Happy New Year: Reflection and Anticipation

There's nothing more appropriate this time of year than a big dose of gratitude. This year has been ridiculously fantastic I could not be more thankful for it. I finally moved downtown and shared ANAMU with you all. I have a job that I love and my friends and family are healthy and continuously prospering.

From travels to Colombia, New Orleans, and Africa to welcoming a new family member into the world - it has been a fun, stressful, exciting, and enriching ride.

To me the New Year isn't about making resolutions to do things differently, rather it's when I reflect on all the good people, events, and things in my life and trust that they will only continue to get better.

Here's to a beautiful 2010, may it be everything that you desire and more. Cheers everyone!!!

Pretty things: succulents on a rainy day

Side garden by my office. Nice and bright against the gloom...

Bags: More Online Soon

Finally getting around to taking photos of new bags. Here's an exciting one for me...elegant brocade accented by edgy studs.

Furniture Finds: The Perfect Little Table

I've been having way too much fun scouring vintage shops and Craigslist for furniture. Here's one of my favorites by Virtue Brothers of California - "The Wests Largest Manufacturer of Chrome Furniture." Bought it from a little shop in Eagle Rock called Sniveling Siblings.

It's the perfect size for a little dining space, computer table, and is good for two when the side wood boards are extended. The legs have wheels on them so I can move it around as needed too! Seriously in love...

Here we go: moved in and ready to decorate

The last three weeks looked like this: Unique LA (crazy-busy-insane)

Move into first place (crazy-busy-insane)

New addition to the family, Juliana (anxious-crazy-sleepless)

But all three were/are AMAZING! I'm beyond thrilled to be Auntie Mu :)

Move-in day was wet but with the help of the my family and Joe we moved all my things inside in less than an hour. Yeah...I just dont have that much! There were maybe ten boxes, several piles of clothes on hangers and then my mattress and desk.

It's been a slow process of unpacking and organizing everything but first thing first the closet is complete (it was within 1 hour of settling in - surprise, surprise).

Now I get to scour Craiglslist religiously for good deals on room dividers, couches, Macbook laptops...etc. My furnishing buying plan is to only buy from Craigslist, flea markets/vintage stores and if it must be new, Ikea and discount/warehouse stores.

I'm on a budget but there's now way I'm going to sacrifice style! There's so much out there that I can find and put together to make a great little space. Starting my hunt this weekend at some prop shop liquidation sales and south LA warehouses.

I'll report back any good findings so you may check them out too!

ULA is in the bag, now on to moving!

Phew it's been a while! Well, the craziness that was Unique Los Angeles is over and I couldnt be happier with the experience. It was awesome to show my bags and necklaces to people outside of my personal network and get such positive feedback. Learned ALOT for any future events, met some great people, and most importantly had a blast.

I have never had to make bags by a deadline before so it was certainly interesting to make it all happen. Basically had my parents on an assembly line helping out with whatever they could! Thank god they are the most supportive people in the world and would do anything for me. Couldnt have done it without them - and my boyfriend Joe for the constant support!

Set up to make 60 new bags so I could a have a solid inventory but only managed to finish 20. Worked out okay because they all fit perfectly on the table. Now I have more to finish at my leisure and that makes very happy :)

Unfortunately (and fortunately for my bank account) I didn't get to do any shopping from the other vendors but did do a quick lap and there were some AMAZING things to choose from. My favorites were SucculentLOVE and Dewi. Joe got me a little succulent and I cant wait to put it in my new little loft.

Yep, I'm moving to Downtown LA (FINALLY!!!) this Saturday and I cant stop thinking about all the ways I can possibly decorate and enjoy my new space. Yiipppeeeee!!!!!!

