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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!

Alaska - Cusacks on the Kenai

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I love to travel. With today’s technology and the great team I have with me at Candelaria Design, I can virtually work wherever I go. And as my team knows, that’s what I do – I work from everywhere during all times of the day and night. From my office and studio at home, from Italy to the Kenai River in Alaska! I love it and I have found the constant change of scenery and experiences serves as a springboard for endless inspiration in design and in life.

This week I took my first visit to Alaska, at the gracious invitation of Dr. Tony and Jenny Hedley, clients and now good friends of mine whose home my team is designing in Arcadia back in Phoenix. My daughter, Isabella is good friends with their daughter, Alexis so Bella came up a couple weeks ago and my youngest daughter, Sophia and I came up this weekend to bring her home.

What a great trip and now another door of exploration has been opened. Alaska is simply amazing. I know many of you have been here and know words cannot describe it as it is boundless and endless – it is truly the last frontier. We spent our time, four days – albeit long days as the sun never seems to set – with the Hedleys at their amazing lodge on the Kenai River! http://cusacksonthekenai.com

Such a beautiful spot set right in the middle of the Kenai peninsula. Their lodge is majestic with direct access right to the river with everything you need to snag some beautiful salmon. We had a wonderful time just fishing and relaxing and taking in the fresh air and 60º temperatures…..not a bad place to unwind from the 115º heat of Arizona in July. Jenny Hedley and her sisters make the whole experience feel like home.

With the sun virtually setting at midnight and twilight at the end of the day merging into twilight of the next morning the kids wind things down at about 4am with tales being spun around the firepit and fishing ongoing day and night. I would wind things down around 1am and get up around 8am to complete silence as no one but the hardy fishermen would not move until about 2 or 3 pm. Perfect!

I would fish for a few hours, then come back and enjoy my coffee and get a couple hours of work, fish some more, then work for a bit, then squeeze in a nap before anyone even woke up! We even worked in some time to review their plans!

Then to top it all off they invited me into the kitchen where we made reindeer raviolis, fettuccini and spaghetti with my new Candelaria Collection pasta machine which has now traveled with me to Italy and Alaska. Yes most people bring their fishing and hunting gear….I brought my new Pasta Machine which we will be selling soon on our website. Making pasta is always an undertaking and tonight we went big as we had about 30 people here so after starting at about 5pm we wrapped the pasta making up at about midnight - but boy was it good. Add a delicious reindeer sausage ragu and the crew here at the lodge were in for a treat.

The fishing is amazing and there is nothing better than eating fresh salmon. But the time to sit and reflect and refresh was the best. My girls loved it and it and I know I am coming back with the whole Candelaria clan next summer as we start to explore more of this spectacular place.

Special thank you to Dr. Hedley and his lovely wife Jenny and their entire family who made us feel like we were a part of their family!

Italy - Design & Romance

Enjoying time with my friends in Assisi, Italy

It seems like every blog starts with sending prayers for someone, or something, or as with this week, for a nation. I send my prayers to all of the victims of the heinous attacks in Nice, France. As an avid traveler who loves having lunch on the street, enjoying farmer’s markets, and all of the wonderful sights and sounds of any place, whether here in Scottsdale or in France, this event really upsets me as it is an attack on our way of life.

As I write this blog and am watching the Sunday news shows, we have another shooting of officers in Baton Rouge.....the hatred continues.....

Despite these horrible acts, we must live our lives and spread goodness and so Friday night we kicked off our 14th Candelaria Design Tour Italy with our Pre-Trip dinner at Marcellino’s http://marcellinoristorante.com Yes – our trip and tour will continue. Will we always be keeping an eye around the corner, and aware of our surroundings….most definitely! Unfortunately, it is a fact of life in this unpredictable world….whether in Italy or in Scottsdale. So we won’t give in and my travelers are not either as we had a full house and have 18 travelers joining us on our September 2016 trip which will depart on September 7th.

What is exciting about this trip is that we are bringing our SKETCH film crew and we will be filming a 14 episode series, Italy – Design and Romance, featuring our entire Tour. The crew of Wedgie Creative http://www.wedgiecreative.com will follow the trip with 5k footage including drone footage of our travels. The series will not only be about the tour and its picturesque beauty, but will include the thoughts and experiences of our travelers, and the romance and love this trip has brought Isabel and I and many of our travelers.

Matt and Jennifer Gage with Isabel and Mark in Florence

So we kicked things off Friday night and I have a wonderful group of travelers joining us. This time all of my travelers are coming from the Phoenix metro area, although their backgrounds are from a broad spectrum including clients who are originally from Croatia and Poland and now summer in Calgary and winter in their Candelaria Design home in Litchfield Park. We have several repeat travelers – seven this time, a couple builders and their wives, a stone fabricator and his wife along with two of their friends, a lighting designer and his girlfriend, a couple clients who love our trip and are joining us on their third trip, and finally my associate, Rob Banach and his wife, Kimberly!

Pre-Trip Dinner for Trip 14 Candelaria Design Tour Italy

Follow our journey right here on our blog and then later on The Design Network https://www.thedesignnetwork.com with our new Series Italy – Design and Romance!!!

A little romance at Lake Como - Wedding Day September 16, 2013

Ok summer is half over and we have an exciting second half of the summer coming so follow our blog as I depart for Alaska this Wednesday, followed by filming another one of our Candelaria Design homes in LaJolla, CA, followed by a Candelaria Design management retreat in Newport Beach. Then it’s off to New York, Santa Fe and then our Tour Italy! So yes we will be busy and I’ll be sharing some great sights, and dining spots along the way. Have a great summer everyone and thanks for the shares and VOTES!!!

http://azbigmedia.com/vote-ranking-arizona

Happy 4th of July - from San Diego!

I hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July Holiday and week. Its definitely one of my favorite holidays for sure. The events of the week in this country definitely are troubling and I pray for our country especially with the upcoming political campaigns – it seems like everyone in this country is on edge and we all need to chill and keep the dialogue open and ease up on the hatred.

