Lake Como Creative Retreat Recap…AND Registration for 2026 is coming SOON!
We just finished our 25th Creative Retreat, and I am in AWE of what an amazing journey the Lord has had us on for the last 15 years.
So, today I wanted to share with you some of our top moments for this year’s retreat in Bellagio, Italy and give you a preview of what’s to come NEXT YEAR!
It was another beautiful week on the shores of Lake Como, and another great group of women. The weather started out a little rainy, but by the next few days we were enjoying warm weather and iconic Lake Como views! It’s always so exciting as the week begins and we introduce everyone to each other and welcome them with an apertivo and pizza party to start. We know it’s not easy adjusting to the time change, so the first afternoon and evening eases everyone into the week.
Every year is so unique, all because of the new group of women and what the Lord wants to do in the lives of the women who come. I am so grateful for each person who joins us, what they bring to the table and how we all connect in a life-changing way. I also believe our connection is instant because of our shared faith, and morning devotions with the ladies is such a beautiful time to deepen our faith and connect in ways that last long after we all go home.
I love that each year we have stories to share, memories to hold onto and moments we’ll all cherish. Which makes it really hard to put into words what each retreat is like… and I think you’ll just have to come with us and experience what it’s like first hand! :)
But for now, here are some moments from the retreat…
As most of you know, the journey to get to Italy was filled with baby watch, delayed flights, missed flights and a myriad of other trails. It seemed like things were preventing us from being here. But God. He provided all that we needed, helped me get on that plane (when I wanted to be right by Rebecca’s side) and He gave us such a peace about going, even in the middle of all the uncertainty. Rebecca & Jacob had baby Henry Louis Dunning on Friday afternoon, and we started the retreat the next morning! It was a HUGE relief to know that momma and baby were doing good and I could get to work on hosting a beautiful retreat for the ladies who were just arriving.
Our gorgeous event room at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is a sight to see, and the ladies were all excited when they walked in and saw all the goodies we had waiting for them! This space has been the perfect place for us to host our classes over the years and we are so thankful to have this room again. Not only does this space create such an incredible backdrop for our retreats, the hotel’s lakefront location adds to the ambiance of the retreat and the hotel staff have been so kind to us over the years.
Of course, we’re in Italy, so we don’t spend all our time in the event room! We love taking the ladies to our favorite villages, villas and hidden corners of Lake Como. And we had lots of adventures this past week. From morning devotions in our favorite cove, to cappuccino’s in the most beautiful caffe across the lake, we enjoyed the lake and the beauty that has inspired artists for hundreds of years.
So naturally an “Art & Faith” Creative Retreat was filled with creativity, and lots of time to sketch what was before us! I had a wonderful young woman, Elaine Lee from DearElaineCo and we both enjoyed teaching the ladies how to paint with gouache, sketch in our sketchbooks, start a travel journal in our handmade Traveler’s Notebooks… and I even shared a little bit about “Art & Faith Journaling” that I started at the beginning on this year! (You can find my very first video on this on my YoutTube channel)
Now I have to leave a few surprises secret… so not everything we do at our retreats is shown. We want everyone who comes to our retreats to have some beautiful moments that are unseen on this blog or our IG, and hopefully these blog posts and our “kind words” will tell the story in a way that speaks to your heart… and you have that little “nudge” to come with us some time in the future.
And speaking of that, we’re announcing our second retreat in 2026 today, and it will go LIVE THIS THURSDAY on our website!
So if you want to join us next year, right here on the shores of Lake Como… then come back TOMORROW for all the details!
We’re switching things up just a bit and starting our Creative Retreat in MILAN next year! But I’m headed across the lake for dinner with our friends Jenny & Lorenzo and their girls and our family… so I have to finish up and get on a boat. I’ll have all the details on here tomorrow. For some reason my iPad won’t let me share photos on my blog post like I wanted to, so once I get home I’ll share lots more with you.
I’m announcing the WINNERS of our GIVEAWAY on IG today, so check that if you’ve entered to win as well!
Hugs to all,
Laura
