words worth repeating / 39

It's been a while since I last shared words worth repeating but this quote has been very present in my thoughts lately.

The Kickstarter project for Ring Cozy didn't make it so I've had to slightly re-strategize my plan of action. Everything from production, sales, orders ... I've had to re-think it all but I'm perfectly at peace with it. Just because something didn't work out it doesn't mean that it wasn't a success in its own way. I learned a lot from the experience and it gave me even more amo to make my product and business happen.

The support I got from you guys, friends and family, and people who were new to Ring Cozy, was awesome (THANK YOU!). In doing Kickstarter I got the word out, made new connections, and set the wheels in motion for a great next couple of months - definitely not a failure in my book!

So now that the pressure of reaching a giant funding goal is off, I can focus on the work to be done while I'm in LA this summer. My to-do list is already a mile long but I like it that way. It means action, progress, trying, failing, trying again, dealing, and DOING. That's the key here, just keep on DOING and eventually something will stick.

Have you ever gone through something that took a few (or a lot of) times to get it right? Personally or professionally?

friday pic & pin + special giveaway

I'm kind of obsessed with the bright pinks going on here. Maybe it's because I have Ring Cozy on my mind (I used a pink in the logo) and I'm all "thinky thinky" as Joe would say.

It's the final three days of the Kickstarter campaign and while I'm not giving up hope that anything can happen from now until Monday morning, I am working on how my plan B will roll out. I'm both a dreamer and a realist so I need to be prepared to keep the dream going!

Along with being thinky thinky I'm also feeling givey givey. I fell in love with the textiles from Sapa North Vietnam (talked about it here) so I made sure to buy an extra zip pouch to share with you!

It has a combo of embroidered and applique styles and the naturally dyed fabric gives it a gorgeous muted tone. Some pieces look like they might even be vintage ... it's a fascinating little pouch and I can't wait for one of you to call it yours!

To enter to win, comment below with what you'd use it for - make up, keeping small items inside of a bigger bag, on it's own, whatever! It's approximately 5x7in so there's wiggle room to play with. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on next Friday's Pic & Pin.

Have an awesome weekend!

(image left: Patron prayer leaf, Saigon, Vietnam by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin)

phu quoc & saigon

hover over each image/dots for the story

... a few weeks later and we finally have photos from our trip to Vietnam! It was our second time there (remember our early honeymoon?) so we mixed in some beach time with city culture.

Most of the trip was spent at Mango Bay Eco Resort, in Phu Quoc. It was a complete 180 from our experience in Con Dao in that even though they both boast an eco-friendly environments, Mango Bay was bare bones. No A/C, no phone in the room for room service, outdoor toilet, and unfortunately really crappy bed and pillows. However, the setting was gorgeous and it still felt indulgent with it's own grown-up summer camp vibe. We ate, lounged, and ate some more but my favorite part was spending the day out on the water while Joe and other guests snorkeled. I stayed on board due to my recent LASIK surgery so instead of swimming with the fish, I was invited to join the guides in catching them instead. I did pretty well - four total! The water was beautiful and warm and that night I went to sleep still feeling the rocking of the boat. Luckily it was more soothing than it sounds.

After three nights in Phu Quoc we headed to Ho Chi Minh City, or as tried and true locals still call it, Saigon. My first impression was "wow, it looks like a mini Europe but with all Vietnamese people!". The French influence and architecture is still very much present in the old districts as are the wide streets lined with trees - a rare sight in South East Asia. When Joe and I hopped onto motor bikes with our guides for a night tour we were instantly impressed with the ease of getting around. Everyone was so relaxed about riding motorbikes and most of all courteous. I'm sure locals might think differently (or even other tourists visiting SEA for the first time) but now coming from KL where people (mostly male) drive their bikes at crazy speeds and seem to always try to hit you, Saigon felt more like a pleasant bike ride in the park. There were so many more women on the road, even ones dressed up in fancy work clothes. It's just the norm and it's awesome.

