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The Scottsdale architectural firm of Candelaria Design Associates is one of the premier luxury residential architecture firms in the country. Enjoy our blog which features our work, our travel, our recipes, wines, tips on design and decorating, and the lives of our clients and employees, etc.....its all the ingredients for the Candelaria Design Lifestyle. Contact Candelaria Design to start your dream residence 602-604-2001!

October 2011 Blog - MRA Custom Home Events

Candelaria Design Blog

October 2011

Welcome to October!!! I think we all breathe a sign of relief from the long summer when the calendar flips to October. It’s my favorite month of the year – cooler weather for sure, fall, football, World Series, and winter visitors falling in love with Arizona!

Thank you for your readership of our Candelaria Design Lifestyle blog. Over 12,000 readers thus far with over 1050 viewers last month. So thank you for checking in and we will do our best to add some great material in the months ahead.

MRA Morning Glory Estate Lot 2

This month we have two wonderful events coming up – both having to do with our client MRA Custom Homes http://www.mrahomes.com/ . Construction is nearing completion on these two $10 million homes we have recently designed for MRA on their beautiful subdivision located on Morning Glory just north of Mockingbird in Paradise Valley. On October 16^th we are proud to have these two homes included on the AIA Phoenix Metro Home Tour http://aia-phoenixmetro.org/architecture-month/home-tour-2011/. The tour is a self guided tour and will feature several homes of all different styles throughout the Valley and runs from 10am – 5pm and costs only $25.00 and benefits the American Institute of Architects.

MRA Morning Glory Estate Lot 3

The second event includes an exclusive invite only party at the homes on the evening of October 21^st followed by an open-to-the-public Open House weekend on October 22^nd and 23^rd from 12 noon to 5 pm.

MRA Morning Glory Lot 2 Kitchen

My relationship with MRA started in 1999 when they approached me while I was still at CCBG Architects to design their new spec home on Desert Fairways Drive in Paradise Valley. When I decided to start Candelaria Design later that year, they chose to follow me and were one of my first clients. We both fondly reminisce many times of our first meetings at my dining table in my condo and working out the design details all by hand on my drafting table. The home we designed with them drew wonderful attention for both of our companies and profitably sold allowing them to have Candelaria Design create two more homes followed by three more homes, and now these two homes all over a course of the last 12 years. Both of our companies have a great respect for each other and a commitment to quality and creativity in design and construction that clearly shows in these homes.

Aerial View of MRA Morning Glory Estates

The two homes on Morning Glory represent a culmination of the 12 years of our collaboration and both homes are on the one hand very similar in execution and quality but very different in style. One home is a formal Mediterranean Estate the other a French Country Chateau. Beautiful materials adorn both homes, from carved limestone to custom roof tiles, and both are landscaped impeccably by Berghoff Design Group http://www.berghoffdesign.com/ who has also been a key component in the execution of these homes over the last 12 years. The homes are also green in that they are constructed with insulated concrete block, foam spray insulation at the roofs, double insulated windows, and solar panels discreetly positioned on the homes to reduce the overall energy consumption.

MRA Morning Glory Estate Lot 2

The MRA quality is clearly shown in these homes and I encourage you to attend these events. You will be rewarded with a visual experience that I hope will inspire you and give you a fabulous sneak peek of these homes that will surely be marquis homes in

Paradise Valley.

PR & Press

October is turning out to be another great month for PR and Press. Check out the newly released issue of LUXE Magazine and the beautiful home featured that was designed by my associate, Vivian Ayala. This is a beautiful project she spearheaded and we appreciate the attention this home is receiving. More to follow on this feature!

Mountain Residence - Flagstaff, Arizona

We just received word that we have been included on the 2011 list of Top Mountain Architects and Designers in Mountain Living Magazine http://www.mountainliving.com/article/top-mountain-architects-designers-0 . This is our sixth consecutive year to receive this honor.

Dream Home to be featured on Phx Home and Garden Tour - Nov 6th

As noted last month stay tuned also for the November issue of Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine, as one of our homes will be featured in the Dream Homes Extreme Tour to be held on November 6^th. Tickets are limited and can be purchased on line at http://www.facebook.com/PhoenixHomeGarden?sk=app_203351739677351.

Tapas at Twilight - Earth & Images

I want to thank all of you who attended the Tapas at Twilight event at Isabel's store, Earth and Images http://www.earthandimages.com/ , last month and the launch of her new website. With the Holidays coming check out her site for unique gifts for clients, friends, and family.

Italy Trip 2012

The Candelaria Design Italy Trip is a go for 2012! We have had great interest thanks to our Candelaria Design Italy Trip 2010 Facebook Page (800 fans and counting) and we are excited for our 9^th trip which will depart Phoenix on May 30, 2012 and return on June 12th. See our Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candelaria-Design-Italy-Trip-2010/415280225531?ref=mf for more details on the cost and itinerary. Prior blog postings also go into more detail from our 2010 Trip. I’m taking 12-14 travelers and I know this will fill up fast – so call Meara and book your reservation. We will have a great group going, and in addition to Florence, Tuscany and Umbria, we will be hitting the coast and Portofino. I am looking forward to the adventure once again.

October Recipe of the Month

Many of you have asked that I provide the recipes to some of our Facebook cooking postings so here we go…..

Cioppino Pasta

We had a great time putting this little dish together last month. My girls were watching Anthony Bourdain – yes the acorn does not fall far from the tree - and were inspired by his visit of the seafood market in Seoul, Korea whereat Anthony and his host were eating fresh squid and baby octopus. They asked if there was a market like that here in Phoenix. Well we don’t quite have the venue they saw on his show, but I did tell them there was a pretty good fresh fish market at the Ranch Market at the Chinese Cultural Center http://www.phxchinatown.com/99ranch_market.html . Well they got very excited and we were off to find some baby octopus and squid. I was curious to see how this one was going to play out. My two youngest are age 9 and 6 so tentacles and fish heads although interesting may not be appealing once sitting on the dinner plate.

We made our purchases and headed home to clean the squid and octopus and de-vein the shrimp. That was fun and was like science class. With a little garlic, butter and pasta we whipped together a dinner that not only was fun to shop for, but was inexpensive to make and was a lot of fun to prepare and was only outdone with how great it tasted. My girls loved it and you will too.

Ingredients:

1 lb of Baby Squid

1 lb of Baby Octopus

1 lb of Shrimp

4 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of olive oil

6 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper – don’t add if serving the kids!

The squeeze of two lemons

1/4 to 1/3 cup of white wine

2 cans of diced tomatoes with the juice

3 scallions diced

2 teaspoons of thyme or Italian seasonings to taste

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

1 box of pasta – fettucine, angel hair, spaghetti – whatever!

Clean the seafood – go to google to find very simple directions! Chop up the cleaned seafood as you like. Get your pasta cooking and cook el dente. Melt your butter and olive oil in a large pan – I love using my paella pan. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper – sauté and add the lemon juice and white wine. Add the seafood and cook until the shrimp change color and appear cooked through. Add the diced tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Drain the pasta adding two ladles of pasta water to the seafood. Add the pasta to the seafood and toss everything together. Let this concoction cook for 3 minutes or so so all of the flavors combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Add the diced scallions for color and flavor and serve it up! You can always add clams or mussles also – we didn’t see any fresh supply the day we went to the market but they are great in this dish!