With that said, I am very honored and happy to have been selected and appointed to the board of Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona http://habitatcaz.org. I firmly believe that a lot of the problems out there are due to poor housing and the lack of opportunity that many face. As a community of whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc. we can come together on projects that are productive and bring families and people together – building versus destroying! http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/how-a-house-can-shape-a-childs-future/489242/

I am so excited to be a part of this group and hopefully can bring more of the design and building community to this amazing forum.

Tiffany, Isabel, MC, Bella and Sophia at Eddie V's.

I know I live a wonderful life and I am so blessed with a nice home, and beautiful family, supporting wife, fantastic career and business, and work with a talented staff and have the dearest clients. During this 4th of July week I had some time to reflect on all of this. First – thanks for the time to spend with my family and get away! The 4th of July is always great because nearly all of my clients take the week off too so it was definitely quiet and calm. Very appreciated!!!

So this 4th of July I packed up the troops and we rented a beach condo in Ocean Beach in San Diego! Just like the last few 4ths I had all of my girls. My oldest Tiffany flew down from Denver, my wife Isabel flew over from Phoenix, and my two youngest daughters, Sophia and Bella, and I all piled into the Highlander along with a friend each and we were off on our 4th of July adventure.

What a great week! Of course you cannot go to San Diego over the 4th without running into clients and friends from Arizona. In fact, I think half of Arizona including Arizona Governor, Doug Ducey, were all enjoying some down time and cool air in San Diego.

My clients are so wonderful and treat me and my family so graciously. From a fantastic beach party with our clients and good friends, Don and Sharon Ulrich along with Dave and Melissa Mullard and their family and friends, to an evening on the Charles Keller yacht, Just Sit Right Back in Coronado who made the trip down from Marina del Rey with my associate, Tim Mathewson and his fiancé Amber, to running into more Italy travelers, Gicela Dulcich and Julie Horne at the Marine Room in La Jolla http://www.marineroom.com, to finally a relaxing evening at the La Jolla courtyard casa of Erika and Russell Dickey – we were treated like royalty!!! THANK YOU!!!!

Night Yachting on the Just Sit Right Back

Chilling in Ocean Beach with Gicela and Anthony Dulcich

Such a wonderful week, from time on the beach, eating fish tacos and my share of oysters on the half shell, enjoying some margaritas and vino, the Coronado parade, some one-on-one time with the girls including a fund day at Balboa Park with Tiffany, and even squeezing in some time to make homemade pasta with our new and soon coming to market Candelaria Collection Pasta Maker. Nothing better than homemade raviolis!

We made it home last night in time for my good friend and amazing lighting designer http://www.cdltg.com , Walter Spitz’s 60th Birthday. 60 – seriously!!!! Well, all I can say is what a joy it was to be back in time for a wonderful evening at Avanti’s! http://avanti-az.com

Walter Spitz and Michele Watts at Avanti's

What fun and good times – now its back to it – second half of the year here we go!!! Let’s all do our best to share love, tolerance and generosity and let’s all try and make a positive difference.

American WWII Vet at breakfast at Margarita's Restaurant in Ocean Beach

Candelaria Design Tour Italy June 2016 - Day 9 - San Gimignano

Well I thought I would continue with some more from our Candelaria Design Tour Italy – Trip 13 now that I am back and have a few moments with my morning coffee out in the garden!

As you likely figured out by reading the blogs from the first eight days of our journey we were definitely celebrating Trip 13 and Day 9 continued the saga! Today we usually go to San Gimignano and then Siena but rain was in the forecast and both towns require a fair amount of driving from our remote farmhouse location in Umbria.

So we got up and set our google pins in everyone’s phone or gps to my favorite parking spot in San Gimignano – which no matter when I have come is always packed and full and this year even with the threat of rain the lot was full when we arrived.

The drive as you approach San Gimignano is always so picturesque as you occasionally get a far off vignette view of the towers of this medieval treasure with farm or sunflower fields as your foreground. It’s quite magical.

Using teamwork we were able to get the four parking spaces we needed. From there is was a short walk of course uphill to the village. San Gimignano is always one of the favorites of my travelers and it is a wonderful place to experience any time of the year as we were also here during the Holidays with my girls who loved it.

We made our way down the main thoroughfare to our lunch spot, the Ristorante - Bel Soggiorno http://www.ristorante-belsoggiorno.it/new/ which I discovered while exploring on last year’s trip. Of course they were not quite opened even though we had called ahead for reservations. I had all but two of my travelers, who chose to catch up with some friends traveling in the Chianti area. As we waited, of course the rain came…..We pitched our umbrellas and waited for the restaurant to open.

The view from the Bel Soggiorno restaurant is spectacular only to be outdone by the food which again was off the charts. From our nice lunch we did a little shopping and the rain just kept coming harder and harder.

We reconvened the group to make our way back to the cars where we contemplated our next destination, Siena….but I could feel my travelers had had it with the rain and driving and if we went to Siena we would not get out of there until late therefore likely driving in the rain in the darkness….The decision was made – we would head home and back to the farmhouses for a relaxing evening….or so I thought!

The drive home is about an hour and a half and the rain was coming down pretty good but we all made it safely home and I was looking forward to a quiet evening as it was nice to be home early and enjoy some time in the country houses. Well so I thought…..

The ladies traveling as a group had enough of the country and the rustic nature of being out in the Umbrian hills, the rain, and the driving and they were ready for the ambiance and services that would be provided by the Villa d’Este on Lake Como. Problem is we still had one more day in the country – but the woman were ready to go now!

So with some calls and research on the website we were able to get rooms a day early for the ladies and they would drive off the next morning. So I had two travelers off with friends in the Chianti area, and now five more would be leaving so I was now down to seven of 14 travelers! Well that’s the beauty of the trip – you have your own car and can choose to create your own itinerary and this group definitely embraced that opportunity!

The rest of us made use of our left over, made a fire and enjoyed the quiet of the country.

Happy Father's Day 2016

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there and just like on Mother’s Day I send a special prayer to all of you who no longer have your Father. I have several friends this year also spending this day without their Father on Father’s Day for the first time….I cannot even imagine life without the one person on earth who is probably my best friend and mentor. I love you Dad and all you have done for me and our family. I know it wasn’t easy but you have two sons who have done pretty well!

