Week in Photos

This week has been absolutely incredible … so much dance and music. Last weekend I got to see Erykah Badu for the first time and on Wednesday Sofia and I got hooked up with free Kehlani tickets! I’ve been listening to Kehlani since she had a mixtape and was performing around Oakland. I decided to go solo to her concert in Santa Ana in 2017 at a small venue. It was my first time going to a show alone and I had such a good experience that I’ve done it plenty of times since. Watching her sell out Radio City Music Hall (which she sold out twice!) was kind of a proud moment! I was really honored to be there and was fan-girling over her and her choreographer/back-up dancer Kassidy Bright who I’ve also followed for a long time. On either side of the Kehlani show I went to the BAAND Together Dance Festival at Lincoln Center where five of the cities top dance companies performed pieces for FREE. I am so happy to be in NYC for amazing opportunities to see the highest level of art. This weekend is also looking like a lot of fun so I’ll probably film it for an upcoming vlog. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend ahead of you as well!

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Esta semana foi absolutamente incrível... muita dança e música. No fim de semana passado eu pude ver Erykah Badu pela primeira vez e na quarta-feira Sofia e eu ganhamos ingressos grátis para Kehlani! Eu ouço Kehlani desde que ela fez uma mixtape e estava se apresentando em Oakland. Decidi ir sozinha ao show dela em Santa Ana em 2017 em um local pequeno. Foi a primeira vez que fui a um show sozinho e tive uma experiência tão boa que fiz isso muitas vezes desde então. Vê-la esgotar o Radio City Music Hall (que ela esgotou duas vezes!) foi um momento de orgulho! Fiquei muito honrada por estar lá e fui fangirl dela e de sua coreógrafa/dançarina Kassidy Bright, que também acompanho há muito tempo. Em ambos os lados do show de Kehlani, fui ao BAAND Together Dance Festival no Lincoln Center, onde cinco das principais companhias de dança da cidade apresentaram peças GRATUITAMENTE. Estou tão feliz por estar em Nova York para oportunidades incríveis de ver o mais alto nível de arte. Este fim de semana também está parecendo muito divertido, então provavelmente vou filmá-lo para um próximo vlog. Espero que todos tenham um fim de semana maravilhoso pela frente também!

Gemini Season

Happy Saturday!

Today is 88º F and the amount of boys I’ve seen in crop tops has truly made my day. I even passed by an apartment with two kiddie pools out front on my walk to my current coffee shop perch. Tomorrow is supposed to be equally warm and I want to go wander around one of the parks in the morning … perhaps with camera in hand. I am feeling a bit lethargic today; it took me far too long to emerge from the house this afternoon. But I realize this is my first day home without plans since I injured my shoulder last week - and I did do all my laundry and take photos finally. I definitely have days where I do very little but I wish I was better about appreciating them fully rather than feeling guilty about them. I haven’t worked out since my shoulder got hit and I think checking that off the list tomorrow will make me feel better physically and emotionally. I didn’t get home til well after midnight last night after a full day of celebrating Thomas’ graduation from grad school. I had a very lovely evening with everyone. How crazy that three years have gone by since we both moved to the East Coast and made NY our home. I remember the first time we met up in the city … somewhere around Penn Station (not ideal) and he looked like such an Oregonian - slightly unkempt and in tie-dye. I remember feeling a bit overwhelmed in the street. It is such a contrast to how I feel now - so energized by the city and so at home. Life is magic.

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Hoje é 31º C e a quantidade de meninos que vi de cropped realmente fez meu dia. Eu até passei por um apartamento com duas piscinas infantis na frente na minha caminhada para o meu atual café. Amanhã deve estar igualmente quente e eu quero passear por um dos parques pela manhã... talvez com a câmera na mão. Estou me sentindo um pouco letárgico hoje; levei muito tempo para sair da casa esta tarde. Mas percebo que este é meu primeiro dia em casa sem planos desde que machuquei meu ombro na semana passada - e eu lavei todas as minhas roupas e tirei fotos finalmente. Definitivamente, tenho dias em que faço muito pouco, mas gostaria de apreciá-los totalmente, em vez de me sentir culpado por eles. Eu não malho desde que meu ombro foi atingido e acho que tirar isso da lista amanhã vai me fazer sentir melhor fisicamente e emocionalmente. Só cheguei em casa bem depois da meia-noite da noite passada, depois de um dia inteiro comemorando a formatura de Thomas na pós-graduação. Eu tive uma noite muito agradável com todos. Que loucura que três anos se passaram desde que nós dois nos mudamos para a Costa Leste e fizemos de NY nossa casa. Eu me lembro da primeira vez que nos encontramos na cidade... em algum lugar perto da Penn Station (não é o ideal) e ele parecia um Oregonian - um pouco despenteado e em tie-dye. Lembro-me de me sentir um pouco sobrecarregado na rua. É um grande contraste com o que sinto agora - tão energizado pela cidade e tão em casa. A vida é mágica.

