Category Archive

California

Get your kicks on this Americana-fueled road trip on Route 66

Technically, our trip was all of Route 66 (through: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California), plus the driving it took to get us to the start — we came from Nate’s folks house; so, Ohio and Indiana. And then from California to Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois. We spent the better part of a month living out of our car and tent, traveling across America together.

A three-day road trip and hiking getaway in Yosemite

We took a road trip up to Yosemite National Park from where our wedding was held in Temecula (Southern California). I won a three-night stay at the Redwood Cabins in the southern tip of the park at an auction for one of my firm’s nonprofit clients, and it ended up being just what we needed.

How to deal with Evil Property Management companies

Housing in our home town is notoriously shitty (truly affordable housing is actually non-existent) because it’s a college town and the property management companies think that college kids are young, don’t know their rights, and are too busy and too poor to do anything about the way they’re treated anyway. Mostly the management companies are right. But through hellish personal experience, I have learned tips and tricks in dealing with Evil Property Management companies (EPMs), especially as a young person. All of my experience comes from renting in California, so things might be different where you are.

We made a tiki-inspired “carbana” in three weeks!

As soon as I saw Megan’s carbana post, I knew that was the answer to the ongoing question of “WTF do we do about our horrible backyard?” Here’s how we pulled it off our tiki-inspired carbana in three weeks.

This 1955 “boathouse” has me delighted and confused

As you have probably noticed by now, I have a raging vintage home boner that keeps me searching the internet for “homes with original details” porn. I got excited when I first glimpsed this spectacular boathouse built by renowned architect Harry Gesner in 1955. >But then, upon further investigation, I see that it’s actually super tricked out with modern accents, in, um… interesting ways.

Vintage 1955 cottage in the Hollywood Hills

I recently went to the open house for this adorable Robert Byrd-style cottage built in 1955 and kept in incredible original condition tucked away in the Hollywood Hills. There are wonderful little vintage surprises all over this amazing home. Hidden lazy Susans in an unexpected location, beyond unusual doorframes, and the coolest/most dangerous bathtub I’ve ever seen.

Yurt + Dome = My life in a yome

My 16-month-old daughter and I live on an herb farm (no, not that kind of herb farm, though we are in Northern California). I am a farm hand here, and in exchange for a certain amount of hours a week working the land, we get to live here and breathe the fresh air, learn about herbs, and watch everything bloom.

We live in a yome here. Yep, a yome — it’s a cross between a yurt and a geodesic dome. And wait until you see the triangular windows…

Leo D’s renting out his beach house this summer so I need 300 of you to give me $500 each

I was recently told that Leonardo DiCaprio is renting his Malibu beach house this summer for a cool $150,000 a month. Reality aside (because seriously: 150k! A month!), I immediately started thinking of all the things I would do in said beach house.