My Dad is 81 years old and for those of you who have met or known “Donald” as we call him – he is the real “Donald” by the way – he is one of the nicest guys out there always with a smile on his face and ready for a good time! I love just hanging out with him and watching a Bronco game or the US Open…. You know, guy stuff!

Donald was born in Durango, Colorado in 1935 to the parents of Bernie and Rose Candelaria. He is the second oldest of six children – two boys and four girls – all still alive. Grampa Bernie worked for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad and was the machinist for the steam locomotives that still run from Durango to Silverton today. My father went to Durango High School, same school I graduated from, and then onto the US Army where he proudly served our country following World War II.

While serving in Germany he met my Mom, Karin, who was born in East Germany and fled the oncoming Russians and ended up as a refugee in Mannheim, Germany. There must have been some spark there as my father stayed in touch after her returned to the States through hand written letters that my mom would have to translate to German. My Mom took an Au Pair position in Calgary, Canada all the while the two kept exchanging their letters.

Well Dad must have been persistent and convincing and coaxed my Mom to take a Greyhound bus from Calgary, Canada down to Durango, Colorado. Ok this was in 1959 so you can imagine how the roads and stops were along the way back then and imagine my 19 year old Mom from Germany on a bus traveling through Idaho, Utah and finally to SW Colorado – in the middle of nowhere in the summer of 59!

My Grandmother and father’s sisters met her at the bus station when she arrived and my mom shared space with my Dad’s sisters while she visited. As it turned out , one of my father’s sisters was getting married during the stay and again with my Dad’s persuasion he popped the question and convinced my Mom to make it a double wedding. The rest is history – you wouldn’t be reading this blog right now had he not convinced her!

The two moved to Denver and I showed up a year later in October of 1960! My father got a job with the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in Denver and of course became a big Denver Bronco fan and an original season ticket holder. We lived in Denver for 14 years whereupon my grandfather in Durango was retiring so my father decided to move the troops back to his hometown and take over my grandfather’s position as the head machinist on the steam trains and so we all loaded the trucks and moved to Durango!

We all loved living there and we all return often. I graduated from Durango High School in 1978 and went on the the University of Colorado for a year and then transferred to Arizona State University in 1979 and have been here ever since. I have so many friends still from there that I am very close with – many that live here in Phoenix and Scottsdale. The Denver and Rio Grande sold the Durango train to a private company and so to maintain his retirement, my father and Mom moved back to Denver in 1980 where they lived and retired until 2014 whereupon they moved here to Arizona to be closer to me and two of Dad’s sisters who live in Tucson and my Mom from Germany has a sister that lives in Mesa. I love the twist and turns life brings our way!

Anyway, it is so wonderful to have this time with my father! We have had some great times together including in 2001 going to Game 1 of the Diamondback-Yankee World Series together and celebrating his 80th birthday in style with a day at the Spa!

So that’s the story. Dad didn’t teach me or mentor me to be an artist or architect….no my Dad is just like the Dad in the TV series “The Wonder Years” – in fact that was virtually my family and life growing up in the 60’s and 70’s. My dad could fix anything –I’m the opposite…. I’m useless with any kind of power tool with the exception of an electric eraser or a cell phone. But what Dad did instill in me was hard work and that perseverance that I spoke about earlier in the blog. You see my Dad, despite never being rich or wealthy, just kept going! Dad, hopefully, you now see that you are rich and wealthy! You have two sons who love the hell out of you and we would be nowhere close to where we are without your inspiration, example and love.

I wish you and all the Dad’s out there a super Father’s Day!

Candelaria Design Tour Italy June 2016 - Day 8 - Cooking in Umbria

Trip 13 keeps us on our toes and Day 8 kept the tricksophobia streak in tact!

Well Day 8, Wednesday, is a day to chill and rest up and relax at the Farmhouses. At least some of my travelers did that. Isabel and I had a busy day ahead. We started with a little coffee and a light breakfast at the house while we watched the fog burn off after sleeping until 9am.

From there a group of us made it down the hill, and through the valley to the town of Umbertide and the local farmer’s market which I always love. I love the sounds, the people and of course the food.

The one thing I really noticed this year was the increase in the Muslim presence – something I never saw 16 years ago when I first came and a marketed increase from just last year. Perhaps twenty percent of the people at the market were Muslim. So things are definitely changing with the events of the world and its changing the makeup and culture of even the small towns and villages here in Italy. Even the restaurants around the town now have Kabab and Halal restaurants obviously catering to the new inhabitants.

But many of the same faces and vendors were in the same spots they have been for the 16 years I have been coming. So I grabbed my favorite porchetta sandwich and a cappuccino and life is good!

From there we made our way past Citta di Costello to the Lacole’ showroom. The Lacole’ http://www.lacolecasaitaliana.com showroom and Porte del Passato http://www.portedelpassato.com are two of my favorite stops. Both businesses are owned and operated by the Belli family whom I have known and done business with for over 16 years. We currently have several projects in the works! Of course they welcomed us in style with a plate of crostinis, fresh fruit, and blood orange juice.

Lacole’ is a spectacular showroom and outdoor yard featuring thousands of antiques, collectibles, and salvaged building materials, from wells, fountains, fireplaces, stone arches, tiles, pavers, furniture, well…..it’s pretty much endless. The showroom and yard are huge and you can easily spend hours here.

Isabel is working with Gabriele Belli on a line of doors from Italy and millwork that she will be carrying at her store Earth and Images. Gabriele is also making a beautiful custom set of doors for a home for one of our clients in Desert Mountain who went on last year’s trip. We are very excited with how our relationship has grown over the years with the Belli family. We had time for a conference call with our client to review details and then it was back to the houses to start our cooking class with Elizabeth Wholey.

The start of the cooking class marks the halfway point of the trip. It’s been a crazy first half and when we got to the house we got word that one of our travelers had twisted her back and it had locked up and she was now unable to move and was bedridden. Seriously….. they got some meds in her and iced her down and so we were down a traveler again.

