Hey there, friends. Let's just gloss over my 5 week (six?) leave of absence and jump into some good pics, shall we? I'll catch y'all up on the California trip and its ups and downs, but I wanted to start with an up. A little eye candy to ease into the school year and get everyone excited about class. This apartment.

Every year, Bret and I make a pilgrimage back to California, sometimes with a new baby in tow, and every year, we discuss moving back for good. Or for Good. Either way, it's always a topic, and our friends and family offer up all the arguments for and, sometimes unwittingly, against, making the big transition back west. This year, one huge, huge argument in favor was Oakland's rennaissance (finally!), and this charming little two-and-a-half bedroom apartment we stayed in while there.

So, ignoring, if you can, the shot of me taking this shot, how cool is this place? As soon as we got here, we were like, "Yeah, let's move." And though all we ever hear about is the Bay Area's INSANE housing market, the good news is, Brooklyn's is INSANE-R - making everything seem like a bargain in comparison. This little gem, with its separate dining room, parking, and laundry out the back door, costs about half that of a Park Slope comparator. And do you see those archways?

I mean, look at the curvature above the staircase! I love me some curves. Real wood floors, what?!? Stop it.

I mean, that crooked clock is driving me nuts, of course, but I couldn't get it to straighten out. Everything else had me at hello. This little dining room leads to the kitchen, thusly:

And the kitchen itself is just the sweetest little aqua jewel box.

I mean, can you dig it? There's no dishwasher, and almost no counter space, but the vintage charm makes up for all that.

Meanwhile, upstairs...

The master bedroom is just enormous, with so much space for a reading nook and two giant windows.

I love the relaxed, boho vibe of the whole place, especially the plants. And of course, I'm swooning over all the mid-century furniture, which reminds me of just. how. good. Oakland's thrift scene is. The whole Bay Area, in fact, just has the best culture of reusing and garage sale-ing and general awesomeness that doesn't quite translate in NYC (glorious trashpicking aside).

There's a second little bedroom up here, with a fantastic bonus sun room, which is being used as an office.

This place is situated on a hill, so the sun room really as the effect of being up in the treetops. Just lovely. I think if we lived here (which we talked about, ad nauseum), we would take over this little room, making the sun room our office/seating area, and let the kids have the big room.

Last, and well, kinda least, is the bathroom.

You guys know I love my toilet shots. This little bathroom wasn't even that little (it's like twice the size of ours), and it had great storage. But most of all, as with the entire place, it was just drenched with light. Oh I am so jealous. We have a great place. But I want that place. It was so very Bret-and-I that we couldn't get over it. I would like it, transported to Brooklyn. With all my west coast friends and fam. Please?

So that's a gentle easing into what's looking like a crazy fall! I almost went to see an apartment last night, but you guys, can someone talk some sense into me? It isn't worth it to upend our lives for a dishwasher and some outdoor space...right? Thanks for checking in, especially after such a long absence. I'd make a promise about being back tomorrow but that didn't work out for me last time...so I HOPE to be back tomorrow. Cheers!