Images Arizona December 2017

Desert Mountain

ECRWSS Local Postal Customer

Carefree

Cave Creek PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PHOENIX, AZ PERMIT NO. 3418

December 2017

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Judy Zimet, Esq., REALTOR® Scottsdale • Carefree • Cave Creek

480-440-3015 Judy@JudyZimet.com

Get a free home value report at JudyZimet.com

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i m a g e s a r i z o n a . c o m De c e m b e r 2 017

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December 2017

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CHRISTMAS IN CAREFREE

By Amanda Christmann

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

By Amanda Christmann

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ARIZONA’S FIRST ALFRESCO DINING ADVENTURE

By Lara Piu

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JED FROST

By Amanda Christmann Photographer Scott Baxter

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MAGIC OF THE DESERT

By Amanda Christmann

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FRESH APPLE CAKE

By Kyndra Kelly

! ule se d e u Sch enHo e s p u Ho om/O n e Op dale.c y l tts ek We illSco ndm Wi

20 Acres. 8 Homes. 1 Designer.

An enclave of homes designed by “Master of the Southwest” Bob Bacon, with interiors by Gail Archer.

Car Collector Garage Options – 1600 & 3600 sq ft

Creek

Rd Pima Rd

Cave

Windmill is a custom neighborhood of western ranch homes ranging from 3,500 to 5,200 square feet. Although every home bears a family resemblance, each features a unique floor plan and elevation, and is carefully located in relation to its neighbors. The uniqueness of the neighborhood has already attracted buyers who appreciate homes reflecting Bacon’s signature high levels of architectural artistry, quality, and careful attention to every detail.

For a private tour, call Davis Driver at 480-788-0401.

Stagecoach Pass Windmill Rd

Sales by RE/MAX Platinum Living

“Room to Dream” www.WindmillScottsdale.com December 2017

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PUBLISHER Shelly Spence

MANAGING EDITOR Amanda Christmann

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Meaghan Mitchell Ana Petrovic

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Amanda Christmann Sue Kern-Fleischer Gregory Granillo Kyndra Kelly Kenneth LaFave Lara Piu Shannon Severson

PHOTOGRAPHERS Scott Baxter Bryan Black Rich David Kyndra Kelly Loralei Lazurek

ADVERTISING SALES Tatum Williams 480-280-9490 tatum@imagesaz.com

I

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I’m sure those who celebrate the season in snowy weather may think they’ve got the best version of the holidays, but those of us who call the desert home know there’s nothing like the enchantment of a Sonoran holiday sunrise or the fun of outdoor festivals in the bright Arizona sunshine.

There is so much to see and do in the North Valley, not the least of which is getting outside and enjoying the natural beauty all around us. This month, photographers Peter Coskun and Paul Gill have captured that awe in “Magic of the Desert,” a breathtaking photo essay you’ll want to share with friends and family.

We’re also happy to share stories of some of the people, organizations and businesses

Images Arizona P.O. Box 1416 Carefree, AZ. 85377 623-341-8221 imagesarizona.com Submission of news for community section should be in to

that make the North Valley wonderful. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

As we usher in another year, I’d like to take a moment to share my gratitude to each and every one of you who has made the North Valley a community worth caring for.

Of all the magical things that surround us, it’s you who makes my heart warm with thankfulness and pride. #iamAZproud

shelly@imagesaz.com by the 5th of the month prior to publication.

Images Arizona is published by ImagesAZ Inc. Copyright © 2017 by ImagesAZ, Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction, in whole or part, without permission is prohibited.

Happy holidays from our family to yours!

The publisher is not responsible for the return of unsolicited material.

Local First A R I Z O NA

Sincerely, Shelly Spence Publisher, Images Arizona magazine shelly@imagesaz.com 623-341-8221

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December 2017

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Christmas in carefree Writer Amanda Christmann Photography Courtesy of Town of Carefree

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Living in the desert can mean redefining Christmas images of jolly sleighs, jingle bells and snowflakes gently falling in winter wonderlands—but that’s not a bad thing in the Town of Carefree.

Thanks to the efforts of a few busy elves at the town offices, there’ll be a full slate of holiday celebrations during the three weeks leading up to Santa’s big day, complete with real snowball fights, live holiday music and even the jolly old man himself. Better yet, while this year’s events include all the best winter classics, they’re also full of signature touches unique to Carefree.

The colors, shapes and beauty of the North Valley are unlike those found anywhere else, standing out like precious gems in the stunning jewelry box that is the Sonoran Desert. During December, they serve as a backdrop to the glitter, tinsel and shimmer of holiday cheer, making Christmas in Carefree truly special.

All of the events are centered in downtown Carefree at 101 Easy Street, home of the iconic Carefree Sundial, Carefree Desert Gardens and the Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion.

As if the enchanting setting wasn’t enough, there is fantastic entertainment and great things to experience to delight all the kids—from ages 1 to 92—including an official tree lighting at the Carefree Sundial featuring the Phoenix Boys’ Choir, Cactus Shadows High School Jazz Band and a visit from Santa; real snow to play and a human snow globe in at the Carefree Snow Village; a locally sourced Carefree Christmas Market; a 35-foot alpine slide; gingerbread build-offs; a new daytime community parade; fireworks; and so much more!

Among the experiences, Carefree Desert Garden will

December 2017

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Experience

Highlights of the Season CAREFREE DESERT GARDEN GLITTERS November through January from 5–10 p.m.

Carefree Desert Garden Free

be aglow with more lights and memories than ever this year. Commemorative luminaria used to light pathways in the four-acre garden take on new meaning as tributes to special events or cherished memories. They are available for $10 per bag, and proceeds will benefit local charities.

Then there’s the entertainment, taken to a whole new level this year.

Special appearances by Beatles tribute band, Marmalade Skies; local celeb singer and songwriter Ryan Sims; and comedienne and actor Jill Kimmel, little sister of late night talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel are all part of the fun.

Veterans and first responders will be the focus of Kimmel’s performance. She will pay special tribute by performing a comedy show just for them. Cost of admission to the show will be an unwrapped toy, which will be donated to the annual Foothills Food Bank Toy Drive, and delivered to very special kids by Rural Metro firefighters.

It’s a month of fun that’s nothing short of magical.

“We anticipate this event becoming one of the most attended and revered holiday traditions in the Northeast Valley,” said Carefree Mayor Les Peterson. “We look forward to seeing it grow and evolve, year after year.” christmasincarefree.com

SUNDIAL TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY— SANTA COMING! December 1 from 5–8 p.m.

Carefree Desert Garden Free CAREFREE CHRISTMAS MARKET December 1–3; 8–10 - Check website for times 101 Easy Street, Carefree Free 10TH ANNUAL PARADE OF HOLIDAY TRADITIONS December 9 from 10–11 a.m.

Easy Street in downtown Carefree Free MARMALADE SKIES December 2 from 3–5 p.m.

Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion Free with unwrapped toy for Rural Metro/ Foothills Food Bank Toy Drive JILL KIMMEL COMEDY TRIBUTE TO VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS December 8 from 4–5:30 p.m.

Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion 18+ Free with unwrapped toy for Rural Metro/ Foothills Food Bank Toy Drive REAL SNOW, REAL FUN December 1-3 and 8–10 - Check website for times 101 Easy Street, Carefree $5 for all-day play RYAN SIMS BAND December 9 from 5–7 p.m. - Fireworks at 7:30 p.m.

Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion Free with unwrapped toy for Rural Metro/ Foothills Food Bank Toy Drive CHANUKAH CELEBRATION December 12–20 - Evenings at sundown Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion Free December 2017

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COMMUNITY arts // announcements // culture Writer Amanda Christmann

DEC. 1

Experience

DEC. 8-10; 15-17; 19-23; 26-30

The Phoenix Boys Choir will ring in the season as the new Carefree 26’ Christmas tree is lit. A party will follow at the Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion as Santa arrives offering holiday treats, dancing, music and more!

Free. Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion, 101 Easy St., Carefree. 5 to 8 p.m. christmasincarefree.com

LAS NOCHES DE LAS LUMINARIAS

DEC. 1–3; 8–10

This Desert Botanical Gardens’ 8,000 hand-lit luminaria bags,

CAREFREE CHRISTMAS MARKET

thousands of twinkle lights

Celebrate the European tradition

and 10 unique entertainment

of Christkindlemarkets with a

ensembles. $12.50–$30.

local charm at the new open-

Member discounts available.

air Carefree Christmas Market.

1201 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix.

Free. 101 Easy St., Carefree.

favorite features more than

See website for schedule.

5:30 to 9:30 p.m. 480-9411225; dbg.org

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SUNDIAL TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY

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Photo Courtesy Desert Botantical Gardens

christmasincarefree.org

DEC. 1–17

BLACK NATIVITY MUSICAL CELEBRATION Last season’s sold-out, legendary holiday event by Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes returns to the Black Theatre Troupe stage. $38. Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center, 1333 E. Washington St., Phoenix.

See website for times and ticket purchase. 602-258-8129; blacktheatretroupe.org

DEC. 2

A TASTE OF ANDALUCÍA Enjoy an unforgettable evening of Flamenco dance and music, Spanish tapas and dancing Andalusían horses. $45; children 12 and under free. El Samaritano Equestrian Center, 28475 N. 84th St., Scottsdale. 5 to 7 p.m.

206-604-3034; elsamaritanoequestrian.com

DEC. 2

OPEN STUDIO PAINTING SALE Contemporary landscape painter Nancy Romanovsky will host her first-ever open studio sale at her home studio. More than 50 paintings will be available for purchase for every budget.

7818 W. Adobe Dr., Glendale.

4 to 8 p.m. 480-518-7930; nancyromanovsky.com

DEC. 2

SMALL WORKS ART SHOW Visit the Sonoran Arts League Center for the Arts in Stagecoach Village for a grand opening gala reception and juried fine art show. Exhibit open through Jan. 7. Refreshments, entertainment and more. Free. 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., Ste. 144, Cave Creek.

5 to 8 p.m. smallworksshow.com

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DEC. 2

CHRISTMAS IN THE CREEK The Horny Toad invites the pubic to enjoy the bountiful Christmas spirit! Cave Creek Christmas Company offers family fun featuring Santa, elves and special holiday deals. Come hungry, leave happy. Free. 6738 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek. 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. 480-488-9542

DEC. 2

MARMALADE SKIES It’s Beatles Mania in Carefree with live music from tribute band Marmalade Skies. Free with donation of unwrapped toy. 101 Easy St., Carefree. 3 to 5 p.m. christmasincarefree.com

DEC. 2

ANSEL ADAMS: AMERICA MUSICAL TRIBUTE

DEC. 9

TC CANNON POP-UP STUDIO Enjoy a private walk-through of the exhibition “Of God and

Scottsdale Center for the

Mortal Men: Masterworks by

Performing Arts presents “Ansel

T.C. Cannon” from the Nancy

Adams: America” as part of

and Richard Bloch Collection,

its ARTrageous Gala 2017,

and through the lens of

featuring artwork paired with

guest artist Steven Yazzie.

a commissioned symphonic

Non-members $30; members

work by late jazz legend Dave

$15. Heard Museum, 2301 N.

Brubeck and his son, Chris.

