Celebrating Creativity and making meaningful connections to the local community are core values at La Dolce Vita. It is my pleasure to introduce you to the special guest who will be joining + guiding us as we stretch our creative muscles while exploring Tuscany together.

Meet Danielle Kartes. She is a living embodiment of a joyful passionate creative, whose infectious laugh and gift of encouragement makes her a perfect fit to share her talent and wisdom with us for one fun-filled week in Tuscany.

Danielle and I have been talking for several years about collaborating on a retreat, so it is with great pleasure and excitement that 2024 is our year – and we invite you to join the adventure!

Danielle Kartes is an author, recipe maven, and entrepreneur living near Seattle, Washington with her husband Michael, a photographer, and their two sweet boys. 

Together, the Karteses run their boutique food, lifestyle, and commercial photography business, Rustic Joyful Food. Rustic Joyful Food promotes loving your life right where you are, no matter where you are, and creating beautiful, delicious food that’s fuss-free with whatever you have available to you. Danielle and Michael are also the principles of the Rustic Joyful Literary group, the agency arm of Rustic Joyful Food devoted to the representation of authors in the food and children’s books spaces.

Danielle’s newest ventures, in the wine and spirits realm, include the creation of Florescence Grapefruit & Pomelo Vodka and a series of wine varietals under her label French for Water.

Danielle is driven by her love for Jesus, her family, and happy accidents in the kitchen. She has written and published four cookbooks, seven children’s books, and one devotional memoir. Danielle appears often on national television and is a regular culinary contributor to The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Danielle’s website: rusticjoyfulfood.com

Danielle’s Instagram: instagram.com/rusticjoyfulfood