Hello ladies!

How is your Summer going?  We have just UNDER 3 months until our Retreat!  I could SCREAM with excitement!!!!!

I am compiling my "list" of things to check on when we are there in a few weeks, (yes, I can't WAIT) so if you have any questions to add to that list, let me know.  I'll be meeting with the hotel, restaurants, and excursion companies to get everything figured out.

I've had a few questions about how much $$$ you should bring and what things will be "out of pocket" for you.  I am going to try and put together a list so you can have a better idea.  Let me take a few days for this and then I'll post that in the Yahoo Group and maybe on here too...

I wanted to come on here TODAY though, because it's the 15th of JUNE and I said I was going to share some SNEAKS of the classes!!

I can't tell you how EXCITING is has been to talk with the teachers and see some of the classes you will be taking!  I think I've picked the BEST teachers for this event and I'm SO happy with what they are going to be teaching.  They are all just BEAUTIFUL and full of some GREAT techniques I know you will love learning!

So to start the SNEAKS...

Lisa Pace is going to be teaching us 2 classes.  The 1st is a SHADOW BOX and it's going to have all kinds of beautiful little trinkets, vintage items and even have room for your OWN mementos from the trip!  Here's a SNEAK of it:

These are 3 random photo's of the shadowbox.  

The 2nd class she is teaching is a necklace and cuff set!  It's SO pretty!!  This has VINTAGE lace, buttons and all kinds a "pretties" on it!!  Here's a SNEAK of the cuff:

This is just a portion of the cuff.

SO, as you can see... We are in for a TREAT!  Some AMAZING projects from such a TALENTED lady!!  You will LOVE meeting Lisa and getting to know her.  With our small group of ladies, I know we are all going to come away with deep friendships and I'm really THRILLED about that!

I will share SNEAKS from the other teachers next week and keep the EXCITEMENT going!!


For those of you who won't be able to join us this September...

There IS going to be ANOTHER "A Kiss on the Chic's Bellagio Retreat" NEXT JUNE!!  I've had such a GREAT response to this 2nd Annual event, that I don't want YOU to miss out on this!  Just send me an email or leave a comment and I will put your name on the "Interested List" which is growing by the day!!  I don't have the teachers lined up yet, but the dates will be June 15-22, 2013!

So keep those dates open if you want to enjoy a Week Long Event in Beautiful Italy!!

Hugs,

Laura

Ladies, you are in for a TREAT!

We have added a new SPONSOR to our Event this September!!

American Crafts has offered to sponsor our event and will be sending us some WONDERFUL goodies for our Event in Italy!  I absolutely LOVE American Crafts!!  Don't you?  Not only do they have their own AWESOME line, they have added Studio Calico, Pebbles and Crate Paper to their company!  How exciting is that?  I LOVE all those companies and now they are all American Crafts goodness!!

So lets say THANK YOU to American Crafts and welcome them to the family!

Ladies, you are going to be SPOILED!

Getting SO excited for September...

Hugs,

Laura

Happy News to SHARE...  I'm SO excited, I can't keep it a secret anymore!

Now that things are coming to a close on sign ups for the Women's Retreat in Bellagio THIS September,  I wanted to give you a bit of a SNEAK on a FUTURE event!

I have had a lot of ladies email or ask me about doing ANOTHER Retreat in Bellagio for 2013.  I just didn't know if this 1st one was going to work out and I didn't know if it was something that people would want to do again or if I would be able to do it again...

Well, after some thought and LOTS of prayer I can tell you that there are some things set in motion for our 2nd Annual Women's Retreat in Bellagio, Italy!

Yes!  I can't believe it but if all goes well, I am SO excited to share a this NEWS with YOU!  I don't have everything set with teachers, excursions and pricing yet, but I DO have the DATES for event in 2013.

So without further ado...

The 2nd Annual Event will be held the week of June 15th - 22nd of 2013!  This will be in the Summer for most everyone, so those who couldn't make it to our September event this year may be able to fit this one in their schedule for next year!

I'm so humbled and honored that there are people who want to join me as I travel to Italy and share my love of this beautiful country and my love of artsy fun with YOU.  It is such a blessing to be able to share these loves with people.  It truly is an amazing part of the world and creating events like this is something I love doing and have dreamt of doing for years!

SO...

If you have an interest in joining a wonderful event in beautiful Italy NEXT Summer, please email me and I will put you on the "INTEREST" list.  It will again be a "smallish" group of ladies, probably around 25 ladies, so if this is something you would like to do,  get your name on the list soon!!  I have a specific amount of apartments reserved for next Summer and because it's their peak time, they may not be able to give me any more than that.  So it's going to be a first come, first serve thing since I can only fit so many ladies in the apartments.  But I will fill you in on all the options for accommodations soon.

