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.

_______________________________

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

I'm Moving Abroad!

 

Hello beautiful people! If you follow me on instagram then you saw yesterday that I announced that I am moving back to Brazil next month and moving away from Long Beach in just two short weeks! All the previous posts about being a little distant from the blog and trying to stay organized have all really been about preparing for this move. I couldn't share that I was moving until I had given my notice to work so I've been holding a lot of what is going on with me back. I'm so excited that now we can all be on the same page and I can take you on this adventure, because it will no doubt be an adventure. I lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for a full year in college and only came back because I needed to in order to graduate. Never wanting to leave in the first place means I've always wanted to go back and I guess I just needed a little help realizing that this was the perfect moment. In April I went to a wedding with a lot of old college friends and after dancing my booty off my friend Kathleen asked me, while we huddled around a fire, why I had never moved back. In that second where my brain tried to give her the excuses it had been giving itself, I realized that my car lease and apartment lease were both expiring within months of each other this summer. It is perfect timing to just let it all go. I spent the seven hour car ride back to Long Beach calling everyone who could help me decide if I was being crazy or if this really was what I should do. You can guess how those phone calls went! It feels absolutely amazing to be listening to my heart. I have no pets, no children, now is the time to fling myself into the flow of the universe and pursue my own personal legend - if you've read The Alchemist then you know ;). I've also decided that I will translate all my blogposts into Portuguese as a way to practice and learn and so that my blog will be more accessible to my beloved Brazilians! Thanks for all the love and support I have received thus far. Y'all are the best. 

 

Olá lindos! Se você me seguir no instagram, então você viu ontem que eu anunciei que voltaria para o Brasil no mês que vem e me mudaria de Long Beach em apenas duas semanas! Todos os posts anteriores sobre estar um pouco longe do blog e tentar se organizar realmente foram uma preparação para esse movimento. Eu não pude compartilhar que estava me movendo até que eu tivesse dado meu aviso para trabalhar, então eu assegurei muito do que está acontecendo comigo de volta. Estou tão animada que agora todos podemos estar na mesma página e eu posso levá-lo nesta aventura, porque sem dúvida será uma aventura. Eu morei no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil por um ano na faculdade e só voltei porque precisava me formar. Nunca querer sair primeiro significa que sempre quis voltar e acho que precisava de uma pequena ajuda para perceber que aquele era o momento perfeito. Em abril, fui a um casamento com um grupo de amigos da faculdade e depois de dançar meu saquinho da minha amiga Kathleen me perguntou enquanto nos amontoávamos ao redor de uma fogueira porque eu nunca havia me mudado de volta. Naquele segundo, quando meu cérebro tentou dar a ela as desculpas que ela estava dando a si mesma, percebi que meu aluguel de carros e apartamentos estava expirando em meses um do outro neste verão. É o momento perfeito para deixar tudo e ir. Passei a viagem de sete horas até Long Beach, chamando todos que pudessem me ajudar a decidir se eu estava sendo maluca ou se era realmente o que eu deveria fazer. Você pode adivinhar como esses telefonemas foram! É absolutamente incrível estar ouvindo meu coração. Não tenho animais, estou sem filhos, agora é a hora de brincar no fluxo do universo e seguir minha própria lenda pessoal - se você ler O Alquimista, então você sabe;). Eu também decidi traduzir todos os posts do meu blog para o português como uma maneira de praticar e aprender e tornar meu blog mais acessível aos meus amados brasileiros! Obrigado por todo o amor e apoio que recebi até agora. Vocês são os melhores.

xx 

Mariamma

 

Organized?

Boots - Forever 21 | Shorts - Zara | Blouse - Anine Bing

Hey babes! The last three weeks have been so eventful and the only way to properly document it would be to do a daily post - which I obviously didn't do - so I have no idea where to start right now. This is a special moment in my life, as all moments are haha, and I would really like to be either blogging or journaling daily so I have something to look back on. I feel like I've gotten very good at appreciating exactly where I am and being aware of each moment's importance in what comes next. However, I am not properly sinking my teeth into capturing it due solely to my lack of organization at the moment. I go through phases of extreme organization and extreme disorder and I am definitely amidst the later. I have so many things on my to-do list everyday that it seems like a big daunting mountain. So far I've been procrastinating until the very last second for all these tasks. I get them done, but with seconds to spare. I would like to be more organized so that Mariamma a month from now isn't STRESSED. I have no regrets about the amount of fun I have had heaped on my plate lately, but it's time to get rid of some of these little thought bubbles that are starting to make the fun feel a little less free. I have an amazing Catalina post coming your way so stay tuned for that. And wish me luck decluttering my physical and mental spaces! 

