Joanne Ramsay

Summer is wedding time!  Whether you are the mother of the bride or groom or a privileged guest it’s important to find a dress that is appropriate to the occasion and that you feel good wearing!! Some questions to steer you in your search: Location:  Is the venue formal or relaxed? Is it indoors or […]

There is lots of chatter these days around luxury handbags.  What are the hot bags?  How do I get them?  Why are they so expensive? What do I look for? How do I store them? Who better to answer these questions than Peggy Urban, Nordstrom’s Luxury Specialist and TOP SELLER of luxury handbags! Peggy lives

Jo has been going to Santa Barbara for about 35 years and loves to keep tabs on where to eat, shop, hike, beach walk, and where to look for a certain Duchess. Our previous 2024 guide to Santa Barbara was so popular that we decided to update it based on Jo’s recent trip back to

Bay Area decorator Alison Johnston has helped many, many clients purchase art for their homes. But not everyone has the time, access, or budget to makes gallery purchases so buying art online is a terrific option. But where does one go to buy art online?! Here Alison shares her expert resources. Do you know the

Does your outdoor space need a refresh? Is everything looking tired after a long winter? Seasonal pillows faded, umbrellas teetering, furniture rusty or falling apart??? It might be time to update the space and get it ready for relaxing afternoons outside and BBQs with friends, or just spruced up so it’s not an eyesore.  A

Mother’s Day is May 12th, less than a month away so it’s time to start planning now!  Don’t forget this day isn’t about just your mother (if you’re lucky enough to still have her in your life!). It’s also time to celebrate grandmothers, aunts, sisters, mothers-in-law, etc . . The more ‘mature’ the mom, the

Have you ever read a book and wondered if you picked up on everything the author intended? Or wondered what a literature professor might say about the book and if there are any themes you may have missed? I recently had that experience after reading The North Woods, a popular book that everyone seemed to

It’s getting to be that time again – to swap out the black pants for white jeans! Some of you may wear white jeans all year round (as a lot of European women do), while others pull them out of their off-season stack come spring.  Many times, the white isn’t quite so white anymore and

It’s time to put away the heavy leather winter purses and totes, bring out the straw bags, and unleash your summer style!  A must have for any outing – daytime lunches, farmers market hauls or a trip to the beach, and a smaller bag for dinner – straw bags are available in all shapes, sizes,

Many people we know are trying to use ‘clean’ products as much as possible, especially as it relates to beauty and home cleaning items. There are different schools of thought on what is considered ‘clean’, and who the ‘authority’ is. What Does ‘Clean’ Mean?  In a broad sense, a general definition of ‘clean’ skincare, makeup,