Well the rest of us carried on and went up to the big Farmhouse to start some cooking. This year we had a surprise as I had my office Fed-ex our newest creation, the Candelaria Collection Pasta Machine and it was going to get its first testing where else but in Italy, on our trip, by true Italian chefs! So we would be making some pasta today!

Add some prosciutto wrapped asparagus, fried pepper bruschettas, grilled pork shoulder, local sausages, and then raviolis with the Candelaria Collection Pasta machine! Elizabeth and her staff guide us through the various dishes and of course the best part is enjoying all the smells and flavors not to mention the camaraderie that occurs when all cooking in these homes. We made a big fire, opened some wine and prosecco, and enjoyed the lovely sunset along with the sounds of laughter and music.

Despite being down one traveler everyone got the aprons on and got into the act. I loved watching the new pasta machine in action and the Italian cooks loved it and gave us the thumbs up – not to mention the ravioli was fantastic!

We all sat down to eat, went around the table and spoke about how and why we came on this trip, and then gradually made our way to dessert, which we also made, and then retired to the porch for a cigar and solved the world’s problems….where what is said and solved in Umbria….. stays in Umbria!

Candelaria Design Tour Italy June 2016 - Day 7 - Wine Tour with Pino

Every trip has it’s twists and challenges and trip 13 definitely is having its share! Today is Winesday – actually Tuesday but today we go on our wine tour with Pino Teresi. Pino has been my wine guide since 2000. He is amazing and a good friend.

Today we had to start early and meet Pino and the bus driver in Mercatale at 9am so it was an early rise. It is definitely nice to have the bus on wine day. Last thing with trip 13 I need is fourteen travelers out driving around Tuscany after wine tastings all day!

So we made it into Mercatale and grabbed some coffee and a pastry at the little restaurant by the park where we left the cars and met our bus and Pino!

Because we are in the middle of nowhere in Italy it is about a two hour drive to the Banfi Winery near Montalcino. It’s a beautiful ride through gorgeous countryside including the farms of the Chianina cows which provide my favorite steaks!

The Banfi winery, which is American owned, is spectacular http://castellobanfi.com/en/ . Every year Pino introduces us to another winery and this year lived up to our expectations. The grounds and architecture were impeccable and the winery, cellar and most importantly, the wines were exquisite.

We enjoyed a private tour of the cellar which is very high tech and state of the art and then went up to the private dining room for a fabulous tasting lunch. Each course was paired with a different wine starting of course with a sparkling wine.

The dining room was not large and we shared lunch with people from across the world….and that’s where the fun began! Trip 13 remember…. Well one of my travelers was sitting next to a table where the their phone kept buzzing and dinging. My traveler politely asked them to silence their phone about the same time we were all raising a toast to the moment. Well that set this person off the deep end and he started going into a tirade’ “You idiot Americans – so noisy, rude, loud….you idiot Americans go home to your noisy and rude country….Idiot Americans – you are so loud….” Repeating this mantra about eight times….. talk about rude and noisy! Geez!!! It was all we could do to keep our composure and it definitely caught the winery staff off guard. Fortunately, everyone just stayed calm and let this guy run out of steam without any of us confirming his accusations. In the end, he definitely came across as the idiot…especially given the fact he was at and supporting an American winery!

Nothing like a little excitement…. That’s for sure. Nothing like that has ever happened on my 16 years of coming here…. In fact quite the opposite. The Italians are always so friendly….Turns out he was from Brazil. All’s I can say is Brazil your Olympics are just a few months away….good luck!

Well we went on and enjoyed our lunch and wine paring and then made our way back to the bus for the drive to Montepulciano for another stop and visit. The drive from Montalcino to Montepulciano is one of my favorites with the cypress lined hills and beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany.

Once to Montepulciano we hiked up the roadway, through the portal of the fortressed walls and into this absolutely picturesque Italian hill town. Our first stop was the coppersmith shop where I have purchased my fabulous osso bucco pans. Nice little chat there with Pino and the artisan and then it was off to the Cantina del Redi cellar http://www.dericci.it. From the high tech cellar of Banfi we go old school here at the Redi cellar. It is the real deal and one of the most beautiful cellars buried under the streets of Montepulciano. Nothing like the smell of these cellars.

After the darkness and dankness of the cellar you pop out to this amazing view of the countryside and a beautiful walk down the streets of Montepulciano where time has stood still for centuries.

Slowly we make our way back to the bus, visit another church, and then take the long drive home to Mercatale where we finish the day with a seven course meal at Mimmi’s http://www.tuscanydimimmi.it. It is a big meal after a long day…. And when I say seven course that is what it is! Start with crostinis and bruschetta, then onto three different pasta dishes, and finally roasted meats, vegetables, and finally dessert. Our day of indulgence is completed.

Its then a short walk through Mercatale – take in a little local bocce ball and its back to the farmhouses…..now you don’t want to leave a window open as of course a friendly bat may want to join you for the evening! After all this is Trip 13!

Ciao!

Candelaria Design Tour Italy June 2016 - Day 6 - Assisi

So we made it through our first day in the country, hospital and all! I had all 14 travelers again! We had been going at a pretty good clip and with the excitement and drama of yesterday it was a good opportunity to let my travelers sleep in!

Isabel made a delicious frittata and we enjoyed our coffee and of course the rising fog from the Niccone Valley below.

I had two travelers that wanted to go to Deruta to do some ceramic shopping and the rest of us made our way to Assis for the day. Our good friend in Deruta, Roberta Niccacci of the Cama family, whose factory we used to tour many years ago was kind enough to connect my travelers with her family who closed the factory a few years ago but still had a few pieces available.

On the road to Assisi driving through Perugia.

About the time we arrived in Assisi my two travelers from Deruta also arrived so I had my entire group together. When we arrive at any town my first step is to point out the rendezvous point for later in the day when we leave. Then I try to keep the blinders on everyone as we make our way through town to the main cathedral of Saint Francis. Get a group photo and then everyone is on their own adventure here in Assisi for the day.

