// the mood & vibes this week
— hi, friends :) writing this to you after a busy few weeks bopping around LA! and quite honestly a little sleepy after all of it. here's what's been shakin' -
— last i wrote to you, i was just off the heels of a fabulous weekend at the russian river in northern california. i was truly in and out in less than 72 hours! although it was a mystical recharge, i was bummed that i really didn't get to spend time in marin before or after. i've been mostly elsewhere this summer, and i don't plan to return until thanksgiving. there's a lot of things i miss about my hometown in this season. walking the redwood-laden streets of mill valley at 6:45pm, as the sun tips golden. driving out to the coast with tomato-and-mozzarella sandwiches; walks in bolinas and point reyes; wildflowers lining our drive home. as you can tell, i'm very keyed into the seasonal rhythms of places around me, and places that are special to me. i quite like to witness them.
— there's been so much sweetness down south, though. i recently threw my first Real Deal Dinner Party (as in, not cobbled together by the seat of my pants) at the silver laurel. invited a handful of my close design + architecture girlies. set up a tablescape on the lower patio (folding table from home depot + cute checkered tablecloth), matching plates, candles, food from a chic mediterranean spot in atwater, and the like. it was fabulous! as the daylight waned, we sat and talked and noshed for hours. most of these friends hadn't seen my triplex since the housewarming last fall, and so much has changed since then. mainly, the landscaping has EXPLODED with this summer humidity and heat! it honestly feels like i've gotten multiple growing seasons of foliage in one summer - basically every plant has at bare minimum tripled in size. so to be there, with my girls, under the shadow of lush flora+fauna, with the moonrise overhead, felt oh so mystical. a reminder to gather more often, and a reminder that i can actually put on a pretty dang fabulous event!
— on the more extroverted side of social activities, i've really been ~out on the town~ in the last two weeks - concerts and bars and the like. giggling with packs of friends in little black dresses and getting home at ridiculously late hours of the night. i find that as i'm getting more and more comfortable in my skin, these kind of youthful indiscretions are more attainable than they used to be. even just a year ago, i had much fewer clothes that felt like ME - i wasn't at a place in my transition where i could wear dresses, or my hair down. and now both of those things are a huge part of my fashion vocabulary - enabling me to feel more confident going out there and doing the things. since the beginning of my transition, i've noticed these subtle shifts - how things change internally/externally every 6 months to a year. how i move down the river towards who i am becoming. as i've shared with you before, i still have a lot of evolution to go, but it feels cool to look upstream - back at a past version of me - and be like wow. i have a lot of the things i wished for then. i think that's applicable for all of us, not just trans folks. i think the hope is that the you of 6 months, 1 year, 5 years past would be in awe of the life you have today.
— but yes. all of the shifts. all of the changes. especially now that we're squarely into september, and the heat is dissipating somewhat. i think in past years, when i was less settled, i had trouble with the slower seasons because i didn't really have a built-out resting place - my home environment wasn't really dialed yet. now that i have that - a house with cozy landing places and trinkets and plants - i'm excited to welcome in this new, slower season.
— i'm planning a few things to channel this fall energy…1) seeing the practical magic sequel (even if it looks to be netflix lighting, not the 90s film grain we love). 2) throwing a pumpkin carving party with my girls. 3) patronize the autumn section of trader joe's religiously. and 4) a listing that i'm prepping currently has a distinctly witchy undertone, which feels in keeping with the season (think dark shingles, joni mitchell canyon sorceress vibes). she's going live in the first few days of october, and i'm excited to dial up open house playlists with lots of fall-coded 70s music.
— in other real estate news, i just closed the most fabulous canyon cottage for my wonderful client in topanga! i'm so excited for her, and this one really felt like kismet. the kind of house that i'm really proud to represent and add to my portfolio, as it's just so mystical.
check out the story of the sale here.— in terms of what’s coming up … continually on the hunt with my buyers. prepping houses to launch. always searching for the best houses. below you’ll find a collection of listings i love on the market - there are truly some heavy-hitters on here (a lautner! a perfect MCM! a topanga lodge!).
— 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
