words worth repeating / 11

I had a moment of homesickness yesterday after being disappointed by a disgusting packet of string cheese. Silly how the smallest things can set you off but it happens. I then started to think about all of the familiar and comfortable things that I miss from the States but when I realized that I was struggling to make a solid list I felt much more at ease. Though I miss my network of close friends and family tremendously, I have everything I need right here: a place to call home and Joe. Screw the string cheese.

For more quotes or to submit your favorite visit Howdy Day!. Howdy Day! is a daily dose of inspiration + motivation via your browser’s homepage, email or rss. Learn more here.

(design by Ana Maria Muñoz)

last scenes of europe

...for a while at least. Here are some shots from our recent trips to Paris and Brussels. They feel like worlds away now! Hover over each image for a dot to appear, then hover over the dot for photo details + links. I've used Thinglink before with The Pond Market and thought it was about time to bring it to the blog. Enjoy!

weekend highlight: taxi karaoke

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/42099575 w=640&h=360] Hello, I hope you had a good weekend. We did move into our new apartment after all and though that was very exciting, the highlight was definitely this taxi ride home. Nik, the driver and MC extraordinaire, was more than happy to get the party started after Joe asked about the microphones sitting on the console. I had never done solo karaoke before (I know, wuss) but I'm glad that my grand debut was in the Malay language (Bahasa Melayu) and in that taxi.  I sound and look like a total fool but I thought you might get a kick out of it, too. There's always the thumbs up I got from Nik :)

p.s. i've let my crazy jungle-monkey hair (as Joe affectionally calls it) go wild here...might as well not fight it.

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) 

{monthly mixtape} may

We've been all over the place this past month so for May's soundtrack I'm going international and indulging in a bit (or a lot) of wanderlust.  I don't understand most of the words in the non-English songs but that's precisely the beauty of music: it doesn't matter. If you have any fave international beats to share, please do. I'm always excited about new discoveries!

Click here, the image above, or the sidebar player to tune in. Enjoy!

1 -  Asi Asi Asi (feat. Noelia Fernandez)  Atropolis 2 - Ibere  Various Artists 3 - Le Flying Saucer Hat  Chairlift 4 - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa  Vampire Weekend 5 - Yellow World  J Girls 6 - Amsterdam  Peter Bjorn & John 7 - St. Petersburg  Brazilian Girls 8 - Imik Si Mik  Hindi Zahra 9 - Map Jim Noir 10 - Pacific Theme Broken Social Theme

 (image: taken at Vanves Flea Market, Paris)

words worth repeating / 10

This one goes out to my beautiful family who has always shown me that it's never too early or too late to try something new. We're each going through our own unique "re-births", if you will, and I'm so proud to watch them go for new experiments and incredibly thankful for the support they send back my way.

If you're currently experimenting with any new ideas, ventures, or just toying with the possibilities, keep at it because honestly - who ever really knows what they're doing? It's all trial and error so you might as well push through until something clicks.

For more quotes or to submit your favorite visit Howdy Day!. Howdy Day! is a daily dose of inspiration + motivation via your browser's homepage, email or rss. Learn more here.

(design by Ana Maria Muñoz)

the suite life

Just a few things that are making our temp apartment feel like home. We wouldn't dream of leaving our friend Erl tucked away in a box and Joe couldn't be without his favorite whisky. Recognize the Moroccan slippers and the book cover? The router has been a life saver since the suite only has a single ethernet connection. We've learned how to make hotel stays a bit more comfortable.

Do you have any favorite things that instantly make a place feel like home?

new city, we

Hello hello! How have you been? It's good to be back...writing, sharing, catching up. We arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday morning and despite having the airline lose one of six checked bags for nearly two days, everything went smoothly. We're all settled into our temporary serviced apartment as we wait for our first batch of home necessities to arrive via freight - I just pray that everything makes it over here and in one piece. In the meantime I'm loving living in a place where if we need honey for our yogurt and granola all we need to do is press a button. Also, I'm getting really spoiled with daily house keeping and a breakfast buffet with tons of cut fresh fruit (I'm the laziest when it comes to cutting my own but I will eat it all day long if it's there - anyone with me?).

