DeVon Connors | AZHO

DEVON

ARIZONA

Featured Listing Presented by DeVon Connors Vol. 2 Issue 10

Posh Holiday Parties

DeVon Connors, ABR 602.228.1243

Extraordinary Entertaining

DeVon@DeVonConnors.com

5107 N 21st Street | Phoenix, AZ 85016 6 Bed | 4 Bath | 4,488 SQFT | $1,895,000 Virtual Tour | http://www.tourfactory.com/1447691 World renowned Arcologist, Paolo Soleri, designed just two single family homes during his lifetime: this home was designed solely due to his personal relationship with the original owner.

Flowing interiors & barrel vaulted ceilings with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin-inspired interior finishes, set the home’s overall tone.

2014’s Modern Phoenix Home Tour explored the current owner’s sympathetic renovations & upgrades as “respectfully preserving Soleri’s intent.”

THE DEVON CONNORS TEAM Integrity, Experience, Five Star Customer Service and FUN in Real Estate

The near acre setting is securely walled & gated; hosting mature pines, lush lawns, a linear swimming pool & a new fire lit Cabana all contributing to the sense of wide open rural life, yet steps from every urban convenience.

Whether you are buying or selling a home, my personal connection with (and interest in) my clients, coupled with my passion for the homes I represent, creates the environment to successfully bring Sellers and Buyers together.

DeVon Connors

SELLING BEAUTIFUL HOMES FOR EXTRAORDINARY LIVES

Paradise Valley/Biltmore Office| 3113 E Lincoln Drive | Phoenix AZ | 85016

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

Produced by Desert Lifestyle Publishing • 480.460.0996 • www.DesertLifestyle.net

Perfect Presents Wrap It Up!

Spreading Cheer Huckleberry Cheesecake

Vine to Wine Tour Biltmore Winery

An Urban Mountain Retreat Offered At $1,299,000 Exclusively Presented By DeVon Connors

Picture Perfect Presents

TIME FOR TRAVEL Biltmore Winery Ashville, NC

POSH PARTIES

Wrapping a gift in beautiful papers and bows is like putting a creative thought into words. The first pleasure that comes with gift giving is handing a striking package to the recipient. Next, there’s the shared pleasure of watching someone enjoy untying bows, pulling off paper, unfolding tissue, and finally seeing the gift, according to the gift-wrapping experts at Hallmark. Here are some tips to make your packages really shine:

T

he enchantment and wonder of the holidays make an excellent excuse for an amazing party. Here are a few over-the-top ideas to use if you are planning an in-home holiday event. These ideas will make sure to keep your guests talking for years to come:

In the early 1970s George Vanderbilt’s grandson, William Cecil, envisioned the idea of an estate winery that would honor the agricultural heritage of his grandfather’s estate. Despite a variety of obstacles, he planted French-American hybrid vines below Biltmore House, and his inaugural vintage is bottled in the Conservatory basement.

Visit our historic winery on Biltmore’s 8,000-acre estate nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. Savor complimentary tastings, a wine bar, specialty tastings, and more as part of your distinctive experience at America’s most-visited winery, located in the heart of Antler Hill Village. Begin your wine exploration with a guided tour to learn how this original dairy barn was converted into our state-of-the-art winery, and develop a deeper understanding of our winemaking philosophy.

Expand your palette with our specialty tours and tastings to enjoy the classic pairing of Red Wine & Chocolate, or dive into the sparkling side of our winery with Biltmore Bubbles. Interested in seeing our vineyards? Our exclusive Vine to Wine Tour combines an excursion over the river to our breathtaking vineyards on the west side of Biltmore – an area that most guests never see – with a walking production tour and wine tastings throughout the experience.

Source: Biltmore.com

• Use tissue. White, colored or patterned tissue enhances the element of surprise, dresses up a gift and creates a pleasing rustle when removed or opened. Be sure tissue is fresh and crisp. (Tip: Combine two coordinating colors of tissue for a dramatic effect in a handle bag or photo box.)

Party Theme – Winter Wonderland. Think cool, glittery snow and sparkling ice. This elegant and timeless theme lends itself for an upscale and adult-only soiree.

Entertainment – If you have a swimming pool cover it with clear acrylic for a dance floor and illuminate the pool with blue lights. Members of the symphony are often available for private events and can provide upscale and swanky musical entertainment.

Party Favors – Give your guests their party favors of ice-blue pashmina wraps and crystalstudded flip-flops as they arrive, so they can make use of them to ward off any chill in the air and to dance the night away in lieu of stilettos.

