The Voice of East Bay Living

My favorite holiday=Valentine’s Day Every year I make special valentines for my most favorite people. I use heart cookie cutters, make heart molds with cut out potatoes and stamp layers of hearts on top of each other. Try it-fun for the entire family.

Diana Gleghorn 415 271 5767 Diana@collectivebehaviors.com LMFT Inorderto-organize.com

The Hillside Gardeners of Montclair making Christmas wreaths at the annual holiday luncheon. Founded in 1947, there are currently ~120 members who are involved with many volunteer projects, including the maintenance of public gardens in Oakland. Email Sheila at ssabine@grubbco.com for more details.

"Light is not just something we see, it is something we feel." Pam Morris of Exciting Lighting creates amazing works of art out of hand-crafted blown glass and forged metal and then does her magical touches with lighting for top restaurants like Post Trio in San Francisco and famous clients like Wolfgang Puck, Georgio Armani and Sugar Ray Leonard.  Pam is a creative force, distinguished as an avant-garde designer. She was selected as outstanding artist in San Francisco and has spoken and been published widely.  You can see her latest work, 4 foot tall "tectonic split" lights at Waterbar on the Embarcadero.  She also has an every Friday 7-8:30 installation in the tunnel across from the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate park. Battery operated light wands  t ransform a spooky dark space into a Lascaux like magical experience. For more information about Pam please visit her website    or email her at pam@pam-morris-designs.com

Derik Landry, renovator and realtor discussing his latest projects in Winters, California. For more information about Derik Landry, www.dwelldefined.com Sheila Sabine is a business woman, multi-dimensional artist, and Senior Sales Associate at The Grubb Company. ssabine@grubbco.com

Well known Artist and esthétician, Pattie Gerrie blossoms in her Noe Valley Victorian with her husband John and her four adoring Xolo ( pronounced Sho-lo) dogs from Mexico. With Frida Kahlo, the women of Tehuantepec, and the multitude of artistanea of Mexico as her role models, she fills her life with color,positive energy, and inspiration. The house, a living costume, is a kaleidoscope of amazing and beautiful art. For more information about Pattie, please visit her website at pattiegerrie.com Her work will be featured at an exhibition on November 11th at the museo Italio Americano in Fort Mason in San Francisco.

This beautiful, vibrant home is coming to the market soon...  Join me in the warm, orange home office. What's more welcoming than a beautiful red door? A fresh coat of red paint breathes new life into the barn. Interested in learning more about this beautiful home? or others in the area? Connect with Sheila Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com

Before: After:

The Tibetan word for warroirr is pawo , which means to ignore the challenger. The warrior is one who does not engage in aggression. When there is no aggression -trust takes place. When you begin to trust genuinely, you will feel at ease.  How is it possible that one moment I am driving myself mad, distracted by the things happening around me, and the next I am able to be relaxed?  When we resist the temptation of conflict, we are at peace.  Here are my top 3 tips for staying calm in the workplace: 1. Add a touch of beauty to your work station. I love putting up photos and having fresh flowers on my desk.  2. Spread positivity by performing random acts of kindness in the office. Bring cookies for your receptionist or an extra coffee for a co-worker.  3. Responding out of anger isn't the best path. Take deep breathes and gather yourself before replying.

Castoffs from a garden join beautiful blooms to become a gorgeous flower centerpiece.

You can paint your front door just about any color you want as long as it goes with the rest of the house. We have been seeing some very bold colors in recent sold homes. Enclosed is a list of some of the more bold examples : Neon green with grey background Lemonade with granite Boulder background  Coco Pelley teal with storybook gray Fiery red orange- with wood siding  Daffodil with sedate gray Peony  with Chelsea grey Turquoise with white or grey background Remember that a neutral supporting backdrop will really show off the wow front door color. If you are hesitant on taking the plunge with a bold color, you can b uy a small can of paint first and paint a large sheet of paper to see how it will look first.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is making wreaths from grapevines which I personally cut on a private Sonoma vineyard. I braid grapevines and then decorate the wreaths. I enjoy giving these personalized decorations as gifts to my loved ones.  Wreaths have a long history dating back to 776 B.C. when laurel wreaths were used to crown victors in Olympic Games  and as head ornaments for royalty. In more recent times, wreaths became adornments for front doors and walls during the holiday season. 

Before & After photos of our lovely Grand Lake home at 649 Mariposa. You will see living room, dining room, master bedroom and front door. Adding a bit of polish to make this house shine.  It closed escrow in 20 days-over the asking price.  Living Room - fresh coat of paint and furniture rearrangement. Dining Room - mirrors added to built-ins cabinets to create depth. Bedroom - new comforter set, pillows, and lights. Front Door - new color, brass kickplate, and brass numbers.