Spring Renewal and 2018 LUXE Red Awards

Spring in NYC

Spring is a time for renewal, rebirth, and a new start – another chance to write the script for another year. 

Nothing can depict the feeling and spirit of Spring more than the way I feel this morning. Yesterday, my wife, Isabel had her first comprehensive scans following her five months of chemo, and then surgery in December, only followed by another 33 radiation treatments only to find out she was then diagnosed with brain cancer which was addressed with one mega zap after all of the radiation for her breast cancer was completed. That all concluded in mid-March and yesterday she was finally ready for her whole-body scans to see the results of this challenging ordeal for her and all of us. 

She went in yesterday morning and we expected we would hear the results perhaps this coming week but we were happy to receive a call yesterday afternoon that all of her results came back CLEAR – NO CANCER! As you can imagine, we are thrilled and so relieved to get this news. She will go back in three months for another round of scans to continuously monitor her condition but for now she can start anew! It’s spring here at Casa Candelaria and another chance to enjoy this day to its fullest and any days God so chooses to give any of us! 

As the saying goes, “none of us get out of here alive”, and the day will come when we will all get the news – if we are lucky to get advanced warning – that our days are coming to an end. The play is over, the game is done, the lights are dimming to darkness. Hence, it’s always important to  remember that EVERY day, EVERY hour, minute and second are precious and a time to give gratitude, create beauty, and spread love even if just in the smallest ways. 

Checking in to the Homestead Inn, Greenwich, CT

And so, life continues and Isabel and I just returned from a marvelous trip to Greenwich, CT and New York City both for a little rest and rejuvenation before her tests.

The Homestead Inn, Greenwich, CT

What a great trip and there is not a better way to start this jaunt than a trip to Thomas Henkelmann’s Homestead Inn in the heart of Greenwich, CT. With an hour plus drive from JFK Airport you transition from the hustle and bustle of the energy of NYC to the tranquil and calm of the New England countryside and the beautiful homes and estates along the way. We quickly checked in and grabbed our walking shoes and cameras and we were off on a nice two mile walk enjoying the homes along the way while the sun set over our arrival day. A fabulous romantic dinner for two at L’Escale and it was time to check in. 

The next morning we met with our good friend, Sara Doto, who we are collaborating with on an amazing project, and she took us on a nice tour featuring first the showroom and workroom of textile and fabric artisan extraordinaire, Elizabeth Eakins http://www.elizabetheakins.com! What an amazing place and what an interesting, gracious, and just plain out fun lady. Of course Isabel and Sara were in textile heaven and I just sat and enjoyed and of course learned. Squeezing in a conference call with our team back in Arizona and our joint venture lead architects in Ibiza, Spain just to keep things moving while the ladies poured through bolts of delicious fabrics. 

The workroom at Elizabeth Eakins

From there it was off to another one of my favorites and another marvelous collaborator, Christopher Peacock, and his spectacular showroom Peacock Home http://peacockhome.com/homein the heart of Greenwich. I have been blessed to work with Christopher Peacock on a wonderful Nance Construction and David Michael Miller home in Arcadia back in the early 2000’s and now again we are on stage with a spectacular home we have under construction with Schultz Development in Paradise Valley. Christopher gave us a wonderful tour of his showroom along with lunch and then Isabel and I went back to the hotel for a nice siesta and catch up on emails and calls for the day. 

Sara Doto and Isabel at Christopher Peacock Cabinetry, Greenwich, CT

Christopher Peacock in his showroom in Greenwich, CT

Mark, Isabel and Christopher Peacock

Isabel enjoying the Christopher Peacock ladies closet line. 

MC with our fabulous bartender and chef and hotelier Thomas Henkelmann of the Homestead Inn

That evening we gathered the troops for cocktails and amazing dinner specially prepared by Thomas Henkelmann himself. Off the charts in terms of the service and cuisine. Definitely one of the best meals I have enjoyed and I have enjoyed some memorable meals over the years. I enjoyed the roasted duck which was spectacular. What I enjoyed most of all was the company around the table. Christopher Peacock and his wife Jayne shared their stories of how they came from London and how he established his business over the years both through the tough times and the good times. Then we met a new builder from the area, Brian Hyla, of APEX Projects http://www.apexpps.com, who builds amazing homes in the Greater NY and CT area and beyond, and of course our dear friend Sara Doto, my lovely wife, Isabel and Susan Fletchner who we are working with in connection with Paris Ceramics http://parisceramics.com. The stories were engaging and the food and wine enhanced the experience and with dinner completed we made it out to the front porch for port and cigars – a fabulous end to a most memorable day. 

Bryan Hyla, Christopher Peacock and MC getting ready to enjoy a little port and a nice cigar. 

The next morning, we slept in until 7 am (eastern timeJ) and got some work done, enjoyed our tea and a light breakfast before we packed up and heading into the City! Of course, it was a rainy day and so the view of the City was somewhat obscured. Nonetheless, you can always feel the energy of the City the closer you get to its core. This time we stayed at the Mondrian Hotel on Park Avenue, checked in, grabbed a cab and made our way to the Freedom Tower and a quick visit of the 911 Memorial. The 911 Memorial is always so moving and the weather on this day just sort of enhanced the experience with the wafting fog drifting through and around the skyscrapers that vanished into the mist. 

Is and I on our way into NYC

From the somberness of the memorial we made our way to the Tower, through security which, by the way is quite intense, and then up the elevator to the 26thfloor and the offices of Architectural Digest. We had a fantastic meeting with Associate Market Director, Maddie O’Malley, as we discussed one of our projects that is currently under construction and will be simply magnificent. After reviewing the project progress photos and plans and the story behind the project, she kindly gave us a tour of the offices and introduced us to several of the AD team. What an experience and I am sure this is just the start of this story. 

MC, Is and Associate Market Director, Maddie O'Malley at Architectural Digest

Now we just had enough time to make a quick trip to one of our favorites, Joe and Lidia Bastianich http://lidiasitaly.comand Mario Batali’s Eataly https://www.eataly.com! We love this place and one of our dreams is to bring one to Phoenix or recreate one! Isabel and I had the wonderful experience of having dinner with Lidia at Avanti’s  http://avanti-phoenix.comin Phoenix a couple years ago and needless to say, we are huge fans of Lidia and Eataly. Be sure to pick up a copy of her new book which is outstanding! https://www.amazon.com/My-American-Dream-Life-Family/dp/1524731617/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524973379&sr=8-1&keywords=lidia+bastianich+my+american+dreamNothing like a little grilled polpo for lunch with a nice sangiovese for a quick snack.  

Lidia Bastianich and Isabel at Avanit's 

Eataly, Freedom Tower

Neuehouse

A quick trip back to the hotel and a spruce up and we were off to the shared office space of Neuehouse on 25thStreet http://neuehouse.com/location/new-york/for the LUXE Magazine RED Awards – red standing for Residential Excellence in Design. This was the purpose of our trip and of course all the other activities and experiences emerged from setting up this trip – I love how that happens all the time for us! 

MC with Erik Peterson at the LUXE Red Awards in NYC

What a wonderful event and so fun to see such a great turnout for Arizona including, Interior Designer, David Michael Miller http://davidmichaelmiller.com, Architect, Erik Peterson of PHX Architects https://phxarch.com, Michele Shelor and Alison Colwell, landscape architects of Colwell Shelor, http://colwellshelor.com, and Dana Lyon of The Refined Group http://www.therefinedgroup.comwho were all in attendance. A special call out also to Claire Ownby and John Schultz who also received an award  http://www.ownbydesign.com, and http://www.schultzdevelopment.org.

 Isabel and I were so proud to be awarded the first LUXE Magazine RED Award for best regional renovation project for a beautiful makeover in Paradise Valley http://luxeredawards.com/2018winners/#.WuU5MC-ZOfc. It’s quite an experience to be on the same stage with the likes of Robert A. M. Stern! Our teams of Candelaria Design and Earth and Images http://www.earthandimages.comcollaborated on this project and what a makeover it was. The Candelaria Team was headed by Project Manager and Team Director, Damon Wake, and the Earth and Images team was headed by designer, Nikka Bochniak and purchaser Angelina Ponce. Together our teamwork along with builder, True Performance, took what was a home ready for new life to a whole new level. We lightened it up but kept the punches of color and we opened it up. It is truly a project we are all proud of and nothing makes me happier than the timing of this award for both of us on a project and clients we both love so much! In fact our clients have graciously offered to host a celebration dinner for all of the Arizona LUXE Red Award winners in their home in May! 

Project Manager, Damon Wake, Isabel and MC at our award winning project!

Isabel and MC receiving the 2018 LUXE Magazine RED Award

Living Room Before

Living Room After

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Family Room Before

Family Room After

Of course, we had to go out and celebrate, and one Mario Batali venue in a day was not enough so off to another of our must stops each trip to NYC is Babbo’s in Greenwich Village http://www.babbonyc.comnot to be confused with the Babbo’s here in Phoenix…. Definitely one of our favorites and how fun to bump into co-owner Joe Bastianich as we walked in the door https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/04/joe-bastianich-restaurant-man-book-excerpt-mario-batali-stoned-babbo. We always love to dine at the bar as you never know who you might be sitting next to on any given evening. Tonight’s dinner was fantastic as always, great service and spectacular cuisine. Linguine with clams for me and a savory arugula and shaved parmigiano reggiano salad with a fabulous glass of wine from Umbria. Heaven. 

It is amazing how this trip, just days before Isabel’s scans, added such positive light and energy mostly from the wonderful people we spent time with and the new people we met during this journey. I love how positive energy works if you just embrace it and at the same time keep sending it out to the universe. 

