friday pic & pin + happy mother's day!

Happy Friday! Will you be celebrating the weekend with your mom? If so, I'm totally jealous! I would give anything to be with my mom and sister (mom of two) this Sunday to toast to their ever present courage, support, inspiration, and love.

We're staying put in KL and have plans for a fun night out on Saturday with dinner and a concert. It's been too too long since we saw a show so I'm really excited. If you still haven't checked out the Ring Cozy Kickstarter project - what are you waiting for?! Go go go! There's only 17 days left to make it happen so please pledge and/or share however you can (thank you!).

Have a good one and cheers to all of you beautiful and amazing mamas out there!

(image left: Bougainvillea, Pereira Colombia by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin via CUYANA)

friday pic & pin

Blogging is strange but wonderful. You put your thoughts, ideas, and creations out into the world without really knowing who might come across them and whether they'll care about them or not. I blog for fun and don't have any big blogger status ambitions but I feel incredibly lucky to have awesome readers who take the time to let me know how much they enjoy sharing in my adventures. I recently received the sweetest email from Emily in response to this post. In it she mentioned that her favorite series was Friday Pic & Pin and I have to admit, it's my favorite too. So, this post is for you Emily. Thank you for inspiring me to keep at my favorite photo-play despite thinking that I could live without it. My Pins and photographs just wanna play together too too much.

And that dress, I wish it were going with me to Vietnam next week; perfect for being on holiday or staying local and feeling like you are.

Have an awesome weekend everyone!

(image left: Brick Wall, Kota Kinabalu by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin viaPlumo)

friday pic & pin

Happy Friday, guys. It's been a productive week so I can't wait to treat myself to the last remaining pieces from this awesome recipe. I didn't have parchment paper to create the "chocolate bark" it was intended for so I improvised and used silicone cupcake molds instead. They make nice little "chips" don't they? Aside from indulging, I'm hoping to finalize our plans for a mini Christmas break here in Malaysia...home sweet home :)

Have a great weekend!

This week's three rad links:

• my latest girl crush and her cool LA home

• rituals to follow for more productive and happy work

• awesome new screen prints by my dear Hey Jo! Designs

(image left: sweets by Ana Maria Muñoz, recipe via Camille Styles, right: Pin via The Marion House Book)

friday pic & pin

Happy happy Friday. We've been getting some awesome thunder and lightening storms lately and every day I look forward to their shows around 3 or 4pm. They're pretty predictable around here, more so than London when I'd often get stuck outside! I know, shame on me for not always having an umbrella with me.

We don't have anything planned this weekend but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless. I hope you have a good one!

This week's three rad links...

• KL food bloggers get the spotlight in the New York Times (and I have some serious eating to do)

• so *now* you decided to open up shop in London, J.Crew....have you any idea how much i missed you there??

• if i were in LA this sat & sunday i'd be doing this and this - you should too, fellow Angelenos

(image left: train station, England by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin via The Design Files Open House)

friday pic & pin

Happy Friday, guys. For those of you who celebrated Thanksgiving - are you still totally stuffed? Can you please overnight some yummy leftovers? Pretty please?

As you can probably tell, I didn't have much time to plan a feast of our own but maybe we'll come up with something over the weekend. If not, I will definitely be getting crafty and will start decorating for Christmas. A little DIY I did for autumn was a flower votive using a ball of cotton twine - I know, so stupid simple but I love it!  You can see where I got the inspiration + more photos over at Poppytalk (plus check out their Black Friday & Cyber Monday handmade deals)

Cheers to the holiday season, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

This week's three rad links...

• tips for flying with a toddler

• get over your DSLR camera freight and get the holiday photos you really want

• a gift guide that gives twice + i'm now officially obsessed with LemLem. love the way they're making Ethiopian textiles look and feel so current.

(image left: autumn centerpiece DIY by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin via Honey of a Thousand Flowers)

friday pic & pin

Happy Friday, guys. Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend? I'll be enjoying our home, working on some projects, and getting super excited for my visit to LA next month(!!!). Yep, Joe is making me go. I'm happy that he gave me the push to book the flights because I do miss my family and friends like CRAZY. I was trying to hold out until next year but my initial wish to visit every six months seems like it has to be reality in order to keep me going. Seeing this pin for a fancy quesadilla made me smile and think of the wonderful Mexican food I will soon devour. Cali, imma comin'!

Have a great weekend!

This week's three rad links...

• nerding out over these philosophy prints via Smashing Magazine

• this weekend's new read Sister Magazine

•  and saving the best for last:  a HUGE congrats to my girl, Meg Bourne, founder of Art Feeds, for winning a Do Something Award. Watch her win + the story here.  GO MEG & TEAM!

