Photo taken with iPhone camera

If you are a PC user, this was a major event that happened here in San Diego. I was not able to make it Thursday Jun 24th to the Grand Opening of Microsoft’s First Retail Store in San Diego but the celebration is still going on. And had I arrived just one hour earlier, I would been able to see the musician John Legend perform live there right in the front window of the store ( see white Yamaha piano in window) .

Even though I am an Apple user, I also use Microsoft on my Mac, so I am interested in Microsoft. What a beautiful store and the amount of personnel made me think I was in the Apple store. I was spoken to the moment I entered the store and then soon spotted what had to be one of the most intriguing notebook computers I have ever seen. In fact I couldn’t even figure out how to open it.

Immediately someone came over and and showed me. Wow, was I impressed. You simply run your hand over the front edge, the light turns blue and voila, you lift the thinnest screen on the thinnest computer I have ever seen.   And If that weren’t enough I saw things I have never seen before. I saw the table top touch screen computer the size big enough for about 4 people to comfortably play computer games in total ease, gadgets and software that would make you think you might have died and gone to “Technology Heaven“. Talk about toys for all ages. An amazing experience of the newest offerings in technology.

This all started because after my late in the day listing appointment and being close by to the mall, I wanted to stop in to see first hand the new Microsoft Store. I also needed to go into Apple, a couple stores away to see the newly released iPhone 4 since I will be due for an upgrade later this year. I naturally tried out the new 5 megapixel camera and the new video feature.  The resolution and quality of both were remarkable and the ease of using the video will make this a very desirable ad-on feature of the phone. While there I also tried out the new iPad which is still the coolest looking tablet but I will wait for the second edition for some needed ad-on features I am hopeful will be on the second edition.

So it was a late day of learning about what is new on the market and where the technology dollars will be parceled out later in the year.  All this was really eye candy for this techno wizard want-a-be.

After seeing this little guy coming through my yard for a couple weeks and never having my camera handy, I finally caught up with him this afternoon ( assuming of course that it is a him). I never remember seeing rabbits where I live but this little thing seems to have adopted my place. At first I thought it was a compliment but my garden seems to be his main source for food.

My first mistake of course was in assuming that being this small, he couldn’t eat that much or do much harm so I just enjoyed his scampering around and coming up close to check me out. He isn’t the nervous type either. So I brought out carrots trying to feed it but he came over , sniffed them and tuned his nose up to them. Of course I never heard of a rabbit that didn’t like carrots but you are looking at one. Well that was last week. His culinary tastes have been greatly expanded.

I have since learned that he likes just about everything else in my yard, including the grass. What he just finished eating to the ground were my Lemon colored Day Lillies. The roots are still there ( no gophers as yet) and some stubs but little else. One day I had plants that were about to bloom and the next time I look they are but stubs sticking out the ground. I think sometime tomorrow we are going to have to part company. As I was contemplating how to fix the problem,  an image of father come into my head with him saying, “It’s a bit late to worry about closing the barn door now, the horse is already out and half way to China by now” .

Well, he does take a nice photo, hehehe.

Sometimes San Diego real estate buyers and sellers experience difficulty selecting the perfect Real Estate Professional to assist them with their home buying and selling experience.

Often it can be as easy as taking a test to find the perfect agent for your home buying or selling experience.

Find out who truly is the very best Real Estate Professional for YOU!

(DON’T SCROLL DOWN YET)
DO THE SIMPLE MATH BELOW, AND THEN SCROLL DOWN TO FIND THE PERFECT REAL ESTATE AGENT FOR YOU.

No Peeking!!!
It’s AMAZINGLY CRAZY how accurate this is!!

1) Pick your favorite number between 1-9
2) Multiply by 3
3) Add 3
4) Multiply by 3, again
5) You should now have a 2 or 3 digit number….
6) Add the digits together

Now, scroll down.

With that number, see who your PERFECT AGENT is from the list below:
(1) Your cousin, Vinny, who just received his real estate license this past Tuesday

(2) Bob, who rode his bicycle 7 miles to your house, because he lost his license to drive

(3) Nancy, who told you to get in, sit down, and shut up, because you were in for the ride of your life

(4) Madeline, the agent who consulted with a Ouija board to determine your home’s list price

(5) Eric, who brought his aggressive Pit Bull along for showings, because he didn’t know “who” or “what” we might encounter while viewing vacant properties

(6) Marcus, your car’s auto-mechanic, who also sells real estate on Sundays, and sometimes in the evenings

(7) Allison, who once volunteered her time at the hospital, but is into real estate as a hobby now.

