Gifts from the Heart

Few things can make you feel quite as cozy as the warm glow and pleasant aroma of scented candles.  While soft candlelight and a welcoming fragrance can enhance your home, you should be aware that burning candles could also be damaging it.
Insurance claims for soot damage have increased in the past several years, in direct relation to an increase in candle sales.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words.  If that is the case, then the picture frame should be worth $1,000, right?  Wrong!  Actually, value and worth are very subjective.  Art is in the eye of the beholder and one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  But one thing is constant, we all want the most bang for the buck.  Whether it is clothing, jewelry, lumber or picture framing, we all want the highest quality, the largest selection and the best workmanship at the lowest price.  

Spring is almost here, and what a great way to celebrate the season than by attending an Artist’s Reception & Art Exhibit featuring different Impressionist flower paintings from a local artist!  Mark your calendar, Saturday, March 10, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

When searching for a Frame shop there are a lot of things to consider.  At FASTFRAME we pride ourselves on some of those services that make us stand above the rest.  We are nationally known but locally owned.  Having been members of the community for over 18 years, our customers are our friends and neighbors.  We personally service each and every one of you.  We believe in providing the best customer service possible.  All of the work is done right here on the premises and we are able to provide same day service when needed.

February is the month of love, the month where Cupid weighs his heavy bow upon those waiting underneath.  If you happen to get struck by the hefty heart-shaped arrow, your month might be filled with romantic and heartfelt nights. Filled with romantic nights in dim-lit restaurants while you order the dinner-for-two and find red roses on your step.  But if Cupid raises his bow and happens to sneeze, he might point the arrow elsewhere.  Yes, you can curse the mythological creature for missing his target and leaving you with another single Valentine’s Day.  You can curse the heart shaped candies and cards every time you go to buy your groceries.  Or you can stop blaming Cupid and start looking at yourself.  What you have in your life that means the most to you.

We have some beautiful new paintings just off the easel by award-winning painters, Michael and Inessa Garmash, as well as some of their sold-out at publisher limited editions to share with you.
Mr. and Mrs. Garmash are considered two of the finest Romantic Impressionists of our day.  Their incredible talent is only matched by their love and career stories.  The award-winning artists have painted together for many years, and their sold-out at publisher limited editions can be difficult to come by.

Yes, love is definitely in the air here at Valencia FASTFRAME.  After all, we love designing new unique framing ideas with our customers.  We have well over 1,100 frames and an endless number of Mat and Liner combinations to choose from.  We can create an unforgettable art piece for you or your special someone this Valentine’s Day using the latest Frame-Vue technology that allows you to see your masterpiece before you buy it.  How cool is that, and our customers love it!  We know that choosing the perfect Valentine’s Day gift can be difficult.  Here are a few helpful suggestions that we know have pleased the “hardest to buy for loved one” in the past. 

Art has always been a part of my life.  There is a joy that flows out of me and into the work of art I create.  Even when the work is a struggle, it is still something that demands its own time and space.  It evolves as if on its own volition.  My friends who are artists feel that same insistence from their art.  It calls to them, waiting impatiently to move from vision to reality.  Art is inside us, sometimes a whisper, sometimes a shout, clamoring to get out.  Art dances in our heads.

Forty-two (42) States allow open carry of firearms.  Most states are relaxing on their gun laws but not California.  It seems to me that most people I talk to have their minds already made up on the issue of gun control.
Most Americans are smart enough to educate themselves on the laws, their rights, and historical events.  Right?  After all, don’t we want to ensure that we are properly guarded/protected against the repeat of negative historical events, regardless if it’s from a natural disaster or from the atrocities from over-zealous government?  The Bill of Rights is there for reason.  Why do we even have it, if we do not abide by it?  What events led up to the creating the Bill of Rights?
More and more gun laws exist today with more on their way, while crime keeps getting worse and more violent.  Am I wrong?

Are you a crafty person who loves to create?  Well then you won’t want to miss out in participating at the Artisan Row Home Arts and Crafts Show.  
The schedule of events are as follows:

The New Year is underway and Valentine’s Day is around the corner.  As I watch my daughter play with her NOOK tablet that she got for Christmas, I am amazed by all the new technology.  The digital age allows us to do things in a matter of minutes that used to take us weeks to accomplish.
One example of this is the field of photography.  The days of loading film, shooting pictures and waiting to get them developed are long gone.  Digital photography allows us to see our pictures instantly and then load them on the computer where they can be edited and printed in the comfort of our home.

Ma Maison is proudly entering our ninth year of business and wanted to thank the Santa Clarita Valley for its continued patronage and support.  The gift business is about more than just selling stuff.  Shoppers come to us to help them celebrate some of the very momentous events in life: weddings, births, anniversaries, birthdays and general pick me ups (which we all can use).  We don’t just sell gifts and décor – we sell happiness.

There’s nothing more exciting than welcoming a new baby into this world, nothing more cute than their tiny little fingers and toes, nothing more sweet than the sounds of the newborn baby’s cry.   After nine months of anticipation, your little one has finally arrived, making his or her debut into the world.  While you may have kissed a full night’s rest goodbye, you welcome your baby with open arms and a heart full of love.

Distraught and running her fingers over weepy eyes, Jill related how her 29-year-old son died of a drug overdose and was found in a portable toilet in Los Angeles.  A sheriff had visited her home to tell her what had happened.
“It’s about your son,” he started.  “Don’t you tell me my son is dead!”  Jill screamed.  “Don’t you do it!”  In tears, Jill described how she would have broken everything in her house and bolted out, had not the sheriff been there.
Jill’s terror, heartache and confusion capture the shock of grief.  Unfortunately, as a society, we are not trained or educated to cope with devastating loss experiences.  Some people simply stuff it and try to move through life.  Others feel they’ve run out of tears.
Many have suffered so many losses they don’t remember why they hurt any more.  “Loss on top of loss on top of loss, all wound up like a ball of yarn, says Jeff Zhorne, M.A., a Certified Grief Counselor in Santa Clarita.  “Along comes another loss, and it’s one more wrap around a huge ball of hurt.  Over time we can start to feel detached or numb.  Life doesn’t touch us in the deepest places of our hearts.”

As Americans continue to face challenging economic circumstances, stories of corporate greed and injustice seem to dominate the media.  This, however, is not one of those stories.  This is the story of corporate generosity and social responsibility, wherein two successful business partners team with their employees to extend much needed help to children.  

New Year.  New start.  New ideas.  New chances.  New growths.  New regrets.  When the clock strikes 12, I will not have a prince chasing me with a glass slipper in hand.  I will not be wondering what happened to the precious time that has slipped away so fast yet again.  Instead, I will be toasting to an unimaginable new journey I cannot wait to dive into.  It is exciting to look forward to the unknown and even more exciting to wake up on January 1st with a fresh perspective.

The New Year is here and it is time to shed those holiday pounds and to get back in shape for the challenges that lay ahead.  A new diet and a few weeks at the gym will get you back into your favorite outfit just in time for Valentines Day.  But, your body isn’t the only thing that needs a make over.  Look at all the pictures on your walls. 

It finally has happened… the Santa Clarita Artist Association has now been given a space for them to open an art gallery, which will be a wonderful place to see original art created by members of the artist association.  Whoopee!