The biggest treat was the next day when our guide took us to the building where an American helicopter evacuated people during the fall of Saigon. It was crazy to think of the iconic image and then look up/down and realize that we were standing on top of history. The location isn't advertised to tourists nor is it generally open to the public so if you want in, give Bao a call.

We had to catch our flight home that afternoon so with other cultural spots to see, the day was jam packed but well worth it. It was our first time hiring a guide during holiday and I don't think it will be the last. We did it mainly because we had less than 24 hours in the city and expected that there would be a lot to see. And unlike traveling in Europe where we're more familiar with the history, culture, and where cities tend to be easier to navigate, we've realized that we need a little extra help in this part of the world. Ubud, Bali is next for a long weekend so we'll see how we do there!

Have you ever traveled with a guide? What was your experience?

weekend we

Hi guys, how was your weekend? We had a hot one here but that didn't keep us from going out to enjoy a few new spots. KL is getting more interesting by the week and I'm loving discovering the more creative side of it. It definitely took a while as it's still very small compared to other cities but it is out there!

Other than a bit of local shopping, the weekend was perfectly restful and productive...can't complain.

For more deets, hover over the Thinglink dots on each image.

Have a great start to the week!

friday pic & pin

Hi guys, Happy Friday! I had every intention to share photos from our Vietnam trip this week but I forgot to change the camera RAW settings and iPhoto isn't too pleased with the big data (hint: laptop is definitely due for a spring cleaning).

Will work on them this weekend but in the meantime here's a pic from our eco resort, Mango Bay, in Phu Quoc and a Pin of shorts that I'm desperately drooling over. They're by a Vietnamese designer, THU THU, who incorporates the beautiful textiles of the H'mong women of Sapa. Though we stayed in the South and Sapa is in the North, I managed to pick up a few handmade goodies while in Saigon, one of which I'll share with you next week and by share I mean give away ;)

If you haven't checked out the Ring Cozy Kickstarter yet please click on over, pledge if you like it, and tweet, facebook post, and email the heck out of it! There are only TEN more days to reach full funding (Kickstarter is all-or-nada) so every bit helps. Thanks for all of your support!!!

Have an awesome weekend.

Oh and a BIG thank you to Jamie of KAYU for having me on her blog for a Q&A!

(image left: Palm and Sea, Phu Quo, Vietnam by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin via A Boy Named Sue)

weekend, we

How was your weekend? If you got the chance to spend it with your mama I hope you gave her a big hug and a kiss.

We saw some live music, enjoyed dinner and drinks with friends, and spent Sunday exploring one of the many malls left to check off the list. Needless to say, I already can't wait to go back. There's a pretty good Mexican restaurant and the warm architecture makes it a really pleasant place to be. With a roof garden to top it off (not very mall-like at all!) and they've got me. No major shopping was done but I did pick up a set of pebble candles that I'm now completely obsessed with. It's the little things ...

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)

ready, set, #putaringcozyonit

Today is an exciting day. A day when I take a big leap of faith and launch Ring Cozy on one of my favorite websites, Kickstarter!

It's been months and months (okay, nearly one year) in the making and I feel nervous, anxious, scared but most of all, excited. Beyond announcing my new venture here on the the blog I haven't really made a big public push. I've been working on manufacturing and fulfillment details and now that those things are set, I'm ready to really put Ring Cozy out there!

In case you're new to the blog, or missed this post, Ring Cozy is an activewear accessory that I designed after realizing that I was damaging my engagement ring's band while working out at the gym. I love my ring and since I never wanted to be without it I had to find a way to keep it on while comfortably protecting it during my activities.

If you're not familiar with Kickstarter, it's a crowdfunding website that helps creative projects get funded by supporters in exchange for rewards (ie. being the first to receive the actual product they're helping to fund).  In my case, the Project is getting multiple sizes and colors for Ring Cozy's first-run production.  I chose to launch via Kickstarter for obvious reasons (manufacturing ain't cheap!) but mainly because as a supporter of past projects, I believe that the entrepreneurial and creative spirit of the website is amazing.