(image left: colorful windows in Singapore by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin via Martha Stewart)

{happy friday} pic & pin

It's the weekend and I'm pretty sure that some fun chores and cleaning are in order. If I had a floor covered with these handmade tiles by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Marrakech Design then I don't think I'd ever mind sweeping up! I got so scroll happy when I first found them several months ago via Remodelista. Well, the design blog has one-upped themselves with a new round up of modern takes on Moroccan tiles - can I have one of each in every room please?!? They are so beautiful. One day, one day...

Have a wonderful weekend!

This week's three rad links...

• Game Boy, floppy disk drive, and AOL login - their sounds + more captured for all eternity in the Museum of Endangered Sounds via Smashing Magazine

• last minute Father's Day DIY gift ideas with an ol' staple: neckties via Ecouterre

• my scandinavian design-loving heart wishes it had an iPad for this new magazine, Trendenser via Poppytalk

(image left:  Penang pineapple by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin via Remodelista)

{happy friday} pic & pin

Ahh...the weekend. I'm feeling so much better now that we're officially back online and able to take care of business (like booking our first getaway to Penang next month!). Thank you for the sweet and encouraging comments on yesterday's post - just had one of those days and had to vent.

Back on the brighter side of life, one thing that I quickly fell in love with here is the fresh watermelon juice available everywhere. It's a staple beverage and it's literally all I've ordered at restaurants and cafes since we moved. Well, there have been a few mojitos in between which is why this Watermelon Mojito Poptail made me crazy excited. In fact, with all of these grown up Popsicle recipes calling my name I may never drink my drinks again! Now I really have a reason to shop for a juicer...

Cheers to a great weekend!

This week's three rad links...

• Joe used to live upstairs from this new Downtown LA restaurant (and I four blocks away). Definitely on the list of places to check out next time I'm in town via Oh Joy!

• Teaser issue of the new lifestyle magazine, Verily via their site designer Breanna Rose. Can't wait to read it this weekend, you know, since I have the internet and all :)

• These guys never let me down with design/photography giggles and awe. The latest is their collection of perfectly timed photos - I love the basket ball one ha!

(image left:  sun soaked terrace in Madrid, Spain by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin via Endless Simmer )

{happy friday} pic & pin

I've been working with a wardrobe of ten or so pieces for the last three weeks and you know what, it hasn't been half bad. Now I'm wondering what I'm going to do when my entire closet arrives on Monday (yes, our stuff is coming!). I don't have much as I've edited down my options time and time again but nevertheless it's probably still more than I actually need. For the past several years I've focused on buying less and investing in pieces that have longevity, make me feel [insert positive adjective here], and preferably are made locally by independent designers or by companies that follow ethical and/or earth friendly practices.

Right now I'm all about versatility, not just in how transitional a piece may be from spring to fall, but by how much I can actually do with the garment itself. I can't wait to get my Versalette in the mail (highest funded fashion-campaign in Kickstarter history, btw) and I love the colorful six-in-one options in this dress by Loomstate. My latest obsession is this little black number that I pinned from Plumo. Though not "versatile" like the previous two, It's the perfect dress up or down go-to piece where you can give it any look with a change of shoes and accessories - a blank canvas basically. If I ever decided to actually limit my wardrobe to ten pieces this dress would definitely make the cut.

We'll surely end up at a mall over the weekend but I'm confident that there won't be any apparel purchases happening for me - I've got my eye on the prize and it has pockets, too.

Have a wonderful weekend playing dress up or keeping it casual - maybe even do both with the same piece ;) Enjoy!

This week's three rad links... • My monthly mix-tapes may be thematic but this curated and designed collection takes the cake via Smashing Magazine • Totally coveting these gold leaf posters from my LA loving lady, Vanessa. Buy and custom order here. • London I miss you! Great little city guide by Fiona over on Alison's Show & Tell blog...still so much left to explore...

(image left:  London Pub Chandelier by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin via Plumo )

happy friday + {new} pic & pin

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I'm introducing a new post, Friday Pic & Pin, where I get a little creative with the post-editing of an original snap and pair it with a favorite pin from my Pinterest boards.  I love the color stories and themes that develop on Pinterest so I wanted to share bits of them while using my own photography (gotta keep things OG around here, right?). Let me know what you think!

I had a great full week in KL and have already met/chatted with more strangers than I did in London. Super friendly people with one in particular, a retired Batik artist named Aziz, who won my heart. I plan on taking a class with him so I'm sure you'll be hearing more about him soon. On the home front we got the keys to our new apartment yesterday and I so wish that we were moving in this weekend. It's much more spacious and fab than I remember it and I can't wait to get in there and play house. Feel so lucky to have found a place that felt like home as soon as we walked in - especially in a new country. Now if only I can find a way to make my closet as beautiful as the one pictured above...