xx 

Mariamma

Pretty Little Bird

Hi loves! I have been in the mood to get rid of things lately and I think this romper is one of them! There are certain things in my closet that I never/rarely gravitate towards and others that I love so much I've worn them once ... which makes little sense. I'm making it a point to wear those items and I've found that, with the first category of garments, they are often ill-fitting and unflattering. I don't feel great in them. And this romper is one of them. I'm actually sitting at a coffee shop in it right now, wishing I was in something else haha. At least it's comfortable though! I went through a phase a long time ago where I got rid of anything that was even remotely small but then I started buying things that were too big for me. I feel like I'm finally balancing out and have become increasingly picky about fit and fabric content. I guess I'm growing up! I know and understand my body and what I look/feel good in and after making myself wear this romper today it's time to add it to the giveaway pile! And as for the items that I covet and never wear, I'm telling myself that it's time to put them on and flaunt them! There's no time like the present - as cliché as that is. And sometimes you need to wear them for a day to figure out which category they're really in.  

Cheers to shedding what you need to shed and savoring the good things!

Somehow this turned into a metaphor about life haha! 

xx 

Mariamma

July 4th

My friend Alli came all the way from North Hollywood to spend the fourth with me in Long Beach. We were originally going to head down to Laguna Beach, which is where she grew up, but her mom had house guests and there wasn't going to be room for us. Instead she came to me and it was so nice. She said she hadn't been to Long Beach since she was seven and didn't have good memories so she was pleasantly surprised. The day got off to a great start when she magically found a parking spot right in front of my apartment. Then we headed down to the beach where we walked, talked, and of course, people-watched. All that sunshine got us scheming about dinner and we ended up going to Saint & Second which was so delicious! The cocktails too! After that we headed back to my place and opened a bottle of wine and watched some of the fireworks on the roof before heading down to the beach again to dance around in the sand and see them a little closer. Such a nice day ... 

xx 

Mariamma

Good Days Only

Top - Free People | Jeans - Rollas | Sandals - Blowfish Malibu 

Hello hello! I just went to yoga for the first time in a couple weeks. I've been feeling a bit tight from going to the gym so I thought it would be a good idea to allot today to just stretching. I always bike to yoga and I lay it down next to me on the grass during class. I've had the thought that I could get too zen and someone could swipe it quickly so I lay my yoga mat case and my backpack over the frame. As I was walking my bike off the lawn after class today someone did actually try to steal someone's bike! After the owner started yelling that it was her bike a guy from yoga knocked a girl off the bike at the intersection and got the bike back. It was so crazy! The girl had a yoga mat but walked off quickly without it. What a silly decision! Yoga on the bluff is a free/donation based class so it just seems so strange to take a free class based on loving and nourishing yourself and then greedily try and steal someone's mode of transportation right afterwards. I was impressed with how quickly that guy sprung into action though. And I feel a bit sad for the girl who attempted the whole thing. 

Anyways :) I have tomorrow off and I'm happy about it. I've been scheduled with Tuesday & Thursdays off the last couple weeks and it's actually pretty nice. I never work more than four days in a row which feels really easy. 

cheers 

Mariamma

Palm Backdrops 4Ever

Hello lovelies! I was quite productive this morning. I got my car detailed and went to the new gym for the first time. I am turning my car in tomorrow and then I will officially be a carless SoCal resident - unheard of! I drive my car so little, just for road trips basically since I live three blocks from work and can bike almost anywhere in Long Beach. My three year lease is up and it just doesn't make sense to spend a bunch of dough on a new car when it isn't necessary. There are other things I'd rather spend that money on ;). I got it thoroughly cleaned at a spot right around the corner and it looks as good as new! I am running one last errand with it tomorrow morning and then dropping it off at the dealership! It's such perfect timing that the new gym opened yesterday so I don't need to drive to the North LB location anymore - and that won't be an option anyways. I walked there today and it's only a mile. There were little restaurants and shops that I hadn't seen before so it will be a fun way to explore downtown a little more as well. 

<3 life is good

 Mariamma

Wild Wind

Hi babes! I just got back from Yosemite and I can't wait to show you the photos! I knew Yosemite was beautiful but in-person it was beyond striking. It was such a lovely weekend with old and new friends! I realized I've gone to three national parks in the last few months! I'm happy to be getting my nature fix. I really love traveling and seeing things for the first time. Being reminded at how gorgeous this planet is keeps what is truly important at the forefront of my mind. Nature is my therapy I suppose. I hope you all had a nice weekend, wherever you spent it! 

