Fitness

Making a Spalsh

SYV Community Aquatics Foundation turning a dream into a landmark. Article by Sara DeMarcus | Photography by Matt DeMarcus Some childhood lessons stay with us forever. Riding a bike. Looking both ways before crossing the street. Learning how to tie a shoe. For many families, swimming belongs on that list. It's more than a recreational activity or summer pastime. It's a life skill. One that builds confidence, encourages healthy habits, and, perhaps most importantly, helps keep children safe...

Arts + Culture

Designed for Living

Why the best homes aren't just beautiful—they're built around the people who call them home. Article by Matt DeMarcus | Photography by Lena Ibarra Walk through a thoughtfully designed home, and it's easy to notice the obvious details first: the finishes, the colors, the lighting, the furniture. But according to interior designer Paige Saltzman of Nanci Paige Design, those elements are only part of the story. A successful home isn't defined by how it photographs. It's defined by how it...

Life + Culture

TRAIL. TEE. AND TERROIR.

How the Santa Ynez Valley dresses for the ride, the round, and the harvest. Article by Sara DeMarcus | Photography by Lena Ibarra The Santa Ynez Valley trusts things made well: vineyards, ranches, tables built to last. Clothing is no different. Very few locals here dress for a trend; they dress for the life they're already living, in pieces meant to hold up. The following two mornings make the case better than any outfit could. Just off Alamo Pintado, Buttonwood Winery's new horseback trail...

Arts + Culture

A Local Canvas

From hand-thrown porcelain to century-old oils. Article by Matt DeMarcus | Photography by Provided No two of these galleries look alike, and that's rather the point of visiting all of them. The Valley's Gallery Scene Gallery Los Olivos | The Valley's largest fine art space, representing 50+ juried artists since 1992. 2920 Grand Ave, Los Olivos | GalleryLosOlivos.com Judith Hale Gallery | 31 years in the Valley, now inside Solvang Antiques, representing artists in western and...

Arts + Culture

The Foundation Behind the Valley

Grants, scholarships, and over thirty years of quiet local investment. Article by Sara DeMarcus | Photography by Provided When Adria Griggs was a high school senior, her parents told her they could only afford community college. Then she received a scholarship from the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation. "It was the reason I got to go to San Diego State," Griggs says. That scholarship set her on a different path. She went on to become a teacher and coach before attending law school. Today, she...

Wellness

Beyond the Supply List

The Back-to-School Checklist designed to help local families prepare for a successful school year. Article by Matt DeMarcus | Photography by N/A Every parent has forgotten something. A permission slip. A sports physical. A school picture order form. Those mistakes are usually easy to fix. The oversights that create the biggest headaches during the school year are often the ones families never realize they're making: routines that aren't in place, risks that haven't been reviewed, and plans...

Arts + Culture

Four Legs, Full Hearts

Pets, families, and the love that needs no explanation. Article by Lena Ibarra | Photography by Lena Britt Photography Some bonds don't need an introduction. They simply exist, and they exist unconditionally. In the way a dog curls at the feet of a sleeping newborn, in the way a child reaches up without looking to find a familiar paw, in the way a whole family leans together for a photo, and someone in the frame has four legs and absolutely no idea they're stealing the shot. I've spent more...

Food + Beverage

Maturation Cycle of Grapes

The maturation cycle of grapes begins with dormancy after harvest is completed during the Fall, and it ends with the harvest of the grapes in late Summer or early Fall of the subsequent year.Dormancy is a period of time which occurs when the grapes have been harvested and the vine senesces or begins to go dormant for the Winter as it prepares itself for the upcoming growing season. It is also that period of time wherein the pruning of the grapevine occurs which will trim much of the previous...

Food + Beverage

AFTERNOON detour

How Sanger Family of Wines is approaching the tasting room experience differently. Article by Matt DeMarcus | Photography by Kathy DeNinno Photography Some of the best afternoons start with a cancellation. Plans fall through, the day opens unexpectedly, and suddenly there’s nowhere to be until dinner. That kind of freedom, unscheduled, unhurried, and slightly unfamiliar, is rarer than it should be, and the instinct is usually to fill it with something productive. The better instinct is to do...

Arts + Culture

Proper Food

Why Luca Crestanelli believes good meals should fit naturally into everyday life. Article by Grace Galloway | Photography by Talia Burkett Helvey|Sister B Studios There are restaurants people visit once for a nice meal, and then there are restaurants people slowly build their lives around. The difference usually has less to do with glamour than familiarity. It’s the feeling of walking into a place and immediately relaxing. It’s knowing your kids are welcome. It’s celebrating birthdays one...