(8) Ellis, who told you before you could sell your home you needed to complete the list of 78 improvements on your home. Total cost of improvements $56,000. Home value – $150,000

(9) William Johnson – Realtor for over 20 years and lives here in wonderful San Diego. Caring, experienced and the consummate professional.

(10) Oh, oh, need to cross Don’s name off this list, because we buried him last month.
See, it wasn’t that difficult to select the perfect real estate professional after all.

At the end of your successful real estate home buying or selling experience with #9, you will know how accurate this test was!

Why are you laughing???

P.S. Stop picking different numbers. Just dial (858-487-6975) and ask for William Johnson, author of the Real Estate Text Book with over 20 years of experience. Tell him you took the test, and it told you to call.

*This test is meant for entertainment purposes only! Any names used (other than my own), are either fictional, or have been changed to protect the guilty!

ActiveRain as a network helped us recognize through various tutorials from Brad Andersohn, Jeremy Blantan and Bob Stewart and many others associates in the network on how to log in , set ourselves up with accounts and then invite others to join in. I expect knowing how to do this and actually doing it, there is sometimes a gap or least a couple big questions that pop into our minds.

For some they may see this effort as a frivolous waste of time, as surely no one ever listed their home or bought one because when they were kids they collected stamps and you happened to do that as well. Don’t try and draw any early conclusions just yet as I begin to explore with you, some easy, friendly and very social ways to get started and stay connected.

So let’s assume you already signed up and connected your self to Facebook. Now what? The system in place takes over and voila, you have 3 or 4 friends in the first couple hours. Is that it? No, but it is a beginning of what you already know to be a form of Viral Marketing- which is nothing more complicated than having many others spreading the word. In this case you do a little and others each do a little  and before long, lots of people are spreading the word. Your word.  The problem is that the 3 new friends are also in Real Estate and the chances of them Buying or selling anything with you is about as remote as winning the lottery. Since you don’t play the lottery either, guessing that analogy doesn’t mean much, right? Stay with me.

So do you get the bigger group of networked  friends and actually connect with others that you don’t know but would likley accept as a friend if someone referred them? You can log off Facebook for a bit because you have some thinking and writing to do. Maybe a bit more work than that but try this much smaller effort.

Talk to anyone of your clients you are presently working with and ask them if they have ever heard of Facebook. If they aren’t in advanced senior living, they will likely say yes that they have heard of it or even have a profile there. Ask them about what their experience is and 1. ask if they have already or would add their own profile to Facebook. 2. tell them you will help them get started if they haven’t already. ( 2 newbies and some acquaintances can be a good start).

But how do build somehing meaningful that might help you gain business in the longer run.

Set a goal for yourself to make lists. A list of important business connections you already have. A list of friends, past clients, church members, members of clubs or professional organizations you belong to. Lists of everyone you know, and even lists of those you would like to know. Keep that list for last. So lets identify a few and see what that looks like.

If you have been in real estate  for more than an aftrernoon, you will know a real estate attorney, you will know a building contractor, you will know a plumber, you will know an electrician, you will know a doctor, you know lots of people actually that usually escape you when you are thinking of your business sphere of influence . ( meaning that if you paid them or referred them for a product or service, they consider you either their client or a business friend). And all these people know lots of other people.

After you have made up your list and have an e-mail address or phone number beside each name, log back into Facebook and see how many are already there. Searching is quite easy. When you find them, set them up as a friend. For the ones you don’t find, send them an e-mail and ask them if they have a profile on Facebook or call them. If they do have a profile, add them as friends. If they don’t have a profile  set up, invite them to join Facebook. You can offer to help them get started in the network.

And you will notice as each of these people begin to add friends, there will be others that you might have known, have met in the past or just sound interesting and you could also make them to be a friend. They will see you immediately with the automated “Friend” request when they log in, you will pop-up in the friends in common.

So even with out building more friends from more lists , it is time to contribute to your new connected culture. Write something on the walls of your friends. Or send them a note to say hello. It should be personal and the goal is seek a common interest. So reading around about what they are saying to others might give you a clue of their interests. Furthering that goal, remember that it is “not about you” , it is about them and what you can easily  and comforatably share with them. So find ways of recognizing them even if it is just a Birthday or Anniversary wish. Try this and so you will see how easy it is to find that common denominator for a comment thread.

This is about conversation. An easy way to strike up a conversation if you can’t think of anything beside the weather ( boring), is to ask them a personal or engaging question. Ask to meet them for coffee some time, just keep the connection about personal and not about how good real estate is or how bad it is. There is plenty enough time for that should the need arise.