xx 

Mariamma

Junk Yard

T-Shirt - Hanes | Shorts - Vintage | Moccasins - Minnettonka 

This was one of the first spots my cousin took me to in the desert. Artist Noah Purifoy created this "Outdoor Desert Art Museum" out of 'junk' items. It is open to the public in the Mojave Desert and we had a lot of fun wandering around in the dust and sand. I've had today off which is nice. I am looking forward to a couple restful days. On Mothers Day last weekend I worked a 14 hour shift and I've been feeling like I'm on the verge of getting sick ever since so I'm taking it really easy today. I cleaned a bit this morning (still wasn't totally unpacked from the desert), caught up with my friend Jenelle on the phone, and then headed to my favorite coffee shop to catch up on some blogging ;) and eat one of their delicious paninis haha! I picked up all the items from the tailor yesterday and I'm thinking of doing a little post on that. I dropped off two more items yesterday though so maybe I'll wait 'til those are done as well. Getting things tailored isn't necessarily cheap, but it makes a lot more sense than throwing $$ away on cheap items that won't last. I'm really excited to wear these items that I've had tucked away for so long! 

xx 

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

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

Desert Dance

These photos deserve a little intro. When I went to the desert, this was a big vision that I wanted to create. It was really fun to play with my creativity and movement. I'm really happy with how they turned out. This dress is something my mom gave me. I had a gypsy themed 21st birthday - a lovely party with live music and lots of dancing in my mom's backyard. And I wore this dress ... six years ago! It has returned for yet another spotlight moment. 

Today is my Friyay! After work I picked up my newly framed paintings, went to the bank, went to the gym with Joeye and then we got dinner at a Thai restaurant I used to go to all the time last year. I'm feeling sleeeeepy right about now. My body is so sore. I love it haha! 

xoxo 

Mariamma

The Final Hour

Today was pretty great. Work was really slow this morning so I got sent home after just two hours and decided to go sign up for that gym that will be opening up soon downtown. They have a good deal going on right now and they have another location that's only 20 minutes away that I can go to in the meantime. Dancing once a week isn't enough! I'm excited to take advantage of both the equipment and the classes. After signing up for the gym I went to yoga outside on the bluff and then to get some tea. When I got home and saw that I got a parking ticket (I forgot about the damn street sweeping) and was feeling a bit frustrated so I headed to the gym and let off some steam haha. I'm feeling good and sore after a nice hot shower. 

Happy Monday 

Mariamma

Cheetah

Hello and happy Saturday night! Yesterday I picked up this lovely cheetah print number at the Salvation Army along with an oversized, double-breasted black blazer (with gold buttons!). I was excited to take photos in this dress today. It's a little big but perfect with a belt. I tried on so many waist belts in my closet and they all looked great with it. I decided on the brown one in the photos because I got it at the same thrift store a couple months ago. Entirely thrifted outfits ftw!! The fabric has this wrinkle-proof texture which will be perfect for the belted look because it won't bunch like normal fabric. I was feeling quite saucy in my matching nail/lipstick combo as well. It looks as though the weather in Long Beach is finally going to warm up in the middle of this week and I am so looking forward to a little less layering. 

<3 

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

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

2018

Hello loves. I'm sitting in a coffee shop off 2nd street. I had an appointment on this end of town and I decided it was a good excuse for a bike ride. It only takes me about 15-20 minutes to get clear across town. Long Beach really is a little slice of heaven! I took the bike path along the beach, bundled in my vintage minnie mouse bomber and listened to Olivia's seven minute voice note with my headphones for half the ride. She just officially finished her masters! So exciting!! 

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and New Years. I spent NYE with some of my old friends from High School. We all met up at Jared's house in Venice for a lovely little reunion. This past weekend I headed down to San Diego for Lauren's birthday. It was wonderful to catch up with her and Marina, dance, speak some Portuguese, eat some pão de queijo, etc. It was an ideal way to spend the first moments of 2018. I am so excited for what this year holds. 2017 was anything but predictable and it's so funny that I assumed my life would get more and more predictable as I got older. I don't make this assumption anymore ;) 

cheers to new years and new possibilities 

xo 

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

Laguna Beach

Hello there! These photos were taken a couple weeks ago in Laguna Beach with some of my babely San Diego friends. I met Anna, Lauren, and Marina there after my breakfast shift on Saturday (so nice that I'm done by 11:00 or 12:00) and we had a fun and sun-filled afternoon. Afterwards we headed to Urth Cafe and grubbed out. I hadn't been there in so long! Lauren and I split the butternut squash pizza and a salad. So good! Afterwards, Marina and Lauren came back up to Long Beach with me and we got ready for my friend Leo's Halloween party. We took so many silly videos that night but no pictures! The next morning the girls came into my work to have brunch and I joined them when I was done. It was such a nice weekend! It's actually been pretty cold here in Long Beach and I'm missing that heatwave that had me at the beach just a few weeks ago! I'm ready for summer already! I have a very full week coming up and I need to get some stuff in order to make it all go smoothly so have a lovely night and I'll update you soon! 

xo 

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