Jane Blacker | Arizona Homeowner

ArizonaHomeowner

VANN

Vol. 6 Issue 1

Maricopa County By The Numbers

Hands-On History

JANUARY 2019 10/29/18 – 11/29/18

6,302

AVG SOLD PRICE

$

TOTAL #

CLOSED

336,056

98

61

LIST/SELL PRICE RATIO

Quality Listing Photos Help Sell When listing your home online, you only get one chance to impress potential buyers. Lackluster images send the wrong message. Experts advise hiring a professional photographer.

Source: Realtor.com

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AVG DAYS ON MARKET

Your La Solana neighbor and property expert.

Lesley Vann

If you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling, call Lesley today!

M.Ed., PLLC, Realtor®

480.599.1119 Direct Lesley@LesleyVann.com LesleyVann.com • La Solana 33107 N. 25th Drive | Phoenix | 85085 Call Lesley today if you are thinking about a new home!

If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

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

Hurray for Hygge The Art of Cozy

Papago Park Phoenix, AZ

Kale & Grilled Chicken Salad GoodNes

LOCAL VENUE Phoenix, AZ

HYGGE C

lose your eyes and imagine the feeling you would have as a fire crackles warmly in the hearth, a hand-knit throw covers your knees, and your hands are wrapped around a cup of cocoa topped by three fluffy marshmallows while you share the best parts of your day with someone special.

It’s almost tangible, right?

Papago Park is located in both Phoenix and Tempe and is well known for its distinctive geological formations and wide variety of desert plants. The park is also home to the Phoenix Zoo, Desert Botanical Gardens, picnic area, hiking trails, bike paths, small lakes and the infamous Hole-in-the-Rock. This major landmark exists from erosion of the 6 million year old red rocks over time and is accessable for the experienced hiker. The park is an excellent place to bring your family to experience the outdoors, see incredible desert plants and maybe even some wildlife!

Source: Phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/ papago-park

Well, the Scandinavians have a word to specifically describe that feeling: hygge. Pronounced HOO-ga, it originates from a Danish word meaning to give comfort or joy. It’s also believed to evolve most appropriately from the English word ‘hug.’

Hygge has been especially embraced – pun intended – as a way of life by the people of Denmark. More than just seeking out simple pleasures, it’s a dedicated mindset of creating a convivial atmosphere of contentment, as well as sharing that feeling with people in your life in order to further elevate the hygge factor. In fact, the Danes take it so seriously there is a whole page and documentary series on their national tourism website explaining and encouraging hygge.

This growing obsession with the art of being cozy began to take hold in the late 20th Century and has since spawned numerous articles, videos and popular books such as The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking. In recent years, this contentment phenomenon has crossed the ocean and endeared itself to American culture. The Broadway musical, Frozen, features a song called Hygge about being comfortable, and you can’t go online without seeing lifestyle influencers infusing a sense of wellbeing and coziness into food, fashion and design.

Winter is the perfect time of year for hygge. It is simmering in a glass of mulled wine while classical music plays in the next room. It is knit into your favorite fuzzy socks and floats invisibly on the smoke of a bergamot scented candle. While you can absolutely achieve the sense of contentment while enjoying your own company, the Nordics believe it’s best experienced when shared with loved ones.

Free university and healthcare notwithstanding, there’s a good reason why the Scandinavian people are some of the happiest souls in the world. But if relocating isn’t in your future you can still live a harmonious life with intention. Turn off those digital distractions for the afternoon, don your coziest cardigan, and go visit a bakery or a bookstore and breathe in that heavenly hygge. It’s good for the soul.

I

f you spent much time in museums as a kid, either with family or on field trips, chances are you heard a lot of “Shhhh!” and “Don’t touch that!” or God forbid, “Where did you get that mastodon bone?!” They were often institutions of dusty history and unfathomable art that came with a long list of rules and etiquette.

THE MOB MUSEUM | LAS VEGAS, NV Just

Fortunately for today’s kids – and adults – museums have been redefining themselves as places of enjoyable learning and hands-on engagement. Instead of a roped off exhibit, there might be rope ladders leading to a ship’s deck and a cast of pirates.

