Photographer: Edward Nguyen

Model: Kelsey Langford

Makeup: Sarah Nicole

Hair: Melissa Marie

I’m so excited to start sharing all of my everyday hairstyles, products, brides,

weddings, photo shoots & inspirations with all my website visitors and clients.

Even though I’ve been a cosmetologist for over a decade, I’m new to the internet

world with my business, so you all get to watch me grow as an internet artist.

Hope you enjoy and have a beautiful night. I’m off to finish my date with The

Bachelor (hottie Sean) and an appropriate glass of vino:)

Calling all Santa Cruz hair lovers to visit me at Lavish Salon for a new spring cut and

color!!! 831- 457-1544

oxox,

Melissa

Every path, every street in the world is your walking meditation path. -Thich Nhat Hanh.

  Spring is almost here   Happy Sunday!

Firefighters received a report of a fire at the Happy Hound restaurant at 15899 Los Gatos Blvd. at 4:52 a.m.

A fire investigator determined that the blaze started in a shed on the side of the building and that it caused about $100,000 in damage, the spokeswoman said.

Crews were on scene until 7:46 a.m.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

There are 2 basic types of support: Temporary and Permanent. Temporary spousal support is awarded prior to entry of the final judgment. The purpose of temporary support is to maintain the “status quo” of the parties until the judgment. The purpose of the permanent support is to provide financial assistance to one spouse once the community property estate has been divided. A general rule is that spousal support will last for half the length of a marriage, if the marriage was less than ten years in duration. In marriages of more than ten years in duration the Court has increased discretion with regards to the term of the spousal support obligation.

Don’t Fall Behind in Your California Spousal Support Payments

Layoffs remain a constant in Santa Clara County and the Silicon Valley. If you have been laid off, or if your unemployment benefits have expired, you now face the reality of having to make support payments that were based on your prior level of income, and you may not be able to afford these payments. Spousal support orders (and child support orders) can only be modified from the date that a motion to modify was filed and cannot be modified as to any obligation that accrued prior to that date.

Ultimately, Family Law judges have wide discretion to fashion a spousal support order that is appropriate to the circumstances of a particular family. As circumstances differ between families, it is important to be apprised of your rights and obligations both with regard to setting an initial spousal support order
If you would like more information, please contact The Law Office of Matthew J. Rudy to schedule a free 1 hour consultation.

© Breeampana 2013

Los Gatos Creek Trail

We are sure that you have heard the term property manager thrown around but what does a property manager actually do?  Well Pro Edge has the answers you are looking for.

A property managers responsibilities can vary depending on what you need and your budget.  These responsibilities can range from dealing with property maintenance to taking legal actions against tenants.

Property Managers Responsibility for Maintenance and Repair

Being responsible for physical management of your property can be one of the jobs of a property manager.  This can mean that they are to take on the task of regular maintenance and emergency repairs of your property.

Repairs – If there is an issue with your property such as a leak or faulty wiring the property manager will be responsible to fix these issues or hire someone that can fix them for you.  One of the perks of hiring a property manager is that they already have a reliable network of maintenance and repair men that you might not be able to have access to otherwise.

Maintenance  – A property manager will be responsible for any preventative maintenance to your property to keep it functioning and in well repair.  This can mean regular inspections of plumbing and roofing to landscaping and trash removal.

Hiring a property manager can be a great investment if you have a property but don’t want to be your own landlord.

Had to include this. This is what my dog was up to all weekend – Bodie and Hank chilling.

My dad was participating in a talk at USC on Friday afternoon so they didn’t make it up to the valley until midnight, long after I was asleep. Funny how it worked that way. Usually I’m up way longer.  A few of my friends and I explored Santana Row and this new place called Veggie Grill.  I was a huge fan and I think my friend Liz was.  Katie and Eddie didn’t seem to thrilled with their selection, but then again, the idea of tofu or chickin (yes with an “i”) and vegan cheese, isn’t usually up their alley.  But hey, it worked for a Lenten Friday, right?