It's day four here and while I can't say that I'm in love just yet (never mind the post title - I make a city work for it) I can tell you that I won't be lost for inspiration anytime soon . Between the lush vegetation, patterns and textures of modern buildings, and the juxtaposition of Islamic and Colonial British design everywhere you look, it's going to be pretty sweet. I think I'll be able to do an entire photo series on Islamic patterns found on pavements, fences, entryways...seriously, my geometric pattern-loving heart is in heaven.

We got into the local swing real quick by hanging out at ... uuhh...hate to say it...do I need to say it?...yeah, okay: at three different malls. There are so many malls here but we get it, it's just not very comfortable to do anything outside for longer than 30 minutes during the day. We'll just have to re-wire our anti-indoor shopping center brains and succumb to being mall rats. It's almost like being in Vegas where every Casino is a self-contained air-conditioned world. The three malls we visited had a post office, day care centers, art galleries, spas, gyms, full-serviced restaurants, medical clinics, movie theaters, you name it. You can practically live there and many people do. As difficult as this is to say, I may eventually set up office on the fourth floor Coffee Bean or Starbucks like the locals do. In LA or London this would have been cringe-worthy but until I find something more my style, I think it's gotta be my norm.

Another thing we did that we otherwise wouldn't was buy tickets for the local hop-on hop-off buses. You know, those double decker buses that every touristy city has that follows a points-of-interest route? We've always dismissed them by preferring to explore via foot and the local transport systems. However, with KL being a bit more spread out - and not the most pedestrian and public transpo friendly city - we opted to go for the big bus to get a lay of the land. It was a good move because we got a glimpse at Chinatown, Little India, the Lake Gardens, and other cultural and commercial areas that would have otherwise each been a full day trek. There's a lot to take in here - yes, obviously the cool sights but also the cultural norms and personal lifestyle adjustments. I've always been proud to say that I take change very well and adjust easily but let's face it, London was a piece of cake. KL is certainly very new and different but one comforting thought is that if any city-woes do arise, we're only a cheap airplane ticket and hour away from the most beautiful beaches in the world. They can cure anything, I'm sure.

goodbye london

This photo was taken during one of my first ventures out in London just a year ago. Everything was so new and unfamiliar then but now the city feels like an old friend - it's home. I used to think like this - that LA and California were the end-all-be-all. As much as I wanted to travel it never crossed my mind to actually live anywhere else. "LA has it all, why would I leave?" I'd always say. And between the different landscapes available within a thirty-minute to three hour drive (beaches, deserts, mountains, wine country) and the weather, it does have a lot. But a year away has taught me a lot, too. It is possible to fall in love with other cities the way you love your hometown. It is possible to stay connected with friends and family even though you're thousands of miles away. And it is possible to envision a life much different from what you always thought was certain. At the risk of causing an uproar with my friends and my sister (love you guys!) I no longer feel the definitive pull to ultimately settle down in LA. At first it was scary to think that I was letting go but then it got exciting to feel so open to whatever may come. My perception of settling down changes with every day that passes and with every expat that I meet or read about. Take this couple, for instance, who sold all of their possessions to travel the world for one year and are still at it four years later. I can totally relate to the initial pain of letting go of your favorite things and all that is familiar but once you're out, you're out, and you know what....it feels pretty damn good.

Tomorrow will be our last full day in London before a night in Paris for Joe's birthday and then moving out on Tuesday. I can't believe our time in this awesome town has come to an end, it was truly one incredible year. Now it's on to jungles, beaches, and eating so many noodles that they start coming out of our ears!

I'll be back on the blog in one week but in the meantime you can catch me on twitter and instagram. Have a great weekend, upcoming week and see ya next time from our new home in KL!

p.s. amazing how this photo stuck with me as inspiration for my blog header design. totally wasn't intentional!

meet palmy

This is Palmy, our beloved palm plant that we bought at three feet tall. It is well on it's way to reaching Joe's wish of ten feet but unfortunately we won't be here to see it fully mature. We always knew that we wouldn't but just talking about how big Palmy could be one day was comforting given our temporary state. I like to think of Palmy as a symbol of our time here as we nurtured a new life together and grew as individuals with each other's love and support. I also like to think that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he takes care of his plants. Lucky for me, plants under Joe's watch always thrive.

If you're in London and are interested in giving Palmy or this succulent a new home, email me and we can try to arrange a pick up before we hand in our keys on Tuesday. Please do consider it if you have a green thumb!

