Thursday, February 28, 2013

How are we at the last day of February?  This is just blowing my mind today.  I don't know about you, but is this year flying by in super speed??



I wanted to come on here before the weekend and give you an update on the Creative Retreat in Italy and where we are as far as rooms and what's available.

I sent out the emails to those who were on the WAIT LIST for THIS YEAR and have had two more ladies want to sign up.  So I have only TWO MORE SPOTS LEFT!  And that's final, final...  As I said last week, I was able to squeeze a couple more rooms out of the hotels I'm using in Bellagio, and so that is ALL I can get now.



SO... if you are still wanting to go THIS YEAR, sign up SOON before someone else takes your spot!!

Oh, and if you are thinking of joining us, I have heard from some of the people coming that they are getting REALLY GREAT pricing on their tickets to Milan, Italy!!  I don't know if these prices will last long, so if you want to join us or are already signed up and don't have your ticket... GO CHECK THE FLIGHTS SOON!!  I'm hearing of prices around $1,000 which is REALLY GOOD for the Summer months!  I was looking at pricing around $1400-1500 just a few weeks ago, so this would be the PERFECT time to book those flights!



Next week I will be posting the 1st SNEAKS of the classes!!  These lovely teachers have done some AMAZING things for us and I'm SO excited to share!!   I know you will be INSPIRED by the scenery in Italy AND by these wonderful teachers!!

I also have some really cool surprises for the week we are sharing together in Italy!  I will start spilling some of those as we get closer to our adventure!



Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend and a GREAT March!!

Hugs,

Laura




P.S.  I posted this picture on FB this week and had quite a few comments on it.  This is just one of MANY cobblestone streets in Bellagio and I know for myself, I'm needing to get back on the treadmill (or outside) and get my legs in shape for these beautiful streets.  You are NOT going to want to miss out on these beautiful areas!!  So ladies (and gentlemen)... Get your walking shoes on and get ready!!


Monday, February 18, 2013



2 GREAT BITS OF NEWS...
First, I found a GREAT price on airfare to Milan from LAX on Expedia!! $1165 from LAX TO MILAN ON AIR BERLIN WITH ONLY ONE STOP!! So check that out RIGHT NOW if you need a flight! It may be even CHEAPER from YOUR town!!


Here's the links to two of the websites that are showing this LOW FARE:

Expedia

Vayama


So go check those out b/c those prices WILL NOT LAST LONG!!!


Secondly, I heard back from the La Limonera Apartments AND the Hotel Florence and BOTH have a couple rooms available! 


Here are the LINKS to both hotel/apartment choices so you can see where they are and the look of both places.

Hotel Florence

Residenze La Limonera

And just to give you an idea where everything is in the village, here is a LINK to show you each choice of accomodations and where they are in town:  BELLAGIO MAP


Click on the link or the photo above to see the location of each place.  Remember each place is no more than 3-4 minutes from each other at the most!

I am going to be looking through the emails today and see who is on the WAIT LIST for THIS YEAR and will email those who were interested later today!!!  If you aren't on the wait list and want to come this summer to our Creative Retreat, just shoot me an email at:  Laura@akissonthechic.com and I'll put you on the wait list and let you know if I have any more rooms available.

Lastly, I will be sharing some SNEAKS and information on the CLASSES we will be enjoying during our week in Italy soon!  

I am just SO THRILLED to share a WEEK in Italy with all of you as we enjoy the Food,  the Art and the Beauty of Lake Como and are INSPIRED to CREATE our own Art with our beautiful teachers!!  

Oh, and one last thing...

One of those teachers, Jeanne Oliver, just posted about the Creative Retreat and I thought I would share a LINK to her blog so you can check out her excitement about this summers weeklong event!!





Some come join us as we explore the beauty of Italy...

A great DAY to all of you! xoxo Laura

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Waterfront in Varenna


Good morning everyone!!

I wanted to post a few updates on our Creative Retreat in Italy today.

First,  I wanted to say that it's only 130 DAYS until our AMAZING WEEK BEGINS IN BELLAGIO, ITALY!!  I'm SO excited and can't wait to share this wonderful place and event with all of you that are joining us!!

Secondly, 2 more people have signed up this past weekend and so this years Creative Retreat in Italy is SOLD OUT!  It's exciting and sad all at the same time.  I know there are some of you who were still thinking about joining us and I feel bad about that.

SO...

There are two things you can do about that.

1. If you are still interested in joining us THIS JUNE, I can put you on a WAIT LIST.  Some times things fall through with sickness, etc.  So just email me at:  Laura@akissonthechic.com and I will start a WAIT LIST for THIS YEARS EVENT.

2. I can put you on the WAIT LIST for NEXT YEARS EVENT, 2014!  Wow, that sounds so far away...  But I am SO excited that next years event is already in the WORKS and I can't WAIT to share with you what we will be doing!  So this would give you more time to plan and save for next years event and there will be a TWIST in things for the 2014 event that you WON'T want to miss...  Also, 2014's event will either be in the Spring or Fall, most likely May or September, so you can start thinking of your schedule for those times of year.  I would LOVE to do it during the San Giovanni Festival again, but things are just so much more expensive during the Summer and I think the better time is during the "shoulder" months of Summer.  As a side note:  I do have over 60 ladies on the list ALREADY for next years event!  If you email me,  I can put your name on that list and you will be the FIRST to know about next years event AND the FIRST to be able to sign up!!  Remember, I can only take 24 people TOTAL, so information about next years event will be sent to those on that "wait list" BEFORE I announce it to the public!  So again, just email me at: Laura@akissonthechic.com and let me know what year you want to be on the WAIT LIST FOR. (This years or next years, that's as far out as I'm planning for)

So I hope those options will work for all of you who want to join us in Lake Como.  I know you've seen a lot of my pictures and it really IS that beautiful there.  It's almost like a "dream" or surreal that a place can have so many gorgeous views everywhere you turn!  And not only the views, but the food,  the people, the pace of life there and combining ALL THAT with learning and being creative and inspired.  It's truly a Rejuvenation for the SOUL.

