Apartment Tour || Video

*I packed my bags for the summer and moved from North Carolina to California.  This means my blog packed its bags too.  owen's olivia will return to its normal schedule of sewing and home decorating sometime in late August.


I am embarrassed to say this video tour of our apartment is not edited.  If you are a parent, I am sure you can relate to children having what I call "the phone radar."  It's like they are quiet and peaceful, and then they are screaming or asking you questions the SECOND you are on the phone.  Well, it apparently applies to video recording too.


Apartment info:

Neighborhood: University City in San Diego, CA
Square footage:  600
Price per month: $1800 (and that's after a discount!)
Apartment came furnished
Rented

I find it interesting I am so readily willing to share with you our rented space, but back at home in North Carolina I am not.  Maybe it's a subconscious thing.  I know I did not decorate the space, so I am more willing to show its flaws.  Whereas back at home, if the space looks terrible, it's my own fault.  Can any of you relate to this kind of experience?

Have a great weekend!

Road tripping across the United States || winner of the Roly Poly Pinafore

*I packed my bags for the summer and moved from North Carolina to California.  This means my blog packed its bags too.  owen's olivia will return to its normal schedule of sewing and home decorating sometime in late August.

He's my little Elton John.

Well, we made it!  If you follow along on Facebook, which you totally should, you may know that we have settled into our new place.  Road tripping across the United States is serious business.  Get two adults and one child into a small car, and well, I'll let you guess the rest.
 

Can I tell you the lower part of the United States is beautiful?  We drove through NC, TN, AK, TX, NM, UT, AZ, NV, and CA.  If people tell you the US is overpopulated, they are lying.  It's just that a lot of people want to live in the same places, and there's a lot of open land in the Southwest.   It may be owned by farmers or whatnot, but technically speaking, there is plenty of land for everyone.  

 

My least favorite drive was from Copperas Cove, Texas to Cedar City, UT, which we broke up by staying in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  There's just nothing out there.  And most of it was flat with lots of dirt and rocks. 

 

We will travel the middle part of the US on our way back to NC.

The only sewing I did while I was in the car were these few hexagons.  I spent the rest of the time playing Candy Crush.  Shame.on.me.

Here are a few pictures from the road.

Arkansas 

Wind mill farms in Texas.

New Mexico

New Mexico

 

Shiprock, New Mexico

 

Four Corners.  Four state lines touch each other: New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.  It's so freaking hot at Four Corners, and I am wearing jeans and wool slippers.

Arizona

 

Nevada

Alien Fresh Jerky - Nevada. 

Bryce Canyons, Utah

Cafe Rio -  A MUST try if you are ever near one.  I had the sweet pork barbacoa salad sans lettuce (go ahead and laugh) and Matt had the enchilada burrito.  To die for.  You must try their mint lemonade too. Oh, and kids eat free! 

While we stayed in Cedar City, UT, Matt's good friend hooked me up with antlers!  Amazing, right?!  Not sure what I am going to do with them yet, so if I start pinning antlers like crazy, you will now know why. (You can find me on Pinterest here.)

 We were fortunate to find a furnished one bedroom apartment on Craigslist.  We didn't get scammed.  Hooray!  This apartment is the least kid-friendly, family-friendly apartment ever, but we are so happy to have a place in a nice district and didn't need to rent any furniture.  Do you want a tour of the apartment?  We are within walking distance to many shops and restaurants and we have access to a nice pool and workout gym, tons of trails, bike paths, and sidewalks, and the beach is 4 miles down the road.  Oh, did I mention the LDS San Diego Temple is right behind our building?

You do not have to be Mormon to appreciate the beauty in LDS temples.  They are simply downright gorgeous structures with the most well manicured lawns and landscaping you will ever see.

It's a bit of culture shock for me living in an apartment with a family, and most people live in apartments here.  I cannot send my son into the backyard anymore, and if we forget something at the apartment, that means carrying everything back up three flights to go get it.

Did you know San Diego is hilly?  Random yes, but I was thinking since we were on the coast that it would mostly be flat.  Pacific coast is very different from the Atlantic coast, and I am sure a fault line or two has something to do with that.  Oh, and the weather!  The weather is just spoiling me to death out here!  Low humidity, cool temperatures in the mornings and evenings, and warm sun during the day.  I am already dreading going back to North Carolina!

