// the mood & vibes this week
— hi, friends :) writing this to you from my kitchen table at the silver laurel. it's late afternoon-sun streaming through the wall of windows in my living room. while there is a huuuge list of things i want to do to my apartment design-wise, the light in here is already pretty fabulous. being on the top floor does have its perks!
— it's been a crazy two weeks since i last wrote to you. i've been very locked in on my new listing, the portage residence, in topanga canyon
(we're open this sunday from 2-4!). we've had 150+ people come through so far - incredible turnout! it's been such a joy watching folks experience this mystical dwelling in person. the way the light changes throughout the afternoon and evening - how it's so quiet you can hear a pin drop - with views of rock formations dating back millennia.
— topanga is really such a liminal space. the way the canyon folds in on itself, surrounded by awe-inspiring, gargantuan peaks. when you're there, you truly feel like you're somewhere so fantastically remote it couldn't possibly be a mere 20 minutes from the hum of LA proper. it feels deeply in tune with southern california's groovy ethos.
— on the note of groovy…there's a music festival in the canyon every year on memorial day weekend called topanga days. it's held at the local community center up near the tippy top of a hill, with all sorts of shops and bands and the like. truly feels like something out of the 70s, in the best way. there's also a parade all throughout the canyon on the morning of. i remember when i lived in topanga, in 2024, the parade route passed by my street and i got to watch it go by. was very cute. i also went to the festival itself for the first time in 2024 and my second in 2025. both were magical! i sadly won't be able to go this year as i will be out of town for a weekend in monterey, a blissful village on norcal's coast, which is still very exciting :)
— i am planning on taking the long way up there. for those uninitiated with california's highways, when going north from LA, you basically have two options - take the 5, or highway 1. the 5 is often quicker, but takes you past cow central and very uninspired scenery. highway 1, however, is longer but stuuhhhnning; routing you along the coastline, and eventually across big sur's famous bixby bridge (featured in one of my all-time fave shows, big little lies). i think i will take this route when i go to monterey, and that might be a first for me, as my capricorn disposition is often biased towards the quickest way at all costs. but i mean, it feels like the time for this detour as the california coast is one of the places i feel most alive in. that's happening next weekend, so i shall report back to you in our next newsletter on how it went :)
— in terms of other things going on…*searches camera roll to see what i did these last two weeks*…i finally got my updated driver's license in the mail! i've had the paper slip from the dmv for a while but to see it in print is pretty wild. to finally have my updated photo / name / gender marker. to have a document that says “F” on it. my first! and like, this is cool and all, but definitely layered.
— in this current state of the world, the government's validation of my identity is…an uncertain promise. i don't want to put too much stock in it. because laws can change - like they recently did in kansas, where driver's licenses with altered gender markers were suddenly and completely declared invalid - but i know who i am. and while these pieces of paper are really fabulous to have and make my life easier, i am the woman i am with or without them. and that's that on that!
— in terms of how this will make my life easier…now that i have an official DL with my correct info, i can go about updating this with all the institutions in my life! change things from samuel to sam - on my bank accounts, my car, even the deed to my house. and also, when i go to bars, i no longer will get quizzical looks from bartenders like i used to - when me, earth goddess that i am, presented an ID bearing a photo of high school sam. who looks like the nerdiest nerd that just stepped out of the darkest room (LOL). like i can't even imagine passing my ID to someone and not stressing about it!?! so yeah - very, very cool development.
— other things going on …
----- four of my good friends in LA are heading off to grad school in the coming weeks and months; the first few this week and next. it's definitely a sea change in my life and so very happysad. because they're off to such fabulous adventures and i am SO proud of my girls. but also going to devastatingly miss their fabulous presence in my life on the daily.
----- also got some very fabulous new real estate/crunchy editorial juju pics of myself shot (aka my new profile pic and others!) which give me all the gender euphoria on the freaking planet.
----- went to a salmon creek farm x terremoto seed launch event for the launch of SCF's new seed mix; they make one yearly. i still have the one from 2024, when i stayed that summer and wrote the article for field mag, and keep both on my fridge (pic in the collage below!).
----- my sis and her GF came to visit, they're so adorable
----- settling into my apt in the triplex + new roommate is moving in soon!
— and that's pretty much where things have been at!
— in terms of what's coming up … continually on the hunt with my slew of buyers. prepping houses to launch. always searching for the best houses in CA. below you'll find a collection of listings i love on the market.
— if you're considering buying or selling in LA or NorCal in 2026,
message me here.— if you're looking to buy a wood house elsewhere in CA + the US, there's a good chance i can refer you to an agent in your city. referrals are a great way to support me. whenever i send a client to one of my cool out-of-area agent friends, i actually receive a portion of that commission! and like most things in life, a recommendation from a friend is the way to go. if that's you, respond to this email and i'd be happy to connect you.
— talk to you soon, and sending love.
xx,
sam
