AOL Latino

Hello everyone! It has been about two weeks since last I wrote and I have been extraordinarily busy. I haven't taken many pictures since the last blog, especially of myself so I thought I would include a shot from the photo shoot I spoke of last time I was home. The last one I showed you wasn¹t that great. I had BIG HAIR! I won't use that one again. But I think this one is good. Please let me know what you think! If you don't like it, please tell me why.

Well, currently I am in Maryland about 40 minutes north of Baltimore. I'm working on a show with Ty, Paige, Ed, my "compadre", and Rib. This story is about a great family who loves horses. Well, there's more to it than that, but you have to tune in to find out! We've done a few shows about horses, but not this many! Here are some pictures from our second day on the shoot in the stables. Here is Ed and Rib looking very much like text
book farmhands!

Here is a picture of Paige and I after we got some horses out of the stables...


...and here's a behind the scenes picture with Ty and some of the crew.

Well everyone, prior to my break in L.A. before coming to Maryland, I was in Colorado Springs with Extreme Makeover:Home Edition for the third time. In fact, my very first show was in Denver. The altitude was high there, oxygen was a bit scarce and we were building a house in a new development, which means it was an open area in the plains. The winds were intense and the dust went everywhere: my ears, eyes, hair. WOW! The reason I mention this is because unless I had to shoot particular scene or was in the project area working on a project with our amazing volunteers, Tanya McQueen, one of my favorite designers on the show, and I sought out shelter in our trailer. I love Tanya. She makes me laugh a lot when we work together! Here is a picture of Tanya in our trailer in Colorado trying NOT to laugh!

For more information on Tanya go to www.tanyamcqueen.com.
Nevertheless, the people of Colorado Springs were wonderful and welcoming and we had a great time. Like I said, since we spent a lot of time in our trailer, we had frequent visitors who just wanted to say hello or wanted an excuse to get out of the dust storms. Here is a picture of Michael from our grip and electrical department and our wonderful and beautiful make-up artist Carrie paying Tanya and I a visit.

The three days in L.A. in between Colorado and Maryland were VERY INTENSE!! I had non-stop business meetings back to back and I am also finishing up Selma Blair's home. It's coming along beautifully!! I have a month to finish before she gets back from filming her latest project in Europe. I love Selma and can't wait to get her reaction to her new outdoor space!

My last night in L.A. before coming to Maryland I was invited by Tara Solomon and Nick D'Annunzio, co-presidents of Tara Inc., a pr and media firm based in Los Angeles to the fashion show of designer Louis Verdad. I was also invited to see the collection of my friend, Eduardo Lucero by good friend and publicist Gaby Tamayo. They were held in an old church in downtown L.A. I went with my good friend and multi media producer, Greg Pace from NY, and we met up with my friend and media mogul, Richard Perez-Feria, our beautiful friend
Maryam, Shalim Ortiz, who is the recent addition to HEROES, and Shalim's longtime girlfriend, Lesley Ann Machado, hostess of AMERICA'S SHOPPER on The Style Network. While at the event I ran into Daisy Fuentes, Jai Rodriguez, Dayanara Torres, Gaby Tamayo, Richard Morales, Megan Barreto, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and many, many more!!


EUROPE 2007-Final Entry

While Barcelona was experiencing little bit of everything, meaning, I woke up late, I ate, I walked, I drank, I danced until the wee hours of the morning, I slept in and that was pretty much my routine everyday, Tuscany would turn out to be somewhat different. It would end up being a much needed retreat, both relaxing and rejuvenating!

The reason for my going to Tuscany was to celebrate Steve Miller's birthday. Steve is the XOL: Creative Director, and one of my very best, and trusted, friends. Here is a picture of Steve and I at one of our many fabulous
dinners.

Steve rented this beautiful Villa named, Casa Tara. Which was located in the town of Montespertoli, about 35 minutes southwest of Florence. Steve invited me along with ten other of his closest friends to stay in the villa
for a week. Each day consisted of waking up at a reasonable hour and visiting a nearby town to eat, walk and taste wine. Sometimes we all traveled together, and sometimes we separated into groups. A few days I stayed back and wrote or laid by the beautiful pool. Check out the view!

The first town we visited was Lucca. Like many of the towns in Tuscany, it was surrounded by a wall and was at one time a cultural center of power.

One of my favorite sites was the town of Pisa, which is famous for the leaning tower.


I actually walked up the stairs to the top and could see the Adriatic Sea. The tower and the adjacent monuments are breathtaking. It was amazing to be at a place I have read about all of my life and have only seen in pictures.
Not only can I say I saw it, I was in it!



While in Tuscany, we happen to coincide with my friend, Count Max Tucci's being in Tuscany as well. His family owns a villa on the outskirts of Florence. Here is the view from the backyard pool area.



I met Max while shooting Extreme Makeover:Home Edition in Bridgeport, CT. Read the Connecticut blog to get the back story!! Max created the most beautiful party in honor of Steve Miller's birthday. Just look at this table!



We all had a wonderful time lounging at his villa, drinking, eating a multi-course meal and laughing with one another. Here is a picture of Steve, Max, his great friend Jackie and I the evening of the event. Excuse the lighting, the sun was going down! By the way, Count Max, will be one of my collaborators on my new book on events which I am working on now. I'll see him back here in L.A. next time around. I can't wait to see you Max!
Stay tuned everyone!






Ah Tuscany! It is such a beautiful place. I relished in my time there and took a couple of days to simply sit back and relax a bit. Something I get do to do very seldom. This is one o the most beautiful moments and views of
my entire trip. If you haven't been to Tuscany, you MUST go. Renting a villa with friends and family is a wonderful idea. Rent a car and "live" there for a bit. It will change your life!

I want to say thank you to Steve Miller, my business partner, great friend, and host of our trip. He is a special man and the friends on this trip reflected him so well. It was a multi-ethnic group of young professionals
from various walks of American life. We discussed our lives, our families, politics and the current role of America in the world. We all took long walks together and explored our understanding of art and architecture and history, and in doing so from the perspective of being away from our native country, I feel that we all grew as people. I know that I definitely did. It was, without a doubt, a life changing trip. Thanks to all of you for making me feel "at home" and safe! This has become rare over the last couple of years.




Ciao for now!!!! I will likely come to you again from Maryland...if not, from

L.A. YES! Home!


Eduardo