For now, just wanted to SHARE my excitement and get an "INTERESTED" list started!  I have so many ideas going through my head and I KNOW this 2nd Annual Event will be as GREAT as the 1st!

Hope you're as excited as I am!!

Take care and have a WONDERFUL Memorial Weekend,

Laura

So open the door to the possibility...

Hello ladies,

I hope all of you enjoyed your Mother's Day weekend and had a nice relaxing time with family and friends.  It was nice to teach a class on Saturday at my FAV Paper store and the kids cleaned daddy's offices at work, so I didn't have to!!  Yeah me.  :)

This week will be the DEADLINE for signing up for our September event ladies!  I'm wrapping up the reservations for the apartments by TOMORROW, so May 15th will be the last day to SECURE YOUR SPOT for this AMAZING week long event in Bellagio, Italy!  After the 15th, I will not have any more apartments to secure and you will have to be on a "wait list" to see if there is availability AND you will have to pay in FULL if there is an apartment that opens up.  Things need to be confirmed and plans are set in stone now, so I REALLY hope if you are on the fence, you will "JUMP OFF" and sign up.  You WON'T regret a minute in this gorgeous area of Italy, I promise!

We are SO excited to have the group of ladies that are going and I'm so thankful that enough ladies believed in my DREAM to do an event in Bellagio!  I can't tell you how absolutely THRILLED I am to be hosting this event and sharing some of my LOVE of this part of Italy with YOU!  I've been changing gears now and focusing on the dinners together, the excursions to choose from, the wonderful goodies you'll be getting and ALL the planning that goes into an event like this.  So this blog will be a bit more quiet as I work out details and if you are joining us in Italy this September, the Yahoo Group will be the more active place for information.

A few reminders before I go:

1. PLEASE make sure you get your passport soon.  They take quite a long time to get in the mail, so get that scheduled soon.  ALSO, if you are like me and HAVE a passport, CHECK IT!  I found out mine is going to expire in AUGUST!  We are headed over to Italy in July as well and I've heard that if you DO TRAVEL with an ALMOST EXPIRED PASSPORT, they may give you a hard time and I've even heard some people were not allowed into the country!  So I'm on my way to get my renewed before our Summer trip later today.

2. PLEASE look into Travel Insurance.  If you've booked your flight, you should have seen options on the website you purchased the tickets.  There are many Travel Insurance Companies like Travel Guard, Seven Corners, Access America and Travel Insured International.  Please check these companies out and do some research before you buy.

3. Look for my Questionnaire in your email box this week.  I'm going to send that out to everyone who has signed up to get an idea of your likes and dislikes, any food allergies, preferences on breakfast items that will be supplied in your apartment upon arrival, and some more fun stuff to get to know you!

4. If you are STILL waiting to sign up because of certain issues, just send me a little note so I'm aware. I know there are at least a half dozen or so ladies who are.  That's OK, I just need to make a little note on my list.  It isn't that you CAN'T come with us, it will just be IF there is a space still open for you in the apartments.  I can check the Hotel Florence as well for availability (if you have any disabilities that would make it easier for you to stay down at the water front and right next door to the meeting room facilities at the GHVS this would be THE place for you to stay) so again, just a note so I'm on top of it for you.

We have AMAZING teachers, a line up of WONDERFUL classes, FULL days of EXPLORING Italy and truly BREATHTAKING views from our Event location!

September can't come FAST ENOUGH...  :)

Have a GREAT Monday everyone!

Hugs,

Laura

**Images on this post were from my Bellagio Board on Pinterest

I wanted to send out a BIG WARM "Happy Mother's Day" to all the ladies out there!

This year has gone by SO fast, I can't believe we are already in May.  I'm excited to spend Saturday teaching a class at Paper Tales:

Then enjoying the rest of the weekend with the girls and our moms for Mother's Day~

Next week I'll be finalizing the apartments needed for our Event in September!  So now is the time to get your spot RESERVED.  What better Mother's Day present, right??  :)

The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

is going to be the PERFECT place for a week long Women's Retreat!  So if you want to join all of us, sign up soon.  I will need to give the hotel a headcount by May 15th!  Now if you need to sign up after that date, just email me and it will be on a "if available" basis.  I'll just have to check with the hotel to see if they are any apartments left after May 15th.  There is also the option of staying next door at the Hotel Florence if they have availability as well.  Some ladies have asked about that and I know I said I'd like everyone to be in the apartments, but if you want private accommodations or need to stay there because of walking issues, that is still an option as long as they have the rooms.

Also in the next couple weeks I will be finalizing the side trip to Venice and if anyone still needs accommodations in Venice, please let me know so I can help with that booking.



Have a WONDERFUL Mother's Day everyone!

Laura

Happy Monday Ladies!!