{diy} custom luggage tag

I don't normally post more than once per day but in case you missed my tweets last week, here is my latest DIY for Poppytalk. I'm very happy to report that the little guy is holding up great! Click here for step-by-step visuals and instructions.

Bon Voyage!

words worth repeating / 9

Here's to the joy of the journey and to everyday rainbows.

for more quotes or to submit your favorite visit Howdy Day!. to learn about these designs and Howdy Day! click here.

(design by me)

a taste of KL

KL seemed to be all about contrast - modern skyscrapers towering over old rain trees and state of the art shopping centers next door to traditional street hawker stands. With cold and gloomy skies lurking outside my London window right now, the image of a sparkly new pool couldn't be any more different. An entire new world awaits. A very hot and humid one in fact. Just as I had curated a great little collection of wool and cashmere sweaters it's time to trade them in for cotton tops and linen dresses. Definitely not complaining though because as a So Cal girl I'm happiest in sandals and denim shorts anyway.  It felt strange to show my shoulders and legs again after months of hibernation and I couldn't help but wonder if it was okay to do so. Malaysia is a predominately Muslim country but the difference is that everyone is free to practice and express as they wish. That means that a woman won't be (our shouldn't be) chastised for not following the hijab dress code. Nevertheless, I'm used to traveling to places where it's one or the other so I wasn't quite sure what to do when I turned a corner and realized that I was the only female in sight not covered from head to toe. Going to the mall reassured me that I was going to be fine - I could have been in LA with hundreds of fellow flip flop, tank top, wearing peers! It was definitely the place to be. Shopping centers are a BIG DEAL but I'm pretty sure it has more to do with the omg-this-feels-so-good air conditioning than anything else.

In the evening I found myself giddy with joy at the fact that we were sipping mojitos outside without a coat or scarf in sight. Other things that I loved and look forward to is the incredible hospitably and customer service, amazing food both in proper restaurants and street-side stalls, and the awesome afternoon shows that thunderstorms put on for the city. Not to mention that with the exchange rate everything is either dirt cheap or at least LA equivalent - much easier to stomach than London Town's high premiums. And of course, I'm  rreaaalllyyy looking forward to our new swanky pad in KLCC (city center)! I can't wait to settle in, decorate, and jump into that pool! It's so different from our charming, traditional flat in London - ultra modern, brand new building, gym facilities, and city views. Basically, I'll be pinching myself for the next two years. A few suburban neighborhoods were suggested to us but a) we don't want a car as is necessary to live there b) we don't need that much space and c) we like to live where we play. It seems like the "nobody walks" mentality is prevelant due to the heat but we're down with at least giving it a go. Only thing is that the sidewalks are either non-exitent or in terrible shape in some parts but we'll eventually learn the best routes for what we need.

One thing is for sure: with KL being so modern and western yet also deep rooted in ancient cultures and traditions, I really want to make an effort to explore the latter as much as possible. I can imagine it being far too easy to simply float along with the modern aspects of the city once we settle in. I don't want to be that kind of expat. Between the humidity and the pool, I will, however, turn into a three shower a day person. That much I can guarantee.

i'm back and cleaning house!

Hi everyone! I missed you and the blog but I'm back for my last week in London. KL was great and we accomplished what we set out to do which was find a new apartment...I can't wait to show you photos once we move in - it's ridiculous! I'll share more details on the visit tomorrow because today is all about the moving sale happening over at The Pond Market. It's a three day sale starting today and going through Wednesday with old items discounted 50% off and newly listed pieces (like this cute little Moroccan elephant) at 30% off.

If vintage, brass, and pretty things strike your fancy, please do take a look and spread the word.  Would love for these treasures to go to happy new homes. Thanks guys!

happy friday {and week to come}!

Wow - thank you so much for the awesome dose of love, enthusiasm and support for yesterday's news! I seriously can't wait to continue sharing, learning, and growing with you all. As a work-from-home expat I'm so thankful to have this online community of fellow bloggers, readers, travelers, best-life seekers, and all around sweet and inspiring people. I may never get to meet many of you in person but do know that connecting with you here, on twitter, or via instagram is such a treat.

