Dearest LAMA Friends and Customers,

Three years ago I decided to take the journey of my life to bring you Latin America in the Modern Age. It was an exciting vision that sent me all over the world and moved me to create a beautiful place on the web to share my unique finds. I never imagined the impact LAMA would make and all of the beautiful words that would come my way from publications I admire and LAMA fans and customers who took the time to share their warm thoughts. Each and every one meant so much!

Being the restless person I am, the time has come for me to embark on a new journey in my life. And so, with immense gratitude, I want to say thank you to all of you who have embraced my vision and supported LAMA. I feel honored by your kindness and patronage.

As difficult as it is to say goodbye to this chapter in my life and this business I have loved so much, I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to create LAMA. Someone special told me along the way (in Spanish) “it is so important to know where you come from in order to know where you’re going.” I will be eternally grateful to have made a strong connection with my culture and to have been given the chance to share it with thousands of LAMA visitors and customers. What a dream come true this has been for me and I have all of you to thank for it!

Please be sure to stop by LAMA for a final opportunity to pick up your favorite products at up to 75% off! Quantities are very limited and this sale won’t last long!

Adios and Gracias!

Lots of LAMA love,
Christine E. Martinez & Miles the trusty shop dog

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

Question. How is it possible that today is already December 15th? Now here’s the bigger question.. How is is possible that I haven’t purchased a single Christmas present?! For me, I have to be made painfully aware that it is indeed the holiday season. Otherwise, locked in my little office, zombies can be taking over the planet and I would have no idea. I use zombies as an example because over the weekend I watched the entire first season of The Walking Dead. (*note: do not watch this series in one sitting unless you want to have terrible nightmares). Anyhow, how have I gotten so off topic today? Yes, Christmas.. as I was saying, sometimes you just have to be made aware of the fact that it’s the holiday season. For me, these ADORABLE Christmas pieces by artist Ximena Carreira just may have done the trick.

Ximena Carreira is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer, from Buenos Aires, who recently discovered a new way of expressing herself by creating with her hands. Luckily, for the rest of us, Ximena discovered this new form of self expression. If you love off-beat Christmas decor as much as I do, you should certainly check out her work.

By the way, if you’re still in need of the perfect holiday gift for that artsy someone in your life, be sure to stop by LAMA. The entire store is heavily discounted as we clear out our current inventory to make way for next year’s new items!!

After taking a few days off to celebrate Thanksgiving in my native SoCal, I thought today was going to feel like one of those impossible Mondays. Instead, I’ve got a little pep in my step and I am ready to kick some ass this week! Why am I feeling so large and in charge? At the end of this week, I’m celebrating my birthday for the first time in four years and I’m pretty excited about it. You see, I’m one of those unfortunate Christmas babies. Anyone born during the week of Christmas can completely relate. It’s not the best time to have been born. As a retailer for the past couple of years, I have spent my birthday packaging and shipping out orders. While I’m still going to spend my actual birthday working, I’ve decided to throw a party for myself this weekend. It’s a big year for me… I’m turning 30! And I feel like I owe it to myself to:

To keep up the positive energy, this week I’m going to be blogging about all things party related. My favorite party gear, party eats and drinks, and of course, international fiestas! It’s a 30th Birthday Party Countdown for this little LAMA mama!

Love the illustration above? It’s by my favorite illustrator, the talented Kris Atomic.

Lately I have been mentioning that I’m working on developing new outlets for myself to express the things I love in ways that are meaningful to myself. LAMA, which will always be my first love, has been a great way for me to help others share who they are with an audience they may not have been able to reach. My latest project is a bit of a selfish endeavor and something I have been wanting to do for a long time. I’ve been a fan of design blogs for years now and I’ve finally decided to start one of my own based on two of my greatest passions, fashion and dogs! I have decide to name the blog after Miles, my best friend, inspiration, and muse. I’m hoping to get the blog up in the next two weeks, but I couldn’t help sharing a sneak peek here today. I hope everyone enjoys Miles to Style as much as I do!

Stay tuned…

I recently shot this photo for a fun spread with a very cool online magazine. (More on that later). I’m not a photographer but I was quite pleased with how this turned out. You may be asking yourself, “what’s with the confetti?” Simple. This is no ordinary cup of coffee. Oh no! This is coffee with a kick! So why am I sharing this today? Well, if anyone out there has had the kind of morning I’ve had (the LAMA site was down for hours mid super sale!) I figured, we could all use some coffee with a kick today. I say, go ahead! Kick up your coffee and have a wonderful day! Enjoy the recipe below… you’re welcome.

Coffee with a Kick

- brew a pot of coffee

- add raw sugar and cinnamon for a sweet and spicy flavor

- like yours con leche? add some leche.

- Now here’s the kick.. Kahlua! How much? A solid kicks worth.

- Drink responsibly of course.

Typically, I don’t cover controversial topics here on the LAMA blog. For me, LAMA is a place to celebrate the best of Latin American culture and design. It’s a place where I like to celebrate and honor the culture I grew up with in a very positive way. Recently I discovered the work of a wonderful group of people behind the store Surropa and I realized that, though their approach may be more controversial than my own, they are doing just what I am; celebrating and honoring the culture they grew up with in a very positive way. Back in July, Surropa began to release a line of t shirts opposing one of the most disappointing and blatantly racist laws in recent history, Arizona 1070.

I remember being in complete disbelief when I initially heard about Proposition 1070. I truly thought it was some kind of terrible joke. To be honest, I’m still in utter disbelief that a law of this nature can be passed. It blows my mind to think that I can be asked to prove my citizenship should a police officer in Arizona suspect that I am illegal. Incredible. Perhaps I’ll just have to bring this shirt along next time I’m in Arizona.

Be sure to check out Surropa’s amazing collection of “fashion apparel and merchandise from top Latin American brands.” A big internet high-five to Surropa for taking a stand. To show your support against this heinous law, visit the Do I Look Illegal site and make yourself into a luchador. Below you’ll find mine. “If anyone can look illegal, we all can.”

Lately I’ve been working extra hard as I am currently in the process of redesigning the LAMA site with my wonderful graphic designer, Hijiri K. Shepherd. Along the with site redesign, I’m also in the process of ordering, receiving, and photographing new products for the shop. Product photography has always been a bit of a daunting task for me as I am not a trained photographer. In fact, I barely know how to use a camera. I often spend a lot of time searching the web for simple but beautiful product photography inspiration. I was excited to recently discover a beautiful e-shop from Praia da Aguda, Portugal called Loja de Estar. I adore the simple, colorful, and effective product shots taken by the shop’s owner.

I take all of my product photography in my own apartment and these photos make me want to paint all of my walls bright and brilliant colors! Unfortunately, I don’t think my landlord would approve. Oh well.. here’s to shooting the new line of products! (wish me luck)

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.