Assisi has a calmness and quiet to it that is hard to explain. It is really a beautiful hill town with very picturesque views to the valley and farmland below. The pink stone is everywhere and that color seems to add to the subconscious calmness.

I brought my family here over the Holidays on a foggy day which was absolutely beautiful and spiritual…not that Assisi needs any help with that! It is quite different to see it both in the winter and summer.

Candelaria's in Assisi during the Christmas Holiday 2015/16

Isabel and I made our way back through town and found a nice spot for lunch and the others did the same. I had the Guinea Hen with grapes in a red wine sauce, and Isabel had the roasted chicken breast with chicory from the owner’s garden – delicious.

We then did a little exploring some of the side streets, popped into some churches to say prayers while enjoying the architecture, did a little shopping and made our way to the rendezvous piazza! Set up my computer, hook into the wifi and get a little work done along with some water and a cappuccino. As I am working I see familiar faces from my trips of now 16 years here…. The same men and women sitting on the same benches likely having the same conversations…..that’s what I love about Italy – it is somewhat of a living time capsule.

Slowly my travelers arrived and we hiked up the hill to the cars and then off to the lake view restaurant in a driving afternoon thunderstorm for a light dinner and home for the evening.

Candelaria Design Tour Italy June 2016 - Day 5 - First day in Umbria

Sunday is our first full day in the country and there is no better way to start than with a lovely brunch and personal tour at the spectacular Villa di Piazzano near Cortona. Start the morning on the porch with a delicious cup of Italian coffee watching the fog slowly lift off the Umbrian hills.

We gathered the troops for out 11 am reservation at the Villa. A drive down the dirt road, through the Nicconne Valley and then up and over the hills and down to the next valley over. You turn onto an Italian cypress line road that mesmerizes your way into and through the walls into the Villa.

We are always warmly greeted by the staff and then the owner, Alessandra, who welcomes us to our brunch. With the threat of rains we dined inside this year which is still a real delight. First of course we spend a little time on the terrace where we were offered a glass of prosecco and the beauty and splendor of the grounds. We also celebrated the anniversary of John and Diane Whittaker!!!

The brunch is always fabulous and the setting is so beautiful. Yet, as in life, your situation can change in an instant. This year one of our travelers apparently was not feeling tip top and went outside to get some fresh air and suddenly passed out and came unconscious. We all rushed out to assist, including other guests and the villa staff. Our traveler regained consciousness and the staff brought blankets, pillows, water and cold towels to comfort our guest. Shortly thereafter the ambulance arrived but fortunately all vital signs were positive. Of course to be safe they took our traveler to the nearby hospital accompanied by one of the staff members of the hotel who graciously offered to go to translate. Fortunately later in the day our traveler was given a clean bill of health…..but what a shock it was to be in one state of mind one second and complete other a second later. Again, just like life….in other words treasure every moment and be satisfied with what this life gives us.

We are happy to say our traveler is doing fine and as I am typing this we are all on our way this morning to Assisi!

With the stress and excitement of that incident we returned to our brunch and quietly said our prayers for our traveler. With brunch completed we were given a nice tour of the villa by Alessandra and then it was off to Cortona for the afternoon.

Cortona is likely the most well known hilltown in Italy with the making of the book and then movie, Under the Tuscan Sun. Not much sun this trip! I just always love the energy and vibe of this place not to mention I have many fond memories of this place with family and friends over the last 16 years. It’s always the first hill town I take my travelers to and so it definitely sets the tone for the week in Tuscany and Umbrian. I love it here…..

I get my travelers set with our restaurant spot which is new spot for my repeat travelers as I stumbled upon it last year and then we came here for one of our best dinners during our family Christmas Holiday trip – NessunDorma http://www.ristorantenessundorma.com.

With everyone set it was off to do a little shopping, photography and then blogging in a wonderful people watching spot. After 16 trips here I think I have pictures of every arch, door and geranium…. Not to mention the fact I recognize my people that I love to photograph – which happen to be the same over the years. I have captured them all growing old.

My travelers shopped as with virtually every time we come there is a street fair of local vendors and this time was not different. Throw in a Renaissance parade for a little added color and my travelers were in for a real spectacle.

Then the rain came just in time for us to go to dinner and what a treat. Isabel and I started with the truffeled quail eggs and moved to the wild venison with juniper berries and a herb polenta. Throw in a couple bottles of Rosso di Montalcino and our dinner in the cellar was set. Fabulous! I highly recommend this restaurant on your stop to Cortona.

By the time we finished dinner and left the cellar the rain had stopped and the sun was shining! Pick up some gelatos and make our way back down the hill to our cars and our drive home.

On a final note I want to personally thank the owners of the Villa di Piazzano who personally escorted my traveler to the hospital and stayed the entire course of their stay to help in translation and support. I cannot express my appreciation for this act of unselfish kindness. The Wimpole family are stellar people and friends who always, quite obviously, treat us and I’m sure every guest at their Villa, like family. You are all cherished!

Candelaria Design Tour Italy June 2016 - Day 4 - Off to Umbria!

Ok so now is when the trip always gets a little exciting / stressful! Day 4 – of course my lucky number right, and this is our 13th Candelaria Design Tour Italy….right??? Ok – get ready!

We started the day, Saturday, with breakfast at the hotel and then another morning walk, this time to the San Lorenzo Market! As I have said many times, I love this place and wish we had even half of this in Phoenix. Wow! It also makes me want to rent a flat here and come to the market every morning to stock up and then cook for everyone….. Too many ideas and too little time.

The market is great and I enjoyed watching and listening to the people and enjoying the sights, sounds and smells. It’s the best.

We did a little shopping from the street vendors which is always fun. One thing I did notice, even since just being here over the Holidays, is the absence of the counterfit vendors – they seemed to finally gotten rid of them which is great. They were always so annoying and for someone who produces original work, the thought of these imposters selling their fake bags and goods just disgusts me. So I was glad to see them gone! With our shopping done it was back to the hotel to pack up and get ready to check out of the hotel, load up our transports back to the airport to pick up our rental cars. Sounds easy right?