We met up on Saturday for a continental breakfast (notice my excitement surrounding all the fresh fruit) and a discussion on what to expect for graduation.  Besides 100+ weather and well, 100+ weather, it was the usual discussion of seating, grandparents, extended family, parking, picnic, etc.  Luckily that pressure is all on my parents and sister as I will be in my own world, sweating in a black gown, and celebrating among my peers.  There is one fun tradition at the Hut, the local bar (Dads and Grads) but I’ll share more on that as we get closer. Basically you will have to wait awhile.

From there, it was off to a few more sessions talking about what to expect after graduation.  There was some great information about LinkedIn and how to network in the various locations you may be.  This is crucial as I need to build up a whole BUNCH of contacts for where I’ll be living.  I’ll touch on that soon but spoiler, I won’t be anywhere near Silicon Valley. Then there was lunch, catered by our dining service, Bon Apetit.  I was so tempted to reach for a brownie, but held off.  I was planning out one good treat for the weekend and wanted to see what the Senior Dinner Dance might bring.  After lunch, there was yet another talk about transitions and moving on after graduation.  We heard from four young grads, one of which was working in the profession I will be in! Cliffhanger It was funny to see that most of the sessions were filled by parents, their kids probably sleeping in, working off some hangover or even working out.  I figured I might as well attend all the sessions and see what I could learn.

When we finally finished around 2, we took a look at the bookstore where I was treated to a good-looking hat (with “Cross-Country” on it) and a soccer t-shirt. Let’s just say I’m extremely excited to represent both – maybe even at the same time.  I wouldn’t put it past myself We also drove out to check out a few restaurants for graduation, found a decent steakhouse and put our name in.  Seriously, don’t we get brownie points for making a reservation for June 14? It’s like planning a wedding or something. Goodness.

We also drove out to explore the town of Los Gatos, a quaint little town that is similar to San Marino/South Pasadena/Sierra Madre (if you are familiar with Southern California).  I was in the hunt for a pair of white jean capris and it was sadly a frustrating process.  Note: while running it great, shopping for pants is probably the most degrading outing ever.  But I have to realize that it’s muscle and can’t wait for summer when I can wear shorts 24/7.  Also, I wasn’t in the right outfit to go clothes shopping (several layers as well as boots), which made it even more tiring.  But, in the end, we succeeded at Banana Republic, along with a 40% + 15% discount. SCORE!

Mom and Dad dropped me off to “rest” while they went to take a nap.  Since homework, reading, or television didn’t sound appealing and I had already spent too much time on Pinterest the night before, I decided to go swimming.  Was then cleaned up and ready to rage (kidding ) around 6:30 when my parents picked me up for the Senior Dinner Dance.

Thought I’d include the annual picture with family friend Margeaux Kambe

I did say that Santa Clara knows how to party, right? It was downtown in San Jose at the Fairmont and our tickets granted us access to two drinks, dinner, dancing, and more! While not many of my friends were there, I ended up knowing a lot of random people and it was a ton of fun.  I adore getting dressed up and going to parties and dancing and whatnot, so it was right up my alley.

Rocking on the dance floor with a typical Kaitlin picture.  I mean, I’m surprised more people aren’t attracted to me because of this

We didn’t crash until 12, but I was wide awake at 7:30, ready to go.  After shifting some plans around, we decided to walk over to Bill’s Cafe for breakfast (my dad really wanted a sit-down) and then walk back.  I split off to blog start my homework while they got ready to go.

Before they left, I showed them around the apartment, which we cleaned up so nicely for them, and then it was time to get down to business.  The next few weeks are going to be hell, but hey, that’s what I signed up for.  Loved seeing my family and it certainly made for a great weekend!

“Life is what we make it. Always has been, always will be.”
– Grandma Moses

Organic Beauty At Its Finest… She was just 9 days old

In honor of celebrating our little girl’s 4^th birthday, I wanted to share some extraordinary photos captured by the one and only Michelle Tibbils, portrait photographer and owner of Bugs and Butterflies Photography located in Los Gatos, CA. Michelle has a true artistic eye and is incredibly talented, she specializes in maternity, newborns, babies, children and family photography. She is the best at capturing and preserving those sweet, beautiful and precious moments, she is the ultimate visual recorder of family history.

