Water Saving Solutions

great information brought to you by

The California Association of Realtors

Carpinteria Greenhouse Tour - March 29th

Six local Commercial Nurseries 

will be open to the public

Free of Charge

Gallup and Stribbling Orchids

3450 Via Real, Carpinteria

Westerlay Orchids

3504 Via Real, Carpinteria

Myriad Flowers

3680 Via Real, Carpinteria

Westland Orchids and Produce

1400 Cravens Lane, Carpinteria

BandG Color Nursery

!775 Cravens Lane, Carpinteria

Maximum Nursery

4575 Foothill Road, Carpinteria

sustainable growing demonstration
provided by each nursery, and
Koppert Biological Systems will
be there to provide information about 
natural pest control



Plants and flower are available for purchase.
Visitors can start at any of the farms,
and visit one or all

Hungry?  
The Burger Bus and Georgia Smokehouse
will be parked at Gallup and Stribbling

or go to Linden Street (Main Street in Carpinteria)
and you will find a dozen or so wonderful restaurants
from upscale to The Spot (famous burger stand)

Linden Street is also home to several 
charming vintage and antique shops

for more information call 576-7417
to download a map of the tour, visit

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Artist Reception and Sale,March 27th

Hank Pitcher Artist Reception and Sale

Where: Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, California

When: Thursday, March 27, 2014 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm

What: Prints are reproductions of paintings primarily held in private collections

Cost: Free

March 27

The Light at Point Conception:

Prints by Hank Pitcher

Artist Reception

Sponsors:

• Mimi Michaelis
• Chris Lancashire
• Sexwax Incorporated
• Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery
   

Please RSVP: (805) 962-8404 x115

“The Light at Point Conception” is a selection of museum quality prints of original paintings by Hank Pitcher that focus on his 40 year long fascination with the land and sea near this legendary lighthouse.

Thirty-five miles west of Santa Barbara, this headland is a wild place, sacred to the Chumash, and notorious to mariners for its treacherous waters, extreme winds and unpredictable weather. The waters near this division between northern and southern California are known to surfers and divers as a place of frequent shark attacks. It is surrounded by miles of private, working cattle ranches and is normally only visible by plane or by boat.

This exhibit includes prints of the lighthouse over the past 30 years.

These prints are reproductions of paintings primarily held in private collections, many of which have never been exhibited. A limited number of select prints will be available for purchase in support of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. Hank Pitcher’s paintings are grounded in a particular sense of place.  In this exhibit, his surfboard images are the symbol of California beach culture…strong, definite, positive.  His Point Conception Lighthouse and landscape images are euphoric and powerfully symbolic of a remote place which few have experienced. A lesson in “simplicity, ” his works create an illusion of innocence which is the construct of a painting whose actual complexity can be read on many levels.

Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, is Hank Pitcher’s exclusive agent on the West Coast for original paintings and is a supporter of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.

A print show featuring original reproductions of Point Conception Lighthouse Paintings, Cojo/Bixby/Hollister Ranch Paintings, paintings from the “Bulls at Point Conception Series,” and surfboard paintings will run for approximately five months in the gallery of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.

Prints will be available for purchase at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum and online at www.hankpitcher.com. Revenues from sales made through the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum will be shared between Hank Pitcher Editions and the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.

for more information about the SB Maritime Museum, click here:

Operation Prom Dress - Come BORROW your Prom Dress!

Operation Prom Dress

Attention All High School Girls

If you are attending your High School Prom...

Come to the ALSB Prom Boutique

and

BORROW your Prom Dress!

over 400 beautiful dresses available

in all sizes, by

Marc Jacobs, Rumors, Jessica McClintock,

Jovani and more...

Prom Boutique Will Be Open For Shopping

Saturdays, April 12, 19, 26; May 3 and 10th

10-2pm

Wednesday, April 16, 23, 30; May 7th

3-5pm

Located at:  1259 Veronica Springs Road

(off Las Positas)

Available to all girls attending their High School

Senior Prom, regardless of economic need.  Bring

your school ID!

more information, contact

Bonnie:  bonniehome@verizon.net or 963-1082

Jeri: jeribex@silcom.com or 964-9293

Operated and sponsored by the 

Assistance League of Santa Barbara

Remodeling? Here are some facts about the return on your investment.

A COST VS VALUE OPINION

Written by Blanche Evans

March 16, 2014

Before you invest in remodeling, it's wise to think about upgrades that get you back the most back money when you resell.

Remodeling magazine's annual Cost vs. Value Report for 2014 offers research that shows the best and worst returns in remodeling based on price and location.

You get the most money back at resale with these updates:

Entry door replacement: 96.6 percent

Deck addition (wood): 87.4 percent

Attic bedroom: 84.3 percent 

Garage door replacement: 83.7 percent 

Minor kitchen remodel: 82.7 percent

The worst returns were with these updates:

Home office remodel: 48.9 percent

Sunroom addition: 51.7 percent

Bathroom addition: 60.1 percent

Backup power generation: 67.5 percent

Master suite addition: 67.5 percent

It's all interesting information, but does it really apply to you and your situation?

For example, installing a new front door gives you the most bang for the buck of any improvement, according to the magazine. You get back 96.6% of every dollar you spend, especially if you buy a steel door.

But do you really need a new front door? Unless your door is cracked or missing pieces of veneer, you may be better off painting it a fresh modern color. Repeat the color somewhere else - in a planter or on the porch swing and you've just raised your curb appeal.