If someone shares a personal moment, don’t try to be the One -Uppsman. It doesn’t inspire conversation, it usually shuts it down.

Learn about your new friends and the interests they have that drives them. What inspires them, what do they like to respond to. Learn what you have in common.  You will build new friendships and revitalize old ones. It is easy. And there are wonderful ways to build your friendship lists up. It is not how many friends you have on the list. It is about how many of those friends you take the time to engage with.

Facebook like all the other networks has many features and even subcultures that at first might seem daunting. Don’t worry about them or cram them into your learning curve. Much of the best part of Facebook is that you can learn easily by doing. It so much more important to participate than to learn it all and not use it. Join in , it’s fun and so easy. Remember , “you can learn most easily by participating”.

Friends would much rather have business relationships with the friends they know and trust then the plethora of people that mean nothing to them. Our Digital decade has evolved and as we transition to our new connected environment, it will one day be as natural as answering the phone. You can optimize your friendships further by sharing links to all your real estate advise and counsel as it is a friendly way to say, “Hey, if you have questions about real estate, you know I’m here”. Not a bad comment in itself, feel free to use it.

Well over 400 participants converged at the downtown San Diego location of the world famous Stingaree NightClub, hosted by Jim Marks, NAR, Zillow and countless others, the REBarCampSD kicked off yesterday morning at 8:30Am and ended with a party like reception outside on the rooftop under the stars of the Stingareee Nightclub. This Venue I am told may be one of the most outstanding ever to host the BARCamp events.

What an extraordinary experience!

“Attendees don’t just watch a set list of speakers. They give their own talks. Podcasting. Web standards. Microformats. Gum stick computers. Physical security. Robotics. Evolutionary algorithms. It can be anything. One of the best barcamp presentations ever given was about sandwiches. BarCamp is what you make of it.” a quote taken from the REBar Camp site.

Topics today included the “Importance of and increasing SEO for your website” presented by Drew Meyers ( Zillow ) through topics on “Blogging” , by Jay Thompson and Kris Berg ( PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com and SanDiegoCastles.com) “Marketing properties with Photos “,” Syndication of the WordPress platform, Social Networks and guidelines for maximizing your experience,” Introducing Posterous.com”, presented by Eric Stegemann. All the social network gurus were there to help each us learn the many ways to interact and build and establish relationships. Social Networks are about Relationship Building. There were experienced “REO Specialists” conducting discussions on the “future and explosion of REO’s”, “ShortSale Specialist Experiences”, and “How to convert Online Consumer Leads” by Bob Wilson. There are too many topics to name all of them but certainly all of the many remarkable topics had presenters giving of their time to help each of us participating to always have the best online experience.

There were 3 levels of areas at the venue ( 12 specific and named areas ) used throughout the venue creating 12 simultaneous classrooms, that changed topics every 30 minutes. The sessions involved a presenter that guided the full participation of each and every attendee. As they say, “ This is not a spectator sport”. To maximize your shared knowledge and experiences, everyone was encouraged not to just attend but to actively participate.

Some of us knew each other well on line and today many of us from ActiveRain, Facebook,Twitter, Linked In, met in person for the first time. I guess you can just imagine how incredible that was.

What an amazing event and I was overwhelmed with the outpouring for friendship and sharing at this most amazing experience.

I am re-posting this post that I originally published on another blog for Real Estate Professionals.. The reason is simple really, I feel it will help you the consumer to know our passion and dedication to learn all that we can that will ultimately help you the most in your real estate decisions. To know that we care to be the very best we can be in providing you state of the art services for any transaction that will assure you the best result.

If you are Buying, Selling or Relocating to San Diego and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me a call or visit my San Diego Real Estate website and sign up for Listing alerts for your favorite San Diego Home and Condominium Property Searches.

I specialize in Single Family Homes and Condominiums throughout the coast and inland areas of San Diego. Some of those communities are La Jolla, University Town Center, Bay Park, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Scripts Ranch, Poway, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho
Penasquitos,Carmel Valley and Solona Beach. If I didn’t mention a city or community that you are interested in, just let me know and i will find you an expert for that community as well.

San Diego Real Estate …. WOW!…Wireless Discount Coupons with new iPhone App…. YOWZA!!

Wireless is in, paper is out. Even for those that like to clip coupons to their favorite restaurants or department stores. With competition heating up, having access to coupons on your cell phone will make it really easy. Remember to take your phone with you and forget the paper coupon.

