“This too shall pass!” Until it does, how about some armchair traveling. You don’t have to get on a cruise ship, just a boat, to get to Catalina Island. It’s the only one of eight Channel Islands to have an incorporated city, Avalon. “Twenty-six miles across the sea, Santa Catalina is waitin’ for me. Santa […]
I’ve been studying to be a docent at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse and learning historical facts. I never knew that the building at the back part of the Courthouse with the turret on top was once our jail. The first floor held the sheriff’s offices (it still does), the second floor was for the […]
“Welcome to our first ever production of an opera in Spanish,” said Opera Santa Barbara’s (OSB) artistic and general director Kostis Protopapas and board chair Joan Rutkowski. There was a sold-out audience at the Lobero to see Il Postino (The Postman). Some of you may remember the 1994 Oscar winning film which transferred the action […]
Direct Relief (DR) was a bustling place for International Women’s Day. Over one hundred folks gathered to learn and to help pack 2,000 hygiene kits for women. To begin the morning there was a baker’s delight of sweets and fruits of many kinds along with a variety of coffees all organized by Kelly Walker and […]
Little Women, a Classic Storybook Luncheon, was the theme of the Women United’s second annual luncheon at the Four Seasons Biltmore for United Way. Event chair Andrea Kahmann and her “gang” looked smashing in their Victorian dresses complete with corsets. Andrea commented, “I’m so glad we don’t have to wear these anymore.” The décor fit […]
The Cottage Health folks call it the “party of the year” and the Tiara Ball was certainly one of the most elegant. Tiaras and tuxes abounded. Formal is fun! It could have been a scene in a movie. There was no silent or live auction in sight thanks to the generous support of its patrons. […]
It was amazing how many people got up so early to come to breakfast with the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) at 7:30 am at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. It was the 6th annual Little Heroes breakfast to raise funds for their programs helping families who have a child struck with cancer. After […]
Domestic Violence Solutions (DVS) gave their 12th annual fundraising luncheon at the Loggia ballroom in the Four Seasons Resort – The Biltmore. The group was founded 43 years ago. In 2019 alone they answered 5,091 calls to their 24-hour crisis and information lines, provided 7,908 safe nights of shelter to victims of domestic violence, responded […]
Reunir is a Spanish word meaning “to gather”; to bring together friends whose collective passion, ideas, and commitment are making a legendary difference serving the land. The invitation wanted us to reunir with the California Rangeland Trust (CRT) at the Santa Barbara Club. Why the Santa Barbara Club? The club was formed in 1892 to […]
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) keeps filling up theatres. The latest was a sold-out Granada to listen to columnist David Brooks. As he said, “I can jabber about anything,” and indeed he can. William F. Buckley Jr. heard him speak years ago and offered him a job. How good is that? But before the lecture […]
The ballroom of the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort was a sea of red, literally. It was time for the annual American Heart Association “Go Red for Women” luncheon when everyone is encouraged to wear red. And they do. Adding to that were fabric boas for all the committee members and blinking red heart necklaces […]
Friendship Center brought 2020 roaring in with their 21st Festival of Hearts “The New Roaring ‘20s” held at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. The hotel was a sea of feather boas, sequins, fringe and headbands as the flapper ladies and a few dandy gentlemen sipped Fess Parker wines to the live music of A […]
The Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation gave its 41st annual Art Scholarship exhibition and reception at the family resource center in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. The room was filled with proud parents and friends plus the teen artists themselves. They were standing by their work and more than ready to tell you about themselves. […]
The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) just celebrated the 164th birthday of the lighting of the Point Conception Lighthouse. From 1856 to 1973 when it was decommissioned and updated with a new light, the Point Conception Lighthouse lens guarded the rocky and treacherous Pacific coast where the Santa Barbara Channel and the Pacific Ocean meet […]
The Women’s Board of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) began 69 years ago whose sole purpose was to support the SBMA and so they have. We met in the Santa Barbara Club for one of the club’s wonderful lunches. The Board is especially grateful to its sustaining members whose leadership and support provide […]
As Maria McCall, director of the MClub for the Montecito Bank and Trust said, “Visitors to the Casa are transported back to Montecito in the 1920s and 1930s – the heyday of the original owner George Fox Steedman. Designed by George Washington Smith, the Casa is one of the finest examples of Spanish Colonial Revival […]
It had to be the biggest night ever for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) and I’ve been to all 34. This was the evening they honored Brad Pitt with the Maltin Modern Master Award. As I approached the Arlington Theatre the street had been blocked off and there were solid people clear across […]
In case you’re wondering why I missed my first column in 25 years last week, it’s because of a new law passed by the state of California. If I’m not a full-time employee of the Montecito Journal, I’m only allowed to write 35 columns a year, not my usual 52. Few small papers can afford […]
CALM (Child Abuse Listening Mediation) held its inaugural event, a Crab Fest, at the Carriage & Western Art Museum. Everyone “got crackin’” dressed in casual western attire and ready to attack those crabs. After wine time the sold-out crowd set down to tables covered with brown paper and bibs and a cracking tool. The crabs […]
We needed to be tourists in our own town, so when my husband’s daughter and son-in-law came for a visit we took off. On her bucket list was to see a real stagecoach stop and away we went to Cold Spring Tavern. Leaving Santa Barbara it was bright and sunny. The closer we got to […]