Lastly, instruct the valet attendants to place a bottle of Swarovski crystal-decorated Bling H20 water into each vehicle for a refreshing beverage on your guests’ way home.

YOUR HOME

• Stockpile. Keep on hand in a special drawer, box or plastic container; a variety of plain and patterned papers, handle bags, photo boxes, tissue, tags and ribbons, as well as scissors, tape and boxes. A gift as simple as a box of candy becomes extra special when tied with a bow or wrapped in tissue tied with ribbon.

• Choose wrap and accessories as you do clothing. Apply the same principles to gift wrap as to your wardrobe or home décor. Match or coordinate patterns, colors, textures and accessories to present a finished, pulled-together look.

Stay in the same family (casual, elegant, whimsical, contemporary, etc.) for ribbon, wrap and add-ons.

• Let the wrap reflect personality. Gift wrap can reflect the personality of the giver or the recipient. Gifts for men look handsome in textured papers in plaids and printed craft papers.

Décor & Ambiance – Think white, white, and white with just a touch of ice-blue.

Have guests enter your home on a white carpet leading to the doorway. Place glittery, imitation snow all along the walkway, hang sparkling snowflakes from the trees and be generous with the use of tiny white lights inside and out. Event planners can arrange for all of your furnishings and décor to be temporarily replaced with white leather seating and clear Lucite tables. Drape walls in white fabric with subtle yet dramatic blue up-lighting. Accent the seating areas with white fur throws and pillows.

Food & Drinks – Serve guests from a bar made completely of ice. Specialty drinks for the evening may include chilled vodka flights and an ice-blue martini rimmed with rock sugar and garnished with mini white candy canes. For effect, display bottles of liquor frozen into a block of ice. Make further use of the ice theme with many of the foods, such as jumbo shrimp and oysters, served on clear platters of crushed ice. Ask the service staff to dress in all-white.

• Use add-ons. A miniature ornament or wine charm are examples of surprises that can be tucked into bows. Add burlap, mesh and the gift recipient’s name in a small frame attached to the gift.

• Let the wrap hint about what’s inside. Attach a useful hint to the bow on the box or bag: a loofah or bath brush on a gift of bath accessories; a bottle opener tied with ribbon to the handle of a wine or champagne bottle bag; a rattle or cuddle toy nestled in a fluffy bow on a box for baby.

Invitations – Set the tone for this magnificent event by handdelivering the invitations. The invitations themselves are placed into snow globes, giving your guests a clever and charming tease for the event. Ask guests to arrive in all-white, cocktail attire.

• Match the setting. If a gift is to be displayed in your home or someone else’s home, choose wrappings that reflect the décor, mood or colors of the home.

Huckleberry Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

LOCAL FLAVOR!

“We have a river. We have a chateau. We have the land. We have no vineyard. Every French chateau has a vineyard.”

– William A.V. Cecil

for you!

• Finish with ribbons. Cut ribbon ends at a slant or use a “v” cut.

Elegant wire-edged ribbon with pre-tied bows add a rich flavor to boxes and bags. Cascades of ribbons turn an ordinary package into a spectacular one.

Filling

Crust 4 c 16 oz 3 tbsp

graham cracker crumbs unsalted butter, melted sugar

Filling 5 lbs 5 c 4 c 8 8 oz 4 tbsp 1 ¼ c 1 tsp

cream cheese sour cream granulated sugar eggs egg yolks vanilla extract heavy cream huckleberry purée (per cake)

PREPARATION Crust In a small bowl, combine graham crackers, butter and sugar. Press ¼ cup of mixture in each spring form pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool and reserve.

In a mixer, beat sour cream, cream cheese and sugar for 30 seconds on low then, turn up to medium. In a separate container, combine vanilla, eggs, yolks, and heavy cream and whisk together. On medium speed, slowly add egg mixture to mixer. Continue adding the rest of the egg mixture. Once all of its incorporated, pour 6 oz. of mixture into a spring form pan.

Drizzle huckleberry puree into cheesecake mixture and swirl it with a skewer. Wrap outside of each pan with aluminum foil.

Pour hot water into spring form pans until its filled half way up. Place spring form pans into a preheated oven at 250 degrees.

Bake for one hour, then crack the door open for one minute and turn off oven.

Close oven and let stand in oven for one more hour. Cool and refrigerate.

