors from Medellin, Colombia reminded me so much of my abuelita’s (grandmother’s) home when I was a little girl. It was this mix of mid-century meets kitsch covered with religious paraphernalia that can only be achieved by Latin women of that generation. It’s a beautiful aesthetic that just can’t be replicated. Going through these photos really took me back to the six year old version of myself who used to love to explore my abuelita’s home, pick up every kitschy little object I could find, play on the pepto-pink rotary phone, and steal mexican market candy out of her cradenza. (of course, I was terrified by the virgin mary starring at me from every direction). What I wouldn’t give to be able to go back in time and photograph the little Los Angeles bungalow she used to live in! A huge thank you to Pancho Tolchinsky for capturing these nostalgic images. I highly recommend checking out the rest of Pancho’s images of this gorgeous design aesthetic that is becoming so rare.

On Thursday I’ll be heading out to beautiful Seattle, WA to watch my big brother get married. I am beyond excited! With that in mind this morning, I wanted to share this incredibly festive wedding I came across recently via Snippet & Ink. Wed in a 400 year old hacienda in Guadalajara, Mexico, I just adore the bride and groom’s sense of style, adventure, and humor. I can’t get over the stunning colors! I must say, one of my favorite details about this wedding were the bottles of tequila at each table. Rather than the traditional champagne toast, the guests enjoyed tequila shots with the bride and groom. These beautiful photos below definitely have me dreaming of a destination wedding.

Have you ever felt like you bit off more than you can chew? This is precisely how I’m feeling this morning. Actually, this is precisely how I’ve been feeling for the past few years. It’s this constant feeling that I have overextended myself to the point where nothing is going to get accomplished. *sigh* After really feeling the burden of this over the past few weeks, the three and a half hour dinner I had with four very inspiring local business owners couldn’t have happened at a better time. We were asked to sit down together and discuss a variety business topics and issues we face everyday. We were being filmed by a major client in NYC who wanted to know all about our day to day lives as entrepreneurs. The food was great, the conversation was exciting, and despite having a large camera and a big fuzzy microphone in my face, I had an amazing time and met some very inspiring people.

Yes, I have A LOT on my plate right now. I have made a lot of commitments and a lot of promises to myself and others. The thing that always keeps me going is knowing that these are common issues shared amongst all of us no matter what it is we do. Spending time with these incredibly hard working business owners has really motivated me to put my head down, focus, and get things done one step at a time. So on this Motivation Monday, I’ll leave you with the illustration below by fashion illustrator Edith Head.

Happy Monday! Here’s to the beginning of another week…

Today’s Friday I’m In Llama comes courtesy of the SF Gate’s “Day In Pictures.” Have you ever seen a picture and thought, “I REALLY need to have a picture of myself doing exactly that!” That was precisely my thought when I saw the photo below. I’m a little camera shy so it could very well be the best pose for my new LAMA site bio pic. Or maybe I just think it would be fun to replace my head with a llama’s.

I also had to include this next photo. Not only does it have a lovely little llama (well, he’s actually an alpaca but close enough), but how cute is that dog?! A big part of my life revolves around dogs at the moment so it was funny for me to see these worlds collide in one adorable photo. Speaking of dogs, have you check me out over at Dog-Milk? I’m there every Wednesday!

Happy Friday everyone! This will be a working weekend for me but I can’t wait to show you all what’s been going on behind the scenes. If only I could fast forward a bit. *sigh*

Lately I’ve been loving all of the fantastic NY fashion week photos that have been circulating around the web. They have had me a bit more fashion obsessed than I usually am. On the fashion hunt this morning, I came across an incredibly unique and creative shoe designer from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Melissa creates a range of plastic shoes in collaboration with designers like Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano. Not only are Melissa’s shoes inspired and imaginative, they are also 100% recyclable. Melissa also supports a range of social and environmental causes. I have to say, I’m not sure what I’m more impressed with, the shoes or the spectacular interior and exterior design that is constantly changing at the Melissa store. Every aspect of this company is just plain impressive!

A big thank you to one of my favorite blogs, BA Inspiration, for introducing me to Melissa!

Today I’m scrambling a bit to get myself back on track after a week in NYC. My inbox is screaming at me (at least it would if it could), meetings need to be attended to, phone calls need to be made, products need to be ordered, an entire new site needs to be designed, and Miles needs visit the groomer. Not to mention the all of the side projects I have agreed to take on that all have early October deadlines. Where did September go?! On top of all of that, I am thirty minutes away from finding out if I have to attend jury duty today. Ahhhh!!! Looking down at my three page long “to do” list, I thought I would post a little Wednesday Motivation (because I missed my usual Monday Motivation and I can sure use a little pick me up).

Via The Love Shop, this print leaves me feeling a bit more optimistic about the next few weeks of my suddenly SO busy life. I can’t wait to sit back and yell out an emphatic “DONE!”

Happy Hump Day!

I’m taking a couple of days off to finish up with some work here in NYC. I’ll be back to regular blogging on Wednesday!  See you all then! Happy Monday!

Today I’m hanging out in New York city preparing to head off to Rhode Island for the wedding of one of my childhood friends. The past couple of days have been awesome hanging out in this incredible city (even though I was soaked in a torrential and unexpected downpour yesterday). I took the blogging day off yesterday to work along side my favorite graphic designer, Hijiri K Shepherd (and her dachshund Maia), on the redesign of the new LAMA site! We had a great time working together and we’re both excited about the new look LAMA will be taking on soon. Speaking of great people here in New York, today I’m off to Astoria to hang out with my favorite shop owners and contributor of this week’s Friday I’m In Llama!

Mackenzie Farquer, owner of SITE, was kind enough to send over these adorable llama illustrations by artist Migy. The llama above is Aymara and she is the main character in Migy’s latest book which is loosely based on the Northwest of Argentina. Cute! I need to find this book!

Thanks again Mackenzie! I can’t wait to visit you and your fabulous store this afternoon!!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope your weekend will be filled with as much fun and happiness as mine.

Lately I’ve been a little party obsessed. They’re happening all around me! In fact, I was recently put in charge of decorating my brother’s rehearsal dinner, which is set for two weeks from now. I’m thrilled to have gotten the best job at his wedding.. decór! The best part is that I’ve been given full artistic freedom, so long as I make it look fabulous. Well, they can consider it done and done! Last night I was ordering decorations online when I came across these incredible modern piñatas via Confetti System. As someone who loves a modern take on a traditional object, these were right up my alley.

I’m a big fan of Fall, so lately I’ve been excited to see some of my favorite Fall changes happening. The colors are becoming richer, the textiles are getting heavier, everything around me is taking on a cozier feeling. I was excited to come across the work of Portuguese designer Rita Cordeiro. Her gorgeous knitted accessories are everything I love about dressing for cooler temperatures.

Be sure to check out more of Rita’s work here.