6/01/2015

Sports Banquet Decorations on a Budget



Making table arrangements for banquet without spending a dime.

My son’s final season Lacrosse banquet was last night. No money in the budget for decorations. I’m not a committee meeting attendee, but I showed up at the seating area outside of the closed Starbucks three weeks ago. No coffee, as they are remodeling. I volunteered to make twelve arrangements. I was dreaming about fields, school colors of blue and white, and appearing whimsical.

Items needed: bins for compost/ grass base/ flowers from your garden or neighbors/ color print  images of the team/ strong scissors/ baby crummy scissors/ packing tape or whatever tape you have/ used cardboard boxes (USPS UPS or ones from wine boxes are all good), ruler, old lacrosse balls, an old t-shirt in the school color, fishing line.

First step I had in mind was to grow sod, or grass in a rectangle field shaped container. I visited Home Depot and they graciously gave me these long black holders for four inch pots. The sod bin had one tired brown piece of grass (cost nine dollars including tax but I didn’t purchase it). Instead I filled the eleven bins with compost from my yard and sprinkled rye grass into the bins. The seed didn’t grow as quickly as I planned, as we have had cooler weather with no rain. The bins turned green and brown. To cover up the brown I added rosemary, some small leaf geraniums and clover flowers the night before. The now lively base became a vase to hold white roses, blue statice, forget me nots and daisies. As you can see they are whimsical but they set the tone for fun. It may be difficult to see the blue lacrosse balls in the middle of the flowers but scroll down, you'll see...

 


Tools: baby crummy scissors for scoring the cardboard (just pressing through 1/3 of the material not cutting to fold, sharp scissors, maker, tape some fishing or clear wire

Materials:
print images of the players and some team images, used cardboard, bins from garden supply, old tshirt in school color, used balls splashed with poster paint.





When you measure the garden bin keep one clean to test fit as you go. I made one too small and it was easy to open the sides and expand. Each corner will need two to three slits from the edge of the rim into the corner. This allows for bending around the black garden bin and allows for errors. I  didn't use the ruler, all were cut by estimating. The material is free so if you make an error just tape an extension corner on. The cardboard isn't to hold the vase, its purpose is to hide the unattractive black plastic with your team images and mascot logo 


cut slits to make the box fit
below scoring the inside for folds. note my lines are not perfect this was late at night 



Here's some tables minutes before the start






I had this idea  that the balloons would float the ball in the tshirt net cradle, but found
three balloons can't hold up a Lacrosse ball. 
I attached the fishing line to the t-shirt net around the
ball thinking this was going to look like a ball coming in for a landing on the field.
Instead, I tied the balloon ribbons and they appeared to be flying off .
It was pretty. Accidents can be fun.
No time or money to run back to the dollar store for more balloons.
Cost of total project $15.00 for helium balloons, they gave us a few extra.



These little Lacrosse ornaments were placed on each player's table setting.
Now I think they would be nicer attached to a key chain, or
with white grosgrain ribbon to use on a Christmas tree or hang from a rear
view mirror.


The party was a success. Dana Hills High School Lacrosse 2015 banquet!
"Whatever you do, wherever you go, do  great."  That's a quote from me.
Preparation, creativity and fun  - I'll miss these gentlemen

Roses for You


An abundance of roses, can you imagine receiving this
arrangement that is five feet tall.
I'm sending it to you with cheerful thoughts
It's a sunny at seven AM -we have experienced May gloom
for a couple weeks.
Time to clean out the bird feeders and make sure the
places where they nested last year are ready.
I have mourning doves in my gazebo taking turns sitting on
their brood, and two varieties of humming birds with babies on
the way.
May you look for simple pleasures today

5/28/2015

Easy Salmon recipe




So Easy Salmon Recipe

Ingredients:
Fresh not farmed salmon with skin on
3 sprigs of rosemary for each piece of salmon longer than the flesh
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil

Prep time : 2 minutes
Cut fresh rosemary and rinse in water
Wrap the rosemary around the salmon
Sprinkle with soy sauce and olive oil
skin side down
Wrap in foil tent
Grill or bake time: 5 minutes or less check thickness of fish

This can go on a hot barbecue or in the oven at 400 degrees
Take off heat in eight minutes and keep wrapped in the foil for four
Check center for the pinkness you prefer

