I get asked on a daily basis, “how is Montecito doing?” The short answer is, they are working hard and moving forward but there is still so much to do. The cost of digging out the mud for one home can be upwards of $200,000! Unfortunately, insurance does not often cover it. Then, there is the difficult job of finding contractors who will remove the mud. Enter the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade. It was conceived over the kitchen table by Abe…
Too much rain, too fast, and too soon. I can not believe I am sharing another disaster in our community on the heels of the Thomas Fire. On Tuesday January 9th, at around 3:45am, unprecedented heavy rain fell at almost an inch per hour and caused the recently burned mountainside to give way. It sent a torrent of mud, boulders, and debris careening through many parts of Montecito, a suburb of Santa Barbara. Experts estimate the damage lies over a…
On Saturday, November 12, my daughter Kelsey and I will be hiking the 6.5 mile Romero Canyon trail to raise money for AHA!, a Santa Barbara organization dedicated to the development of character, imagination, emotional intelligence and social conscience in teenagers. It is an innovative curriculum taught in schools at the junior high and high school level through after school and summer programs. AHA! is teaching teens to listen deeply, speak authentically, cope with peer pressure, manage adversity, and peacefully…
When my friend and makeup magician, Fredericke Grillitz (IQ Beauty…see blog), suggested I meet her at San Ysidro Ranch to pick up my cosmetics, I didn’t have to be asked twice. She visits the Ranch for tea and a bite whenever she’s in town meeting her Santa Barbara clients. I haven’t been to the Ranch in years so I jumped at the chance, as Fredericke promised to take me on a stroll through the gardens.…
After a winter of record breaking rain, we’ve had one of the prettiest springs I can remember since moving to Santa Barbara. Yes, we do have seasons here in Southern California, although they are very different from New England where I grew up. No late winter snow here! California spring begins in late February and early March with flowering fruit trees.…
In the tiny beachside town of Summerland, in a quaint 1920’s Victorian cottage, sits a home and garden boutique called botanik. This is another go-to destination for me and for all who know about this incredible place. What my favorite local shops have in common, are the wonderful, helpful, cheerful people who own and work at them. Botanik is no exception.…
