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)

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 …

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)

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.

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!

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.

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!

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)

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

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.

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 :)

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.