October 2019

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In addition to October 31st being a day of costumes, trick or treating, and parties, it’s also the day that architect Zaha Hadid was born. Zaha Hadid was an Iraqi architect and the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize, receiving the award in 2004. She also received the Stirling Prize, the UK’s most esteemed architectural award, in 2010 and 2011, and was the first woman to win the RIBA Gold Medal. 

Hadid was born in Baghdad in 1950 to her father, a wealthy, liberal industrialist, and her mother, an artist. The upper-class family took many trips to ancient Sumerian cities during Hadid’s childhood, which she has said sparked her interest in architecture. After attending boarding school in England and Switzerland,

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Surrounded by mountain ranges and located about 15 miles inland of the Pacific Ocean, Ojai is a small, picturesque city of about 8,000 residents. The sleepy Ventura County destination offers a welcome refuge from the never-ending traffic and swarms of people found in many Southern California cities. 

The region was first occupied by the Chumash Indians who named the city after the Ventureno Chumash word for “moon.” In 1837, a Santa Barbara entrepreneur named Fernando Tico received the Rancho Ojai Mexican land grant, which included 17,716 acres of the city. On his newly acquired land, Tico and his family operated a cattle ranch before selling the region in 1853. The land was bought and sold by several people thereafter

With the days getting shorter and the nights becoming cooler, there’s no denying that the season of hibernation is upon us. The season begs for cozy nights in with fluffy blankets, crackling fires, and binge sessions of your favorite movies and TV shows. It’s also the perfect time to catch up with friends during dinner parties and game nights. And the perfect complement to all of that hygge goodness? A warm and welcoming scent that will make you forget why you ever loved summer. 

Scents are one of the best and easiest ways to transition your home from warm to cooler weather, and they never fail to set the perfect mood for a comfy night in or a cozy dinner party. But not all scents are created equal—some are more appropriate for summer than winter,

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There’s nothing quite like the restorative power of nature, no matter how much new technology tries to convince us otherwise. Mother Nature is so powerful, in fact, that entire architectural styles were developed to harness and enhance it. From mid-century modern to contemporary and ranch homes, there are several architectural styles that were specifically created with nature in mind. 

Some of the first homes designed to maximize nature were mid-century modern houses. Early modernist architects like Richard Neutra and A. Quincy Jones saw the value of connecting the indoors with the outdoors, creating homes with expansive windows, wide-open floor plans, and organic materials that create harmony and connection with the surrounding

Dia de Los Muertos is an annual Mexican holiday that celebrates and honors people who have died. The holiday isn’t approached with sadness, but rather happiness and merriment as many believe that the dead awake during this time to celebrate with their living loved ones. 

The celebration is complete with dancing, parades, mariachis, and plenty of good food as droves of people come out to pay homage to those that they’ve lost. And while many people celebrate in the U.S., Mexico City is the epicenter of this holiday, so it’s the best place to experience all that it has to offer.

The holiday technically takes place on November 2nd, but formal celebrations usually begin on October 31st, when the dead are thought to be ushered in. But if you head to

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With Halloween just around the corner, a lot of us are engaging in all kinds of ways to add a little more fright to the season. And while annual haunted houses and hayrides are great for a manufactured scare, some of the braver among us are looking for the real deal.

If you’re one of these brave souls, then you might consider checking into a room in one of the following hotels. Largely believed to be among the most haunted in America, these hotels are sure to give you a memorable experience of the spookiest variety. So, go ahead and book a room… If you dare.

The Roosevelt Hotel - Los Angeles, CA

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If you prefer your ghosts to be of the famous variety, then book a room at The Roosevelt Hotel in

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Albert Frey was an American architect from Switzerland who created his own style of modernist architecture in Palm Springs, called “desert modernism.” Frey attended architecture school in Zurich in 1924, where he received technical building instruction while studying the De Stijl, Bauhaus, and modernism movements, all of which heavily influenced his design style. 

In 1928, Frey became one of two full-time employees in the Paris atelier, working under the supervision and guidance of architects Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. Frey left Paris the same year for the United States but retained a strong friendship with Le Corbusier throughout his life. 

Being that Frey was the first U.S.

Somehow, we’re already midway through October, which means the Halloween season is in full swing. There are costumes to consider, parties to attend, and candy to buy. But beyond all of that, one of the very best ways to celebrate the season of spooky is by going to a killer (see what we did there?) haunted house. 

Of course, not all haunted houses are created equal; some are realistic and truly terrifying, while others are more cheesy and funny than spooky. That’s why we honed in on the best options from San Francisco to Miami, so you can be sure you’ll get all of the scares you need to properly celebrate the season. 

Orange County

Knott’s Scary Farm

For the month of October, Knott’s Berry Farm is transforming into Knott’s Scary Farm, the

This year, Etsy launched its first-ever design awards, aptly named The Etsies, which honor the best of the best makers and designers on the site. Awards were issued in five categories: Earth-Friendly, Inventive Decor, Festive Celebrations, Signature Style, and Creative Collaborations. Etsy asked the public to nominate their favorite products in each category, then a panel of experts judged the entries on the shortlist to determine the winners of each category. They also chose a special Grand Prize Winner, who took home a $15,000 prize. 

We highlighted the winners so you can see for yourself how innovative, beautiful, and useful these designs are, and potentially add one (or all) to your Etsy shopping cart. 

Grand Prize Winner: Sien Zeng,

Featured: Logitech Circle 2

With technology increasing at an exponential rate, it can be tough to keep up with all of the latest gadgets designed to optimize your home. That’s why we’re introducing this new quarterly report. Every few months we’ll bring you updates on the latest tech products that make everyday living that much easier. And this quarter most definitely doesn’t disappoint.

From a laser-driven vacuum to a device that will smarten up your house for under $30, the following new gadgets are sure to make your home smarter and happier. 

5th Generation Ecobee Smart Thermostat, $249

Ecobee has been killing the smart thermostat game for quite some time, but the latest generation far exceeds those in generations’ past. In