Our Trio of Love – “And the day came when the risk to remain tight inside a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
~Anais Nin

These stunning and high quality portraits are just a few that Michelle took of our family, and no matter how many times we see them we are still emotionally moved. In addition to our portraits, we also purchased a photo book (which include “before” images, our maternity session and “after” images, our 1st family session with our sweet girl at the ripe age of 9 days old), a photo box and CD. We believe our portraits are a genuine investment and one of our best and favorite prized possessions.

Our Stunning 6 Months of Sweetness

Mommy’s Little Soul Mate…

Pure Love and Joy at 6 Months Old – If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.”

“Through my camera, I capture the personalities of tiny babies and small children and the love people have for one another.” ~Michelle Tibbils

If you are interested in obtaining Michelle’s services, she can be contacted at: michelle@bugsandbutterfliesphotography.com or 408-354-8750

Recently, the Rotary Club of Los Gatos announced the completion of two world service projects led by some of the club’s members. The first, performed in 2011, donated approximately $250,000 in medical equipment to an intensive care unit and neonatal facility at Tuguegarao City People’s General Hospital in the Philippines. The second supported the construction of a computer lab at Gosi National High School in Tuguegarao City, Philippines, following a fire that partially destroyed the school.

About the Author: Steve Rice, former Mayor of the Town of Los Gatos, enjoys giving back to his hometown. The owner of a local financial advisory business, Stephen Rice is a past president and 25 year member of the Rotary Club of Los Gatos.

The council’s meeting is a continuation of hearings held a week ago for public input on proposed new laws governing sales of guns and ammunition in Los Gatos, according to City Manager Greg Larson.

Larson told the council last week that city staff had no authority to deny a business license to the store, Templar Sports, at 611 University Ave., since the city lacks a specific law regulating gun sales that it has for businesses such as massage parlors, hair salons and bars.

Also, due to the lack of specific rules in the city code, “Police do not currently have any authority or discretion re: firearms retailers,” Larson wrote in a report to the council.

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Templar Sports opened on Dec. 29, not long after the Dec. 14 mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where a deranged man killed 20 children and six adults with an assault rifle, triggering a national uproar over sales of assault weapons.

Some residents in Los Gatos, in light of the Sandy Hook killings, have criticized Larson, police Chief Scott R. Seamon and other city personnel for awarding Templar a business license without public hearings or permits required of businesses that do not sell firearms.

[cbs-audio url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d2/d5/dV/d4/125V4_3.MP3" size="" download="" name="Short Term Gun Shop Ban May Happen in Los Gatos" artist="Chris Filippi"]

Larson reported last week that the chief met personally with Templar representatives on June 18 about their plans for a gun store and the Town Council was notified of Templar’s “sporting goods store with firearms” on Aug. 31.

The store’s business licensee is Rob Chang, also listed as its manager and partner, along with two other owner/directors, according to Larson.

Chang’s San Jose attorney Donald Kilmer said the protests against the store are unfair and that Chang is already prohibited by California law from selling assault weapons.

“It’s almost like the silly season,” said Kilmer. “It’s almost like a witch hunt.”

The storeowner has gone beyond what he is required to do to run a firearm business by requiring all of his employees to pass background checks and be certified as gun safety instructors, Kilmer said.

Templar’s owners delayed opening the business for a couple of weeks after the Sandy Hook shooting, Kilmer said.

“They couldn’t have predicted Sandy Hook,” he said.

Chang has said he received a death threat after last Monday’s council hearing about his store and reported it to the San Jose Police Department, Kilmer said.

The council set up Monday night’s special meeting due to the high volume of people, mostly who are upset about the gun store, who showed to speak last Monday but could not because the allotted time ran out.