Central Ave., Phoenix. 10:30

Proceeds benefit Scottsdale

a.m. to 1:30 p.m. RSVP 602-

Arts education and outreach

252-8840; heard.org

programs. Complete dinner and concert packages available.

See website for details.

Virginia G. Piper Theater, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale. scottsdaleperformingarts.org

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Art

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T.C. Cannon, Kiowa/Caddo, 1946-1978 Self Portrait in the Studio, 1975, oil on canvas.

From the Nancy and Richard Bloch Collection. Reproduced by permission of the Estate of T.C. Cannon. © 2017 Estate of T.C. Cannon.

December 2017

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DEC. 2

SANTA WINE AROUND Join the Scottsdale Wine Trail wineries for a wine tasting extravaganza! Arrive dressed as Santa or Mrs. Claus and receive a commemorative wine glass. Once you try one wine, follow the trail by foot or golf cart for more! Fees vary. Old Town Scottsdale.

Locations online. 6 to 9 p.m. scottsdazzle.com

DEC. 2

HOLIDAY HARP AND VOICES Join Carolyn Eynon Singers and guest harpist David Ice for popular holiday songs and a fun audience sing-along. $10–$20. Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, 25150 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale. 7 p.m. 480-5292630; carolyneynonsingers.com

DEC. 2, 3

65TH ANNUAL CAVE CREEK FOOTHILLS CHRISTMAS PAGEANT You may know the story, but you’ve never seen it like this! Join a local cast for this much-anticipated, musical, nondenominational Christmas story.

Bring a blanket or portable chair. Free. Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, 44000 N. Spur Cross Rd., Cave Creek. 7 p.m. foothillschristmaspageant.com

DEC. 2, 9, 16, 23 CONCERTS ON THE CANAL

Scottsdale Waterfront’s Soleri Plaza will be the place to be for December’s Saturday night live music concerts.

Free. 4420 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale. 7 to 8:30 p.m. experiencescottsdale.com

Music DEC. 6–10

PHOENIX SYMPHONY PRESENTS HANDEL’S MESSIAH The acclaimed Hallelujah

chorus features some of the most glorious sacred music ever written. Join The Phoenix Symphony, The Phoenix Symphony Chorus and worldclass soloists. Admission varies based on venue. See website for details and schedule.

*Photo Courtesy Phoenix Symphony

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phoenixsymphony.org

DEC. 3

HOLIDAY MAGIC FAMILY FUN WORKSHOP Cave Creek Museum kicks off the holiday season with a cowboy-style Christmas! Join museum staff and docents for an afternoon of rootin’ tootin’ holiday fun for the whole family. Free for members; non-members $5. 6140 Skyline Dr., Cave Creek. Registration required. 480-488-2764; cavecreekmuseum.com

DEC. 3

NUTCRACKER TEA WITH SUGAR PLUM FAIRIES Ballerinas, sugar plums and princesses are invited to tea at the English Rose Tea Room for a Christmas celebration not to be forgotten! Ballerinas from the Nutcracker Ballet will read from the story, dance and be available for photos. $35. English Rose Tea Room, 201 Easy St., Carefree. 3 to 5 p.m. RSVP 480-488-4812; carefreetea.com

DEC. 3

PINNACLE CONCERT SERIES CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS Usher in the holiday season in

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a beautifully-crafted program of readings and songs. This wonderfully varied concert

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of inspirational and joyous

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Christmas music surely will

PRP/BLOOD FACIALS • LED THERAPY

become your family tradition.

ACNE CONTROL TREATMENT • GENTLEMAN’S FACIAL

Free. Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, 25150 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale. 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

11 E. SUNDIAL CIRCLE, SUITE 3, CAREFREE pinnacleconcerts.com

4 8 0 - 8 2 8 - 0 9 8 7 S K I N R E V I S I O N A Z. C O M 14 EASY STREET SUITE D, CAREFREE December 2017

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DEC. 8

JILL KIMMEL COMEDY TRIBUTE TO VETS AND FIRST RESPONDERS Comedienne and actor Jill Kimmel will perform a special comedy show salute to veterans and first responders.

Free with donation of unwrapped toy. Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion, 101 Easy St., Carefree. 4 to 5:30 p.m. christmasincarefree.org

DEC. 8–10

REAL SNOW IN CAREFREE Form a snow ball or build a snow man—right here in the desert at Carefree Snow Village. $5. 101 Easy St., Carefree.

See website for schedule. christmasincarefree.com

DEC. 8–10

STAGECOACH CHRISTMAS VILLAGE Celebrate the holiday season Old West style with open air shopping, dining, wine tasting and musical entertainment in Stagecoach Village! Free. 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 623-7346526; vermillionpromotions.com

DEC. 9

RYAN SIMS AT SANDERSON LINCOLN PAVILION Local celebrity and national name Ryan Sims brings his fun brand of country music to Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion. Free with donation

Experience DEC. 16

Easy St., Carefree. 5–7 p.m.

IT’S A STAGECOACH CHRISTMAS!

christmasincarefree.com

Stagecoach Village will hold

of unwrapped toy. 101

its 2nd Annual Stagecoach Christmas celebration, and rumor has it that Santa will be there. Shop, dine and have a great time—Cave Creek-style!

Free. 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek. Noon to 5 p.m. *Photographer Bryan Black

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stagecoachvillagecc.com

DEC. 9

’TWAS A GIRLS’ NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS From the producers of the box office smash “Girls Night: The Musical” comes this new, must-see holiday show guaranteed to resonate with anyone who has survived the holiday season, from visits with in-laws to overcrowded malls. $29–$49. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale. 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. 480-499-8587; scottsdaleperformingarts.org

DEC. 9

JOURNEY THROUGH THE EMERALD ISLE International travel writer and photographer Paula Cullison, whose work will be on display at the Foothills Library through December, will take you on a fabulous trip to Ireland through words and pictures.

Free. Desert Foothills Library, 38443 N. Schoolhouse Rd., Cave Creek.10:30 a.m. to noon.

RSVP required. 480-488-2286; desertfoothillslibrary.org

DEC. 9

10TH ANNUAL PARADE OF HOLIDAY TRADITIONS This year’s spectacular Christmas parade will be held in family-friendly daytime hours! Featuring official parade announcers chief meteorologist CBS Channel 5, Paul Horton and 3TV’s anchor/reporter, Javier Soto. Free. Downtown Carefree. 10 to 11 a.m. christmasincarefree.com

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DEC. 9

COWBOY CHRISTMAS It’s a Cowboy Christmas in Old Town Scottsdale! Pull up your boots, then dine, shop and have an Old West-style good time. Check website for events and details. Free. 3 to 7 p.m. scottsdazzle.com

Holiday *Photographer Joanie Simon

DEC. 9

FRANCISCAN FRONTIERSMEN Cave Creek Museum is excited to host award-winning journalist, historian and Carefree resident, Robert A. Kittle to share insights into his recently published book, “Franciscan Frontiersmen,” the story of three improbable heroes who opened up a broader swath of the North American continent than Lewis and Clark. Free for members; non-members $5. 6140 Skyline Dr., Cave Creek. 2 to 3:30 p.m. RSVP 480-488-2764; cavecreekmuseum.org

DEC. 10, 17

SONGS OF THE SEASON BY UPSCALE SINGERS Tickets are on sale now for the 12th Annual Upscale Singers “Songs of the Season” concert. $7–$20. Desert Hills Presbyterian Church, 34605 N. Tom Darlington, Carefree. 5 p.m. Ticket information: 480575-0811; upscalesingers.com

DEC. 12–20

CHANUKAH CELEBRATION Choirs will sing and the official lighting of the menorah will be performed each evening at sundown, welcoming this special festival. Each night, a local synagogue will light a candle.

Free. Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion, 101 Easy St., Carefree. Evenings. christmasincarefree.com

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DEC. 14

EAST AFRICA: THE LAND, WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE Speaker Donald Pearman Jr. will share his travel ventures to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Meet the Maasai, visit the Great Rift Valley and experience wild animals up-close and personal. Free.

Desert Foothills Library, 38443 N. Schoolhouse Rd., Cave Creek. 3 to 4 p.m. Registration required. 480-488-2286; desertfoothillslibrary.org

DEC. 14

SCOTTSDAZZLE ART WALK Join in on the fun of the art walk with live entertainment, free horse and carriage rides and more along Scottsdale Waterfront. Free. Marshall Way between Main St. and 5th Ave., Scottsdale. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. scottsdazzle.com

DEC. 15–17

HOLIDAY ARTISAN MARKET Find a treasure trove of unique, original art and handmade holiday gifts. Free. Sonoran Arts League Center for the Arts, 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., Ste. 144, Cave Creek. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 480-575-6624; sonoranartsleague.org

DEC. 15–24

A CIRQUE NUTCRACKER WITH TROUPE VERTIGO Experience Christmas in a whole new way as The Phoenix Symphony combines two of the Valley’s most popular traditions, Tchaikovsky’s magical The Nutcracker and world renowned Cirque troupe performed live with The Phoenix Symphony. $32–$117.

Mesa Arts Center Ikeda Theater, One E. Main St., Mesa.

See website for schedule. 480644-6500; phoenixsymphony.org December 2017

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DEC. 16

SUGAR PLUM AVENUE The Scottsdale 5th Avenue District will be transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with the Sugar Plum Fairy and live ballet performances on the half hour. Live entertainment, aerial performances and interactive activities for children. Free. 3 to 7 p.m. scottsdazzle.com

DEC. 16

A JUBILANT CHRISTMAS CONCERT Fill your hearts with the joy of Christmas as Christ the Lord Lutheran Church presents its annual Christmas concert. Bells will ring and the choir will sing holiday carols. Free. 9502 E. Cave Creek Rd., Carefree. 4 p.m.

480-488-2081; ctlcarefree.org

DEC. 16

CARRIAGE RIDES WITH MRS. CLAUS Mrs. Claus and her helper Cowboy are coming to Las Tiendas in her beautiful white carriage, bringing stories, carolers, Bryan’s BBQ and holiday fun. Free gingerbread men for the kids! 6130 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek. 4 to 8 p.m. lastiendascavecreek.com

DEC. 24

CHRISTMAS AT CAREFREE CHURCH

*PRISMATICA, Georgetown. Owner: Quartier des spectacles Partnership.

Creation: RAW design. Executive Producer: CREOS. Photo: Sam Kittner Photography.

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SCOTTSDALE WATERFRONT COMES ALIVE WITH ART Scottsdale Waterfront is exceptionally brilliant this month. Walk among spectacular prisms of color after sunset with PRISMATICA, on display through Jan. 7.

Reflection Rising, a suspended kinetic sculpture weaving its way along the canal brings an

Join Carefree Church for four

element of drama to the water

identical Christmas services

and sky in daytime and the

followed by an outdoor festival,

early evening. Reflection Rising

including ice skating, real snow,

will run through February or

snacks and children’s activities.

March. Free. Camelback Rd.

Free. 5025 E. Carefree Hwy.,

between Scottsdale Rd. and

Carefree. 10 a.m.; 1 p.m.; 3 p.m.;

Marshall Way, Scottsdale.

and 5 p.m. carefreechurch.com

scottsdalepublicart.com

DEC. 26–30

HOLIDAYS AT THE HEARD Experience American Indian music and dance performances, including crowd favorites like hoop dancing

OUTDOOR LIVING AT ITS FINEST HIGH-END, LOW-VOLTAGE, OUTDOOR LIGHTING

and fancy dancing, and enjoy fry bread, fry bread tacos and artist demonstrations.