September 2011 Blog - Candelaria Design Update

London - Picadilly Circus

September 2011 - Candelaria Design Update

Rendering - New Residence in Arcadia on the boards!

Well by my lack of blogging I guess you can tell we’re getting busier! I’m still cautiously optimistic that this blip in activity will take hold and possibly the ship is slowly turning in the right direction despite some of our politicians best efforts to sink the ship.

We have been blessed with some wonderful new projects consisting of a number of new homes both here in Arizona, as well as California and Idaho and many renovations and remodels. We are also seeing a lot of our good friends from Canada and we are really enjoying working with them. So hopefully, the pendulum is starting to swing back in the positive direction. It’s amazing how far the pendulum swung both ways over the last ten years. It would sure be nice to see some slow, steady growth without the mass exuberance in one direction or the utter despair in the other.

Interior framing details on house underway in
Silverleaf

New Home under construction on Hayden Lake, ID

PR & Press

In terms of Candelaria Design, there are some great things happening! We have had several projects published in the last few months including the cover feature in the June 2011 issue of Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine. This project spearheaded by Project Manager, Lisa Mallas Matthews, features an amazing renovation / remodel of a tract home in McCormick Ranch into and eclectic Old World casa showcasing the amazing antiques and treasures collected through the years by our client. I love this project and especially the clients we worked with – I have worked with them for years on a number of projects and they are truly amazing people. I was then excited to see the project featured again in the September issue and once again it made the cover!

Stay tuned also for the November issue of Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine, as one of our homes will be featured in the Dream Homes Extreme Tour to be held on November 6^th. Tickets are limited and can be purchased on line at http://www.facebook.com/PhoenixHomeGarden?sk=app_203351739677351.

Check this home out on the Extreme Tour - Nov 6!

LEED Certifications

Zona Verde Residence, Paradise Valley

We also have received LEED Certification on two of our projects both constructed by Desert Star Construction http://www.desertstarconstruction.com/ . The first is the El Chorro Renovation in Paradise Valley which received a Gold Certification and is the first restaurant in Arizona to receive a LEED certification. Then the Zona Verde Residence which consisted of several structures, the Main Residence is Certified LEED, the Guest House received Gold, and the Caretaker’s home received Platinum. Furthermore, both projects have now been awarded finalists in the National Gold Nugget Awards for 2011 and we ultimately received the 2011 National Gold Nugget Grand Award for the Zona Verde Residence for the Best Custom Home over 6500 sf. Great job by Project Architect, Jeffrey Kramer, AIA on both of these projects along with Vallone Design, http://www.vallonedesign.com/ Berghoff Design http://www.berghoffdesign.com/ and Creative Designs in Lighting http://www.cdltg.com.

El Chorro

Team CDA

Speaking of my staff, I am so proud of how my team has stuck together during these trying times in our industry. The national unemployment rate for architects reached a peak of 70% during this recession. I am proud to say we are still a ten person firm with what I am sure is the best, most qualified team out there. Three members have been with me over ten years and everyone has been with me at least if not close to five years. I’m also fortunate to have a very capable and hard working administrative support team including Evelyn Jung, who runs the show, Meara McHugh Perrin – who runs the front desk and is handling our marketing, and Dianne Kleber who is our utility player and does whatever we need to help get the job done! All of us are committed to our adage of “Inspiring Excellence”.

I also want to congratulate my associate, Braden Santarcangelo and his new wife Linda Giordano on the birth of their new little girl who came into the world on September 8^th. We are very happy for them and wish them all the best.

Italy Trip 2012

Villa Piazzano - Tuscany

Brunch at Villa Piazzano - Candelaria Design Italy Trip

Wrap Up

Hope's Window and Door Factory
Jamestown. NY

Speaking of traveling, in June made a trip to Jamestown, New York and the Hope’s Window and Door Company, http://www.hopeswindows.com/hopes.shtml to learn more about their product and review several projects we have underway with them. It was a very informative trip coordinated by our good friends at Sienna Custom Windows and Doors http://www.siennacustom.com/ . Later that same month I was off to visit the Crittal Window and Door Company, http://www.crittall-windows.co.uk/ in the UK to check out their product along with my client and builder, John Schultz of Schultz Development Company, http://www.schultzdevelopment.org/ . This was a wonderful trip coordinated by our friends at Roadrunner Glass http://www.roadrunnerglassco.com/ . As they say, its all in the details and when striving for a great look and unique finish there is only one way to do it and that’s to engage the entire team in the process including the vendors and craftsmen executing the work. I love this process and the pride everyone brings to the table.

Crittal Window & Door Co. - England

South bank of the Thames - London

Well that’s the latest. So be looking for more blogs, more updates, and more postings. Plenty brewing and some wonderful projects on the boards and under construction – we thank you ALL for the support and referrals and thanks for following us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candelaria-Design/147697373192

St. Paul's Cathedral - London

Support Two of Our Causes

I hope everyone is having a great start to 2011! So far it has been busy and it looks like 2011 will be another exciting year.

As part of our mission at Candelaria Design, we are always trying

to give back to the community and we are proud this year to be involved in two charities, the Scottsdale Charros and the Arizona Kidney Foundation Dancing with the Stars AZ.

Yes - I am attempting to dance and will be doing so this coming Friday, February 25th at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. This is a great cause and your vote of support will help raise money for the Arizona Kidney Foundation. My lessons have been going great and we have several video posts of my practice sessions and an interview at one of our projects in Paradise Valley on our Facebook page and on the Kidney Foundation pages. As of this morning I have raised $40....so not so good. So I can really use your help to raise some money for this amazing organization! You may help support me "at the push of a button" by purchasing tables and votes. The link below takes you directly to my Kidney Foundation web pages, his debut You Tube video, and the purchasing page. Please help support my two left feet for a greater cause – The National Kidney Foundation of Arizona!

http://community.azkidney.org/page.aspx?pid=416&

tab=0&frsid=22

So if that was not enough, the very next evening we kick off Spring Training for the World Champion San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium with our Scottsdale Charros First Pitch Event Saturday evening, February 26th at the Scottsdale Air Center at 5pm. This is going to be a real fun evening, low key, boots and jeans, country music, dancing, and includes all food an beverage! Individual tickets are $150 or a table of 8 can be purchased for $1000. All proceeds go to supporting our Scottsdale Charities which primarily aim to support education and scholarships for Scottsdale youth and teachers and the community in general! Tickets can be purchased by contacting my office at 602-604-2001 or emailing me at mark@candelariadesign.com. I hope I see you there and we get down to some great food and fun times.

You can also purchase tickets for San Francisco Giants spring training games and help the Charros by going to

http://www.springtraining.com/

and when prompted enter promotional code CHAR-CANDE for great deals on both general admission tickets and tickets to the Charro Lodge which is a great way to enjoy the game and entertain clients, friends, and family!

And, while you're in the voting mood, be sure to help support your favorite residential architect

(under Real Estate - Residential) in Ranking Arizona's 2012 poll. You can vote for us once every 90 days. Thanks for keeping us in the Top 10!

http://rankingaz.azbigmedia.com/index.php

So that should get us through next weekend. We have updates coming on additional events, projects, recipes, publication features, and our 2011 Candelaria Design Italy Trip being tentatively set for August 31st through September 11th! Thanks for all the support both on our blog and our Candelaria Design Fan Page on Facebook. We appreciate it!

