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.

los angeles, I'm yours.

Happy February! Where exactly did January go? I'm not sure, but it's gone; and I couldn't be more excited for February. First up? The BF and I are taking a long weekend and jetting down to his hometown of Los Angeles for some much overdue vaca time in the California sunshine. We're staying at a beachfront, boutqiue hotel in Venice Beach, meeting up with some old friends over cocktails, and buzzing around the city snapping up pictures and eating brunch to our heart's content. (Oh, and maybe we're excited to possibly pull the trigger on this couch from CB2. We might have dedicated our trip to San Fran last spring to sitting in it, but hey - if it gets us out of town...I'm all for it. It's so perfect.)


Talk about perfect timing, but have you seen JCrew's latest photoshoot for their spring collection? The effortless models use Tinsletown's iconic landmarks for the backdrop of their shoot complete with fun Hollywood facts. Love!

(images via JCrew)

I hope we can stage our own photoshoot around town that look half as adorable as these photos do. I'll post a recap of our adventures when we get back!

Also, has anyone seen Sofia Coppola's latest film "Somewhere?" I've been dying to see it. Los Angeles films are always eerie, and films that look into the lonely lives of celebrities always fascinate me. (But how can they be so lonely?! Their lives look so fabulous on the cover of magazines and as clips on Entertainment Tonight...right?)

Quick synopsis: Johnny (Stephen Dorff) is living at the legendary Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood. Then, his 11-year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) from his failed marriage arrives unexpectedly at the Chateau. Their encounters encourage Johnny to face up to where he is in life and confront the question that we all must: which path in life will you take?

Bonus: it's filmed entirely on location.