Since Kickstarter operates on an all-or-nothing system for raising funds from supporters - and the project's duration is only 22 days - I need help in getting the word out early to make this launch a success!

This is where and how you, my awesome readers and internet pals, can help: share the heck out of the project via your social media accounts and personal emails to your personal and professional contacts who might be interested in getting a Ring Cozy of their own. Any shares, likes, follows, and emails will be forever appreciated!

You can find Ring Cozy on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and use the campaign hashtag #putaringcozyonit

I really believe in Ring Cozy and the potential that it has to become an everyday activewear accessory for ring wearers who want to keep their rings on while enjoying their active lifestyles. Thanks for the support so far and many many many thanks for being with me for the journey ahead!

Cheers to making things happen!

PS  - a huge THANK YOU is due to Michelle Mizner of Field Work Media for the awesome video! She is one talented lady.

happy friday

We've taken a long weekend and snuck away to Vietnam! With our one year anniversary of living in Malaysia and my upcoming launch of Ring Cozy, there is much to celebrate (and reason to have some fun before a lot of serious work kicks in!).

Monday will bring an exciting announcement but until then, I've set Ring Cozy up on twitter, facebook, and instagram so if you're keen, please do "like" and follow!

As for the Pic & Pin - today you get a GIF of me "jumping feet first" instead. I felt it perfect for reflecting on all the risks in life that can be so rewarding in the end. Oh what the heck, here's a Pin, too :)

Have a good one!

one year in lumpy land

This time last year we packed up our home in London and moved to what we lovingly call Lumpy Land. Kuala Lumpur was definitely culture shock after living in LA and London but one year later, I don't feel like such a stranger anymore.

To round up the anniversary I thought I'd share bits of what I love about this place and the things that I could do without.

Let's start off with the bad things. I could live without ...

• the lack of pedestrian right-of-way and safety considerations from motorists. the reasons there are so many overpasses in the city is so that pedestrians are taken out of the equation completely, i'm sure.
• the illegal/bribed buses that blow nasty smoke onto everyone on the sidewalk as they clank by.
• the lack of consistent walkable sidewalks. every building owns the property all the way to the street so each block can be totally different. some developments opt to go without proper sidewalks altogether.
• the fact that I walk 1,000 times faster than most locals and it makes a regular trip to the mall to run errands feel like a game of pac-man just to dodge everyone.
• litter that eventually gets packed between the new "nice" landscaping and fences on the street. i know that litter is a problem in most places in the world but london was so on top of it that it spoiled me.
• illegal taxi drivers who take advantage of tourists and charge RM10 or RM20 when it's really a RM3 ride on the meter. never ride with a driver who won't take you on the meter - they're jerks.
• mosquitoes gone wild after a really heavy rainfall.

As you can tell, most of my pet peeves have to do with getting around the city by foot. It's just that KL is small enough that it could be a really walkable city if they wanted it to be but, unfortunately, city planning and pedestrian safety are just not happening. To its credit though, there have been many city-center sidewalk improvements since we moved here so I'm thankful for that...can't hate on them too much now.

Now on to the things that I love about living in KL!

