Today I was thinking about Italy.  Well, that's not unusual since I think about it EVERY day.  But I was going through my photos from this past summer in Bellagio and wanted to see if I had a picture of me that was sitting, looking out, pondering life while in Italy.  Haven't found that photo yet, but thought I would share something kind of close to that.

This is part of the equation, just not me in the picture.  So picture yourself here, sitting at that table looking out at that lake.  (The little island in the middle is where Villa del Balbianello sits, perched on the edge of the island and is a beautiful villa to look at from here.)  So you're sitting here, pondering how GREAT life is at this moment and you think you might be sipping from a nice glass of wine.  Well, you might be... but before the wine comes, you will be sipping THIS:

Gazzosa!!!

Oh yeah baby, THE BEST SODA EVER!!  We tried it last summer and LOVED IT and then this summer it was the first thing we requested when we got to Al Veluu !  (check out their website, it's the MOST AMAZING Restaurant on the lake) So the owner, Luca, said he was going to have to order more because we were drinking it all!  lol..  This soda comes from the Amalfi Coast of Italy.  They get the lemons right on the edges of the lake and turn them into this AMAZING lemon soda that you CAN'T get in the U.S, except for on Ebay for a TON of money or at a little local Italian deli in NYC.  But next September.... Look out Luca, we are going to need a TON of Gazzosa for all my friends!!! 

(That's Luca next to me.  He's more than the owner, he's a friend to everyone who comes here)

These are the kinds of things you remember from traveling here, the little things that put a smile on your face months or even years later...

Now I'll go back to looking for my photo.  But I can't say I won't be back with more photo's I just can't resist sharing! :)

Laura

We have a REALLY FUN surprise to tell!

A dear friend of mine, Stayce DeWid is going to Bellagio with us and I'm SO excited!!!

Stayce DeWid is going to join us in Bellagio, Italy next September to teach a class and a make-n-take!!!  I'm SO excited that she is coming along with us!  She is a friend, an "A Kiss on the Chic" Kit Club lady who bought my kits, a talented artist, and a JOY to be around!  So please welcome Stayce to our Italy Retreat!!

She works with a lot of Scrapbook Companies and I know she's going to be bringing some AMAZING talent and goodies with her to Italy!  So come join us for a Once-in-a-lifetime event!!

Speaking of the Event...  I had a lady want to sign up but said she was busy at that time (Sept. 15-22, 2012) and wanted to know if I was going to have another one in 2013?  The answer to that is most likely no.  I would LOVE to plan this every year, but unless I have an overwhelming response to the one in 2012, I don't think I will be doing it in 2013.  So NOW IS YOUR CHANCE LADIES! hehehe...

And, don't forget you can SECURE your spot for just $!100 right now!  Spots are filling up, I just had some more sign ups in the last couple days, so don't MISS OUT.  I want EVERYONE to come if you can and I don't want it to be too late for someone either.  You can make payments next year, so just sign up TODAY and you'll be set!

I'm going to be posting a tentative itinerary on this blog later this week.  I wanted to go over a bit of our schedule because I've had a few ladies wonder about that.  I want to let you in on some time frames and such, because I can't WAIT to let you know how much FUN this is going to be!  You have a WHOLE WEEK on Lake Como ladies!  This is an AMAZING treat and I want to show you ALL the wonderful parts of it!  We are SO close to the ALPS that you can see them from your rooms, there's such quaint little towns dotted all along the lake, there's museums, villas, gardens, shopping, outlets, architecture... Pretty much EVERYTHING your heart desires right here in this JEWEL of a location!  And YOU will get to enjoy what YOU want!  I've got several different types of tours set up but YOU will get to pick what you want to do!  

So, more details later this week on that...

Have a GREAT day,

Laura

...From Italy!  

I wanted to wish you all a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and thought I'd edit a photo we took while in Lake Como, Italy this summer.  It is to remind us all of what a BLESSING it is to have friends and family that support us in our CREATIVE endeavors!