Italy Trip 2010 - Day 7 - Day at the Umbrian Farmhouse

Today was our quiet day at the Umbrian Farmhouse. The decrescendo of our journey. A day to just enjoy the countryside and the beautiful home and grounds capped off with our cooking class at the end of the day.

Of course I woke up before anyone and being we were out of coffee at the houses, I thought I would head to town early and grab some provisions to start the day for my travelers. Of course it was only 6:30 am so all was quiet in Mercatale. I made my way into the local coffee stop, Sheila's, and asked what time the local market opened. Well of course that wasn't until 8 am so I grabbed a couple cappuccinos and kicked back and watched the news, in Italian of course. I enjoyed watching the locals stumble their way in to start their days - mostly farmers and construction workers, all who likely engaged in this ritual every day. And even though I stuck out like a sour thumb, all were friendly with a gruff, but non-threatening, buon giorno and a nod of the head.

At 8 am I was off to the market where I was the first patron of the day. The proprietor was kind and tolerated my hand gestures and sketches on paper to describe a bag of coffee, sugar, and cream. Grabbed some croissants, a little fruit and I was out the door. As I drove back to the houses the light through the wafting fog dancing on the hills over the sunlit tobacco and sunflower fields was captivating. So what should have been a 15 min drive home quickly became a 45 minute drive with stops here and there along the way to snap vignettes of this quiet and picturesque landscape. You realize that men and women have been farming this valley for years - thousands of years. What spirits were dancing in the fog???? I can only imagine.

Life was stirring at the house when I returned. Coffee was quickly on the stove and the day now really began. With no agenda, everyone started to set their own course

for the the day. I had a group that wanted to go to the old antique stoneyard, Lacole, for a quick tour of their treasures and finds. Seven travelers chose to check this out so we were off in two cars.

We made our way north of our home, past the small walled city of Citta di Castello, and up the valley toward Arezzo. Finally we found the old stoneyard and we pulled in and parked. Not two minutes later a gentleman pulled up ascertaining our purpose. I quickly aksed for Giacomo who is the son of the family who runs this amazing operation. He quickly called him and in minutes I was speaking with Giacomo and he was excited to hear I was back for a visit. He was finishing lunch (always a priority) and would join us in about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, we would walk the yard and see what treasures were on the grounds. In the past, this was their only location and all of their inventory was in this open air yard. Walking around it became quiet apparent that this was no longer the case. The yard was filled strictly with building materials, pavers, tiles, beams, and a few old fireplace fronts, basins and fountains - all probably not good enough to make the grade of their new location. With a huge thunderstorm approaching we quickly toured the yard and made our way to the cover and safety of our cars. No sooner did we get inside than the rain came down - big time. Of course that is when Giacomo arrived and jumping out of the car to chat was just enough time to get totally soaked! He asked we follow him to their new showroom.....

After a short drive through the farm valley we made our way to the new Lacole facility.....WOW. The new showroom is simply mindblowing! A huge 2 story showroom is only augmented by a huge outdoor yard where all the pieces from the old stoneyard that were randomly strewn about are now organized in beautiful vignettes and rows making the treasure hunting experience for the patron very pleasurable. Everything from the antiques to the snails on the ground are beautiful in true Italian style! It is very gratifying to see how far this family's operation has come in the ten years I have been visiting them. I have purchased roof tiles, doors, fireplace fronts, and many other elements for projects in Phoenix from Lacole and so its always great to visit them. Mamma who runs the antique side of the business is always great to see - she never ages and is a beautiful woman. I could sit and just listen to her speak for hours.... They gave us a nice tour and after two hours of wandering around we said our goodbyes and we were on our way back to the Umbrian Farmhouses.

With a stop at a farm to see the chickens, turkeys, pigs and ducks all race to greet us (by the way a chicken is faster than a turkey) we made our way home to the laughter and commotion of the house. Several of our travelers all had made their way on their own adventures and explorations of the area so we all arrived with our stories of the day. Elizabeth and her crew were getting things ready for our cooking class which starts around 4pm and runs until 8 pm whereupon we all sit down to savor our gastronomic creations! The cooking class is always a great time - relaxing, fun and with vino flowing, always full of laughter. People jump in and out of the various activities involved in the production of the various dishes. Along the way we are all savoring the tastes as the light from the day slowly descends on the Umbrian hills. Its a very memorable way to spend the day at the Country Houses.

With dinner behind us and a fire in the fireplace it was time to unwind. As we did a group started to strategize about branching off and heading to the Amalfi Coast for a little side adventure over the next three days. After enjoying another glass of vino or two, we all had our game plans for Day 8 and it was time to call it a night......let's just say at about 2am ....again.

Italy Trip 2010 - Day 6 Wine Tour

Today marks the halfway point on our trip. It's a day I always enjoy - our tour of the Tuscan Wineries with our guide, Pino Teresi.

We had full interest with the exception of my daughter, Tiffany, who decided to hang at the house and have the place to herself for the day. The rest of us were up and out of there by 8:45 with the fog still lifting from the Umbrian hills. We made our way down the gravel road and into the closest town, Mercatale, to meet Pino at our little coffee stop, Shiela's. A quick cappuccino and a bottle of water to go and we all hopped on the charter bus Pino had arranged. Ahh, no driving today, just sipping wine, taking photos, and letting Pino run the show.

Pino is an amazing guide and I highly recommend him if in the area. He is well educated and extremely knowledgeable and quite respected by anyone we encounter in any of the towns - they all love Pino! Like all Italians, his descriptions are always animated and passionate and he is just a delight to listen to.

Our driver made our way past Cortona and from that point forward all of the iconic photos of the Tuscan countryside were right out our window. As we made our way through hills punctuated by rows of Italian Cyprus and stone farmhouses we made our way up the hill to our first stop, Montepulciano, home of the fine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wine and several beautiful cellars. The town was settled in the 3rd and 4th centuries B.C. by the Etruscans and later the Romans. I suppose if you produce great wine there is no reason to leave!

Our first stop was at the oldest winery in Montepulciano, Contucci, http://www.contucci.it. The Contucci family founded this winery in the 11th Century and continue their passion for fine wine, vin santo and olive oil still today. We were presented several wines and the history of the winery and the story of their grapes by Pino and the host, Adamo! What a character this guy was. The first words out of his limited English vocabulary was the fact he loved wine, women, and their breasts....well what a way to start a wine tasting at 10:30 am. Adamo worked the room and proceeded to kiss every woman on the tour, many several times for each photo op. After several samples it was time to give Adamo and the ladies a rest and move on to our next venue.

The next stop was the Cantina del Redi, http://www.cantinadelredi.com. We always make it a point to make a stop to this amazing cellar buried deep in the tufa stone below Montepulciano. The smell, the mood, and the fact you just keep going down until you ultimately reach the temple of barrels and brick vaults which tower over this wine heaven even if it is deep underground. I love the look of my travelers when they arrive in this cellar. It's beyond description as the sight, smell, sound and light all tantalize your senses....and that's before you even taste the wine. This is always one of my favorites and continues to be despite all of the wonderful places Pino has taken me and my travelers over the years.

