Los Angeles, I'm Yours.

took this on our morning walk on the beach!

We're back from sunny California. It was hard to leave the 75 degree weather, the sun and the ocean...especially to come back to grey and rainy Portland, but here we are. And the worst part of it all? My cold that I thought I kicked two weeks ago returned with a vengeance on the trip, and I've been couch-bound for the last 2 days and forced to use up some sick days. 

While I can't breathe or swallow with ease, I'm forced to snuggle with the pups and watch daytime TV. Around here that consists of reruns of Beverly Hills, 90210, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and The OC. Is there a theme here? 

We jetted off to Los Angeles early on Friday morning. At least three PDX airport workers said that BF and I looked especially "fresh" for 5am. I think it's the fact that we laid out our cute outfits the night before.

Once we arrived at LAX, we hopped into our sweet rental car (Hyundai Genesis - seriously. Drives, and kind of looks, like a Mercedes) and toured the city until our 3pm hotel check in. 

Driving down Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Monica to Malibu, we took in the sights, soaked in some sunshine, and made mental notes for next time...check out the Getty Villa in Malibu. Looks amazing.

Some highlights:

(via BizBash)

Our beachfront boutique hotel in Venice, Hotel Erwin. Located just one block from the Venice boardwalk and beach, it also has a rooftop lounge. The modern, artsy, surfer vibe was perfect for our stay in Venice. Our room was bright and had a balcony with views of the sunset on the beach. Plus, I KNEW it looked familiar! It's in a Wheat Thins commercial. My memory never ceases to amaze me.

(google image via Tonsil)

We explored Venice and fell in love with Abbot Kinney Blvd. The first night we were there it was their "First Friday" event where galleries, boutiques and restaurants stay open late. They also had several food trucks lining the street that drew literally hundreds to line up for a late snack - very "Portland." When we walked into a swanky restaurant for a drink and the wait was two hours, I grabbed a card and we went back the next evening. GJELINA did not disappoint; it was seriously delicious and such a fun environment. 

LA people are friendly! Since BF is a Portland transplant, he's always saying that he thinks Portland people can be clique-y, but I understood where he was coming from once we struck up random conversations with the locals. People asked us for directions, they'd roll down the windows and shout, "Hey, which way to the 405?!" We must have looked like locals. 

...more to come.