And in honor of the Holidays FAST approaching, I wanted to let you know of a Christmas SPECIAL I'm having for our ITALY RETREAT until the end of December!  I know some of you want to join us next September 15th- 22nd, 2012 but right now you have extra expenses and can't spend the $550 for the first payment to secure your spot.  

SO...

from now until January 1st, you can RESERVE YOUR SPOT for $100!

Yes, if you want to join us next September in Lake Como, Italy for a week long DREAM vacation of relaxing, creating and touring the lake side villages of Bellagio, Italy,  YOU can SIGN UP NOW FOR $100 and reserve your spot!!  Just go to the REGISTRATION PAGE and you will see the "RESERVE YOUR SPOT" button.  This $100 payment will HOLD your spot for the retreat without having to spend the $550 sign up fee required. You will then start your regular payments on January 15th and the difference in the amount owed for the total price of the trip will be added to the last payment/s. 

This is a GREAT way to SECURE your spot and it's easy on the Christmas budget right now.

We are really excited about this trip and I know all of us teachers can't WAIT to enjoy this time with all of you in beautiful Italy!!

And, as a SURPRISE...

I am going to REVEAL a new "twist" to the event!  We have another TEACHER joining us!

So check back here next Monday to see who it is!!

Hugs to all,

Laura

It's going to be a FUN month here on the blog!  We are advertising our Bellagio Event on Ali Edwards Website and as she has headed over to ITALY right now, I'm sure a lot of ladies will be seeing how AMAZING Italy is and they will see OUR event in Italy NEXT September on her blog!  So we welcome all of you who has joined us from her site!

Please have a look around and see all the information about our Scrapbook Event in Bellagio, Italy for next September.  We have TONS of information and pictures on here, but if you have ANY questions, please feel free to email me at:  laura@akissonthechic.com  I would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have!

We are updating some information soon on a few other events taking place during this week long adventure in Italy next September!  I've been talking with a few wonderful ladies who we might have come along and share some SPECIAL time with us and I will share more on that in the next couple weeks.  I've been busy on back-to-back trips (I'm currently in my hotel room in Maui, Hawaii as I write this :) and once I get back, I will be focusing more of keeping this blog updated and sending out emails to people who are interested in our event!

Italy in September is the PERFECT time to explore the area!  The weather is still GREAT and in fact, the best time to enjoy the area because it has cooled down from the heat of the Summer!  The crowds have left so you get to see the REAL Lake Como, without all the throngs of tourists and you can enjoy the peaceful quality of the lake at this time of year!

I hope you will consider joining us next year!  The registration information is over on your right side and you can watch the video we put together with some fun pictures of our trip there this summer!   Under registration, there are TWO payment plans and if you want to spread out the payments to make it easy to budget, I HIGHLY suggest signing up TODAY and getting on the PAYMENT PLAN!! Think about what a GREAT Christmas present this would be for YOU!!  Or you can call all your friends and get a group of ladies together for a Once-in-a-lifetime experience!!!

Don't miss out of this incredible experience...

Welcome!!


I say "Welcome" because I've noticed a LOT of ladies have been checking out this site in the last day!

If you are coming to this blog because you saw a flyer in the San Diego area, HELLO!  My friend Cindy and I went around to five different stores in the San Diego area yesterday to see if some stores would put up our flyer... and I guess it worked!!  Yeah!

We are EXTREMELY excited about our Event next September and we really hope you can join us for an AMAZING week in Italy!!

Have a look around here, especially on the right side where I have LOTS of info for you to go through.  The main place to find out PRICING is under the "Registration" button.  Feel free to email me if you have any questions about the event, I'm happy to answer any and all questions.  There are two pricing options and the sooner you SIGN UP, the better if you want to spread out the payments as long as possible!

Have a Blessed day everyone,

Laura

Hi everyone!!

It's been a busy week around my house... I'm sure you are in the same boat... Kids going back to school, all their after school activities, feeling like a taxi cab?  Well, wouldn't you like to leave ALL that behind for a week next September?!!