Ok and so it is back to the boards, I have plenty to get done before Isabel and I head to London in two weeks to celebrate her diagnosis and enjoy five days together.  Stay tuned for that trip as it will be amazing and we are both so excited to enjoy spring in London. Send me your tips and restaurant recommendations!

London here come the Candelarias!

April 2018 Travels - Let's Go!

Enjoying a quick rest while keeping up with Isabel at Market in Highpoint

The summer travel season is nearly here. I’m already hearing my clients and friends talking about heading to NY or Maine or of course California for the summer so it is definitely on everyone’s radar. 

Isabel and I have already started our travel season as we just returned from one of our favorite spots, Highpoint, NC where we spent four days traversing the April Furniture Market. Of course as soon as we land in Charlotte we head to one of our favorites, the Midwood Smokehouse.  This place is always on our itinerary and it never disappoints and is always a great welcome to the Carolinas.  

From Charlotte it’s about a 90 minute drive to the Greensboro/Highpoint area where we checked into the Grandover Resort which would serve as our home base while in shopping heaven. On this shopping extravaganza Isabel brought one of her junior designers, Nikka Bochniak, to experience her first Market. Of course there is no way to describe this experience.

Nikka Bochniak, Isabel and MC ready to hit the Market

Highpoint, NC is the capital of the US furniture market. For two weeks a year, April and October, this small, sleepy, town awakens with merchandisers and designers from not only across the country, but across the world. Everything from antiques to contemporary furniture and accessory products are displayed and marketed to the roving designers and merchandisers looking for the products for their clients’ homes and their showrooms and retail outlets. 

Nikka and Isabel hitting the Market!

As an architect, I find it fascinating to see the trends in styles, colors, and textures change from year to year and I find it a great foreteller of how styles and tastes are changing and where they are going. 

Always fun to run into Rodger and Jamilynn Fournier at Market

Of course, it’s not hard to run into friends and associates along the way. This trip we once again bumped into Interior Designers extraordinaires Suzanne Kasler and Alexa Hampton at Hickory Chair https://www.alexahampton.com http://suzannekasler.comhttp://www.hickorychair.com. Two giants in the industry, they always make time to say hello. 

Our friends from The Design Network, who host our show, SKETCH, https://www.thedesignnetwork.com/series/sketch/are based right there in Highpoint, and the founder of The Design Network and executive Vice President of Furnitureland South, http://www.furniturelandsouth.comJason Harris, always goes out of his way not only to make arrangements by reserving our rooms at the Grandover, but makes time for dinner with us – this time with fellow Design Network star, Mia Malcolm  https://www.thedesignnetwork.com/series/upcycled/and Design Network producer and creative editor, Sarah Weidman, from Los Angeles. 

The Design Network Founder, Jason Harris, MC and Surya President, Satya Tiwari

E-Design seminar hosted by Surya and The Design Network

I also attended a very interesting seminar hosted by The Design Network and President Satya Tiwari at their fabulous Surya showroom http://www.surya.comdiscussing EDesign which is basically a new trend where designers are available on line to “virtually” design your interior. You upload your design project, need or problem, and a designer takes the project on and provides all of their services electronically over the internet. I definitely see this as a trend a d great way to bring good design to the masses. We in fact have a project in Amarillo, Texas where I have yet to meet the client but have now completely remodeled their Kitchen and now are working on the Master Bath. They found us through a referral of another client who found us through our social media. They sent us their photos, videos and room dimensions and from there we went to work and through GOTO Meetings we put the entire design together. So yes this does work and I think it’s a great way to reach a much broader market. Check out our Befores and Afters on our website at  http://www.candelariadesign.com/before-after

Top - Kitchen After, Bottom - Kitchen Before

All in all, a great trip and so fun to go with Isabel and see her in her element. She was hard to keep up with! What’s interesting is how with social media, pinterest, houzz, etc. it is becoming very difficult to actually spot or react to a trend because as opposed to say ten years ago a trend would emerge and stick around long enough that a manufacturer could react to the trend with new products – now I am not sure how a manufacture reacts to a trend that in just a few hours can change. Nonetheless, the Restoration Hardware grey is still prevalent but definitely a lot of chatter about how everyone is getting burnt out on it. Color seems to be making a comeback for sure – and brilliant colors for sure. 

Candelaria Design and Schultz Team in the studios of Christopher Peacock

We returned on Thursday and tomorrow we are off to NYC and Greenwich, CT to meet with a client and master cabinet/millwork maker Christopher Peacock http://peacockhome.com/home, and then we have some fun surprises to announce while in the City so stay tuned!

A few nice features of our Candelaria Design homes to announce, first a big thanks goes out to editor Michael Hiatt and Modern Luxury Scottsdalefor the feature of our Mummy Mountain Contemporary and then another feature in Luxury Interiors Scottsdalefor another contemporary home in Paradise Valley. Both homes were masterfully built by Schultz Development http://www.schultzdevelopment.orgwith the mountain contemporary interiors by Holly Ogden of Wiseman Gale https://wisemanandgale.com, and the Paradise Valley contemporary interiors by Claire Ownby http://www.ownbydesign.com. This project also received and ASID award for Claire Ownby and the team in 2017 for the best design for a home over 6500 sf.  So YES we do CONTEMPORARY and its nice to see our work now dominating the publications. 

A special call out to editor and writer, Patricia Hart McMilllan, and her new book Christmas By Design: Private Homes Decorated by Leading Designers. We are proud to have three spectacular homes featured in this first edition now available on Amazon.com. More to come on this!

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Design-Private-Decorated-Designers/dp/0764356542/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524402818&sr=8-1&keywords=christmas+by+design%3A+private+home+by+designer

ORDER YOUR COPY NOW!

Finally, last weekend our Candelaria Design Team headed by Project Manager and Team Director, Damon Wake and the team from Earth and Images of Nikka Bochniak, Kim Schroeder, and Angelina Ponce, attended the Gigi’s Playhouse, University and Café Gala hosted by actor from Extra and Saved by the Bell, Mario Lopez. We are proud to have had our two teams design all three facilities and we auctioned off one of our paella dinners for the evening. Definitely a successful night and kudos to our client and founder, Jennifer Gage! 

Damon Wake, Angeline Ponce, Nikka Bochniak, MC and Kim Schroeder at the Gigi's Gala

The Gage Family with Mario Lopez at the Gigi's Gala

Ok back to the boards, I have plenty to get done before Isabel and I head to NYC tomorrow. 

Designing away on a Helicopter Hangar and Barn with lighting designer ad dear friend, Walter Spitz of Creative Designs in Lighting

Keep on the lookout for more quick episodes of what’s happening behind the scenes of Candelaria Design with our SKETCH Daily episodes. Tune in and subscribe on our Candelaria Design YouTube Channel for updated episodes https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbgBYVic9aP2PWdKS8duS6A?view_as=subscriber. You never know when one of your projects will be featured as we cover a lot of ground every day and every week!

Inspiring Living ~ The Candelaria Way!

Good morning from snowy Utah, as I’m up here with the family getting a little skiing in here in Park City while visiting and staying with Isabel’s cousin in the quaint Guest House cabin! Great day of skiing yesterday at the Canyon’s Resort and today it’s windy and about to begin snowing. The girls came with us as we are celebrating my daughter, Bella’s 16th birthday and tonight we will make a celebratory paella! The girls are still sleeping and Isabel and I are listening to George Winston and watching the storm blow in. Nice to have a day to chill!

On the slopes in Park City

The time is flying as everyone is very busy that is for sure. Skiing solo yesterday gave me some time to reflect and look back as I have lots of great memories of past ski trips with good friends and how the time has moved on. The lift ticket tag was still on my jacket from the last trip with a good friend who complained while skiing that his back was bothering him. Well we have all experienced that, especially after a day of skiing. Sadly, upon return he visited the doctor whereupon they discovered a tumor the size of a grapefruit – he lived just three months more and was gone. 54 years old.

The boys in Park City January 23, 2011

Then just this last week I heard the news of another friend, Paul Einan, who many of you know in our industry, recently passed away suffering from a fatal heart attack. My last time with Paul was at a cigar and bourbon mixer we had at John Schultz’s home we designed.

Paul Einan May 2017 with MC

We all know this but sadly we forget that each day, each experience, each encounter with everyone you meet on any given day, may be the last encounter and the last experience. We all get so preoccupied with our lives and our problems that we forget to simply be in the moment and enjoy that moment – take it in, connect, and appreciate it as if it is the last moment. Fortunately, my last two moments and times with these two friends were special and will always be cherished.

Skiing yesterday and getting the girls all set for ski school – although a real adventure – was and is now a wonderful memory. The girls will never by 12 and soon 16 and who knows maybe that was my last time to ski. No one knows….. I enjoyed every minute of it, from watching the girls head out on the gondola with all the anxiety and enthusiasm of their first time on skis, to my first run of the day to my last run. Having a cold beer on the lodge roof deck and watching the girls from afar as they struggled with their pizza wedge form on the slopes, to grabbing hot cocoa at the end of the day and watch them drift off to sleep from exhaustion!

During the course of the day, I heard so many parents, and couples and kids, complain, fight, and say some pretty nasty things to each other….I wonder how this same day and those particular moments would have played out had they all known this might be the last day. Having been close to death a couple times I have learned and have tried to keep this in mind – that today might be it. Someday it most definitely will be for all of us. Why take that chance? I love our company tagline “Inspiring Living” because that is what we are passionate about with everything we do from the design of our homes, to our tours, to our cooking. LIVE people!!!