As the holiday season winds down it reminds me of when we lived in Naples, Italy with our four-year-old daughter Kim and baby son Dane. At Christmas time many families put up a crèche in their homes but these were extra charming. Some would be an entire Italian village with tiny houses, markets, villagers at […]
The Santa Barbara Courthouse docents are beginning a new training class in January 2020. They need many to keep up with a busy schedule – Monday through Friday at 10:30 am and 2 pm and Saturday and Sundays at 2 pm. Meantime we all gathered at the La Cumbre Country Club for a festive holiday […]
Casa del Herrero (House of the Blacksmith) is a National Historic Landmark in Montecito near upper village. George and Carrie Steedman came to Santa Barbara in the early ‘20s from St. Louis with George’s brother. His brother was diabetic and needed insulin. The only place in the whole United States to get it at that […]
It was First Thursday and Christmas month. No wonder there were so many people strolling State Street. I began at the big G, the Granada Theatre, with an unusual art exhibit on the fifth floor hosted by Raymond James Associates Management Company. Their invitation touted beautiful views, art, food, and people. The elevator coming up […]
The Board of Directors of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara (SFSB) invited community leaders to its 2019 luncheon at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Board chair Christie Glanville welcomed the room full of movers and shakers. She told us, “Thirty-five years ago I was a recipient of a scholarship. SFSB began 57 years […]
Hospice of Santa Barbara has a monthly event called Learn @ Lunch. This month the topic was Journaling to Heal led by local author Diana Raab, Ph.D. She has been called the “Queen of Journaling” and has authored nine books including Writing for Bliss and Healing with Words. Diana has first-hand experience about healing with […]
The president of the American Institute of Architects (AIASB), Robert Ooley, FAIA, called to see if I could attend their annual gala dinner, this year at the University Club. The Club had on its festive attire and so did the guests. The Santa Barbara Chapter is celebrating it’s 90th anniversary of service and excellence in […]
The Santa Barbara Historical Museum (SBHM) invited members to celebrate the season and see the opening of their latest exhibition, the Henry Chapman Ford (1828-1894) collection. Holiday cocktails and canapés set the festive tone along with lighting and white fabric “walls.” Deputy director Dacia Harwood said that many thanks go to sponsors Sharon and David […]
Ladies still do lunch and love a fashion show! We know because the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort changed their ballroom into a luncheon with runway and lights to showcase six models. They were all breast cancer survivors who had gone to the Breast Cancer Resource Center (BCRC) for support. Prior to the show in […]
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) had 250 of its members gathered for lunch at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. What do they do? “The Association represents more than 30,000 fundraisers in 230 chapters throughout the world, working to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education, and certification programs. The Association fosters the development and […]
The Lobero Theatre is a much used venue, being booked 250 or more days a year. Among artists it’s beloved for the acoustics and is also a California Historic Landmark. Its humble beginning was as an opera house converted from an adobe school building by Jose Lobero in 1873. By the 1920s, being a bit […]
The “Christmas at the Casa” gala this year was all about silver. Silver cloths on all the tables with greens sprayed silver and lighted cabinets on display filled with pieces of silver George Steedman had made in the ‘30s and ‘40s. He’s known to have made about one hundred pieces between 1927 and 1940, when […]
Montecito Bank & Trusts’ MClub spent an evening with Santa Barbara Symphony music and artistic director Nir Kabaretti. It began in the Founders room of the Granada for light bites and wine and a chance to meet and greet Janet Garufis, who is the Symphony board chair and CEO of MB&T, and Kevin Marvin, president […]
Author Janet Dowling Sands discussed her new book On a Mission at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. She and her husband made a decision a few years ago to head out with an Airstream camper on a road trip to visit all 21 missions. Janet made sure we knew that history is more fun with […]
Birnam Wood Country Club was the location of a dinner for a special group of folks who contribute to the Yosemite Conservancy. This was hosted by Don Fuhrer who has been a “keeper” of Yosemite for many years. He even owns a cabin in the park. The president of the Yosemite Conservancy, Frank Dean, was […]
This time the MClub from Montecito Bank & Trust was having a program at the Santa Barbara Club to teach us how to pack for a week in a carry on. I didn’t believe it, but I went anyway. My makeup, potions, and lotions take up half a carry on to say nothing of my […]
It was truly a once in a lifetime trip! The MClub (Montecito Bank & Trust travel club) was invited by executive director/CEO David Bolton of the California Missions Foundation (CMF) to join him on a special overnight tour to Mission San Antonio de Padua and tours of Mission San Miguel and Mission San Luis Obispo […]
Friendship Center held their first veterans’ celebration with lots of red, white and blue, a hug line and applause for each veteran attending. If you gave a hug you were rewarded with a home baked heart shaped cookie. Lt. John Blankenship from Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation was there with a color guard, Deborah Bertling sang […]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School (OLMCS) had a gala at the gorgeous Rosewood Miramar Chandelier Ballroom to celebrate their 75 years of existence. As the saying goes, “You’ve come a long way, baby.” It all began in 1944 when Reverend John Meehan along with some of the parents founded the school. It began with […]
The CALM at Heart committee, board of trustees and staff welcomed the most attendees ever (330) to the Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Club to celebrate their work with children and families that strengthen our community. The seaside terrace was packed with people many taking a chance at the wine pull and others catching up […]