Street Style Stroll

Wow y’all, round 2 was amazing! It occurred to me last time I did this that it may just be beginner’s luck that I had such a positive experience my first time taking street style photos. But damn, this time I didn’t get turned down even once. Everyone was so positive and sweet, and obviously stylish, even as they hastily made their way to the train. This time it was all shot in Brooklyn between Prospect Heights and Bushwick. On Friday a friend of mine who has a new airbnb property in Prospect Heights asked me to style the space and make it functional for people who had booked it for a few days starting Saturday. It was a big job considering I have one fully functioning arm and there wasn’t even toilet paper or bedding in the place. It took three trips from Marshall’s and Target and I finished at 11 PM. He asked me to make a copy of the keys so early yesterday I did that and then dropped off the old set back at the apartment. I had a coffee date with a friend in Bushwick a couple hours later and decided to wander with my camera in that direction. It was a little over four miles and I encountered all these beautiful people along the way.

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Uau pessoal, a 2ª rodada foi incrível! Ocorreu-me da última vez que fiz isso que pode ser apenas sorte de principiante que eu tive uma experiência tão positiva na primeira vez que tirei fotos de estilo de rua. Mas caramba, desta vez eu não fui rejeitado nem uma vez. Todo mundo era tão positivo e doce, e obviamente estiloso, mesmo enquanto eles se apressavam para chegar ao trem. Desta vez foi tudo feito no Brooklyn entre Prospect Heights e Bushwick. Na sexta-feira, um amigo meu que tem uma nova propriedade do airbnb em Prospect Heights me pediu para estilizar o espaço e torná-lo funcional para pessoas que o reservaram por alguns dias a partir de sábado. Foi um grande trabalho, considerando que eu tenho um braço totalmente funcional e não havia papel higiênico ou roupa de cama no local. Foram três viagens da Marshall's e da Target e terminei às 23h. Ele me pediu para fazer uma cópia das chaves então cedo ontem fiz isso e depois deixei o conjunto antigo de volta no apartamento. Algumas horas depois, tomei um café com um amigo em Bushwick e decidi passear com minha câmera naquela direção. Foram pouco mais de seis quilômetros e encontrei todas essas pessoas bonitas pelo caminho.

a smooch

Mariamma

Puffer Season 'Til May

I am being bad and eavesdropping pretty hard on the couple next to me at a coffee shop who are having a very healthy and inspiring conversation about what they need out of their relationship. Love to see it. Today is day 1 of Vlogmas! We’re going to try out this whole vlogging every day thing. Hoping it’s fun and not draining in any way. I still feel like filming isn’t second nature and I’m hoping by the end of the month I will feel differently. I am very excited to be going home in the middle of the month. I’m excited to see everyone, wander around the park, thrift, eat at all my favorite places (burritos and Hawaiian bbq), and for the free time. And I am very excited to film it all for y’all. I watched one of my old videos from right after I graduated from the Esthetician program last winter. I was so excited for the free time I was going to have - and rightfully so. The spring and first half of the summer were so wonderful in terms of time for myself, time for friends, creativity etc. I’ve realized I still have time for those things, but maintaining them as staples in my existence has to be my number one priority. All I have time for right now is work and whatever is at the very top of my list, so my physical, mental, and spiritual health are all tied at the top. We are going to hibernate in style this year haha. It seems crazy that I have never thought to voice the importance of those three things so straight-forwardly. I suppose that is one of the gifts of being so busy, what is important becomes so obvious, it floats to the top.

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Estou sendo mau e bisbilhotando bastante o casal ao meu lado em uma cafeteria, que está tendo uma conversa muito saudável e inspiradora sobre o que precisam de seu relacionamento. Amo ver isso. Hoje é dia 1 de Vlogmas! Vamos experimentar fazer vlogs todos os dias. Esperando que seja divertido e não esgote de forma alguma. Ainda sinto que filmar não é natural para mim e espero que até o final do mês me sinta diferente. Estou muito animado para voltar para casa no meio do mês. Estou animado para ver todos, passear pelo parque, economizar, comer em todos os meus lugares favoritos (burritos e churrasco havaiano) e para o tempo livre. E estou muito animado para filmar tudo para vocês. Assisti a um de meus vídeos antigos logo depois de me formar no programa de estética no inverno passado. Eu estava tão animado com o tempo livre que iria ter - e com razão. A primavera e a primeira metade do verão foram maravilhosas em termos de tempo para mim, tempo para amigos, criatividade, etc. Percebi que ainda tenho tempo para essas coisas, mas mantê-las como a base da minha existência tem que ser o meu número uma prioridade. Tudo o que tenho agora é para trabalhar e tudo o que está no topo da minha lista, então minha saúde física, mental e espiritual estão todas amarradas no topo. Nós vamos hibernar com estilo este ano haha. Parece loucura nunca ter pensado em expressar a importância dessas três coisas de maneira tão direta. Suponho que seja um dos dons de estar tão ocupado, o que é importante se torna tão óbvio que flutua até o topo.