Educators and curators are learning to incorporate interactive elements in order to stimulate imaginations, bringing history, science and art alive.

With the increased attention in recent years on STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – museums have found creative ways to inspire new generations of learners. In huge, urban art museums that were often quiet, almost spiritual places to study and revere the Masters, you’ll now likely find a dedicated children’s area where they can create and make happy messes while subconsciously learning about Matisse or Pollack.

what it sounds, this museum is dedicated to the history of organized crime and law enforcement.

In addition to exhibits of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, you can participate in an FBI crime lab and if you’re over 21, hit The Speakeasy afterwards!

FT. COLLINS MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY | FT. COLLINS, CO This family-friendly museum offers a unique mix of science and history that encourages visitors to discover the core connections everything from music and artifacts to machines and animals – all hands-on and interactive.

MUSEUM OF SELFIES | LOS ANGELES, CA For those firmly

A quick google search of interactive wonder will undoubtedly lead you to discover that there’s just such an institution nearby!

Here are just a few around the country that we can’t wait to visit:

entrenched in the 21st Century, there is a place in L.A. (of course) devoted to the art of the selfie. In addition to taking a dive into the history of this pop culture phenomenon, you can take your picture safely dangling from a tall building or mirrored in an optical illusion. Smile!

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM | SCOTTSDALE AZ Rated as one of the top 20 museums in the U.S., the MIM has more than 6,800 instruments from around the world on display – and to play – as well as concerts and events.

This emerging, engaging brand of museum is often family friendly, affordable, and can be a fantastic find on your next vacation – and guaranteed to be more memorable than the local amusement park.

Grilled Chicken Salad

With Lemon Vinaigrette

FLAVORFUL

Papago Park

INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup

Fresh lemon juice

2 tbl

Extra virgin olive oil

1 tbl

Dijon mustard

4 cups

Baby kale

1 1/2 cups

Sliced, grilled chicken breast meat

3/4 cup

Shredded carrot

1

Apple, cored and thinly sliced

2 tbl

Sliced almonds, toasted

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS Combine lemon juice, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl.

LIFEWISE

Add kale, chicken, carrot, apple and almonds. Toss to combine.

GoodNes.com

LOCAL VENUE Phoenix, AZ

HYGGE C

lose your eyes and imagine the feeling you would have as a fire crackles warmly in the hearth, a hand-knit throw covers your knees, and your hands are wrapped around a cup of cocoa topped by three fluffy marshmallows while you share the best parts of your day with someone special.

It’s almost tangible, right?

Papago Park is located in both Phoenix and Tempe and is well known for its distinctive geological formations and wide variety of desert plants. The park is also home to the Phoenix Zoo, Desert Botanical Gardens, picnic area, hiking trails, bike paths, small lakes and the infamous Hole-in-the-Rock. This major landmark exists from erosion of the 6 million year old red rocks over time and is accessable for the experienced hiker. The park is an excellent place to bring your family to experience the outdoors, see incredible desert plants and maybe even some wildlife!

Source: Phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/ papago-park

Well, the Scandinavians have a word to specifically describe that feeling: hygge. Pronounced HOO-ga, it originates from a Danish word meaning to give comfort or joy. It’s also believed to evolve most appropriately from the English word ‘hug.’

Hygge has been especially embraced – pun intended – as a way of life by the people of Denmark. More than just seeking out simple pleasures, it’s a dedicated mindset of creating a convivial atmosphere of contentment, as well as sharing that feeling with people in your life in order to further elevate the hygge factor. In fact, the Danes take it so seriously there is a whole page and documentary series on their national tourism website explaining and encouraging hygge.

This growing obsession with the art of being cozy began to take hold in the late 20th Century and has since spawned numerous articles, videos and popular books such as The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking. In recent years, this contentment phenomenon has crossed the ocean and endeared itself to American culture. The Broadway musical, Frozen, features a song called Hygge about being comfortable, and you can’t go online without seeing lifestyle influencers infusing a sense of wellbeing and coziness into food, fashion and design.

Winter is the perfect time of year for hygge. It is simmering in a glass of mulled wine while classical music plays in the next room. It is knit into your favorite fuzzy socks and floats invisibly on the smoke of a bergamot scented candle. While you can absolutely achieve the sense of contentment while enjoying your own company, the Nordics believe it’s best experienced when shared with loved ones.

