Home & Garden

On April 21, 2008, Gerald Brommer, internationally renowned watercolorist will be speaking and demonstrating at the monthly meeting of the Santa Clarita Artists’ Association.  Watercolor artists dare not miss this even if you aren’t a member.

J&B Painting specializes in custom residential painting throughout Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.  There are many great reasons why you should choose J&B Painting, including an exclusive three-year guarantee, thorough clean-up and next day availability.  J&B Painting welcomes you to experience a tradition of customer satisfaction that will exceed your greatest expectations. 

For 17 years, the California Poppy Festival has entertained audiences of all ages with an unrivalled variety of performers, arts and crafts vendors, live exhibits, farmers’ markets, and much more.  With more than 55 acres of fabulous entertainment, it is hard to believe that the Festival began as a celebration of tiny flowers with a vibrant color and delicate beauty.  Poppies have blanketed Lancaster’s rolling hillsides for centuries, and their beauty draws visitors from across the country and around the globe.  Today, the California Poppy Festival has evolved into a celebration of vivid visuals, sumptuous scents, tantalizing tastes, and incredible performances that delight visitors of all ages.

The sun is warm, the rains have ceased, and the birds are singing joyfully in the pink-budded trees.  This could only mean one thing, Spring has finally arrived in full force.  As you revel in the loveliness of the season, there are several things to keep in mind regarding the maintenance of your home.

I just found out the city of Lancaster has an art museum and it has existed for 20 years.  The museum has 5,000 square feet for art exhibits and is supported by city funds.  My goodness, what a surprise to learn a community not far from Santa Clarita has an Art Museum and exists because the City of Lancaster created the museum for the residents.

As the season is changing and the sun is heating up the Southern California landscape, we at SCV Pools, Spas and Masonry are ready to create your dream backyard.  With our in-house teams of masons, and landscape experts, we will design another gold-metal winning swimming pool and spa in the comfort and convenience of your own back yard.  Masonry fireplaces, firepits and barbeques complete the picture-perfect setting for all of your entertaining needs.  Visit the website www.westernshow.com to see our award winning pools.

We have moved, but only a stone’s throw away from our old showroom.  We are now located at 28150 Avenue Crocker, Suite # 201.  We have expanded our showroom and invite you to come visit us.  In the month of April we are giving the first 50 customers who come by to visit a $10 Starbucks gift card.  And, if you purchase a whole house water conditioning system in April, we will take $250 off your purchase.

When you walk in your front door does it feel inviting and tranquil, or chaotic and overwhelming?  Many homes have an over abundance of toys, papers and clothes, etc.  Add the after work and school hour’s activities of each family member and subtract the extra time you wish you had for some relaxation and you have the modern US family.  If you are looking for a different way to live, try these techniques to simplify and organize your life.

With the first warm days of spring, most residents of Santa Clarita find themselves driven to the great outdoors.  Thoughts of home-grown tomatoes and peppers offer encouragement to get out and prepare the vegetable garden.

Creating an environmentally eco-safe place in your home is one of the best projects you can take on.  Not only will you be creating a more peaceful and healthy place to live in, but you will be contributing to a more beautiful atmosphere.  One of the easiest things people can do is to replace regular incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) or light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Redecorating your home can bring new and invigorating atmosphere, but it can also bring challenging and costly tasks that can create more problems than expected.  What if you don’t want to tear down an entire wall?  What if you just want to change the overall feel of a room, without doing too much and more importantly without opening your wallet too much?  There is a whole world of small things you can do to your home that will bring simple, yet significant changes.

Yesterday, the exterior of my house was white and I mean all white.  It had been this way since the time it was built in 1986.  Being that I love color it seems rather surprising to me now that I didn’t change it sooner, but life and death, have a way of postponing seemingly frivolous needs or desires for another time and so, my house remained colorless.

Molds are made of several fungi, which are normally present in the air.  They become a big problem when there is enough moisture in the air for them to grow thus causing a mildew texture, which appears in a black color on most porous surfaces.  Mold causing mildew needs moisture, darkness, and warmth to grow; these conditions are found in many bathrooms.

Plan before you buy.  Sketch your landscape design on paper before you start planting and building.  Knowing exactly what you need and where you’re going to put it helps avoid wasting money.  If you are not able to plan out your design, think about hiring a professional.

After the recent rains I have been getting calls from a number of home owners who have had leaks in their homes. It has been my experience, after a little probing, that these leaks are a direct result of recent remodeling. I felt bad for the home owner as now they have damages and are facing additional cost.  There is not much glory for a contractor to fix other contractors’ mistakes. Most of us like to do a job right the first time and have happy customers. So, do your homework.

The kitchen is the heart of your home and should be beautiful, as well as functional.  Unfortunately, to replace cabinets just because they are worn out or for beauty’s sake is a very expensive, time consuming and inconvenient proposition.  Not only are the cabinets involved, but also countertops, wall treatment, flooring, plumbing fixtures and, in most cases, appliances!

Harold Lloyd’s Classic 1923 Comedy “Safety Last” with Live Accompaniment

The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society is proud to announce the presentation of the 1923 silent comedy “Safety Last” on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. 

How do you measure wealth, in dollars or in time?  What makes you “rich”; having limitless money to buy things or having the time to spend with family and friends, to rest and relax … e.g. reading, watching a movie, going for long relaxing walks, eating healthy meals and getting regular physical exercise?  Now, look at how you are using your valuable time.  As you asses the “things” in your home, ask yourself…“Do I control my ‘stuff’ or does my ‘stuff’ control me”?