Happy 83rd Birthday Dad - January 31

Ok so many exciting things going including a new charity project we are pitching in on that I mentioned in our last blog – a new playground for the River of Hope Orphanage in Port au Prince, Haiti. Through builder Michael Dudley and interior designer, Nora Johnson of Est Est they have invited my team to help out in raising the funds and building this new playground. A group from Candelaria Design will be heading to Haiti in April to be a part of the construction crew. On February 7th we co-hosted, along with Arcadia Design Group and Dudley Development, a happy hour at Arcadia Public Market! What a fun evening and a beautiful setting for our fund raiser. Thank you for the incredible turnout and thank you for all of the continued donations – we are getting closer and closer to reaching our goal.

Fun evening at Arcadia Public Market for the River of Hope Orphanage

Keep on the lookout for more quick episodes of what’s happening behind the scenes of Candelaria Design with our SKETCH Daily episodes. Tune in and subscribe on our Candelaria Design YouTube Channel for updated episodes https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbgBYVic9aP2PWdKS8duS6A?view_as=subscriber . You never know when one of your projects will be featured as we cover a lot of ground every day and every week!

Isabel Update:

Isabel is doing great and each day she gets a bit stronger. She has started her radiation treatments – 33 in all and she has completed 13 already and she is doing great! Again, we cannot thank all of you for the continued prayers, thoughts and posts on our social media and Isabel’s Caring Bridge https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/isabelcandelaria

Let's Get 2018 Started!

The Candelaria Clan in LaJolla, CA 

Well we are diving into 2018 and it has started with a bang! Boy it is busy, which is great, and we are very excited about the new projects along with all of the very amazing projects we already have going!

Team Candelaria on our project Tour in November

MC and Vivian at Martis Camp - Lake Tahoe

So far this month I have been to Wyoming, Nashville and today San Diego so I have already racked up some miles! We have projects going across the country from two projects in New York to a new home in the Bay Area of California and another in Martis Camp near Lake Tahoe. Overall, we have projects going in 11 states now which is great and something I am very proud of as this has been a long-standing goal of our company!

New Mountain Residence in Pine Canyon, Flagstaff with Schultz Development

This takes nothing away from the fabulous projects we have going right here in Arizona. Even in Arizona we have projects going from north to south, with three projects underway in the Flagstaff area and a new renovation and addition in Tubac, AZ.

New Play Barn in Paradise Valley, AZ being built by GM Hunt Builders

A New Candelaria Design Home in Silverleaf

New Paradise Valley Estate Project

New Paradise Valley Contemporary Design 

Under construction in Silverleaf with Schultz Development

Interior Designer Alena Capra, MC and Project Architect Meredith Thomson at a Candelaria Design project under construction!

It is so rewarding to work in different areas with different styles and all with the most amazing people. I also am loving watching my team grow in creativity and experience. My team is the best and I absolutely love working with them. The advances in technology make it all possible. In fact I have a project in Texas, where I have never been to the site, never met the client, and the project is completed – in fact they have now started Phase 2 of their project. With Facetime, video, photos, and GOTO Meeting it is amazing what we can accomplish anywhere. I love it and the time it saves. Of course, nothing beats seeing the site for real and walking it and smelling it, and experiencing it….then of course seeing a site by helicopter is not too bad either!!!

Getting ready to climb on board helicopter to tour Wyoming Project

MC and Tony Sutton of EST EsT - Wheels Up!

So many exciting things going including a new charity project we are pinching in on – a new playground for the River of Hope Orphanage in Port au Prince, Haiti. Through builder Michael Dudley and interior designer, Nora Johnson of Est Est they have invited my team to help out in raising the funds and building this new playground. A group from Candelaria Design will be heading to Haiti in April to be a part of the construction crew. We will be co-hosting, along with Arcadia Design Group and Dudley Development, a happy hour at Arcadia Public Market on Wednesday, February 7th  from 6-8 pm where we will explain more about our mission and hopefully raise some funds to make this a reality for these children. See more on our social media in the weeks ahead.

Meanwhile, we have plenty coming up in the weeks ahead with our other philanthropic projects including Gigi’s Playhouse, Café and University https://gigisplayhouse.org/phoenix/gigis-playhouse-phoenixscottsdale-gigis-university/ , Colten Cowell Cave and Foundation https://coltencowellfoundation.org , Habitat for Humanity https://habitatcaz.org  and Ryan House https://www.ryanhouse.org . Stay tuned – we have some cool events and ways for all of you to help make a difference.

One final tidbit, we have posted some more quick episodes of what’s happening behind the scenes of Candelaria Design with our SKETCH Daily episodes. Tune in and subscribe on our Candelaria Design YouTube Channel for updated episodes https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbgBYVic9aP2PWdKS8duS6A?view_as=subscriber . You never know when one of your projects will be featured as we cover a lot of ground every day and every week!

Isabel Update:

Isabel is doing great and her hair is growing back and each day she gets a bit stronger. Next week she begins her radiation treatments – 33 in all over the next 6 weeks just to make sure they get it all! We cannot thank all of you for the continued prayers, thoughts and posts on our social media and Isabel’s Caring Bridge https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/isabelcandelaria

Happy Holidays - Reflection and Gratitude

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Hanukkah . We had a nice, quiet holiday with just my girls, folks and Isabel’s mother. Very nice to have some time to just chill and enjoy time with our parents and family after the crazy year we have had in 2017. No one know what lies ahead and so this Holiday was truly special.

It is so important to reflect and give gratitude for all the blessings bestowed upon us. From a kid who grew up in Durango, Colorado and moved to Phoenix in 1979 not knowing but a handful of friends who were attending ASU, we have come a long way. Of course, no one does it without a lot of help and plenty of breaks along the way.

My list of gratitude is long, from my wife, my family, my teachers, my mentors, to my Candelaria Design Team, I am truly blessed. There is one group however, that I would love to recognize and that is my clients! When I think about the list it brings back so many memories and stories and so many are still important players in my life.

Wow – what a list of people and personalities….and what stories! I have designed over 2000 homes so that’s a lot of clients so I am only going to recognize a few who definitely had an impact on my career.

Murphy Residence - Coeur d'Alene, ID 2003

Drue Engels, Patrick Murphy and MC at Chris and Jen Karras's Wedding 2008

First, my list would not be complete without my good friend and my first client, Patrick Murphy. We met in 1993 when he called late on a Friday when I was still at George Christensen’s office. Fortunately, I was the only one there so I picked up the call versus letting it go to the answering service. He wanted to remodel his home in Paradise Valley and I was ready to help him out. We met, I got him a proposal and we were underway. That project led to another project in 1999 when he purchased a lot in Coeur d’Alene and convinced me to go on my own and make this my first project. How could I resist that? We completed that project in 2003 and the two of us have been through so much since then. He has always been there for me and me for him – we talk on the phone several times a week and catch up on our work, our lives, our kids and of course politics. https://www.thedesignnetwork.com/episodes/sketch-lincoln-logs-on-the-lake/?autoplay=true

Larry Peery and MC in South Carolina 2017

Italy 2012

Then there is my good friend, Larry Peery, who I first met in 1983 when we worked together on the creation of the Enchantment Resort in Sedona which I just stayed at this week with my girls. What an experience that was. I was 23 and was the Project Manager for my mentor, the late George Christensen, and Larry was the Project Manager for The Phil W. Morris Company. From that experience we became lasting friends, been through several marriages, raising all daughters, and I have designed three personal homes for him along the way. We have traveled together as he has been on a couple of my Italy trips and recently on our first Candelaria Design Tour Spain. Great times and lots of memories and creations along the way.

John Gardiner, Merv Griffin, George Christensen, and myself at the Grand Opening of Enchantment 1987

Larry Peery and MC in Umbria, Italy 2012

Gloria Ipock and Larry Peery and the Candelaria Design Tour Spain group in Barcelona 2017

Peery Residence - Paradise Valley 

Isabel, Don Ulrich and my daughter, Tiffany - LaJolla, CA 2106

Another would be Don Ulrich! What a mentor and good friend. I met Don also in the early 90’s and designed a beautiful home for him and his lovely wife Sharon in Paradise Valley and then later a home in Gainey Ranch. So many stories around the Paradise Valley home but the one I remember most was him sending me to New York to go check out the Ralph Lauren store so I would know exactly what he wanted. He arranged a seat for me at a nearby bar so I could sketch everything I saw because they would not let me take pictures. I just spoke to him last week and we catch up quite often and are always tinkering away on something together. What an amazing man and mentor he has been for me all these years.

The Ulrich Residence 1996

The Ulrich Residence 1996

Gil and Phyllis Lerner with MC and Isabel

Yet another on my list would be Phyllis and Gil Lerner. What wonderful clients and friends they have become. I have been working with them now for over 10 years and their amazing home being built by http://www.manshipbuilders.com is nearly complete! Through this journey of designing and building and traveling to Italy together and sourcing materials for their home we have built a truly special friendship. Their home will be a Candelaria Design masterpiece for sure.

Phyllis, Isabel and MC at the Design Icon Event 2017

The Millwork Team from Italy at the Lerner Residence November 2017

Phyllis selecting her doors at Porte del Passato in Umbria, Italy 2015

Vivian Ayala with Phil and Renee Giltner in Italy 2014

Phil and Renee Giltner with isabel in Venice, Italy 2015

Phil and Renee at Isabel's Chemo Treatment - two hippies in the center :-)

Then there is Phil and Renee Giltner who have likely become our best friends ever. There are not too many Sunday night dinners at Casa Candelaria that we are not sharing some good wine and cooking together. They have been on I believe three of our Candelaria Design Tour Italy’s and are joining us on our 15th Tour this coming September. We met many years ago and then regrouped when Isabel and Earth and Images http://www.earthandimages.com and Candelaria Design remodeled their home in Desert Mountain! That was quite the facelift and it will be featured in an upcoming episode of SKETCH. We are now starting work on a new build for them on the nose of Camelback Mountain. Stay tuned for this one as this will be a spectacular home for two people Isabel and I consider family.

