Sunrise | DTLA

Photos from last month in DTLA. Liv and I decided to try and watch the sunrise on the roof of our hotel but quickly realized the rooftop wasn’t open yet. She wittingly suggested we try a different stairwell and voila! an open door. It was a sleepy morning and we didn’t see a soul.

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Fotos do mês passado em DTLA. Liv e eu decidimos tentar assistir o nascer do sol no telhado do nosso hotel, mas rapidamente percebemos que o telhado ainda não estava aberto. Ela sugeriu intencionalmente que experimentássemos uma escada diferente e pronto! uma porta aberta. Era uma manhã sonolenta e não vimos vivalma.

le smooch

Mariamma

Week in Snapshots

Some snapshots from the week … a good one in warm locations, but happy to be home … despite it being 12 degrees in NY today. It is chillyyy. I am having a weird morning. I missed my stop on the train and when I rerouted and got off on the right stop, I tripped going up the subway stairs. I had one hand in my pocket but managed to catch myself with the other. I teared up out of pure frustration and embarrassment. Then I got to the spa to check my schedule and no one has booked a facial all day so I didn’t even need to be rushing. Now I am at a coffee shop down the street, licking my wounds and trying to turn this day around. I am going to try and get myself taken off the schedule for tomorrow because I think I need some days to myself. I would like to film a thrift haul for y’all and have a nice day of editing at a coffee shop.

This weekend I got taken on a surprise excursion to The Summit in Manhattan. It’s on the 91st floor of the Vanderbilt building and starts with a room of mirrors with an incredible view of the city. I loved that it was indoors, unlike The Edge, which would have been unbearably cold this time of year. The following room has silver helium balloons that dance around the room. It was a wonderful time and a great surprise. And yesterday I finally got to see Sofia. She had been subleasing for a month while she found a permanent apartment … and lucky me that permanent apartment is less than I mile from mine! We had a piquant dinner at Nene’s Taqueria and then some cocktails at a lovely bar down the street named Palmetto. I will be revisiting both!

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Algumas fotos da semana… uma boa em locais quentes, mas feliz por estar em casa… apesar de estar fazendo 12 graus em NY hoje. Está friooooo. Estou tendo uma manhã estranha. Perdi minha parada no trem e quando mudei de rota e desci na parada certa, tropecei subindo as escadas do metrô. Eu tinha uma mão no bolso, mas consegui me segurar com a outra. Eu chorei de pura frustração e vergonha. Então cheguei ao spa para verificar minha agenda e ninguém reservou um tratamento facial o dia todo, então nem precisei correr. Agora estou em um café na rua, lambendo minhas feridas e tentando mudar esse dia. Vou tentar me tirar da agenda para amanhã porque acho que preciso de alguns dias para mim. Eu gostaria de filmar um brechó para vocês e ter um bom dia de edição em um café.

Este fim de semana fui levado em uma excursão surpresa ao The Summit em Manhattan. Fica no 91º andar do prédio Vanderbilt e começa com uma sala de espelhos com uma vista incrível da cidade. Eu adorava que fosse dentro de casa, ao contrário do The Edge, que estaria insuportavelmente frio nesta época do ano. A sala seguinte tem balões de hélio prateados que dançam ao redor da sala. Foi um momento maravilhoso e uma grande surpresa. E ontem finalmente consegui ver Sofia. Ela estava sublocando há um mês enquanto encontrava um apartamento permanente... e sorte minha que o apartamento permanente fica a menos de um quilômetro do meu! Tivemos um jantar picante no Nene's Taqueria e depois alguns coquetéis em um bar adorável na rua chamado Palmetto. Vou revisitar ambos!

smooch

Mariamma

Mars

Jumpsuit - Vintage | Sunglasses - Ray Ban | Boots - Lucky Brand

Mission to the desert! I really love how these photos came out. My cousin Cheyanna took all of them. She has such a good eye! In actuality Joshua Tree was so windy. My jumpsuit matched the rocks and all but really we were just trying to find a large hill that would block some of the wind! I start to feel like I'm going crazy when I'm having to squint and my hair is being blown everywhere and car doors won't stay open and ... all worth the photos later haha. I went to they gym today after work at 6:30, forgetting that it closes at 7, so I didn't really get my yayas out. I have to wake up early for a long shift tomorrow so I'm off to bed! More photos from my trip to come!