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, enjoy this week's three rad links (i know, it's been a while)!

• LA peeps - this will make you CRACK UP. It's mostly Westside based but even Eastsiders will relate. • I have mad admiration and respect for Lauren Conrad so when she shares her bikini boot camp plan, I listen. I mean, I have to now that I can't hide under big coats anymore. • If you're in NYC this weekend, do check out the official launch of my girl Jess's Tout Le Monde Cambodia Collection clutch purses - they're as beautiful as the stories and the people behind them. Shop online here - congrats, Jess!

Oh, and I updated my profile page with new info and fun polaroids...can't believe it's been over a year since I last looked at it! It's spring cleaning time around here alright.

(image: left: sunrise view of KL Tower by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: via this Pin, originally via Martha Stewart) 

happy friday!

I hope you all had a good week and are ready for a few days of fun and rest. I'm going to check out the Bermondsey Antiques Market today (though I'm already late since it opens at 5am!) but the rest of the weekend I hope to relax, meet with friends, and do whatever suits my mood.

One thing this week that was an instant mood booster was receiving a silk cushion cover that I screen printed at designer Clarissa Hulse's studio with the gals of Dalani, a new premium home decor sales site. I was so excited when Lynne invited me to join her since I've always wanted to get my hands dirty with screen printing. I went bold and bright and it turned out to be just what our neutral sofa needed! Just in time to complement the rays of sunshine coming through the windows, too.

Whether you stay in to enjoy your home, hit the town to explore, or do a little of both, I hope you have a great weekend. See you on Monday!

This week's three rad links: • Easter egg brilliance - a new way to dye using old neckties!!! via Put This On • Go ahead, be a quitter, a multipotentialite, or a renaissance dude/dudette. This article really resonated with me, especially after having shared this. via Life After College • BIG thanks and much love to Jessica for having me on Eco Salon this week as a "Reader We Heart". Click on over for my thoughts on living in London, inspirations, and favorite flea markets!

happy friday!

I hope you had a good week and got a taste of Spring like we did here in London (it's so close!). We're thinking of doing a day trip to Oxford tomorrow so if you have any tips or suggestions I'd love to hear them - especially if there are any antique markets ;) I just updated the shop with several items but I (and you, I'm sure) can't ever get enough.

Here's to a fun weekend filled with new treasures and adventures!

This week's three rad links: • Celebrate St. Patrick's day with Leah's Irish Stout Brownies recipe. I may try it but I'll need all of the luck in the world to pull it off (baker in training). • "Creativity is not magic, and there's no such thing as a creative type." I loved this article on the simple science of creativity via the Wall Street Journal •  In case you missed it, my first DIY contributor post for Poppytalk is up. Happy making!

(image: vintage pair of espresso cups via The Pond Market)

happy friday!

The greatest thing happened this week: I felt totally over-dressed (and hot) in my now default down-feather jacket. This is a big deal because for the past several months I've done nothing but thank my lucky stars every time I stepped outside and felt the cold on my face but nada on my upper body. It's a pretty amazing jacket but I may not need it much longer since...ta da...spring is just around the corner! For the first time in my life I can legitimately feel the excitement of a new season. A warmer and brighter season. I know that it's not saying much being in London but I do recall some incredible days last year when I first arrived. Can't wait to welcome them back with open arms...and open toed shoes ;)

Have a great (and hopefully warm) weekend!

This week's three rad links:

• i left the states with a major craving for cinnabons. i just might need to give this yummy recipe a shot via joy the baker • love chupa chups? you may also love reading about salvador dali's greatest masterpiece, the chupa chup logo/wrapper via codesign • the march issue of standard magazine is out and guess what - a goodie from the pond market is featured! can you spot it in this glitzy spread?

(image: wellies along a public footpath in tavistock, england)

happy friday!

Wow, what a great week with family, friends, and the sunshine! I'm definitely getting spoiled with this gorgeous Spring (even Summer?) weather but come Sunday I'll have a cold reality check when we fly up to Anchorage Alaska to visit Joe's parents. I can't wait to meet them face-to-face and see a new part of the States; it'll be quite the contrast from LA!

I haven't been on the internet much so I don't have a list of links for you this week. However, there is one awesome discovery that is worth sharing and it is the pilot issue of Wayfare Magazine. Wayfare is the travel magazine I've always wanted...perfect for letting the wanderer in you get lost in its pages. Do check it out!

