Arizona Passion For Life

KURT

Your Referrals are the Greatest Compliment

Kominski and Farina

PA S S I O N F O R L I F E Vol. 3 Issue 5

Let the Light In Kurt and Cindy are dedicated to providing their clients with the highest level of customer service and helping clients make their dreams a reality.

THE NEW SKYLIGHT

Kurt is an Associate Broker with 21 years of real estate experience.

He was born in Washington State and grew up on a dairy farm and later worked as a real estate agent for 16 years. He moved to Arizona in 2010 to continue selling real estate.

Cindy has impressive knowledge to add to her 4th year in real estate. She was born and raised in Arizona. She has over 20 years experience in the financial industry and worked for a Fortune 500 Company as a Financial Analyst.

We both take pride in assisting our clients with all their real estate needs. Our passion for life long relationships is second to none.

Art Adventures

COMMUNITY ART WALKS

The Handlebar’s

QUINOA SALAD WITH ROASTED BEETS

Kurt Kominski

Cindy Farina

KurtKominski@gmail.com

CindyFarina1@gmail.com

602.541.4107

480.298.2319

www.azvalleydreamhomes.com

17235 N 75th Ave | Suite C-190 | Glendale AZ | 85308 If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Produced by DLP Marketing • (480)460-0996 • DLPmarketing.com

Following the Hieroglyphic Trail

IN THE SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS

When Only The Best Will Do

Contact Kurt & Cindy

Hieroglyphic Trail Superstition Mountains

SUN CATCHERS W

Most hikes into the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix begin from the north side, but one of the shortest, easiest reached and therefore most popular routes starts in the south, at the edge of the expanding community of Gold Canyon.

The 1.5 mile Hieroglyphic Trail climbs a gentle slope covered with many cacti then enters the lower end of a boulder-filled canyon, ending at a rocky section where pools persist for much of the year, a location important for the ancient Hohokam Indians, who inhabited this desert region up to 1,500 years ago. Evidence of their settlement includes hundreds of petroglyphs etched into the dark, weathered surface of the basalt cliffs above the pools, some with very intricate designs. This scenic location is high enough for a long-distance panorama southwest over Gold Canyon and the Gila River plain, and also provides close-up views of the jagged upper slopes of the Superstition Mountains to the north, rising over 2,000 feet higher.

Source: AmericanSouthwest.net/Arizona

ho doesn’t love the look and feel of a sun-drenched room, light and airy and full of freshness? Unfortunately, if you’re like most homeowners, you have a room or two that always seems a bit dark and dreary. Maybe it’s a downstairs bathroom with only one small window, a windowless closet or laundry room, or even a main space in your home that just never seems to get enough natural sunlight. Sound familiar?

Well then, have we found an interesting solution for you!

Enter Solatube, a cool new way to get natural sunlight into the darkest and most depressing rooms of your home … all without major construction. And without breaking the bank! Here’s how it works: Solatube installers come to your home and fit in tubing that runs from your rooftop to the ceiling of the room you’re looking to illuminate. The Solatube Daylighting System captures sunlight in a domelike lens on the roof. Then the light is transferred down this tubing, which is made from highly reflective material. Finally, special diffusers at the end of the tubes evenly disperse the natural sunlight throughout the room. The Solatube tubing can run for up to 30 feet allowing natural light to flow into lower levels of your home, something which cannot be done with traditional skylights of yore. And because the tubing is installed in sections, angled pieces can be built around joists and rafters so there is no major construction needed at installation. In fact, installation can take place in just a few hours.

And while older skylights often look outdated, Solatube offers several stylish choices of decorative fixtures to finish the look of the lights in your rooms. Guests may not even realize the lights are anything other than traditional light fixtures. There are even options to diffuse the light, making it seem natural, warm, or soft, depending on your lighting preferences.

Of course, the natural sunlight is a huge benefit to the look of your home, but the other major advantage of the Solatube system is for your electricity bill. Since sunshine is free, your lighting bill will be decreased. That’s good for you and for the environment!

Studies have also shown that natural sunshine is good for your health.

And if the newfound sunshine is ever too much of a good thing? The company offers a handy dimmer to shut out daylight in case you need to go nap.

YOUR HOME

Calling All Art Lovers!

W

ant to get more connected with the cultural scene in your community? Seek out an art walk. Many towns and cities with thriving art scenes offer weekly or monthly art walks, when community members are invited to come out at night and stroll from gallery to gallery to soak up the sights. Think of it similar to a pub-crawl, only participants are sipping wine and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres not drinking ale, all while admiring and perhaps even purchasing fine art along the way.

