The start of the new year always triggers goal-setting, get-healthy behavior. To get in the spirit, our January issue goes inside the juice trend, divulging everything you could ever want to know about the healthy bottled beverages. Quixotic Pictures followed our editorial team around as they sipped and sampled their way through the menu at […]
By Jennifer Rea
The start of the new year always triggers goal-setting, get-healthy behavior. To get in the spirit, our January issue goes inside the juice trend, divulging everything you could ever want to know about the healthy bottled beverages. Quixotic Pictures followed our editorial team around as they sipped and sampled their way through the menu at Juice Saves and debated which healthy concoction should make the cover. Watch the behind-the-scenes video to see how the issue came together and which juices didn’t make the cut.
By Erin Meanley Glenny | Photo Courtesy of San Diego History Center
By the Numbers
$3M – Amount needed in order to reopen the California Tower to the public in 2015 1911 – California State Legislature authorized the use of the park for an exposition, as well as ratified the decision to name it Balboa Park 25 cents – Admission paid by anyone who wanted to watch the construction 1 million – Number of plants John Morley was hired to put into the ground of the canyons (another 50,000 were on the Exposition grounds) $1,937,445 – Amount spent erecting the buildings for the Exposition 42,486 – Spectators at the December 31, 1914 concert, opening ceremonies, and fireworks (about equivalent to the then-population of San Diego)
San Diego’s City Park was founded in 1868. But as late as 1909, only about 100 of the 1,400 acres had been landscaped. That year, the president of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, G. Aubrey Davidson, had the idea of using the park to host a celebration for the opening of the Panama Canal, which was slated for January 1, 1915. San Diego would be the first U.S. port north of the canal, and city leaders wanted to take advantage of their geographic position to boost the economy and help develop the park.
New York architect Bertram Goodhue chose a Spanish Colonial Revival style for the 1915 Panama–California Exposition. Officials liked that it would distinguish SD’s event from the San Francisco Panama–Pacific Exposition, which would have a “Beaux Arts” look.
Park commissioners gave it the name “Balboa Park” after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, a European explorer who first saw the Pacific in 1513. As the Panama Canal would connect the Atlantic to the Pacific, the moniker was a good association for the park and the planned fair.
The 2015 Centennial, which kicks off this month, refers not to the 100th anniversary of the park, but rather the recognition of an entire century since the Exposition, and of enjoying the park’s architecture as we know it today.
Vintage San Diego: Building Balboa Park
Multimedia
DECEMBER 24, 2014
Picture Perfect: Breaching Point
Lucky Shot
By Kristin Agnes
Date of Photo:
Summer 2012
Location:
Off the coast of Baja California near the Coronado Islands
Camera:
Canon 5D Mark II camera. Canon 70-200 mm lens.
Experienced whale watchers know that timing is everything, and although humpbacks are typically in the northern waters during the summer season, Phillip Colla was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. The Carlsbad photographer and software developer was on a pal’s boat cruising the coast of Baja California. “Many blue, fin, and humpback whales were feeding on massive patches of krill. A humpback whale began breaching repeatedly for 10 minutes or so, and at one point it breached between us and the whale-watching boat you see in the background. It made for a once-in-a-lifetime shot.”
A perfectly designed home rarely happens by accident. Those kitchens that feel effortless and rooms that seem to tell a story the second you walk in? They’re usually the work of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
It’s knowing which ideas will actually work, which materials will hold up over time, and how to turn a collection of choices into a space that feels intentional. That’s where a professional interior designer comes in.
For the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) California San Diego Chapter, the goal is to help people see interior design as more than just the finished look. Behind every well-designed space is a process built on technical expertise. Designers are educated in everything from professional software and construction details to building codes, space planning, materials, and functionality.
Courtesy of ASID
“People don’t always realize how much goes on behind the scenes,” Kirsten Recce , current president of the ASID California San Diego Chapter, says. “Our designers are not just doing furniture placement and color selection and picking out new fluffy pillows. That’s not what they’re trained for.”
ASID members bring formal education, continued learning, and industry knowledge to their projects, helping create spaces that are not only beautiful, but designed to work. A paint color that changes completely depending on the lighting. A material that looks beautiful in a showroom but doesn’t make sense for everyday life. A layout that photographs well but doesn’t function for the people living there. These are the details where professional guidance can make all the difference.
Still, one of the biggest misconceptions about hiring an interior designer is that it’s reserved for massive renovations, luxury homes, or people who already know exactly what they want. The process can feel intimidating. Where do you begin? Is a designer worth the investment? What if you only need help with one room?
ASID’s answer: start with one hour.
ASID’s Spruce Up events break down one of the biggest barriers between homeowners and professional design: knowing where to begin. Held twice a year, the community program gives homeowners the chance to work directly with an ASID designer through a one-hour, $125 consultation in their own home. Whether you’re looking for advice on furniture placement, window treatments, kitchen and bath updates, remodeling ideas, vacation rentals, color selections or something else entirely, the upcoming September 2026 event offers an approachable way to get expert guidance before committing to a full project. Signups are open through Sept. 7, with consultations taking place Sept. 21 through Oct. 31. Proceeds benefit ASID San Diego’s educational and community programs. Register here!
Courtesy of ASID
“It’s a great opportunity for people who are in that exploratory phase,” Recce says. “Maybe they’re not sure they want to hire an interior designer yet, or they think it sounds daunting or expensive. This gives them a chance to discover what working with a designer is actually like.”
Design is personal. A good designer isn’t just creating a beautiful room; they’re helping create a space that fits the way someone lives.
“We’re a resource to all of San Diego County,” Recce says. “It doesn’t cost anything to pick up the phone and call and ask. We’ll answer.”
Jackson Design and Remodeling celebrated its 25th anniversary with a Spicy Salsa Soiree at the San Diego Yacht Club. The lively crowd sipped Mojitos, savored Cuban-inspired food, and delighted in salsa performances and lessons, along with the music of the Manny Cepeda Orchestra. Clients ended the beautiful evening by taking home a commemorative bottle of JDR 25th Anniversary Reserve wine.
Photos by Sergio Fernandez
Anniversary Party
Event Photos
DECEMBER 24, 2014
Le Cirque du ROMP
La Jolla Country Club, September 20, 2014
Nearly 400 supporters of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego gathered for the annual ROMP fundraiser, this year a circus-themed night complete with a tent, ringmaster, and fortune tellers. Event chair Jennifer Gramins and honorary chairs Rebecca and Jennifer Moores made the evening a success with dinner, cocktails, celebrity entertainment, and live and silent auctions, raising $620,000 for families in medical crisis. Some of the standout auction items included a private jet excursion to Napa for six, a Kona beachfront vacation for 30, and a brand-new 2015 Audi A3.
Photos by Bob Ross
Le Cirque du ROMP
Partner Content
AUGUST 17, 2026
New Beginnings
A new program guides new moms through high-risk pregnancy and into the “fourth trimester”
Mai Vue was just 34 weeks pregnant when she delivered her baby. Her pregnancy had been complicated, and she’d had a recent second trimester pregnancy loss, which led to her receiving specialized care from Sean Daneshmand, MD, a Scripps Clinic perinatologist who oversees high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Daneshmand and his team took care of Mai during her pregnancy, through the birth of her healthy baby girl and beyond. Mai was part of a program Scripps launched to provide support to new moms in the weeks and months after delivery. The postpartum program, known as Scripps Health’s Fourth Trimester Continuum of Care, provides care for women with high-risk pregnancies to optimize their health after childbirth and reduce the risk of complications in future pregnancies. Click here to learn more.
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