We're in! We squeezed our 2300 sq ft home's worth of possessions into Casa Del Sol's cockroach infested* 1500 sq ft. The former owner left us the clogs and the Casa Del Sol sign, you will be pleased to hear. He also bequeathed several electrical outlets that don't work, a side yard full of broken plant pots and random street furniture, and the ugliest blinds I've ever seen. It feels a bit makeshift - the old IKEA Expedit and some plastic drawers have been pressed back into service and half our possessions are in boxes in the garage - but it works. And life on Loma is good! Here's why. Being 1/4 mile closer to the beach makes a dramatic difference to how beachy life feels. Moving to a quieter street helps too. I love seeing all the beach-goers walking by our house: the Junior Guards walking by in their swimsuits and hoodies, barefoot surfers, kids in red wagons. It's friendlier here too. All the dog walkers pass by on their way to Clark Field and natural...

We got floor plans! And they were almost perfect! But not quite. Fortunately, one of the reasons we chose Lane is that while he's a talented designer,  he seems pretty low-ego. These are not expressions of his architectural splendor. These are homes for people. He's very pragmatic, and invited lots of feedback. Basically his vibe was 'tell me what you want and I'll make it work'. Here's the ground floor: I want a bigger courtyard and we don't need such a big family room, so that was an immediately obvious fix. My office can be much smaller. The elevator is only for the mother-in-law unit, so that can move. And most of all we like friendly front entrances. Not some tucked away secret front door, or a cavernous driveway tucked under a big overhanging bulky house. We want an old fashioned door onto the street - especially on what we think and hope is a friendly street. So we suggested these changes: The second floor was pretty spot on except we do...

We've closed on the purchase and we've selected an architect (Lane Design Build) so now the fun can start. It's time to start imagining what our new house might look like. It's time to stop Pinteresting and day dreaming and start discussing actual floor plans. Here's our wish list: FIRST FLOOR Two car garage with storage Living room/dining room/kitchen open to courtyard Wine room Family room Large courtyard Side yard to include outdoor shower & ofuro Powder room/ 1/2 bath SECOND FLOOR Master suite with master bathroom Two bedrooms with shared bathroom Laundry room THIRD FLOOR Ash's bar (lounge) open to roof top deck Katie's office (small bedroom) Powder room/ 1/2 bath 2nd/ 3rd FLOOR Casita: bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, small dining area, living room (600sf) It looks like a l...