smooches on smooches

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

To-Do

I just got off work and it's only noon! I have the whole rest of the day and I have a list running in my head of things I want to get done:

  • gym (I'm so sore that my boss said I was walking like a robot this morning - so I need to go move my muscles)
  • wash my hair (yes, that's making it to the list)
  • nap (I got off late last night and then worked at 6am this morning) 
  • read my new book (trying to stay on that!)
  • laundry (I have no clean workout clothes)
  • take out trash/recycling
  • cook the tofu curry that I have all the ingredients for (eggplant!)
  • clean (trying to clean for at least 30 min a day while being educated/entertained by a podcast - this way my apartment is always so fresh and so clean) 
  • take photos for the blog
  • get ready to go out with Francesca tonight! 

Wish me luck! 

xx 

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 :). 

x 

Mariamma

A Little Lush

Hey there beauties! I just got back from lunch at Seabirds with Meg, Sabrina, Carlos, Selena, and Garen. Today is Meg and Sabrina's last full day in Long Beach :( I may go to an art show with them tonight ... I just keep postponing the actual goodbye! The food at Seabirds is so good though and all vegan. They had these jackfruit nachos that pretty perfectly mimicked carnitas. Lucky me that it's so close! 

Happy Friday 

Mariamma

LA Women's March

Hey! I'm sitting at the dining room table in my friend Nicole's apartment in Santa Barbara. We were roommates freshman year in the dorms at UC Davis (along with two other girls) and we thought it was about time to catch up! I drove up yesterday - a lovely sunset drive along the coast - and will be here 'til Friday. I've never really visited SB. I got into the UC here and we drove through campus when I was 17 during our road trip to Mexico, but that's all I've seen. She's in grad school here and has some classes and meeting throughout the day so I'll probably do a bit of solo exploring.

Last weekend was the national Women's March and I've been dying to share these photos. It was amazing to see so many people of every different gender, color, and creed come together to voice their support of one another. My faith has been restored in human goodness. After marching we listened to a few speeches and and performances ... I cried during Andra Day's performance of Rise that seemed so perfect for the occasion. After that we headed to an Ethiopian spot downtown and then took the metro back to Long Beach. It was a wonderful Saturday. 

xx 

Mariamma

Just a Thursday

Thursday thoughts: I went through quite an identity shift this summer. People who are getting to know me now - as opposed to a year and a half ago when I moved down to LA - see me in ways I have never been seen before. I think being humbled by life events during my first year in Southern California has made me so much stronger, more decisive, more communicative, more happy! Having this new part of me at the forefront makes navigating through each day an adventure. I pleasantly surprise myself constantly. I am very aware of myself. This is such a relief after having jobs and relationships that encouraged or required a certain numbing of my soul. I feel alive. I feel like me. I feel like I can take a breath and there's no rush to exhale. I can just exist as I am. Isn't it silly that we don't always feel like that? I knew I'd get here, and I am so glad I was right.

Love

Mariamma

Bel Air

Hoops - NY&Co | Nude Top - F21 | Skirt - Thrifted | Boots - Amazon 

Photos by Alli Nadine

I am trying so hard to blog more! I have all these ideas for posts floating around my head but I realize I should just get in the habit of posting, whether it's well-thought out or not. My goal really is to post once a day - so you can see I'm slacking. I don't want to put too much pressure on written content though. My focus is on the photos. I've been strangely tired this week however, which has stood in my way a bit. Other than going on a long bike ride along the coast, going out to dinner and drinks with some coworkers, and running some errands, I've primarily spent the week at home. Last night I fell asleep at 8 pm and I still woke up groggy. I've been cooking for myself a lot so I know that I'm not lacking nutrients. I'll just listen to my body I suppose. It sort of gives me no choice ;). Tonight my friend Victoria is coming over to check out my new place and eat dinner. I'm cooking a polenta and mushroom dish and have a fresh bottle of wine ready and waiting! I really love to cook, but I especially love cooking for others.

