PacificCoastFountains.com - Yard & Deck Items

It is hard to believe, with all the winter storms going on, that spring is just around the corner. Your mind has probably started wandering to the thoughts of spring, warm days with family and friends and many gatherings in the backyard. Is your outdoor living space ready for entertaining? Are there any projects you would like to do to make your yard a more inviting place? You can add another element to your outdoor decor by installing a beautiful garden fountain, providing elegance and a touch of tranquility. Or, you can add a backyard fire pit where you and your friends can find warmth in the cool of the evening. What about a nice resting place - somewhere to escape the stress of the day - you can do this by adding a relaxing hammock.

At Pacific Coast Fountains, you will find a variety of outdoor water fountains in many sizes and designs; fire pits to provide warmth while enjoying family and friends, as well as hammocks to provide a nice napping spot.

Take a moment and look out into your yard and start thinking about what you want to create, the elements you want to add, to to turn your yard into an oasis of tranquility.

Visit Pacific Coast Fountains today!

What's In Your Jewelry Box?

Everyone has a jewelry box filled with jewelry - a little bit - or a lot - of gold, some silver, some costume.  Some even have a jewelry box filled with broken pieces such as broken chains, rings with missing stones, or missing earrings, etc.  Others have allowed their children to play with their gold chains/necklaces because they think it is costume or “junk” jewelry. Some have even gone so far as to sell their items in a garage sale for .25 /.50 cents or $1.00 - not even knowing the real value of the piece.  How do I know this? I am an event planner for LA Gold Parties and we buy jewelry! I have met a number of people at parties that had no idea how much money they had just sitting in their jewelry box. So, I thought I would share with you what I have learned about jewelry this last year.

Gold is a precious metal and one of the first known metals - element Au. It has very unique qualities: it is resistant to rust, tarnish and corrosion.  Although the metal is very strong, it is the most malleable of all precious metals.

Gold Content - Purity: The Karatage of gold is represented by a number followed by the abbreviation “k” which indicates purity or how much of the metal in a piece of jewelry is gold. Pure gold is very soft for everyday wear so it is alloyed with a mixture of metals like silver, copper, nickel and zinc to give it strength and durability:

24k = 100% pure

22k = 91.6% pure

21k = 87.5% pure

18k = 75% pure

14k = 58.3% pure 

10k = 41.7% pure

Color of Gold is determined by two factors - 1) the type of metal alloys included; 2) the percentage of each metal alloy:

Yellow Gold is made up of natural gold and color-saturated alloys such as copper with a red hue and silver with a green hue. The expert mixture of the alloys gives yellow gold jewelry a rich shine.  

White Gold is combined with metal alloys such as nickel, zinc, copper and manganese,  that are silvery-white in nature. It is often Rhodium plated to provide a bright non-tarnishing finish. 

Rose Gold is created using a copper alloy giving the gold a beautiful pink hue. The percentage of metal alloys is the same for rose gold as it is for yellow or white, it just has a higher proportion of copper. 

Price of Gold is factored based on the purity of the gold or karate weight, the market value of gold - which varies throughout the day, and the level of craftsmanship and design of each piece of jewelry. As of the time of this writing, gold was selling for $1,280/oz and silver $17.80/oz. 

It doesn’t take a lot of jewelry to add up in price. For instance, the picture you see below is a ring and a few charms - the client received $112. 

In this picture, the client really cleaned out her jewelry box - she made $3500!

So, before you decide to give your jewelry to the little ones to play with or sell it in a garage sale, why not take a look at what you have. Your jewelry box could have a few hundred dollars - possibly a few thousand dollars - sitting in it!  You may be pleasantly surprised!

For more information on how to host a jewelry party or to simply sell your jewelry privately, send me a message - I would be happy to help you!

Garden Oasis

One of my passions is gardening and nature. There is something so peaceful and relaxing to me when I am working in my garden. Not only do I love to create beautiful potted arrangements, but I love creating a beautiful spots in my garden where the birds, humming birds and butterflies can hang out. I especially love watching the humming birds - they can be entertaining!