I hope you will consider joining us for one of my events in Italy some day...

Have a GREAT day,

Laura


P.S.  I don't normally share photos on here of my family in Lake Como, but I wanted to share some today to show you some OTHER places around the lake that are SO perfect for taking beautiful photographs.  Here's some that I think are just too pretty not to share!  :)

In the village of Tremezzo


On the waterfront of Bellagio

At the Villa Serbelloni


At Al Veluu in Tremezzo


A beautiful cobblestone path in Tremezzo

Another photo in the old village of Tremezzo

A pathway next to our apartment


Pathway in Tremezzo

The Grand Hotel Tremezzo

One of our FAV places, Baba Yaga in Bellagio


Mennagio lakefront

A terraced restaurant Salice Blu 

Sala Comacina lakefront

Gelateria in Bellagio on the waterfront!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

I have been meaning to post about our wonderful SPONSORS for our Creative Retreat in Italy this year!  This is always such a blessing and so much FUN for the ladies to receive...

This year so far, we have some wonderful companies again and I couldn't be happier that they are wanting to support this event and make it even more AWESOME with their products!!

So let's give a BIG cheer to these companies who are going to be a part of our Creative Retreat in Italy this year:


This is such a GREAT Company that has been around for a long time.  I have loved their products from day one and am honored that they are supporting this event.


I've worked with Clear Scraps for years and LOVE this company.  The husband and wife owners treat me like family and I just love everything about them!


Of course this beautiful lady is teaching at our Creative Retreat, but she has so kindly offered to sponsor it as well!  Thank you friend, it is a joy to know you!


How exciting is this?  What an AWESOME adhesive company and so willing to give each student a GREAT surprise!!!  Thanks Xyron!


What a giving company this is!  They sponsored our event last year and want to do it again!  They are so WONDERFUL and I'm humbled by the kinds things they have said about my event.  You are going to LOVE their products!


How exciting is all of that ladies?  I'm so honored and happy that we have such great companies sponsoring this event!  There may be even more added down the road, but what a GREAT list of companies!  Go check them all out, I've linked each company below their image.  And if you go check them out, go say HI from me and a big THANK YOU!!

Have a GREAT day,

Laura





Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Hi everyone!

I'm back from a wonderful little get away with my hubby and what fun it is to get away from real life for a few days!  Saturday is usually a busy day for me with the girls doing all kinds of things and finding time to clean Lance's office every weekend since that is our real job every weekend.  (it helps us pay for those trips to Italy :)  So to have a Saturday where we could just sleep in, get up and have lunch (we slept past breakfast time, ha) walk around and do a little window shopping and then come back to the hotel and scrapbook a bit, watch TV and just veg... well that was AMAZING!  My life is crazy busy and I LOVE that, but I don't usually get those kind of days, so it felt VERY indulgent... and I LOVED it!!  So thank you to my in-laws who came and watched the girls and thank you to my hubby for knowing I needed this little get away.  It's great to come back though and see the girls and get back to "life", but I really think those little get aways help everyone and I highly suggest taking breaks once in a while to re-boot yourself and to reflect on life and have a fresh prospective!

Now if you want to REALLY "re-boot" yourself and have a weeklong break that will INSPIRE you and RENEW you and give you LONG LASTING MEMORIES...

Then come to Italy with us THIS JUNE!!



I can't tell you enough how amazing our Creative Retreat is!  Last year was my first one and I tell you, the ladies were just in AWE of the location, the beauty, the things we did, the classes we offered and just the renewal they felt after being in beautiful Italy for a week!  I'm not just saying that... I saw the ladies continually looking in amazement at the beauty of this place and they all fell in LOVE with Bellagio like I did 5 years ago and had a dream to hold creative events here!  I am SO blessed to be able to fulfill that dream again this year and I'm so honored that the teachers want to INSPIRE you here and that YOU want to join us here!!  I can't WAIT to share this part of Italy with everyone!

Villa Balbianello where Star Wars and James Bond filmed


Teresa Collins is one of the teachers joining us this summer and she just blogged about our event and you can see it here.  She shares some beautiful pictures of the area and I think you should take a minute to check out her post on this event!

One of the ladies enjoying the lakefront balcony before dinner


There are still a few spaces available and remember, if you wanted to make payments on this event, you need to get your registration in SOON!  PLEASE NOTE:  I can give a bit of a discount to those staying at the La Limonera Apartments that are just a couple minutes walk to the hotel where the event is located.  This is a bit of a better option for those interested and it's in the heart of the upper village where everything is.  Check out their website at La Limonera Apartments.

part of the upper village by La Limonera Apartments


The event is being held at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio, Italy from June 22nd - June 29th.  All the event registration information is over on the right side under REGISTRATION -->

Here's a few pictures to give you a preview into the week and the area we are staying...

The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

One of the many beautiful pathways through Bellagio

Some of the ladies enjoying the Pergola at the hotel waterfront

Our lakeside lunch with a view of the island in front

Some of the ladies enjoying a photo op before the ferry ride to dinner

The cafe for lunch on our day trip to Como
a bike out front of the Duomo 



So I hope that you will consider joining us this June for a week of beauty, inspiration, friendship, renewal and enjoyment!!

As always, please feel free to email me at any time!  Laura@akissonthechic.com

Hugs,

Laura