Great British Blogger: Anamu

Great British Blogger time again (I feel like it needs a theme tune, any suggestions?)

This week we have Ana Maria from Anamu (a nickname her friends call her).  I had the pleasure of meeting Ana Maria at Blognic a few weeks back and went to find her website on my arrival home to discover some gorgeous photos and great writing.  A great lifestyle blog which covers home, travel and even a bit of DIY.  A bit of a cheat, Ana Maria is actually only a visitor to these shores, hailing from LA, but she is making short work of discovering all that London and the South East has to offer and thought it would be good to share this resource.  She also uses her love of vintage shopping to find scarves that she makes in to bags – she hasn’t set up shop in London but maybe you guys can convince her she should.

Check out what she has to say about her current home and then head on over to her blog and drool over some lovely photos.

What part of London would you most align with your own personality and why?

Back in LA I spent most of my time all over the city simply because I loved and enjoyed different parts of it from nitty-gritty downtown to the charming suburbs. I think I’ve brought that outlook with me to London by being open to all of the different neighborhoods and flavors that the city has to offer. My boyfriend and I currently live in Maida Vale on the west end and I love the tree-lined streets, little cafe’s and shops, and being next to the canal in Little Venice. It suits the homebody and quiet side of me but we do leave our postal code more often than not. Though on most weekends we try to travel within South England or to another country (London is the perfect launch-pad to Europe!) I do want to explore more of the east end. I mean, I was told that I look like I live there by a shop girl at Old Spitalfields. It must have been the thick rimmed glasses I usually wear…very hipster-esque, I suppose.

Perhaps in a year or two I’ll feel extra connected to one area over another but for now, I’m kind of liking being a “mid-ender” – yep, that’s what I’m going to call it. Neither west or east, or north or south. I’ll take all of London 🙂

Who is your favourite current British designer / artist?

Soon after I arrived I learned about a sample sale for Chinti & Parker via Daily Candy London. I bought a striped dress (that I’ve already worn to death) but I’ve been drooling over their cashmere sweaters ever since. Not only are they buttery  soft and perfect for keeping warm during cold London days, but they are Fair Trade and the company’s overall philosophy of being the opposite of fast-fashion is right up my alley. I’m definitely saving my pennies to add one of their pieces to my wardrobe this fall.

What adventures would you have on your perfect British day?

I’d really love to find the perfect country-side cottage that my boyfriend and I can call home for a weekend. One that is in or close to a quaint town that has just enough cafe’s, shops, and restaurants to keep us entertained for an afternoon. Then we’d retreat back to the cottage, hang out by the fire place and cook a nice dinner. We’d also rent bikes and cycle along a little creek or fields of grass/flowers and then picnic under a beautiful [insert big country-side tree here]. I’ve only passed through the country-side via high-speed trains so if you couldn’t already tell, I’m totally making the scenario up…am I close to describing something that actually exists? Haha. Anyway…I’d love to experience the quieter side of England. Let me know if you have any good tips!

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Thanks for stopping by Ana Maria.  I’ll be keeping an eye out for another Chinti and Parker sample sale.  And love the concept of a “mid-ender”.  So often we define ourselves by what part of London we are from and this is so much more inclusive.

Photo courtesy of Ana Maria