Well the check out went perfect and then we got to the vans and loaded the luggage….all good! Off to the airport where the transport drivers (two vans) were to drop us off at the rental car lot….not the airport departure curb. Well convincing the drivers of this request was a challenge especially when they were trying to drop us off at the departure curb. With a little coaxing we were able to get them to the rental car lot where of course it started to rain!

We unloaded all the luggage on the deck and the drivers went inside to get the paperwork filled out and get the keys to the cars. Meanwhile the rest of our travelers pitched the umbrellas and waited with their bags doing their best to stay dry. With keys in hands we loaded our luggage respectively and got our cars – all 6 cars – in order for our departure to Umbria. One of my rules is to just stay in your parking spot until I call upon you to get your car in line but one of my drivers thought they saw us leave so off the went….. luckly not too far out of the lot before they panicked and called me wondering where we went? I told them to stop and I would find them, got the other cars to them and got everyone in order again. I introduced everyone to Google Maps, gave them pins to our first stop which with 11 women and only 3 men was the Prada Outlet about an hour south of Florence.

Getting to the Prada Outlet, called Space, all went fine! They have built a new bridge and faster route to it and so it was a slam dunk. We shopped for about an hour and then it was off to the market near the Umbrian Farmhouses. Again no issues – everyone followed right along and we made it to the market in Mercatale where we stocked up on our provisions for the week!

From there it was to the houses up the dusty (this year with all the rain not so dusty) dirt road to our destination and home for the week. Ok – these are farmhouses! They are rustic – there is no room service, they are in the middle of nowhere with no TV limited cell phone service and wifi that cuts in and out. But that’s the point – its an escape to the rustic countryside and an experience and environment few people ever see when they come to Italy – but to me this is real Italy. Fresh air, quiet, down time…..we all need it. Is it luxury 5 star accommodations and service. No – it’s a Farmhouse and you embrace it! We share rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, living spaces, the porch…. Ahhh the porch – where what is said or happens in Umbria stays in Umbria….and so will be the case here and on this trip and every trip!

We gradually settled in and got everyone situated….some year’s that is easy some year’s it proves a bit more challenging. But as with everything in life perseverance, patience, and the right attitude can overcome any challenges!

Soon Elizabeth Wholey and her partner of some 16 years Paola came to the house and started preparing our farmhouse welcome dinner which is always fantastic. Meat and veggie homemade lasagna, peppers stuffed with local sausage, veggies with a beet and garbanzo bean dip, and of course their fantastic dessert – panna cotta with fruiti di bossco - we were home in Umbria and it was time to relax!

Candelaria Design Tour Italy June 2016 - Day 3 - Firenze

Today is our first and only full day in Firenze. There is no way you can see or appreciate this Renaissance masterpiece in one day. But the idea is to get a macro feel and view and come back again and explore in more detail. With just two weeks in Italy there is not enough time to get into the micro as you would never grasp enough of what this fabulous country has to offer.

So to start the day in the spirit of the macro view I love to get up early and do my morning walk. So much of how you experience any town or city filled with tourists is with every space filled with tourists. But to get up early with not a soul in sight and have the ability to experience the architecture on your own, in quiet solitude is truly an experience I don’t think many people every make the effort to embrace. It’s the best and fortunately I had a nice group of my travelers who made it. We met in the hotel lobby at 6:30 am and we were off. I love it.

I took my travelers on a little different route from previous walks and in an hour an half we had made a good dent in our exercise goals for the day and it was only 8am.

Grab a nice breakfast at the Hotel Brunellschi http://www.hotelbrunelleschi.it and then it was off to climb the Duomo campanelli with Isabel. 414 steps straight up but worth it for the view and exercise. I love the view from up here as you truly get a macro perspective. It is really amazing how much is packed into a few square miles here. Yet it is endless and every time I come – this is probably my 15th time here – I never quite see it the same and I discover something new each time. Hence why I keep returning.

Isabel and I then grabbed a quick lunch and then it was back to the hotel for a power nap to get ready for the second half of the day.

This year Isabel and I did a photo shoot with a photographer and stylist. So while Isabel got ready I went and did a little shopping and exploring. With Isabel set and ready we went to the Café Florian http://www.caffeflorian.com/en/florence for our shoot. This little restaurant and bar is so artsy and cool. Definitely make it a point to check it out. From there we shot some photos at the bridge on the Arno with the Pointe Vecchio in the background all while in a driving rainstorm with broken sunlight streaming through. I’m excited to see these pics! As we made it back to the hotel we stopped at the Michaelangelo Palazzo Strozz http://www.palazzostrozzi.org/?lang=en for some final shots. What a fun way to spend an afternoon and it will be so nice to have some professional photos of the two of us in one of our favorite places on earth!

Then it was time for dinner. My group all descended at the hotel bar for a quick cocktail and then we were off for dinner on the street at the Buca San Giovanni located right in front of the Duomo. It was a bit rainy and chilly so we had cocktails – aperol spritzsaccompanied by roses from one of the vendors – on the street and then went down into the cellar for a fabulous dinner. Great food and top notch service. The bisteca florentina is fabulous.

From dinner it was off for a little gelato and then a few of us made it to the Westin Grand Hotel for after dinner drinks. What a wonderful full day in Florence. Tomorrow we head to our farmhouse compound in Umbria!!!!

Candelaria Design Tour Italy - Day 2 - Dinner at Villa San Michele

Our June 2016 Candelaria Design Tour Italy Travelers at the Villa San Michele

When you travel for nearly 30 hours between getting ready, getting to the airport, flying, and then arriving and checking in…..you are in somewhat of a dream state. I guess they call that jet lag!

Sandra Wilken, Sandra Miller & Linda Kerley at the Hotel Brunelleschi

14 travelers from all different parts of the country, on five different flights and we all made it! Not one lost piece of luggage. Amazing. Well we checked in and all got settled one by one at the beautiful Hotel Brunellschi located in the heart of Firenze http://www.hotelbrunelleschi.it We have been staying here since 2004 and it is one of my favorites. The staff if outstanding and very friendly and have been the same crew throughout the years. It makes it feel like you are staying with good friends or family and they treat you accordingly.