If you have ever wanted to attract wildlife to your garden, you can do so very easily. All you need to do is create a garden that attracts wildlife. You don’t have to have a large yard or live on a farm with a pond, you can create a beautiful habitat on your apartment balcony or in a small or large backyard. By creating the ideal conditions for nature, you will also be helping to restore habitat in commercial and residential areas.

The following guidelines have been provided by The National Wildlife Federation for creating a healthy, sustainable wildlife habitat: 

FOOD SOURCES: Birds and butterflies will look for plants that are edible, seeds, fruits, berries and nectar. Humming birds and butterflies are particularly attracted to plants with red, pink, orange, yellow and purple blooms. For added visual appeal, place supplemental food in bird feeders. Examples of food sources:

• Native plants
• Seeds
• Fruits
• Nuts
• Berries
• Nectar

To find a list of native plants by region/state, visit American Beauties (www.abnativeplants.com)

WATER SOURCES: You can attract birds and butterflies by providing clean water. Set up a birdbath fountain or shallow bowl with moving water to attract birds and butterflies. Adding a fountain to your yard is not only good for nature but also provides a soothing background for observing nature. Examples of water sources:

• Birdbath
• Pond
• Water Garden
• Stream

COVER: Your backyard visitors need a safe and secure place to rest. By providing trees and shrubs you are creating a natural resting spot. Be sure to avoid dense undergrowth around fountains which can conceal predators. Examples of cover:

• Thicket
• Rockpile
• Birdhouse

PLACES TO RAISE YOUNG: You want to encourage birds to make your backyard their home. You can do this by providing bird houses and nesting boxes. Examples of places to raise young:

• Dense Shrubs
• Vegetation
• Nesting box
• Pond

It is important to monitor nesting boxes and shrubs to discourage unwelcome guests that can harm your birds and butterflies.

  

2015 - A New Year of New Beginnings!

At the beginning of 2015 I decided with the New Year I needed to do "something new" - something different. I crochet, sew, cook/bake - love to cook & bake, love to garden and create different types of potted arrangements using things other than pots, I love working with succulents, I love to entertain, I love to be creative, etc. So, what was I going to do that is new and different? Should I start an in-home cooking class? What about opening a gardening business? Should I make more crocheted items and sell them online? Should I add more virtual assistant clients? With so many possibilities in front of me, I realized that I spend a good amount of time in front of my computer working on various things or projects. One thing I find myself doing often is opening up a blank page and just writing - putting my thoughts down, writing about things that interest me - sometimes just rambling. But then I don't do anything with what I have written. With that being said, I decided my 2015 "something new" is to start blogging! 

OH MY GOSH!!!  Am I crazy?!? Well, maybe. For heaven's sake, I am not a professional writer - I'm just a person who likes to put her thoughts down on paper - or, on a blank page in my computer! I mean, after all, who uses paper anymore (you should see all the journal books I have that are filled with BLANK pages)! What was I thinking! So, I started doing some research on blogging. I have to tell you, there is a lot out there on the subject! So much info that it can be a little overwhelming! But, I did my due diligence and, well, here I am - my first blog! The first of many to come! 

What will I blog about? Anyone who knows me knows that I love crafting, gardening, cooking, sewing, networking and entertaining. I am not an expert at any of it. As a matter of fact, I have never taken sewing or crochet lessons. I have never taken a floral class to learn how to design beautiful bouquets or create whimsical potted plants - what I do is all self taught using research, YouTube, various websites - and books - yes, I do read BOOKS!  I'm the type of person that if I see something I like or want, I will do the research and then create it and make it mine or make it happen - my brain is a sponge always wanting to know more! With my new "hobby" of blogging, here I will share with you the things I love to do most, my passions - gardening, cooking, sewing, crocheting. You will learn about my businesses - Pacific Coast Fountains and LA Gold Parties. I will share with you the research that I do for projects and maybe I will encourage you to start a new hobby or help you find something to do that you are passionate about. You will get to know me and my family, you will laugh with me and cry with me. My hope is that you will find inspiration and encouragement from my posts. 

So, here is to 2015 - A New Year of New Beginnings!