So in summary, I am really liking the place so far.  As I spend more time here, I can talk more about San Diego, but just let it be known that it's very easy for someone to become a total bum while living here.  It's just that great.  :)

If you want to stay updated, follow me on Facebook or through bloglovin' or RSS.  GFC is going away this summer.  I hope you'll tag along!

Random.org chose Katie from Simple Simon and Company as the winner of the Roly Poly Pinafore by imagine gnats.  An email has been sent.  Congrats!

Roly-Poly Pinafore by Imagine Gnats || Review || Giveaway

Hello!  Today is my stop on the Roly-Poly blog hop.  `

This little girl had enough before I was able to shoot the reversible side.  I was one of the lucky ones to receive this pattern from Imagine Gnats to review.   This is my fourth article of clothing I have ever made.  You can see one, two, and three here.  I am not sure why I do not make more clothes!!

The Roly Poly Pinafore is an easy pattern and perfect for a beginner who can sew a straight line and understand basic sewing terminology and instructions. I could easily see a mother and daughter team sewing this up together.  It's a pattern that can teach sewing skills to younger children.  I LOVE that this dress is reversible.  As someone who has little storage in her home, I love clothes that can double duty.

I also love that I can customize this pattern.  Pockets, no pockets, or add a decorative detail like I did with the placket.  (The placket is an original design I did and is not included in the pattern.)  Two looks, one dress.  My kind of a pattern!

Do note:  The pattern instructs you to sew a pleat in the front, which I changed a bit because I wanted to add a placket.  I made my pleat open a little wider and did not stitch it down the front.  I also used regular Steam a Seam, the only  fusible webbing I had on hand.  This did not allow me to press around the neck area resulting in a slight bib like look for the the front, but I really like how it turned out, even with a peek of my reversible fabric on the front!  It did not affect the integrity of the dress, but if you want to make a placket without a little bit of the reversible fabric showing, I think a light fusible webbing will do the trick. 

Want to see what the others made?  Here's the roundup.

5.13 Jill Made with Moxie / Stephanie The Crafty Kitty

5.14 Stephanie NeurosesGalore / Cherie you & mie

5.15 Ari Max California / Caila Caila Made

5.16 Veronica SewVery / Tara Girl like the sea

5.17 Nancy owen's olivia / Adrianna Crafterhours

5.20 Ajaire Call ajaire / Sarah EmmylouBeeDoo

5.21 Laura Craftstorming / Jessica a little gray

5.22 Frances Miss Matatabi / Nicke kiss kiss quilt

5.23 Amy formwork design / Kat Sew Chibi

5.24 Joanne Rose & Dahlia / Amanda Kitschy Coo

5.27 Celina Petit a Petit and family / Delia Delia Creates

5.28 Christy a.Amelia handmade / Carolyn Fake It While You Make It

5.29 Bonnie Fishsticks Designs / Maria La Inglesita

5.30 Jane Buzzmills / Kate Things for Charlie

5.31 Polly Jack & GeeGee / Molly Rose & Odin

This giveaway is closed.

Would you like to try this pattern out for yourself?  Rachael is graciously giving away her pattern to one lucky owen's olivia reader.

Leave me a comment below telling me something you have planned for the summer.  My little family and I packed our bags and drove from North Carolina to California to live there for the summer!   I'll pick a winner on Monday.

You can purchase a pattern here.

Dress -  Pattern by Imagine Gnats.  Original design made by me.  Quilt designed and made by me.

moving

It's so weird to say that I am moving.  It feels rather like a soon-to-be long vacation, which in a way will be for Owen and I.  Not so much for Matt who will be working as an intern for Qualcomm.  He's officially an electrical engineer!  Woo hoo!

We are packing our bags and heading out West for the summer.  This will change a few things here on the blog during our stay in San Diego, CA.   I see my time being mostly spent with Owen showing him the dolphins at Sea World, the monkeys at the San Diego zoo, or the meth labs in Tijuana.  I plan on sharing my adventures here on the blog.  We are only taking with us whatever will fit into our car.  This makes me sad seeing there won't be space for thrift store finds while I'm out there.  In the evenings, my time will be preoccupied with sewing since Matt and I will need to stay indoors due to having a little one with an early bedtime.  I'm ready for this adventure, but I am dreading packing up the house and our belongings!

If you follow along via GFC, consider choosing another way to follow my adventures over the summer.  GFC will no longer be providing its services in the summer.  Other ways to follow: RSS, enter your email in the box located in the upper left hand side of this blog, Bloglovin',  or Facebook.

Things will return back to normal once we return from our move  vacation.