Well,that is how it is for some businesses already and there will be growing encouragement on retailers to be sure to add their coupons online as well as  running those coupons in newspapers and mailers and making them available to access right on your phone.

The software app was developed by Yowsa and can be downloaded now for iPhone users. Perhaps there will be other platforms in the near future but for now, iPhone is the place. When I have asked people what kind of phone they have and they answer other than the iPhone, I always chuckle and say , “Gee that’s too bad”. The truth is though that I am sure all phones with data plans will eventually have these type of apps. When you think about it, clipping coupons is not always convenient and most often, even when you have a coupon, you forget to take it, at least I do.

Problem solved. At least for a few companies that are integrating their coupons with the Yowsa software that runs the app. And the way it works is so cool. You either get a promotional code that is imputted into the cash register at time of checkout or you get a bar code right on the screen of your iPhone and it can be scanned.

What could be more convenient ? Frankly with the economy the way it is and people looking for breaks in retail and food prices anywhere they can find them, this new service could not be more timely. This idea could also work for any type of service that might include hair salons, carpet cleaners, dry cleaners, laundry, car washes,  etc.

There will be more and more of demand for online coupons as people start asking about them. As people get used t the idea that these great money savers are online and ready for them, they will downloading the app and taking advantage so that they can carry all the coupons with them. These coupons might even determine where you might want to eat lunch one day based just on the fact that you have a coupon with you.

I downloaded the app and a number of stores come up. For example, REI, Sears, Saks Fifth Ave, The Container store, Islands Restaurant, Pier 1 Imports, Rubio’s, The Sports Authority,Tutti Fruiti Yogurt, Mountain Mikes Pizza , Loehman’s, golf courses and there were more. I had written to Yowza seeking permission to use their logo which they granted and they also informed me that some new restaurants in my area are about to come on line with Yowza. Great news.

Yowza has this cool little dial for how many miles away you want your list from. There is a also an FAQ section on Yowza’s Home page.

You will want to check this out. And I have an idea from the vast number of stores I haven’t mentioned that Yowza could use some help getting the word out and I for one will be telling stores where I shop about it and encouraging them to sign up. Hey, it’s in our best interest, right? So tell your clients about it, tell from friends and mention it at stores you shop in. I thnk Yowza is going to become one of my favorite iPhone apps.

San Diego Real Estate- What’s The Future Of Our Technology and Our Mother Earth

We are still in the infancy stage of developing the technology that will become common place in our world. Technology has been developing since the dawn of civilization in one form or another. In recent decades, we are bombarded with so many different manifestations of it in our daily lives. But more recently as different ways of utilizing it come out in the market, we as consumers anxiously try to obtain as many of these latest and greatest gadgets as our budgets allow. We are filling our homes and cars with them everyday.

There is however a bigger price to pay than what we can easily afford. We are  beginning to see what all these machines and the gadgets look like as they pile up in our homes, older models not being used and relegated to the garage or anyplace else we find to store them. This includes old printers, monitors, computers, PDA’s, cell phones, scanners, copiers, analog TV’s, first and 2^nd generation digital cameras. If you can name it we each probably have several. Now think of all the people that must have some of these old antiquated things and you begin to see what the landfills will be looking like when theses items are incorrectly disposed of.

One day soon, we will need to strike the ultimate balance when everything we want and even create the need for,  somehow integrates itself seamlessly into our homes. I imagine a day when we will have one great master system and everything we have, technology wise,  will be a part of the master system.

In America, we all need our gadgets, the cell phones, iPod and mp3 players , PDA’s and laptops, video players and DVD’s, CDRoms and Scanners, copiers and printers, desk top computers and notebook PC’s and TV’s of all shapes, sizes and models. But we also continue to look to others to be responsible when it is time to rid them from our lives. There was nothing on the box that said, please return these to the manufacturer when they have served their useful life.

Mother Earth is screaming not to stuff these  in her secret places and not to bury them them beneath her skin or in her waters. While she is screaming, only a few can hear her. She has been tuned out with the noise of society, the same one she comforted before they abused her. She is no longer silent, she has gathered many voices new voices, not as melodious as her voice but they’re speaking for her often.

San Diegoans stare in awe at the night sky of the amazing specular pyrotechnics on display tonight throughout 16 areas of San Diego. And yes, yours truly will be at one of them, hopefully to get some new outstanding pictures for next years post.

