I’m so looking forward to the next few months of our Quest for Luxury Housing in Downtown Bellevue!

My girlfriend, Stacia Loo, The Millionairess and I, along with her son Makaya have started a search to find the ideal living situation: preferably a luxury apartment or condo in downtown Bellevue.  We are currently working on a proposal for different properties, where we would both hold ongoing networking events for the ‘winning’ property – relying heavily on our networks here at BellevueBusinessJournal.com and the Eastside Entrepreneurs Social Network, as well as provide first class social media marketing strategy and implementation – all in exchange for a place for us to live.  How cool do you think it would be to have your Bellevue Apartment or condo blogged about every week?  SUPER COOL – and great exposure too!

MUST HAVE Features:

Two bedroom, two bath

Laundry in Unit

At least two parking spaces

Must accept pets – we have a 39lb golden retriever

NICE to HAVE Features:

Community room for networking events

Fitness / workout room

Here are just some of the properties that we are initially considering – we are open to all at this point.  If you have any comments or suggestions about any of these properties, I’d love to hear them.

Bellevue Apartments

*Prices represent starting at prices, as of December 2011

Cast Iron Studios was designed to host both intimate and large private events and parties as well as specialty food and wine workshops led by the company’s cast of expert chefs, wine directors and bartenders. The space will also serve as a headquarters for the company’s popular catering services.

“Our vision of a dedicated event and workshop space has come together at just the right time and in just the right place,” said Larry Kurofsky, owner of Heavy Restaurant Group. “We are excited to have the opportunity of sharing our culinary passion with food enthusiasts as well as offer the region’s top businesses a new and exciting space for all levels of events. The space has been designed to comfortably accommodate everything from an intimate private gathering to a large corporate event to our specialty workshops.”

Private Events & Catering

With space for up to 250 guests, Cast Iron Studios allows Heavy Restaurant Group to meet the growing demand for large parties – those that go well beyond capacity at one of their individual restaurants.  In fact, Cast Iron Studios, which is connected to both Purple and Lot No. 3 in Bellevue, can expand to include both restaurant spaces and parties of up to 500 people.

The Food

With full access to Purple Café’s sophisticated and fresh Northwest fare and wine, Barrio’s modern Mexican cuisine and cocktails, and Lot No. 3’s menu of gastropub comfort food, craft brews and spirits, events at Cast Iron Studios have one of the widest catering selections available.  Expert staff is available to assist in designing the perfect food and drink pairings for all types of events.

In addition to events, Cast Iron Studios is also the company’s home base for their growing pick-up and delivery catering services ranging from reception packages and box lunches to dinner buffets.

Workshops

One of the most anticipated elements of Cast Iron Studios is the series of specialty food events, wine tastings and cocktail classes. These workshops allow Heavy Restaurant Group’s expert staff to share their experience and enthusiasm for all things food and drink from Baking 101 to the basics of mixing classic cocktails.

“We want Cast Iron Studios to be a place where people could come together and learn about the joys of exceptional cuisine and beverages. Our custom workshops, allow us to engage with those passionate about food, wine, beer and spirits in an intimate and interactive fashion,” said Kurofsky.

The current schedule includes seven different workshops in June and July with topics ranging from Pacific Northwest Cuisine taught by Harry Mills, Executive Chef for Heavy Restaurant Group, to A History of Whiskey led by Chris Faber, Bar Manager at Lot No. 3.  A schedule and description of upcoming Cast Iron Studio workshops can be found online at www.castiron-studios.com/workshops .

Custom workshops can also be created with the help of Heavy Restaurant Group’s team of chefs, wine directors and bartenders to make for a fun and hands-on learning experience with friends and family or as a great team building activity for local businesses of all sizes.

Cast Iron Studios is now open at 10650 NE 4th St. adjacent to Purple Café and Lot No. 3 in Bellevue.  Those interested in learning more about Cast Iron Studios can visit: www.castiron-studios.com. Private tours of Cast Iron Studio’s event space can be arranged by contacting David Yusen at davidy@heavyrestaurantgroup.com.

About Heavy Restaurant Group

Heavy Restaurant Group began in 2001, when Larry and Tabitha Kurofsky opened the first Purple Cafe and Wine Bar in Woodinville with the goal of providing an experience that delivered “approachable expertise”. Purple paired a global wine selection with Northwest cuisine made from local seasonal ingredients—all in an informal atmosphere. All menu items were designed to be enhanced by wine pairings and vice versa.  The idea took off, and in 2003, a second Purple Cafe and Wine Bar opened in Kirkland.  In 2006, Purple opened in downtown Seattle, followed in 2009 by a fourth location in downtown Bellevue.  In 2008, the company continued to build on its experience pairing food and drinks with the creation of Barrio in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, a restaurant that combines Mexican cuisine with innovative craft cocktails in an energetic urban space.  In 2010 the company introduced downtown Bellevue’s Lot No. 3, a restaurant and bar that combines comfort food, classic cocktails, and craft brews in a vintage industrial setting. And in May 2012, Heavy Restaurant Group unveiled Cast Iron Studios, an event venue and Heavy Restaurant Group’s catering hub featuring a schedule of regular special food and drink workshops.