• the lack of street laws that allow us to jaywalk wherever and whenever we want.
• the warm and friendly locals who, when introduced personally, act as if you're family.
• the predictable afternoon thunderstorms that fill the sky on a daily basis. such a great show.
• wearing sandals and summer clothes while it rains because it's so warm out.
• fresh fruit and veggie juices available everywhere. it's almost unforgivable if a restaurant doesn't offer them.
• the standard script from new and friendly taxi drivers that goes like this: "where you from?", "you stay here?", "you work?", "you married?", "have children?".
• learning to enjoy spicy food. unlike the american version of spicy (which is really just hot) the indian and malaysian versions are more flavorful.
• drinking out of coconuts like it's no big deal.
• seeing giant green rain trees and furry looking palm trees everywhere you go.
• the way so many expats from around world call this place home, too. most are here with kids who are getting the experience of a lifetime.
• the sweet security guards in our building who barely speak english but always greet with a smile and are helpful when needed. thank god for universal hand signals.
• the little grocery truck that parks on our street two times per week for a pop up market.
• the street food that is so plentiful and yummy even though half the time i have no idea what i'm ordering.
• the fact that i now often point with my thumb over a fist (think bill clinton giving a speech). that's how the locals do it so i figured i should too, out of respect.
• driving down the highway and seeing a buddhist temple, a hindu temple, and a mosque all within thirty seconds.
• hearing the calls to prayer throughout the day even though i have no idea what they're saying.
• seeing the parade of colorful prints worn by local women on their traditional head coverings and dresses.
• the craftsmanship that is so exciting for a foreigner like me. my taxi driver laughs at me every time i get excited about a rattan store or talk about wanting to learn how to paint batik.
• the fact that living here can often feel like we're living on vacation (climate, scenery). my wardrobe has definitely started to reflect this.
• the way joe looks so relaxed on the weekends when we can just be outside in the warm weather, wearing flip flops, year-round. having a nice pool certainly helps.
• meeting incredibly good and solid people who we now call friends. so thankful to be carving-out a social circle.
• and most of all, i love joe for being patient with me as i figure out this new place, how to live in it, and enjoy it.

weekend, we

Hi guys, how was your weekend? Ours was the kind that "home" is made of. We spent time with friends, went out on the town, relished in lazy lounging, and simply enjoyed the slow pace that comes with Saturday and Sunday.

In just a few days we'll be marking our one year anniversary of living in KL (say whaaa?) and just like our time in London, this place has really become home. I don't think I'll ever feel the same way about living here permanently as I did in London (apples and oranges, I tell ya) but I do love what we've been able to make for ourselves so far. On Wednesday I'll be sharing a little KL anniversary round up where I'll spill my loves and dislikes about living here. It's not all fun and palm trees sometimes but it has been amazing.

And with this anniversary, I was reminded that my sidebar photo was two years old and in dire need of an update. I honestly couldn't find a decent "profile" photo that didn't involve me wearing a hat and/or sunglasses so this one from Cartagena will have to do for now!

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)

in tune with spring

It's been a bit quiet on the blog front regarding Ring Cozy but I promise that it's been the complete opposite behind the scenes. I'm putting the final touches on a really exciting next step and can't wait to share it with you real soon. Just like the flowers in this lily pad pond, Ring Cozy is ready to bloom!

photo by Ana Maria Munoz, taken in Con Dao, Vietnam

weekend, we

Hey guys, how was your weekend? I've been trying to balance working on the computer and resting my eyes since I got LASIK done several weeks ago. I guess my sensitivity is taking longer to clear up :/. So, in efforts to get away from the screen we spent a lot of time out and about in KL enjoying new-to-us cafes and shops. I was thrilled to find a vintage furniture shop since I've been aching for the thrill of the hunt lately. We didn't leave with anything but just getting the heart flutter of excitement was plenty for the day. God I miss flea markets and vintage shops! For now, I'm just happy that we continue to find new nuggets of things and places to enjoy until one day we may be back somewhere where I can get my treasure hunting fix.

ditching the fork

Hi guys, how was your weekend? We had a good mix of fun and taking care of business on the home front. The main event was dining in the dark with some new friends. Have you ever done it before? It was our first time and we loved it.

Before entering the blacked out room we had to surrender our phones and watches (anything that could glow). We were then guided by our server, who is blind, to our seats. Plate by plate, our food was brought out with each item having different textures and smells. I quickly abandoned my utensils and just ate with my hands. It was like I couldn't get passed sticking my fork around and then seeing what went into my mouth - I needed to feel what I was about to eat since I couldn't see it! I ate a lot faster than I thought I would. I had hypothesized that I'd eat slower because of my other heightened senses but nope, I was on a mission to taste and explore and for some reason it all happened really fast. Maybe it's because I didn't have anything or anyone to look at in between bites but it was definitely interesting be so incognito while sitting and chatting with a table of eight. Anyone could be doing anything and no one would know the difference! There were a few couples so we did joke about playing footsie beneath the table and not really knowing who's foot it was.

