Gifts from the Heart

May brings the beauty of Spring into our homes.  Special events abound, led by Cinco de Mayo on May 5, Mothers Day on May 11, special family celebrations and just getting together with friends and neighbors for a casual or more formal dinner party.

When I owned my retail antiques business, I tried to devote some furniture inventory for first time homebuyers that were new to antiques.  They wanted to incorporate items into their decorating style and wanted to be different.  They sought value and wanted functional items that they liked and appreciated. These buyers were on the younger side and most likely the bulk of their income went to mortgage and vehicle payments, childcare and utilities.  They did not have money to burn.
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If you spend most holidays either alone or with your friends’ families, you might want to read on.  I am an older woman who was told many years ago that I could not have children, so as life moved on, I found myself sad, especially on Mother’s Day and realized I would never hear anyone call me mom or grandma.  Even though I have what I called a perfect life, I feel a tug of sadness when all conversations I’m in with my friends turn to their kids and I have nothing to offer.

Whether you are a professional photographer or professional mom, photographing children is a challenge.  They move fast, they are small and they are not the best listeners!  Oh and they love putting their sticky fingers right on the lens, but even with all the hazards, photographing children is a blast!  Here our some of our top tips to make photographing your children a little easier.

Only two percent of women around the world think of themselves as beautiful and four out of five women are dissatisfied with their image.

Too often women, starting from their early years, are bombarded with social, cultural misconceptions and skewed “photoshopped” images that lead to a personal flawed perception which define our definition of beauty.

On April 3, 2008, Rio Vista Elementary School held its 2nd Annual Environmental Awareness and Career Day, sponsored by the National Hispanic Environmental Council.  The full day event began with an opening assembly where prominent leaders within the community spoke to the students, staff, parents and invited guests about recycling, energy efficiency and  wilderness preservation.  Dave Berg, producer of the “Tonight Show” encouraged students to “Continue on their paths to success as scholars, as they have the potential to become the innovative thinkers and environmental leaders of the future.”

We at B&R Gallery hope you had a good winter.  Now that the weather is warming and spring is here, we are planning for the upcoming months and summer fun.  B&R Gallery and Custom Framing is also busy ordering new and exciting art for its collection.  I have just returned from visiting Art Expo New York in Manhattan with the President of the Greenwich Workshop, Scott Usher, Vice President for Sales, Vinny Grabowski, and Sales Representative, Steve Resnick.  I brought in the exciting new line of art from Greenwich, which includes new art by Howard Terpning, June Carey, Judy Larson and many other Greenwich artists.

If style and profound performance are part of your mobile destiny, the new Verizon Wireless Voyager by LG is just what you’ve been waiting for. The first phone with both interactive-touch screen and a full QWERTY keyboard, this one-of-a-kind wonder can also tune you in and turn you on to VCast mobile television and full HTML internet browsing.  Voyager also sports a music player with dual speakers for stereo sound, Bluetooth, and a 2.0 mega pixel camera and camcorder.

Zonta honors women in service!  The Zonta Club of Santa Clarita will host its celebration of outstanding women volunteers in Santa Clarita on Saturday, April 5th.  The brunch event will be held at Valencia Country Club with registration at 9:30 a.m. followed by brunch and the program begins at 10 a.m.  Non-profit volunteer organizations in the Santa Clarita Valley have nominated one of their own to be honored. 

Earth day is “celebrated” this year on Tuesday, April 22nd.  It is a date that reminds all of us of the importance of doing things in our daily life that help the environment.  Recycling comes to mind, as does using things in our home that do not use excessive energy.  Candlelight is something that can be used to “illuminate” our living space without using electricity.

Offers a Passport to Cancer Prevention and Cures

In 2007 alone, more than 1.4 million people in the United States were diagnosed with cancer, and more than 559,000 died from the disease.  Striving to curb these devastating numbers through better prevention and cures, the American Cancer Society’s Department of Epidemiology and Surveillance Research is recruiting 500,000 adults across the United States and Puerto Rico for a new cancer study.

A lovely lady by the name of Patricia Cordova came into my studio.  Her courage to express her sensuality through photography came from her conviction that, I am still beautiful and sexy regardless.  Her intimate boudoir photos will be a courageous reminder of an empowered woman, mother and daughter.

Not really, I was just trying to get your attention.  As soon as my children have been able to move a mouse they have been using computers. My two older children who are in high school have never been behind in their studies.

The Award Winning Saugus High School Dance Team will once again present its Annual Dance Show on Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26 in the Saugus High School Gymnasium.

Think you’ve got an inspiring picture in your photo album or in jpg-form on your computer desktop?  Is it so amazingly cool that you’d like to see it published for all of the Santa Clarita Valley to admire and adore?  Is it award-winning?  Let the editors at The Magazine of Santa Clarita be the judge.  Each month we will accept entries.  All you need to do is send them by computer only to editorial@santaclaritamagazine.com with:

Ladies, it is vital to sustain and refresh ourselves with some pampering lest our lives overwhelm us with its demands and schedules.  Fortunately, we have many ways to pamper ourselves: spa, gym, shopping, reading a good book.  Consider Lingerie.

The second-worst natural disaster in California history occurred March 12, 1928 when the St. Francis Dam collapsed, sending a wall of water rushing through San Francisquito Canyon and the Santa Clara River canyons, killing 450 and laying waste to thousands of acres of land. To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the disaster, the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society will host two events exploring the dam break and its aftermath.

Fashions in jewelry for the Bride and Groom are very much a matter of a personal preference now.  There are many different styles available and here are some ideas for you to consider.  Is your personal style very modern, traditional or somewhere in between?