The Big Bay Boom as it is called on the Bay in Downtown San Diego has a budget of over $100,000 and is best seem from Seaport Village. One of the best ways to get is there is park at one of the satellite trolley stations near downtown and take the trolley. You can avoid much of the traffic associated with this annual event and simply walk from the trolley station to Seaport Village.

Some of the other great locations around the county include, La Jolla, Ocean Beach, SeaWorld, Camp Pendleton, Poway, Mira Mesa, El Cajon, Coronado. Not to worry that you will miss something, these shows are all coordinated with two production companies, Fireworks America and Pyro Spectaculars and though some of the shows may be a little smaller, the varieties of fireworks and the displays will be extraordinary no matter which one of the shows you attend are more convenient.

Though most of the fireworks come from China, San Diegoans will see some of the more expensive and high end selections from Spain ,Portugal and Italy. These are not to be missed. Happy July 4^th Everyone and Be Safe as we celebrate our Country’s Birthday.

Living in San Diego, we needs fan to circulate the wonderful breezes we are get living near the ocean. But if your windows are closed up and if you have no fans, you are missing one of the best features of living here in San Diego. Ceiling fans today are a very affordable alternative to air conditioning and reasonably easy to install.

So for starters lets turn off the air conditioning on those days when the temperature starts rising into the high 70’s and 80’s. Open up the windows and turn on the fans. Costco sells these portable misters and a quick shot on the face or neck and you will be cooled right down. The Misting Mates are made for outside, but if you don’t tell, I won’t. And don’t fear getting wet, just take a quick spray and with the air being circulated through your home you will feel very comfortable.

I would recommend that you invest in a programmable Thermostat. These can be purchased in the range of $30. You will save an energy costs the first year, as much as several
hundred dollars. In a few years, we’re talking real money.

The cost of a new energy wise air-conditioning system on average runs in the range of  about $2500-$3000. It will only take a few years to earn all that savings back and there
may also be some local and state tax incentives for upgrading. Making a phone call to your power company and following that up with a couple calls to the leading HVAC suppliers
should give you all the information and related contact information.

Installing a whole house fan will also dramatically help lift up and out, a lot of warm air trapped near your ceilings or in your upstairs level. You will notice the change
rather immediately once this is installed.

In the hottest summer months, lower the temperature on your water heater. The recommended temperature somewhere between 110 and 115°. Taking cooler showers will also make you feel cooler and save a lot of energy.

Consider doing most of your cooking outside on the grill. It keeps the house a lot cooler and saves boatloads of energy.

Wash clothes in cold water. Even the dirtiest whites will come clean with the warm setting. Be sure to also reduce the amount of detergent. Less is more in most cases.

The summer months provide so many wonderful activities for outside. Turn off the TV or at least try watching it less.

Overhead recessed lighting also generates a lot of heat and using these less will cut down on your energy bills. There is one way however it is proven to be very cost-effective.
Change out all those incandescent bulbs to the new low-energy fluorescent. These bulbs may be a little more costly, but they last longer than virtually give off no heat. Check
with your city power companies. They have periodically set up free exchanges and that makes these new bulbs virtually free.

There are some other more permanent and longer range ways of economizing on energy. These would include having your home well insulated and it saves a ton of money on energy
costs year around. Good insulation could cut your energy costs as much as 30% a year there is a website, simply go to insulate.com that would help you get even more ideas.

A good landscaping plan a planting leafy trees on the southwest side of the house will help the extreme heat from overheating the house. In the winter months after all the
leaves have fallen, the leafless trees allow the sun to keep the house warm. It’s also wise to avoid excessive use of rock, concrete and especially asphalt, particularly on the
west and south side of the house. This heats up with the sun and radiates heat to the house making it even more difficult to cool.

The south and west sides of your home as I  mentioned gets the most sun and the heat can be reduced significantly by installing white blinds on the windows. The sun and heat are reflected back off of the windows and helps to keep the house cooler as well.

There are many other heat cutting and energy savings ideas. If you know some, send me a comment and I can add them here. Thanks for sharing.

For those of you who live in San Diego that don’t know of this place, it is one of the oldest continually operating wineries in southern California. And for those who don’t live here, this needs to be on your itinerary the next time you visit.

The Rancho Bernardo Winery was founded back in 1889 on what was a Spanish Land Grant, the winery was opened and operated until Prohibition. The winery is located in a valley that used to be covered with vineyards and with the advent of Prohibition, the winery went up for sale. When it was purchased in 1927 by  Vincent Rizzo, the harvest was then used to produce grape juice and sacramental wine. After Prohibition ended, the winery became a major wine producing company along with it’s famed Cold Pressed Virgin Olive oil made from the many olive trees that were found on the property.