See website for performance schedules. $7.50–$18; Free for members, children under 5, and Native Americans. Steele Auditorium, 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 602-252-8840; heard.org

DEC. 29–JAN. 1 ARABHORSE FARM TOUR Ten Arab horse farms throughout North Scottsdale will open their doors to families, equine enthusiasts and animal lovers alike to give the public a unique glimpse into the world of Arabian horse breeding and

www.lettherebelightllc.com (480) 575-3204 info@lettherebelightllc.com Licensed | Bonded | Insured

showing. Proceeds benefit Healing Hearts Animal Rescue and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Visit website for schedule, cost and locations. arabhorsefarmtours.com

THE GOLD MINE CELEBRATES 70 YEARS The Gold Mine Thrift Shop is celebrating 70 years of service to the community. Started and managed by the Outreach Committee of Good Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church, The Gold Mine was designed to serve the community through charity donations.

Images Arizona congratulates the many Gold Mine volunteers who have made a difference in our community and beyond.

6502 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek. 480-488-3721; goldminethriftshop.com

December 2017

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HISTORY IN THE DESERT OPEN AT BROWN’S RANCH TRAILHEAD A new exhibit at the Brown’s Ranch Trailhead in Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve offers insights into the Arizona Historical Society’s role in preserving the state’s history and telling its unique story.

History in the Desert includes artifacts and photographs showing historic ranching, mining, farming and other elements of Arizona history.

Free. 30301 N. Alma School Pkwy., Scottsdale. 7 to 9 a.m.

Mon.–Fri.; 7 to 11 a.m. Sat.– Sun. mcdowellsonoran.org

NOTRE DAME PREP HONORS LATE FOOTBALL COACH On Thanksgiving morning, the Notre Dame Prep community gathered to pay tribute to the school’s first varsity football head coach, Scot Bemis, who led his team to two football state championships in 2007 and 2008, and one girls soccer state championship in 2009. Bemis passed away after his fight against cancer in January 2012, but his coined phrase, “Get after it,” is still used on Notre Dame Prep’s campus, and the values he held are still reflected in the hearts of the community. Each year, the school, along with volunteers from Team Bemis, hosts the Bemis Bowl, a flag football tournament to raise money for cancer research and scholarships to Notre Dame Prep.

NOW - JAN. 14 ILLUMINATION: SYMPHONY OF LIGHT Arizona’s largest holiday drive-through light spectacular is in North Phoenix! This more-than-one-mile driving attraction immerses visitors in millions of holiday lights carefully synchronized to joyful holiday classics. A portion of profits will go to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Advanced tickets $29.50+ per car; optional walking exhibit an additional $10 per car. 27701 Black Canyon Highway, near I-17 and Jomax.

6 p.m. nightly through Jan. 14.

*Photo Courtesy of Illumination

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illuminationaz.com

LOCAL AUTHORS EARN LITERARY AWARD When Foothills Community Foundation’s Desert Awareness Committee members Abby Hemingway, Kathleen Hindle, Brenda Olive, Phyllis Strupp, Diane Vaszily, Judy Speer and Georgia Taylor collaborated to write and illustrate a children’s book to encourage conservation of our Sonoran Desert, they likely didn’t plan to earn acclaim. Yet their book, “Chloe and the Desert Heroes: A Tale of Adventure in the Sonoran Desert” was awarded third place out of 54 entries in the 2017 Arizona Literary Award, children's literature division.

The book has become an important supplement of the fourth grade Arizona Studies curriculum, enhancing understanding of the desert ecosystem through a hands-on desert classroom program and field experience. The Desert Awareness Committee hopes to expand the popular program statewide and nationally.

Images Arizona congratulates these authors on their accomplishment, and is grateful for their contribution in preserving the land we love.

CAREFREE DESERT GARDEN GLITTERS Carefree Desert Gardens’ holiday lights beckon couples and families to stroll and enjoy the beauty of the Sonoran Desert in a selfguided walking tour. Free.

101 Easy St., Carefree. Nov. through Jan., 5 to 10 p.m. carefree.org December 2017

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Writer Lara Piu Photographer Loralei Lazurek

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Paradise Valley resident and Valley arts philanthropist Mary Way has been impacting the arts since kindergarten. As a girl, she studied dance for 12 years and after high school, earned a degree in art history and political science at Whitman College. She then studied classical singing for 12 years and worked as a writer, director and producer for several television shows.

Mary later moved with her husband to England (where her kids were eventually born) so she could work at the Royal Academy of Arts and, with the help of Diana, Princess of Wales, served on the founding development board of the London City Ballet. They later moved to Tokyo, where Mary curated and became the chairman of the world's largest exhibition and sale of Japanese contemporary prints, called hanga.

“I guess all these experiences gave me a hard knocks education that helped inform my participation in the arts in Arizona,” Mary explains. “In the arts, people seem to be divided into two groups: those who are creating the art, and those who are raising funds so that they can.”

Mary crossed that creator-administrator line with her London City Ballet board appointment. When she moved to Phoenix in 1995, she served on the board of the Contemporary Forum Asian Arts Council at Phoenix Art Museum. Her husband, Bill, became chairman of its board of directors. After many years of serving there, they joined the leadership board at ASU Gammage, where Mary became co-chair. Eight years ago, she joined the advisory board of Southwest Shakespeare Company, where she began as chair of the board and then accepted the position of executive director.

“Southwest Shakespeare has a wonderful artistic and production team,” Mary says. “I am back where I started: creating programs designed to enlighten and entertain—even though I still have to figure out how to pay for it.”

In June, the company’s warehouse burned down, taking everything it owns with it. Twenty-three years’ worth of costumes, props, sets and signage were gone in six short hours.

“They are pulling themselves together for the season opening September 8 with ‘The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged’ at the Mesa Arts Center,” she reports.

She’s also been a directorial apprentice to Tony Award-winner Bill T. Jones, served on the National Endowment for the Arts panel for American Masterpieces and has coached actors at the National YoungArts Foundation finals in Miami.

“The most fun I have is working with students,” Mary says, adding that she has worked with the English Speaking Union and the Utah Shakespeare Festival's national and regional high school competitions.

This year, Mary’s work in the arts was recognized by Arizona Citizens for the Arts (ACA), a 35-year-old 501(c)(3) that advocates for Arizona’s non-profit arts and culture sector. Mary received its first Philanthropy Award for her extraordinary philanthropic leadership, for her financial contributions and for engaging others to give, as well.

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“Mary was chosen by a panel of her peers—philanthropists themselves who are not only generous with their money but also give their time and their talent to the organizations they support,” explains ACA executive director Catherine "Rusty" Foley. “Mary is not someone who seeks the limelight for herself, so it was a pleasure to not only recognize her for her philanthropy, but also to acknowledge her selfless attitude.”

The organization recognized Mary’s significant impact on the Valley’s major arts institutions, including her recent chair for the $15 million capital campaign at ASU Gammage and her work and donations to Phoenix Art Museum.

“Non-profit organizations, especially the arts, have always depended on the financial support of philanthropic individuals,” Catherine continues. “Recognizing these philanthropists is not only an opportunity for the arts community to say thank you; it also gives us an occasion to tell the story of why individuals like Mary Way believe support for the arts is important. Hopefully, others identify with what motivates Mary and feel compelled to provide more support to the arts.”

ACA also recognized the impact Mary’s contributions and volunteer hours have had on Southwest Shakespeare, which have helped transform the once-struggling company. In the last one and a half years, she helped install a new board, raise significant capital, install new reporting systems, balance the budget and reduce their debt.

“Arts are not only entertaining and uplifting, they are potentially transformative, both in terms of empathy and in terms of academic performance,” Mary says.

She notes seven studies that demonstrate live classical performance’s significant impact on students’ grade point averages and standardized test scores across all socioeconomic strata.

“In Arizona, we have not only an opportunity but also a moral obligation to bring classical theater to as many people as we can,” she advocates. “Give all the rural students of all ages the same opportunities as those in the cities.”

Her work has been gratifying in many ways, Mary shares.

“I am grateful for all the kind, generous and creative people I have met along the way,” she says. “I am inspired every day by these friends and coworkers who help us advance the great cause—and those who support them. Thank you!” azcitizensforthearts.org December 2017

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Welcome to Carefree—the town with a name that says it all! With exemplary art galleries, the festive atmosphere of Carefree Desert Gardens and the delectable fine dining, there is no better place to spend the most wonderful time of the year!

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY TEA

LET IT SNOW!

Welcoming all ballerinas, sugar plums

LAUGHS FOR VETS AND FIRST RESPONDERS

and princesses to tea at the English Rose

Comedienne Jill Kimmel (yes, Jimmy’s

Christmas in the desert? Build a

Tea Room for an afternoon of Nutcracker

sister) salutes veterans and first

snowman, slide down the alpine slide

music and festivities! Ballerinas from

responders with this special presentation

or have a snowball fight in this real

the Nutcracker Ballet will read from the

comedy show.

snow fiesta!

story, dance and be available for photos.

When: Dec. 8, 4 p.m.

When: Dec. 1-3 and 8–10; see website for

When: Dec. 3, 3–5 p.m.

Where: Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion,

schedule.

Where: English Rose Tea Room,

101 Easy St., Carefree.

Where: 101 Easy St., Carefree.

201 Easy St., Carefree.

Cost: Free with donation of unwrapped

Cost: $5 for all-day fun.

Cost: $35 per person.

new toy.

christmasincarefree.com

480-488-4812; carefreetea.com

christmasincarefree.com

Who says we can’t have a white

Contact Tatum Williams at 480-280-9490 or tatum@imagesaz.com to talk about joining our Images Arizona Carefree destination pages.

Writer Lara Piu Photography Courtesy of Constance Higley, Kate Nelle Photography and Suzie Goodrich

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Exactly one year ago, Olivia Laux and Matt Cooley, owners of Float Balloon Tours, were Arizona’s first to offer gourmet dining events in extraordinary outdoor settings.

Named Cloth & Flame, today the business has taken off to new heights.

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At 6 p.m. approximately 50 people will sit at a well-appointed dinner table laid out amongst the Superstition Mountains’ desert expanse. These grounds rarely see people, but tonight a gourmet dinner and the breathtaking landscape are on the menu.

This bespoken meal is one of many held by Olivia Laux and Matt Cooley, who launched Cloth & Flame last December.

The couple was inspired by the remote locations they enjoy through ballooning, as well as Matt’s former employer, a Portland high-end ice creamery that combines ice cream flavors with gourmet chefs.

“We thought, ‘What would a five-course dinner from a chef in the desert look like?’” Matt recalls, noting their combined passion for adventure, people and land preservation. “Community and

access to land are such important things for us. We had an idea that people would be interested in dining in the extraordinary locations that we've explored with balloons, and that we could encourage landowners to keep their properties wild and undeveloped by paying them as a partner venue.”

Both outdoorsy travel-lovers, Olivia, now 27 years old, and Matt, 31, met on couchsurfing.org, which pairs travelers with a place to stay. At first they were friends, but it didn’t take long for the duo to discover their shared interest in the great outdoors.

