I took a little time off from blogging here last week to tend to a few important things in my life, but mostly to get ready for a big LAMA announcement I’ll be making to my friends and customers tomorrow through the LAMA newsletter … I’m closing the LAMA shop. *deep breath.. massive sigh.* It’s a decision that has been in the works for some time now and was by no means an easy one to make. LAMA was the biggest dream I have ever dreamt, and it came true beyond my wildest expectations. It’s who I have been for the past few years and nearly everything my mind has focused on and my attention has gone to. So making the decision to move on has been a bit grueling, but it’s the right one for me to make. In other words, don’t cry for me Argentina, I’m heading on to a new journey in my life and excited to do it. It’s time for me to use all that I have learned and do something amazing. I know what it is to start at the beginning of something, at just a tiny seed of an idea, and I know what it takes to make it great. At the heart of it, you just have to love what you do.

Although I am closing LAMA and sad to do it, I have zero regrets about a single thing I have done with this business. And if someone were to come to me and tell me about their dream to open a business, I would say, “Yes! Do it!” Without hesitation. I will be eternally grateful for all the incredible things I have been able to do and all of the talented and special people I have met all over the world along the way. I have stories and memories great enough for a novel (hm, maybe I should write one…). I have a life that I am proud to live because I had the courage to do so, and it all stemmed from a little idea that popped into my head while I was jogging with Miles four years ago.

Yes, I am deeply sad to say goodbye to my little shop of treasures and to this part of who I’ve become. To be honest, I have tears in my eyes at this very moment. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t. But I can hardly wait to see what’s around the corner! I have no doubt, whatever it is, it will be GREAT.

As for the LAMA blog, I may take a bit of time off, but I am still dedicated to promoting the work of Latino artists and designers as I feel they are grossly underrepresented in the design world.

Thank you to everyone who has taken this journey with me. Small things really do become great when done with LOVE.

Be sure to stop by LAMA (starting tomorrow) for the big “Adios & Gracias” sale. You won’t want to miss your last chance to pick up your favorite LAMA items.

*image via Design Me Daily

Keeping it short and sweet today, I just wanted to share this awesome “Hola” sign. I would give at least one finger to have that in my home. *sigh*

photo by Elise Blaha via Ez Pudewa

Recently I came across designer Aurelie Bidermann’s jewelry and fell in love with her “Do Brasil” collection (of course!) Searching around for retailers, I was jazzed when I found this incredibly simple DIY woven chain bracelet project on how to create your own Do Brasil inspired jewelry!

With very few and fairly easy to obtain supplies, this fun and easy project yields some pretty great results. I’m not a major DIY girl but I think I just might have to give this one a try! Be sure to check out Honestly…WTF for full instructions. Honestly, who much do you love the name of their blog? Ha!

Even though my wedding is over a year away, I’ve been a little obsessed with all things wedding related since my engagement. Well, maybe a little before then. I love weddings! Searching through some of my favorite wedding sites, I thought about a particular wedding blog I’ve been meaning to share here for some time. Para ti Novia is wedding blog that is “redefining the modern Latin wedding.” It was introduced to me by my good friend Junia who had her own gorgeous modern Latin wedding last year. For many young Latina brides that come from traditional families, it is often a challenge to break traditions in order to have a wedding that suits them. In my own experience, I have had a lot of luck showing my family inspiration photos of other weddings. I find that it goes a lot further than trying to explain new styles and non-traditional weddings. Para ti Novia, which is full of stunning photos of non-traditional weddings, is a great place on the web for new Latina brides to take their families. How could you not fall in love with a wedding like this!

*photos by Sarah Yates

Be back next week!

Recently the Huffington Post created a slideshow featuring the world’s most colorful destinations. Naturally, destinations like Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Chile made the list. I think most people you ask would list “colorful” as one of their top five adjectives to describe these countries. It was exciting for me to see some of the other color saturated cities around the world that I didn’t know about. I was particularly blown away by Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa (first image below). One word: whoa!

And two little known places of my own that I had to add to this collection… Las Penas in Guayaquil, Ecuador and the Central Market in my mother’s hometown Ambato, Ecuador. She took me there and bought me the best juice I’ve ever had made from fruit I’ve never seen. Then I snapped the photo below. (thanks mom! it was really cool to explore your old neighborhood.)

* via peppermint bliss

I’m unplugging and taking the rest of the week off! See you next week!

image via we heart it

Last week I posted the first half of my photos from Egypt. I hope you enjoyed them! Despite all of the despairing news coming out of Egypt these days, it truly is a magical place! Standing at the foot of the great pyramids, exploring bustling bazaars, and riding a camel through a Nubian village were some of the most incredible experiences of my life. I hope that Egypt makes it through their tumultuous times and even more amazing on the other side.

Just a little info on the photos: See the baby alligator above? On my way out to the Nubian village, a little boy came out of the water, grabbed the side of the boat, and handed me a tiny alligator. It was madness! Down below, that’s me exploring the pyramids and later jumping for joy at one of the many ancient sites I visited. The cat is a little friend I made near the Valley of the Kings. We became fast friends. I named her Neferkitty, ancient Egyptian palace cat. I wish I could have brought her home.

All the best Egypt!!

The recent news in Egypt has been difficult to watch/hear about. It’s been a series of highs and lows and victories and losses that has left an amazing country so rich with beauty and priceless treasures in the midst of uncertainty. My heart goes out to the people of Egypt in these troubling times. I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Egypt last year with my family. After fun times at Germany’s Oktoberfest, we headed off to Egypt for the most epic trip of our lives. I haven’t shared any of travel photos for some time so I thought, in honor of lovely Egypt, I would do a two part series of photos I took while I was there. This is how I want to remember Egypt forever!

Join me for Part 2 on Tuesday! All the best to Egypt.

As an avid collector of “stuff,” I like to bring home beautiful cultural pieces from my travels. Mostly I love collecting textile and ceramic pieces that I put on display in my home. I once attempted to bring back a cowhide rug from Argentina for my foyer. It was probably for the best that it turned out to be virtually impossible seeing as how Miles destroyed the sheepskin rugs I brought back from Poland. Bad dog! Anyhow, that’s a whole other story. What I love about bringing home these beautiful treasures is how seamlessly they are able to make their way into my modern decor. Today I wanted to share some wonderfully successful examples of how to merge culture in modern spaces.

This stunning textile from Mexico is perhaps one of my favorite pieces in textile ever. (Does anyone know the name of this print?) It’s also a great example of the type of souvenir you want to bring home when traveling abroad. I’ll definitely be filling my suitcase with this the next time I’m in Mexico!

While, on it’s own, it has an incredibly ethnic look, when placed in a modern and minimal space, it’s just the right amount of color and print needed to turn a mundane space into something really special.

Perhaps one of my favorite examples of ethnic fabrics done right is this stunning headboard created by Design Sponge blogger Grace Bonney.

The possibilities are endless when you bring home something truly lovely and timeless! Next time you’re abroad, be sure to look out for quality pieces. You’re going to love the way the work in your home and the little smile you get on your face when your reminded of your travels.

Photos via Table Tonic