We all got settled, some of us arrived around noon and some as late as 5:30pm so some of us had time to do a little exploring and/or get a quick power nap in, while the late arrivals barely had time to drop off their suitcase, take a quick shower and meet us in the hotel lounge for cocktails before we made our way to the spectacular Villa San Michele in the hills above Firenze for our welcome dinner. http://www.belmond.com/villa-san-michele-florence/ This 5 star hotel, originally designed by none other than Michealangelo is truly off the charts spectacular. I cannot imagine it getting any better than this and it is the perfect place to start our 14 day journey.

Of course everyone is in this jet lag state of being and all of a sudden you are enjoying a Bellini on the terrace overlooking Firenze with the sun setting in the distance and the music of the pianist in the background…..well like I said dreamlike for sure.

We start with cocktails each year, and with the rain showers we had cocktails in the conservatory which was absolutely lovely. From there we were escorted to the Loggia where we were greeted by my waiter and good friend, Antonello, has been my waiter for nearly 15 years. We set the menu ahead along with the wine pairings so my jet lagged travelers did not have to make a single decision this evening – just relax and soak in the experience. The stories and friendships were beginning……

Fabulous evening and a wonderful start to our journey!

Candelaria Design Tour Italy June 2016 - Day 1 - Arrival in Firenze

We are officially off and on our way to Italy as we begin our 13th Candelaria Design Tour Italy! I’m currently typing over the English Channel as we are beginning our descent into Brussels, Belgium. Yes, the very airport that was bombed just a few months ago. Our flight is full with people from all over the world off starting vacations, visiting friends and family, and/or conducting business. The world and life keeps moving despite those who choose to put their time and efforts towards fear and destruction.

I love this trip especially when I get to introduce some newbies to the experience of travel. I have a couple first timers to Europe and Italy which is the best. Watching their eyes and expressions as we arrive in Firenze and come upon the Duomo for the first time.

We have a wonderful group for our June trip. I have travelers from Baltimore on the East Coast to Santa Monica and Long Beach on the West Coast, clients and wonderful friends from Coeur d’Alene, a traveler from Minneapolis and of course a crew from Scottsdale. I have three repeat travelers and so 14 travelers in total. Some of my repeat travelers are enjoying their fifth and third trips!

Diane and John Whittaker joining us from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Martha and Philip Weiner joining us from Baltimore

So what adventures will we be embarking upon on this trip. Eleven women and three men….. geez, story of my life…. I guess that’s not a bad problem to have. What I love most though, is my time here with Isabel, especially with this year’s trip finishing at Lake Como and the spectacular five star, Villa d’Este – the spot where we said our vows three years ago. Isabel is my driver and I’m the navigator. So get ready for some fun and of course beauty as Italy is just spectacular.

Follow our journey right here on my blog as I will do my best to post every day. You can virtually, take a virtual tour. We will be posting a lot of pictures and videos here, on You Tube, Facebook and Instagram so you can enjoy. I am very excited to start another trip with this group. I’m sensing some good times ahead for sure.

Here is our basic itinerary so join us on our adventure:

June 1st Departure from Phoenix

June 2nd Arrival in Firenze with dinner at the picturesque Villa Ste Michele

June 3rd A day in Firenze with dinner in front of the Duomo

June 4th Drive to Umbria with a stop at the Prada Outlet then our welcome dinner at the Farmhouse.

June 5th Sunday Brunch at Villa Piazzano then off to the antique fair in Arezzo followed by dinner and the evening in Cortona.

June 6th Assisi

June 7th Wine tour of the Banfi Winery near Montalcino Tuscany followed by a seven course farm meal at Mimmi’s.

June 8th Farmer’s market in Umbertide followed by antiquing at Lacole then our cooking class at the farmhouse.

June 9th San Gimignano and Siena

June 10th our free day in Umbria and farewell dinner in the farmhouse

June 11th – Drive to Lake Como

June 12th – June 13th Lake Como

June 14th – time to come home......

Also – check out our Episode 3 of SKETCH – The Artist’s Villa - being released today on The Design Network at www.thedesignnetwork.com

SKETCH - The Artist's Villa

The Artist's Villa - Episode 3 of SKETCH

Ok Here we go!

Memorial Day Weekend and here comes Italy!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! It’s nice to have the three days – especially right before our 13th Candelaria Design Tour Italy and the busy week we just had.

First, given it is Memorial Day Weekend I want to personally thank those who have given literally “everything” including their lives for our freedom and way of life here in America! There is no measure of the gratitude or understanding we can give those and their surviving families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.

Ok – we have been busy and getting busier that is for sure! Last Sunday, Isabel and I cooked our paella dinner along with Isabel’s special New Mexico Red Chile Butternut Squash Chicken Enchiladas at the Gage Residence we just completed in Arcadia Silverleaf. I wrote in our blog last weekend of why this client and project is so special and Sunday night’s evening only further confirmed that! With Editors Michael Hiatt from Scottsdale Modern Luxury Magazine and Adrienne Honing from LUXE Magazine in attendance in addition to stylist and fashionista extraordinaire, Oscar De LaSalas, Isabel and I had to be on our A game! Let’s just throw in the SKETCH production crew from Wedgie Creative who filmed the entire evening…..No pressure! Great help from our sous chefs and Project Managers Damon Wake and Kim Schroeder, the dinner was a wonderful success and such a fun evening!!

Wedgie Creative

Project Manager Damon Wake and Isabel serve the Enchiladas

The Gage Gang dining al fresco on the front terrace!

Project Manager Kim Schroeder and Isabel

MC in the Kitchen with he Wedgie Creative film crew.

Project Architect Meredith Thomson on her way to Beverly Hills for the day!

