Tix:                   $30 in advance at…

"I'm new here. So far my big challenge is getting started. I do have a question. I do want to eat organic. Let's say I get a small plant, like an herb, from Home Depot or a similar store, I plant
it and grow it organically with no man-made chemicals are pesticides. Does that make the plant organic? Is it kind of organic? If I keep it growing year-after-year and grow it organically, will
...

read more

"I was always fascinated by insects since I was a child. I would go into my backyard and look under rocks, to see what the insects were doing," says costumer Liz Vandal, whose first assignment for Cirque du Soleil is Ovo, a show about the insect u...

STUDIO CITY (CBS) — Kathryn Gallagher visited the KCAL 9 studios Friday to talk about Home Depot’s clinics every Saturday at 10 a.m. throughout January at Southland stores.

The clinics are in light of the incandescent phase out.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are 4 billion light bulb sockets in the country and more than 3 billion of them still use the standard incandescent technology that Thomas Edison created in 1879. While standard incandescent bulbs have been lighting our country for years, approximately 90% of the energy they use creates heat – not light.

California started a year earlier with the 100W last year and the 75W going this year, but a lot of consumer confusion remains.

There are three light bulb options now in light of the incandescent light bulb being phased out:
• The High Efficiency Incandescent (also known as energy efficient halogen) light bulbs
• 28% more efficient last 2-3 years costs about $1.50 a light bulb
• CFL (compact fluorescent light bulbs)
• 75% more efficient last 10 years and cost about $1.75 a light bulb
• LED light bulbs
• 85% more efficient 25 years and cost anywhere from $9.97(for 40W equivalent) to $25 (75W equivalent) a light bulb

Lighting Lingo: Learn the terms associated with the new bulb technologies such as lumens, kelvins and color temperature
• Lumens are brightness of the light bulb
• Kelvins is the measure of temperature – so how hot the light bulb will get
• Color temperature is the hue – for example soft white, daylight, bright light what type of lighting mood are you going for

For more information, visit Home Depot online.

Palisadian Rudy DeFelice is the founder of a company called "Kidworth," an online resource aimed at teaching kids how to be smart with their money.

According to the site, it's all about teaching a child how to use their income (money from birthdays and allowances) in a productive way. The site helps kids set goals and even helps them build a portfolio.

On Jan. 5, DeFelice was featured on KABC news during a consumer report.

"If you could get kids to think about just the money that comes into their life ordinarily, and use it in a productive way that serves their interests, it would do them a great favor, both in terms of building a nest egg, but also in giving them some skills," said DeFelice in the report by KABC's consumer specialist Ric Romero.

• To watch DeFelice on KABC, click here.
• For the Kidworth website, click here.

601 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA

The theme of the first workshop is how homeowners can go green with Energy Upgrade in their existing homes.  Topics will include:

• What are the energy, environmental and financial benefits of Energy Upgrade for…

Temple Isaiah
10345 West Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90064

Save Money By Learning Solutions to Today’s Greatest Environmental Challenges!
*Workshops meet for six sessions at the same location and time.*
Action Oriented 1½ hour 6 week Workshop series covers:
Water • Energy • Waste • Chemicals • Transportation • Shopping/Food
• Reduce your Energy & Water usage
• Save $ on Utilities
• Cut landfill Waste
• Understand latest Eco-info
With the help of the Sustainable WorksBook, participants review and take action on ten related solutions.

The 6 week workshop is FREE to residents of Council District 5
Funding provided by LADWP through a grant from the US Dept of Energy

Workshop Participants can:
• Receive Resource Saving Tools
• Win Raffle Prizes
To sign up go to: www.sustainableworks.eventbrite.com

RELATED

1. Sustainable Works 6-Week Los Angeles Green Living Workshop
2. Sustainable Works 6-Week Los Angeles Green Living Workshop
3. Sustainable Works 6-Week Los Angeles Green Living Workshop

STUDIO CITY (CBS) — Sara Acevedo, a beauty consultant and advocate for The Face Wrap, visited KCAL9 Monday to share tips for fixing your skin after a long weekend of New Year’s parties.

Barhopping ’til the wee hours can be fun, but that all-nighter in Margaritaville often comes with a sobering price: “the morning-after complexion”.

“Alcohol is a diuretic and causes your body to lose moisture, so a dry face is the minimal damage to be expected after a night on the town,” says Acevedo.

In addition to sandpaper skin, Acevedo says facial blotches, bumps and puffiness around the eyes are also to be expected after a night of overindulgence.

