Gifts from the Heart

All of us have encountered the hurdle of finding just the right something for someone, but at Ma Maison that is our specialty.  Not only can we help you find something distinctive and appropriate—but we offer many options of personalizing a gift so that it is uniquely fitting, such as:

Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity and responsibility to give something back by becoming more. Anthony Robbins

It’s just that simple to give.  An interoffice email was sent out to our staff at The Magazine of Santa Clarita requesting items to donate for the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry.  Little did we know that by the week’s end, we had four bins of donated items to give.  It was as simple as that, yet it meant much more to those in need.  
Did you know that Los Angeles County is considered the hunger capital of our nation? 

Soroptimist International of Santa Clarita Valley held its new officer installation on June 30 at the beautiful home of Bob and Soroptimist member, Diane Benjamin, in Sand Canyon.  More than 50 guests including club members, Soroptimist guests and local dignitaries witnessed the swearing in of the club’s new Board of Directors.

As beautiful as art can be, sometimes there is more to see than first meets the eye.  Some artists are known for hiding images within their paintings, or the art of camouflage.  Vincent Van Gogh is said to have hidden images within his works, but there is some controversy about whether those images were placed intentionally by the artist, or whether they are created in the imagination of the viewer.  However, present day artists can verify that they have placed hidden images within their paintings.

Everywhere you go, you can’t help but notice that vintage is “in.” From the gorgeous dress forms to wire birdcages, the beautiful flowers and torn edges, vintage has take the scrapbooking world by storm this year.
Vintage scrapbooking looks intimidating at first: lots of layers and distressing; many scrapbookers have been asking, “How do I get this effect?” as they pour over some of the distressed sample layouts.  If you are wanting a “vintage” look on your pages, here are some techniques that you should try on your pages:

Imagine your fondest memories hanging in the den or living room for you to enjoy every day.  Souvenirs and mementos from a fun vacation can be displayed in a beautiful shadowbox.
Vacation memories can be prominently displayed in your home instead of packed away in a closet or attic. 

We at Ma Maison love to support our community and especially all the talented local artisans.  Since we design and manufacture some of our own products; including baby items, faux fur throws, pillows, purses and much more, we have a true appreciation for the handcrafted and welcome it in our store. 

You know, these days it is important to have a good time, just like when we were young and carefree.  Whether we went biking with friends, visiting Mammoth Lakes, or traveling to far off destinations like Europe, we had fun.  With the current economic news hitting us in the face daily you sometimes wonder when things will improve. 

On June 2, at the Annual Meeting, members of Assistance League Santa Clarita welcomed in the board of Directors for the 2010–2011 year. 

As a mother, you want to make informed decisions about the health of your baby and yourself, one of which could be whether or not to breastfeed.  Science has found that there may be some long lasting benefits to breastfeeding and it may be more than a lifestyle choice.  It has now been proven that any amount of time that you can nurse could help both you and your baby, such as:

Often times, we have piles of photos just stacking up waiting to be scrapbooked and we wonder how we will get through them all.  Additionally, we want beautiful pages inside our books.  Using simple colors, such as black and white, combined with a great accent color, such as red, gives great dramatic color effect.  Also, using clean lines and large graphical embellishments, allows the eye to feel like there is a lot of design going on while allowing you to complete the page fairly rapidly.  This layout combines both simplicity and beauty in one space.  Let’s get started!

The increasing decline in the dollars needed today for schools to support the teachers and the curriculum to be taught is ever present in the news, radio and television.  In this process of school budgets being cut, the understanding and appreciation of the arts seem to get less attention and importance in the whole education of students.  We must treat the arts as basics, as the arts are central to nourishing human values, they help us to understand who we are: they replenish our reservoirs of creativity - a resource of increasing importance as leisure time increases. 

Conservation Framing, sometimes called Preservation Framing, refers to the materials and techniques used to frame valued art and objects to the highest standard.  From matboards to glass to the paper cover on the back of the frame, today’s framers can provide a variety of specialized products and methods to display art and objects in the best possible environment.

Today, weddings are held throughout the calendar year, although the summer months still seem to dominate as the top choice for the event.  Gift giving does seem to vary depending on what the couple has listed on their registry list.  Couples that are just starting out seem to need everything, while others may simply request a donation to a favorite charity. 

Nationally known artist, Donna Downey, has a Campaign for Creativity going on and she is encouraging all of us to look at the world through different eyes.  Many of you may be quilters, scrapbookers or altered artists.  Others of you may like the things you see but have sworn, “I’m just not that creative!”

Westfield Valencia Town Center announced new additions for the second year of the highly successful WFamily program, the free membership program that enhances the family shopping experience by connecting it’s members with family friendly events, money-saving promotions, and special amenities offered exclusively at Westfield Shopping Centers.  The new WFamily program elements include an event series with partner Radio Disney on “Westfield Family Fridays,” the second Friday of every month; a Monthly Retailer Calendar highlighting family retailer events, promotions and offers; and the Family Shopping Guide, providing a targeted list and directory of family-friendly retailers, eateries and amenities.

A Rationale For The Arts In Education
Many educators, as well as persons directly concerned with the arts, share the conviction that the arts are a means for expressing and interpreting human behavior and experience.  It follows, therefore, that the education of children is incomplete if the arts are not part of the daily teaching and learning process.

B&R Gallery Framing, the place that puts your digital and antique photos on canvas and makes them into a work of art, featured lots of talent on Saturday, May 8.  So much talent was there that Dave and Barbara Joseph, co-owners of B&R Gallery, have decided to leave up the “Art Show Display” until the end of June.