A while back, I came across the gorgeous image below (via Apartment Therapy) and was intrigued by two things; the incredible “shipping container city” located in Cholula, Mexico, and the fabulous chairs scattered throughout this shot!

Determined to track them down, I spent some time surfing around the web until I discovered them over at Innit Designs. Aside from the incredible retro design and cheerful colors, I was excited to learn a bit about the history behind them. According to “legend”, “this style of chair was conceived of by a French tourist on the Caribbean coast of Mexico circa 1940’s. She was lounging in a solid back chair sweating her nalgitas off in the Caribbean heat. She asked herself, why with all these Mayan hammocks around do they not make a chair with the same technique?” Poof! These awesome chairs were born.

These definitely belong in the backyard of my dreams (*sigh* someday!) To check out the rest of the collection, head over to Innit!

Over the weekend I came across these incredible Ojos de Dios by artist Jay Mohler. I remember making these from yarn and popsicle sticks, back in elementary school, while learning about Mexican history. I’ve encountered quite a few on road trips to Arizona and in museums here and there, but none as beautiful as the one’s below. I would love to have one for my apartment. What a beautifully stunning art piece!

You can find more of Jay’s work here and here.

A couple of weeks back I posted about artist Tanya Aguiñiga’s wonderful project called Artists Helping Artisans (you can check out that post here.) Just to update, Tanya is nearing the finish line and has only one week left to raise money for her incredible project with artisans in Chiapas, Mexico. Tanya is so close to reaching her goal but won’t be able to get there without your help. Please help Tanya actualize this amazing project by visiting Project Site and making a donation. Any amount at all is greatly appreciated. ¡Gracias!

Dear Deer is an independent design studio and shop located in Guadalajara, Mexico. Showcasing the best of Mexican independent design, Dear Deer is also a venue for local art shows, musical performances, and independent art education.

In their own words, “The ethos of Dear Deer is to enable DIY (‘Do It Yourself’) creativity.  A self sufficient community of art, music, fashion and workshops that encourage all forms of creative thinking between contemporary artists and designers.” Recently, Dear Deer has branched off with their own online magazine entitled, “Oh! Dear” which focuses on independent culture throughout Mexico and all over the world.

It’s fantastic to see what an exciting design mecca Mexico is becoming! I love when I stumble upon amazing venues like Deer Dear, which promotes and features independent designers. I would be thrilled to visit this fantastic shop and studio someday soon! Until then, I’ll just have to enjoy the photos of their lovely space.

Felicitaciones (Dear Deer) por tu hermosa tienda y por tu inmensa ayuda en la promocion de los diseñadores independientes!