Phil and Renee Giltner with a special appearance and hug from Walter Spitz in Florence, Italy 2015

isabel, her cousins Jarred, her mom, Alette, and the Giltner in Santa Fe 2017

The Giltners and friends at Sunday dinner at Casa Candelaria

John and Denise Schultz on the Charro Ride

Then there is my good friend and collaborator, John Schultz and his lovely bride, Denise. We have been through so much together over the years including designing their personal residence with the collaboration of Caroline DeCesare of DeCesare Design Group http://decesaredesigngroup.com and Jeff Berghoff of Berghoff Design Group http://www.berghoffdesign.com . This beautiful home will be featured in a 2018 episode of SKETCH. John and his company Schultz Development Corp http://www.schultzdevelopment.org has been building homes with us since the beginning and we currently have six amazing homes under construction with them now. John personally invited me to become a member of the Scottsdale Charros http://charros.com which I am so proud to be a member of! John and Denise have always been there for us and we have shared many wonderful trips including Italy, Park City, London, to name a few. I look forward to the completion of the projects we currently have going and who knows what adventures and creations lie ahead.

The Schultz Residence Kitchen

The ski crew in Park City

Tour Italy 2004 

MC and Schultz wheels up to Montana with a client

Bill Franke and John Schultz being nice to Bill's puppies!

The Schultz Residence

Mullard Residence LaJolla, CA - BEFORE

Mullard Residence LaJolla, CA - AFTER

Let’s not forget once of my favs, Melissa Mullard and her husband David! We have had a lot of fun over the years and have created a number of beautiful homes together. We met thanks to an introduction of Interior Designer, Teresa Nelson of NelsonBarnum Interiors http://www.nelsonbarnum.com who asked I join her to meet a Phoenix client who had purchased a property in LaJolla. Melissa and I jelled and started working away on transforming that home which we still need to photograph the changes! This home and project will be featured in a 2018 episode of SKETCH. We then moved back to a project in Phoenix when she purchased a home I had designed years before. Melissa put her touch on this home which now has been published numerous times and was a featured episode in Sketch  https://www.thedesignnetwork.com/episodes/sketch-reimagined-spaces/?autoplay=true  We just did a cooking class at her home last week that was a total blast. I am looking forward to many more collaborations with her as she is uber talented and we work so well together.

Melissa in her LaJolla, CA kitchen

On the set at the Mullard Residence in LaJolla, CA

Mullard Residence in Phoenix, AZ

Making paella with Melissa for our cooking class at the Mullard Residence in Phoenix!

Candelaria Design Holiday Paella Cooking Class at the Mullard Residence December 2017

Holiday Photo 2017 Nancy Hanley and MC

I will finish with one special lady, Nancy Hanley! All I can say is WOW. I love this lady and how gracious and giving she has been for us over the years. Her home is definitely a Candelaria Design masterpiece and was so selected in 2011 by the Pacific Coast Builders Council as the best home in America over 6000 sf. With the dream team of Desert Star Construction https://desertstarconstruction.com , Jim Smith of Serving the Nation, Vallone Design http://www.vallonedesign.com , Berghoff Design http://www.berghoffdesign.com  and my good friend (and best man at my wedding) Walter Spitz of Creative Designs in Lighting http://www.cdltg.com we all worked together as a team to create not only a beautiful legacy home but memories that will last forever. Nancy has been so gracious to have all of us over for a fabulous dinner on the terrace where I was honored to prepare homemade pasta and a Bolognese right in her kitchen. Her home will also be featured in the 2018 version of Christmas – Designer’s Homes Across America by Patricia McMillan https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Designers-Homes-Across-America/dp/076435163X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514551889&sr=8-1&keywords=Christmas+Designers+Homes+across+america which is a real honor and stay tuned to this home being featured in an episode of SKETCH in 2018. Nancy and her late husband, Lee, are so special and have inspired all of us endlessly with their style, dignity, and generosity.

Zona Verde

Donna Vallone, Walter Spitz, MC and Nancy Hanley - dinner on the terrace October 2017

Walter Spitz, MC, Nancy Hanley and Jerry Meek dining at Zona Verde Oct 2017

David Neishabori of AZADI with Nancy

Jerry Meek of Desert Star and Jeff Berghoff during construction with Nancy

Now my list can go forever, and I would love to tell stories of how so many clients have influenced me through the experience of designing their homes. Not only influencing my design but how they influenced my outlook on life and the life lessons I have garnished from just being with these amazing people. It is definitely one of the more rewarding aspects of this career.

I don’t think people understand that we do this because it is what we love to do. You don’t choose this profession for the money. We love to create, to see an idea, or a statement, or a wish manifest itself on paper in a sketch and then have interior designers, landscape designers, engineers, vendors, subcontractors all collaborate to make that vision a reality. It never stops – 24/7 we are thinking of our projects, looking for ideas and inspiration, wondering if our clients’ are happy and do they like the design. But on the flip side we are fortunate to see our work built and enjoyed and we can show our work to family, friends, and prospective clients for many years.

I finally, want to thank my Candelaria Team! I wish you all a wonderful 2018 – get ready because we have quite a ride ahead of us. It’s been great to see all the growth in my team over this past year and I am SO excited about what we bring to the table and what we will create and produce in the year ahead.

One final tidbit, we are now posting quick episodes of what’s happening behind the scenes of Candelaria Design with our SKETCH Daily episodes. Tune in and subscribe on our Candelaria Design YouTube Channel for updated episodes https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbgBYVic9aP2PWdKS8duS6A?view_as=subscriber . You never know when one of your projects will be featured as we cover a lot of ground every day and every week!

Update on Isabel – as I mentioned we had a very nice Holiday especially given Isabel had her surgery on December 22nd at the Honor Health Greenbaum Surgery Center by the amazing Dr. Liu http://azbreastcenter.com/linda-liu-md/  . I am happy to report, thanks to all of your thoughts and prayers that Isabel received a call two nights ago from Dr. Liu that she has the all clear and will now finish with 6-8 weeks of radiation treatment starting the end of January. So one more hurdle completed and not an easy one. But as with this whole ordeal, Isabel has come through with amazing strength and grace. She is a fierce warrior and maintains a positive outlook and manifestation. We cannot thank all of you for the continued prayers, thoughts and posts on our social media and Isabel’s Caring Bridge https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/isabelcandelaria

The support you have given us has been so appreciated and has made a huge difference. We LOVE you all and we wish all of us a prosperous and most importantly, a healthy 2018!

November 2017 So much to be Thankful for!

Well it has been quite a different year than Isabel and I planned but it will also go down as a year we have learned so much and met so many amazing people. This past Wednesday Isabel completed her last chemo treatment – 16 in all! What a journey it has been and she still has quite a way to go but her courage and faith are guiding her forward with grace and continued hope and optimism. She is truly an amazing woman and I am so blessed to have my angel with me here on earth.

And so with this being Thanksgiving week, I want to continue thanking everyone with the wonderful dinners brought to our home on her Wednesday chemo nights, all the cards, flowers, books, posts, etc….I hope to have all of you to Casa Candelaria for dinner some time soon!  I want to also thank my entire Candelaria Design Team for coming out Wednesday to the clinic for a congratulations bridge for Isabel - she loved it. Finally, a special thanks to my mother-in-law, isabel's mom, Alette Thompson. She has been there all through this and has done so much for all of us. Thank you! You are also an angel on this earth for our family. You can read more on Isabel’s Caring Bridge https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/isabelcandelaria

Alette Thompson, Isabel and MC on Isabel's final chemo treatment 11.15.17

Last night, Isabel gathered the energy to make it to the Heart Ball and we were blessed to host a table for our own Vivian Ayala who served on this year’s committee. What an event and what a turnout. It was great to see my fellow neighbor, former Senator, Jon Kyle, and meet current Senator Jeff Flake. So many wonderful clients and friends and as I understand from the comments, a record night. Congratulations to all and thanks to my guests – we had a fantastic evening.

Mark, isabel, Jim and Jessica Audiss at the 2017 Heart Ball

Paco and Vivian Perez

Arizona Heart Ball with Senator Jeff Flake

Last weekend we were fortunate to have a home on the Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine Home Tour! It was great to spend the afternoon there with builder Brett Brimley of Brimley Development who built this French Revival home for our client. A special thanks to our client who graciously offered her home for the tour. What a fantastic turnout! It was so fun to see clients I had not seen in over 25 years make it out for the day.

Brett Brimley of Brimley Development and homeowner, Laurie Hunter!

Such a special home and special client who has also allowed us to feature her home along with two other spectacular Candelaria Design homes for a new book by Patricia Hart McMillan called Christmas – At Designer’s Homes Across America. The 2016 edition was a best seller on Amazon and so we are so excited to be a part of this year’s edition. Here is the link to last year’s book and as soon as the new addition is available we will let you know! https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Designers-Homes-Across-America/dp/076435163X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511146243&sr=8-1&keywords=christmas+at+designers%27+home+across+america

Finally, we also squeezed in a fun run in Scottsdale for the TGen fight against pancreatic cancer in support of our client Nancy Hanley and her late husband Lee who lost his battle against this horrific disease. I am thankful for my crew who made it out during the weekend in support of Team Lee!!! https://www.tgen.org  

Team Candelaria Design all part of Team Lee!