As the valley began to grow and the land was purchased for residential development, the vineyards disappeared and today, the Rancho Bernardo Winery imports most of its wine making grapes from around the county and state. In 1962 when Ross Rizzo, the son of the founder took over the winery, he turned it into what it is today, a destination.

When you visit the Rancho Bernardo Winery, you will be overtaken with the vast amount of antiquities found everywhere on the property, even to include a museum. There are over a dozen village shops, a wine tasting room, a coffee shop, an award winning cafe and more charm than you can fit into an afternoon.

The Arts and Crafts Fair was filled to capacity with local artists showing their creations. I was taken with several of them for their unique design qualities as well as with the artist themselves.

Two artists that create these sculptures from gourds really caught my eye.

Ruth Phillips and Vickie Echols proudly display their creations. Each artist creates their unique pieces using the gourd as inspiration and from there, their artistry takes over and you can see here for yourself, each one is its own little unique masterpiece.

Ms. Vickie Echols (on the left) creates beautiful object d’arts using gourds as the core of the piece then enhanced with a woven reed type material. Many of her pieces have a distinct Southwestern influence. Each one is totally unique and a real stand out.

Ruth Phillips also uses gourds in her designs ( one of my favorites that first got my attention is the purple gourd pictured here) some of which also have the look of metal sculptures like her bird collection. Ruth’s Bird designs are made completely from gourds or cuttings from gourds finished in metallic finishes that would simulate aged and weathered bronze. These pieces are truly stunning! Both Vicki and Ruth will showing at the 13th Annual Gourd and Fiber Art Show May 17th through June 28th, 2009 at the Falbrook Art Center.

Another artist, Susan Smith, who I had the pleasure of visiting with is a world traveler and has her art studio in Spanish Village in Balboa Park. Susan uses computer software to create her work by enhancing her photography creating the affects of oil, acyclic and water colors. One of my favorite pieces that Susan has done is shown below titled “Vernazza II” ~ Cinque Terre. Her technique is called Fauxtography. A true Artist and a lovely person to boot. Susan can be reached at susankphotography@yahoo.com

Throughout the entire Arts and Crafts Fair, there are so many wonderful items reflecting some of the outstanding talent to be found here in San Diego. I was taken with a very novel idea of unique garden art as presented by “Creative Garden Art”.

The artist uses old chairs, furniture, antique objects from decades past and creates some of most unusual garden planters you will ever see.

Planting chair seats might never have occurred to you but when see them, it is little wonder everyone wants one. For things already designed or custom commissions, Creative Garden Arts can be reached at 1-760-724-8906

One of the biggest and permanent contributors of art at the Winery is the Stone and Glassworks Studio at the RB Winery.

Since the glass blowing and artistry takes place right there on the site, wandering into their gallery and design studio display will delight the senses. Some of the more creative and beautiful glass works I have ever seen can be found here. James Stone is the Master Glass Artist and using the word “master” would be no stretch at all. To see the magic he creates is something you will likely never forget. Take a look at one of his most recent glass wall sculptures and be dazzled with a love seat in glass.  James can be reached at his studio 858-485-7701

With so many wonderful art and crafts, this show is such a wonderful representation of the many Arts and Crafts artists we have here in San Diego.

This show will be repeated this October and I would recommend strongly that if you have never been here, that you should make this a priority. And it will be perfect timing for the Christmas Holidays.

There is plenty of parking nearby and come early and plan to stay for lunch and enjoy the wonderful settings, antiquities, the art and crafts, the food and don’t forget to visit one of the most fabulous bakeries in all of San Diego.

The Bon Bon Bakery and Chocolates. Their offerings are so outstanding and beautiful they rightfully belong in the art show itself.  Here is just a little sample to tempt you. The genius behind these amazing delights is Joanne Hansen.

No photograph could ever do justice to these colorful chocolates, exquisitely hand decorated. The cakes and pastries are nothing short of amazing and  the collection of chocolates will certainly whet your sweet tooth. For special orders call JoAnne at 858-592-0570

From the time you walk through the gates at the Rancho Bernado Winery, you will be awe struck with its lush vineyards and the mediterannean influence of the gardens in this exquisite setting.

The antiquities are found over the entire poperty and you will see things that you have likely never seen before. Please plan to do a wine tasting and visit the museum. In short, plan to make a day of it and you will walk away having experienced one of “San Diego’s Best Kept Secrets“.