WARNING: gushing decorating/new home posts may occur

Window Shopping: ANAMU on Display

Caught a glimpse of the Unique LA display at Tiara Cafe in the beautiful New Mart building.  I'm very honored to be one of several designers featured in the installation... even if the bag is a little hidden (on the right shoulder of the dress form), I know its there! Just a few weeks away and there's so much to do. Probably should be sewing rather than blogging :)

Pick of the week: sweet ULA flier

Viva LA and unique designs. Cant wait to show ANAMU in a few weeks! www.uniquelosangeles.com

Kandinsky: NYC exhibit please

I've been dying to go to NYC this season to visit the Guggenheim's massive Kandisnky exhibit. He is my absolute favorite artist and I'm still in awe of 4 private collection pieces I saw at MOMA last year.

Found out about this in August but with my work travel schedule I just couldn't fit in a weekend to go. It's on view until January 13 and my schedule is clearing up but bbrrrr.....it'll be chilly.

The video on the Guggenheim website I just watched might persuade me to brave the elements, however.

Check out my Kandinsky inspired birthday cake from two years ago beautifully baked and desinged by my friend Olivia of Sweet Catastrophe Cakes.

Pick of the Week: Pushpins

Autumn is here and even though I live in LA, I know how lovely fall folliage is. I spent a semester at the University of Rhode Island my junior year of college (yep, RI, and it was awesome!) where I indulged in all things New England: sailing, clam chowder, basement keggers, and admiring the reds and oranges that lined the views everywhere you looked.

This pushpin set makes me yearn for a long walk to find the perfect leaves to adorn my bulletin board. I can just see the speckled colors popping behind these textured mini-buttons...

Don't live where the leaves are a-changin'? No fret. Vintage button pusphins are always great for posting favorite items ... or not as they look great on their own too.

Back to the cutting board: new bags on the way

Had some fun this weekend with my "fall" scarves. The new bags will feature geometric/line patterns (so excited about these!) and some much loved brady bunch florals. Retro paisleys and Moroccan prints will also make an appearance as they are fast becoming my staples.

Back from Africa: mini-recap

Hello, hello! Back from the amazing whirlwind that was Africa! I've spent the last week playing catch up with work, life, and trying to feel normal again. Being nine and ten hours ahead for nearly one month really kills upon return!

Ethiopia was unreal. I spent a few days in the Wolaita region where Podoconiosis is prevalent, more so than HIV and AIDS. Met some incredible people, aid workers and patients, and saw how our work is making a difference there. It was so moving to meet parents, who are afflicted with Podo, bring their little ones to receive shoes so that they may never suffer from the disease.

I've never seen anything like the inflammation and boils on patients feet and legs. Thank goodness I'm not faint of heart or otherwise it would have been physically difficult to be around. The good news is that they can be treated and we're making strides to provide funding for more medical kits. Check out the CBS piece from out trip they just aired last week!

Podo aside, I was surprised at how beautiful the landscape was. We were there just after the rainy season so everything was super green and lush. The food was great and I fell in love with their injera bread that you use to scoop up lentils, beans, meat, etc. Will have to hit up Little Ethiopia on Fairfax real soon! Their textiles were AMAZING too but I could go on for days about that so I'll stop while I'm ahead...or save it for another post :)

After one week there I headed to South Africa for volunteer Shoe Drops and then vacation in Cape Town.

We had a group of 25 volunteers, 6 South Africa Element crew peeps,  and we gave away over 2,500 pairs of shoes! The kids were so adorable and it was awesome to see all of the volunteers jump right into the Shoe Drop craziness and make it all happen. What an amazing group of people...loved them all!

We fit in a stay at a safari lodge (you have to if you're in Africa!) and did three game drives. Saw all of the game animals you can imagine except for lions but I was okay with that. My faves are the giraffes...they are so majestic,  confident, and have a design unlike any other animal....

After the week of Shoe Drops was complete a group of us headed to Cape Town for some R+R. Our beach rental ended up being in THE best beach neighborhood in the area, Clifton. It's basically their Malibu equivalent with great beaches, restaurants, and shopping all within a 5 minute walk.