So many other things brewing and we will be posting some good recipes in the days and weeks ahead. We wish you all a super Happy Thanksgiving! So, so, much to be thankful for and I’ll be posting over the Holiday with more thoughts on that……

Time to Get Out and Enjoy!

Hanley Residence - Paradise Valley

We are blitzing our way through October and those busy months as we start to close in on the Holidays! But with the weather cooling it is time to get out and enjoy and we did plenty of that in the last couple of weeks! It was nice to spend a full weekend here at home given I have been traveling the last 5 weekends!

First – thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes last week! You can still wish me a happy birthday by casting your VOTE for me and my team!  https://www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com/best-of-our-valley-2018/voting/190.html

We also want to thank all of those who attended our co-hosted event Dietro la Maschera with Scottsdale Modern Luxury at Galleria Stone celebrating their Grand Opening! Unfortunately, Isabel and I could not make it but I want to personally thank my Candelaria Design crew for being their and hosting our table! I also want to thank Dave Stockett and Walter Spitz for helping our crew! I understand it was a wonderful evening! http://www.galleriaofstoneaz.com https://modernluxury.com/modern-luxury-scottsdale/digital-edition

The Candelaria Design Crew!

Anthony and Hillary Castiglia

April Lozevski and her Husband!

Walter Spitz and Dave Stockett with a pretty lady in disguise!

Well that was two weeks ago – then we made the most of this past week! Tuesday, Isabel and I were the guests of Jason Monzcka and Anderson Windows https://www.andersenwindows.com at the Chef’s Table at The Omni Montelucia Resort. https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/scottsdale-montelucia/dining/private-dining . What a special evening and so appreciated by Isabel and I. We had a wonderful group of friends, clients, and people from our industry and the food and wine were fantastic.

Tina Majerle, Nick Ferrara, Isabel and MC

Then Thursday we had two fabulous evening events with our clients. Of course, you cannot be everywhere at the same time – although I try all the time! Tim Mathewson and several members of our team attended the Colten Cowell Foundation fundraiser at Molina Fine Jewelers https://www.molinafinejewelers.com Special thanks to Al Molina and Black, Starr & Frost for hosting an amazing event for a charity that we at Candelaria Design are very passionate about!  The food and drinks were great and it was a gorgeous setting to meet with the some of the Valley’s most influential people to discuss the mission of the Colten Cowell Foundation and our designs for their future headquarters, which will be known as “A Monument to Compassion.”  It will be a landmark for Phoenix and for our state and we are very proud to be a part of it.  Check out their website to see more about the joy that they bring to children and families battling disease as well as the grants they provide to other local charities.   https://coltencowellfoundation.org/

Our mission is to help them raise funds in order to build their new foundation headquarters designed by Candelaria Design. We welcome all donations to this amazing cause and If you are a distributor of building products, a subcontractor or installer and would be willing to donate your time or materials to this great cause, please reach out to me or my staff on how you can help.  We would love to have you on board. http://www.candelariadesign.com/community-involvement/

Then at the same time part of the crew was at Molina’s there was a group of us filming an episode for our upcoming third season of SKETCH https://www.thedesignnetwork.com/series/sketch/ at one of our classic Candelaria Design homes in Paradise Valley. This home was completed about seven years ago and it was about time to get this home well documented with our show and at the same time reunite the design team for interviews during the day and a reunion dinner that evening prepared by my partner, Evelyn Jung, and myself. The footage shot by WedgieMedia will be spectacularhttps://www.wedgiemedia.com. This LEED certified home also received the Pacific Coast Builders Gold Nugget Award in 2011 for the best home over 6000 sf in the country. What an amazing team – Vallone Design Interiors, Berghoff Design, Creative Designs in Lighting, and Desert Star Construction – the Dream Team for sure.

Finally, we finished the week with our Candelaria Design Tour Spain post trip dinner. It is always so fun to get the group together and relive the tour with a dinner, a book, and a video of the trip. We still have a few spots for our June 2018 Candelaria Design Tour Spain but don't wait!!!

Enjoy the 2017 June Spain Tour video by clicking the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fomk9uy4opgrqiw/Tour%20Spain%202017%20Movie.mp4?dl=0

Looking ahead, we are happy to invite you to join us for the Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine Home Tour and we will have a very special French Revival Candelaria Design home on this year’s tour benefitting the Humane Society. Get your tickets and I will be there all afternoon! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/phoenix-home-garden-2017-home-tour-tickets-36844397585

Update on Isabel

Isabel has now completed 14 chemo treatments including her second treatment of the Red Devil – the heavy duty chemo concoction! She has two more Red Devil treatments to go and then her surgery is scheduled for late December. As always, she continues to stay positive and strong but she is definitely feeling the effects of these new treatments and I know these next three months will be tough. Her mom, Alette, continues to be such an amazing help for both Isabel and I and we are so blessed to have her. 

Gicela Dulcich with Is at the Honor Health Chemo Treatment Room

Thanks for all of your continued thoughts and prayers. They truly make a huge difference for us both.

You can read more on Isabel’s Caring Bridge https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/isabelcandelaria

Make the most of each day! 

October 2017 - On the Road

It is definitely busy – we are cranking away at Candelaria Design with amazing projects just completed,  underway, and on the boards…and not just in Arizona.

We just got some fantastic aerial photos of our project in Kansas City build by Grand Construction http://grandconst.com who built this Tuscan Style Estate in less than 14 months featuring its own private golf hole. We have another home for this family underway right here in Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale and they are cranking on that home too.

This morning, I am in Northern Idaho, touching base on our Gozzer Ranch http://gozzerranchclub.com spec home! We have two versions designed, a traditional mountain design and a contemporary mountain design. Curious as to which style you prefer??? Love it up here – this is our seventh design in the area. While here, I had all of my Candelaria girls rendezvous for some Dad time. We used to have a summer home here so my girls have lots of many memories here and it is nice to have some one-on-one time with them.

At the same time my associate, Meredith Thomson, is in Beverly Hills this morning with another project team doing a little “research” and building material sourcing. We go to great lengths to make our homes as authentic as possible and this estate we currently have under construction with Schultz Development is going to be spectacular. http://www.xsurfaces.com

Meanwhile, my other associate, Mat Grove, just returned from Venice, Italy where he went with the Arizona Residential Architects group as the guest of host Brombal Steel Windows and Doors http://www.brombalusa.com Thank you to Brombal for hosting this amazing tour of their factory and the lovely area around Venice.

Last week, was crazy as I was in Vail, Colorado over the weekend getting up to speed on two projects there – one a seven story condo project and the other a custom home about 30 miles west of Vail. Growing up in Colorado, it was nice to return to one of my Mom’s favorite weekend getaways. Who would have thought when I was 9 years old when we would come here and visit and then return home and sketch ideas for villages inspired from the visit that I would someday actually be designing projects here! So cool – I love how life works. Anyway, it was a quick trip but I was able to enjoy the architecture and the beautiful fall colors of my home state, Colorado.

Then two days later, Meredith and I were off to Los Gatos, CA to begin work on a new home there – our third home design in the Bay area. I just love Los Gatos as it is right out of a Hallmark Channel episode. Quaint, charming, and fabulous residential architecture, from California bungalows, to mission revival, to Victorian so much fun to just get up early and enjoy a morning walk soaking up details.

Ok – its time to get moving here as my girls are starting to stir. Plenty to follow up on here in Northern Idaho. I get back Wednesday and then Thursday night, October 12th, we have an amazing event set  kicking off the fall season with Scottsdale Modern Luxury Magazine https://modernluxury.com/modern-luxury-scottsdale/digital-edition promoting their grand opening of Galleria of Stone http://www.galleriaofstoneaz.com right there in their off the chart warehouse where we will have a fun Venetian masquerade evening.  Me and my team along with Dave Stockkett from Stockett Tile and Granite http://www.stockett.com will be making pasta live in the stone slab warehouse, in the midst of fabulous Italian sports cars, fashion from Italy, with plenty to eat and drink. Everyone is invited so stop by! You can order your Candelaria Living pasta maker for your favorite foodie right here or at the event:

http://www.candelariadesign.com/candelaria-products/candelaria-premiere-collection-gourmet-pasta-maker

Update on Isabel

Isabel has now completed 13 chemo treatments including her first treatment with the Red Devil! She has three more Red Devil treatments to go and then her surgery is scheduled for late December. As always she continues to stay positive and strong. She is still working away with her team and we have some beautiful projects underway with her.

Your thoughts, prayers, meals, flowers, plants, books, cakes and cupcakes are all so wonderful and remind us of how blessed we are to have the wealth of good friends who offer so much love and happiness in our lives.

You can read more on Isabel’s Caring Bridge https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/isabelcandelaria

Today is the only day that matters. 

September time in Santa Fe

It is SO nice to be in late September now and some cooler weather. Us Arizonan’s finally come out of our summer hibernation be it we were trapped indoors or away to escape the summer heat, but now we can open things back up and truly enjoy why we live in this magical place.