A quick walk through town, a little shopping and it was time to herd the troops up to our next stop Pienza. Again, the drive to Pienza is gorgeous as the bus climbs up and down subtle hills with the turned soil or vineyards full of the grapes we were beginning to enjoy on this day. We made our way to Pienza where we had a lovely lunch at the La Mensa "Del Conte". www.lamensadelconte.it. This place is always on Pino's agenda for this day and the food is always simple, hardy and definitely Tuscan. With lunch behind us we took a quick walking tour through Pienza - home of the impeccable Pecorino cheese, a hard cheese made from ewe's milk.

With Pienza behind us it was off to our final stop Montalcino and home of the Brunello di Montalcino wine. Here we tasted the number one rated wine in the world as rated by Spectator Magazine, the Casanova di Neri 2001 Tenuta Nuova Brunello, http://www.casanovadineri.it. I was fortunate to snag a few bottles in 2007 when touring this winery and I am saving at least one for my upcoming 50th Birthday in October! This trip we spent the afternoon at the Enoteca di Piazza, www.enotecadipiazza.com, which is a great wine tasting room with a wide selection of wines all available via the tasting carousels and a great view of the countryside out the window! The proprietor was knowledgeable and spoke very good English so the time here was great and their shipping system was well organized. Needless to say, after an hour of samplings it was not difficult to place orders for several cases.

With lunch and plenty of wine it was time for the long bus ride back to Mercatale where a nine course meal was waiting for us at Mimmi's। Yes 9 course meal। I of course knew this so I took a nice cat nap on the hour and a half ride back to Mercatale। Upon arrival we said our goodbyes to Pino and I quickly dashed up the hill to get Tiffany and then it was off to Mimmi's for the endless country meal all served family style। This marathon of gastronomic indulgence started with two different appetizers, followed by three separate pasta dishes - cannelloni, lasagna, and raviolis, and then two vegetable dishes then finally three different meat dishes - roasted pork, turkey and beef।

Then finally a desert dish featuring tiramisu, gelato, and God I cannot remember the third little delight on that plate.... We always outlast every guest of this restaurant and by the end of the night the place is ours and our debauchery begins। Jokes, laughter, singing.....its always a relaxing and comfortable place despite the size of your waistline at the conclusion of dinner!

By now it was close to midnight.....again... but tomorrow was a free day. No real agenda other than sleeping in and hanging out at the pool.....we'll see!

Italy Trip 2010 - Day 5 Deruta and Assisi

Day 5 began quietly. After all of the excitement from yesterday's adventures everyone was moving a bit slower on this morning and some were not moving at all!

Those of us that were coherent, started the morning with a little coffee on the porch and enjoyed our ritual of watching the fog burn off in the Niccone valley below. Once we were loaded with caffeine we were ready to start our Monday tour of Umbria. I love it as the trip progresses and everyone starts to get comfortable with being in the country and since everyone has their own car, the agenda is there but you don't have to follow it. Most of the group stayed behind and slept in! I had 7 with me and 7 were sawing logs.

Off we went down the hill, through the valley then up and over the big hill, the great view of Lake Trasimeno and then down the hill. We jumped on the freeway which is interrupted by numerous tunnels but with just two cars in our Umbrian convey today was a breeze. We passed Perugia, which is a great town, and proceeded down the Tiber river valley to Deruta. Deruta is most recognized for its excellent ceramics which are exported throughout the world. The fine clay from the Tiber River provides the unique medium for this craft which has been perfected over the centuries.

We stopped at my favorite studio and shop, CAMA, which I have been visiting for nearly 10 years now. The Niccacci family has been operating CAMA for over 60 years and every time I visit Mamma and Pappa are there to welcome me with kisses and a personal tour for my guests of their studio. Uncle Luigi throws the clay and his hands magically, precisely, and repeatedly produce the myriad of pieces they produce. He is a a master and it is simply mesmerizing to watch him on the wheel. Then to watch the speed and precision of the stenciling and painting of each piece, one by one....it truly gives you an appreciation of the love, passion, craftsmanship and history that goes into each piece. Needless to say, once everyone experienced the tour and the spirit of this place - including pictures of the family presenting pieces to Pope John Paul II next to biking and soccer photos of Pappa when he was much younger - the purchasing was in full fervor. Let's just say the Niccacci's are always happy when I come to town and make what is probably a slow Monday into a nice little uptick in their sales for the month! This trip was no different.

After the ordering was done, Roberta Niccacci escorted us through town to a great little country house in the farmland of the Tiber valley for lunch. I love these little bed and breakfast places. Pappa or Mamma cooks and the other serves. Other than perhaps the mayor of town, we were the only other diners on the patio overlooking the tobacco and sunflower fields. We ordered antipasti for 7 and of course instead received 7 individual antipasti platters....ahhh dining in Umbria was on! A little vino, and the sound of thunder and lighting from an approaching thunderstorm and you couldn't ask for any better ambiance for a Monday afternoon lunch in Umbria. I enjoyed the Tagliatelle con Chingale (pasta with wild boar sauce), whose order was confirmed by the waitress giving a pig snort sound, and of course a glass of chianti. A myriad of dishes were ordered by the group and the sampling began! Delicious!

As we were dining in Deruta, our late sleepers had risen and were off on their own adventure and stopped along the Lake Trasimeno for their lunch which apparently was also equally amazing. Pasta with white truffe sauce along the shore of the lake....sounds pretty good to me. We closed out our purchases at CAMA and we were off to Assisi to all rendezvous.

Assisi is always a favorite on the trip and this time proved no different. Parking is always an adventure in these hilltowns but we all seemed to find a spot and eventually all meet at the main piazza. Touring churches and shops, grabbing a gelato to top off the pasta and enjoying the passing thunderstorm all added to a relaxing afternoon in this beautiful Umbrian hilltown. Assisi is the birthplace of St. Francis, who founded the religious order of the Franciscan monks in this town in 1208 and shares honor with Saint Catherine of Siena as the patron saints of Italy. You can definitely feel this aura as you stroll the streets and occasionally pass a monk or nun on their way to mass. The streets are tight and medieval in character and you always catch a glimpse of the quilted patchwork of farm fields below as you glance down the streets. Its really a beautiful and spiritual place.

Both groups arrived at the Basilica di San Francesco which was damaged in a quake in 1997 but was restored and reopened just two years later. This church is amazing and one of the best on our tour. Three levels make up this marvelous structure capped off with the tomb of Saint Francis at the bottom level which acts as the emanating core of this church. Everyone was moved by this remarkable place. We sat in the middle church and watched all of our travelers emerge from the tomb just shaking their heads in awe as mass was being said in the adjoining chapel. Talk about mood....wow. We then all gathered and proceeded outdoors to the sun peaking through following the rainstorm.....again amazing. Fantastic light and the cameras were in full motion. We made our way back through town, did a little shopping along the way, and capped our conquering of Assisi with a gelato and/or cappuccino at the Piazza San Rufino at the top of the town.

We then proceeded to all make our ways back to our cars....some had an adventure in that task but we all eventually made it and drove down the hill and back to our little dark and quiet Niccone valley. Along the way we stopped in our favorite pizzeria in Lisciono Niccone and grabbed six pies, panna cotta for desert, and of course a couple jugs of the local house wine for reinforcements!