Larson on Friday recommended that council members direct staff to set restrictions on where gun and bullet sales may occur in the city, compel gun dealers to obtain special use and police permits and limit permits for gun and ammo sales from homes.

The city might also think about putting gun sales policy to an advisory vote of the public, either at an election on June 4 at the cost to the city of $650,000 or a mail-only ballot election on Aug. 27 that would cost $380,000, Larson said.

The city issued business licenses to Templar starting last June 21 for sporting goods, on Aug. 29 for firearms sales and one on Jan. 9 for retail sales, Larson said.

Larson could not be reached for an interview Monday.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Cat’s Hill Information:

Date: May 4, 2013

website: http://www.catshill.org/

Would you like a print? Please click on “Contact”. My photography is printed on aluminum. Utilizing an advanced process which infuses dyes directly into the metal, the colors and saturation are really amazing. In addition, your print will be displayed using mount blocks which float the image ½ inch off the wall.

©2013 Shelley D Spray – No content on this site (including all photography) may be reused in any fashion without written permission from the author.

Was able to convince my husband to accompany me on a run. Dropped the baby off at grandma’s house and headed to a nearby trail. The terrain was steep at times so it turned out to be a hike/walk/run, approximately 4 miles total. My husband can easily walk as fast as I can run but he’s in excellent shape. Nevertheless it was a relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I feel great and am ready to take on a new week!  -Amy

The threat came in the midst of an emotional debate about guns and gun sales in Los Gatos, prompted by the opening of Templar Sports. The University Avenue shop has been the site of protests from local residents in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting tragedy. The store opened just weeks after the Newton shootings, and it does offer assault style rifles and guns as well as fishing gear.

Owner Robert Chang tensions came to a head when he received a death threat at his house on Tuesday.

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“We’ve tried to work with the community, with the town, and go through this process with the town meetings and unfortunately, someone has done this unlawful behavior,” said Chang. “Obviously, I am fearing for my safety to a certain level. If an individual or individuals went through the process to find our where I live and take that step to make a threat, it is unfortunate.”

Chang denies allegations that his business was trying to cash in on a spike in gun sales fueled by rumors of new regulations.

“We started this process many months ago, and when we got all our permits it was in late December. We were sensitive to what was going on, but we had to make a business decision,” said Chang.

Others suggest there is simply an adjustment period as the upscale town full of boutiques gets used to the new business.

“It’s definitely unusual for us, and that’s why people are having such a difficult time with it,” said Jeri Tjon, a Los Gatos resident.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The U.S. Postal Service’s planned shift to five days of home delivery a week instead of six may even make Netflix Inc. slightly more profitable by lowering the costs for sending out its familiar red envelopes with DVDs. That’s because subscribers may be able to watch fewer DVDs for the same monthly price.

That’s why investors reacted positively to Wednesday’s announcement that the U.S. Postal Service intends to stop Saturday home delivery beginning Aug. 10. Netflix’s stock gained $10.02, or nearly 6 percent, to close Wednesday at $184.41. Earlier in the session, the stock hit a new 16-month high of $185.14.

Under the plan, mail would be delivered to homes and businesses only from Monday through Friday, but it would still be delivered to post office boxes on Saturdays. The plan, designed to save about $2 billion a year, could face a challenge from Congress.

Investors’ reaction might have been different if Saturday mail service had been eliminated three years ago, when idea was first broached.

Back then, mailing DVDs was still Netflix’s main business. It was so important that Netflix grew into the postal service’s biggest customer. When the total number of Netflix’s subscribers receiving DVDs peaked at 24.6 million during the summer of 2011, the company was spending about $600 million annually for discs to make the round trip between customers’ homes and dozens of distribution centers around the U.S.

Netflix began this year with just 8.2 million DVD subscribers, and the number is expected to keep dwindling as the instant gratification of being able to watch video over the Internet makes the notion of watching movies and TV shows on DVDs seem antiquated. By contrast, Netflix had 27.1 million Internet video subscribers in the U.S. at the start of the year. It doesn’t even offer the DVD option in Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom and other markets it’s expanding to.