Isabel and I are suffering from Italy withdrawal as we are normally in Italy on our Candelaria Design Tour Italy this time of the month. Given Isabel’s battle we are taking this year off but we have nearly SOLD OUT our 2018 tour which will feature our base trip of Florence and Umbria but we will finish in Venice and will also offer a bonus trip extension to Lake Como and the Villa d’Este where we will celebrate our 5 year anniversary at the very spot we tied the knot. You can do the entire trip or just join us for the last three days in Lake Como. Don’t wait because I think the base trip is sold out but we have room for the Lake Como portion. http://www.candelariadesign.com/tour-italy

One final note - We have an amazing event coming on October 12th where we will be co-hosting a celebration kicking off the fall season with Scottsdale Modern Luxury Magazine https://modernluxury.com/modern-luxury-scottsdale/digital-edition promoting their grand opening of Galleria of Stone http://www.galleriaofstoneaz.com right there in their off the chart warehouse! I was also honored to be featured in the Scottsdale Modern Man article – pick up a copy for sure and come on out to this fun Venetian masquerade evening where we will be making pasta live in the stone slab wherehouse, in the midst of fabulous Italian sports cars, fashion from Italy, with plenty to eat and drink. You can order your Candelaria Living pasta maker for your favorite foodie right here or at the event:

http://www.candelariadesign.com/candelaria-products/candelaria-premiere-collection-gourmet-pasta-maker

Ok given our Italy withdrawals we were able to escape for a little five-day jaunt to one of our favorite places, Santa Fe, New Mexico. This place is special to both Isabel and I as she was born just north of Santa Fe in Española, New Mexico and my ancestors from Spain were one of the first families to settle in the Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1690 and in fact a major boulevard in Albuquerque is Candelaria Road. We will be adding a Candelaria Design Tour Santa Fe next summer which will feature a five day escape to this lovely destination and will include architecture, art, cuisine and spa with day trips to some of the nearby sights. Stay tuned for more details.

Santa Fe is for the most part frozen in time. It cannot grow due to limited water supply and the architectural controls are quite strict so not much ever changes at least in the 45 years I have been coming here. Nonetheless, it is beautiful, charming and for a one hour flight and an hour drive up from Albuquerque you actually feel like you have taken a trip to a foreign country. In addition to the lovely architecture and plethora of art galleries, the food in this town is off the charts and it does not just include New Mexican cuisine, although that is nothing to miss either. So this definitely quenched our thirst for some travel.

This trip we rented a beautiful three-bedroom, two kitchen/living room adobe on Artists Road. So cozy and charming and definitely in the character and layout we are used to on our Tour Italy time in Umbria. For our tour we are scouting a three house compound with a courtyard where we can do morning yoga, exercise, massages and evening cooking classes…..get the picture!

So of course anyone who has traveled with me knows I love to go explore with the corner of my eye always on the look out for fabulous dining venues be them casual or formal. This trip has not disappointed. With the help of Isabel’s cousin Jarred Conley who lives here in Santa Fe, he turned us onto some fantastic dining venues for this trip and for our tour. You cannot start a trip to Santa Fe without experiencing the authentic New Mexican cuisine at The Shed https://sfshed.com/ This is always a first stop for us. Delicious enchiladas with red and green chili and a cold cerveza. The prefect fix to get the trip started.

Our next morning we enjoyed some home cooking in our kitchen and then it was off to the Plaza to do a little sightseeing and enjoy the architecture and of course a little shopping. One of our favorite stops to Mediterrania Antiques http://www.mediterraniaantiques.com/ run by our old friend Marc Galante who used to have a showroom in Scottsdale. Beautiful items from Spain, Italy, Portugal and France adorn this showroom right in the heart of Santa Fe and Marc has fantastic stories to go with each authentic item.

We couldn’t go too long until we needed lunch and another of our favorites is dining in the courtyard at La Casa Sena http://lacasasena.com/. What a fabulous and relaxing setting under a giant cottonwood tree enjoying the fall breeze and a delicious light lunch with good friends and Isabel’s cousin Jarred who joined us.

More shopping and sight seeing and then back to the casa for a siesta.  With some rejuvenation it was off for tapas at La Boca http://www.labocasantafe.com/. Ok this saved a 12 hour flight to Spain! Fantastic menu and wine list and the tapas were off the chart especially the chicken liver pate and the caramel and salt flat iron steak. A little more shopping and enjoying the fabulous fall temperatures and we called it a day.

The next day was Saturday and it was time to do some art gallery hopping and there is no better spot than Canyon Road. Wandering from gallery to gallery and artist to artist with the smells of fall and the hint of piñon  smoke in the air it is easy to lose track of time and get mesmerized by it all – great way to relax, unwind and get inspired.

To finish off our day on Canyon Road we reserved dinner at one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. . . and I have been to some good ones, Geronimo on Canyon Road. http://www.geronimorestaurant.com/ Voted one of the top 100 restaurants by Open Table I could not agree more – I would put it in the top 10. We all tried a different started and entre and we were not disappointed. I started with a leek and white asparagus bisque served over a buttermilk biscuit with jumbo lump crab. Amazing. Then I topped it off with the elk tenderloin. Spectacular. Service impeccable. Setting is very quaint yet sophisticated and the space is broken into small rooms line with dreamy curtains so the acoustics are perfect. A heavy thunderstorm pelted the roof with rain only interrupted now and then with a clap of thunder. Romantic and memorable. I most definitely recommend Geronimo for sure.

The storms passed and Sunday morning we all slept in. We awoke to brilliant sunshine and fresh cool air. Relaxing with a cup of coffee and catching up on emails and then the troops rallied and we were off to the famous Plaza Café for breakfast https://www.plazacafesantafe.com/ . Of course, my favorite Sunday breakfast dish in New Mexico is a big bowl of beef tripe menudo with red chili and freshly made flour tortillas just like my Grandma Rose use to make. Some of our travelers had the enchiladas with eggs and others chili relleños with eggs. Spot on. A little more sightseeing and shopping and then it was back to our casa for a power nap and this afternoon we are off to the mountains above Santa Fe and Chimayo for guess what… more New Mexican food at Rancho de Chimayo - http://www.ranchodechimayo.com/.

Back to the gym next week!

Update on Isabel

Isabel has now completed 11 chemo treatments and has the tough five treatments to go. She continues to stay positive and strong and I have a tough time keeping up with her which I am most thankful for. This has been quite the experience but it has reinforced our belief of living each day to the fullest no matter your situation or condition and never complain. There are obvious and hidden joys everywhere you look and its important to keep your focus on these aspects of your existence and time. It makes all the difference.

Your thoughts, prayers, meals, flowers, plants, books, cakes and cupcakes are all so wonderful and remind us of how blessed we are to have the wealth of good friends who offer so much love and happiness in our lives.

You can read more on Isabel’s Caring Bridge https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/isabelcandelaria

Today is the only day that matters. 

Happy Labor Day 2017

Ok, I know its September, but those of us who live in the Arizona desert know there is not a lot of difference between August and September….it’s just another month of summer. Not until Halloween are we officially done with the potential for 100º temps. Yes, we are watching football and we are tempted to plant geraniums but don’t get fooled.

I am looking forward to fall though, and being able to open everything up, driving with the sun roof open, and wearing fall sweaters, sport coats, and of course cooking!

This week we celebrated our 18th year of Candelaria Design! From that first year with just me and my two dogs, Lulu and Nacho to our 15 person firm now we have come a long way and it’s been quite the ride! More on that in a bit….

Plenty going on here at Candelaria Design. In addition to the three homes we had featured in August in the national publication, Elegant Homes Magazine we have another featured this month in Country French Magazine. This Candelaria Design ~ DeCesare Design ~ Berghoff Design collaboration features a beautiful home masterfully built by Schultz Development http://www.schultzdevelopment.org for none other than himself and his lovely wife, Denise. We will be featuring more of this home this Fall in one of our episodes of SKETCH on

We have an amazing event coming on October 12th where we will be co-hosting a celebration kicking off the fall season with Scottsdale Modern Luxury Magazine https://modernluxury.com/modern-luxury-scottsdale/digital-edition promoting their Modern Man Issue which I will be a part of and the grand opening of La Galleria Stone http://www.galleriaofstoneaz.com right there in their off the chart warehouse! We will be making pasta live, and there will be fabulous Italian sports cars, fashion from Italy and plenty to eat and drink. You can order your pasta maker for your favorite foodie right here:

http://www.candelariadesign.com/candelaria-products/candelaria-premiere-collection-gourmet-pasta-maker

So being it’s Labor Day I thought I would tribute this blog to those who make Candelaria Design go! My amazing Team! First and foremost, I love these guys and all they do to always improve and grow. As I mentioned we just celebrated our 18th anniversary on August 29th and my team gave me a nice celebration on Friday. So this blog is dedicated to my team!

First, my partner, Vivian Ayala, has been with me nearly 18 years as has my associate, Jeff Kramer. These two have been there during the good times and through the tough times. Add Evelyn Jung to this mix who has been with me 12 plus years and runs the business operations. They get it. It’s not about what can you do for me, its about what can we do as a team. I rely on them for their hard work, their caring attitude, their talent, but most importantly their friendship.

Then let’s add Tim Mathewson, Meredith Thomson and Damon Wake who are my Team Directors and do a fantastic job not only with their projects but managing, mentoring and inspiring their teams. It has been so rewarding to watch them grow and mature into strong members of our team.

The next wave includes our Project Managers and Job Captains which include Mathew Grove, Hector Medina, Tyler Bulriss, Peter Ekema, Rebecca Struchen, Samar Kattan and our newest addition Jochen Walther. Let’s not forget our intern, Jake Ernst and of course our Director of First Impressions, Caitlin Cunningham who runs our front desk and does so much for all of us. This whole crew keeps the train moving working many times late into the night and sometimes into the early morning hours to get the job done.

What a great team! Let’s see…. Did I forget anyone???? Oh wait, my assistant, Stacey Payne!!!! I could not function without her. We start our days around 4am with texts to each other working out the details of the coming day and that continues many times until 10pm at night, including weekends many times. Not only does she manage things at the office but she keeps track of my personal affairs too and trust me, many times that’s more of a job than her tasks at the office. I am most grateful for all she does every day to keep me moving.

