The holidays are upon us, and it’s a time of delightful chaos. There’s the turkey to roast, gifts to hunt down, parties to attend, and family clamoring for an invite to the American Riviera for the holidays. As a local Montecito wine specialist, clients often turn to me to curate their wine pairings for festive […]
Presqu’ile’s just-announced land purchase will give it a footprint across two of Santa Barbara County’s most revered wine-growing sites. The family-owned winery has already made a name for itself with the wines produced at its Santa Maria Valley location. Founded in 2007 by the Murphy family, the 123-acres estate just north of Highway 101 is […]
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A Montecito Journal reader has a series of works that are dear to my heart. This is a portfolio of early 19th-century foreign and European landscapes rendered in 50 plus lithographs by the Scottish artist David Roberts (Edinburgh, 1796-1864). I had a year abroad in grad school at the University of Edinburgh and met my […]
About a year ago I published a top 10 list: The Do’s and Don’ts of College According to Santa Barbara Alumni. The advice I received above and beyond anything else? If you have the chance to study abroad, do it. As I close my fifth and final year in Scotland, the place I moved to […]
Mother of two children, wife, and business owner with a chemical engineering degree, Monica Vuchkova is the quintessential new modern woman. Based in Santa Barbara, and thanks to her childhood in Bulgaria, food heritage, lifestyle, and her love of people, she started her company The Grazing Place in 2021. She creates exquisite gourmet boards for […]
The mushroom is getting its due time in the spotlight right now and with just cause. This miraculous fungi, which is more of a fruit than a vegetable, is one of the coolest things we consume from nature. Not only is the mushroom incredibly nutritious, but it also plays a vital role in plant health […]
Nestled in the heart of Santa Barbara’s vibrant Funk Zone is La Lieff Wines, a place where wine meets community and everyone is welcomed with open arms. I had the pleasure of sitting down with my close friend Gretchen Lieff, the proprietor and owner of La Lieff Wines, to delve into her journey, the challenges […]
Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT) presented their 2023 Freedom Awards to five recipients for their work in advancing human rights globally. Santa Barbara resident Barbara Rubin is a recipient. Rubin’s work started in the 1990s when she initiated the protection of women and children from sexual exploitation. She volunteers with the Presbyterian Women USA […]
As recently as the early 20th century, a diagnosis of diabetes meant the certainty of a shortened life plagued with complications that would ultimately prove fatal. But thanks in large part to Santa Barbara’s Sansum Diabetes Research Institute (SDRI), the outlook has brightened considerably over the decades. SDRI’s founder was Dr. William Sansum, a pioneer […]
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In the realm of humanitarian aid and global healthcare, individuals like Alycia Clark stand as beacons of hope and progress. As the head pharmacist at Direct Relief, Clark plays a pivotal role in delivering vital medical supplies and assistance to those in need worldwide. Her dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to improving global healthcare have […]
I met the American actress Jane Lynch by total coincidence this summer in a store in Oxford, U.K. Jane is best known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical television series Glee, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. She also starred in Best in Show – which is one of the funniest movies […]
Local Nonprofit Lion Moves to the Heart of Service Geoff Green smiles a lot in conversation, and he’s smiling now. This is not the tactical smile produced through gnashed teeth (you know the one), but a genuine show of pleasure in the moment. This can be disorienting to the part-time social cynic. Or so I’ve […]
There’s a new club in town! The Commission on Culture, Arts, and Joy Justice (CCAJJ) is a new student government associated organization at UCSB founded by PhD student Charlene Macharia. This week I spoke to Macharia to find out what it means to do creative activism and how social justice activists can keep progress moving […]
A recent trip to the Boston area to drop off my son for his first year of college had me guessing what his future diet would be. Would he have access to the same quality, wholesome meals we prepared at home, served with warmth and love? Would he at least enjoy wholesome and nutritious meals […]
