friday pic & pin

friday pic & pin by Anamu 29

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)

all framed out

framed
framed framed
framed framed

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!

5×7 frames by IKEA / large frame by Habitat / cushions by {me}longings

 

tastefully done

tea box design
tea box design
tea box design

Delicious Sri Lankan tea, crafted re-usable wood boxes, and right-on-point graphics – it’s no wonder that I’ve built up a collection! I was so happy when I discovered them at our favorite grocery store so that I could add a little design-love while making my cuppa. I already can’t wait to run out of the Tropical Fruit flavor so that I can buy/try another one.

Do you ever buy food and drink products because of the packaging?

pop displays

neon tags

One of the first things I noticed when we moved to Malaysia was the way that some small independent shops display product prices and information. These neon tags are everywhere and they literally make me smile every time I see them. How could they not?! They’re bright, playful, and with great geometric shapes and cartoon-ish hands they’re hard to miss and not appreciate. When I started seeing packs of them for sale at stationary shops I got really excited because I knew that I had to have them. I have no idea what I’m actually going to do with them but I’m quite happy with the collection that has developed. Do you have any ideas for putting these awesome tags to use, functional or as art?

at last

portfolio

Remember my post about “owning” your title or whatever it is that you do? Well, I finally put together one of the things that makes being a freelance graphic designer and photographer a bit more legit in my book: a portfolio! It was such a satisfying and motivating experience to sort through what I have done and think about the work that I want to continue doing. It still has a lot of room to grow but it’s a start. It’s my start and I’m excited to share it with you.

Please check it out and do pass it along to any friends, family, and colleagues who might be interested in my work (word-of-mouth <3 is greatly appreciated!). Thank you for being a part of this new creative journey.

friday pic & pin

friday pic & pin 14

With everyone talking about Fall being just around the corner, I’m psyching myself up for 24/7 summer living. It’s a world of difference from last year when I barely saw the sun so this time around I’m definitely thankful to be closer to the equator.

This chair would be my perfect “endless summer” piece; reminiscent of the rattan furniture that Malaysia is known for but totally modern in material and with a retro design twist. I can imagine the shadows it casts while out on a sunny patio or inside a dining room with an overhead lamp. It’s rocking my world, it really is.

Hopefully I find more endless summer inspirations while out and about this weekend. Have a good one and stay cool!

This week’s three rad links…

• it’s a #patternparty and we’re all invited via August Empress

• i wanna wear this t-shirt on my wrist, do add recycled gold via EcoSalon

• a girl who knows what she wants and goes for it – let’s all make a list via Mrs. Lilien

(image left: mock-rattan in Penang, Malaysia by Ana Maria Muñoz, right: Pin via Blue Dot)

like a pro

design-plan

After nearly two months at sea, the three pieces of furniture that we shipped from London have arrived: our duck egg blue sofa, antique wood table, and bed frame + mattress (not pictured). They are home and we are now living more comfortably (yahooo!)

As soon as the movers left we began arranging, and then re-arranging, all of the pieces to see what worked best for our needs. If it weren’t for the items that came with the apartment (dining table, chairs, white storage units, TV, table lamp, and lounge chair) then we’d be seriously furniture-poor in this space. And while the provided pieces wouldn’t have been our first picks, they’re at least simple and modern enough that they blend in nicely with our personal touches.

All that’s left to buy are a few furnishings and accessories to make the living room really come together. I’ve been watching old episodes of the interior design show Candice Tells All on syndication and I love how she goes around with her drawing tablet, whipping up solutions to everyday design problems. Well, I have a drawing tablet, too, so I put that baby to work! We had written a list of what we’d like to buy but drawing everything onto the space was a really fun way to bring it all to life – I highly recommend it!

On our list:

• large area rug
• round coffee table to soften the straight edges of other items in the room
• tall plant next to the TV so that it’s not the first thing we see when we walk through the
door
• canopy floor lamp for the corner reading/lounging nook with a round shade, again, to soften the hard edges already existing in the room
• cotton throw pillow covers. the ones from London are wool and don’t work here for obvious reasons
• dining placemats – can’t say that i love the sound of metal and ceramic hitting glass
• large canvas art – this might be the hardest part
• floor plant for the desk area
fun graphic print above the desk
and last but not least, a comfortable desk chair so that I can work and blog all the better :)

Now, if only Craigslist were popular here. That was the thing to do in LA…buried treasures I’ll tell ya…

Either way, I can’t wait to start shopping around!

Do you have any methods you use for organizing your home-decor plan of action? Or do you just go for it as you come across pieces?