I wanted to come on here early this week to give you a few updates since I will be at an event later this week and it's been a "mad dash" to get everything done for my class.  I'm SO excited to be teaching at Kim Caldwell's Event "An Affaire at Tiffany's" and I thought I would share a little SNEAK of my project the ladies will be making:

This is going to be an AMAZING event in Los Angeles and I feel so honored to be one of the three teachers!  I'll post some pictures after the event on my other blog so you can see what FUN events Kim does!

Now back to Italy...

Our event is taking WONDERFUL shape and I have had a few more ladies interested in joining us in September.  The teachers and myself are SO thrilled about sharing in this experience with everyone and we can't WAIT for September to get here!!

I do have some things I'm needing to make decisions on so if you are "on the fence" please consider joining us ASAP!  :)  The hotel is wanting me to give them a final count on the apartments.  This wasn't supposed to be until June but since it will be a smaller group than I originally told them, they would like me to release some of the rooms that I won't be using.  Problem is, I don't know how many quite yet...

SO...

If you want to join us, I can only hold the rooms until May 15th now and that is FIRM.  That basically gives me about a week from when I get back from the event above to finalize anymore sign ups!  So don't delay any longer.  If you've been DREAMING of coming to this event with us, send me an email and we will work out something so you can go!!  

Picture of the main town of Como in the evening

Some more updates:

1. Get that PASSPORT if you haven't already!!

2. We are booking the apartment for VENICE afterward, so let me know if you want to come along!

3. Let me know if anyone has any "food allergies" or sensitivities.  I have a couple ladies who are Gluten Free and have already talked to the hotel about that.  They are very aware of this and can accommodate this, but I just need to give them advance notice of any problems.

4. Check the AIRFARE on Tuesdays!  For some reason this is the day the airlines have special deals and I got an email this morning mentioning the price may be going back down??  

5. I am looking into having a "local day" at our event!  Anyone interested in coming to some classes who lives close enough to Bellagio is welcome to come!!  I've had a couple ladies mention this that live in Milan and around that area and I would LOVE to have you JOIN US for the day!!  So, PLEASE, if this is something you would like to do, send me an email at:  Laura@akissonthechic.com and we will work out the details for you!

6.  As one of the excursion options, I thought we would do a SHOPPING trip!!  Lake Como is known for it's SILK making, see link, but also the famous Italian stores like Armani,  Valentino, Ferragamo, etc... all have OUTLETS in the boarder town of Ticino, Switzerland called Foxtown.  So I'd like to get an idea of how many ladies would be interested in this and then I'll set this up for one of the excursion days!

7. I'm also looking into a concert or play in Como (picture above) on one of the evenings.  This would be a wonderful evening of taking the Ferry to Como, having dinner at one of the many lakeside restaurants and enjoying an evening of theatre!  

So, that's all I can think of for now.  Have a GREAT week and make sure you SIGN UP SOON if you want to join us!!

Ariel view of Bellagio

*Pictures are care of SmithsonianMag.com

Have a GREAT week ladies!!

Laura

This year is flying by, I can't believe we have already passed up TAX DAY!  Do you have a refund this year??  I know where you can spend that money??

Yes, you knew I was going to say Lake Como!!  (couldn't resist)

This is the town of Menaggio, Italy.  Isn't it BEAUTIFUL?!   It's right across the lake from Bellagio, in fact you can see it from the hotel we are staying at.  I'm going to go explore this town in July when we are there so I'll know just the right spots we want to go back to in September!  

Finding these lovely photo's on Pinterest and adding them to my "A Kiss on the Chic's Retreat" board.  SO. MUCH. FUN. Pinterest is SO addicting...

Well, back to work.  A few bits of REAL news to keep you updated on our EVENT:

1.  BIG NEWS!  I can officially say that Stayce DeWid is teaching at our event!!

Stayce is SO talented and works with all kinds of ARTSY mediums.  We are SO excited to add her to our teacher list!  She works with Tattered Angels and lots of other companies to bring really great TECHNIQUE classes to you.  So lets all welcome Stayce to our event!!  She will be doing a class and a make-n-take and enjoying all the FUN the week has to offer!

2. It's time to get your PASSPORT!!

You can get one at your local post office, Costco, Staples and lots of places.  So get that going NOW because it takes quite a while to get it in the mail.

3. I don't know about you, but I've seen SO much on TV lately about Italy!  Just watching the Food Network,  HGTV's "House Hunters International",  the Travel Channel or even PBS.  It sure puts me in the mood for September!  There's so much to check out and to see, just watching those shows gets me EXCITED!!  So turn on your T.V. and check these shows out for some INSPIRATION!  

4. I've mentioned the Bergamo Antique Market as an excursion on Sunday.  Well, I have another cool one for you...  How would you like to go on a Funicular??  Take a look at this video of Lake Como and see the beauty of the lake and you'll catch a bit of the Funicular.

YouTube is a GREAT place to check out the are we will be staying!  There's so many videos to get you excited...

Have a GREAT day,

Laura