“We loved going on adventures together; we both have exploratory souls,” Matt explains. “We've always taken the path less traveled. We want people to step out themselves and take the road less traveled, too.”

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Enjoy Real Snow at Christmas in Carefree

December 1 - 23, 2017 Tree Lighting Ceremony Dec 1st: 5 - 8 pm Carefree Christmas Market Dec. 1st - 3rd & 8th - 10th NEW! Carefree Luminaria Tribute Dec. 15th - 24th

A year and a half ago, the couple got engaged.

Cloth & Flame will organize their wedding, but the trick will be to fit it in. Matt reports that nearly every Cloth & Flame event has sold out, and the rest of the company’s calendar is filled with wedding and corporate events.

“We post them on Instagram and then they sell out,” Matt says, noting that the company’s email subscribers get first dibs on seats.

Whereas their balloon tour business experiences steady growth, Matt says that Cloth & Flame, like its namesake, has caught fire.

“Cloth & Flame is the hare; we pushed on the door and it flung right open,” he reports. “It’s wonderful. It feels good.”

Now, the couple hosts one public and about 10 private events a month. They’re scaling capacity up to one or more shared events per week and many more private events.

FREE! Marmalade Skies Concert Dec. 2nd: 3 - 5 pm NEW! Santa’s Workshop Dec. 2nd: 9 - 11 am Jill Kimmel Comedy Show Dec. 8th: 4 - 5:30 pm NEW! Carefree Snow Village Dec. 8th - 10th Parade of Holiday Traditions Dec. 9th: 10 - 11 am FREE! Ryan Sims Band Concert Dec. 9th: 5 - 7 pm Fireworks Extravaganza Dec. 9th: 7:00 pm Photo with Santa He’ll be stopping by all month Carefree Desert Gardens Glitters FREE Open Every Night!

Visit our website for the full list of activities.

Some events require RSVP or fee.

Follow us online

ChristmasinCarefree.com December 2017

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Held in desert, mountain, forest and other extraordinary wilderness settings, Cloth & Flame’s Instagramperfect, alfresco public events are set along dramatic, long communal dining tables, lit with bistro lights and embellished lightly with fresh greens and flowers. All of the public events are created either by the outfit's in-house executive chef, Aurore Yasinsky, or by a rotating cast of guest chefs who have local ties to the destination.

At this dinner, Chef Aurore serves a multi-course meal with Southwest flavors. Those in attendance paid $135 per person, while other public events go for up to $145.

While Cloth & Flame has held events in Utah, Oregon and other states, Olivia and Matt are committed to Arizona and the Southwest.

“Phoenix is our home,” Matt affirms. “There’s so much to create and explore here first. We love it because there is an often-untold story available here. It's an iconic Arizona experience.”

Expansion will be thoughtful, he adds.

“We don’t want to be a state fairstyle troupe. We really want to offer something that is slowly developed and trusted locally, and then expand more like a restaurant chain,” Matt maintains, noting plans for development of multiple locally rooted teams and chefs.

Tonight’s dinner also kicks off the opening of Tela Peralta, one of the lights slated to expand Cloth & Flame’s fire. In partnership with Amy

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Phoenix is our home. There’s so much to create and explore ‌ there is an often-untold story available here.

Matt Cooley

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and Lauren Doyle, a mother-daughter pair whose family owns 200 Superstition Mountain wilderness acres, they will create a luxury camping resort, conference center and destination. Slated for 14 static “glamping”-style cabins, the rooms will feature soaking tubs, heated floors, luxury mattresses and other unexpected creature comforts in a fully immersive remote-desert setting.

“There’s nothing like this in Phoenix and that’s the most exciting thing about it,” Matt says.

The partnership is made in heaven, he explains, considering the family’s strong stance on conservation.

Their family has been quietly and carefully protecting their land for 40 years, headed by Amy's dad, Chuck Bakus, who also helped found the Superstition Area Land Trust and still sits on its board.

Matt reports they’re on the hunt for new and extraordinary locations. They’re thinking mountain overlooks, rooftops, gardens and any other scenic lands, and are accepting location proposals and partners.

“We want to be known as the company that provides access to the extraordinary,” he champions, assuring, “We pack in and pack out. We leave no trace. It looks like we were never there the next day.”

In another series of firsts, in 2018 Olivia and Matt plan to become the first United States company to offer occasional in-flight hot air balloon dining, combining their balloon tours and dinner savvy for private events.

The new business owner admits that their goals are lofty, but big-sky thinking is what they’re good at.

“Sometimes I think we’re crazy, that we may have lost our minds. We work sun-up to sun-down,” he says, reminding us that it’s worth it in the end. “We’re fortunate to have done a lifetime of exploring, and now we want people to take the road less traveled too. We want to be a cause for being outdoors.” clothandflame.com

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Writer Amanda Christmann Photographer Herb Cohen

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Driving through downtown Cave Creek, it is not difficult to imagine the town’s early days. Rustic establishments Harold’s Corral, Buffalo Chip Saloon and Las Tiendas Plaza still hold the shadows of a bygone era when dusty cowboys and miners’ mules traveled this onceisolated stretch of dirt.

Cave Creek has always been home to tenacious folks whose gritty ingenuity got them through. From Native Americans who coaxed seeds to grow and water to rise from the parched earth, to miners who hitched their horses and dreams to mesquites, building adobes among rattlesnakes and sage, there has always been something special about the land and the people who choose to live on it.

This place seems to draw those who are not interested in living life by the rules. Cave Creek has always been home to the dreamers, the misfits, the outlaws and the eccentric.

Make a real difference in the lives of deserving people in our community. Donate up to $800 at no extra cost to you to the Valley YMCA CARES initiative.

In the 1970s, Cave Creek was an outpost of sorts to cowboys, bikers, artists and hippies. People with names like “Lead Pipe” and “OK Charlie” were regular faces at the post office, at Harold’s Cave Creek Corral and at the American Legion, three of the most social spots along the trail.

GET THE DETAILS & DONATE TODAY

at valleyymcacares.com

Long-time resident and filmmaker/ producer Suzanne Johnson remembers those days well. “It really was ‘live and let live,’” she says with a nearly tangible wave of nostalgia in her voice.

“Everyone knew everyone else, and we all got along. The thing that united all of us is that we didn’t like change.

We didn’t like the sprawl that was happening around us, and the last thing any of us wanted was to be part of the suburbs.”

DESERT FOOTHILLS FAMILY YMCA 34250 N. 60th Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85266 480.596.9622

FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT® FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Valley of the Sun YMCA is not a tax advisor. Please contact a qualified tax professional for advice on your specific tax situation.

VALLEYYMCA.ORG December 2017

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Among the characters was a good-humored, thoughtful man named Herb Cohen. Herb was a New Yorker, and he looked every bit the part. He had once been a minor league baseball pitcher with aspirations of going pro before the Army changed his plans and drafted him to fight in Korea.

In the 1960s, he’d worked as an accountant, then opened his own East Coast manufacturing business.

Herb and his first wife Diana had taken to traveling the U.S. when they could, particularly to the desert Southwest. On

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one particular solo trip, he got lost on a desolate road north of Phoenix. As he drove, he eyed a for sale sign that read, “5-1/2 acres close to heaven.” A short time later, that acreage was theirs—in a new planned community called Carefree.

For years, the Cohens visited during holidays and vacations, toting along their twin boys Bruce and Stephen, and daughter Meryl. When the boys enrolled at the University of Arizona, the couple relocated here permanently in 1975, though he still commuted to his New York business regularly.

Herb’s favorite pastime was photography, a hobby that grew as he got to know the colorful regulars on the other side of Black Mountain. In particular, he was enamored by cowboys in saddle-worn jeans and dusty, weathered hats, and the affable Navajos just west of his tidy upscale community.

Everywhere he went, he carried his camera over his shoulder, which, at the time, was a sizeable haul. He connected with people and shared smiles and humor while his shutter clicked away.

Always exacting, he focused on light and shadows, form and composition of his photographs. He had a natural gift for precision and a knack of capturing not only the subject, but for telling their story in pictures.

Though Herb had notable skill and passion for photography, he had no desire to become a professional photographer. To him, photography was an outlet of creativity; anything more would have turned it into something different—something less satisfying.

Out of pure love for the art, Herb snapped hundreds of photos or more of local personalities, preserving most of them as negatives in his own personal collection.

In doing so, he documented more than just the people—he captured a moment in time when smiles and cowboys were both genuine, and when the character of a man could be summed up by a handshake.

As long-time Creekers will tell you, it’s no longer the same. “Gosh it sure was interesting in those days, and it’s all gone now,” explains Suzanne.

Despite Cave Creek’s plucky determination to separate itself from suburban sprawl, change still seeped into the cracks of its arid foundation.

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Cave Creek incorporated in 1986, and for better or for worse, progress has left its mark.

Subdivisions sprung up. Tourism dollars began to fuel the local economy. Even bikers and cowboys weekend warriors with day jobs as lawyers or managers. For long-timers who lived in Cave Creek during that magical 70s era, it can feel a bit contrived.

“It was the past, and what we had is something that no longer exists,” explained Suzanne.

However, it was not all lost. A few years ago, a few pictures from Herb’s photography collection showed up on the walls of the Foothills Library , and with it came memories of long-gone familiar faces and places from before suburbia crept into Cave Creek.

Gene Garrison, who had been one of Herb’s friends, kept track of some of his collection following his death in 2003. She authored a book in 2006 called, “There’s Something About Cave Creek: It’s the People.” She and Suzanne, a filmmaker/producer who owns Gnosis Media decided to salvage Herb’s unique legacy.

The two women teamed with Arizona Highways photographer Jerry Sieve and then-museum director Evelyn Johnson. They also contacted Herb’s children and widow, Anne, to obtain their blessing and input before pursuing development of a 160-page coffee table book called “Cowboys Don’t Do Lunch: The Photographs of Herb Cohen.” The book, in production now, is full of Herb’s photography and the colorful stories and memories they bring to life.

“This book is intentionally about the pictures,” Suzanne said of the book, available now in pre-sale. “They capture everything we wanted to say.”

But it’s not just pictures “Cowboys Don’t Do Lunch: The Photographs of Herb Cohen” is preserving; it’s a chronicle of our little corner of the world as seen through one man’s eyes—a man with adept ability to look through a lens and capture the soul of a town.

If you stand quietly among the wormwoods and brittlebush, you can almost hear the anxious nickering of a horse, the lispy echo of desert cicadas and the soft footfalls of worn leather boots on the limey desert ground. It’s all history, as they say—paved over in the name of progress, and blowing away in the breezes of time.

Like the roots of the mesquite, plunging deep into the soil, we are all integrally connected to each other through the roots of history.

It’s through projects like this that our narrative, and who we are as this beautiful Sonoran community, will continue to be remembered, defined and honored.

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Buy the Book Cowboys Don’t Do Lunch: The Photographs of Herb Cohen Presale

$50, including shipping and handling For $150, in addition to the book, select one of three 16x20 matted, 8x10 gelatin Cohen photographs, custom created by Sieve.

Book to be released spring 2018.