beijinho bbzinho

Mariamma

Beijo na Boca

Happy Friday! I caught up with so many of my girlfriends on the West Coast this week, and I have a FaceTime date with Olivia all the way in South Africa tomorrow. I am really feeling gratitude for all the amazing, sweet, inspiring women in my life! And speaking of amazing women, my Mamma sent me a long black wool coat - something I’ve been wanting for a minute. She said the sleeves were a little too short for the NYC winter so she sewed some faux fur on the cuffs. She said she feels like she sent me a big hug, and she’s right. Love you Mamma! It snowed and snowed the first part of the week and the aftermath of snow drifts has been a fun addition to my walks with Prince. He really developed a love for the snow and it’s so cute. Today I took him to this enclosed soccer field so I could take him off the leash and let him run for bit. I closed the gate behind us so he wouldn’t get out, but when we tried to leave, the gate wouldn’t budge. It took me a little to understand how to get it unstuck and was so relieved to not have to ask a passerby to free us haha. I made it back just in time for the second half of class! Have a wonderful weekend!

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Feliz sexta-feira! Eu conversei com muitas das minhas amigas na Costa Oeste esta semana, e eu tenho um encontro FaceTime com Olivia na África do Sul amanhã. Estou realmente sentindo gratidão por todas as mulheres incríveis, doces e inspiradoras da minha vida! E por falar em mulheres incríveis, minha mamãe me mandou um casaco longo de lã preto - algo que eu queria há um minuto. Ela disse que as mangas eram um pouco curtas para o inverno de Nova York, então ela costurou uma pele falsa nos punhos. Ela disse que sente que me enviou um grande abraço, e ela está certa. Te amo mamma! Nevou muito na primeira parte da semana e o rescaldo dos montes de neve tem sido uma adição divertida às minhas caminhadas com Prince. Ele realmente desenvolveu um amor pela neve e é tão fofo. Hoje eu o levei para um campo de futebol fechado para que eu pudesse tirá-lo da coleira e deixá-lo correr um pouco. Fechei o portão atrás de nós para que ele não saísse, mas quando tentamos sair, o portão não se mexeu. Demorei um pouco para entender como desatá-lo e fiquei tão aliviado por não ter que pedir a um transeunte para nos libertar haha. Eu voltei bem a tempo para a segunda metade da aula! Tenha um ótimo final de semana!

beijo na boca

Mariamma

Saturday

Happy Saturday loves. This morning I got a latte and took a walk down by the river, stumbling on an amazing skate park tucked right under the Manhattan Bridge. As a dancer, I have deep respect for skaters and their ability to will a board on wheels to flip and slide and land soundly under their feet. I could watch them for hours. Along the river there were fishermen/women and the usual parade of joggers and bikers. When the latte cup was empty and no longer warming my hands, I came back home. I want more outdoor time today though so I’m going to gear up for a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with my new book on tape: In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park. It is a memoir about her and her family’s escape from North Korea. I started it this week after seeing a presentation she did in Canada. It’s obviously a bit heavy, but I feel like it’s important … and fascinating as we know so little about that part of the world. Tonight my roommates, some friends and I are having a little cook-off. It should be a good time <3

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Feliz sábado, amores. Esta manhã eu peguei um café com leite e dei uma caminhada à beira do rio, tropeçando em uma incrível pista de skate localizada bem embaixo da ponte de Manhattan. Como dançarina, tenho profundo respeito pelos skatistas e por sua habilidade de fazer uma prancha sobre rodas virar, deslizar e pousar com segurança sob seus pés. Eu poderia assisti-los por horas. Ao longo do rio encontravam-se pescadores / pescadoras e o habitual desfile de corredores e ciclistas. Quando a xícara de café com leite estava vazia e não esquentava mais minhas mãos, voltei para casa. Eu quero mais tempo ao ar livre hoje, então vou me preparar para uma caminhada pela Ponte do Brooklyn com meu novo livro em fita: In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park. É um livro de memórias sobre a fuga dela e de sua família da Coreia do Norte. Comecei esta semana depois de ver uma apresentação que ela fez no Canadá. Obviamente, é um pouco pesado, mas sinto que é importante ... e fascinante, pois sabemos tão pouco sobre essa parte do mundo. Esta noite, meus colegas de quarto, alguns amigos e eu vamos cozinhar um pouco. Deve ser um bom momento <3

amor

Mariamma

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Hey! I hope you’re enjoying your weekend. Yesterday evening I got to visit the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. We went at 5:30 when it had cooled down and the lighting was so glow-y. It was bigger than I expected with so many little gardens, greenhouses, and sculptures. I love finding and exploring the many green spaces of this beautiful city. A friend of mine said that September in NYC is the most perfect in terms of weather and I can see what she was talking about. I am very much looking forward to the rest of the month.