Janney Montgomery Scott analyst Tony Wible estimates that Netflix will spend about $300 million on postal expenses this year and perhaps as little as $200 million next year, depending how many more DVD subscribers cancel their service. The company no longer discloses its postal expenses.

The DVD-by-mail service began to shrink in mid-2011 when Netflix unbundled it from its rapidly growing service for streaming video to TVs and other devices with high-speed Internet connections. The change required Netflix customers to pay separate monthly fees if they wanted both Internet video and DVDs through the mail, which offered the latest theatrical releases more quickly.

The switch raised Netflix’s prices by as much as 60 percent for those who wanted both options, much to the anger of hundreds of thousands of subscribers who canceled. Most customers, though, decided to stick with Internet video and dropped DVDs.

If Saturday mail delivery ends as planned this summer, even more subscribers may opt for a streaming-only plan.

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter doubts most DVD subscribers will care about the loss of Saturday delivery. The customers most likely to be irked are ones who typically watch eight to 10 DVDs per month, because four or five fewer days of mail delivery each month will make it more difficult to get as many discs. “Those guys cost them money, so if they quit, it won’t hurt them,” Pachter said.

Netflix makes more money when its subscribers watch fewer DVDs in a month because its expenses go down while the monthly fee remains unchanged. The DVD plans start as $8, as do the ones for Internet streaming.

Even though Netflix has fewer DVD subscribers, that side of the business is still slightly more profitable than the streaming service. That’s mainly because Netflix’s licensing fees for Internet video are higher than its DVD expenses.

Netflix, which is based in Los Gatos, had little to say about Wednesday’s developments, other than to say it’s “in favor of a healthy postal service.”

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings was more forthcoming during an April 2010 conference call with analysts. If Netflix were to lose Saturday home delivery before the company had more time to expand its streaming service, “it’s not a good thing for us,” Hastings said then. “We hope they hold off as long as possible, but we’re also cognizant that the total health of the USPS is at stake, and they may need to make changes that they need to make.”

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Atreyu’s wonderful mom donated generously to Bad Rap to qualify for Atreyu’s poster session. Look for his bigger-than-life poster at South Bay Pet Food Express store soon! (Click the “more…” link at the end of this post to see all of Atreyu’s images.)

Click on any of the images below to begin the slideshow.

The solution for the endangered locks, affixed to a fence on the Main Street Bridge by the romantically-involved as symbols of devotion, came the day before the deadline the city, citing safety concerns, set for people to remove them.

“Love locks” are a tradition centered mainly in Europe, where couples engrave or write an inscription on a lock, clasp it onto a fence and throw away the key to symbolize their commitment.

In Los Gatos over the past few years, a small cluster of the locks formed on a chain link fence on the north side of the bridge.

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The locks reached a high of 24 although only 18 locks remained as of Wednesday amid calls for their removal, said Todd Capurso, director of the city’s Parks and Public Works Department.

The city and the state agency Caltrans, which owns the bridge, determined the locks posed the risk of falling on motorists driving on state Highway 17 beneath the bridge, Capurso said.

They also violate state regulations that prohibit things like banners attached to state property, Capurso said.

But now the non-profit Museums of Los Gatos has offered to provide a “love lock” fence at its Art Museum on Tait Avenue for display on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day.

“The Museums of Los Gatos has stepped in and offered an alternative,” Capurso said. “We’re still asking people to remove the locks.”

The city recently put up signs requesting those who clicked the locks onto the bridge’s fence to take them down by Thursday and that any locks remaining would be snapped off on Friday.

The locks then would be held at the city’s Town Corporation Yard on Miles Avenue until Feb. 15, when unclaimed ones would be tossed out.

City officials, however, issued a statement today saying, “The Town prefers that individuals personally remove their own locks by (Thursday) and participate in the Museums’ ‘Love Locks’ installation.”

Capurso said he expects some couples to just leave their locks behind.

“I don’t think that they’re all going to get claimed,” he said. “Some locks are cheap combination locks that someone has written on with a felt pen.”

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)