Post dinner we had a few drinks at The Establishment and enjoyed the new vibrant scene emerging on Jalan Mesui with it's recent openings of unique bars and restaurants. KL nightlife definitely just got more exciting and that makes me really happy :)

i can see clearly now...

Did I mention that I was getting LASIK eye surgery? Well yes, I had my eyes did on Thursday and wow, I can't believe what technology is capable of. Not yet 24 hours after staring into bright laser lights and smelling my burning eye balls (the brochure forgot to mention that pleasant part) I could see perfectly clear through distances that used to be a big blurry haze. I was a bit scared to go under but with rave reviews from others who have had it done and logical statistics provided by Joe on the higher risks of simply wearing contacts, I was sold.

I've never had any type of surgery done let alone really considered anything cosmetic (aside from a boob job but I can't bear the thought of something foreign in my body!). In this case, getting LASIK was purely a lifestyle choice. I was so sick of pushing my glasses up on my sweaty nose while working out and having to swap out my prescription sunnies to my regular ones whenever I walked indoors - or worse, keeping the sunnies on and straining my vision through the dark lenses while inside. Had my eyes been more receptive to contacts I might be fine but after three hours of having them suctioned onto my eyes I would inevitably take them out and reach for my trusty glasses. And as for maintenance, is it just me or is it nearly impossible to keep glasses clean? I feel like I had a phantom toddler with sticky fingers just smudging up my glasses all day long. I could never keep them clean enough. So yeah, I'm thrilled that I took the leap and went for the surgery!

I've spent the past five days resting my eyes and going a bit stir crazy. Can't really go outside when it's sunny, have to keep the apartment kinda dark, can't watch much TV, and especially can't be on the computer for too long. I never realize how much I look at a screen all day between my laptop, phone, iPad, and TV...it's a bit sad really but I guess it's also a reality of working from home.

Since I couldn't do much with my eyes, I let the ears have it with podcasts by Monocole's The Entrepreneurs, Here's The Thing, Studio 360, and TED Talks. As anxious as I felt at times to get back to working smart, it was nice to just lay there and listen to interesting conversations and discussions. Not listening while cooking dinner or writing emails...just laying there and doing nothing else. I highly recommend it. Speaking of, I should get off of the computer and give these new old peepers a rest ;)

This photo was taken using a fun Optrixx Looking Eye I bought at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, CA. 

always moving forward

I'm sure you've already noticed but ever since the New Year my posts have been a bit irregular. 2013 has brought a total different focus for me and it unfortunately takes time away from blogging like I did before. I love blogging but I think that instead of creating daily/weekly content, I want to go back to simply sharing thoughts and experiences as I go along. It may not be the best for readership consistency but I've realized that it's what needs to happen in order to keep enjoying the blog while enjoying my work and free time.

There are so many amazing blogs out there constantly sharing DIYs, style collages, quotes of the week, pinterest picks, etc., and I don't need to be one of them...just need to be me. So, while I had fun creating the Words Worth Repeating series and other creative plays like Let's, Friday Pic & Pin, and Monthly Mixtapes, I will no longer do them on a regular basis or at all. I guess I'm still figuring out what I will do outside of just writing and sharing my photographs but even if the answer is "that's it, just write and share photographs" that will be alright by me.

With this new change will come a new direction and possibly a new voice for the blog. Travels and personal stories will still be at center stage but I'm sure plenty of entrepreneur related thoughts and shares will come about. I expect to lose some readers and gain some because of it. It happened when we moved to London and again when we moved to Kuala Lumpur. Some people want to hear all about English and European charm while others are drawn to what's going on in jungle town way South East. If you dig both and everything in between, then you are my kind of people. I understand that every chapter of my life can't be interesting to everyone, including starting a new business, but if you hang around you'll see that this book is only gonna get better ;) And hey, I'm still all over Pinterest andInstagram for your visual pleasure.