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Ei! Espero que você esteja aproveitando seu fim de semana. Ontem à noite, visitei o Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Fomos às 5:30, quando esfriou e a iluminação estava tão brilhante. Era maior do que eu esperava com tantos pequenos jardins, estufas e esculturas. Adoro encontrar e explorar os muitos espaços verdes desta bela cidade. Uma amiga minha disse que setembro em NYC é o mais perfeito em termos de clima e posso ver do que ela estava falando. Estou muito ansioso para o resto do mês.

xo

Mariamma

Sweater Weather

Sweater - Nakd | Jeans - Flea Market (Lee Jeans) | Boots - Thrifted

Last night we had a guest teacher who taught Afro-Haitian/Cuban dance. It’s always so nice to dance in different styles - a welcomed challenge. My back is so sore! I’ve spent the majority of the day studying but I slept in (for the first time since Rio!) and went on a nice park walk with my sissy for a little break mid-day. I’m currently at a coffee shop downtown and will head home soon. Does anyone else have so much trouble studying at home? I’ve always had to get out of the house if I want to maintain concentration. 

Ontem à noite tivemos um professor convidado que ensinou dança afro-haitiana / cubana. É sempre bom dançar em estilos diferentes - um desafio bem-vindo. Minhas costas estão tão doloridas! Eu passei a maior parte do dia estudando, mas eu dormi (pela primeira vez desde o Rio!) E fui em um belo parque andar com minha maricas para um pequeno intervalo no meio do dia. Atualmente, estou em um café no centro da cidade e voltarei para casa em breve. Alguém mais tem dificuldade em estudar em casa? Eu sempre tive que sair de casa se quisesse manter a concentração.

Little Dove

Top - Boohoo | Jeans - Fashion Nova

Hello and happy hump day! Today is finally my Friday. I got scheduled for 10 days in a row, so basically two weeks of work all crammed together, but I've finally made it to the promised land! And guess what I get to do tomorrow!? I get to go see my cousin Cheyanna in Joshua Tree and meet her new baby! I am so excited to visit with her and spend some time in the desert. Yesterday I took a pile of clothes that has been sitting in a corner of my room to get tailored. The first place I went was a cleaners/tailor but when I started going through the items the woman cut me off and said she was in the middle of eating lunch and could I come back in 2.5 hours ... I was so confused. I had to go to work in a little over an hour and I felt like she was just turning me away. So I packed my stuff up and found a tailor a few blocks away that is super legit, and all men sewing in the back! The older man at the front had me try everything on and pinned it accordingly. One of my items is a cheetah print maxi dress that I got at the thrift store. I want to shorten it into a mini dress and man was he encouraging that. He kept telling me I could probably make it shorter haha. Very different from when my mom hems my clothes. I'm really excited to get it all back in a week.

xx 

Mariamma

Lace & Denim

Lace Top - Victoria's Secret | Denim Dress - Thrifted | Boots - Free People

Hey hey! I hope you're doing well! I've a had a really nice couple days off. It started off with a movie/wine night in the bathtub. This has become one of my (not so guilty) pleasures. It's been quite chilly considering summer is around the corner and sometimes I just crave to be warmed to the bones, which a bath provides! The wine and movie just make it that much nicer. I tend to overheat quickly too so the movie or show distracts me and allows me to stay in a bit longer. You should try it ;). I've been to the gym both days I had off too. I was so sore this morning from yesterday but I still went to a Butt/Belly/Thighs workout class this morning. I don't think it would have been very hard if I hadn't been SO sore. It felt good to move all that lactic acid through my system though and I rolled out my muscles a bit on a foam roller after class. Afterwards I went to get a smoothie. Did you guys know that Jamba Juice has a 'secret' menu? I thought I'd try one that was recommended called the "Red Gummy." It was a little too sweet for me but it did taste so much like a gummy bear! I'll probably stick with my favorite Peanut Butter Banana one ;). 