YIELD: 2 cheesecakes

RoaringFork.com

Picture Perfect Presents

TIME FOR TRAVEL Biltmore Winery Ashville, NC

POSH PARTIES

Wrapping a gift in beautiful papers and bows is like putting a creative thought into words. The first pleasure that comes with gift giving is handing a striking package to the recipient. Next, there’s the shared pleasure of watching someone enjoy untying bows, pulling off paper, unfolding tissue, and finally seeing the gift, according to the gift-wrapping experts at Hallmark. Here are some tips to make your packages really shine:

T

he enchantment and wonder of the holidays make an excellent excuse for an amazing party. Here are a few over-the-top ideas to use if you are planning an in-home holiday event. These ideas will make sure to keep your guests talking for years to come:

In the early 1970s George Vanderbilt’s grandson, William Cecil, envisioned the idea of an estate winery that would honor the agricultural heritage of his grandfather’s estate. Despite a variety of obstacles, he planted French-American hybrid vines below Biltmore House, and his inaugural vintage is bottled in the Conservatory basement.

Visit our historic winery on Biltmore’s 8,000-acre estate nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. Savor complimentary tastings, a wine bar, specialty tastings, and more as part of your distinctive experience at America’s most-visited winery, located in the heart of Antler Hill Village. Begin your wine exploration with a guided tour to learn how this original dairy barn was converted into our state-of-the-art winery, and develop a deeper understanding of our winemaking philosophy.

Expand your palette with our specialty tours and tastings to enjoy the classic pairing of Red Wine & Chocolate, or dive into the sparkling side of our winery with Biltmore Bubbles. Interested in seeing our vineyards? Our exclusive Vine to Wine Tour combines an excursion over the river to our breathtaking vineyards on the west side of Biltmore – an area that most guests never see – with a walking production tour and wine tastings throughout the experience.

Source: Biltmore.com

• Use tissue. White, colored or patterned tissue enhances the element of surprise, dresses up a gift and creates a pleasing rustle when removed or opened. Be sure tissue is fresh and crisp. (Tip: Combine two coordinating colors of tissue for a dramatic effect in a handle bag or photo box.)

Party Theme – Winter Wonderland. Think cool, glittery snow and sparkling ice. This elegant and timeless theme lends itself for an upscale and adult-only soiree.

Entertainment – If you have a swimming pool cover it with clear acrylic for a dance floor and illuminate the pool with blue lights. Members of the symphony are often available for private events and can provide upscale and swanky musical entertainment.

Party Favors – Give your guests their party favors of ice-blue pashmina wraps and crystalstudded flip-flops as they arrive, so they can make use of them to ward off any chill in the air and to dance the night away in lieu of stilettos.

Lastly, instruct the valet attendants to place a bottle of Swarovski crystal-decorated Bling H20 water into each vehicle for a refreshing beverage on your guests’ way home.

YOUR HOME

• Stockpile. Keep on hand in a special drawer, box or plastic container; a variety of plain and patterned papers, handle bags, photo boxes, tissue, tags and ribbons, as well as scissors, tape and boxes. A gift as simple as a box of candy becomes extra special when tied with a bow or wrapped in tissue tied with ribbon.

• Choose wrap and accessories as you do clothing. Apply the same principles to gift wrap as to your wardrobe or home décor. Match or coordinate patterns, colors, textures and accessories to present a finished, pulled-together look.

Stay in the same family (casual, elegant, whimsical, contemporary, etc.) for ribbon, wrap and add-ons.

• Let the wrap reflect personality. Gift wrap can reflect the personality of the giver or the recipient. Gifts for men look handsome in textured papers in plaids and printed craft papers.

Décor & Ambiance – Think white, white, and white with just a touch of ice-blue.

Have guests enter your home on a white carpet leading to the doorway. Place glittery, imitation snow all along the walkway, hang sparkling snowflakes from the trees and be generous with the use of tiny white lights inside and out. Event planners can arrange for all of your furnishings and décor to be temporarily replaced with white leather seating and clear Lucite tables. Drape walls in white fabric with subtle yet dramatic blue up-lighting. Accent the seating areas with white fur throws and pillows.

Food & Drinks – Serve guests from a bar made completely of ice. Specialty drinks for the evening may include chilled vodka flights and an ice-blue martini rimmed with rock sugar and garnished with mini white candy canes. For effect, display bottles of liquor frozen into a block of ice. Make further use of the ice theme with many of the foods, such as jumbo shrimp and oysters, served on clear platters of crushed ice. Ask the service staff to dress in all-white.