My Marketing Center will provide a vital marketing tool for MRIS’s “Gen M” (new generation) suite of real-time, integrated business tools, accessible by nearly 45,000 Mid-Atlantic real estate professionals based in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and portions of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia.

The Marketing Center will provide MRIS customers with free and unlimited access to an integrated suite of professionally designed and simple to create digital and print marketing products and tools including Flyers, eFlyers, Postcards, ePostcards, and Virtual Tours. In addition to supporting marketing and promotional efforts, there’s productivity savings as well since MRIS customers will pull in real-time listing data – including photos –to create any of the marketing materials without having to re-enter data or upload images, tasks agents already complete when they create the listing.

“My Marketing Center will be the fastest way to reach home buyers and sellers with real-time, in-depth marketing information instantly. In seconds, a link to a polished Virtual Tour is posted to Realtor.com or to the agents website, another click and an eFlyer with the broker’s template and branding is posted on Facebook or sent out on Twitter,” said John L. Heithaus, MRIS Chief Marketing Officer, adding, “The faster an agent can respond in today’s digitally-driven economy in real time, the more successful he or she will be to generate more sales commissions.”

MRIS and Imprev also announced that a Premium suite of digital and printable marketing products and tools will made available to MRIS member agents and brokers at a low-cost. The lineup of Premium marketing products is expected to include access to premium Craigslist Display Ads, eCards (electronic Greeting Cards), Brochures, Digital Brochures, Newsletters, eNewsletters and more.

“Agents need three things from any business provider: quality, ease of use and value,” said Renwick Congdon, Imprev CEO and Founder. “At the end of the day, the finished product is what the consumer sees, so the quality of the product must reflect well on the agent and brokerage. Of course, if the agent can’t easily use the system they won’t, and cost is always a consideration. MRIS has addressed all three requirements with the ‘Gen M’ My Marketing Center. ”

About MRIS

MRIS is real estate in real time™, enabling its customers to list and sell nearly $93 million in real estate each day. In 2011, the company facilitated $33.6 billion in cooperative broker sales. A leading systems developer and integrator of real estate information technology and databases, MRIS connects its customers with timely, accurate and actionable data with a growing portfolio of technology solutions. This includes broker and agent software products, an industry-leading consumer real estate portal, HomesDatabase.com and many others. Behind the scenes, the CURE Solutions Group subsidiary of MRIS provides back-end technology to other MLS systems through CURE, a proprietary solution. MRIS serves nearly 45,000 real estate professionals spanning a 22,000 square mile section of the Mid-Atlantic region, including Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and markets located in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia.

About Imprev

Imprev, Inc. is the leading provider of private-label Marketing and Design Centers for real estate brokerage firms, and is licensed to more than 200,000 real estate agents worldwide.  Imprev-powered Marketing Centers provide brokers and agents with digital and printable marketing products and tools, including iPad presentations, Craigslist display ads, automated eMarketing, social marketing (Facebook, Twitter) material,  Virtual Tours, Video, Flyers and eFlyers, Postcards and ePostcards and more. Imprev helps agents simply and cost-effectively create an impressive personal image merged elegantly with the influence of their company’s brand.  Established in 2000, Imprev is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.  Visit Imprev at www.imprev.com.

“We’ve evolved over the years and wanted a new name to reflect who we are now,” said Barbara Langdon, LifeWire Executive Director. “We’re not just on the Eastside. We provide comprehensive services and programs all around the community, and LifeWire is like a ‘lifeline’ for a lot of people who are in an abusive relationship.”

LifeWire is an innovator of highly successful programs, including a 24-hour crisis line, shelters that provide safe housing, advocacy services, groups for children and teens, a Latina outreach program, counseling, and women’s support groups. These programs are critical when you consider that last year, LifeWire answered nearly 11,000 crisis line calls and worked with almost 5,200 local victims of domestic violence. Since 1982, LifeWire has served more than 115,000 victims and their children, helping them escape from abusive homes and relationships.

“This agency literally saved my life,” said Stacy, a LifeWire client who experienced domestic violence.  “Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to move into a safe place, find a new job, and help my children heal. It’s made the difference for me from being desperate, to starting a new life and having hope.”

