R sends me two Disney ceramic figurines from the 1950s, both under 6.5” – a dapper Jiminy Cricket, and a very frustrated Donald Duck with his fist raised in anger. These were sourced by R’s parents from a Disney artist… are they valuable prototypes or production pieces? The first of its kind is always most […]

During his 44 years teaching at Westmont, Jeff Schloss explored the fascinating relationships between biology and Christian faith. The author and co-editor of major works on biology and love, morality and religious commitment, he served for the last 15 years as senior scholar for the Biologos Foundation. He lectured and held fellowships at major universities […]

Debbie Price caught the Hollywood bug when she glimpsed festival klieg lights. “It was opening night of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theatre,” she says. “I saw Robert Mitchum, Jane Seymour, Kirk and Michael Douglas, Peter Cetera and others arriving – my first celebrity sightings.” She has since attended 36 of […]

“The company was pretty small then, but lemme tell you – on a typical Sunday I would be washing my car.” His name is Pete Jordano and he is an institution. I’ve come to his office to interrogate him. He’s taking it well. “I drove a ‘39 Pontiac. While I would be washing my car, […]

We reached out to a number of Pete’s longtime chums and family members and asked them to weigh in on the subject of Pete Jordano. Dodgers bat boy, U.S. Marine, business legend, raconteur; to paraphrase Sinatra, Pete Jordano is a many-splendored thing. Pete’s Santa Barbara “journey” has been defined by people – business contacts, customers, […]

A long-gone California pastime was catching abalone off the coast, but in 2001, white abalone became the first marine invertebrate to be added to the endangered species list, and soon after, all commercial and recreational capture of abalone became outlawed. But just a quick drive up to Gaviota, one can relive the past and see […]

A few months ago, I attended a Talkcast at Jane Restaurant downtown. According to Jane Chapman, founder and co-host, “Talkcast is a podcast club” that meets at Jane on the third Wednesday each month. I had heard about these women-only events before, but whenever I went to buy a ticket, they were always sold out. […]

Cottage Health has elected Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons to its Board of Directors. Fitzgibbons currently serves as the Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and holds multiple medical directorships within Cottage Health, including for Infection Prevention and Control and the Cottage Center for Population Health. She also serves on […]

Godmothers’ lineup of fascinating authors in conversation exceeds even what might have been expected before the September 2024 opening of the high-profile Montecito-adjacent bookstore. Recent guests have included Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle, Amanda Knox, and Maria Shriver, to name just a few.  Those events almost invariably sell out well in advance. But Godmothers – in […]

ES has an 8.5” tall matte blue vase accented with a purple peony design that bears the “flame” mark for Rookwood Pottery, and the date stamp 1926. ES, your little vase was part of a worldwide rise of a new style of ceramics. Art Pottery began in the late 19th century, continued to evolve till […]