480-488-2691 gnosismedia.com

December 2017

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Writer Shannon Severson Photos Courtesy of Reitz Ranch

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On the banks of the Verde River, tucked in amongst the hills outside Clarkdale, Reitz Ranch stands as living testament to the talent of renowned master ceramic artist, Don Reitz.

the art of organization

One of Reitz’s dreams was to use the 13-acre ranch as a retreat and educational center for ceramic artists— something he did for many years. That dream might have disappeared with his passing in 2014, but new owners Sheryl Leigh-Davault and Ted Davault purchased the ranch in March 2017, becoming the guardians of both Reitz Ranch and the ultimate vision of its original owner. Together, they founded the Reitz Ranch Ceramic Arts Center, a community of creative talent.

“We get so many messages from people who say, ‘Thank you! We are so thrilled that you’re doing this,’” says Sheryl.

“People had an emotional investment in this place and in Don. They wanted to see it continue on.”

Originally from Michigan, Sheryl has always been an artist specializing in painting and drawing, but when she was introduced to ceramics, she fell in love with both the medium and the supportive, collaborative community that exists around it. With the help of her “right-hand man,” Dexter Woods, she opened her own Phoenix studio, but longed for a wood kiln— something that wasn’t possible in a residential district.

Ted works as a software architect, and is able to do it remotely. He’s the one who discovered that the ranch was for sale. It wasn’t long before they put in an offer. Woods, who coincidentally studied under Reitz’s friend, Von Venhuizen, has been instrumental in getting everything up and running. He will be one of the instructors at Reitz Ranch.

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“Dexter does beautiful work,” says Sheryl. “He is part of an exciting group of teachers, former Reitz assistants, and prominent artists who make their living this way and are willing to bounce ideas around and share techniques, no matter the level of experience. I’m surrounded by giants.”

Recognized as one of the world’s top living potters in 1981, Reitz’s experimentation with the then-waning technique of salt-glazing in the 1960s revolutionized the art form. He was a bit of a showman, and when he first witnessed the pyrotechnic aspect of salt firing, he took right to it. Salt is thrown into the hot kiln at intervals and the explosive flares produce different effects. Don would throw in salt, soda, and even banana peels, just to see what would happen.

“He took salt-firing in a new direction, reviving the method in the United States. Don was all about color and introduced it to a process that had previously been confined to muted browns and yellows. The impact he had is comparable to the dramatic shift in the painting world from photo-realism to impressionism,” says Sheryl.

“Until Don came along, everyone did functional work, which was beautiful and people put their heart into it, but Don and some of his contemporaries changed the game.”

Reitz first built the ranch as an escape from the academic world, having taught at the University of Wisconsin from 1962 to 1988. A bit closer to home, he was instrumental in building several large kilns that are still in use at Northern Arizona University. As he entered his final years, he had an assistant draw up a plan for an arts community.

The Davaults are excited to carry on Reitz’s legacy of both creating and teaching. Memberships are open to all, from beginners to masters. Many of Don’s previous assistants and ceramicists from all over the country have already paid visits to the property, and there will be a steady schedule of workshops and firings.

Surrounded by natural beauty and echoes of Sedona’s colors, the ranch is a ceramicist’s dream. The studio, called the Bunkhouse, is an historically significant stone structure once used by ranchers as they passed through on cattle drives. Reitz expanded it over the years as both a workspace and a gallery.

His original studio has become a members’ area with wheels and benches, and a small gallery where he once displayed his work is a teaching area for both wheel- and hand-building.

The kiln shed contains four wood-fired kilns and a salt kiln. The largest, called an anagama kiln, was built with

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the assistance of artists from Japan and nicknamed the “Reitzagama.” It’s so sizable that one can actually walk into it. It enabled Reitz to create the large-scale sculptures he was known for, some close to five feet tall. Other kilns on site include gas, electric, raku/saggar, and bisque.

Firings are major events at Reitz Ranch. The largest kiln takes five to 10 days to fire; the wood kilns take at least 24 hours to fire. Temperatures must steadily rise to 2,300 degrees, and as fire and ash blow through the kiln, the ash melts and creates its own glaze.

Artists take six-hour shifts stoking the fire and keeping watch.

The fire must be observed and listened to. The walls are touched to gauge the temperatures within; the colors of the coal bed and flames are noted; and wood must be added at regular intervals.

There are high-tech instruments that help, but nothing replaces the knowledge that comes from years of experience.

Art and science collide in chemical and heat reactions. Even placement of pieces within the kiln influences the result.

Flames lick the edges of the pot, making distinctive marks, and the length of time each piece is fired is critical. Cones made from different clays are used as visual indicators, curling, bending, and become glasslike as they bake with the pottery.

Participants often take them as mementos of the firing.

“It’s a communal event,” says Sheryl. “It’s about having a group of people who are concentrated on the process together, eating, sleeping, and tending to the fire around the clock.

People get to know each other and the stories come out. Often, there’s music. Someone brings a guitar and people from the greater community may come by to spend time.”

Along with memberships, Reitz Ranch will offer a full slate of workshops, and they’re already filling up as the ceramics community eagerly awaits the January official opening. North Carolina-based artist, author and glaze guru John Britt will lead the first workshop. As glazing can be a mystery to many, Britt will show techniques that make working with oxides, carbonates, copper and mastering the colors that come through using different combinations more manageable. It’s the first of many opportunities for beginners or accomplished artists to practice a range of styles and techniques.

Workshops can accommodate approximately 30 people and the Davaults’ aim is to keep costs affordable as they carry on the legacy of Don Reitz and his artistic vision. reitzranch.org

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Writer Amanda Christmann Photographer Scott Baxter

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Jed Frost likes a good story, but as he sat on the patio of his parents’ Platte County, Missouri farmhouse, he wasn’t quite sure where to begin with his own narrative. We both happened to be visiting this wholesome corner of the Show Me State, so he’d invited me over for a glass of sweet tea.

Normally confident with an easy grin, he still found himself fumbling with his words as the chill of fall swept over the rolling green pastures that surrounded us.

As a fellow Missouri native, I understood. Even though he now calls Arizona his home, Frost’s Midwest roots run deep. Folks in these parts know it’s not good manners to talk themselves up. As much as this former Mizzou Tiger basketball standout has found himself in the spotlight through the years, he’s short on practice when it comes to self-promotion.

“Let me show you instead,” he said, rising from his chair. A twinkle appeared in his eyes, and he disappeared inside the house. A short time later, he re-emerged holding a handsome leather messenger bag.

“This is where it all began,” he began, opening a brass clasp with a grin as big as Texas.

For a moment, my mind fixated on the leather in an almost primordial appreciation for its full grain and beautiful patina. As Frost went on, I began to see more.

“My wife Beth had this bag made for me when she completed medical school,” he explained. “Everything about it was her concept. When people see it, they know that it’s a beautiful bag and they ask me all the time where I got it—but what they don’t know … well, that’s what makes it different.”

He ran his hand across a stamp burned into an outside pocket that I hadn’t noticed before. “This number 25 was branded into the cowhide she chose. Ironically, that was my number when the Tigers won the 1994 Big Eight Conference title.”

He continued, “All of the hardware used in this bag is from horse tack,” he said, pointing out a saddle cinch and halter brass. “That’s because Beth, my wife, was doing her residency

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It’s not so much the “once upon a time” or the “happily ever after” that Jed Frost is interested in preserving; it’s all the moments in between that make each of us who we are.

in Lexington, Kentucky. Lexington is the horse capital of the world. She wanted me to take that part of our story with me everywhere I go, because that’s part of who we are.”

As Frost pointed out more thoughtful personal touches, his goal became clear.

Everything about the bag was created by hand. The liner was made from a pair of pajama pants—the first gift Beth gave to her would-be husband when they were dating. Inside are compartments and holders for Frost’s iPad, phone, and other items he uses every day, made specifically for his needs. There were other personal touches, too.

“This elephant represents the difficulty we endured together when Beth was in medical school,” he said, pointing to a little pachyderm embellished into a corner. “It’s something that’s meaningful to us that no one else would know.”

The gift his wife so thoughtfully created for him at the beginning of their lives together was the start of something much bigger. It was symbolic of their story, but it was also the start of a legacy for both them—and for many other people.

“This is something I wanted to share with the world,” Frost said.

He held up the bag’s underside to reveal a bold sigil. “My signature is here,” he said.

“That’s now the mark of our company.”

That company, FROST, has taken the idea of personalizing the everyday in such a

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SCOTTSDALE 2018 AUCTIONS way that not only are no two purses, wallets, messenger bags, travel bags or any other of their many creations alike; they’re sentimental in ways that only Frost and their owner can truly comprehend.

JANUARY 18TH & 19TH APRIL 5TH & 6TH

It’s not so much the “once upon a time” or the “happily ever after” that Jed Frost is interested in preserving; it’s all the moments in between that make each of us who we are. FROST weaves the mementos and memories into one dare-I-say amazing piece that reminds its owner, but that can also be passed down from generation to generation as a cherished keepsake.

FROST’s genius is in the gorgeous purple fabric, brought home from a life-changing trip to Mongolia, which lines the travel bag owned by international publisher and Cake & Whiskey editor-in-chief Megan Smith. It’s in the built-in umbrella storage that she uses for rainy New York days, and in the Chapstick pocket created just for her.

It’s in the colt tag and horsehair tail braid used in the design of the FROST bag created for thoroughbred rescuer Diana Baker, and in the liner fashioned from the jacket her husband was wearing the day they met. It’s in the attached embroidered piece of denim from the overalls her daughter wore as a little girl, and in the affixed brass nametags representing some of the many horses Baker has rescued.

Kenneth Riley b. 1919 CAA, NAWA | Mandan Gold Oil on linen | 48 by 40 inches | $90,000 - $130,000

I NVITING C ONSIGNMENTS FOR O UR 2018 J ANUARY AND A PRIL A UCTIONS IN S COTTSDALE FOR A COMPLIMENTARY AUCTION EVALUATION, PLEASE SEND IMAGES AND ARTWORK INFORMATION TO INFO@ALTERMANN.COM. YOU MAY ALSO MAIL SUBMISSION MATERIALS TO THE SCOTTSDALE GALLERY. 345 CAMINO DEL MONTE SOL, SANTA FE, NM 87501 7172 EAST MAIN STREET, SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85251 CONSIGNMENT OFFICE, 2103 IRVING BLVD., DALLAS, TX 75207

(855) 945-0448 ALTERMANN.COM

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It’s in the messenger bag created for revered Fox sportscaster Joe Buck, whose father Jack was also legendary in the business. FROST used Jack’s worn leather NBC Sports jacket to line his son’s bag, repurposing the pockets to hold pens and electronics. (“Imagine reaching in to those pockets every day, knowing those were the same pockets your dad reached into every day!” Frost told me with the excitement of a child at Christmastime.) And it’s in the sewnin leather pieces of two World Series baseballs, one from a series the elder Buck announced, and the other from when Joe manned the microphone.

“I love that we create one-ofones,” Frost said. “When you get a bag, it’s yours. Nobody can ever recreate that bag.”

Frost takes great pride in using hand-picked artisans who appreciate the artistic process of design as much as he does. They have to be dedicated to do this work; in one case, hand-stitching alone for a bag took an artisan 97 hours to complete. Each bag can take anywhere from 30 days to many months to create, depending on the story the bag will tell.

The price tag is commensurate.

