June 11th, 2015 at 10:00 am
Given the opportunity, most homeowners would jump at the chance to renovate at least one area of their home. Wouldn’t it be even better if someone gave you $50,000 to turn your dream remodel into a reality? If you haven’t yet entered for your chance to win the $50k Fix Up Sweepstakes, you only have a few days left! The contest officially closes June 15. To enter or to view complete contest details, visit www.50kfixup.com.
Once you’ve entered, let the fun begin. How would you spend $50,000 on a home remodel? Below we’ve compiled a list of the most popular types of renovation projects and a rough average of what each typically costs.
May 22nd, 2015 at 10:00 am
Photo courtesy of The Nethercutt Collection
“I don’t want to move to a city where the only cultural advantage is being able to make a right turn on a red light.”– Woody Allen describing Los Angeles in “Annie Hall” (1977)
The first automobile in Southern California hit the streets of L.A. in 1897, and the region’s love-hate relationship with motor vehicles has yet to run out of gas. The home of freeways, winding canyon roads, racetracks, long stretches of coastal/desert/mountain/desert highways, and maddening commutes also houses some of the finest automotive museums and collections in the country.
While many of the region’s drivers are too busy cruisin’ around to notice, venues from San Diego County to Ventura County offer stunning examples of the motorcar’s past, present, and future. Here’s a slightly opinionated road trip to get you revved up.
“Life is too short for traffic.” – Marketing guru Dan Bellack
May 19th, 2015 at 2:00 pm
Image courtesy of Patricia Marroquin / Shutterstock.com
Walk cautamente around Old Mission Santa Barbara’s plaza during Memorial Day weekend. You don’t want to distract the Madonnari (street painters) creating their large, colorful 3-D-like images on the pavement. This traditional Italian style of pastel chalk painting dates back to the 1500s, and all ages can join the fun. View the works by 150 artists, or sponsor a street-painting square to advertise your business, or to celebrate a friend or family member. Squares range from 4-by-6 feet to 12-by-12 feet, and cost $150 to $700. Chalk will be provided in variety of colors. The 29th annual I Madonnari Street Painting Festival benefits the Children’s Creative Project, a nonprofit arts education program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office.
Where:
Old Mission Santa Barbara
2201 Laguna St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
When:
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May 15th, 2015 at 8:30 am
Imagery courtesy of Karin Hildebrand Lau / Shutterstock.com
Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Malibu usually get top billing as “home of the stars.” Traditionally, that’s because movie and TV celebrities like to live near the big studios in the Los Angeles area.
But Santa Barbara County has its fair share of celeb homes and movie locations as well. In fact, California’s original filmmaking capital was the city of Santa Barbara. Flying A, the first major studio of the silent-movie era, was founded there in 1910. Thirteen years later, giant sets for the silent classic The Ten Commandments were built and then abandoned in the sand dunes of Guadalupe, signifying the county’s debut as a cinematic player. Scenes in almost 500 popular titles have been filmed in the region since 1910, according to Internet Movie Database.
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May 14th, 2015 at 11:00 am
It took 23,000 helicopter missions to build, has withstood four decades of desert heat, mountain snow, and high winds, and carried millions of enthralled passengers from around the globe. But the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway still towers above all Southern California attractions as the “eighth wonder of the world.”
Completed in 1963, the tram whisks riders from the Valley Station at 2,643 above the Coachella Valley floor to the Mountain Station at 8,516 feet on Mount San Jacinto in about 15 minutes. It’s usually 40 degrees cooler at the top year round, so residents and visitors alike can catch a break from the desert heat in summer or toss snowballs at each other in winter.
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