“Puffiness and inflammation are the skin’s reaction to toxins,” says Acevedo. “Not only is the alcohol itself toxic (a neurotoxin), but most alcoholic beverages contain flavorings, preservatives and additives that can trigger allergic responses like bumps and rashes.

Acevedo says one of the fastest ways to soothe, smooth, and un-puff a morning-after face is by using The Face Wrap, a 30-60 minute all-natural wet mineral application that trims the face by detoxing the complexion.

“The Face Wrap reduces the appearance of facial bloating and puffy hung-over eyes by flushing toxins out of the skin,” says Acevedo. “With the toxins removed, the body then releases the fluids being used to surround and dilute those toxins. The result is a less puffy, slimmer appearing face.”

“The entire face will feel clean and detoxified after this process,” says Acevedo. “Your skin will feel softer, smoother and re-hydrated, and the puffy appearance will look noticeably reduced.

For those who need to shape-up their faces the morning after the night before, Acevedo Suggests the following:

1. Before you crash for the night, remove your makeup and apply a natural facial moisturizer.

2. Drink extra water, and keep a full water glass at bedside.

3. Take B-complex vitamins at night and upon rising.

4. In the morning, exercise if you can bear it or get your circulation going with a hot bath or shower.

5. Apply the Face Wrap per instructions, but use extra minerals when suffering a hangover.

6. Use Cotton pads soaked in the Face Wrap Mineral Solution over the eyes to reduce puffiness and circles under eyes. Hold moist pads under eyes until appearance of puffiness reduces. (Face Wrap minerals are safe enough to use over eyes)

For more information, visit The Face Wrap.

When my house was built without gutters in 1950, water that rolled off the roof was caught by graded pavement encircling the foundation. This directed rain away from the garden to paved paths and to the driveway for dispersal to the street and storm drain system. As a style, let’s call it Golden Age of Flood Control.

After watching 33 inches of rain run off the property last year, but then being forced to draw municipal potable water to irrigate the garden, it became a priority to gutter the house so as to capture and not waste future rain. Ultimately some sort of storage will be involved, but as a first measure, the challenge was to get rain from gutter drainage points to garden areas. Done right, the ground would then be well charged when our irrepressible California growing season takes off in February and March.

PART 1: Custom gutters, done just right

The first step was creating a diagram of the roof to see which sections would produce the most runoff, then poring over it with Ruben Ruiz. He is the sheet metal artist who, after installing the gutters, would be fabricating sculptures to push water away from where I didn’t want it, which was near the foundations of the house or street, to where I did want it, which was discharging into thirsty garden soil.

Using the map, it became clear that one of the biggest sections of roof produced so much water that it defied fanciful treatment. Only a conventional downspout and pipe would drain the north roof slope and convey the water behind a fence to where it would be discharged to irrigate fruit trees.

Beyond that, moving water would be done by sculpture. Every gutter would need a new brand of practical art to act as catchers and spreaders. After I asked if the catchers might be flower-shaped, Ruiz disappeared for several weeks into his studio.

There was a whirlygig that caught and spun water, which was potentially useful for marching a single gutter stream across a landscape and spitting it, provided that it didn’t rust and stop whirling.

There was a metal version of a gutter extender in which three successive flower sculptures caught, then spilled water.

Finally, there were massive flower sculptures with heads maybe 3 feet across. Much like real flowers, these would catch and cup water. Unlike real flowers, their metal leaves would then drop the water into a succession of smaller sculptures until the water could be safely carried away from brickwork and into a thirsty planting bed.

Because we were improvising, we decided to work on one corner of the house at a time. Three days before Christmas, Ruiz (at right) arrived with the big metal flowers for the most prominent corner of the house. These will eventually be grounded by concrete, much like a post box, but this day was for positioning. As holes were dug and Ruben’s nephew, Alfredo Ruiz, scrambled to the roof to send hose water through the gutters, down a chain and into the flower as a test, gusting Santa Ana winds picked up, so the water not only cascaded, it blew. This was providential for estimating how the water-catchers would perform in a storm. The water still went pretty much where it should have gone. The three of us did a happy dance.

The timbre of the falling water was unutterably beautiful, which brings me to an important point about metal and water. The first thing that artist Leigh Adams did when presented with a sample of the metal for my gutters was put it under the kitchen faucet. “It’s perfect!” she declared as she heard water hit the metal. It hadn’t occurred to me that the density of metal selected for a gutter system might have relevance beyond durability. I chose a decent grade for structural reasons. But an equally important consideration was, of course, aural. The fluted melody produced by water in a gutter -- or tumbling from one of Ruiz’s flowers -- could becalm or be racket. In this case, on this day, as we flushed Ruiz’s flowers, it becalmed.

