Lotusland, Montecito’s 37-acre botanical paradise, is now even more fragrant than usual! In collaboration with Heretic Perfume, the estate has launched its second limited-edition organic scent inspired by Ganna Walska, the avant-garde Polish opera singer and designer, and her colorful creation. More than 90 years ago the opera singer created a line of perfumes in […]

French pianist Hélène Grimaud made her third CAMA Masterseries appearance at the Lobero and, true to form, was at the top of her game. In the penultimate show of her U.S. tour, Grimaud, 54, played the “B” list with works including Beethoven’s “Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major,” Brahms’ 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117 and […]

Yours truly was front and center on TMZ Investigates on Fox regarding Carpinteria actor Kevin Costner’s divorce war with his wife Christine Baumgartner. A crew of seven visited Maison Mineards Montecito two weeks back to shoot a half hour interview with TMZ founder Harvey Levin, who was on Zoom from Los Angeles. The hour-long show […]

Santa Barbara Choral Society showed its true colors when it staged a Red, White, and Blues concert under veteran conductor JoAnne Wasserman at Trinity Episcopal Church. In a nod to America’s rich multi-cultured heritage of musical traditions featuring works by Leonard Bernstein, Randall Thompson, Shawn Kirchner, and Eric Whitacre, the entertaining show was a musical […]

It’s undoubtedly one of our Eden by the Beach’s most expensive properties. An 11-acre Hope Ranch oceanside estate, consisting of three parcels, is up for grabs for $88 million. It was formerly owned by an old friend, Betty Stephens, whose husband founded Jonny Cat litter, and has a 7,265 square foot main house built in […]

It wasn’t exactly Dr. Dolittle, but Montecito oceanographer resident Dove Joans, who writes under the pseudonym Dolphingirl, claims to be able to communicate with animals, particularly whales and dolphins. In 2019, she wrote We Are the Ocean: 50 Waves to Wonder! and has just published the second edition of Dolphin Talk, which she wrote in […]

Camerata Pacifica debuted its latest import-flutist Sébastian Jacot in a most impressive concert at the Music Academy’s Hahn Hall, with a program including music by Bach, Haydn, and Jolivet. Geneva-born Jacot, who began studying music at the age of six, also holds the position as principal flute at the prestigious Berliner Philharmoniker. He plays a […]

Sports fans galore descended on the George Washington Smith Montecito estate of technology executive Howard Cannon, just a tiara’s toss from the home of singer Katy Perry and her British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom, for Cannon’s popular seventh annual Super Bowl party. With commercial time during the CBS broadcast of the matchup between the Kansas […]

Opera Santa Barbara’s newest production – Verdi’s historical melodrama Il Trovatore, a story of superstition, revenge, and ill-fated love in medieval Spain, including the famous “Anvil Chorus” – was an absolute delight. Featuring a powerhouse cast at the Lobero with tenor Harold Meers, soprano Karin Wolverton, baritone Timothy Mix, bass Andrew Potter, with mezzo soprano […]

The three-year-old charity Hearts Aligned, which supports critically ill children, had a record sold-out turnout for its second annual Hearts to Hearts Valentine’s lunch at the oceanside Cabrillo Pavilion. More than 180 guests raised around $150,000 for the organization founded by Vivian Solodkin who, along with David Edelman and Brigitte Welty, co-chaired the boffo bash. […]