“This is what we do,” said Langdon. “We’ve been providing this full spectrum of comprehensive care all along, and now, with our new name LifeWire, we know that people will better understand the range of services and prevention that we provide.”

LifeWire drives prevention through community-based initiatives to cause change in behaviors and attitudes about domestic violence. LifeWire’s recent World of Hope dinner and auction provided a platform to educate the community about ways to prevent domestic violence and highlighted the continuum of care, raising $400,000 for agency programs.

“We are thrilled with the response from our community, and the generosity of our donors,” said Kelly Becker, LifeWire Development Director. “This is a time for all of us to come together and celebrate the progress we’ve made over the past 30 years. As we move forward as LifeWire, we will continue to look for new and innovative ways to address domestic violence.”

For more information, please visit www.lifewire.org. You can also contact Kelly Becker at kellypb@lifewire.org or call 425-562-8840, ext. 253.

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LifeWire (formerly Eastside Domestic Violence Program) is one of the largest domestic violence service providers in Washington state. For over 30 years, we have provided safety to victims of domestic violence, offering a comprehensive range of programs and services that help people regain strength and courage. As an ally, problem-solver and an advocate, we not only assist victims in crisis, we also partner with our communities to educate our citizens so we can prevent abuse before it happens. Our goal is to create a safe environment for everyone. If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, call LifeWire’s 24 hour Crisis Line at 425-746-1940 or 1-800-827-8840. Visit LifeWire at www.lifewire.org. 

“With the opportunities presented last November, we knew we had to bring our concept to Washington state to meet the needs of this region’s consumers,” said David Trone, who co-owns Total Wine & More with his brother Robert.  “We know that with our vast selection of more than 8,000 wines, 3,000 spirits and 2,500 beers, we will exceed the demand for not only hard-to-find labels, but locally produced products as well.”

The new Bellevue store marks the 81st location in the U.S. for Total Wine & More.  With 30,000 sq. ft. of space, Total Wine will offer an unparalleled selection, greater than any other retailer in the Seattle-area.  Consumers will also find low prices and excellent service from the company’s expertly trained staff.  In addition, Total Wine will feature a climate-controlled wine cellar for rare selections, a walk-in humidor for fine cigars, as well as provide space for private tastings, consumer education courses, community meetings and special events.

Total Wine regularly features wine, spirits and beer tastings with a focus on wine-producing regions and seasonal topics.  All employees go through an extensive three-week training program covering the various regions, production methods, varietals, brew styles and tasting analysis before stepping onto the sales floor.  The company also offers ongoing training and a chance to meet with the world’s key wine producers.  Once a year, Total Wine treats top staff to a trip to California’s major wine regions for a six-day training session, as well as a 12-day trip to Europe’s key wine regions every other year, to further enhance their overall knowledge.

The Bellevue location of Total Wine & More is accepting applications for all position levels, from cashier to manager.  To learn more about Total Wine and apply for employment, visit www.totalwine.com.

About Total Wine & More

Total Wine & More operates 80 wine superstores in 11 states, with expansion reaching 14 states by year’s end.  The company’s vast selection of products, combined with low everyday prices and expertly trained wine associates, brings a unique shopping experience to the consumer.  Total Wine & More has the distinction of being Beverage Dynamic’s 2008 Retailer of the Year, Market Watch’s 2006 Retailer of the Year, and Wine Enthusiast’s 2004 Retailer of the Year.  Since opening its first store in 1991, Total Wine & More has been committed to being the premier wine retailer in every community that it serves.  For more information and store locations, please visit www.totalwine.com.

Here is the information from their listing in the Eastside Business Directory:

Summit Asset Strategies Wealth Management

The pressure on information professionals to keep pace with the surge of digital data is greater than ever. Rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets in the workplace as well as the use of cloud technology are changing the way companies do business and requiring workers to address knowledge gaps. AIIM’s one-day boot camp will provide busy information professionals an easy way to get current on the latest trends and developments of the business process revolution including mobile, social and cloud technologies.

Boot camp participants will learn how to:

• Cut costs and reduce bottlenecks by moving business processes to the cloud
• Get content and information ready for mobile access and engagement
• Collaborate across geography and time zones with social technologies
• Make better decisions by exploring the analytics and new opportunities in big data

“Mobile, social and cloud technologies are combining to revolutionize business processes,” said AIIM President John Mancini. “The Bellevue seminar will equip local business and technology practitioners with the knowledge, tool kits and peer connections they need to navigate digital business content in today’s ever-changing technology landscape.”