Free university and healthcare notwithstanding, there’s a good reason why the Scandinavian people are some of the happiest souls in the world. But if relocating isn’t in your future you can still live a harmonious life with intention. Turn off those digital distractions for the afternoon, don your coziest cardigan, and go visit a bakery or a bookstore and breathe in that heavenly hygge. It’s good for the soul.

I

f you spent much time in museums as a kid, either with family or on field trips, chances are you heard a lot of “Shhhh!” and “Don’t touch that!” or God forbid, “Where did you get that mastodon bone?!” They were often institutions of dusty history and unfathomable art that came with a long list of rules and etiquette.

THE MOB MUSEUM | LAS VEGAS, NV Just

Fortunately for today’s kids – and adults – museums have been redefining themselves as places of enjoyable learning and hands-on engagement. Instead of a roped off exhibit, there might be rope ladders leading to a ship’s deck and a cast of pirates.

Educators and curators are learning to incorporate interactive elements in order to stimulate imaginations, bringing history, science and art alive.

With the increased attention in recent years on STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – museums have found creative ways to inspire new generations of learners. In huge, urban art museums that were often quiet, almost spiritual places to study and revere the Masters, you’ll now likely find a dedicated children’s area where they can create and make happy messes while subconsciously learning about Matisse or Pollack.

what it sounds, this museum is dedicated to the history of organized crime and law enforcement.

In addition to exhibits of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, you can participate in an FBI crime lab and if you’re over 21, hit The Speakeasy afterwards!

FT. COLLINS MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY | FT. COLLINS, CO This family-friendly museum offers a unique mix of science and history that encourages visitors to discover the core connections everything from music and artifacts to machines and animals – all hands-on and interactive.

MUSEUM OF SELFIES | LOS ANGELES, CA For those firmly

A quick google search of interactive wonder will undoubtedly lead you to discover that there’s just such an institution nearby!

Here are just a few around the country that we can’t wait to visit:

entrenched in the 21st Century, there is a place in L.A. (of course) devoted to the art of the selfie. In addition to taking a dive into the history of this pop culture phenomenon, you can take your picture safely dangling from a tall building or mirrored in an optical illusion. Smile!

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM | SCOTTSDALE AZ Rated as one of the top 20 museums in the U.S., the MIM has more than 6,800 instruments from around the world on display – and to play – as well as concerts and events.

This emerging, engaging brand of museum is often family friendly, affordable, and can be a fantastic find on your next vacation – and guaranteed to be more memorable than the local amusement park.

Grilled Chicken Salad

With Lemon Vinaigrette

FLAVORFUL

Papago Park

INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup

Fresh lemon juice

2 tbl

Extra virgin olive oil

1 tbl

Dijon mustard

4 cups

Baby kale

1 1/2 cups

Sliced, grilled chicken breast meat

3/4 cup

Shredded carrot

1

Apple, cored and thinly sliced

2 tbl

Sliced almonds, toasted

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS Combine lemon juice, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl.

LIFEWISE

Add kale, chicken, carrot, apple and almonds. Toss to combine.

GoodNes.com

About Jane J

ane Blacker has been a widely-respected member of the Valley of the Sun real estate industry since 2000. With over 30 years as a real estate professional, her

track record remains spotless-something she attributes to always placing her clients’ interests first, providing unsurpassed service, meticulous attention to detail, and staying abreast of market trends and changes affecting the real estate industry.

Jane joined Russ Lyon Realty Company in March 2001. She achieved a topproducer ranking within two years and continues to be a top producer with Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty.

Originally from England, her career in real estate began when she joined a commercial real estate company in London and worked for ten years as the Executive Assistant to the Managing Partner.

Her many community activities include serving on the Board of Directors of the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale. In 2013 and 2014 Jane was recognized by the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce for her outstanding contributions to the community and has been the recipient of two prestigious business volunteer awards.

Jane Blacker REALTOR | SRES

Cell 480.283.3009 Fax 480.624.3711 Jane.Blacker@RussLyon.com Call Jane today if you are thinking about a new home for 2017!

If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

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