Have you Seen these Houses?

While my mom and I were tooling around in San Diego, we stumbled across these curious little houses!





Shaped like little ships, they are perched on a hill a few streets back from the beach. I wonder what it's like to live in a ship?





I found an article about the SS Moonlight and it rents for $1950/month! But it's in a lovely part of Encintas, and Moonlight Beach is very close!

Quick Trip to California

Last week I was able to extend a work trip to California and spend a few days with family. My mom, grandma and I went out to Paradise Cove in Malibu for a little lunch and beach time.



It was my first time ever to Paradise Cove, despite making lots of summertime trips to the beaches in SoCal in my childhood.  It's $25 to park (yikes) but totally worth it if you make a day of it.



It was so beautiful that day.  It really made me curse leaving California for land-locked Raleigh, but what can you do?





My grandma and I at lunch:


Mom and grandma pose in front of the (closed-off pier)

Things I Love in LA

Despite planting roots in North Carolina, I'm a California girl at heart.  Born and bred in northern CA, I have close ties to southern CA, too. We're heading out there for Christmas this year so I thought I'd showcase some of my favorite places and things to do in Los Angeles:

Bob's Big Boy in Burbank.  One of the last original restaurants, this place is the OG diner experience:

See's Candy is my favorite sweets shop.  Sure, you can get it out here at the holidays, but it's not the same. The black and white shops are always a highlight of a visit back to California. My favorites are too numerous to mention -- I love scotchmallows, bourdeauxs and anything with nougat and nuts!

The LA Farmers Market (adjacent to the Grove shopping center) has a great donut shop. Jake was taken with this pink iced number.

The hike in the hills of Los Feliz and the Griffith Observatory is great. Views of the city and the Hollywood sign make it a fun way to get some exercise.