Tag: California

Moving in.

Oh man. Here it is Thursday, and I’m getting out my first post of the week! Is it really Thursday? I don’t even know what day of the week it is. I know you guys will go easy on me, though, because other things have been more pressing… you know, like moving in, job interviews, grocery shopping, etc. I hope you really enjoyed the guest posts last week! If you ever make it out to CA, I hope you look us up or at least take some of their tips under consideration!

We should have wi-fi at our place early next week because it makes more sense to get signed up now (even though we remain jobless) than pay the same price in 3G overages on our iPhones. Yikes. The thought of it gives me cold sweats.

The drive was long and boring as I knew it would be, since I was alone (well, with Mosey) in the small car while Doug and his dad tag-teamed the big moving truck and trailer operation. Due to the trailer we made the whole trip (approx. 1500 miles) under 65 mph. That added on some time but I admit it helped my peace of mind knowing that our earthly belongings weren’t careening around the country at break neck speed–also we totally killed it on MPG. Here’s my protip for the day–if you really, really wanna save money on a cross-country trip, drive 60pm the whole time.

Here, some first glimpses of our apartment:

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Yes! It is seriously basic! Light brown carpet and white walls. All 824 sq feet of it. You know what? I am seeing this as a real opportunity to be taken. Let’s be honest: not a lot of design blogs have to deal with apartment-complex imposed restrictions. They either own their place and can do whatever they want, or have a really laissez-faire landlord (like I used to, especially when we lived in our loft) and pretty much get free reign.

I’m going to embrace these limitations! White walls and light brown carpet? Bring it on! Know what? The vast majority of people like me (early twenties, living in larger apt. complexes) have the same parameters we have now. And as my tagline says, I want to prove that any home can be made fabulous.

Here’s to the new phase! 

Guest Post: The Best of San Diego

Hi My Friend Staci readers! My name is Liz and I blog over at Bon Temps Beignet. Staci asked me to write a little post for y’all about one of my favorite things to do in San Diego. Well the first thing that popped into my head was “eat Mexican food!!” But I’m more than positive that y’all don’t want to read an entire post about burritos and carnitas fries (although I could go on and on about those carnitas) so I’m gonna take y’all along on a little trip out on the San Diego bay. So, jump in my virtual boat, throw on a life jacket, slap on some sun screen and enjoy the ride.

First we’ll launch in the South Bay area…

…pass under the Coronado bridge…

Then make our way over to one of my favorite places on the water. The USS Midway, which is a decommissioned Navy aircraft carrier, was turned into a museum in the summer of 2004.

You can drive your boat right up next to it and sit in the shade of the flight deck. My other favorite part about this spot is over on the right side of the picture below…

How awesome is this?

It’s a 25-foot statue of the famous “Kiss the War Goodbye” photo. Every time we’ve passed by the statue, we see people on shore reenacting the pose for a photo op. So romantic.

A little further up the bay is the Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing ship. She was built in 1863, but the old girl still looks pretty good for her age! You might recognize her from this episode of  Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel.

Right next to the Star of India is a pirate-style ship that still makes trips around the bay and shoots (blank)cannons in their show.

Next stop is the Pacific Ocean! Right near the mouth of the bay you’ll find the bait barges. And where there’s bait, there’s seals. These cuties lounge around all day waiting for a free meal.

We’ve saved the best for last. Get your cameras ready because, if you timed your boat ride correctly, you’ll be reaching the ocean just as the sun is setting. Gorgeous.

Well, it’s time to head back in now. I hope y’all enjoyed this virtual tour of San Diego’s bay! And if you’re ever in the area, grab a burrito from Lolita’s before you head out onto the water! You’ll thank me later!

Guest Post: Growing up in Temecula

My sister Stephanie is a beginning blogger but longtime writer–longer than myself. Our family has always been fans of her creative writing, even from elementary school age! Over at her blog she’s been writing about our Eurotrip (each new post is like a time capsule that transports me back to June). For this week, though, I asked her to share her perspective of the town that she and I grew up in–one I’m sure you will hear more and more about now that it serves as a “home base” for the two of us. 

Temecula, California is a big city with a little city feel, resting smack dab in a valley between LA and San Diego. Temecula has quite the rich history, first home to Native American tribes and later to cattle ranchers and cowboys. The California Mission and Old West influences can still be felt around the city, and it only adds to the unique charm of the place.

Growing up in Temecula, I did not appreciate its charm. Every weekend, I would groan about the lack of things to do, and I was always dying to get out and move somewhere urban, somewhere with “culture.” After having lived somewhere like that for almost 4 years, I am dying to move back to Temecula.

Yes, the city of Temecula is suburban in every sense of the word. It has housing developments with parks and green belts, community pools, chain coffee shops, and a large shopping mall. The majority population consists of housewives and businessmen who drive SUVs and sport fake tans. But peel back those obvious layers, and you find much, much more than that.

Temecula is easily most famous for its unsuppressed, rolling wine country. The moderate climate of the city makes for soil perfect for growing grapes, and the wine country has become a not-so-hidden gem of Southern California. The vineyards themselves are breathtaking. I have gone for many a late-afternoon drive through the hills to clear my mind. Driving on those dirt roads can transport me to a different place and time. However, growing up in a family of non-wine drinkers, the wine country culture is not my Temecula.

My Temecula is the city’s remarkable spirit. One of the things I appreciate most about Temecula is the city’s appreciation for the arts. Any given Saturday, you can find a band of teenage boys (or middle aged men) playing a pick-up concert on a street corner in Old Town. Head over to the Old Town Community Theater and catch an impressive performance of an American classic. Lose hours of your weekend browsing through one of the used record stores, trying to find that rare album you’ve been pining for.  Visit the community library on the weekend and glimpse an art show or poetry reading. It’s hard to believe, but the sprawling suburban city is actually immersed in culture. Take a closer look at that stodgy businessman to learn he knows how to play the saxophone. Ask his housewife about her past and find out she went to Woodstock in ’69. There is something about the valley that inspires creativity in so many people, and its influence is unmistakable.

Temecula has been a godsend for my family and I. When we moved there, Staci and I were at impressionable ages. It was a wise decision on my parents’ part, and it has become the cornerstone for our family’s personality. I couldn’t imagine a better place for us to have grown up, and I am stoked that Staci and Doug are finally coming back.