I had no idea what to expect from Cape Town but it offers so much: hiking (picture on the left is from Lions Head...more of a rock climb than hike!), scenic drives, vineyards....and all for so cheap when there on the US dollar. It is difficult to vacation in a place where you know there are tons of townships (shanty towns) just in the outskirts. Many of those dwellers work in the service industry so you at least hope that your holiday spending is in some way supporting their continuous employment.

There's so much to reflect on but its great to be home. Excited to be with friends, family, and to resume creating with ANAMU...

Happy Halloween!!!

Off to Africa!

On the way to the airport for some exciting travels. We'll be in Ethiopia to do some work around Podoconiosis, a debilitating disease that is 100% preventable by wearing shoes from an early age. It's going to be crazy to see in person. The following week I'll head out to South Africa to meet our volunteers for Shoe Drops followed by a week in Cape Town with friends/collegues.

I'm really anxious to get to Ethiopia to see everything first hand and then spend time with the kiddos in ZA. Though these trips are a ton of fun, they can also be exhausting since it turns into 24/7 work so the last week set aside for vacation will be amazing.

Bought a new Molskine notebook, Jimi wallet, and new tunes by Empire of the Sun, Bibio, and Sea and Cake...ready to go!

ANAMU: Pick of the Week

Gold schmold, brass is where its at for me at the moment. It's light weight, neutral, and always gives the impression of having had it forever. I hit the jackpot of brass pendants and pieces from some closeout inventories downtown earlier this year. The dust on the boxes they came in only added to the reassurance from Jose (my fave sales guy) that they were in fact as old as they looked.

What was most exciting was that there were multiples. Prior to purchasing these I had been collecting individual brass pieces at flea markets one at a time and each one completely different from the other. While I'm looking forward to turning those into one-of-a-kind necklaces, I like that I can personally wear these while offering the same style to others who want them for themselves. It's fun to share!

This bowtie beauty is one that I can always count on to be the finishing touch to any outfit. It makes a simple statement but never goes unnoticed...a favorite "moment" was on a flight back from Vegas when a girl exclaimed "I love your necklace! It's like you're all dressed up with a girly bowtie but not really." I was wearing a v-neck white tee, cut off denim shorts, and rainbow sandals...yeah definitely not dressed up but the necklace was apparently enough to make it all a little special.

Ace Hotel: A+ in style all the way

It seems that every time I go somewhere new I end up wanting to live there but this time I really mean it. Spent the weekend at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs and I fell in love. Dont necessarily need to live in sleepy Palm Springs but definitely want to make a home at the little stylish utopia that is the Ace.

Formerly a run-down Howard Johnson hotel, the Ace exemplifies laid back So Cal with a vintage edge. Every detail in this place is thoughtfully executed with a cool casualness and minimalistic yet functional approach. Nothing feels overdone or under appreciated...every item throughout the hotel gets to shine on its own.

Top top things off, the design and decor not only looks good but it oozes eco-friendliness. The only trace of plastic we saw all weekend was in the cups at pool-side (no glass by the pool rule always wins) and in the spa. Everything else seems to either use wood or natural fibers; signs are hand-painted slabs of wood (hopefully reclaimed) and lawn chairs feature cotton rope suspensions (sounds strange but its super comfy). Even the room key is biodegradable paper!

The landscaping is everything you would expect in the desert and hope to see everywhere else too. Native plants, trees, and raked dirt look clean and simple and when facing west, mirror the colors of the rocky mountains in the background.

As for the accommodations: imagine scoring big at the flea market or antique shop and then getting custom carpentry done to compliment the whole look. It was a perfect cross between  Americana and  mid-century modern, both new and old pieces, that felt like a familiar friend welcoming you home. I would have taken photos while the room was tidy but we were too in awe when we got in (and late for the surprise massage session the boyfriend booked!).

We did more than just drool over the decor and design, too. We drooled over the food... the spa... sweet tunes blasting at the pools...and imagined what it would be like to have a big party there.  The entire weekend was exactly what I needed to re-charge before upcoming work travels.

Needless to say we will be going back soon but not soon enough!

