// the mood & vibes this week
— hi, friends :) writing this to you from canyon coffee in echo park. so much to update you on from this yummy delicious month of august, wow.
— when we last spoke, i had told you about my trips in july … to the russian river, san diego, all those vibes. august has been similar. even hotter. a couple more incredible adventures to add to the 'mems from this summer. & even cooler houses, if you can believe it.
— the first two weekends of this month i spent primarily in the ocean. and it was amazinggggg. i also saw an epic midcentury modern haus in topanga canyon that's featured below … coming here, after a day on the sand, at golden hour, was just about the most magical thing ever.
— there's something about ocean swimming in the summer … with friends and fresh food and sun and salt … that just feels most like me. the last few years have cemented me as an ocean baby. i don't know if i could live anywhere that's far away, it feels almost like a gravitational pull. i've even thought about what it might be like to move to a tropical locale in the future … and may have even started following some creators who have their lil granola families in hawaii.
— i think that's one of the really cool things about social media. it allows us this little window into the lives of others, so we can almost like, road-test different existences. which is also incredibly anxiety-inducing, of course. because how am i supposed to be happy and content when there's always someone, somehow, doing something more fabulous/delicious/exotic/insane than me? double-edged sword, i guess. anyways.
— during those first two weeks, with the ocean swims etc, one of my oldest friends stayed with me in topanga haus, and it was great. there's nothing like hosting people as an introverted extrovert … an interesting combination of feeling delighted by regular human company and also being like, oh my good god i need space to do my Secret Single Person Things (a concept coined in sex and the city … carrie's is standing barefoot in her kitchen eating saltines, and seriously same girl) (although i would say mine is one of the morning rituals - drinking my coffee standing up, sometimes on one foot (?), while listening to the new sabrina carptenter album, & then laying out all my vitamins + taking them with the same gd green smoothie) (ok, done with the overshare!).
— after that week, something supa supa exciting happened that i haven't even shared on IG, you're getting the news first. I SOLD ANOTHER COOL HAUS!
— this one is a gem in the highland park neighborhood of los angeles … a really gorgeous craftsman with a pool/views/intangibly awesome vibes. we nabbed this one from um, a whopping 19 other competing offers for just over $1.5M. HOT! so excited for my client to begin her fabu new life here very soon. also, it was very full-circle because the listing agent was one of my first mentors and remains a dear friend. we love to see it!!
— then, i went home to northern california (my fourth time this summer!) to spend a weekend in lake tahoe with my family. my sister is a lot younger than me, and just embarked on her study abroad program to italy in college, so we wanted to do a lil something to send her off. and, it was an incredible week.
— before we left for tahoe, i got to spend some delicious time in marin and do some summer activities … like strolling the august redwoods with my film camera … lavender ice cream at 7:30pm … filming an off-market listing in the forest.
— and once we got to tahoe, the vibes were primo indeed! we stayed in a cool, if a little basic/renovated in 2017 vibes a-frame (u can always tell). i got to use my new blow-up stand-up paddleboard, taking on the lake at sunrise. my sister & i also river-rafted down the truckee river, which was, pardon the all caps, SO FREAKING AMAZING! the sunnnnnnnnn. the deeeeeepppp blue water. the swimming holes that went down forever. ah! can you tell i've got water alignments in my chart or what, lol.
— this week back in LA has been all about settling into routines. catching up with my close people. preparing a super special house for market in a few weeks … a wildly sexy craftsman in the prized elysian heights neighborhood of LA. so fun.
— and i think the takeaway this month is … leaning into the sensory pleasures of summer is always a good idea. doing the things and taking up space and living boldly. and i'm going to leave it at that!
— wonder what you're feeling this week. maybe respond and tell me.
— talk to you soon, and sending love.
xx,
sam