xx

Mariamma

Photos From Cancún

Hi loves! A quick written check-in because it’s been back to back videos for a minute. I hope you all had a great holiday … and another one is just around the corner. I’ve had a few really exhausting weeks but there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel. I have a day working at the spa next week which I am looking forward to. I miss massaging peoples faces with fancy products haha! About to go grub on some yummy Mediterranean food. Talk to you soon!

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Oi amores! Um rápido check-in por escrito, porque os vídeos são consecutivos por bastante tempo. Espero que todos tenham tido um ótimo feriado ... e outro está chegando. Eu tive algumas semanas realmente exaustivas, mas definitivamente há uma luz no fim do túnel. Tenho um dia de trabalho no spa na próxima semana, pelo qual estou ansioso. Tenho saudades de massagear o rosto das pessoas com produtos extravagantes haha! Prestes a comer alguma comida mediterrânea saborosa. Falo com você em breve!

xoxo

Mariamma

Plantas Tropicais

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Hi boos! I just realized I haven’t clued you in on my whereabouts. I decided to take a little solo trip to the ocean. These photos were snapped day one. Today I checked out some thrift stores and walked a LOT. My toe isn’t very happy with me, but I got some much-needed sun and salt water on my skin. I got some good stuff today! The item I am most excited for is an art print that was in a very extravagant gold frame. I asked the woman behind the counter if I could buy just the print, without the frame, and she nodded and said it would be $25. I expected it to be more expensive … it’s really beautiful and a good size. Turns out she didn’t understand me and when we got on the same page she brought the price down to $10!! I am so excited to frame it (in something a little less gaudy) and hang it above my bed. It’s truly everything I’ve been looking for: warm tones, tropical, feminine, and set in nature. * chef’s kiss * This trip was a bit of a creative intensive - I was needing a change of scene and some quiet - so please expect some beautiful, lush content in the near future. I hope you’ve all had a great week! Happy Friday!

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Oi! Acabei de perceber que não te dei pistas sobre meu paradeiro. Decidi fazer uma pequena viagem solo ao oceano. Essas fotos foram tiradas no primeiro dia. Hoje eu dei uma olhada em alguns brechós e caminhei MUITO. Meu dedo do pé não está muito feliz comigo, mas eu tenho um pouco de sol muito necessário e água salgada na minha pele. Eu tenho algumas coisas boas hoje! O item pelo qual estou mais animado é uma impressão artística com uma moldura dourada muito extravagante. Perguntei à mulher atrás do balcão se eu poderia comprar apenas a estampa, sem a moldura, e ela acenou com a cabeça e disse que custaria $ 25. Eu esperava que fosse mais caro ... é muito bonito e de bom tamanho. Acontece que ela não me entendeu e quando entramos na mesma página, ela baixou o preço para $ 10 !! Estou tão animado para enquadrá-lo (em algo um pouco menos espalhafatoso) e pendurá-lo acima da minha cama. É realmente tudo que eu procuro: tons quentes, tropicais, femininos e naturais. * beijo do chef * Esta viagem foi um pouco intensiva e criativa - eu estava precisando de uma mudança de cenário e um pouco de silêncio - então, espere algum conteúdo lindo e exuberante em um futuro próximo. Espero que todos tenham tido uma ótima semana! Feliz sexta-feira!

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

Birthday Back Home

Photos by Jenelle Zavala

Dress - Thrifted (and tailored by my Mamma moments before this little shoot <3)

As you may have seen on my Instagram, I went home to Chico, CA for my birthday last week. I was unsure what I wanted to do this year for my birthday but this last-minute decision worked out beautifully! Last year I was tucked into the Montana mountains. It was the perfect place to reflect on the year I had just had and the year ahead of me. I didn't want this year to be anything less and thanks to my beautiful Mamma and lovely friends it was a perfect day. I kind of feel like I was 27 for multiple years, even though it flew by in other ways. Birthdays are opportunities to check in. They're mile markers ... Are you where you thought you'd be? Do you want to do more? Less? Create a new path even if it requires hacking your way through with a machete? Haha 

cheers to new years 

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

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

Jungle Haus

Happy Friday folks! Today is my Sunday so-to-speak. There are free yoga classes outside overlooking the ocean every weekday at 11 in Long Beach and I've been going on my days off for the past month. It's becoming a bit of a habit which is nice.  I brought my computer and some documents with me so I could do my taxes at a coffee shop afterwards but I just realized I'm missing a W-2 form so I'll blog now ... do taxes later. I was scheduled last week for eight days straight and I was SO tired by the end of the week. I feel like I still need more sleep. Maybe nap then taxes ;). 