xx 

Mariamma

All in a Day's Walk

DTLA is kind of my old stomping grounds. I worked down here for a year and commuted for 2.5 hours a day to get here. It's been nice the last couple days to revisit some of my favorite spots and discover some new ones. I took a stroll through Pershing Square and ended up at The Last Bookstore where I found a book I've been searching for all summer. It's called The Chosen by Chaim Potok - a book I read in high school. I remember it capturing the pressure of living up to expectations as a young adult and it had a big emotional impact on me - putting words to feelings I didn't know were shared. I remember telling people it was my favorite book for a while, but I stopped because it turned a simple, "What's your favorite book?" question into a deep discussion that people often weren't looking for. I'm looking forward to rereading it and seeing if it hits my heart the same way it did a decade ago. 

cheers to long walks and the art along the way

Mariamma

Peaches & Cream

I just sat down and had a delicious vermicelli rice noodle salad, complete with tofu and about a pound of sriracha. It's funny to think back to sriracha being spicy for me. I eat it like ketchup now. Ridiculous, but I think my worth as a woman is tied up in my ability to eat spicy food. It's something I'm proud of. My friend Francesca's mom told me last night that she can't handle eating chilis anymore. She said that when she was a teenager her mom would make a pork chili verde dish and one time she made it so spicy that it burnt a hole in the tupperware and did something similar to her esophagus. I hope I  never reach a point where my body says no but my mouth says yaaaas. Peaches and cream may not be a very fitting title for this post after all :). 

hoping you're happy, 

Mariamma

Slip of the Tongue

slip - thrifted | shirt - thrifted | shoes - kensie

Styled and shot by my fave: Olivia Bwalya

This week someone said to me that people in our lives are either blessings or lessons - and something in me hesitated when I heard it. I didn't understand why it didn't sit quite right with me until today, and the reason is that I feel that lessons are blessings as well. They suck a little harder than straight blessings, don't get me wrong, but they are something to be grateful for just the same. This summer has been transformative and growth is never easy. I am so looking forward to getting a second to catch my breath from all the obstacle hurtling. But you never know with life. I won't assume it'll let up anytime soon. I'll just enjoy the blessings as they come and do my best to listen to the omens.

<3 

Mariamma

Friday Morning

Good Morning! It's a grey day here in LA and ... somehow that made me crave waffles. Maybe it's the nostalgia for cozy mornings at my Mamma's house where she always makes waffles and a smoothie. Spoiled. I'm slacking on the smoothie part. I'm just chilling on the couch in-between the puppy and my roomie, helping her pick wedding invites. Cheers to weekend! 

xx 

Mariamma

Manhattan Beach

Whatttttup! I had a sweet little lunch date with my friend Alli today in Manhattan Beach. There are so many pricey little spots but then we stumbled on our kind of spot: cheap and tasty Mexican food! It was so nice to explore and window shop ... and I may have made a swimsuit purchase. Summer is almost here and you know I'll be ready ;). 

xoxo 

Mariamma

Sparkle

Here are more photos from my trip to Anza-Borrega State Park. Those sun flares are pure magic! 

Today I have a few things on the agenda ... repotting some plants and soaking in the sunshine on what is supposed to be a 90 degree day! I think I'll take a nap too. You know it's a going to be a good day when you're already planning a nap at 6:45 a.m. 

Happy Friday!

Mariamma

San Pedro

Yesterday we woke up early and went to breakfast along the Marina and then decided to use the beautiful day for some exploring. First stop was the Korean Bell of Friendship and then down the road we stopped to hike down to the Sunken City. There's still so much of LA I haven't seen, and little trips like yesterday's really remind me of that. We ended the day at a Dodger's game ... my first pro baseball game ever! We ate plenty of "Dodger Dogs" and garlic fries and drank $15 tall cans. It was a good time. :)

Happy Easter! 

Mariamma