Back to the houses, a little dinner, a quick swim under the Umbrian stars, and then it was back onto the porch for recollections of the day's adventures, laughs and then eventually some more swimming at 2 am.... what fun!

Italy Trip 2010 - Day 4 Sunday in Tuscany and lost in Umbria

Italy Trip 2010 - Day 4 Sunday in Tuscany

Sleeping in the Umbrian countryside is fantastic. Too bad I don’t let my travelers get much of it! It’s Sunday morning and today we have another fun filled day in Umbria and Tuscany.

After getting everyone moving – which is always a challenge especially with 14 travelers – we fixed some espresso in our little Italian coffee makers, enjoyed the sunrise from our terrace and we were off to the Villa di Piazzano for our Sunday brunch.

Villa di Piazzano is an amazing place and one I stumbled upon while snooping around Tuscany. My first visit was in 2001 when the Wimpole family purchased the property and begun their amazing restoration and transformation of this property. I have made it a point to visit this splendid place every trip and the work they have done is truly remarkable. The Hotel Villa di Piazzano is a manor house of the 1400s located in the countryside just outside the town of Cortona, a town on the border between Tuscany and Umbria made famous by the American writer Frances Mayes with her book and later the movie, Under the Tuscan Sun. The drive into the property is alone worth the trip and sets the bar high for what is to come.

After we parked the cars we strolled the grounds and then were greeted by the proprietor, Mr. Damian Wimpole, and his lovely daughter, Alessandra. It has been a real pleasure to know these people over the last ten years and they have always warmly welcomed us, my guests, and subsequent referrals. Many of my clients and friends have stayed there, including myself one time, and it is definitely a memorable experience.

We slowly made our way into the dining room where they had prepared a wonderful brunch of meats, fruits, cheeses, breads, etc. All simple but beautifully staged and choreographed just like everything in Italy. As with anything here we spend as much time enjoying and photographing the food as we do eating it! We dined outside on the terrace and enjoyed a relaxing champagne brunch.

Following brunch Mr. Wimpole gave us a tour of the hotel including the newest acquisition across the drive that features contemporary decorated quarters set in the customary Tuscan style façade. Amazing and very chic’. Loved it. The finale consisted of their tour of their stunning wine cellar that I can only dream someday of having a dinner with my buddies some late fall evening with Brunello’s followed by cigars and Lemoncello. This will happen someday!

With the tour of Villa di Paizzano concluded it was off to Arezzo for the antique fair and Renaissance festival. Arezzo is a beautiful hilltown rising from the floodplain of the River Arno. Founded by the Etruscans this is a very old city and was a prominent medieval center which has maintained this character and feel to a tee. A quick stop at the ATM, which by the way are everywhere, and as we turned around here comes trumpets, drums, horses and jousters – the complete medieval parade with representation from every neighborhood proudly displaying their flags, and attire. Amazing and magical. The church bells ringing and those Italian faces – wow! The parade lasted a good hour whereby we were on a quest for antiques and a cold bierra or a gelato.

With Arezzo conquered it was off to Cortona – the home of Under the Tuscan Sun! I love this little hilltown and there is always excitement and drama on every corner. Sundays are always a busy evening in this town and this trip proved no different. Parking is the first adventure and this trip we had a little of everything. I found my usual spot at the bottom of the hill and made my way up the hill following the beautiful couple who looked like they just flew in from Monte Carlo. I happily followed them to the top of the escalator and I found my first group parked illegally at the drop off point at the main entry to the town blocking all of the tour buses. I quickly told them that we needed to move their car and jumped in and drove them down to the lot I parked in. Back up the escalator following Monte Carlo couple number two only to arrive at the same top of the hill to a huge traffic jam. Apparently, someone decided to also park illegally and ended up blocking the tour bus and then all of the cars behind including one of our cars. Now the drama of this Italian hilltown was in full swing. Every grandmother, baby, police women, dog, and cat were all there throwing their hands in the air and yelling at each other in a symphony out of a Fellini movie. Beautiful – I love the excitement and drama! The tow truck arrived, towed the car, and once again we were all moving. Boy am I glad we moved our car number 2 as I can only imagine what the experience of trying to find your car that had been towed would be like….!

So we finally had everyone in the main piazza and everyone unwound and started pouring the vino. Let’s just say a few really enjoyed the vino and probably a few other beverages along the way…. The rest of us strolled the narrow, magical streets and piazzas and caught the Tuscan sunset on this picturesque town and the valley and quilt of farms and villas below. Beautiful.

A few others made their way to Il Falconierie, (http://www.ilfalconiere.it) a wonderful hotel consisting of a restored villa, farmhouse, and chapel along with a restaurant featuring cooking classes and wine tastings. This is a beautiful place featuring world class cuisine, service and scenery.

We all rendezvoused for dinner in the Trattoria Toscana and enjoyed a nice simple dinner at half the cost of what we had been spending in Florence. Of course when 14 people take over one of these small and quaint trattorias its quite the affair. After dinner it was back to the parking lot but not until it was discovered my car keys were missing…..more drama! Well in the search through the streets of Cortona for the keys – which by the way were left in car two in the mad dash to park the cars. With the key drama solved we noticed that one of our group had left without us. Brave ones to drive off on night number one with the cars…..hmmmm.

We made it all home, which is about a 30 mile drive from Cortona, or so we thought….. My phone had died and I thought we had all made it home and I would just charge the phone in the morning. My daughter, Tiffany, thought it might be smart to charge the phone now in case anyone needed to get a hold of me. Well sure enough, as soon as the phone charged the texts started coming in. My Iphone sounded like a slot machine that had hit the jackpot. The group who left early were lost somewhere in Umbria. Of course this was the car with three women and the gentleman who had indulged a bit too much and was out in the back seat…

I quickly called them and talk about a happy group to hear my voice. I was already home and did not want to drive down the winding dirt road in search of them, God knows where, at 1am in the morning in Umbria. I had them start reading signs and describing what they were seeing and within minutes I knew where they were and proceeded to guide them home one farmhouse, pig sty, tree, and wall at a time all the way home. MC and my Iphone was better than any GPS!

So concluded day 4 and our first full day in Umbria! Off to Deruta and Assisi tomorrow and who knows what adventures lie ahead.

Italy Trip 2010 - Day 3

Ahhhhh- we made it to the country houses in Umbria. Here is where I finally relax and unwind. After the stress of getting 14 people from Phoenix, via Philadelphia, via Frankfurt to Florence and then the hustle and bustle of Florence, followed by convincing six of my guests to rent cars in Italy and hop right on the Autostrada - well I think you get the picture and why now I am finally relaxing.

To retrace day three....our transition day. We started the morning, blogging once again from the rooftop of the Brunellschi Hotel where I was joined by one of my travelers who was kind enough to bring a tray of coffee. So we enjoyed the sunrise overlooking the Duomo and slowly woke up and started the day. I love this hotel in that the staff are always so friendly and accommodating and the hotel is perfectly, centrally located so you are in the heart of all the sites of Florence.

We headed down to breakfast and put our strategy together for the day. This started with a quick trip to the San Lorenzo Market which for me is always a treat. The square is filled with street vendors selling everything from t-shirts to beautiful leather jackets. After maneuvering our way through the vendors you finally find the indoor market which is amazing. A maze of meat markets, fish markets, flower stands, bread and pastry shops, its the equivalent of Pike's Market in Seattle - only better. We enjoyed the market, made our way back through the street vendors and back to the hotel to check out.

