Our San Francisco AirbNb Home Stay

Friday, August 22, 2014

At the beginning of August, my best friend and I drove up to San Francisco to attend Outside Lands.  It was our third year going to the festival, and this year we did an AirbNb studio apartment instead of our usual hotel, and it made the experience even better.

Our rental was in Inner Sunset, which was the first time I've ever stayed in that neighborhood.  I loved it!  With all of the cute bakeries, coffee shops, markets and its' close proximity to Golden Gate Park, it really reminded me of Paris, or New York City's Upper West Side.  We were so close to the beach that we could smell the ocean in the morning.  Unreal.  The neighborhood residents were so friendly, too.  Everyone was, like, all happy and excited to give us directions - something we pretty much never experience in L.A.

I highly recommend trying a homestay site for your next getaway if you haven't already been converted.  We had all convenience of a hotel, with all the comforts of home.  Plus, were able to get everywhere on foot, so no waiting for triple-surge-priced Ubers or smashing onto a crowded shuttle after the fest.  Our neighborhood also had a ton of festival-goers staying in it, too, so doing stuff like sightseeing, going out for breakfast pre-fest, or drinks post-fest still felt like a part of the festival.  A never ending music festival?!  Lifelong dream realized.
























xo V




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Book Club Discussion Prompts: Sharp Objects

Thursday, August 21, 2014

As previously promised, here are some book club discussion prompts inspired my IRL book club's last meeting, for which we read Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.  One of my favorite things about book clubs is finding out the different perspectives each reader had on the characters and story.  Some of the women in my book club were deeply disturbed by Sharp Objects, and some were utterly unfazed.  It's such a great insight in peoples' psyche.


I personally loved this book, and cannot recommend it enough.  I am, of course, a sucker for any type of dark, twisted tale.  Especially one that takes place in a small town full of emotionally disturbed individuals.  But in addition to that, Gillian Flynn is an extremely gifted storyteller.  I can't wait to read the rest of her books.  

Find book club discussion prompts for your own use after the jump!  WARNING - spoilers ahead!

Festival Recap: Outside Lands 2014

So, every year for our birthdays, me and my best friend go to Outside Lands.  It is our favorite music festival on the planet, and the perfect way to celebrate for us, being two people that are beyond obsessed with music, food, art, booze, redwoods, San Francisco, and good vibes.  Outside Lands always makes for a truly magical weekend.  I have so much fun every year that I begin my countdown for next year at approximately 9:35pm on Sunday, the second the festival ends.

This year I decided to document the experience on something other than my i-phone.  Here is my photo diary from Outside Lands 2014 (August 8-10):







































xo V

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