xx

Mariamma

Good Read

I am attempting to start a new book. As a kid I was such an avid reader. I remember being so interested in books that I would wake up in the middle of the night and crouch next to a lamp on the floor to get a little more time reading. It's frustrating now that books tend to just put me to sleep. I've said quite a bit that, "When I'm actually an adult I'll read every day before bed," rather than watch TV or scroll through Instagram. So I have yet to reach full adulthood. I have heard so many things about how using screens right before bed isn't ideal and I'd love to start a healthier habit. This week I will read before bed even if it just makes me sleepy. It's also occurred to me that maybe I should find some more enthralling books haha. 

xx 

Mariamma

Spring Mood Board

The new Instagram feature where you can save photos has quickly turned into a mood board. Scrolling through, I started to realize how cohesive my photos and interests are and thought they would make a nice collage to share. I hope these images inspire you as they've inspired me! There is a lot about social media that doesn't sit right with me but the ability to share and have access to inspirational art is undeniable. 

Enjoy 

Mariamma

Saturyay

Happy hump-day folks. I just had two lovely days off - a bit productive and a bit relaxing. I am about to go check out a michelada spot with my friend Ashley. One of the chefs at work told us that it is the best place in SoCal so we are going to investigate! These photos were taken last week on a little Saturday outing in the sunshine. This park is in-between Long Beach and Seal Beach and I decided to do some exploring. I had taken photos with a photographer there but I had only really seen the entrance. I was curious about how far back it went. In true SoCal fashion, it wasn't very large and was surrounded by fancy houses haha. I'm really craving a getaway into nature. I'll just wait for it to warm up a bit and then I'll scheme :). 

Mariamma

Valentine's Day

Top - Express | Shorts - Thrifted | Over-the-Knee Boots - Free People | Jacket - Thrifted

Photos by KDotPhotography 

Happy belated V-day you filthy animals! I know that a lot of people find this day cheesy af ... I'm one of them ... but at the same time, who cares?! Let's just all be cheese-balls and be down for a day that promotes showing appreciation for the ones you love! You don't have to do it with even one gift, just spend that time :). I had a lovely little evening in Hyland Park (first time there) going to an M. Ward show that gave me tingles at one point. It's fun to get a little dressed up and go be moved by some music. 

I hope you had a wonderful day then and are having a wonderful day now. 

Cheers to happy holidays that don't preside in December. 

xx 

Mariamma

Daisy Dream

Hello!! I am sitting in candle/lamplight (my fave) in a lovely room in Missoula at the moment. I have a few friends that I want to see here in town so I snuck off the Reservation and am staying with a family friend. Her house is a short walk from downtown - all along the river I might add - so I am very happy with the location. Last night I met my friend Riley for drinks. We've known each other since 2nd grade because our brothers became best friends. It was so nice to catch up and hear about his family's amazing three week canoeing trip through Alaska! Montanans really are special humans - respectfully unafraid of weather and always exploring. Today was my first full day here. I drank coffee and visited with my lovely host, Sarah, in the morning and then walked downtown where I discovered some new shops and a Brazilian restaurant! I had it for lunch and dinner thanks to my leftovers! I also visited my favorite vintage shop and got a couple goodies that I will share later. After lunch I walked home to get a ride with Sarah to an African dance class on the other side of town. It was SO much fun. The lead drummer moved here recently from Guinea so the music for class was awesome. There are apparently a couple Congolese refugee families in Missoula and three siblings, a boy and his two little sisters, danced in the front line the entire class. It was a lovely start to my evening. I came home and showered and then walked 45 minutes to Western Cider to meet my friend Marion who is a manager there. We talked for a few hours, catching up on two years isn't quick, but it sure is fun. I really love old friends. We all grow and change so much and it's comforting to do it together. Home is awesome. Summer is great. Life is fucking superb. 

Mariamma

Oh Hi

Bodysuit - Gift / Jeans - Flea Market / Shoes - Circus by Sam Edelman 

Here it is, late/mid February and you haven't heard a peep out of me since December. It's been a crazy couple months - full of transitions and shifting of winds. I am headed to New Orleans this week for Mardi Gras so I'm pretty sure that will be my next post. Should be a good one ;). 

muito amor

Mariamma

Rare LA Rain

Bodysuit - Lulus.com | Jeans - Fashion Nova | Dr. Martens Boots - Thrifted | Coat - American Eagle

These photos were taken last weekend when we got a sudden and rare bout of rain. It was perfect timing because all I really wanted to do was chill at home - and that's what I did except for going out Saturday night with Ryan and John in Huntington Beach and hitting the LB Flea Market on Sunday. This weekend is going to feel extremely long because I won't be back in the office until Wednesday. I'm working from home for the Lulus Cyber Monday sale. How luxurious, right?! Happy Friday! 

xx 

Mariamma