After checking out, the shuttles were there to meet us and take us to the airport where we were to rendezvous with one of our late arrivals who was unable to fly over with the rest of the group. We proceeded to get our rental cars and head out to the country. Of course nothing is ever very efficient in Italy, so after waiting several minutes for them to find my car and then clean my car we all got ourselves in order and proceeded onto the Autostrada - 7 cars, all nice Mercedes so we looked like quiet the entourage. Getting the rental cars from the Florence Airport has proven to be the easiest way to get out of the city and immediately into the country. Some trips past this task has been a real adventure but all went like clockwork this time - again thanks to my assistant, Evelyn!

We drove about 45 minutes south to Montevarchi where the top secret Prada Outlet called Space is located. This is always a tricky place to find in that street names are difficult to see or find that is if they truly even exist. Google has a long way to go when locating places in Italy, and the GPS loves to tell you to flip a U-turn....... So when all else fails flag down a local, pay him 5 euros to escort us there and another 5 euros when we arrive. Worked like a charm! This place is very discreet and almost top secret. Grab a number outside the warehouse, wait your turn and then you duck in and boom you are in Prada. The girls scattered in every direction and fortunately, whoever came up with this place was smart enough to include a bar / restaurant right next to it so all the guys headed there. We gave the girls 90 minutes which quickly became 2 hours but eventually they all pulled themselves away and walked out with their discounted purchases with big smiles on their faces.

We left Space and instead of jumping right back on the Autostrada we winded our way across the countryside and eventually made our way back on to the Autostrada. After about an hour we exited at Tuoro and made our way up the hill and the beautiful views of Lake Trasimeno. After a winding climb up its an equally long and winding climb down into the lovely Niccone River Valley that divides Tuscany from Umbria. Tuscany is on the west side of the valley and Umbria is on the east. The valley is dotted with old castles, villas, tobacco, corn and sunflower fields - picturesque is an understatement. Once we arrived at the valley floor we stopped in Mercatale for some provisions - mostly wine and water - and a quick call to our house caretaker for updated directions in and we were on our way.

The road through the valley is nice, and paved but we eventually make our turn to the dusty, gravel road through the scrub oaks and up a very steep hill. The dirt road is a good mile maybe two and my guests are wondering where in the hell am I taking them....These country houses are remote but the isolation and view are most definitely worth it. Up, up, up (you hear that a lot here in Italy) and finally after coming around a tight curve their are the houses - La Pietra and La Quierca. Beautiful, simple, charming old farmhouses. We park and everyone gets out of their cars and just sighs.... you can feel the relief that we have arrived and you see the amazement and anticipation in everyone's faces that this is really going to be something different, and that it is.

We walk past the gate, and through the herb garden whereupon our host Elizabeth Wholey, her husband, and staff are there to greet us and give us a tour of the house. A simple yet extremely beautiful light dinner is awaiting us and we all settle in for our stay here in Umbria. After dinner, we open a few more bottles of vino, make a fire in the fireplace and run down to the pool for a quick candle lit dip under the Umbrian sky and then back up to the house for stories and maybe another glass of wine.....

Life is good in Umbria!

Italy Trip 2010 - Day 2

Writing this morning as dawn approaches from the rooftop of the Hotel Brunelleschi in Florence, Italy. Listening to the bells of the Santa Maria del Fiore and recalling all of our memories from Day 2. Beautiful morning here and not a cloud in the sky! What a great day 2 we all had!

The day started bright and early for me as my body clock has not adjusted to the time here in Italy, so i was up at 4am. Fortunately, I was able to receive a call on a new project in Pheonix whch we were able to close a deal on so that was a very nice way to start the day and this vacation! I headed down to the bar to write my blog, check emails and get ready for day two. I love the mornings in the Italian towns and cities because you basically own it. No vespas, people, nothing - quiet stillness. It is very hard to come by when in the cities in Italy. So I make it a point to always get up early, enjoy the start of the day, then catch a nap later in the afternoon. This was definitely the plan today!

After blogging and catching up on the emails, I was coaxed into a morning jog through the streets of Italy by fellow traveler, friend, and fabulous interior designer, Kim Colletti. We ran and walked our way on a nice loop through Florence past the three main churches of the city, Santa Maria Novella, the Duomo - Santa Maria del Fiore, and the Basillica San Croce. Now this was a great way to start the day and get the blood moving and fend off that damn jet lag!

Following our run we hooked up with some of our travelers in the hotel restaurant, grabbed a quick bite, some much needed coffee, grabbed a shower in the room and it was off to our walking tour through Florence. The walking tours in Italy are great and in particular the one in Florence. Three hours walking tours truly enlighten you to so much that you simply take for granted when ignorantly strolling the streets. It is amazing all of the significance each corner, square, street and church offers and the multitude of stories and history this place is filled with. Basically, in our modern world and culture, despite our problems, it is nothing to what life must have been like in these cities during the Dark Ages or the Renaissance. Now those were some rough times to be a human being. You were either a slave or commoner with virtually a meager existence or you were wealthy and having to constantly fend off your rivals who wanted to quarter you or burn you at the stake in the square....we have nothing to complain about - trust me. I could write a whole blog about the stories we were told - all fascinating and all brining such a new layer of understanding and appreciation of how this place ever came to be!

After the walking tour we grabbed lunch in a familiar trattoria just around the corner from the Palazzo Vecchio and then it was off to the airport to retrieve my lost bag! Thank God it was located and so I was fortunate to not lose a beat on the trip. Grabbed the cab ride back to the hotel and proceeded excitedly to my 2-1/2 hour siesta!

Woke up, and we all rendezvoused, in the hotel bar, a few cocktails, glass of wine, and then it was off to dinner. Our dinner was little more low key tonight - basically a small trattoria across the alley from the hotel! But it was nice, quiet and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. A great bistecca fiorentina, a glass of wine and then, it was off to the streets of Florence for a little fun! And fun we had!!!

Night life in Florence is quite the spectacle! Street performers. Mimes, and musicians all fill the fabric, sites and sounds of the evening. We grabbed a gelato and a cigar – nice combo by the way and the girls took a ride on the carousel in the Piazza Republica and we then proceeded to the River Arno and Harry’s Bar! This a a great spot and home to the founding of the Bellini. We enjoyed a little desert and then it was off to the Westin to listen to our piano player, playing of course American music, and share some final stories before walking home and saying goodnight to beautiful Florence!

Italy Trip 2010 - Day 1

We made it! That is always one of the most stressful parts of the whole trip - getting everyone here and safely checked into the hotel. Well this year we did great. All the flights were on time, the transfer from the airport to the hotel was waiting for us and the Hotel Brunelleschi is always dialed in. Last trip the airline that will remain nameless, and never to be used again, lost nearly all of our travelers' bags and screwed up our flights to the point of being laughable - well actually it brought my wife to tears. This trip - perfect - thanks to all the hard efforts of my assistant, Evelyn, who has done a spectacular job making this trip and all its millions of details come together. So, despite me, the tour guide, leaving my little carry on at the gate check in desk in Frankfurt, we had no issues and no drama! Bag has been found and is here in Florence so we are good to go!