So, what is the common thread with all the members of my team? They have a passion for what they do and they all think Team First. We all work hard but we also all have fun together. They respect each other and they are kind to each other. It’s a wonderful family and I am so proud of all of them. Happy Labor Day to you all.

Of course, there is always some time to get some cooking in – especially over a three day weekend. This weekend we went with grilled and sliced ribeyes over arugla, then Saturday we went with grilled halibut then bathed in tomatoes, fennel, onions, capers and white wine and last night we made a herb cursted leg of lamb with a mint and Hatch green chile sauce. All to be posted over time.

MC's Limoncello Cream Pie

So what about another dessert to finish off the summer??? Plenty have been asking for my Limoncello Cheesecake Pie. So here we go:

 Let’s start with the crust. I like to but a box of triple chocolate biscotti’s from AJ’s and grind them up in the food processor – you want about 200 grams of crumbs. While grinding the crumbs, melt about ¾ of a small stick of butter. Pour the butter into the crumb mixture and then work the mixture into the pie pan bottom to form your crust. Refrigerate the pie pan crust for about 15 to 10 minutes so it all firms up.

While the crust is in the refrigerator, make the pie filling. Using the mixer, whip the mascarpone, sour cream, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, limoncello, salt, vanilla until all well mixed and smooth.

Pour over the pie crust and then back in a 325º oven for 40 minutes or just to the point where the sides of the filling start to brown. Then remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack and let cool. Once cool, set in the fridge to cool and set for about 4-5 hours.

To serve, cut into pie wedges and using a pie server, place on a dessert plate, top with vanilla or lemon whip cream, add a lime wedge and serve.

MC’s Limoncello Cream Pie

Crust –

One box 200 grams of Triple Chocolate Biscotti

¾ small stick of butter – appro. 90 grams

Filling –

8 oz. Marscapone Italian Cream Cheese

1 cup of sour cream

3 eggs

¼ cup of lemon juice

2 table spoons of Limoncello

1-1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

Enjoy!

Update on Isabel

Isabel has reached her halfway point on her chemo treatments. Eight completed and eight to go. We both share the same hair style now so it doesn’t take either of us long to get ready. She has some cute and wild wigs so she is having fun with her different looks. She is amazing and so positive and so strong and keeps it going. Thanks to all of your thoughts, prayers, meals, flowers, books, wow! It has made such a difference to both of us to know we have all of your support.

A special thanks to Jennifer Gage and those who came to her treatment with a little surprise party last Wednesday. She loved it.

You can read more on Isabel’s Caring Bridge https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/isabelcandelaria

On to the second half – the tough half. 

Gliding through August

Well we are only about halfway through August and it’s been an exciting month!

First, thank you to Sources for Design for naming me a Design Icon! What an honor and what a great turn out at fellow Icon of Design David Neishabori’s, Azadi Fine Rugs this past Thursday night. I cannot think of a better group to be inducted with:

Fred Unger – developer of the Royal Palms Resort and the Hermosa Inn http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/walking-on-water-6429723

Anne Gale of Wiseman & Gale Interior Design. http://wisemanandgale.com/about-wg/

John Schultz of Schultz Development Corp. http://www.schultzdevelopment.org

Craig Pearson of Pearson & Company http://www.pearsonandcompany.com

David Neishabori of Azadi Fine Rugs http://azadifinerugs.com

Mark Boisclair of Mark Boisclair Photography  http://www.markboisclair.com

Isabel, MC and client, Phyllis Lerner

The CDA Team is support of their Icon!

Post event dinner at Rancho Pinot with Isabel, Anthony and Gicela Dulcich from Long Beach and our sweet friend Rebecca. 

I thank all who attended including several of my friends, who came from beyond Arizona to celebrate with me, my team at Candelaria Design, and my wife and her crew from Earth and Images.

We also were happy to see three of our homes featured in the national publication, Elegant Homes Magazine. Our Zona Verde residence built by Desert Star Construction http://desertstarconstruction.com     was featured along with a home built by Schultz Development – our Santa Barbara Modern in Paradise Valley, and our Ranch Hacienda with a transitional twist built by Ron Barney. Three fantastic homes – all different styles.

To add to this, we had two of our homes win First Place ASID Awards at the gala last night at the Arizona Biltmore. Both homes are contemporary in style so yes we do design contemporary and these awards clearly demonstrate we are here to stay and proudly add this style to our repetoire. First, Interior Designer, Claire Ownby, ASID, http://ownbydesign.com received a first place award for a residence between 3500-6000 sf for this Candelaria Design contemporary home in Paradise Valley. We then also congratulate Interior Designer, Anita Lang, ASID, of IMI Design http://www.imidesignstudio.com for receiving a first place award for the best Kitchen for our Village at Mountain Shadows project featuring a Bulthaup Kitchen https://bulthaup.com/en-us/ . Two fantastic designers and two over the top projects.

First Place Best Residence between 3500-6000 sf, Claire Ownby Design, Candelaria Design. Architect, Schultz Development, Builder

First Place - Best Kitchen Design , Village at Mountain Shadows, Anita Lange, ASID, IMI Design, Candelaria Design, Architect, Cullum Homes Builder and Developer

We also see out HGTV Smart Home was featured in Scottsdale Modern Luxury Magazine and the home has now been given away! https://modernluxury.com/modern-luxury-scottsdale/digital-edition

Candelaria Design, Architect, Tiffany Brooks, Interiors, and Eagle Luxury Properties, Builder

Plenty of amazing projects on the boards and the remodeling work is booming. Yes, we do a ton of remodels and they actually make up about 70% of our workload. We love them. We have remodels as far away as Long Island so they don’t just have to be here.

And of course there is always some time to get some cooking in. As you know I love to cook – the gratification is a lot faster than architecture and I enjoy eating the creations…..not sure I would enjoy eating a set of plans. With this week’s posts on our social media its seems the smoked peaches got the most attention and requests for the recipe so here it goes:

Smoked Peaches over Cinnamon Swirl Ice Cream

Purchase some nice fresh peaches – not too firm and definitely not too ripe. Split the peaches in half and remove the pit. Brush the peaches with canola oil and sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar and some ground clove. Go easy – just a nice dusting.

You can then grill these on your weber or gas grille or even on a grill pan on the stove or a panni press. Or you can set them on your smoker and smoke them for about an hour and soak up that smoky flavor.

Serve a scoop (or two) of cinnamon swirl ice cream, and dice the smoked/grilled peaches and top the ice cream. Add a sprig of mint and fresh whip cream and you can always add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Delicious!

Update on Isabel

Again thank you for all the calls, posts, cards, flowers, dinners, and most importantly, prayers!!! We appreciate them so much and they definitely make a difference to both of us. Isabel continues to do great. Her hairline is in fact catching up with mine and she wore some of her fun wigs this weekend. Her attitude constantly inspires me and lifts me up. The side effects are still, thank God, minimal so that is good. Five treatments completed so we are done with the first quarter. Thanks everyone for your energy. 

Candelaria Design Wine Tour in Spain

Wine Tour in Rioja and the Basque Country

A couple quick updates, my three Team Directors attended a three day workshop on management, goal setting, and strategic planning in Newport, CA and then my Associates, Vivian, Evelyn, and I joined them after they completed the program for a weekend retreat where we could all work together to lay out our one year, five year, and ten year goals. We had a very productive weekend and we have some super exciting goals and plans for the years ahead! I am so proud of this group and their commitment to our company’s vision, their team members, and each other. Such fantastic energy and the future of Candelaria Design is set for years to come.

Ok so I have not finished the Spain blogs so let’s get back to that…..

Halfway through our Candelaria Spain Tour now and settled in at our hotel in LaGuardia in the wonderful Basque Wine Country. Today is Monday and our day to get into the wine of the region and some of the fantastic architecture just a stone’s throw from our village.

Our first stop was the spectacular Ysios Winery with off the chart architecture. https://visitas.pernodricardbodegas.com/index.php/en/visit-ysios-winery-la-guardia-rioja-alavesa Designed by Spanish architect, Santiago Calatravas, the structure celebrates and mimics the undulating Sierra de Cantabria mountains that form the backdrop to this architectural sculpture.

The 8000 square foot building feels like a church and I could not but help feel the spirituality and celebration of wine in this space. To top it off the wine was spectacular but not available anywhere outside of Spain so we purchased several bottles to enjoy while here.

From San Ysios we drove a few miles to the Hotel and Bodegas Marque’s de Riscal designed by American architect, Frank Gehry. http://www.marquesderiscal.com/indexeng.php This place is amazing and I have always admired Frank Gehry’s work but never been like a huge fan but that changed on this trip. This hotel, like most of his work, is a sculpture, a piece of art, you can walk into. But beyond that his work incorporates cutting edge technology – with glass, metal, structure. The perfect blend of art and technology – the embodiment of the word “architecture”

We enjoyed a nice lunch on the terrace with the old architecture of the neighboring village in the distance – the perfect contrast. What a fabulous light lunch of an egg over roasted red peppers in oil and garlic, smoked octopus, beef cheek sliders all topped off with some spectacular wine. Delicious.

We then made our way to the nearby village to just relax in the main plaza and simply enjoy the people and a Monday afternoon. Many times it’s the simple things like this that just put a trip like this in perspective – its real.

