Unique Holiday Gifts
The holidays are a great time to celebrate those around us. But letās just say we here at Arana would not blink an eye if you took these suggestions and applied them, liberally, to amassing your own gift pile. Succulents as art, group craft, and decor Living succulent arrangements from [...]
Staying Sane: Navigating the Holidays
Elena Skroznikova is a certified nutrition counselor, science-based health coach, and addiction survivor. Looking ahead to Halloween, Thanksgiving, and all of the holidays in December, we are sharing with you some of Elenaās holiday-preparation tips ā as these may be useful for anyone seeking to not overindulge in a season [...]
Holiday De-Lights
At this time of year, no matter what culture or lineage, celebrations usually involve some version of making the darkness lighter (at least in this hemisphere). In my family, decorating for Christmas has been one of my favorite traditions! So, for our December newsletter, my team and I sought out [...]
At the Core, Iām an Idealist
This month we celebrate 14! A fourteen-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old business. The day we came home from the hospital with our new baby, we had a brand-new contractorās license waiting for us. I didnāt mean to become a contractor. My father and my uncles were and are, builders. I [...]
Saladmaster Changes Life
Lisa Zapata and her son Zack want you to be healthy and happy. To that end, they offer free product demonstration parties at which they prepare and then feed to the attendees a five-course vegan meal ā using a set of cookware known as Saladmaster. The health benefits from the [...]
Shamanic Space Clearing
By Laura Martin Bovard and Kelley Kessler In life, we choose what we make sacred. How we live, the way we arrange our things, the beauty we invite in, all of this impacts us. As an Interior Designer, I (Laura) see my role as creating spaces that support people in [...]
Choosing Paint Colors Using Feng Shui
Aelita Leto does not recommend that you google Feng Shui and paint colors. In fact, she does not recommend that her clients, or anyone, do anything just āby the book.ā As a Feng Shui master with over 20 years of training, and dual degrees in mathematics and physics, as well [...]
Arana Celebrates 17 Years!
Seventeen years ago, we brought home a brand new baby, our daughter Sofia, and on the table waiting for us was our contractorās license. It was the start of both our family unit and our Arana Craftsman Painters family, all at once. This year, we made the decision to homeschool [...]
Restoring and Maintaining Home Exteriors: Stucco, Shingles, Siding, and Brick
Got Home? Weāve Got an Exterior Paint Process For It The Bay Area sings in a chorus of varied genres of architecture. From Eichlers and Craftsman Bungalows to ornate Victorians, robust Colonials, and magical Storybook houses, each genre is unique. What makes a style remarkable is in part how it [...]
10 Things to Consider When Choosing Paint Colors for Your Interiors
By Judy Dinkle, Interior Designer and Color Consultant Interior Designer Judy Dinkle is one of Arana's go-to color consultants for our clients. As part of the service we provide, we include a free one-hour paint color consultation for whole-house interior or whole-house exterior contracts. We asked Judy to give us [...]