Once we checked in, despite traveling for many hours, everyone wanted to take a quick glimpse and explore the city around our hotel. We checked in about 2pm local time and we were on the streets by 3pm. Perfect weather, 80's during the day and cool 60's at night. Everyone started out right on my hip, but after passing a couple shoe shops, clothing stores and of course by the time we hit the Palazzo Vecchio I was down to one or two who wanted to go back to the hotel after this quick peek and grab some shut -eye. The rest were out and discovering all Firenze has to offer.

I grabbed a quick siesta and awoke to the sounds of the Florence street life below. Quick shower and shave and then we all met in the lobby decked out to the nines. We were off to dinner at truly one of the most beautiful spots I've ever been to - the Villa San Michelle - see the link on our September List at the top of the blog! To paraphrase their website: "The Villa San Michele must be one of the most romantic places in the world. This former monastery, nestled on a hilltop surrounded by trees and terraced gardens, overlooks the city of Florence below.

Dating from the 15th century its facade is attributed to Michelangelo. To step inside is to experience the ethereal beauty and solitude of a renaissance building that is as much a part of Italy's culture as the country’s greatest cathedrals and galleries. Here, each visitor is a privileged guest, invited to stroll in the Italian gardens, filled with lemon trees and roses, and savour the superb Tuscan cuisine on the alfresco loggia as if in a private home."

None of this is an understatement and I'm sure my guests, after sitting on a plane for God knows how many hours, were blown away and now are just beginning to understand what this trip is all about. I must back up a bit as the drive from our hotel to the Villa San Michele of course at dusk is devine. You escape the hustle and bustle of the city and wind your up the Tuscan hills villas, estates, olive groves and end up at this magical and formidable facade with a view of Florence that is unrivaled. I love the looks on everyones' faces as they step out of the bus and set foot on this small piece of heaven. The service is impeccable and after a few pics - yes we were the poppaorazzi, we were guided through the lovely and to the garden for appetizers and bellinis. How civilized! Sitting in the garden and enjoying the fall air, and the last few strands of light on the hills, I knew I had finally arrived. I could feel the joy of being here and sharing this magical place with my guests.

Of course this was just the start! Following appetizers in the garden we made our way through the building and back to the grand Loggia overlooking all of Florence. It is here we dined to a wonderful pre-set four course meal featuring a blue lobster filet served with a herb sauce, followed by ravioli with wild mushrooms and a truffle sauce - by far the most talked about dish this evening, followed by thinly sliced sirloin of beef with a Brunello sauce and fresh spinach, finally followed by Florentine crepes filled with fresh fruit and muscat grape sauce, capped with a cappuccino of course. Absolutely phenomenal and obviously a high bar set for the balance of the trip.

Quick cab ride back down the hill following our 4 hour meal and back to the Hotel Brunelleschi. It's midnight and the streets are empty but everyone was so jazzed that we took a stroll down to the Duomo, which is only a couple turns down the street, for a few pics, a couple more laughs then it was off to bed.

Today was a great day - considering it was really almost two days. The first 12 hours in Florence - amazing!!!! Tomorrow is our first full day in Florence and features our three hour guided walking tour through the streets of the city. Time to sleeeeeepZZZZZ. Ciao!

September Morn - Arrivederci Phoenix

We leave in 4-1/2 hours and just buttoning up the last details. Did I get everything done I had hoped....no! The hours just flew by and I can't believe I'm down to two hours from my pick up. We switch planes in Philadelphia so I can get more done on the flight from Phoenix to Philly.... see how this works. Those that know me well know I never stop, but I will TRY to relax on this trip and enjoy the pace of Italian life. Three hours of sleep last night so I should be able to sleep very easily on the flights to Italy. Shoot - I have one more sketch I need to get done.......scan and email from the airport!

There is nothing more magical than boarding the plane in Arizona with our familiar brown everywhere, flying across our country, then flying over the ocean and watching it get dark and almost as quickly getting light again to the western shores of Europe. Looking out the window you can tell you have been transported to a whole new world. Little villages, beautiful churches, the pattern of tile roofs, small winding roads, it's just different and you can then feel the anticipation of the dream you are about to be a part of.

Well, I need to run, finish packing, get Tiffany (my daughter who is joining me on the trip this year) up and moving and get this show on the road. Looks like we will beat Hurricane Earl to the east coast so Arrivederci Phoenix - we are outta here!

Italy Trip 2010 One More Day to Go!

Down to one more day. I can definitely feel the excitement from the texts and emails I am getting from my travelers. So today is about tying up loose ends and getting packed (yes I wait until the last minute).

The whole thing becomes sort of a dream in that today I will be frantically jumping from item to item, project to project, making sure everything gets done or properly delegated and saying my good byes to my employees, clients and most importantly my family. Then tomorrow we will get with our group and head across the pond whereby on Thursday we will be in one of the most beautiful and architecturally significant places on earth - Florence, Italy, home of the Renaissance.

I always feel so much excitement combined with trepidation when doing this trip in that it is great to experience this wonderful corner of the world yet I constantly worry about the happiness and comfort of my travelers. This is our 8th tour and each trip is filled with so many stories and sites so here we go again! We will be setting dates for next year's trip as we have received overwhelming interest for Italy Trip 2011!

Here is our agenda and we will attempt to update the blog each day depending on internet access as we will be in some remote spots:

Wednesday September 1st - Fly to Florence
Thursday September 2nd - Arrive in Florence
Friday September 3rd - Day in Florence - Walking tour of the City & dinner at Villa San Michele http://www.villasanmichele.com/web/ovil/villa_san_michele.jsp
Saturday September 4th - Morning in Florence then on to the Prada Outlet and then to our Country Houses in Umbria with a welcome dinner prepared by our private chef.
Sunday September 5th - Brunch at the Villa Piazanno in Tuscany http://www.villadipiazzano.com/ then onto Arrezzo for the Antique Fair. Dinner in Cortona.
Monday September 6th - Cama Deruta ceramic studio tour, Perugia, Assisi and dinner in Assisi. http://www.camaderuta.com/
Tuesday September 7th - Wine Tour of Tuscany - Montepulciano, Pienza, and Montalcino, 7 course meal at Mimmi's.
Wednesday September 8th - Farmer's Market in Umbertide, Tour of Architectural Antiques Yard - Lacole, and our cooking class in the Country Houses.
Thursday September 9th - Tour Sienna
Friday September 10th - Drive to Rome with a stop in Orvieto for lunch.
Saturday September 11th - A day in Rome
Sunday September 12th - Fly back to Phoenix

Yes - its a full schedule and I'll need a vacation after my vacation!

Italy Trip 2010 Begins!

Well Italy Trip 2010 is upon us. We leave Wednesday morning on our adventure across the pond and arrive in Florence, Italy on Thursday just past noon. We will spend 11 lovely days in Italy starting with a couple days in Florence, then our quaint and charming country houses in Umbria for 6 days and then onto Rome for two more and then back to our lives here in the States. Thanks to all my travelers for signing up this year. We have 14 total so a nice group this year. Also a special thanks to Evelyn and Megan from my office who really put this whole trip together!!! I couldn't do it without you!

