Gifts from the Heart

The other day I was in a terrible mood, you see I get that way when I’m asked to do something that is against my nature, and sitting in an art store doing a demonstration on acrylic painting is not at the top of my list.  The idea of sitting there painting and having kids ask you dumb questions, “Are you a painter?”  I say, “No, I’m an artist,” or having people bump into you with their shopping cart is not my cup of tea.

Cecily Willis, Santa Clarita Artists’ Association member, will be exhibiting a show titled Sacred Ordinariness, from June 1 to June 30 at FastFrame, 24204 Valencia Blvd., in Valencia. A free artist’s reception with be on June 4 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“I love watercolor—it’s a partnership with a Higher Power.

While Lockheed Federal Credit Union focuses its business on providing members with excellent products and services, they know that giving back to the community is equally important.
LFCU continues to give time and money back to the communities it serves. In Santa Clarita, LFCU and its employees have contributed more than $60,000 to the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center Foundation.

Did you know you probably have at least a few forgotten memories stored in your home?  That old camera negative you cannot decipher, or videotape that you donot have a player for anymore probably have lost memories on them.  By scanning your negative strips and slides from years past you can view images that you probably have not seen for decades.

School spirit does not end on graduation day; just ask the alumni who show their school support by painting their faces and donning brightly colored wigs at football games.  Of course, there are also subtle ways to support your alma mater, like displaying your hard-earned diploma for everyone to see. 

When the Puritans landed on the East coast their intent was to build a church to worship in and houses to live in.  The Puritans came from England to live where they could have the freedom to worship as they pleased.  The Puritanical philosophy saw arts as an image not to pursue and was sinful and forbidden under Biblical beliefs. 

Getting engaged is one of the most exciting times for a woman.  No matter what age you are, to have the butterflies and the anticipation of knowing you will spend the rest of your life with the person you love can be exhilarating.  But wait!  Now that you have the bling bling, the planning stages start….where do you begin?

B & R Gallery is proud to offer the artwork of G. Harvey, beloved painter of the Spirit of America, as featured in the new G. Harvey exhibit on our website.
G. Harvey is not only an extraordinary painter, but an accomplished sculptor.  His original works and bronze sculptures are in the collections of major corporations, prestigious museums, American presidents, governors, foreign leaders, and captains of industry. 

Digital cameras have changed the way we look at our memories.  You can go to iPhoto or any digital photo program and pull up photos and video in a flash. Your past is at your fingertips.  But before you purchased that first digital camera you had film and videotape cameras.  Do you ever wonder what to do about those boxes that have accumulated over the years with photos, negative and videotapes? 

On Thursday May 5, there will be a celebration on Main Street Old Town Newhall.
This event is called, “A Taste of Cinco de Mayo” a celebration of Latino culture.
The Old Town Newhall Association, The City of Santa Clarita, and The SCV Latino Chamber of Commerce have joined together in this effort.

The motto of the Boy Scouts of America is Be Prepared.  Eagle Scout, Saugus High School Graduate (class of 1993) and Santa Clarita Valley resident, Derek Morton saw first hand the benefit of being prepared while serving the community as a Santa Monica police officer.

These days, new technologies sprout up faster than weeds.  But unlike the pesky plant-life, which can both steal time and demolish rosebushes, the technologies, for the most part, provide interesting content and creative ways to stay connected to the world.  ZOE Children’s Homes is happy to invite everyone to join them as they gain popularity in the social networking world.
ZOE Children’s Homes is a non-profit organization based in Santa Clarita whose mission is rescuing children who are vulnerable to human trafficking, orphans and children who have previously been enslaved. 

Zonta’s LifeForward workshops will be held at Desert Streams Church, 26873 Reuther Avenue in Canyon Country, and will begin at 10 a.m. concluding at 1 p.m.  Five workshops comprise this series about Finding and Thriving in the Perfect Job.  The remaining two workshops in the series are “How to Prepare for that Important Interview!” which is scheduled for May 14. 

The 21st century is now upon us and bringing many social changes as schools are struggling to deal with their budgets and retain teachers and arts programs.
Trouble for arts began in public schools when the passage of California’s Proposition 13 cut local tax revenues for public schools and virtually eliminated arts programs at the elementary level.

We are proud to have served the community of Santa Clarita for 20 years.  All of our customers are treated with the respect and are our most important asset.  Pawnshops have been around longer than banks and we should not be ashamed to use these services.  We are just like a bank, loan office or credit union.  When you get a collateral loan you have up to four months to redeem your merchandise.

Graduation is a special time to celebrate achievements and look forward to the future.  Give your graduate’s academic degree the importance it deserves in a custom frame.  Not only will the proper frame help preserve this precious document for the future, it will create a beautiful presentation to enjoy now.

We are pleased to share our new exhibit of artwork by award-winning painters, Michael and Inessa Garmash.
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.  In similar fashion to the determination of his artwork, Mr. Garmash courted his future wife, after seeing her for but a moment, by painting her image all over her hometown while she slept. 

You know the old saying, “If Mama ain’t happy then no one‘s happy.”  We all know it’s true.  We are the center of the household, the master of ceremonies of daily life, we touch just about every aspect of each day in our family’s life and our mood or view on life will affect those that we care for.  If we’re uptight and on the verge of frustration our children tend to bicker more and break down into tears easier.