A FROST bag begins at $6,000 and can come in just about any material, from standard, highquality cowhide leather to exotics like alligator, ostrich, snakeskin or crocodile leathers. They’re

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guaranteed for life, and will likely last long enough to be handed down for many generations to come.

Now that Frost, his wife, and their two children are hanging their hats in Scottsdale, he’s beginning to understand what a fateful hand he’s been dealt. After all, the Southwest was founded on hard work and adventurous enterprise, and Arizonans in particular seem to appreciate FROST’s brand of top-notch quality and individualism.

Still, there’s something else to it—something less about selling high-end bags and more about finding purpose in the process—that satisfies Frost.

Leaning back in his chair, his thick, red plaid shirt rolled up at the sleeves and a pair of crocodile boots crossed in front of his outstretched denims, Frost looks decidedly more Los Angeles than Kansas City.

But looks can be deceiving.

At the heart of it all is this land, where the likes of Samuel Clemens, Maya Angelou and Laura Ingalls Wilder honed their words. He is just one in a long line of storytellers to be inspired by a childhood here.

“Everyone has a story,” Frost said thoughtfully as the shadow of an oak tree grew longer and the glow of the sun turned the western sky orange. “At the end of the day, when I can help create something so beautiful and so, I don’t know, intimate ….”

His words trailed for a moment before he found a way to fit them together just right.

“When I can be part of creating a bag that reflects the story of who someone is, now that’s special.” onebagonestory.com

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Writer Shannon Severson Photography by Bryan Black

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The greatest piece of advice that artist and set designer Jason Adkins ever received was from his high school art teacher back in his native Tennessee: “Don’t overthink it.”

Frustrated with her 17 year-old student’s consistently slow work pace, she tasked him with completing paintings in 20 minutes, something he first considered impossible.

Nevertheless, with practice, it became a freeing mantra.

“That advice was the start of my style and my career,” says Adkins, sitting in the light-filled front room of his North Mountain home. He’s surrounded by large canvases and a few stray boxes that remain after his recent move from San Diego. “It helped me earn a college scholarship to Eckerd College in Florida and cemented my desire to make art my primary pursuit, no matter what it took. I like to work quickly now and I like to paint as often as I can.”

Adkins’ mother often reminds him of what he told her about his dedication to painting as he was finishing graduate school at Claremont Graduate University.

“I told her that if I live in a cardboard box, painting on cardboard with a stick, using wet cat food, it is by choice,” says Adkins. “I don’t remember saying it, but it speaks to what I will do in order to keep painting.”

Adkins has definitely lived the starving artist life at times, but when Los Angeles Times art critic David Pagel took note of his talent, he gained his first big break with a solo show at LA’s Western Project Gallery in 2008. It opened the day after President George W. Bush publicly announced that the United States was officially experiencing a recession.

“It was a great experience, but the worst possible time,” says Adkins. “Everything crashed in 2008. Galleries were closing everywhere and Los Angeles was an expensive town to rent—even my cheap studio in a rough area of town. I worked in a friend’s studio for awhile, did odd jobs to pay the rent, and even switched to making charcoal drawings on paper for awhile when I couldn’t afford paint.”

His tenacity for finding work also led to a very Hollywood moment when one of his sculptures was used in director David Finch’s 2010 movie, “The Social Network.”

Ultimately, Adkins made the decision to leave Los Angeles for Las Vegas that year, where he had several gallery shows and an unusual residency at P3 Studio in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. “Rapture,” a behemoth 96-inch by 72-inch oil and spray paint on canvas teems with color. He continually rotated the canvas throughout the process to avoid repeating patterns.

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The feel of these pieces is often dystopian, like something nefarious teems just below the surface.

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“It felt odd at first to paint large canvases while drunk people dressed in flashy outfits wandered through and filmed me on their phones,” says Adkins. “But, after awhile, you forget and just go with it.”

He and his wife, Dhyana, a high school theatre teacher, moved to San Diego in 2013 where he was a professor at Mira Costa Community College and ran an art events business on the side. Here in Phoenix, a similar concept, called Paint-A-Holics, will bring wine and paint nights to individual homes, as well as to bars and restaurants around the city.

The family’s departure from California this year brings them closer to Dhyana’s family, and Arizona’s lower cost of living gives Adkins more freedom to create on his own terms, without the requirements that being with a gallery might entail.

“I don’t want to be told to paint only what will sell,” says Adkins. “When we had our son, Xander, in 2014 and I thought I might not have time to paint as much, but that hasn’t been the case. I spent four months creating my mandala-inspired Element series representing water and earth while he was napping. It motivated me to get back to painting more often. Not being with a gallery, I’m able to experiment and paint in the way I want to.”

That independent streak is also apparent in the tools and methods Adkins uses to create primarily large-scale pieces with unusual methods and materials. His preferred tools lean more hardware store than art supply emporium.

Inexpensive, multi-pack paintbrushes and foam paint rollers accompany palate knives to create the broad, bold brushlike strokes on pieces such as “Mint Split” and “Stickle.”

“Over decades spent painting, I’ve found that you need to look around at everything in your studio and see what can be used as a tool,” says Adkins. “You get wide strokes with a palate knife, but you can’t get it to look like a brush.

Using a glove to hold the foam roller steady creates the look of a brush. I’d rather spend on paint and canvases than on expensive brushes.”

He creates thick layers in oil paint, and spray paint, which he terms “the poor man’s paintbrush,” to create abstract landscapes like “Beast” and “Sloop Loop” that are full of movement and mystery.

The aerosol cans that most associate with graffiti or backyard projects become something different in Adkin’s December 2017

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hands. He uses different quality levels, spray distances, direct application onto palate knives and even varying studio temperatures to create a range of effects. The feel of these pieces is often dystopian, like something nefarious teems just below the surface.

The Morphing series, exemplified in “Goldfinger,” is inspired by the sculptures of John Chamberlain, and includes more structured abstracts composed of oil paint, applied with palate knives, and spray paint, layered at different angles and distances.

“I want to depict something that is living in the landscape, but isn’t necessarily comfortable in the landscape,” says Adkins.

His heavily textural series, including “Alien” and “Gold,” is created with Bondo, an automotive repair resin that, at high temperatures can be drizzled a la Jackson Pollack. After curing time, he utilizes spray paint layers from different angles to layer color over pieces that evoke the unusual topography of a strange landscape. “Blue Pendant” is made with a random, pick-up sticks pattern of cheap paintbrushes, rocks, plastic lids, and layers of Bondo and glitter.

The recent move meant a break from painting, but he’s ready to get back to it and will continue to explore themes of rebellion and identity with the development of an alter-ego that will allow for him to experiment with total departure from his past work.

“I’ve never felt more inspired by what I need to do artistically,” says Adkins.

“This is the longest I’ve gone without painting in the past 24 years, and my head is full of fresh and vibrant ideas.” paint-a-holics.com jason-adkins.com

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Writer Amanda Christmann Photographers Peter Coskun and Paul Gill

The Magic Moment - Peter Coskun

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Sunset Moonrise - Peter Coskun

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We often hear about the magic of the holidays, but as we make our lists and check them twice, it’s easy to forget that we are surrounded by sights much more enchanting than anything money can buy.

The Sonoran Desert is full of wonder, and her daily transformation through lights and shadows never gets old. While other parts of the country keep quarterly time to the sound of a bold brass band, desert seasons come in with a waltz, slow and measured, rising and falling with graceful sway and gentle movements.

The sense of solitude is something I cherish from these places.

Peter Coskun Photo by Bob Elenbaas

WIld Superstitions - Peter Coskun

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Shedding - Peter Coskun Lava Cake - Peter Coskun

For those who were not born here, the seasonal changes of the desert are difficult to discern, yet even the least critical of eyes is always delighted by the seemingly sudden appearance of a carpet of wildflowers that will appear within a few short weeks.

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Peter Coskun Q: What is your hometown, and where do you live now?

A: I am originally from Upper Darby, a suburb of Philadelphia. I currently live in the Phoenix area—and wherever my Jeep takes me.

Q: How did you get started in photography?

A: My initial start began with a photography class my junior year of high school. They were still using film at the time, so I was able to learn the process of creating a photograph from field to finish in the darkroom. A few years later, my interest in photography sparked again, this time in the digital form. I began taking my camera with me everywhere and photographing everything. After a few years, I shifted my focus more toward landscape and nature photography, with the occasional wildlife photography mixed in.

Q: Every artist’s work is inspired by something different.

What is your biggest inspiration?

A: I am constantly inspired by the beauty of the earth. There are so many amazing features that few get to see and I am always grateful to be able to experience these places. Often times, these locations are dozens of miles off of four-wheeldrive roads to places you likely wouldn’t see another person for days, which adds to that beauty. The sense of solitude is something I cherish from these places. Of course, I am also inspired by the artists and photographers that pushed me to pick up a camera in the first place.

Q: What is your most memorable Arizona experience?

A: Photographically speaking, I’ve had some pretty intense shoots amidst storms that made me run for cover and seek shelter, but in the end I was able to come away with some of my best photographs to-date.

Q: If you had one piece of advice to share with someone just venturing into photography, what would it be?

A: Just enjoy the adventure. Try not to stress out too much on just getting the shot because you will miss out on those amazing experiences.

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Mather Point Winter Sunrise - Paul Gill

My work is inspired by the ‘beautiful unseen.’ Paul Gill

The desert holds daily surprises. Each day announces itself with a bold production of purples and oranges, transforming vistas into panoramas of depth and color.

Each sunset contains a celebration as hazy pinks and oranges commemorate the passing of hours.

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JOIN US MARCH 8, 2018 FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

tastic

PVCC at Black Mountain 5-8 PM Hands-on Activities 7-10 PM Star Party 5:30-6 PM Presentation of Awards for the STEAMtastic Challenge

R.S.V.P. @

A celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, & Music

STEAM Event Activities Include Molecular Gastronomy | Subzero Science | Angry Pumas 3D Printer Pen | Potato Launch | LED Paper Airplanes Science of Brewing | Glow in the Dark Activities Local Businesses Showcasing Science in Everyday Life and Much, Much More!

paradisevalley.edu/black-mountain/ steamtastic-attendees

PVCC at Black Mountain | 34250 N 60th Street | Scottsdale, AZ 85266 | 602.493.2600 | paradisevalley.edu/black-mountain

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Brittlebush Spring - Paul Gill Wukoki Pueblo - Paul Gill

The magic of the desert is nearly tangible, and photographers Peter Coskun and Paul Gill have captured its solitude, its rugged beauty and its integral allure. We hope you love their work as much as we do!

Spider Rock Snow - Paul Gill

Share your wildflower photographs with our Images Arizona Facebook or Instagram pages using the hashtags #iamAZproud and #imagesAZ.

Octopus Arm Saguaro - Paul Gill

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Our 2017-2018 Inaugural Season

The Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Concert Series Bob Pfeiffer, Luxury Home Specialist bobazliving@gmail.com SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2017 @ 3PM Nicole Pesce & Nicole Pesce Trio Bob Lashier, Bass ~ Dom Moio, Drums SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 @ 3PM Joseph Wytko, Saxophonist Paul Gill Q: What is your hometown, and where do you live now?

A: I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and still call it home today.

Q: How did you get started in photography, and who helped you along the way?