Nutrition facts:  vitamin B3 (niacin) and vitamin B6.Vitamin B3 helps to lower cholesterol levels, whereas vitamin B6 improves brain health, Vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids protein packed

Author: Caroline Gerardo
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: California 
Cook time total: 7 minutes

salmon grilled wrapped in rosemary
Serve with a spinach salad and a glass of chardonnay

5/06/2015

Home Prices Push Mortgage Rates Increase


C G Barbeau(949) 784- 9699
NMLS 324982
Mortgage Consultant
Eagle Home Mortgage





Supply and Demand Pushing Home Prices Higher

Tuesday, May 5, 2015 


Nationwide home prices are now within 10 percent of their pre-crash peaks and seven states have surpassed those peaks, some have been establishing new high marks for several months.  CoreLogic said today that its Home Price Index (HPI) that tracks that home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, rose in March for the 37th consecutive month on a year-over-year basis.
The HPI was up 5.9 percent in March 2015 compared with March 2014 a +2 percent change from the year over-year HPI increase in February.  The March HPI was also up 2 percent compared to the previous month.



The states with the greatest increase in its HPI including distressed sales were: Colorado (+9.2 percent), South Carolina (+9.1 percent), Kansas (+8 percent), Texas (+8 percent) and Nevada (+7.6 percent).  Two states and the District of Columbia experienced home price depreciation; Connecticut was down 0.6 percent, the District of Columbia decreased 0.2 percent and Maryland was off 0.1 percent.   
Excluding distressed sales, home prices increased by 6.1 percent in March 2015 compared with March 2014 and increased by 2 percent month over month compared with February 2015.  The five states with the highest home price appreciation were: Kansas (+9.5 percent), Colorado (+8.5 percent), South Carolina (+8.2 percent), Florida (+7.9 percent) and Texas (+7.6 percent).  Only New Mexico (-0.4 percent) showed year-over-year depreciation on the HPI excluding distressed sales which include short sales and real estate-owned (REO) transactions.



"The homes for sale inventory continues to be limited while buyer demand has picked up with low mortgage rates and improving consumer confidence," said Frank Nothaft, chief economist for CoreLogic. "As a result, there has been continued upward pressure on prices in most markets, with our national monthly index up 2 percent for March 2015 and up approximately 6 percent from a year ago."

HPI including distressed sales will increase by 0.8 percent from March to April 2015 and by 5.1 percent from March 2015 to March 2016.  For the HPI excluding distressed sales the monthly increase is predicted at 0.7 percent and the annual increase from March 2015 to March 2016 at 4.7 percent this per Corelogic


"All signs are pointing toward continued price appreciation throughout 2015. In fact, the strong month-over-month gain in March may be a harbinger of accelerating price appreciation as we enter the spring selling season," said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. "Tight inventories, job growth and the inexorable impact of demographics and household formation are pushing price levels in many states, and especially large metropolitan areas like Dallas, Denver, Houston, Seattle and San Francisco, toward record levels."

Including distressed transactions, the peak-to-current change in the national HPI (from April 2006 to March 2015) was -11 percent. Excluding distressed transactions, the peak-to-current change for the same period was -6.7 percent.  The peak-to-current declines were greatest in Nevada (-34.7 percent), Florida (-31.5 percent), Rhode Island (-29 percent), Arizona (-27.4 percent) and Connecticut (-25.5 percent).

Ninety of the top 100 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) measured by population showed year-over-year increases in March 2015. The 10 exceptions were the metropolitan areas that contain Baltimore,  Philadelphia, Camden, New  Jersey;  Hartford, New Orleans, Rochester, Worcester, Massachusetts; Albany, New Haven, and Wilmington, Delaware. 





5/05/2015

25 White Sail Laguna Niguel for Sale









25 White Sail house for sale Laguna Niguel California
92677



















































Two story ocean view home
Luxurious yard with built in brick areas for entertaining
For Sale by Owner will cooperate with Buyer Agents
$1,659,900.00
single loaded street
San Marin HOA $192
Malcolm Elementary School
Master bedroom and bath are huge!
private, pool jacuzzi, peaceful
ocean views canyon views
cool breezes
built in brick barbecue, sink, fire pit, two gazebos
heirloom roses, organic gardens, flowers
4 bedrooms and a bonus that could be a master
3 bathrooms
clean well loved happy house
hummingbirds nesting in the gazebo come with the house


(949) 784- 9699
For Sale By Owner