Pasadena Painter: R. Kenton Nelson

When I was a senior in High School, I worked part-time at a property management firm. Though I actually really enjoyed the job, the things I remember liking most were two R. Kenton Nelson paintings that adorned the main hallway. I would admire the boldness of his colors and the way his subjects subtly popped off the canvas. There's something about the vantage point he paints from that makes you feel like you are invading someone's personal moment or space. Yet, its okay.

Came across his work again at a travel store in Pasadena and am in awe all over again....

ANAMU: Pick of the Week

Summer may be over but that doesn't mean you cant have a little color in your accessories! This envelope clutch features a bright and retro mini-garden with a complimentary polka dot lining. I love the way the inside dots play off of the circular shapes of the white flowers; always like to  pair floral patterns with more geometric ones.

There are two ANAMU bags made from this polyester scarf ... pretty rare since a typical scarf allows for just one. Dont fret though,  each one is still one-of-a-kind!

If Versace Made Me a Dress...

It would be this one. Not being biased because I love Mad Men, but January Jones hit a perfect 10 with her Emmy dress by Versace.

It's futuristic while paying homage to vintage style and is simply unlike anything else I've ever seen on the red carpet. The structured detail and sensuous fit is fashion at its best and she pulls it off SO well!

Wouldn't be surprised if ABS has their knock-off in production already...

ANAMU: Pick of the Week

Once a week I'll gush about an ANAMU accessory that is for sale on my Etsy shop. I'll tell you why I love it, provide some "making of" insights and, and maybe even entice you to buy it!

Kicking things off with a Vintage Button Magnet Set of 5.

I love this set in particular because it reflects my taste the most. There's a perfect balance of soft and hard lines, feminine and masculine details, and the colors can compliment nearly any background. These buttons have just the right amount of wear and tear on them too...really playing to their vintage appeal.

Eons ago I set out to buy vintage buttons to serve as pillowcase closures. Never got around to doing that but I did test the buttons out as rings and ultimately decided they would make awesome magnets too. I was standing in the kitchen,  eating cereal and staring at the random magnets we've accumulated over the years. Thought...I know it's just a fridge but I want something pretty/cool to look at while I eat like a soldier (my mom's saying for eating upright).

Easy enough right? Stick a button on a magnet and presto. It's almost that simple. These vintage magnets have metal shanks (the protruding loop the thread goes through) and they need to be removed so the buttons lay flat on each magnet.

First I cut the shank off with metal shears (actually, I think they are gardening shears but it works!) and then I sand the remaining metal off so the back is as smooth as possible. No, no sand paper here...I use an electric mini-sander that spins like a maniac. Does the job but it creates so much metal particle dust that a face mask is usually in order.

After that then it's glue and then presto!

There's plenty more I have in mind for buttons but it may require learning to solder. Very excited about that but for now I'll let the magnets have their moment in the sun.

Sunday: heaven on earth and high above LA

ANAMUonline.com launched yesterday and to celebrate, my friend Caitlin helped host a little get together with family and friends. Thank you to those that came, it was so fun to share everything with you in person! All of the online/email love from those not present has been amazing too - thank you! With the site up and the party in the bag, today was a day of rest. Well, its rest in my book :)

Began with the second Sunday of the month ritual, attending the Rose Bowl flea market, AKA heaven on earth. Bought several scarves for new bags and also  left with some items for my niece-to-be, Juliana. Since my sister and brother in law just got back from Hawaii (very smart before Juliana arrives in December!), I wanted to commemorate her first vacation. Scored this great hand-painted, porcelain hula girl with a real grass skirt - you dont see them like this anymore-  and picked up an old Mason Jar to put sea shells in. I cant' wait to go to the beach and collect them with her...she's not even born yet and I'm already the biggest sucker!

Post flea market activities took us to the skies above El Monte for an afternoon flight. Joe has been flying for years and today I got to be co-pilot! I got the hang of it right away but did have some hesitations with turning left for some reason. Regardless, it was seriously a cool feeling to hover above with no one else around but us. A few more times and I think I may just get my wings!