I know I would!  And I can't WAIT to enjoy a nice relaxing and fulfilling week in Italy next September!  In fact, we are almost exactly ONE YEAR away from the Bellagio Event!  Yipee!!

I had a friend text me this morning to let me know something cool too... Pink Paislee  blogged about us!!  Here's the link to the post:  Bellagio, Anyone?

I haven't been keeping up with who is blogging about us, so if you're out "surfing the web" and you see a post about our event, leave a comment on here or send me an email.  I'd LOVE to see it!!

Also, a bit of news...

It's almost the 15th of the month so for those who have signed up, I will be sending you a paypal invoice on the 15th!  I would like to try and set up an automatic Paypal invoice, but if I can't figure it out (anyone out there know how??) then it will be just a regular PayPal invoice from me.  Either way, check your email inbox on the 15th!  This payment will only be for $250.00 so it's much easier on the wallet this time! :)

And for those who HAVEN'T signed up yet, you still have a bit on time.  You would just sign up for the regular first payment and then whatever you've missed (if you want to do the monthly payments) will be tacked onto the last payment.  Make sense?  But you don't want to WAIT too long...  I really can't take more than 40 ladies because the apartments won't hold any more...

I'm working on some things still that I mentioned in the last post... I will update everyone as soon as I have the go ahead...  But there are EXCITING things happening and I KNOW you will want to be a part of this WEEKLONG Event on Lake Como in Italy!!!

One last thing,

I've had GREAT questions from so many ladies about this event and I welcome any question/s you may have!  I'm available most days to answer your questions, so just shoot me an email at:  Laura@akissonthechic.com if you have one.  Maybe I'll compile the questions for another blog post so everyone can see them and maybe answer a question you had.

And if you needed anymore reasons, here's a few more pictures of Lake Como:

Some GREAT places to take pictures, or just stroll and ponder life...

I think this is a church that you can tour and maybe even have a meal at.

And I think this one should be our mascot!!!!  hehehe...

Sign up soon...  I hope to share this piece of "Heaven on Earth" with you!

Have a GREAT day ladies!!!  

Laura

Hello ladies!

We are SO looking forward to getting to know the ladies signing up for our Event!  And if you are thinking about signing up and haven't yet, we welcome you to this blog!! It's been a so rewarding to plan and create this event in Italy and I can't WAIT to share some more EXCITING news with you soon!!

We have UNBELIEVABLE sponsors for this WEEKLONG RETREAT next September and we are getting more every week!  I can't spill everything yet, but WOW ladies...  You are getting your money's worth if you're joining us on this JOURNEY!

The teachers are SO excited to design some AWESOME classes for you as well!  This is going to an INCREDIBLE week of beauty is so many ways...

I have a few surprises still that are NOT listed on the itinerary and will be revealed as we get closer to the event.  So check back HERE on a regular basis for details!

Also, for those who have signed up, the next payment will be on the 15th of September.  I will be sending out a PayPal request on that date, so look for that in your email inbox.  For those who haven't signed up yet... NO WORRIES!  We have a YEAR until the event so you can pay whenever you like.  The only difference is that the 10 month payment plan will become a shorter payment plan for every month you wait. SO... if you want to come and you want to spread out the payments as much as possible...

SIGN UP TODAY!!

We are not at capacity yet, but I do feel we will get there!  And I can't expand the number because we are limited on space in the apartments and the meeting room.  So don't delay...  This would make a GREAT Christmas gift, wouldn't it??  :)

Well, I'll leave you with a couple photos from Lake Como to wet your appetite for Italy...

This is just a random entryway of someones house down the steps from the top of Bellagio to the lakefront.  Incredible architecture surrounds you at EVERY turn!!!

How about taking a cooking class as one of your excursions from Moreno at Restaurant Caminetto  Rated #1 on Trip Advisor!  It was GREAT fun and you're FAMILY from the second you step through that door!

I hope you consider joining us, we can't WAIT to enjoy Italy with all of you!


Laura