The AIIM Content Management Boot Camp will be held at the Westin Bellevue from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first 100 registrants to arrive at the event on May 15 will receive a free Certified Information Professional (CIP) exam voucher, a $265 value. The Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM) has pre-approved four hours of ICRM Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) credit for attending the AIIM Content Management Boot Camp, and the seminar is also approved for four credits towards the Certified Information Professional (CIP) credential maintenance.

To register for the free, one-day AIIM Content Management Boot Camp in Bellevue visit: http://www.aiim.org/events/seminars/schedule/Bellevue-WA-2012.

Sponsors of the AIIM Content Management Boot Camp Seminar in Bellevue are Adlib, Canon, CMMC, EMC, Fujitsu, IBM, KnowledgeLake, Kodak, Kofax, Opex, and Oracle.

About AIIM

AIIM has been an advocate and supporter of information professionals for nearly 70 years. The association’s mission is to ensure that information professionals understand the current and future challenges of managing information assets in an era of social, mobile, cloud and big data. Founded in 1943, AIIM builds on a strong heritage of research and member service. Today, AIIM is a global, non-profit organization that provides independent research, education and certification programs to information professionals. AIIM represents the entire information management community, with programs and content for practitioners, technology suppliers, integrators and consultants.

Alison Dudziak of Realty Executives Brio in Bellevue

Alison Dudziak and Realty Executives Brio is the Eastside Business Directory Business of the Day!

Here is the information from their listing in the Eastside Business Directory:

Realty Executives Brio

Victoria British Columbia, and the last 3 in Bellevue WA. My experience has allowed me to become extremely talented in Residential sales allowing me to obtain the highest price in the interest of my seller and the lowest price for the interest of my buyer. I am a self motivated sales professional with abilities to communicate with my clients and understand their property needs and preferences. I am responsible for preparation of contract documents, purchase and sale agreements and ensure that the legal formalities are completed prior to closing. I live in Bellevue with my husband and three teens and an array of animals. I welcome the opportunity to meet you and help plan your next real estate move.

“I think the project turned out very well overall,” said Stefonick,  “I was able to get them a low maintenance and aesthetic design that added a great deal of character and will have visual longevity as well as mind its manners while growing over the next couple of decades.”

The historic cemetery, which opened in 1950, had landscape surrounding the chapel and funeral home that, according to Stefonick, was overgrown and over pruned. While working with the original architecture of the buildings as well as the tranquil setting, Stefonick envisioned a setting that could maintain that sense of peace and serenity for people paying last respects.

Along with Miller Brothers Landscape Company, who handled installation on the project, Stefonick started by taking advantage of the two glass atriums outside of the chapel and viewing areas. Her goal was to give funeral attendees the view of a peaceful and restful garden as well as the soft, soothing ethereal tones of flowing water. A five-inch tall three- stone Basalt water feature with a pond-less basin was added as a focal point to the garden. The atrium’s acoustics help focus the sounds of the falling water towards the chapel; which can be heard indoors.  This part of the project brought Stefonick much satisfaction.

“The atrium is very tranquil and peaceful, and I hope everyone who sees and hears it will find solace and hope,” she says.

For the exterior gardens around the Funeral Home, Stefonick complemented the long low classic lines of the late 1960’s structure, using the architectural structure of plant materials. A blue-gray Weeping Atlantica was specifically added for architectural interest and “continuity” of design. The plant can be trained to run along the long walls of the structure in very artistic forms.  Weeping Alaskan Cedars were planted at the corners of the building.

Overall, Stefonick is well-pleased with the project. “I was able to get them (the funeral home) a low maintenance and aesthetic design that added a great deal of character and will have visual longevity as well as mind its manners while growing over the next couple of decades”, she says.

Karen Stefonick has been Principal and lead Designer of Karen Stefonick Design since 1996. She has won many awards for her design work, including Sunset Magazines ‘Western Living’ Award. Stefonick has also participated in the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle Washington since 2002, winning top prizes each year since. After moving away from it for a while, she has recently returned to her interior design roots.

About Karen Stefonick

Karen Stefonick is a local, award-winning multi-talented designer, who has managed to marry her breadth of landscape knowledge with her background in interior design to create incredibly appealing indoor and outdoor living spaces all over Western Washington. She is Principal and Lead Designer of Karen Stefonick Design since 1996; designing functional, quality landscape designs as small as a town house garden to 5-acre country estates.

Stefonick designs to the homeowner’s sense of style and their requirements for use. Her designs are fresh and innovative, under the philosophy of “it’s not how much you put in, but what you put in that makes a great design” as well as linking the interior and exterior as one flowing and cohesive look – from the front gate to the front room.

Publisher’s Note:  Both Karen and Sunset Hills should be members of the Eastside Business Directory here at BellevueBusinessJournal.com.