The photo above was taken in LA during my trip in January when everything with Ring Cozy became real. I was going for it and there was no turning back...

weekend, we

Hi guys, how was your weekend? I kept my word and stayed home. It was so nice to relax and get things done at our leisure...totally needed.

Our little friend, Pollywog, had a chill weekend, too. He looks like a king doesn't he? I just adore him.

all framed out

Happy Friday, guys! Wow am I excited for the weekend. Even though I'm planning on getting some work done, I just love the fact that we'll be home. For all of the traveling we do I'm really quite the homebody. That's why I'm so excited to finally have framed all of the photo prints from my shop so we can enjoy them in our living room! I also had a little graphic fun with a photo I took of the Sydney Opera House. Looks kinda like a fan, doesn't it? The color is just the pop that we needed in here.

All perfect timing too since I just received a copy of our home feature in IKEA Malaysia's Live magazine (!!!). We had practically just moved in so it's nice to see what we've done to make it even more homey since then.

Enjoy your weekend!

5x7 frames by IKEA / large frame by Habitat / cushions by {me}longings

smart vs. hard

Growing up all I ever heard people say was "work hard, play hard" and it was usually in the context of working crazy hours and then raging on the weekends to let off some steam. I've never jived with that philosophy. I don't like working crazy hours and I certainly don't like bottling up my free time and energy for an explosive few days. In fact, when I did work at a job that consumed too much of my life I left it and got another one that gave me the freedom to have lunch with my family and leave work at a decent hour to meet Joe and friends for happy hour. It was life changing...like, ohhh so THIS is what happy hour is?!? And to top it all off, I got paid more.

I'm constantly seeking ways to meet my ideal lifestyle balance and leaving my first job (which was awesome so it wasn't easy) was the biggest lesson in learning that I have full control over my life. Now that I'm working on launching a new product and business, I want to be mindful of how I spend my time and energy so that I can stay excited about my new venture and not get burnt out. There's a lot to do and a A LOT to learn but I'm doing it all step by step, day by day, all while doing my best to work SMART versus HARD.

The concept of working smart is fairly new to me so this made me really happy to read. Things can get done just as well or better when there's focus rather than more time, there's no need to slave away for the sake of "working hard". For that reason I'm trying to be very conscious of how I organize and schedule my action items every day so that I know I can accomplish them within a few hours instead of being overwhelmed by a loooooong list that looks impossible to tackle. You know that feeling of crossing off to-do lists? I live for that. So, if you're like me and have an evolving lists of things that need your attention, here's what's been working really well for me lately.

I've started to keep my long lists in two separate notebooks (one for work, one for personal) and whenever I think of something that belongs in either, I write it down in their respective notebooks. Every morning I look at both and pick at least three things from those long lists. Then I write the selected items onto a smaller piece of paper (a short list) and post it above my laptop to reference throughout the day. That gives me my day's action items that I am 100% sure I can complete and feel good about. I pick them based on urgency and relevance. Some days it's strictly work and others I mix in more personal things like doing laundry, paying bills, etc. As the day goes on, I cross completed items off of the short list and at the end of the day (or next morning) I cross those same items off of my long lists. Little by little the long lists become MUCH easier to swallow!

This system has really helped me focus so that I can enjoy my free time and not think about all of the things that need to be done at home/work. There's a master list, after all, no need to have them swimming around in my head! Now even if we go off to play and I still have some work to do, it's all good. For example, last Friday when we went to KK I woke up at 5am to correspond with my USA contacts for two hours before leaving for the airport and then got back online for three hours that night at the hotel while Joe slept. I got work done and still had fun in between...no stress at all. I wonder if this will come in handy if/when we start a family? The kids part definitely seems like hard work!

So what do you think about working smart vs. hard? Have you found something that works for you? Would love to hear how you maximize your work and personal life or the steps that you're taking to get there!