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

Home Body

Black Silk Maxi Slip - A gift from my Mamma

Happy Saturday! I got off of work not too long ago and am currently brainstorming on what to do with the rest of the afternoon. It's a bit chilly today so cozy things are sounding best. This evening I am going to my friend Dani's modern dance performance in Pasadena and then going out dancing with some friends in Hollywood. Should be a festive little night on the town! My friends Sabrina and Meg who I'm going out with tonight are moving to the Caribbean in about ten days, so I'm soaking up as much of them as possible before their impending departure. They have lived a few blocks away from me since I moved to Long Beach and I am so sad to lose such awesome neighbors! I'm obviously very excited for them though and have been playing with the idea of going to visit. I hope you're all having a lovely weekend! 

xoxo 

Mariamma

Home

Boa tarde my sweets! Today is my second day off and it has been a very productive 'weekend' on the home decor front. I had three big tasks to take care of: 1. repot SIX plants (some were new and some had outgrown their pots) 2. assemble my NEW COUCH (loveseat), and 3. repaint the frames of the four paintings I got at the flea market last month. I can check them all off my list! I'm just waiting for the frames to dry in the backyard right now. It was quite windy today and getting the newspaper to not blow away was a feat, as well as getting the spray to not just blow into the wind. I accidentally painted a little of my adidas slides because the wind was blowing my direction at one point. But if they're going to be any color, I'm happy they're a little gold! My plans for the rest of the evening are to go see a movie kind of late. I may be a bit sleepy for work tomorrow. 

contemplating a nap 

Mariamma

Cacti

Top - Thrifted | Pants - Stolen from my Ma :) | Booties - Circus by Sam Edelman 

Good morning! Today is my last day in Santa Barbara and luckily Nicole has the whole day free to spend with me! Yesterday we had lunch together and then I headed downtown while she met with a professor for a few hours. I wandered around, popping into shops while sipping on a matcha latte from Good Cup. When Nicole was done we met up and headed to dinner at a restaurant in La Arcada. I'm just waiting for her to wake up right now so we can go wander around more today. I'll head back to Long Beach this evening ... just in time for traffic. 

Have a lovely Friday! 

Mariamma

Bay Area

This weekend I headed to The Bay to visit my friend Xtina and see Solange play a life altering show at the Greek Theatre. Christina and I danced together in high school so we go way back. I stayed with her in Oakland and we did a lot of exploring - visiting Lake Merritt, Berkeley, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Golden Gate Bridge, and took a dance class (that I am still SO sore from) in the Mission District. We ate really well along the way too. All in all it was a pretty perfect weekend. 

xoxo 

Mariamma

Solange photo cred to @shelbymayes, @itgoesanandanand, and @rchlstl <3

Gypsy Summer

Jacket - Zara | Swimsuit - Myra Swim | Choker - Lulus

Yup, a little sneak preview of the new place! I have been without internet this week (it's getting installed on Friday!) so I've been exploring the local coffee shop scene and renting movies to watch while I unpack. Today the maintenance guy fixed my closet bar so I can finally hang up my dresses. I now have two whole closets and I honestly don't know how I fit all these clothes in just one. I have SO many clothes and shoes. Not complaining but damn is it a bitch to move it all and reorganize! I've been traveling around all summer and living out of a suitcase so it's been like Xmas discovering all the things I've missed wearing and looking at. My place feels amazing. I think I am appreciative of what I have in a bigger and deeper way than ever before. Crazy how the universe just finds a way to teach you exactly what you need to understand.

Good omen update: when I was driving the Uhaul to my place for the first time, a monarch butterfly flew up the hood and then up the windshield. My family's Native culture believes that monarchs are a powerful sign of good luck, and I'd say so. I'm used to feeling lucky but these last few months put that in check a little bit. I think it's made me grateful for the good things rather than just expecting them. I didn't realize how entitled that expectation is/was until now. I'm glad for the lesson(s).

Gratefully yours, 

Mariamma