After our day in wine country it was time to come back to LaGuardia and catch up with the rest of our crew for dinner. Everyone went on their own little adventures – another big advantage to having your own cars. What is fun now is sharing our stories and experiences from the day. We all gathered in a fun little restaurant right in the heart of LaGuardia. Quiet and only locals including the town priest enjoying a glass of wine at the bar on what I’m sure he thought would be just another uneventful Monday evening. Little did he know the Candelaria Tour Spain was ready for some fun. Fabulous food, fantastic wine, which led to singing, transitioning to dancing, and we had no choice but to get the town priest involved in our festivities! What a fantastic evening, finishing with cigars and port back at the hotel with the owner of our hotel where we discussed travel, architecture, life, and cooking! Through it all I was offered the opportunity to spend an evening in the kitchen with the hotel restaurant chef….but that’s another blog to come!

Update on Isabel

First and foremost, thanks for all the cards, flowers, dinners, and most importantly, prayers!!! They are all appreciated so much by both of us and its so nice to not feel alone in this journey. You are ALL wonderful and we are truly blessed. Isabel is doing great – her hairline is catching up with mine but I must say I love her new do! The side effects have been minimal so far and she is a quarter of the way through her chemo treatments. She inspires me with her attitude and sense of humor. She is amazing! 

Summer Adventures

Happy July to you all. I hope you are all managing to get some escape time from the Arizona heat and now let’s tack on the monsoon!

Quick update on Isabel – First, thank you all so much for the prayers, kind words, and healing energy she is getting. We feel so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and the power of this is definitely felt and appreciated. Isabel had her first chemo treatment this past Wednesday and so far, she is doing well and has had no adverse side effects so please keep those prayers coming. She is busy attending meetings, designing, and working away with her team at Earth and Images which she loves so much. She has set up a Caring Bridge account at https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/isabelcandelaria and so I invite you to follow her battle there!

Meanwhile, we did get away to Colorado for the week of the Fourth with some family time in the high country off the grid with no cell service or wifi for nine days! I made it….and actually really enjoyed it. We stayed in a wonderful cabin compound in a small mining village of Platoro, Colorado up at about the 10,000 foot elevation. Ok this is not Park City, Telluride or Tahoe….. no this is Platoro. Simple, isolated, unpretentious and totally casual and just what we needed given the last few weeks.

As we always manage to do in Candelaria Style we threw in some excitement. This time in the form of rolling Isabel’s Highlander down a 40’ embankment while jeeping in the high country. Fortunately, Isabel was not with us but I had my two girls and Isabel’s mom in the car when we went over the edge. Basically, another car was coming up while we were going down and as we nudged over for us both to pass we got a little too close to the edge and the next thing we knew we were rolling down the embankment. Fortunately, a spruce tree stopped us or we would have gone a lot further. We landed upright, crawled out of the vehicle and shimmied up the embankment which was actually more of a challenge than the roll down the hill. We all made it without a scratch and the people who passed by us kindly helped us with the rescue and then took us back to our cabins. Needless to say, it was a miracle we all survived and especially with no injuries.

We had a great time the rest of the trip. All of Isabel’s cousins and their kids, and her Aunt and Uncle, all made it up towards the end of the trip and we had some fun jeeping, caught some fish, did some hiking, plenty of good cooking and I also had time to paint a painting of my Isabel while on a boat on Lake Como on our wedding day! I hadn’t painted in years so it was nice to draw/paint something other than roof tiles and stucco! I am definitely going to do more so get ready as I plan to paint my friends and clients, travels, and of course – architecture. 

We are all safely home now and back to work. Lots of cool projects on the boards and under construction now with projects from the Hamptons to the Oregon Coast line. I love it. We also are very proud to be featured in the current issue of Luxe Magazine with a beautiful home we created with Vallone Design http://www.vallonedesign.com , Berghoff Design http://www.berghoffdesign.com  and masterfully constructed by Schultz Development http://www.schultzdevelopment.org on the Paradise Valley Country Club. Outstanding job by my associate, architect, Jeff Kramer! What a wonderful home for absolutely fantastic clients and friends. Pick up a copy and check it out!

We also just had a remodel featured in Houzz. This project was a whole house remodel built by True Performance http://www.trueperformance.net with interiors by my wife, Isabel and her team at Earth and Images. The project was spearheaded by our Project Manager, Damon Wake. Houzz featured the Kitchen Makeover – our Kitchen is number three – Transitional https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/88301273  More to come on this makeover I am sure.

We are also happy to see the winner announced on our Candelaria Design HGTV Smart Home 2017 right here in Scottsdale, AZ. So exciting to see her happiness and I look forward to cooking a Candelaria meal in her new kitchen! 

Finally, make sure to give us your VOTE on the Ranking Arizona site for best residential architect! We have ranked number 1 I believe 5 out of the last 6 years so THANK YOU for the votes. Go to Real Estate – Residential, then Architectural Firms Residential, then scroll to Candelaria Design and cast your vote. You can vote every day for the next 15 days!!!!  http://azbigmedia.com/vote-ranking-arizona

Finally, this week a group of our Candelaria Team will be heading to Newport Beach, CA for our second year of leadership, management, and career development training with MAPS https://www.mapconsulting.com. I first did this program in 1999 and have loved what it has done for me. A group of us did this last year and we are excited to get more members of our team on board. So we may be a bit shorthanded as we head to the end of the week as Vivian, Evelyn, and I will also be flying out to do some long term planning with our other team members.

We are excited about the second half of the year. It is definitely getting busier and the Phoenix market is picking up for sure. Ok off to the drafting table! Have a great July everyone! 

Life's Challenges - Our Unique Journey

Life is never truly real. Our perception of the world is unique to us and only exists in our reality and through our experiences. As much as we think everyone sees and experiences the world as we do there can really be nothing more further from the truth. We are born, we grow, we love, we mate and some of us create offspring and then we die….no different than any of the plants and animals of the earth. I have been fortunate to have really done it all. I have lived and continue to live a full life. I have done far more than I ever imagined as a child. I have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams with three beautiful daughters who I love more than they will ever know. I have married and divorced, married and divorced and finally married my dream love of my life – my Isabel. It is all my reality…..No one else can understand my experience and none of us have any idea where life will take us from here.

What I have learned is life is constantly changing, evolving, and provoking us. Just when you think you have made it through all the potholes and hurdles of life, God in his infinite wisdom finds new challenges to confront you with. And so God, and his unfathomable sense of humor, has set before Isabel and I a whole new reality that we will now deal with. You see a few weeks ago, my lovely Isabel, the love of my life, my angel on earth, was diagnosed with cancer. It doesn't even seem real that I’m typing this yet in some strange way it is so therapeutic to get this out and share it with all of you. I know how much I love her and I also know how much you all do too. There is so much strength in sharing this and the healing energy it will manifest.

In the weeks and months ahead this will be of primary focus along with the needs of my family. My team at Candelaria Design and Isabel’s team at Earth and Images are ready and more than willing to help us through this. Isabel and I will still be designing and working on all of our shared projects as our work is really who we are, but we will be doing so more from home and calling in for meetings so I hope you all understand and we both thank you all in advance. We will likely have some meetings at Casa Candelaria and of course will do our best to keep up with the Sunday Family Meals at Casa Candelaria. We hope you can all come by as these are so healing for both of us.

I ask you to all hold Isabel in your prayers in the weeks and months ahead. She had her first surgery yesterday to get her “port” installed for her chemo delivery system and is resting this weekend. Overall she is feeling fine and is strong and ready for this challenge. Of course we are both apprehensive of what lies ahead but we are filled with faith in God’s path for us and knowing our friends and family are there makes an enormous difference. God bless you all and we will do our best to keep you informed of her progress with her fight ahead. 

A Free Day in the Basque Wine Country

It's about this point on our tours where everyone just needs a good down day and given it was Sunday and we had all settled into the Basque Wine Country it was the perfect day to just chill.

Our Hospederia de los Parajes has a lovely spa so Isabel and I decided that today we would sleep in and then start our day with some spa time at 11 am followed by a massage. Not a bad way to unwind for sure. The spa here is down in the basement in essence a cave – what a great feeling, dark, cool and because your reserve the spa area it was nice and private. Alternating between the spa and the steam shower for an hour followed by the massage was absolute heaven.

We then went for a walk through the village and a wonderful lunch on the street – likely one of my best meals of the trip. So nice to just chill and have nothing on our agenda but to sit an chat about our lives, our futures, and our dreams to the sounds of conversations in Spanish that we cannot understand so they sort of become this lovely non distracting background noise.

Another afternoon siesta and then it was time to gather our troops, who had also all had a free day, and head to the Rioja capital of Haro. Isabel, my good friend Laurie, my girls and I stayed here over the Holidays on our scouting trip and so it was quite interesting to see it now in the summer. Just as lovely but definitely with a more upbeat and lively vibe. We enjoyed cocktails first at our rendezvous spot, the Hotel Los Agustinos http://hotellosagustinos.com/en/  and its lovely atrium courtyard. Gradually all of our travelers made it and we all began to compare notes on our free day. It was wonderful to hear all of the stories from spa time for some, to some who got an early start on the wine tours, another two went and explored nearby villages and then finally two of my travelers who found a golf course and got 18 holes in and buried a golf cart in quicksand along the way! Like I say, having our own cars is the best and I could see my travelers starting to get their wings underneath them and starting to explore!

Hotel Los Augustinos in Haro

With our initial cocktails enjoyed we then walked the streets of Haro past the main plaza to the street with the cathedral and our restaurant, Beethoven IIhttps://www.beethovenharo.com/index.php/comer . My family and our good friend Laurie had a fabulous dinner here during the Holidays, and it did not disappoint again!

With dinner completed along with several bottles of wine it was time to make our way back but not until I caught the sound of a local gentleman singing to a friend. I could not resist and came up on them to capture his singing in a video, whereby when he finished I commenced to offer my own part to this composition! I loved the look on his buddies when I broke into full opera. What fun and what a great way to make more friends in Spain!