The cementing will be done after this account is published. As we move to the next corner of the house, Ruiz’s team and I face a new set of challenges. Should the sculpture be mounted in the ground, or from the side of the house, like an elegant retort to a satellite dish? How will each be anchored so it doesn’t blow off in high winds? Will they be stolen?

As we eventually turn each corner in the gutter map, we will be experimenting with new ideas involving shape, dispersal, safety, cost and permanence. Many prototypes will be done and tested before we have something that could one day become a conventional tool of water conservation.

It’s an excellent problem. This gutter challenge reminds me that home is where everyone is allowed their greatest personal expression, where we can be our own William Mulhollands or Frank Lloyd Wrights. As I sign off with my last garden column for the Los Angeles Times, if I’ve learned anything writing for the Home section it is that learning, experimenting and playing are the very essence of gardening.

-- Emily Green

Editor's note: After conceiving "The Dry Garden," sustaining it for 2 1/2  bright years and redefining garden writing at The Times for six additional years before that, Emily has our deepest gratitude. We encourage readers to follow her future experiments and her writing through her website, chanceofrain.com. We will be.

The gutter map that was the starting point for Green and Ruiz.

Ruiz's nephew, Alfredo, experiments with a butterfly detail for the rain-catchers.

The house before Green embarked on her experiment ...

... and after, with clean-lined gutters in place, rain catchers positioned and more experimentation to come. Stay tuned.

ALSO:

Whipped by wind

An experiment in capturing rain

Rain, wind and the garden at City Hall

"Blue Revolution" and garden water conservation

Photos: Emily Green

The person or people responsible for Friday morning's string of fires in Hollywood and West Hollywood may have chosen cars because they're easy targets, one fire expert said.

"They're a quick source of fuel," said Robert Rowe, a fire investigator in Long Beach with nearly 30 years of experience. "You break a window, you throw some type of object inside and it burns quite vigorously with the plastic, the upholstery and the gasoline."

He said arsonists are motivated by all kinds of factors, including recognition, revenge or psychological issues.

MAP: Hollywood arson fires

"Some are just random acts," said Rowe, who used to work as an fire investigator for the city of Downey and now owns his own fire forensic business, Pyrocop Inc.

He said he expects investigators working the arson fires in Hollywood and West Hollywood will put together a grid of the incidents, logging their times and locations, and then search for a pattern. They then will likely to search each site for any evidence left in the ashes, he said.

"Their most important priority is to keep the public safe," he said. "And to keep more fires from happening."

Investigators are already canvassing residents in the affected neighborhoods, and Los Angeles Police Cmdr. Andrew J. Smith said video cameras may hold the key to solving the arson spree.

Police hope the cameras have captured images of the people or people who set the blazes.

Officials said police and Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigators don't yet know whether the rash of blazes Friday morning was the work of a copycat connected to three fires set 24 hours earlier in the same area.

A suspect was arrested in that case, but he may have had an accomplice or accomplices, Smith said.

RELATED:

Authorities probe link to earlier blazes

Jim Morrison's "Love Street" home damaged

Night of fire in Hollywood: Police seek video of possible arsonists

-- Esmeralda Bermudez

from Solar Santa Monica for 

Taking the First Step!

To receive your free Smart Strip, Solar Santa Monica requires you to call an Energy Upgrade California Participating Contractor, schedule a home assessment and show Solar Santa Monica your post-assessment report.  For more information on this offer, email solarsantamonica@gmail.com.

Act soon because this offer is only good while supplies last!

RELATED

1. Winter Rose Pruning and Other Tips for Beautiful Roses in L.A.
2. LAPD Cautions Mar Vista and Palms Residents After Daytime Burglaries
3. From the Ground Up: Seed Starting and Garden Planning

In the spring, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County   will be offering gardening classes as part of its new workshop program.

Learn how to grow your own vegetables at home through the guidance of master gardeners Florence Nishida and Araceli Perez-Ocejo. Classes will be taught outside the Butterfly Pavilion and will showcase various gardening techniques, such as how to start from seed and transplant; how to grow organically,  without the use of pesticides or herbicides; how to create good soil; and how to appropriately feed and water plants.

Featured classes include "Best Cultivation Practices," to address watering, trellising, feeding, weeding, pest management, pinching and pruning, and "Feeding the Soil" which will focus on fertilizer types, uses, signs of deficiency and worm composting.

Classes are $25 for members (or $80 for all four classes in the series) and $30 for nonmembers (or $100 for all four classes in the series). For residents of ZIP Codes 90006, 90007, 90008, 90011, 90015, 90016, 90018, 90037, 90062 and 90089, classes are discounted to $15 per class (or $50 for all four classes in the series).