Have a great weekend!

happy friday!

Last night we watched the snow fall while sitting inside a cozy pub; it was such a special London moment. On our walk home I was literally skipping down the street like a little five-year old trying to taste snow flakes on my tongue. Why wasn't everyone else doing the same thing?!? Joe was totally surprised by my reaction for obvious reasons but I couldn't help myself. Snow-fall is so magical, so pretty, so delicate...there's absolutely nothing like it. It felt like a dream.

I hope this weekend brings you some magic. Have a good one, guys!

This week's three rad links: • simple (and free) printable action sheets from creature comforts. we can all use a little extra motivation, right? • fries i won't feel guilty about eating - an awesome recipe for baked asparagus fries + dips from spoon fork bacon. • my friend matt nall shares one INCREDIBLE photo per day. this man has serious talent for capturing detail. do take a look.

photo: taken at Riad Zaouia 44 in Marrakech

happy friday!

Better yet, Happy February! It's my favorite month of the year for three reasons: 1) the anniversary of when Joe and I met  2) Valentine's Day and 3) my birthday. Actually, we really don't care too much about Valentine's Day (it should be every day - duh) but since it falls smack in the middle of the other two, we include it in what we call Valen-Birth-Sary. We coined the term last year after the month filled up with celebratory plans, shared love notes, gifts....and well, it's now an official holiday in our household :)

As for my birthday, we'll be back in LA for a visit at the end of the month and I can't think of a better way to spend it than to be surrounded by family and friends.

I hope you get to spend time with your loved ones this weekend or at least have the chance to connect with them if you're not near. Have a good one!

Here are this week's three rad links: • a brilliant curation of food & fashion by miss moss • see the world with your little ones in tow with these great tips by oh happy day • the golden age of photography and why you should be a lover, not a hater by photoshelter

... and one BIG shout out to Bri of Designlovefest for sharing her fave finds from my shop on her incredibly inspiring blog. Thanks, Bri!!!

P.S. I'm going to work on a blog re-design all weekend so if you visit and it happens to look strange or is down, that's why. We'll see if I manage to pull it off for a Monday reveal!

Image: taken at Covent Garden Antiques Market

happy friday!

Who says you need a full week or two to do something fun? We used to go to Palm Springs for our quick getaways but now we're headed to a new oasis and I couldn't be more excited! I won't let the fact that the forecast calls for cloudy skies and rain dampen my spirit - I'm sure the colors, flavors, and lively market squares will keep me smiling no matter what.

Can't wait to capture all of the details and share them with you next week. Until then have a wonderful weekend!

Here are this week's three rad links...

• do you nerd out over design freebies? if so, these handy icons will be your godsend via SimpleSong

• my girl Meg and her non-profit Art Feeds were given an amazing gift on abc's Extreme Home Makeover. so proud of her!

• dream big. don't mind if i do. loved this post by Rena Tom for Poppytalk

....and because i've got to plug my own thangs too: i added a few new vintage goodies to the shop. enjoy!

image: colorful doors near columbia road, london

happy friday!

I've spotted these tiles around our neighborhood and I'm on the hunt for more. There's just gotta be more!

Here's to a weekend of discovery and taking note of the interesting things around us. Enjoy!

This week's three rad links... • the art of making bread by Kinfolk. so beautiful and simple via EcoSalon • okay, jennifer of I ART U has officially convinced me to book with Airbnb. check out that space! • i love the way sharon designs her yummy instagram photos - that girl can sure cook (and sketch)

happy friday!

This is how happy I am to be off to the countryside for the next few days. I love me some nature! Have a beautiful weekend!

Here are this week's three rad links... • sparkly street art that I'd happily welcome on my own home's wall via Jeannie Jeannie • lots of tough choices ahead for 2012 - I want them all! 2012 calendar picks (part 8 - woah) via Oh So Beautiful Paper • i'd always make sure this DIY wine rack was full. so simple, clean, and brilliant via Camille Styles

happy friday!

To Berlin, that is! Has anyone been there? Got any good tips, must see/eat/do spots? First timer here so any suggestions will be much appreciated!

I've already earmarked the Arkonaplatz flea market - it might be the only one I'll be able to fit in between Hello Etsy sessions but when there's a will there's a way ;)

Here's to having an adventure this weekend - near, far, wherever you are. Have a great one!

This week's three rad links... • Easy breezy DIY calling cards via Pugly Pixel (it's an old post but I finally got around to making these!) • Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Hysterical new album preview via my fave LA radio station KCRW. • Awesome crumble city maps that are shove in the bottom of your purse-friendly via I ART U. I'll take one of each.