A: For me, it began at Scottsdale High School’s Vocational Tech Graphic Design School, where I started processing and printing my black and white film at 16. My biggest influences and friends would be David Muench and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jack Dykinga. Both I've had the pleasure of working with over the past 20 years.

Q: Every artist’s work is inspired by something different.

What is your biggest inspiration?

A: My work is inspired by the "beautiful unseen.” The search for hidden beauty in a trampled world is more of a constant quest that inspires me.

Q: What is your most memorable Arizona experience?

A: It's still happening.

Q: If you had one piece of advice to share with someone just venturing into photography, what would it be?

A: Stay true to your vision. In the end, it's your vision that will set you apart.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 2018 @ 3 PM Eduardo Minozzi Costa, Classical Guitar & A Capella Syndicate SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2018 @ 3PM Alice Tatum, Vocalist with Todd Chuba, Drums ~ Bob Lashier, Bass & Nicole Pesce, Keyboard SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2018 @ 3PM Omar Mondragon de Leon, SingerGuitarist-Songwriter & Saxophonist Joseph Wytko SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2018 @ 3 PM We3 – Vocalist Renee Grant Patrick, Violinist Suzanne Lansford & PianistComposer-Keyboardist Nicole Pesce

The Boulders Resort & Spa Latilla Ballroom 34631 N. Tom Darlington Drive Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Concert info: (480) 204-7292 JosephMusic@cox.net Ticketing:

coldwellbankerconcerts.eventbrite.com SPONSORS: ARIZONA STATE UNIV. EMERITUS COLLEGE ~ BOB PFEIFFER, REALTOR ~ IMAGES ARIZONA MAGAZINE ~ VESUVIUS PRESS INC ~ ENGLISH ROSE TEA ROOM ~ LMC HOME ENTERTAINMENT LTD ~ ULTIMATE HEATING & COOLING LLC ~ CAREFREE COVERINGS INC ~ CAREFREE FLOORS ~ CAREFREE TRAVELER INC – CRYSTAL CRUISES ~ DOVE VALLEY ANIMAL HOSPITAL ~ LPL FINANCIAL – RYAN TORONTO MBA, CFP ~ PORSCHE NORTH SCOTTSDALE ~ CORNERSTONE SERVICES ~ JOSEPH MUSIC EVENTS ~ LET THERE BE LIGHT ~ PATTI SCHAUMBERG ~ BETSY & GARY SWENSON December 2017

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Cave Creek is more than just a town; it’s an experience. From great food to real Western fun, this little corner of the Valley knows how to make your visit special!

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

Auld Lang Syne never tasted so good! Five courses of decadent holiday dinner complete with complimentary champagne toast.

When: Dec. 31; RSVP for time.

Where: Cartwright’s Modern Cuisine, 6710 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek.

Cost: $75.

480-488-8031; cartwrightsmoderncuisine.com

TAKE A RIDE ON THE STAGECOACH

The horses are hitched and ready to go!

Harold’s Stage Lines authentic stagecoach rides make round trips through downtown Cave Creek all winter.

When: Every Wed. through Sun.; 1–5:30 p.m.

Where: Harold’s and Frontier Town, Downtown Cave Creek.

Cost: $10–$20.

970-946-8066; dkwagonrides.com

HOLIDAY EATS AT CARTWRIGHT’S

The Golden Lobster deviled-eggs, Niman Ranch honey-glazed ham and deconstructed peppermint pie are on the menu, and best yet, you can enjoy the holiday without the hassle of dishes!

When: Dec. 24-30; RSVP for time.

Where: Cartwright’s Modern Cuisine, 6710 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek.

Cost: See website for details.

480-488-8031; cartwrightsmoderncuisine.com

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Contact Tatum Williams at 480-280-9490 or tatum@imagesaz.com to talk about joining our Images Arizona Cave Creek destination pages.

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Writer Lara Piu Photographer Bryan Black

Cave Creek’s newest fine art gallery, The Blue Gem, is home to endings, beginnings and full circles.

At first glance, its story began 35 years ago when Frank Imel transformed the buildings behind The Horny Toad into a gallery called Clay and Things. Frank filled it with his work, as well as the work of local artisans and craftsmen, and ran the store for 40 years until he passed away this past April.

The story of The Blue Gem really began in 1974, when the legendary restaurant first debuted and artist Patrick O’Grady became the first waiter. More than 45 years later, the adjacent Clay and Things gallery became available due to Frank’s passing, and Patrick jumped on the opportunity to realize his long-time dream of supporting local artists.

“I was the only one of my group of artist friends that went out and got a regular job, so now I’m able to come back and be a part of the community again,” Patrick, a former boutique wine distribution manager, explains.

“It’s so exciting,” he adds. “Back in the ’70s when our group of local artists, young and old, got together to create the Cave Creek Craft Council, we were probably 80 members.” Those members eventually formed the foundation of the Sonoran Arts League, which is now 800 members strong and growing.

“It’s still a tight-knit arts community, and I want to support our community’s creative interests,” Patrick says. “I want to feature artists who create art because they simply enjoy creating art.”

Experience

The Blue Gem Grand Opening 6738 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek December 16 3 p.m.

480-797-0996 Free

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Patrick will also use the space to honor the area’s artistic history.

“It will be like a museum … there will be artists’ art and old photographs of Creekers hanging everywhere,” he adds.

Patrick creates many of his own pieces in turquoise on site. On most days, he can be seen working from the gallery’s north-facing porch. “This is a statement piece,” he says, referring to a silver ring that features a 4-inch rectangular cobalt blue lapis lined in turquoise.

You won’t find Patrick’s style at the mall, which is true for all of the work on display.

Mel Smith is the gallery’s featured artist.

“He’s the creative force,” Patrick says.

Mel’s work is spaced carefully throughout the gallery. Among them, his life-sized mobile crosses are adorned in silver, turquoise, glass, and other materials traditionally used for jewelry hang from the walls.

When Mel was 14 years old, he worked under famous silversmith Charles Loloma, a master Hopi jeweler who was among the first to translate traditional Native American aesthetics into contemporary styles. One of the most influential and sought-after indigenous artists of the 20th Century, Loloma’s legacy still influences both Mel’s and Patrick’s work today.

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“The man definitely changed my life for the better,” Mel says, recalling how it all started. “I was going to Scottsdale High School when it was the only high school, and I was taking arts and crafts from Wes Segner. He used to take us by the workshops of different working artisans.

Charles Loloma was just getting famous at that time, and he asked Les if he had anyone that he could recommend. Les recommended me.”

Among other things, the artisan taught Mel to work with tufa, a porous volcanic stone that is easily carved and used for jewelry silver casting. Charles Loloma, who began as a potter, employed innovative techniques like these to modernize Indian art.

“He was one of the people who started the modern Indian movement.

He was a very dynamic person,” Mel explains. “It was thrilling for me to learn to make jewelry. When I first saw a solder, I said, ‘Oh, I like this!’ and I was sold.”

Mel’s decorative Mayan-inspired masks in glittery metallic blues hang throughout the gallery. His wild imagination has also output rotating sculptures and life sized characters created from bull and cow skulls. The series includes a trio of 6-foot men adorned in jewels that look like an alien rock band.

“I got the idea from Star Trek,” Mel laughs, “The center man is Q, and

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he needed companions so he got The Destroyer, who holds a prayer wheel.

He always says a prayer before he destroys. And this is The Creator—he’s blowing cosmic dust into our universe.

He holds a solar system.”

Quilted, sleeveless leather jackets that were formerly Tonto Bar and Grill uniforms clothe Mel’s cast of characters. Like the crosses, they’re a fusion of jewelry, sculpture and thoughtful inspiration.

“I don’t believe in a dogmatic religion, but I believe in the good saints and the good gods, and a pandemic religion,” Mel explains. “I like crosses because of their juxtaposition of simplicity and complexity. Creating them is a search for simplicity.”

Eventually these life-sized creations will make their way to the front of the gallery and greet diners as they enter The Horny Toad.

Like Patrick, Mel sees the gallery as a chance to begin again.

“I feel very good about this space,” Mel concludes. “Frank Emil was really a genuine dude, and we want to carry on that momentum.”

Patrick had a soft opening of The Blue Gem in November and will hold a grand opening party this month.

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Writer Greg Granillo // Photography Loralei Lazurek and The Yamwood Foundry

Take a look around your home or business. What does your furniture say? Does it truly capture your style?

Is it exactly the piece you want for the room where it lives? Does it have a story? And does that story simply consist of you entering your credit card number on a website or ordering from a catalog?

One North Scottsdale company has come up with a new way to buy furniture and other creations that are actually more works of art than home or business furnishings.

And best of all, the customer is the inspiration.

“With every piece we design here, we try to find inspiration in the person or the company and what they stand for,” says Casey Frett, industrial designer at The Yamwood Foundry. “Everything is built to be passed down through generations.”

Yamwood’s philosophy is simple: to create a story for every piece they make. Casey’s favorite example of that philosophy in action came a few months ago when Yamwood was commissioned by Republic Services to create a conference room table—but not just any conference room table.

Republic Services is one of the nation’s leading providers of non-hazardous solid waste and recycling services. When it was time to create the table for their boardroom, they kept true to their brand of resourceful recycling.

“The client took us out to a ranch they own in Florence (Ariz.) and we found wood from old animal pens, metal and glass, and we reused it all to create the table,” Casey explains. “So not only is it unique and different because of all the recycled materials we incorporated, but there’s a history to it.”

CUSTOM ROOTS Yamwood’s custom furniture history actually began with custom motorcycles. The company’s state-of-the-

art, 40,000-square-foot facility near Hayden Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. was originally—and still is—the headquarters for Yamwood’s sister company, Spooky Fast Customs. When Yamwood moved in during February of this year, the building was already equipped with the most advanced fabrication technology to cut, form and finish materials of all kinds. With the demand for custom motorcycles waning, general manager Mark Schrecker came up with an idea.

“We already had all these talented designers and fabricators, so we started doing things like signage at Scottsdale National Golf Club, work benches for Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG), custom furniture, display pieces and fixtures at Harley-Davidson,” says Mark.

“Before we knew it, we had created about 15 pieces and realized that maybe there was a demand for the kind of things we do. That’s when we really got serious about it and went to Mr. Parsons and said, ‘Hey, we think there’s a niche here that isn’t being filled.’”

Yamwood Foundry is part of the YAM Worldwide family of companies, the brainchild of CEO Bob Parsons, best known as the founder of GoDaddy.

The parent company includes brands such as Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG), Scottsdale National Golf Club, Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale and more.

Soon after opening, Mark noticed that there were two types of people attracted to the types of creations Yamwood builds: people who have something in mind but couldn’t find it anywhere else; and those who want something that is uniquely theirs, incorporating their passions or favorite hobbies.

And that’s the big difference between Yamwood and other furniture makers.

“It all begins with the customer. They are involved from the beginning. They are a part of the whole thing.

It doesn’t exist without their input,” says Mark.

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“We invite clients to come in and sit down with us face-to-face— bring their ideas, sketches on napkins, photos from books and magazines and design something with us, become part of the team,” he adds.

