Long Beach // Sweater Weather

by Ally

The things we love about Long Beach, or the places we’ll miss if we leave.

Ben and I moved to Long Beach in September 2011. We drove through downtown and along Ocean Blvd one day, on our way home from LA. After driving around looking for rentals and craigslisting for weeks, I found our little apartment in Belmont Shore. I hate driving places, so I love being so close to restaurants and beaches. I love the smell of the ocean and always having to wear a sweater. I'll miss you if we move, Ms. Long Beach.

Here’s a list of our favorite places, which is VERY limited by our baby-ness, and because we spend a lot of time in OC, where the families live.

Naples and the Peninsula  - we are obsessed with our dog, so this is where we go walking/jogging. There are bazillion dollar houses to look at and lots of birds to bark at.

Hiking Palos Verdes - Portugese Bend. Florence gets to come.

2nd street - It has a lot of genuine small businesses, really perfect little shops. I think it’s where I’ve bought most of our Christmas and birthday gifts for 2 years. I get sad when we have to get in the car to run errands. Most of what I need I can find at Ace or Rite Aid. It needs a grocery store though!!

Dogz - someday we’ll start a blog about dog-friendly places. This place has giant beers, and allows dogs on the patio. Their deep fried tacos are amazing.

Pandor bakery and Aroma di Roma - coffee and cronuts, and coffee and soccer games.

Starling Diner - real butter scones, and really amazing french toast. We like family walks on Saturday mornings.

Pike - a fun, loud place to meet friends. We like having a beer in the middle of the day, and this place has really good french fries to go along with it.

Joe Jost’s - big, cold beers, pickled eggs, old salty guys.

4th street - Portfolio for coffee, really awesome vintage shops, Lola’s Mexican, Number Nine Vietnamese, Port

Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles - because it’s the best ever.

Arting my mood, February

by Ally

I think the impending rain showers have fixed my mood in a deeper place - I'm feeling attracted to heavy colors, pools of emotion, and over-inked everything. Linocuts are just SO good. Here's a few pieces that I'm in love with. Links at the bottom. 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

All images via Pinterest. 

new york, in time.

by Ally

We're planning a New York trip in April (thanks to our amazing friends who let us use their apartment as a pied a terre)...and now it's constantly on the brain. Ben keeps watching any documentary with the word New York in it. I want a black and white cookie REAL bad. 

We took the baby to New York in September, on our first faraway trip as a family. It was magical, and I'll remember it as I look back at the photos always. Warm and sunny. Luna couldn't sit up in a high chair, so we did a lot of baby carrying. 

I lived in New York for a while - my nostalgia for the place runs thick in my blood. Now it's part of our little family. I can't wait to go back. 

-Ally

ace hotel dtla

by Courtney

If there is anything in my life I have learned thus far, it is to keep loved ones close and to collect as many memories your heart can handle. And the heart can handle a lot of memories.  In this decade of chaos, technology, and instant gratification, I find it hard to make time for those I love. However, when I make it happen, my reward is tenfold. I create more love: The greatest gift we have been given is to live and love.

My husband and I have been in each others lives for over 10 years now. Over the past decade, we have made it of vital importance to travel; it is the only time we can shut off our minds and connect on levels otherwise impossible. Human beings need exploration, and so with my blog posts, I encourage you to explore. Whether it is a hike in your own backyard or a ride on a jet plane to a foreign land. Just get out there! No adventure is too small; keep no rock unturned. Traveling has kept my husband and I close - best friends. It has forced us to walk away from work, even if just for a moment. To share a cup of our favorite coffee and talk about the days and adventures to come.

Something as simple as camping, where you can remove your daily life mask and just BE. We have gathered so many memories over the years, it brings tears to my eyes just to type about it. To think we can share these memories with our future children, and our children's children. To teach them to get a little dirty, to close their eyes and feel the wind on their face, to try things they never thought they would. Teach them to live.

On our latest adventure, we wandered over to the newest Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles with a few of our closest friends. Dear Ace, you have yet to fail me. Filled with hipsters and gypsies from around the world, eclectic music, and fantastic cuisine- the Ace transports me. In our years of adventures, we’ve been to 5 of the Ace hotels, and they’ve become like home. The Ace has become something we’ve started to incorporate into our identity as a couple.

At the Ace, staff treats you like family and travelers share their life's adventures over a cups of Stumptown. The design echos the surrounding city - vibrant eclectic chaos. Art deco,old Hollywood, offset by accents of fiber wall hangings and rich ceramic tiles. The moment you walk through those grand doors you are greeted by a coffee bar. We LOVE coffee. You’ll hear more about that as I continue to blog here. Seated next door is LA Chapter. "A carefully cultivated basserie"- Ace Hotel. Fill yourself with fresh and locally sourced cuisine with an exotic spin. Try the potato pancakes at brunch, I'm dreaming about them.

We wandered up to the rooftop bar playfully named "Upstairs". We gazed upon the entire city of Los Angeles, googling landmarks and falling in love with the familiar from a new view. We sipped hand-made cocktails (they also have tap cocktails!) while lounging on the chicest of ethnic-inspired mid century furniture. The wind was crisp and the music was fittingly ambient. We conversed with fellow travelers. The Ace caters to all walks of life. Nomads who welcome change and new experiences, people who seek adventure-They cater to folks.

-Courtney Laser

The year of Me.

2014

This is my ‘me’ year.

This is the year I make decisions for ME.

That includes my family, and my close friends.

But it also means I’m allowed to say no to things.

I’m really bad at saying no to people.

NO! There, I practiced.

But if i’m going to accomplish all I want, I need to

Take a meeeeee year.

And say yes to happiness.

And much healthier relationships.

And success, and progress. and art for the soul.

-Ally
 

before things get too hectic

I just wanted to say hullo, and I promise if you keep checking back, we'll have some awesome content. I really can't wait, I can feel the excitement pulsing in my fingers. 

the constant rough draft.

I have always worked in fits and starts, and prefer to work on a million things at once rather than one singular masterpiece. So for the sake of progress and to dash all hopes of tidiness, I'll start blogging whatever crosses my brain, and perhaps fix it all later. Here it is! The new venture and the new blog. I've been wanting to make my own clothing line since before I could write my name. I wish I had the drawings I used to sell as a child - bespoke illustrations of gowns with bows and shit on them. 

I finally decided that the time is now to live out my childhood fantasies, and maybe see what I can make of them. Scout Folks is a blog for the most part, to keep us focused on documenting adventures. Perhaps most of all to make sure we're still taking adventures, and searching for new inspiration. We're making clothing because I love making art, and I want my kids to be more aware and accepting of art. Handmade by humans, or until we get that robot I ordered via skymall. 

-Ally

Mr Squirrell in Joshua Tree this past weekend.