Then add a quick trip to Beverly Hills on Monday to view a project with a client, we moved through the week to Thursday where our second episode of SKETCH was released – Chateau du Scottsdale https://www.thedesignnetwork.com/episodes/sketch-chateau-de-scottsdale/ . Watch for episode three coming this Thursday, June 2nd as we feature the Artist's Villa! Thanks to Jason Harris and his team at The Design Network for all the love on their network. Check out our blog from earlier this year which gives even more detail behind the story of this fabulous home. http://www.candelariadesign.com/blog-content/2016/1/17/candelaria-design-french-masterpiece-sold

SKETCH - Episode 3 June 2nd - The Artist's Villa

Isabel fixing Aperol Spritzs with Grandpa Don Candelaria

This weekend Isabel and I are spending time with family and working away before we depart on our 13th Candelaria Design Tour Italy this coming Wednesday morning!!! We have a wonderful group of 14 travelers joining us with travelers from coast to coast – Philadelphia to Santa Monica, with travelers from Minneapolis, Spokane, Long Beach and of course Scottsdale and Paradise Valley! We have five repeat travelers and a couple first time to Europe travelers which I love. What a great way to break into traveling than our trip!!!

This year we will travel from all of our starting cities and we will all descend on Firenze arriving Thursday June 2nd. We will spend two fabulous days and evenings in Florence whereupon next Saturday June 4th we will grab our cars and form our convoy to our farmhouse compound in Umbria where our host, Elizabeth Wholey, will be waiting for us with a welcome Umbrian farmer’s dinner.

La Pietra - our farmhouse compound in Umbria

Our Umbrian farmhouse will be our home for a week where we will go on day trips to Arezzo for the antique fair, Cortona, Assisi, Sienna, San Gimignano, not to mention the Banfi Winery http://castellobanfi.com/en/ with a private tour and lunch at the winery by our personal guide Pino Terisi. Throw in a cooking class from Elizabeth and our time in the country should be fabulous.

After our week in the countryside we will pack up the convoy and make our way across Italy to the foot of the Alps and the Villa d’Este http://www.villadeste.com on the picturesque Lake Como. How can you finish a trip any better than this? Of course this is the spot where Isabel and I had our surprise wedding for our travelers on our 10th Anniversary Tour the day after singer/songwriter John Legend had his wedding to model Chrissy Teigen in the very spot Isabel and I tied the knot the next day! http://www.candelariadesign.com/blog-content/2013/09/candelaria-design-tour-italy-day-13.html?rq=Wedding So it’s very special place for us.

Wedding day on Lake Como - September 16, 2013

Follow our journey right here on our Candelaria Design Blog as I will do my best to post a blog each day and of course we will add plenty on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Basically, you can go on a two week virtual trip through Italy with us!

Now if you really want to go for it, I suggest you join us on our September 2017 Candelaria Design Tour Italy as we will follow the same itinerary only with a finish in Venice!!!! Half of the spots for this trip are already filled so don’t wait long as I always seem to fill it up once our current trip starts! We have an amazing trip planned and how can you beat Venice in mid September.

Our first Candelaria Design Tour Spain trip set for June 2017 is already filled and SOLD OUT. So follow along on that trip as I will be co-hosting the trip with famed local chef, Eddie Matney, of Eddie’s House http://eddieshouseaz.com. This should be a fantastic tour starting in Barcelona, a week in the Rioja region of Spain, and then finishing in style in San Sebastian with Eddie cooking his way through Spain and me doing my best to keep up!

Souls Image Photography

Have a great weekend and week everyone and we will see you in Italy! Ciao.

Celebration of a Candelaria Design - Earth and Images Collaboration

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and enjoying the fantastic weather! Thanks for all the views of our premiere Episode 1 of Season 2 of SKETCH this week on www.thedesignnetwork.com/series/sketch/ and thanks to all of you who came to our SKETCH Premiere Happy Hour! This Thursday on May 26th the Design Network will release Episode 2 Chateau de Scottsdale which will feature our French Chateau design in Arcadia and the story of its creation and execution.

So today we will be busy, blogging this morning, then drawing, then it’s off to the market as Isabel and I along with Damon Wake from our office and Kim Schroeder from Isabel’s studio will be assisting us as we make paella for 20 as we christen a beautiful Transitional Style collaboration of Candelaria Design and Earth and Images. We are so excited about this evening and this project because of the special clients and family that this is the home for – Matt and Jennifer Gage!

The design of this home started with Matt and Jennifer coming in to see me and discuss their project. Their lot was pie shaped, a wedge, but was the first lot and home you would see as you came into Arcadia Silverleaf. They wanted a family home and so we placed the master wing on one side of the wedge and the children’s rooms, Kitchen, and family spaces on the other side of the wedge with a courtyard between that then transitions to the pool once you pass a portal and then after the cabana you finish with a small playyard – all on axis through the center of the wedge!

The design basically allowed us to create a village wrapped around the center courtyard all on axis with the Entry. The Entry brings you in and takes your right back out into the courtyard. The stair tower takes you up and crosses the axis to the Office and Exercise Room on the second level.

Inspired by this initial design, Isabel working with Jennifer, took the Spanish Colonial exterior and brought in a modern, Transitional style interior that gives the home a crisp freshness combined with sophistication. I love it and it totally captures the vibe and feel of the client and their family. It is a family home for sure but yet allows Matt and Jennifer to entertain in style. What fun Isabel and I had working together on this home including a drywall picnic we shared when the two of us took a Saturday and laid out all of the wall paneling.

Of course the design of this home is just part of this story…. Our friendship that has come from this project is the real story. Matt and Jennifer are amazing people and inspire Isabel and I every day! Last year we were blessed to work with Jennifer on her personal project and charity, Gigi’s Playhouse http://www.candelariadesign.com/blog-content/2014/12/gigis-playhouse-coming-to-scottsdale-in.html?rq=gigi.

While during the course of the same year Matt and Jennifer joined us on our Candelaria Design Tour Italy where our friendship just furthered. We have so much fun with these two and of course as always, life is busy and there is never enough time between family and work to spend as much time with these two as we would like to.

Tonight however, Isabel and I will have a chance to say thank you for the this wonderful project, but more importantly for the creation of our new friendship, as we prepare paella for their friends and family along with the editors of LUXE Magazine and Scottsdale Modern Luxury Magazine who will be joining us for the evening! Follow the evening on Instagram and Facebook. We will have the SKETCH film crew on board as this entire story will be featured in Season 3! I LOVE designing homes and living well!