• Use add-ons. A miniature ornament or wine charm are examples of surprises that can be tucked into bows. Add burlap, mesh and the gift recipient’s name in a small frame attached to the gift.

• Let the wrap hint about what’s inside. Attach a useful hint to the bow on the box or bag: a loofah or bath brush on a gift of bath accessories; a bottle opener tied with ribbon to the handle of a wine or champagne bottle bag; a rattle or cuddle toy nestled in a fluffy bow on a box for baby.

Invitations – Set the tone for this magnificent event by handdelivering the invitations. The invitations themselves are placed into snow globes, giving your guests a clever and charming tease for the event. Ask guests to arrive in all-white, cocktail attire.

• Match the setting. If a gift is to be displayed in your home or someone else’s home, choose wrappings that reflect the décor, mood or colors of the home.

Huckleberry Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

LOCAL FLAVOR!

“We have a river. We have a chateau. We have the land. We have no vineyard. Every French chateau has a vineyard.”

– William A.V. Cecil

for you!

• Finish with ribbons. Cut ribbon ends at a slant or use a “v” cut.

Elegant wire-edged ribbon with pre-tied bows add a rich flavor to boxes and bags. Cascades of ribbons turn an ordinary package into a spectacular one.

Filling

Crust 4 c 16 oz 3 tbsp

graham cracker crumbs unsalted butter, melted sugar

Filling 5 lbs 5 c 4 c 8 8 oz 4 tbsp 1 ¼ c 1 tsp

cream cheese sour cream granulated sugar eggs egg yolks vanilla extract heavy cream huckleberry purée (per cake)

PREPARATION Crust In a small bowl, combine graham crackers, butter and sugar. Press ¼ cup of mixture in each spring form pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool and reserve.

In a mixer, beat sour cream, cream cheese and sugar for 30 seconds on low then, turn up to medium. In a separate container, combine vanilla, eggs, yolks, and heavy cream and whisk together. On medium speed, slowly add egg mixture to mixer. Continue adding the rest of the egg mixture. Once all of its incorporated, pour 6 oz. of mixture into a spring form pan.

Drizzle huckleberry puree into cheesecake mixture and swirl it with a skewer. Wrap outside of each pan with aluminum foil.

Pour hot water into spring form pans until its filled half way up. Place spring form pans into a preheated oven at 250 degrees.

Bake for one hour, then crack the door open for one minute and turn off oven.

Close oven and let stand in oven for one more hour. Cool and refrigerate.

YIELD: 2 cheesecakes

RoaringFork.com

DEVON

ARIZONA

Featured Listing Presented by DeVon Connors Vol. 2 Issue 10

Posh Holiday Parties

DeVon Connors, ABR 602.228.1243

Extraordinary Entertaining

DeVon@DeVonConnors.com

5107 N 21st Street | Phoenix, AZ 85016 6 Bed | 4 Bath | 4,488 SQFT | $1,895,000 Virtual Tour | http://www.tourfactory.com/1447691 World renowned Arcologist, Paolo Soleri, designed just two single family homes during his lifetime: this home was designed solely due to his personal relationship with the original owner.

Flowing interiors & barrel vaulted ceilings with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin-inspired interior finishes, set the home’s overall tone.

2014’s Modern Phoenix Home Tour explored the current owner’s sympathetic renovations & upgrades as “respectfully preserving Soleri’s intent.”

THE DEVON CONNORS TEAM Integrity, Experience, Five Star Customer Service and FUN in Real Estate

The near acre setting is securely walled & gated; hosting mature pines, lush lawns, a linear swimming pool & a new fire lit Cabana all contributing to the sense of wide open rural life, yet steps from every urban convenience.

Whether you are buying or selling a home, my personal connection with (and interest in) my clients, coupled with my passion for the homes I represent, creates the environment to successfully bring Sellers and Buyers together.

DeVon Connors

SELLING BEAUTIFUL HOMES FOR EXTRAORDINARY LIVES

Paradise Valley/Biltmore Office| 3113 E Lincoln Drive | Phoenix AZ | 85016

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

Produced by Desert Lifestyle Publishing • 480.460.0996 • www.DesertLifestyle.net

Perfect Presents Wrap It Up!

Spreading Cheer Huckleberry Cheesecake

Vine to Wine Tour Biltmore Winery

An Urban Mountain Retreat Offered At $1,299,000 Exclusively Presented By DeVon Connors