Yamwood’s industrial designers then go to work creating multiple design options in the form of 3D drawings and renderings. Once clients see a design they like, the fabricators get to work cutting, painting, coating and custom building every part of their piece using only the finest woods and metals available. At any given time, clients can come into the Yamwood facility to watch their piece being built.

“Everything is done right here in Scottsdale, and everything is American-made,” said Mark.

MARK’S STORY The “Made in America” concept is near and dear to Mark’s heart.

Before joining YAM Worldwide, he spent 25 years in the Marine Corps as a CH-46E helicopter pilot, compiling 4,000 flying hours, including 16 months in Iraq.

Mark has an educational background in engineering, and when he retired from the military in 2015 he was contacted by a friend who wanted to know if he would like to come to Arizona for a unique job opportunity. Parsons was looking for someone to manage several construction projects for his Scottsdale businesses.

“My wife was working as a principal at a great school back in Virginia, so when I heard about going to Arizona, I said no,” Mark recalls. “They called back about a week later, asked me to come out for a visit. I fell in love with the place—the lifestyle, the people, and the company.”

By July 2015, Mark and his wife were heading West permanently.

“Things move fast with Mr. Parsons, so before we knew it we were ready to go,” says Mark. “He always has the backs of fellow Marines and is big on hiring veterans, so that made a big difference in our decision,” he said.

A decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, Parsons created the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, which has supported several veterans' organizations, mainly the Semper Fi Fund.

So how do you make the decision to go from being a Marine colonel in charge of assignments for more than 20,000 Marine officers to leading a small team of 16 designers, fabricators and machinists?

“It comes down to knowing what you want to accomplish and, most importantly, surrounding yourself with great people,” says Mark.

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EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT To date, Yamwood has created pieces for mostly business office uses, from one-ofa-kind reception desks to oversized conference room tables complete with built-in planters and wiring for electric. But they still do quite a few residential pieces like large dining tables, bar carts and custom desks.

“Every single day is different. There are new projects all the time,” says Casey, an Arizona native who graduated from Arizona State University’s acclaimed industrial degree program. He moved to Wisconsin upon graduation and returned to Arizona six years later. “It made me appreciate home much more—the year-round weather, the scenery, the people. It’s a great place to live.”

The diversity of work allows Casey and fellow industrial designer Vernon Moles to flex their creative muscles and offer a nearly unlimited collection of designs, styles and finishes.

“The same customer can give the same input and we’ll end up presenting completely different styles and options for them,” says Casey. “The client’s style is our style. We have the capability to match anything they want, from clean and modern to more industrial.”

Anyone can visit the The Yamwood Foundry showroom at 15275 N. 83rd Place in Scottsdale, but general manager Mark is sure to point out that the pieces you see there and on their website are just for inspiration.

“I always tell people, ‘You can’t have that one.’ It can’t be perfect for you because it wasn’t built for you.” Mark says. “But tell me everything you like about it and we will make one that is uniquely different for you, and we won’t ever build the same thing for anyone else.” yamwood.com

SOME OF YAMWOOD’S FAVORITE THINGS • “Four Peaks Grill & Tap in Scottsdale was undergoing a remodel. The plan they had for their bathroom sinks didn’t work out, so we took a couple of their kegs, cut them in half and 48 hours later they had two custom metal, free-standing sinks.”

• “The conference room table we made for Carvana was special because it was one of our first projects and it is so unique to the client. It replicated the design of their revolutionary car vending machine. It had such intricate details that were subtle but meant so much to its style and functionality—I-beam construction, chrome powder cover, diamond plated.”

• “The reactor table in our showroom was the result of a challenge I issued to (industrial designer) Vern. Unlike any other table, it has three interconnected heavyduty cranks that are used to raise log homes, so it’s dynamic and hands on. It easily adjusts to sitting or standing height.”

– General manager Mark Schrecker December 2017

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Writer Lara Piu // Photography Bryan Black

I

In a golf retail world filled with mega chains owned by who knows whom, Hornacek’s Golf is a breath of fresh air.

Located in the Pinnacle at Scottsdale Mall, Hornacek’s Golf is privately owned by John Hornacek, who has lived and worked in the area for more than 25 years.

After graduating college, John relocated to North Scottsdale when his brother Jeff came to play for the Phoenix Suns in 1996.

“Jeff was traded for Charles Barkley when I was here on vacation from Chicago and just stayed out here,” John explained.

That’s when John, a former baseball player at Illinois State University, saw the community’s need for a high-quality golf store.

“At that time you had to drive nearly 30 minutes to find a golf shop,” John recalls. “We wanted to provide the community with a store that had everything in their backyard.”

Since then, Hornacek’s Golf has been equipping golfers in the area with anything and everything needed to play. The 9,500-square-foot shop carries 35 brands of golf clubs, clothing, shoes and accessories. Customers can test clubs out on the store’s putting green or in one of its two hitting bays. And when equipment needs a little TLC, Hornacek’s Golf is there to repair it.

“Our selection and prices go head-to-head with any mega golf store, hands down,” John adds.

On most days, John, alongside his two loyal bulldogs, Norman and Matilda, is hands-on in the store. He greets customers, gives advice and helps them find what they need. Many of his customers have been coming to the store since the beginning, and he and his staff know many of them by name.

Hornacek’s Golf is also currently the only store in the Valley to carry the complete line of Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG)’s very popular, top-shelf line of golf clubs, clothing and accessories launched by Bob Parsons, the billionaire behind Go Daddy.

“This is the first golf brand that really has lived up to the hype,” John suggests. “It out-performs everybody and everything. It’s the best product I've seen in 22 years.”

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A set of PXG clubs sell for an average of $3,500, and according to John, they are worth every penny.

“The technology performs better than any other product,” he explains. “The ads are literally the truth.”

“But isn’t the golf world saturated with high-end golf clubs?” you may ask.

“It's the difference between a Mercedes or a Bentley,” John answers. “You can even feel the difference in the quality of PXG’s shirts. You may be spending $200 for a shirt, but you are actually also getting that quality, rather than simply paying for the hype of a brand.”

Parsons established PXG to create the “best-performing golf equipment on the planet, without regard to cost.” The company already boasts 120 global patents on its proprietary designs and innovations.

Earlier this year, the brand added a line of 0311X driving irons to its list of high-end and high-performance golf clubs. Available in five lofts ranging from 15 to 24 degrees, the low-spin driving irons are designed to deliver more ball flight and perform optimally under various weather conditions. A wide sole design

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and minimal offset give the irons low-sitting center of gravity positions closer to the shaft axis. The result, according to Forbes magazine is “a less dynamic loft at impact, keeping the ball low, sending it far and giving the club what PXG founder Bob Parsons says is its ‘buttery smooth’ feel.”

The new 0311X driving irons are sold for $350 for the chrome finish, and $450 for the Xtreme Dark version. The company also recently released 100% milled wedges, and a line of drivers, fairway woods and hybrids known for low spin rates and high launch angles.

“Nobody makes golf clubs the way we do, period,” PXG founder and CEO Bob Parsons says.

The entire PXG line can be found at Hornacek’s Golf, open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Hornacek’s Golf 23587 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale 480-502-0555 hornaceksgolf.com

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As a child, I always had to have frosted sugar cookies from the market. They were my absolute favorite—even Fire-grilled chili lime though I knew they were horrible for me. I decided I shrimp aretocradled inwith a a “better for you� recipe without needed come up bed of tangy red cabbage compromising on the flavor and texture of these iconic slaw and wrapped in ajust like the store-bought version, but cookies.

These look warm tortilla forand a light, better for you much more delicious! yet super satisfying dinner.

Make extra, because these mouthwatering shrimp tacos go quickly.

Writer and Photographer Kyndra Kelly

Frosted Sugar Cookies Ingredients: Dough: 1 c. sugar 1/2 c. butter, room temp 2 eggs 1/2 c. sour cream 2 tsp. vanilla 3 c. flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt Frosting: 2 c. powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tbsp. milk 1/2 c. butter food coloring (optional) Note: Using imitation vanilla extract will give it more of a store-bought flavor. Be sure to bake just until bottoms begin to brown for a moister cookie.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Add in sour cream, eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients until well-combined. Let chill in refrigerator for one hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough with rolling pin until about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. Using a round, 2-1/2 to 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Place each cookie on cookie sheet and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until just starting to brown. Do not overbake! Let cool, and make the frosting.

Mix all frosting ingredients, adding food coloring as desired. Spread frosting on cooled cookies and sprinkle with decorations. kyndraclaire.com

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There is nothing like the taste and aroma of freshly roasted cup of coffee, and at Carefree Coffee Roastery, coffee is an art. Carefree Coffee Roastery’s specialty beans are more perfect beans with better flavor profiles. They are roasted in-house, guaranteeing a smooth full flavor without bitterness or burnt taste.

This month, Carefree Coffee Roastery is serving its traditional German Christmas stollen, a delicious bread full of candied fruit and nuts. They’ve also added ciabatta to the menu, which includes warm croissants made with cheese and ham or salami; fresh nonfat Greek yogurt with honey, almonds and a super seed blend; gluten-free, non-GMO and vegan food and drink selections; and plain, blueberry, cinnamon, everything and raisin bagels.

Breakfast is not the only meal to be had at Carefree Coffee Roastery. Customers can also stay for dessert! With German cheesecake, maple crumb cake and German apple cake, there won’t be a reason to say no. Additionally, the coffee shop boasts of an assortment of treats from local vendors, including classic Italian baked goods, toffee, brittle, chocolate and cotton candy.

The nitro cold brew and popular specialty coffees, such as Ethiopian Yirgacheffe 1 Kochere, Brazil Daterra Sweet Blue and Indonesian Sumatra Kokowagayo Fair Trade Organic, continue to please both old and new customers alike.

Carefree Coffee Roastery is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m., and is closed on Sundays. Start the day right with a filling breakfast or boost your afternoon slump with a delicious dessert.

And of course, always pair it with a nice cup of coffee.

Carefree Coffee Roastery 7171 E. Cave Creek Rd. Carefree, 85331 480-595-5050 carefreecoffeeroastery.com

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Dining guide

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Fresh Apple Cake Fresh apple cake is a recipe that has been in the family for decades, and it is a must-have during the holiday season. This cake is amazing with or without nuts. If your frosting is too runny, add powdered sugar to desired consistency.

Ingredients: Cake: 2-1/3 c. flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/2 c. butter

2 c. sugar 3/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 4 c. chopped, peeled apples 2 eggs

Caramel Frosting: 1/3 c. butter salt 1-1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar 3 tbsp. milk vanilla

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, soda, salt and spices in a large bowl. Blend with electric mixer for three minutes, until spices are distributed evenly.

Peel and chop apples in 1/2-inch cubes. Add apples, butter, nuts and eggs, beating on medium speed until combined. It may look like its not going to come together, but just let it mix, as the apples release liquid to help it all come together.

Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake for 45 minutes. The cake should spring back when touched. Cool and make caramel frosting (below).

Melt butter in small saucepan. Once melted, add brown sugar and a dash of salt. Stir over medium heat until sugar melts, then add milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into electric mixing bowl and let sit for 10 minutes to cool. Whip on medium speed, then turn to low to add powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip until it all comes together in an easy-to-spread consistency.

Pour over apple cake and spread evenly. Cut and serve! kyndraclaire.com

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Writer and Photographer Kyndra Kelly

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