Wondering where to begin? Start by searching for art walks in your city online, or call any local museums or galleries and ask them to fill you in on all the details. If you live in a smaller town,

ART WALK

you may have a few galleries hooking up to offer introductions to their work and new exhibits on a monthly basis. Some larger cities boast art walk lounges, where you can start your own self-guided tour and gather maps and information on the galleries and nearby local businesses. Some cities even offer smart phone apps to help guide you as you walk from gallery to gallery. Other enticing opportunities we’ve seen in some cities include meet-the-artist moments when you can watch the artists at work; pre- and post-art walk parties at nearby bars, restaurants, and hotels; live music; and horse-drawn carriage rides to get you from gallery to gallery.

A few tips: Be sure to get to the galleries early if you’re interested in sharing some of the food and wine, as these events can get crowded and offerings can run out. And remember that you’re really there for the art, not for the free goodies. Also, realize that artists are interested in sharing and educating people about their craft, and though they would love it if you bought their art, they certainly don’t expect everyone to make a purchase. Don’t be intimidated by pricey galleries, as most savvy artists will offer a vast price range of their work.

If there isn’t an art walk in your town (and there should be if it’s home to at least several art galleries), start one! Not only is it a great way to enjoy a cultural experience within your own community, it is also a great idea for a date night, or if you’re single, an exciting way to meet like-minded art lovers that live in your area. Sounds like a win-win to us!

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets

LOCAL FLAVOR!

LOCAL VENUE

SALAD INGREDIENTS

DRESSING INSTRUCTIONS

2c cooked quinoa ½ c cooked beets large dice ½ c sugar snap peas

bias cut into quarters ½ c pomegranate seeds ½ c sweet garlic dressing

(recipe below) 4 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

to top salads 4 leaves butter leaf lettuce

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the oil, vinegar and sugar.

Pour a small amount of the liquid in a blender with the salt, pepper, Worcestershire, garlic, and red onion.

Puree until smooth. Stream in remaining liquid with the blender running, turn off and adjust the seasonings as need.

Yield: 2 cups.

SWEET GARLIC DRESSING INGREDIENTS ½c ½c ½c 4 ¼ 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp

apple cider vinegar vegetable oil sugar garlic cloves red onion salt pepper Worcestershire

SALAD INSTRUCTIONS In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked quinoa, beets, sugar snap peas, and pomegranate seeds. Season these items lightly with salt and pepper, and then add sweet garlic dressing and toss to combine.

To plate: Place a leaf of butter lettuce in each of the 4 bowls and divide the quinoa salad evenly amongst the 4 bowls. Top each salad with a tablespoon of crumbled feta cheese.

Serves 4.

The Handlebar Tempe 480.474.4888 | HandlebarAZ.com

Hieroglyphic Trail Superstition Mountains

SUN CATCHERS W

Most hikes into the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix begin from the north side, but one of the shortest, easiest reached and therefore most popular routes starts in the south, at the edge of the expanding community of Gold Canyon.

The 1.5 mile Hieroglyphic Trail climbs a gentle slope covered with many cacti then enters the lower end of a boulder-filled canyon, ending at a rocky section where pools persist for much of the year, a location important for the ancient Hohokam Indians, who inhabited this desert region up to 1,500 years ago. Evidence of their settlement includes hundreds of petroglyphs etched into the dark, weathered surface of the basalt cliffs above the pools, some with very intricate designs. This scenic location is high enough for a long-distance panorama southwest over Gold Canyon and the Gila River plain, and also provides close-up views of the jagged upper slopes of the Superstition Mountains to the north, rising over 2,000 feet higher.

Source: AmericanSouthwest.net/Arizona

ho doesn’t love the look and feel of a sun-drenched room, light and airy and full of freshness? Unfortunately, if you’re like most homeowners, you have a room or two that always seems a bit dark and dreary. Maybe it’s a downstairs bathroom with only one small window, a windowless closet or laundry room, or even a main space in your home that just never seems to get enough natural sunlight. Sound familiar?

Well then, have we found an interesting solution for you!

Enter Solatube, a cool new way to get natural sunlight into the darkest and most depressing rooms of your home … all without major construction. And without breaking the bank! Here’s how it works: Solatube installers come to your home and fit in tubing that runs from your rooftop to the ceiling of the room you’re looking to illuminate. The Solatube Daylighting System captures sunlight in a domelike lens on the roof. Then the light is transferred down this tubing, which is made from highly reflective material. Finally, special diffusers at the end of the tubes evenly disperse the natural sunlight throughout the room. The Solatube tubing can run for up to 30 feet allowing natural light to flow into lower levels of your home, something which cannot be done with traditional skylights of yore. And because the tubing is installed in sections, angled pieces can be built around joists and rafters so there is no major construction needed at installation. In fact, installation can take place in just a few hours.

And while older skylights often look outdated, Solatube offers several stylish choices of decorative fixtures to finish the look of the lights in your rooms. Guests may not even realize the lights are anything other than traditional light fixtures. There are even options to diffuse the light, making it seem natural, warm, or soft, depending on your lighting preferences.

