vacation home in Encino, California

Our vacation rental in Encino, California

Folks, if I can give you one piece of vacation advice, it would be this:

Never stay anywhere that’s significantly nicer than your own home.

Because trust me: it’ll be SO hard to leave…

hilltop pool in Encino, California

We stayed in the Encino area of L.A., which is in the San Fernando Valley – or just “The Valley”. Tom Petty’s house was just one street along, and the Jackson compound was nearby. We’re told Clark Gable once owned our house, and used to bring his “floozies” to it: I have no way of knowing whether that’s true or not, but I liked to imagine Clark standing out there admiring the view in a silk dressing gown, holding a glass of whisky. (Because Clark Gable would’ve totally drunk whisky for breakfast. And so would I, now that I’m home, actually, if I thought I could possibly get away with it.) As soon as we pulled into the driveway, and got a glimpse of the view, I knew I was in serious trouble. Surely my family couldn’t be expecting me to stay here for two and a half weeks, and then simply pack up and go HOME?

But they were expecting me to do that.

I wonder why they hate me so much?

Here’s the outside of the house, plus some random photos of me posing in my latest Bettie Page dress:

Vacation home with pool in Encino, CaliforniaBettie Page Polka dot dress

house on the hill in LA

vacation home in Encino, CaliforniaAnd here’s the inside:

Californian living room

bedroom with wooden floor and vaulted ceiling

This is the fridge:

oversized American fridge

I know what you’re thinking. Why so tiny? Don’t worry, here is the spare, right next to it:

What, you don’t have two giant fridges? How do you survive?

Here’s the walk-in closet in the master bedroom:

walk-in closet

It was larger than my ENTIRE HOUSE.
By far the best thing about this house, though, was the view:

view of the San Fernando valley from the Encino hills

Oh, how I miss it.

This little rocking chair was where Terry and I used to sit every morning with our coffee:

Every morning we’d sit there. And then, on our second last morning? We were sitting there drinking our coffee, when one of the springs on the chair broke with a BOOOIIIINGG and Terry nearly fell on his ass. And now nobody can sit on that chair no more. Which is just fine by me, because, you know, MY CHAIR.

(That photo of it is now my desktop wallpaper. I actually asked Terry last week if it would be possible to have it blown up to the size of the wall in front of our desks, so I could look at it every day and pretend I was still there. And I wasn’t even joking.)

I really, really miss it.

Still: I guess I have a great excuse to go back?

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COMMENTS
  • That sure is one gorgeous house.

    But serious question:
    Why is that amazing walk in wardrobe being used to house TOILET PAPER?!?!?!?!!?! It needs SHOES Amber. SHOES!

    July 7, 2011
      • And incredible shoe shelves they are. I swooned a little and insisted on showing the boyfriend. He looked scared when I said Terry had built it for you then gave him a meaningful look.

        July 7, 2011
  • Oh Amber, it’s STUNNING!

    I’d have ‘lost’ my passport (accidentally on purpose).

    http://www.blahblahbecky.co.uk

    July 7, 2011
  • Wow, soooo beautiful! How did you find it?

    July 7, 2011
  • That is definitely one amazing house.

    Also, your dress is adorable, as always.

    July 7, 2011
  • I went to highschool for a while in Encino, it’s SOOO pretty there 😀

    July 7, 2011
  • OMG, I am so jelous now… But I’m also happy that you get to spend your vacation in such a wonderful place! 🙂 I’m still a student so my nights abroad are generally spent in cheapest hostels possible! 🙂

    July 7, 2011
  • I’m in Berlin now and my hotel room is looking sooooo depressing since I saw where you have been spending your holidays hehehee
    The blue in that pool is soooooo beautiful, I just want to jump right into it, the light outside…. I’m so picturing myself there now, far away from this tiiiny single room 😛

    July 7, 2011
  • Izabella

    REPLY

    Wow, I bet you really had an awesome vacation! 🙂
    I was wondering if you could (or Rubin hehe) could post some stuff about him 🙂 I love those posts with the wolf, he’s so darn cute! 😉

    July 7, 2011
  • ~ * ♥ * ~

    AH~mazing place Amber, no wonder you didn’t want to leave!! That walk~in is drool worthy for sure. On the plus side though, at lest you got to take that gorgeous dress home with you{being yours and all!}. It’s so pretty!

    xox,
    bonita of Depict This!
    ~ * ♥ * ~

    July 8, 2011
  • This house looks amazing! I would be sad to go back home too!

    July 8, 2011
  • Actually, I DO have two fridges! And three freezers (both our fridges have freezers attached and we keep another one in the basement with our spare fridge).

    July 8, 2011
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