I invite you to follow our trip on our blog and on our Candelaria Design Italy Trip 2010 on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candelaria-Design-Italy-Trip-2010/415280225531?ref=mf over the course of the next two weeks. We will be posting tidbits, photos, videos, recipes, wine recommendations, you name it. It will be a lot of fun and every trip we've done (this is number 8) always is filled with new sites, stories, hundreds of memories and lasting friendships.

I am excited, apprehensive, a bit stressed, well a whole mixture of feelings that changes on the hour. I am excited to see the looks of a number of my travelers who have never been to Italy, many who have never been to Europe the moment we walk down our street to the Hotel Brunelleschi. The sites, sounds and especially smells all overwhelm the senses. I'm always amazed at how vibrant and memorable everyone's dreams become during this trip. Hard to imagine we will all be there in a little over 72 hours!

Well back to work, wrapping up details, trying to hit deadlines, packing, errands......craziness.

August 2010 - Making it through the summer!

Wow – the summer is flying by and finally some monsoon rains to stir things up and bring some welcomed moisture to the Valley of endless sun!

We have been all busy at Candelaria Design finishing up some amazing homes and now starting some great new projects that we have picked up over the summer. My staff and team have done a great job and they have all put in a lot of late evenings and weekends to keep things moving! It’s definitely appreciated!

It’s exciting and very interesting to see the dynamics of the market and how things adapt to meet people’s change in tastes, needs, perceptions and of course economics. Of course our industry, real estate, construction and design have been the most affected industry out there with this significant downturn. Architects have one of the highest unemployment rates currently running at 67%. It has been trying on all of us and all of our builders and consultants and its been frankly heart-wrenching to hear the stories and witness first hand some of the hardships and sacrifices people in our industry have been making to get through these tough times. The truth of the matter is we all will get through this – how?… that is the chapter yet to be written. I know we are working as hard as possible to find projects, finish projects, spread the work around, and put people to work and we appreciate the referrals that we receive back from everyone!

Speaking of finding work we definitely are not limiting ourselves to just Phoenix and just houses. We have been blessed to land some great projects in a number of places. Phoenix and Idaho of course, but also Albuquerque, Las Vegas, LaJolla, and Dallas. We are looking at another restaurant project and doing a number of apartment clubhouse and pool area renovation projects which have been a lot of fun! The remodels and guest houses keep coming and we love doing them! Remodels have always made up 65-75% of our workload. I think it is the most green way to go when you can make use of an existing home and save what you can and add with green and energy efficient products and materials.

I have been fortunate to get a little traveling in – mostly for business - this summer including Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Big Fork, Montana; Austin, Texas; Durango, Colorado; and La Jolla and now I’m in the process of moving my daughter, Tiffany, who graduated cum laude in May from the University of Portland with a Bachelors Degree in Communication. I am very proud of her and I’m excited to have her back in Phoenix! She’ll be looking for a job so any leads – we’ll take em’!

We have recieved some great press this year including a beautiful editorial of one of our homes in Arcadia featured on the cover of the summer issue of LUXE Magazine! Great team effort by Candelaria Design, Schultz Development, Vallone Design and Berghoff Design. Please check it out as it is on the newsstands now! El Chorro still gets its share of press too including a nice write up in Sunset Magazine and nice accolades for the patio and design. I’m looking forward to those nice fall evenings there sharing a glass of wine around the firepit after a little bocce! http://elchorrolodge.com/

The Italy trip is just a month away and we will have 15 travelers joining us on this year’s adventure. We had a wonderful Pre-Trip party at Coup des Tartes a couple weeks ago and everyone had a chance to meet and get the party started. http://www.nicetartes.com/ Check out our Facebook fan page for the Italy trip and follow us each day as we make our way through Tuscany, Umbria and Roma! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candelaria-Design-Italy-Trip-2010/415280225531?ref=mf We will be setting the dates for next year’s trip soon and I can tell we have a lot of interest from those who couldn’t make this year’s trip but want to be included in 2011!

Finally, thanks for all the new fans on our Candelaria Design Facebook Fan Page. We just passed 1300 and we are growing our base day by day. We are also on Twitter at CandelariaArchs. We love your support and posts and my Marketing Director, Megan Wahl, is looking forward to adding some great material there over the balance of the year ahead. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candelaria-Design/147697373192

It’s back to drawing for me and back to school in ten days for my girls. One graduated from college and the youngest is just starting kindergarten…..so I’ll be drawing for many, many years to come so stay tuned!

June 2010 Blog - Summer is here

Wow - summer is here and the 110º temps are finally knocking on the door. It's been a while since I have posted a blog and thought it was time to catch up. It's hard to believe that half of this year is nearly over.

Well a lot has been happening. First I want to congratulate our Evelyn Bhattan, who basically runs our operation, and who many of you have known for years - well her and her fiance, Scott Jung, were married today in Cancun, Mexico! My Evelyn, is all grown up. We all send our well wishes to both Scott and Evelyn from the entire Candelaria Design gang.

We are all weathering these tough economic times in the real estate and construction industry and it has been nice to see everyone come together and rebuild relationships, bend and lend a hand to help others, and offer support and encouragement when needed. As they say, its easy to be everyone's friend during the good times, but you really find out who your friends are during the tough times. Needless to say, we have been blessed with so many wonderful friends! We're all working together and we appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation over the course of the last few years.

That being said, we are blessed to have a number of exciting projects going on here at Candelaria Design. We are completing plans on two beautiful new homes in Silverleaf and another in DC Ranch. All three are amazing homes. We were also pleased to hear that the home we designed in Silverleaf for West Development and Construction sold for $7.5 million last week - http://www.azcentral.com/business/realestate/articles/2010/05/26/20100526biz-donedeals0526.html?source=nletter-news nearly $700/sf!

We are also fortunate to be working on two projects in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. One is nearing completion of construction at Black Rock and another is on the boards in Hayden Lake. Both are spectacular lake homes in one of my favorite places in the world. Other projects beyond Phoenix include a stunning Pallazzo we designed in the middle of an 80 acre farm field in Yuma, another mountain home near Dolores, Colorado, and a formal Mediterranean courtyard home outside of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We have several amazing homes finishing construction in Paradise Valley and Arcadia and they will all complete this fall. Look for some upcoming features in LUXE magazine this summer.

Another major component of our work load is and has always been remodels, additions, and renovations. That usually surprises a lot of people but those projects have always made up half if not two-thirds of our work load. Given this market, we are seeing a lot of work here and we really enjoy them! I think clients always expect a new home design to be spectacular but are usually so surprised and amazed at how we can turn an existing home into something spectacular. The transformations always truly show off the creative ability of our Candelaria team! We have some very interesting remodel, renovation projects and it is amazing how many guest houses we are doing these days - this is definitely a trend with our aging population. In all cases I am always proud that we are creating something real that does create or keep real jobs.

Our Italy trip from September 1st - September 12th is a go and we have a great group going this year! I am very excited about our trip and the group traveling with us this year. I am excited to be traveling in September and seeing this part of Italy as fall approaches. Details on the trip and our pre-party will be coming out in the next two weeks. We do still have room for two more! See details of the trip on our Candelaria Design Italy Trip 2010 Facebook Fan Page. This is a great trip and a very unique way to experience one of the most magical areas of Italy.

Well - time to hit the pool with the kids and dog and then back to the drawing board! Thanks for all of the great projects and support!