Don't assume that you need to replace a feature when a repair will do. For example, when you open and close a door over and over, eventually you weaken the frame. Perhaps that's where you should put your money. Your carpenter can reframe the entry and make your lock fit better than it does now. Paint like you'd planned to, add shiny new hardware, and your entry will look fresh and new.

Consider how long you plan to stay in the home. Instead of worrying what buyers will think, or how much money you'll get back for improvements, choose projects that provide the most comfort and convenience for your household.

You can borrow square footage from a room that doesn't fit your lifestyle. A formal living room can contribute some space so you can enlarge the kitchen. Filling out an attic to make a bedroom or a playroom, allows you to add more living space without a lot of expense.

Adding a sunroom, a second story, or a new master suite may be worth the extra cost as long as you really, really want the space and you're not overbuilding for the neighborhood. Just keep in mind that you'll need a building permit, and that the work could go on for months.

Don't attempt major remodeling without an architect or an experienced contractor. You'll be tearing down a wall, pouring a foundation, and adding more to the roof, and more, so take advantage of expert help. Make sure that any project that you do compliments the architecture of the home. A modern minimalist kitchen can work well in a 50s ranch home, but will do little to enhance a traditional Victorian.

Generally, smaller projects return more than big projects, so start there. Fix what you can as far as repairs go. As you spend time living in your home, you'll get a better idea of which improvements make the most sense for your budget.

Who knows? You may make your home so perfect that you don't need to worry about cost VS value for years to come.

Source: Realty Times

Photos from the Santa Orchid Show ....a magical trip!

The Santa Barbara International Orchid Show

never fails to amaze me!

Here are some photos...

 This was a fabulous huge display

a large waterfall with a walk-way underneath

  

a riot of colors everywhere, 

and stunning displays

and exotic orchids

These are the hybridized Epidendroms

(also called "poor man's orchid") 

which I have quite a collection of

Here is a "Wall of Tillandsias"

also known as "air plants"

These plants don't need soil and take their water

from the air, or a spritzer now and then  

Here is a display of numerous types

of orchids

more lovelies

 don't know the name of this delicate plant

but love the long air roots

This was part of an Atrium type display with

hundreds of miniature orchids, each 

numbers with country of origin.

Another fabulous Tillandsia Display

Another wall display

of Bromeliads

(of the pine-apple family)

 Phalaenopsis

also known as "Butterfly" Orchids

One of my favorites!

Be sure to put this annual event on your calendar!

It is an amazing experience!

Did I purchase any plants?

Of course....Tillansias and moss

My Phalaenopsis (about 6 plants are blooming)

as are my cymbidiums (about 15 plants)

Santa Barbara International Orchid Show - March 14, 15, 16

Complements and Contrasts

2014 International Orchid Show

Santa Barbara

March 14, 15 and 16th

Earl Warren Show Grounds

3400 Calle Real (at Las Positas)

"The non-profit Santa Barbara International Orchid Show 

boasts a 35,000 square foot display area

brimming with gorgeous orchids from all over the world.  

Each year, the singular show draws upward of 

10,000 visitors from across the globe, making it

one of Santa Barbara's largest events".

(quoted from article by R. Reka Badger

SB Newspress writer).

80 invitation only vendors and exhibitors will showcase their

wares.  The exhibits are stunning and worth the trip.

The show will host orchid culture lectures, along

with the sale area stocked with thousands of blooming

orchids along with their Vendors who are happy to share

advice and history on their favorite exotic.

Lance Birk, the "Orchid Doctor", will be on hand in the

Exhibit hall to answer orchid questions and sign copies of

his book.

Would you like to visit one or all of seven orchid nurseries?

for details, click here

Admission $12/general; $10/Seniors and students with ID. 

Children 12 and under free, with adult.

3-day passes are also available.

For more information 805-403-1533

for details click here:

Important Neighborhood Features

Women's Festival

March 7-9, 2014 at Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara
The Women's Festivals is a sponsored project of NAWBO-California Education Fund. - See more at: http://womensfestivals.org/#sthash.rIm90vuc.dpuf

What is the Women’s Festivals?

The Women's Festivals celebrates the accomplishments and nurtures the dreams of women in an interactive, multi-cultural, and multi-tracked program and expo focusing on the critical areas of women's lives: Personal, Professional, Philanthropic, and Planet. Our goal is to help facilitate premier gatherings for women’s self-empowerment worldwide. Our efforts have resulted in Women’s Festivals in Arizona, Cayman Islands, Ireland, and upcoming events in Sudan! - See more at: http://womensfestivals.org/#sthash.rIm90vuc.dpuf

for more information, click here

CALM'S 28th Celebrity Authors' Luncheon

March 8th, 2014

Fess Parker's Double Tree Resort & Hotel

633 Cabrillo Blvd. Santa Barbara

10 am

Meet The Authors

Books available for purchase and signing

Tim Conway - What's So Funny?  My Hilarious Life

Lian Dolan - Elizabeth the First Wife

Meg Gardiner - The Shadow Tracer

Margrit Biever Mondavi - Reactions on Wine, Food, Art

11:45 am

Lunch to be Served

No Host Bar

12:45 pm

Author Interview Program

2pm

Additional Book Purchasing & Signing

$150/each

some tickets may be available at the door