To answer some of your questions from yesterday's news on the move ... Joe works for a multinational engineering firm so there are offices and projects all over the world. Most aren't in very exciting places so we've been lucky so far! As far as the process of moving to another country goes, we've been living light so moving this time around will be much easier - we've already pawned off some furniture, we'll donate what's left, and our essentials will be shipped courtesy of his company. I think the biggest pain will be calling all of our accounts to close them out but it'll get done with a nice cup of coffee in hand. In retrospect, leaving LA was the hardest part. The career job, my own apartment, a life's worth of "stuff", saying goodbye to family and friends. A year later, I didn't even bat an eyelash when Joe came home with the offer to move again; I was totally in and ready. Facetime and Skype is the same from anywhere in the world anyway and now my friends and family have a bigger incentive to visit us since most have never been there but were already familiar with London and Europe. We'll see how it goes!

Right now, I've got some work to wrap up before we spend the weekend in Brussels and as mentioned, I'll be off the blog next week while visiting KL. I'll be on twitter and instagram if you'd like to join me there but until I get back with details and stories to share, check out this video my friend John sent me when he heard the news. It'll definitely spur the wanderlust in you!

And last but not least, I couldn't get to mid-month without a new mixtape! This one is a departure from my first two mixes that were a groovy and mellow but I had to show some love to the more rebellious side of my music library. I love my rock'n'roll with a little metal, rough-around-the-edges vocals, and bits of punk and grass-roots honky tonk. How about you?

Click here or the sidebar player to tune in. See you in a week, enjoy!

1  - Light of the Morning   Band of Skulls 2 –  Lonely Boy  The Black Keys 3 – God Killed the Queen  Louis XIV 4 - 1st Things 1st   Phantom Planet 5 – Taper Jean Girl  Kings of Leon 6 – Ball & Biscuit   The White Stripes 7 – White Unicorn  Wolfmother 8 – Hair Down  Cold War Kids 9 – Hold On  Alabama Shakes 10 – Rumble  Link Wray

 (image: in Windsor, England)

{here we go again} we're moving!

Yep, this is the big announcement I've been mentioning - just as we mark our one year anniversary in London we're packing up again and moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! We might as well balance things out by doing the other side of the world right?!? Joe was offered a new opportunity with his company and we simply couldn't pass up the chance to live in and explore South East Asia. It sadly cuts our time in the UK short by a year but we've got to take things as they come and trust that we'll have just as much fun creating a new home there as we did here.

The move is going to happen very quick. I'm talking the first week of May quick - eekk! Between squeezing in trips to Brussels and Paris (we need to leave our mark), visiting KL to look for an apartment, wrapping up work projects, and all of the moving stuff to do in London, it's going to be a crazy couple of weeks. For that reason I won't be blogging next week but I will be prepping a big moving sale for the shop and will have bits to share from the trip to KL the following week.

There's so much to personally reflect on and anticipate but that will have to wait for a later post - I need to get through a very long to-do list first! If any of you live in or have traveled in that part of the world I'd love to hear about your experiences, tips, and words of wisdom. I've never been so my eyes and ears are wide open!

 (image: taken in Shoreditch, London)

ciao italia

Our trip to Florence and Chianti was somewhat of a love and hate one. We hated the rain and cold that prevented us from leisurely strolling along but loved the excuse that it gave us to picnic in the car with the best view in town. We hated that the vineyards and landscapes were bare and looked nothing like what you imagine Tuscany to be but loved that it was off-season and we had the roads, villages, and hotel to ourselves. We hated coming up against locked gates to wineries because of the Easter holiday but loved happening upon the traditional Caparsa home where the owner, Paolo, invited us in without any hesitation (we didn't want the bourgeois wineries anyway). And really, we loved much more than hated. The sun came out to say arrivederci on our last day and everything looked and felt different.  En route to Florence it kept us warm as we spontaneously stopped at a flea market in Greve In Chianti. No vintage treasures for the shop were found but the enjoyment of being around locals greeting each other and catching up on the week's events was more satisfying than bringing home a piece to polish off. Once in Florence we had just a few hours before departure and lucky for us, the historic center of the city is tiny. We had plenty of time to stand in awe in front of il Duomo, drink coffee in la Piazza della Repubblica, and veer into side-streets where local signage and store-fronts kept us thoroughly entertained. My only regret was not being able to shop for shoes (ladies, you understand) but drool-worthy footwear and a lush harvest season just might be enough to make us go crawling back for more.

salute

Salute! I hope you had a good Easter weekend. We got back into London last night and with a ton of work and planning to get started on (big announcement coming up), a trip roundup will have to wait until tomorrow. I can't wait to go through all of the photos. Rain or shine, we had some great moments...and some amazing vino ;)

Oh and while I was away, Erin of Apartment 34 included Anamu in her Noteworthy Newbies - wowza! Welcome Apartment 34 readers, glad you clicked through! Big thanks to Katie for the sweet referral - you all should click on over there too. Girl's got style.

happy friday!