Of course, the natural sunlight is a huge benefit to the look of your home, but the other major advantage of the Solatube system is for your electricity bill. Since sunshine is free, your lighting bill will be decreased. That’s good for you and for the environment!

Studies have also shown that natural sunshine is good for your health.

And if the newfound sunshine is ever too much of a good thing? The company offers a handy dimmer to shut out daylight in case you need to go nap.

YOUR HOME

Calling All Art Lovers!

W

ant to get more connected with the cultural scene in your community? Seek out an art walk. Many towns and cities with thriving art scenes offer weekly or monthly art walks, when community members are invited to come out at night and stroll from gallery to gallery to soak up the sights. Think of it similar to a pub-crawl, only participants are sipping wine and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres not drinking ale, all while admiring and perhaps even purchasing fine art along the way.

Wondering where to begin? Start by searching for art walks in your city online, or call any local museums or galleries and ask them to fill you in on all the details. If you live in a smaller town,

ART WALK

you may have a few galleries hooking up to offer introductions to their work and new exhibits on a monthly basis. Some larger cities boast art walk lounges, where you can start your own self-guided tour and gather maps and information on the galleries and nearby local businesses. Some cities even offer smart phone apps to help guide you as you walk from gallery to gallery. Other enticing opportunities we’ve seen in some cities include meet-the-artist moments when you can watch the artists at work; pre- and post-art walk parties at nearby bars, restaurants, and hotels; live music; and horse-drawn carriage rides to get you from gallery to gallery.

A few tips: Be sure to get to the galleries early if you’re interested in sharing some of the food and wine, as these events can get crowded and offerings can run out. And remember that you’re really there for the art, not for the free goodies. Also, realize that artists are interested in sharing and educating people about their craft, and though they would love it if you bought their art, they certainly don’t expect everyone to make a purchase. Don’t be intimidated by pricey galleries, as most savvy artists will offer a vast price range of their work.

If there isn’t an art walk in your town (and there should be if it’s home to at least several art galleries), start one! Not only is it a great way to enjoy a cultural experience within your own community, it is also a great idea for a date night, or if you’re single, an exciting way to meet like-minded art lovers that live in your area. Sounds like a win-win to us!

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets

LOCAL FLAVOR!

LOCAL VENUE

SALAD INGREDIENTS

DRESSING INSTRUCTIONS

2c cooked quinoa ½ c cooked beets large dice ½ c sugar snap peas

bias cut into quarters ½ c pomegranate seeds ½ c sweet garlic dressing

(recipe below) 4 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

to top salads 4 leaves butter leaf lettuce

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the oil, vinegar and sugar.

Pour a small amount of the liquid in a blender with the salt, pepper, Worcestershire, garlic, and red onion.

Puree until smooth. Stream in remaining liquid with the blender running, turn off and adjust the seasonings as need.

Yield: 2 cups.

SWEET GARLIC DRESSING INGREDIENTS ½c ½c ½c 4 ¼ 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp

apple cider vinegar vegetable oil sugar garlic cloves red onion salt pepper Worcestershire

SALAD INSTRUCTIONS In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked quinoa, beets, sugar snap peas, and pomegranate seeds. Season these items lightly with salt and pepper, and then add sweet garlic dressing and toss to combine.

To plate: Place a leaf of butter lettuce in each of the 4 bowls and divide the quinoa salad evenly amongst the 4 bowls. Top each salad with a tablespoon of crumbled feta cheese.

Serves 4.

The Handlebar Tempe 480.474.4888 | HandlebarAZ.com

KURT

Your Referrals are the Greatest Compliment

Kominski and Farina

PA S S I O N F O R L I F E Vol. 3 Issue 5

Let the Light In Kurt and Cindy are dedicated to providing their clients with the highest level of customer service and helping clients make their dreams a reality.

THE NEW SKYLIGHT

Kurt is an Associate Broker with 21 years of real estate experience.

He was born in Washington State and grew up on a dairy farm and later worked as a real estate agent for 16 years. He moved to Arizona in 2010 to continue selling real estate.

Cindy has impressive knowledge to add to her 4th year in real estate. She was born and raised in Arizona. She has over 20 years experience in the financial industry and worked for a Fortune 500 Company as a Financial Analyst.

We both take pride in assisting our clients with all their real estate needs. Our passion for life long relationships is second to none.

Art Adventures

COMMUNITY ART WALKS

The Handlebar’s

QUINOA SALAD WITH ROASTED BEETS

Kurt Kominski

Cindy Farina

KurtKominski@gmail.com

CindyFarina1@gmail.com

602.541.4107

480.298.2319

www.azvalleydreamhomes.com

17235 N 75th Ave | Suite C-190 | Glendale AZ | 85308 If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Produced by DLP Marketing • (480)460-0996 • DLPmarketing.com

Following the Hieroglyphic Trail

IN THE SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS

When Only The Best Will Do

Contact Kurt & Cindy