blogging is kind of like working out.  the less often you do it, the easier it becomes to not do it.  that’s kind of what happened this past month.  now that we are in the middle of september (how did that happen!?), i feel like the fall calls for fresh starts and i want back on the blog wagon!  starting with a brief recap of what i’ve been up to lately.

this summer was busy but in a really good way.

1) i really love exploring the city by myself.  (i also love doing this with reis but since he works a million hours a week, i fly solo pretty often.)  i find myself going on lots of errands throughout LA so i take advantage of the freeway treks and make stops into shops and cafes.

2) we try to make the most of reis’ days off with quick day trips to pretty socal beaches.  these days are my favorite.

3) i’ve been designing a lot this summer!  lots of fun projects for rad clients and lots of personal projects too.  i’ve been experimenting with hand lettering the past several months and these invitations for my niece’s first birthday were so much fun to create!

4 + 5) getting settled is a never-ending process.  we’re a few pieces of furniture shy of being [almost] done, but we are getting there!  we made lots of progress in the paint department and my dad and i built a bar and some shelves for our kitchen/living room (hooray for more counter space!).

happy monday!  i’m looking forward to being back on this space more often.

seaton poncho via hautelook, flea marketed leather backpack

it’s no secret that i’m rather obsessed with bag-like, one-size-fits-all clothing.  i recently bought this poncho (and maybe a few others…woops) and i am in love.  it is super comfortable.  but that’s not surprising since i am basically wearing a blanket with a cutout for my head.  it’s kind of awesome.  i remember loving ponchos back in high school and then they went out of style.  sooo, to say i’m super excited they have made their way back into the fashionable clothing realm is an understatement.

these photos are from a little day trip we took to san clemente last friday (more on our adventure to come later this week!).  oh how i love that little town!  cheers to ponchos and day trips and reis getting days off.

southern california, i just love you a whole lot.  why did i have to move away for a few years to appreciate you to the fullest!?

we’ve been settling in pretty well to our new neighborhood and i’ve fallen in major love already.  the first thing we did on move-in day after we got the keys to our place was buy some vintage cruisers.  we’ve been exploring these parts by bicycle and it’s one of my favorite things about where we live.  we can bike to the ocean in about 1 minute and 30 seconds and then cruise alongside the coast for a few more minutes to get to TRADER JOE’S (!!! we are beyond happy to be reunited with this place), starbucks, and yogurtland…all of the essentials.  we’ve hit up most of the local coffee shops around here and are slowly making our way to all of the cute, beachy cafes.  i absolutely love mornings here.  the 60 degree + overcast weather makes me all sorts of happy…especially now that summer has arrived and a few miles inland is 20 degrees hotter!  my collection of sweaters is growing and getting lots of wear in the AM and PM and i’m already super giddy for fall since hawaii didn’t exactly warrant the wear of scarves and boots.

i’m trying (keyword trying) to get back on a regular blogging schedule so bear with me as i catch up on work and slowly make my way through the boxes i have yet to unpack!

i’m [finally] blogging from my very own home office!  there’s still a lot to be done and a few pieces of furniture to be bought, but i have a desk and a chair and that’s all i really need right now.  when we were house hunting, it was at the top of my wish list to rent a 2 bedroom so that i could have my own space and not occupy the living room 24/7.  i’m so thankful this wish became a reality because mannn, it’s SO nice to have a designated workspace.

moving is exhausting to say the least.  and of course we’ve had our fair share of hiccups…including BOTH of my computers failing me at the same time!  (i’m getting real tight with the peeps over at the genius bar).  our crate that we shipped over from hawaii finally came a few days ago so it’s been one giant unpacking party.  we’re painting our bedroom and building lots of shelves and i can’t wait for our house to feel like a home!  it’s an unsettling feeling not feeling settled, ya know?  being surrounded by boxes, making 16 trips a week to target and tj maxx, and sleeping on an air mattress is all part of the process so we’re doing our best to embrace it!