{happy friday} pic & pin

friday pic & pin 6

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)


 

los angeles design, i <3 you

decorative flags, olvera street los angeles
decorative antique fire engine wheel, fire house number 1, los angeles california mission style, olvera street los angeles
crosswalk pattern, los angeles bold and modern, fillmore gold line station, pasadena los angeles
simple pattern design, pasadena los angeles
art deco facade, old pasadena los angeles
art deco facade, old pasadena los angeles
art deco facade, old pasadena los angeles pattern, eagle rock los angeles
pattern, eagle rock los angeles
retro diner, eagle rock los angeles
garage design, manhattan beach los angeles
retro apartment, redondo beach los angeles retro apartment, redondo beach los angeles
retro apartment, redondo beach los angeles

Hola, how was your weekend?

Ours was all about traveling and settling back into our flat; man does it feel good to be home!!! One of the things that I love about London is that the architectural details are so different from everything that I grew up with in LA. When we moved here I became obsessed with noting the tiny details of building facades and period characteristics of the 1600′s onwards.

Los Angeles is obviously much newer so going back for a visit after being away for a while proved to be super inspiring. Everything from the Mexican and Spanish Colonial details around El Pueblo/Olvera Street, the Art Deco facades in Old Pasadena, to the simple retro lines of the beach communities … they all hint to the diversity of design in the City of Angels. I admire and respect the ornate and elaborate styles of traditional European design but when push comes to shove, simplicity and basic geometry always captures my heart. It wasn’t until this trip that I realized how much my hometown had influenced my personal design tendencies. I guess sometimes you really don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone…or at least leave it then go back :)

{show & tell} souvenirs from marrakech + giveaway!


marrakech souvenirs marrakech souvenirs
marrakech souvenirs
marrakech souvenirs marrakech souvenirs
marrakech souvenirs
marrakech souvenirs
marrakech souvenirs
marrakech souvenirs
marrakech souvenirs

I’ve been thinking of what to pack for our visit to LA and I’m pretty sure I’ve forgotten how to dress for 60/70 degree weather – it’s going to feel like summertime to me but just how much??? I do know, however, that I’ll be taking a few souvenirs from Morocco for family and friends. Weeks after our trip to Marrakech, I still find myself totally inspired by the city’s colors, patterns, and textures. Thankfully we brought back a few things to keep the design love going and boy am I enjoying them.

It’s hard to pick a favorite but if I base it on what I use the most, the leather slippers are it.  After seeing tons of traditional pointy-toe or heel-less styles, these caught my attention with their modern silhouette and ultra bright colors. On closer inspection, you can see the handmade details in the contrast stitching and pen outlines on the sole. It’s details like these that reeeaaaaally make my heart sing.

We did find a rug after all and I cannot wait to get it cleaned, roll it out, and enjoy it – such a tease having it just sit there. It’s a vintage Berber rug and we spent a good amount of time choosing it while sitting amongst hundreds of colorful woven beauties and drinking sweet mint tea. I totally envision styling it something like this in our future house…it’s a lifetime souvenir for sure.

Two other exciting finds were a solid brass antique camel with the coolest designs ever and a hand-carved aluminum mirror that now helps keep the feng shui flowing in my office/guest room/closet. Apparently your back should never face the door but you can correct it with a mirror. I think it’s a nice complement to the diy wall display, too.

And those rad leather tassels? Those were a gift from the rug merchant and now I will give one of them to you! Put it on your purse, car rearview mirror, door handle, use as a (very large) key chain, or even jazz up a curtain tie with it – there are so many ways you can have fun with it.

If you’d like a shot at winning the tassel simply comment below with your favorite souvenir of all time; truck stop convenience store finds totally count too. I’ll pick a winner at random next Thursday and ship it to you asap!

Yay free stuff!

 

 

color, patterns, and textures – oh my!



marrakech
marrakechmarrakech
marrakech marrakech
marrakech marrakech
marrakech
marrakech
marrakech marrakech
marrakech
marrakech
marrakech marrakechmarrakech
marrakechmarrakech

When you’re not busy dodging motorcycles and donkeys there are plenty of design details to catch your attention in Marrakech’s Medina. I was fascinated by the intricate carvings on both wood and stone, the pretty pastels of the buildings, the bright bold colors in the souks, and the rough and smooth texture pairings on the walls. I peeked into a few craftsman workshops near our riad to see how they use stencils to carve the repeating designs – what a work of art!

Any design details or colors catch your eye?

More Art: off to a resolved year

Okay, so I lied. I do have one resolution: visit more museums and design exhibits.

This weekend will kick-off a more artsy and designed infused 2010 with a trip to NYC.

I’ve got my new boots (Nike Air + Cole Haan = most comfortable shoes ever! Definitely worth the three year search) …

and am ready for some serious gawking at works by Kandinsky (Guggenheim) and architect Eero Saarinen (Museum of the City of New York).

Must be some kind of crazy to leave 72 degrees in LA for 20 something Manhattan!

::

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