Vin Antico, Restaurant Recommendation

It's Friday, the end of the work week, and sometimes it feels so good to just kick back and go out for dinner. Do you know where you'd like to go? I know I have a couple places that are my go to favorite, but it's always nice to try something new. I'd love to take a moment to tell you about Vin Antico.

Vin Antico is located in San Rafael on 4th Street, just a few doors from 4th and Lootens. It's a simple but friendly storefront that evokes a modern dining experience. The inside is open and warm, with an open kitchen and Chef Counter seating, and their website really backs that image up with a statement about how they use local farms, organic meats, sustainable seafood, and many other modern comforts for the earth conscious foodie.

They have new takes with some very traditional flavors, with a mostly Italian vibe. A few selections that pop out to me:

Grilled Flatbread

Hog Island Oysters on the Half Shell

Their full menu is on their website, which changes often due to the fact that they use fresh local seasonal items as often as possible. They even have a list on their page of the farms they purchase their meats and produce from, a very cool flair.

The Wine Bar opens at 4:30 M-F, and Happy Hour is Tues-F from 4:30-6. They have also just opened up a full bar, so they're stocked and ready for any drink selections you might be in the mood for.

I highly recommend you go unwind at Vin Antico soon, feel free to hop over to their website to check them out: Vin Antico

Have a great meal, and a relaxing evening!

~Kelly Cranmer Valadez

Full disclosure, I do know the manager personally, but I will always make sure I am open and honest with you. I genuinely support this business and enjoy their food. 

Marin Gardening: Spring is Almost Here

Living in central California, we're especially lucky to get such excellent growing weather. There is a wide selection of plants that do well here so you can pretty much have your pick, whether it's growing a vegetable garden, or a xeriscape low water landscape. And to get those jobs done, Marin has a fantastic selection of nurseries and garden experts to get all the supplies and knowledge for the garden of your dreams.

Are you new to gardening? Have you heard of Marin's Master Gardeners? For all the advice from composting, to growing, to harvesting, if you head over to the Marin Master Gardeners' website you can find all kinds of resources to help with every aspect of your garden. You can even call their offices for advice from a master gardener! They're hosting an upcoming event, the 2015 Master Gardener Tomato Market and Information Exchange, on Saturday April 18th from 9 am to 12 pm, in the Bon Air shopping center, and at Pini Hardware in Novato. I highly recommend going to their website to check them out. Marin Master Gardeners.

After you've settled on what it is you'd like to do with your yard, you can head over to some of the many nurseries here in Marin, and they have so many dedicated and knowledgable people to help your foliage dreams come true.

Sloat Gardening centers are all over Marin, and they carry as many varieties of plants as you can think of. They also make sure to carry natives to the area, and that's a big plus for a yard that you want to be low maintenance. You can visit their website to get directions and hours at Sloat Gardens.

Scattered all over Marin County is a wonderful assortment of small independently owned and operated nurseries. Each nursery expresses the passion, taste and special knowledge of its owners. They specialize in offering unique, diverse plants and a depth of knowledge not found at the larger nursery chains and department store nurseries.

West End Nursery

O'Donnells Nursery

Green Point Nursery

Mostly Natives

Lastly, I'd like to close this blog with a farewell to Sunnyside Nursery, a nursery that valued its customers and community for 3 generations. They have decided that their journey is ending, although their lot will be taken up by Armstrong Gardening Centers. Small businesses are what make Marin beautiful and unique, and it's always sad to see one go. Thank you for the service you provided while you could.

Good luck on your gardening adventures, and I hope you have a bountiful harvest this fall!

~ Kelly Cranmer Valadez

2015: Year of the Goat

The Chinese New Year is the biggest and most important holiday in the Chinese calendar. Legend says that long ago, Buddha called all the animals to meet him on the Chinese New Year, and the 12 animals that showed up got years named after them. He also decreed that from then on, anyone who was born in a particular animal's year would be born with some of that animal's personality. The astrological birth chart is built by the Chinese Astrology Calendar, which is a combination counting system of Yin-Yang Five Elements and the 12 Animals. Chinese Astrology uses one's birthday and birth time to predict their fortune. The Five Elements are Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and the twelve animals are Rat, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep/Goat, Monkey, Chicken, Dog and Pig. 2015 is the year of the Wooden Goat. Because Wood(tree) is connected to the color Green, 2015 is the year of the Green Wooden Goat.

Spring Festival History

The Spring Festival has a history of more than 4,000 years. It is said that it originated from a belief in deities that had to be sacrificed to every year. When the seasons changed, dictating farming activities, especially at the end of a year, people would sacrifice to the deities and pray for a good harvest.

Many cultural activities occur during the festival. Rural areas and small towns retain more traditional celebrations, such as setting off firecrackers, ancestor worship, and dragon dances. Setting off firecrackers and fireworks are common during the Spring Festival season all over China; dragon dances and ancestor worship less so in the city.

Every street, building, and house is decorated with red. “Red” is the main color for the festival, as it is believed to be an auspicious color. Red lanterns hang in streets; red couplets are pasted on doors; banks and official buildings are decorated with red New Year pictures depicting images of prosperity.

The Goat's Personality: Calm and Gentle...

People born in a year of the Goat are generally believed to be gentle, mild-mannered, shy, stable, sympathetic, amicable, and brimming with a strong sense of kindheartedness and justice.

They have very delicate thoughts, strong creativity, and perseverance, and acquire professional skills well. Although they look gentle on the surface, they are tough on the inside, always insisting on their own opinions in their minds. They have strong inner resilience and excellent defensive instincts. Though they prefer to be in groups, they do not want to be the center of attention. They are reserved and quiet, most likely because they like spending much time in their thoughts. Goats like to spend money on fashionable things that give them a first class appearance. Although goats enjoy spending money on the finer things in life, they are not snobbish.

Year of Birth: 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1991, 2003, 2015

Lucky Colors: Brown, Red, Purple

Lucky numbers: 2, 7

Lucky flowers: Carnation, Primrose
Famous people born in the year of the Goat: Mark Twain, Barbara Walters, Jamie Foxx, Jane Austen, Michelangelo

Happy New Year!

~Kelly Cranmer Valadez

The Morrow Report: FHA New Policy

The Federal Housing Administration was begun as part of the New Deal in 1934. It guarantees private home mortgages (FHA loans) and provides funds to promote housing ownership. The new policy lowers the cost of the FHA’s mortgage insurance premiums by 50 basis points. This action will make homeownership more affordable for over two million Americans.

FHA loans typically offer options for first-time home buyers, senior citizens and home improvements. One of the most difficult elements of the home buying process is saving up enough money for a down payment. If you are a first-time home buyer, an FHA loan may allow you to make a down payment of only 3 percent. You may also be able to roll your closing costs and other fees into the loan amount.

The lower prices will enable more qualified borrowers to enter the market.

The FHA is not lowering its underwriting standards or luring irresponsible borrowers into homeownership. Rather, it is enabling qualified buyers to safely enter the market without exposing taxpayers to unnecessary risks. If you don’t pre-qualify right away you can improve your profile so you may become eligible in the future.

Brian D Morrow

Pinnacle Capital Mortgage

Mortgage Advisor

P: 415-310-5586

700 Irwin St, #300, San Rafael, CA 94901

NMLS#3311058

Equal Housing Lender NMLS 81395
Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under California Residential Mortgage Lending Act