We're off to Florence and Chianti today and if the forecast is true, we'll be exploring both in the rain. Any tips and can't miss sights, rain or shine? I was hoping to debut two new vintage dresses under the Tuscan sun (had to go there) but at least cobblestone and old buildings look beautifully dramatic when they're all wet. Wish I could say the same for me and my frizzy hair...

Have a wonderful Easter weekend. Eat lots of chocolate and if you're down with Peeps, eat a box or two for me ;)

Arrivederci! See you back here on Tuesday.

(image: cobblestone in Brugge, Belgium) 

a year's worth of wanderlust

It's almost Easter and that means one thing: four day weekend! We're taking advantage of the time and jaunting off to Florence and Chianti to get to know my little obsession, Italia, a little better. I've been studying Italian using Rosetta Stone but since I've been a bit inconsistent with it, I'm just barely at the point where I can ask "where's the bathroom?", "how much?" and all of those other simple phrases that will hopefully be enough to get us by! During the past year's travels we've gotten by with our english, broken french, and my fluent Spanish. Joe speaks a little bit of Spanish but he learned it with the Castellano accent that turns every "s" into a "th" sound...it drove me crazy for a while but I've warmed up to it. I had to.

We've definitely accomplished what we moved here to do: travel. There are still so many places on our list but I'm beyond thankful to have been able to check off the ones below and leave with beautiful memories.

Here are some of my favorite moments, places, and thoughts from our European adventures...

shopping at my first European flea market (in Paris) and seeing a different type of vintage and market scene

stumbling across the Louvre at night and having the square all to ourselves

walking along Pont Des Arts in Paris with my mom, oohing and awing at the romantic gestures and inscriptions of the love locks. we even witnessed a couple throwing their key into Le Siene followed with a passionate embrace and kiss. must go back there with Joe!

cheering on team Atletico with Joe's college buddies in Madrid. we sat in a section called "Vomitorio"..."vomit" is spelled "vomito" in Spanish so it felt a little icky at first. the funny thing was that not even the locals could explain the name.

finally understanding Joe's love for simple Spanish meals. I could eat like this every day now.

searching for the vista point for the Toledo bridge but instead happening upon our own little corner. we somehow managed to avoid the crowds and feel as if the entire town was ours that day.

walking up to the awesomeness of the ancient aqueduct in Segovia (no mortar!) and then geeking out over the decorative walls and doors all over the place

witnessing a modern marvel being built, aka La Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona

and being even more impressed/amazed by what's inside

watching my mom enjoy "the best paella of my life!" while I cooled down with a chilled beer

watching the sunrise and looking for seashells on the beach with my mom in Barcelona. 

our first week-long European holiday in Sicily. we stayed in the countryside, Ragusa...it was heaven as you can tell

but we did take a dip in the Mediterranean! this was a total locals' spot that we came across while looking for a place to eat lunch in Syracuse. i'll never forget the views from the water looking back at the city.

having coffee in front of Check Point Charlie in Berlin and learning about Joe's uncle who was stationed there during the Cold War. finding the perfect German pub/restaurant, Sophien 11, with my friend Caitlin. the bar tender fell in love with her and gave her free beer mugs as souvenirs.

 

seeing Christmas come to life in Brugge, Belgium. i felt like i was in the original Disneyland the entire time. what a beautifully preserved medieval place.

giving into a guided canal tour in Brugge and going under stone bridges from the 14th century. i mean seriously? 

finding moments to look around and capture the details in Marrakech amidst the craziness of the Medina

visiting a Berber market in the Atlas Mountains. this was the parking lot...it was pretty muddy but i loved it. 

sipping on sweet mint tea and drooling over too many rugs in Marrakech. i wanted so badly to go through the piles myself and pick which ones I wanted to see. unfortunately that's not how it works. it's a full on presentation and very ceremonial but i was happy to oblige. we left very happy with our new magic carpet in tow. 

We've left every place very happy, it's hard not to. I can't wait to see what we come across in Italia this weekend and where our magic carpet takes us next!