Exact dates have not yet been posted for the gardening classes; check the museum's website for updates or call (213) 763-3471 for more information.

900 Exposition Blvd., L.A., (213) 763-3466, nhm.org.

ALSO:

Cookbook Village

Restaurant roundup for the holidays

Monthly wine classes at the Huntington Library

-- Caitlin Keller

1. Take Recycling Seriously - The city of Los Angeles has made curbside recycling remarkably easy. No sorting required; simply toss your paper, junk mail, plastic bags, glass, aluminum, cardboard, Styrofoam, etc. into the blue bin and city workers will do the rest of the work for you. If you're unsure about which items belong in the blue bin, bone up with this guide on the City of LA Sanitation website.

2. Try Zero Waste for a Week - Did you see WALL-E? If not, please Netflix it. If so, treat yourself to another viewing. Hopefully, that will get you in the mood to start generating less trash. Practically speaking, it's not that hard. A lot of the food we prepare at home can be purchased in recyclable containers (eggs, milk, yoghurt, cereal, soda, pasta sauce... many frozen foods are even packaged in cardboard or plastic than can be tossed in the blue bin -- please refer to the link above for more info). Avoid individually packaged items, bring reusable bags to buy produce at a farmers market, and familiarize yourself with your nearest bulk bin mart, and you'll be pretty close to golden.

3. Composting! Not Just for Hippies Anymore - Our fair city doesn't only facilitate our recycling efforts; it subsidizes composting as well. Twice a month, the composting facility in Griffith Park sells bins regularly priced at $80 for just $20 to LA residents. Once a month, they even offer a composting workshop. The larger bins work best if you have a decent-sized backyard because they're quite big and should be placed directly on top of dirt. If you live in a condo or apartment, you're better off with the compact worm bin sold for $5. Don't worry; they'll explain how to do it so it isn't gross.

4. Speak Loudly and Carry a Big Bag - Now that I've become more self-conscious about creating waste at home, I find myself cringing every time I take home leftovers in a disposable container or forget to order my coffee in a mug instead of a paper cup. My solution is to keep an empty Tupperware container and a metal water/coffee cup in my bag so that I'm always prepared. The Little Miss Perfect in me also likes to make a big show of it so that other patrons take notice; maybe they'll think it's a cool idea and start doing it too. (I know this one's tougher for the fellas, but you guys can still keep a little "eco to-go" kit in the car.)

5. Make Meat a Treat - You may have heard of Meatless Mondays. Why not take it further with Meatless Weekdays? Or simply limit your flesh consumption to one meal a day? You don't have to deprive yourself completely of bacon and burgers, but replacing all that animal protein with more vegetables, grains and nuts will absolutely benefit your wallet, your waistline and, eventually, the planet. Your colon will thank you, too.

6. Get Into the Swapping Spirit - Many of us have been conditioned to think that something needs to be shiny and new to have value. This is our disposable culture at work. Buck the trend and embrace pre-owned items, from clothing to furniture to toys. The most obvious benefit here is that you'll save a lot of money. Less obvious but even more valuable is the connection to other people and sense of community fostered by this approach. I myself have had great success (and lots of fun) hosting a clothing exchange for my girlfriends and a "toy swap" birthday party for my son.

7. Go Solar - We Angelenos are blessed with abundant sunshine, so put it to work! If you own your home (or business), consider installing solar panels. This is the most costly of the tips included here, but can easily pay off over time in reduced energy costs and increased property value. Plus, there are plenty of rebates available to make it worth your while.

8. Roll With It - This tip comes courtesy of Westsider Monique Escamilla. "I bike to the park with my son, for light errands and trips to the beach. Fortunatel­y, I live in a part of LA that's not too congested. Biking lifts my spirits and tames the worst toddler tantrums." Visit BicycleLA.org to find maps of bike panes and paths in your area.

9. Gas-Powered Blowers Can Suck It - I'm pretty sure everyone hates the noise and pollution caused by gas-powered leaf blowers, but that doesn't stop us from using them in our own backyards (or having our gardeners use them). Consider an electric blower instead; they're less noisy and don't spew exhaust. Ask your neighbors to do the same. You can even pool your resources to invest in a really great electric blower that's shared between your households -- that's the community spirit! Check out electric leaf blower reviews here.

10. Adjust Your Attitude - Tom of Green Knack may have summed it up best with this suggestion: "Change is all in the mind! Get control over your mind and decide your life will now look different. Don't get a 'green car' because it is trendy; get it because it's right to do so."