Fall & Waiting

September has been great for me. I'm having fun at work (shocking, I know), I got to show my paintings in an art show (thanks everyone who came! I love you!) I sold two paintings, and started volunteering at a juvenile detention facility and helped throw a party for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon. To top it all off, it's finally, finally Fall and I am stoked.

In Southern California Fall means cloudy and drizzle, and shorter days, and call me crazy, but I have been pining for it. For a girl who's never lived away from the beach in the past 10 years, this is a kind of weird change of attitude. Normally I moan over sweater weather, and not being able to be fully dressed in bathing suits and cover ups, but these days, I absolutely welcome the wind, fog and soft greys that come with California autumn. Not to mention I love the holidays, and crispness, and scarves, and cuddling, and pies, and those are all synonymous with autumn.


I'm also weirdly...waiting for something. and I don't know what it is. It could be the change of season that's making me expectant for something. In the past, Fall meant school starting, and new friends, and possibilities, but now, those new possibilities aren't so easy to spot. What's also interesting is that I usually start to feel this kind of anticipation when I'm restless or unhappy, but that's not case right now. I was feeling a little blue and unmotivated in July and August, and then, faster than you can say, "art show and  community involvement" I snapped out of it.

I'm happy and everything is great. I just feel like something is missing and I can't put my finger on it. It's like when you leave your house, and you know you forgot something, but you have your phone and your car keys in your hand.

I don't know where I'm going with this post, and it's getting a little too diary-ish for my tastes, so here are some pictures of what I've been up to while I'm waiting for I don't know what. This is my summer photo wrap-up.

'Cause it's Fall y'all!

Annalise and me at the Bocce League Finals. Being hipster-y. 

My little garden of mint and african violets.

Remembering.

Bon Iver at Shrine Auditorium. If you haven't been listening to them, you should start.

Semler rose.

#Win(ne)ing!

 

 

Exploring abandoned cabins.

 

Abbot Kinney Festival.

Home, sweet home.

Hometown Safari

I'm beginning to forget what the inside of my apartment looks like. In the past 10 work days, I've been on set for 6 of them, and slept in my own bed for 3. It's been a grueling and tiring couple of weeks, but rather successful in terms of booking television shows at work. Nevertheless, I've had to fight the urge to fall asleep standing up, and I've been essentially living out of a suitcase.

So naturally, on my first free weekend in a while, I decided to go out of town. In any other context, this would make no sense whatsoever and I'd have a serious date with my bed, and a dozen DVD's, but I went to visit my family on Sunday and Monday, and traded one beach city for another with a trip to Santa Barbara.

I found out not too long ago that my parents are probably moving to Camarillo, and I got especially sentimental about Santa Barbara while I was home. Growing up as a military brat, I never had a hometown or a childhood home to go back to, so when we moved to SB almost 10 years ago, I finally let myself put down roots. I made friends (many of whom have since moved), I found my local hangouts, and secret spots. I got attached. This trip home was bittersweet, but I tried to make the most of it, and decided to do a little photo-safari of my hometown. It's amazing the things you get so used to seeing when you live in a place for a while. Even so, it truly is one of the most beautiful, and unique places in the world. The pictures speak for themselves.

On that note, if anyone wants to do a trip to Santa Barbara in the next month or two, call me! There's nothing I like more than showing people my adopted hometown. It's a lot like Venice's milder, more mature, conservative sister. But Santa Barbara knows how to party. I mean, I'm a beach city girl, so I should know.

1. The Santa Barbara Wharf

2.Tunics at the Indian Market

3. The grand old Granada Theater

 

 

4. Flamenco dancers for SB Old Spanish Days

5. Antique shop treasures

6. Happiness is a double-letter score

7. Downtown culture in La Arcada

8. Lower State murals

9. Shops on State

10. Get some sun.

11. Happy Home.