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

Lately my life has been full of tough decision making. As a first time small business owner, navigating my way through tumultuous economic times and the ever-changing world of e-commerce, I’ve had my fair share of tough decisions to make. Some I’ve had to make quickly, while others have required a ton more thought and energy, constant revisiting, and extensive consultation from friends and family. And after all of that, I haven’t always felt 100% about the final decision made. I guess that’s just the nature of difficult decisions. When I’m feeling less than thrilled about a choice that had to be made (way less), I try to keep in mind…

Everything is temporary. And all feelings, no matter how strong they may feel, will pass and ease over time. Keeping this thought close helps all of my tough decision making feel a lot less daunting and a whole lot less scary.

Happy Monday! If you find that by Wednesday, this just isn’t your week, keep in mind … everything is temporary!

*image via word boner

I had an incredibly fun and special Saturday with two of my best girlfriends. Feeling a bit “meh” lately about a lot of things, it was exactly the kind of day I needed to put me back on the positive track. After all, what could be better than a day of wedding dresses and tea houses!

Spending the day trying on gorgeous wedding dresses for the first time and having tea at my favorite SF spot, Crown and Crumpet, left me with the most amazing energy that I’m still feeling today. Perhaps it was seeing myself in a whole new light (as a bride!), or the genuine happiness my friends felt for me, or the massive amounts of caffeine and sugar we consumed at Crown and Crumpet, but the residual energy I’m feeling today is something I hope to keep up all week long. Lesson learned. Creating happy energy over the weekend can spill over to your Monday in the best way. I feel ready to take on this week!

Happy Monday! I hope your weekend has left you with amazing residual energy!

*image via you’re just not my cup of tea

Like many people, I often draw inspiration, motivation, and consolation from song lyrics. Musical artists often create incredible poetry intertwined with their catchy beats. For me, music is most often my go-to art form when I need sympathetic words, an energized kick in the pants, or the opportunity to just let go to another place. At this point, I’m in the middle of a lot of transitions in my life that require quite a bit of exploration. Sometimes, when you’re in that particular place in life, things don’t often turn out as you’d hoped they would. In those times, I like to remember some of the great poetic lyrics of one of my favorite artists, Tupac Shakur.

If things should get tough for you this week, just remember, “Baby don’t cry, I hope you got your head up. Even when the road is hard, never give up.“

* image by Jessica Wright via Design Work Life

I don’t know about you, but when I get overwhelmed by a project, I start to drag my feet. Big time. And that’s the best case scenario. Other times, if I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed by a project, I’ll start ten other projects just to avoid that one. True story. Last week I started running with Miles again. Giving some serious running time attention to the project I’ve been avoiding, and breaking it down into smaller conquerable steps, I thought to myself …

What am I running from?! I can do this! So this week, I’m going to stop avoiding big things that seem scary and get to work. One tiny step at a time.

Happy Monday! I hope you make it a goal this week to stop avoiding the “scary” things. They’re probably a lot less scary than you think.

*image via Tony Kuch

Typically I dread Mondays. These Monday Motivation posts are probably serving my own needs significantly more than they are serving anyone else’s. Though, I sincerely hope at least one of my readers feels slightly more motivated on Monday’s because of them. Last night, as I was preparing a post for another blog I write for, I was feeling pretty jazzed to continue my work today. Maybe it’s because I have a looooong list of things to do (a list I can’t wait to complete!), or maybe it’s because it’s dark and stormy outside and I’m enjoying being in my warm office with my coffee, computer, and Miles. Who knows?! But somehow…

This Monday is definitely O.K.! I hope it’s o.k. for you too! Let’s see where the week takes us…

* hand-lettering  by the awesome Gemma Correll

Typically I like to share motivating words but today (my first day back from a blogging hiatus) I thought I would share this motivating image instead.

As someone who has needed some quiet time-out lately, I find this image incredibly inspiring. Sometimes you just have to disconnect from your daily stresses. Happy Monday.. I hope you’re able to find some time to disconnect this week. It’s a good thing.

*image via Lucky

I’ve come down with a nasty case of the flu so I’m going to keep this short and sweet. On the days you just can’t give it your all, at the very least…

And yes, that goes for every day. I’m going to go crawl back into bed now… Hope you all have a much happier and more productive Monday than me. blah.

Image via we are creative people

As I’ve been taking on more projects and responsibilities in my life (not to mention starting to plan my wedding), it’s been challenging to continue to execute everything to my own level of approval. Given my perfectionistic inclinations, settling for what I consider sub-par, just to get a project done, has me re-evaluating what I can a can’t take on. For me, I’d rather not do something at all than half-ass it (pardon my language). But sometimes, when you’re trying to reach a desired result, the option to drop parts of your workload just isn’t there. So this week, rather than cut corners, I’m going to go ahead and put just that much more into each task.

It’s incredible how motivating positive feedback on a job well done can be. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and pressured by the week that lies ahead, kick those feeling to the curb quick and execute everything to the fullest. Let the positive praise your work receives be the fuel that keeps you knocking out more. All you’ve got to do is put a lil’ umph in it.

Happy Monday!

image via

If you follow me on twitter, you’ve probably noticed a whole lot of dog tweeting going on. Have a found a new passion in life? Yup! I can’t actually call it a new passion, I’ve always been passionate about pets. But the dog world is a new area of fashion and design I’m having the most wonderful time exploring. You can bet it’s adding a lot more to my already full plate. But when it’s fun, it doesn’t feel like work.

Thinking about all of the new work I’ve taken on makes me think of something my dad used to say to me when I was a kid. Looking at my workload, I think I really took one of his favorite messages to heart.

So if you find that you’re feeling bored, go create something! Anything! You can bet that having a full schedule is an incredibly motivating thing especially when it’s packed with activities you’re passionate about.

Happy Monday! Here’s to a full week without a dull moment!

*Top image found here via this pin. Bottom image via this pin.