YOUR STORIES. YOUR PHOTOS. YOUR COMMUNITY.

DesertJU lY 2020

A MAg A z I N E ExC lU S I v E lY fO R T H E RE S I d E N TS O f dE S E RT MO U N TA I NLiving

Photo credit David Lee/Paparazzo Film

Desert Mountain Resident

KATHLEEN SABOLm i x i n g a r t a n d p o l i t i c s

INSIDETravel Tales

Home of the MonthPet of the Month

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Kathleen would answer, “Oh, this? I just made it for myself. It’s not available in stores.”Now she muses, “Whenever people find they can’t get something, they want it even more.”

And so, based on demand, after she got her Master’s degree, Kathleen became an artist and entrepreneur, making jewelry full-time. Today her eclectic, earthy designs can be found at 25 stores across the U.S. and on her website, www.milaandstevie.com.

Where did the names come from? Well, “Mila,” as you may recall, was the golden retriev-er featured as Pet of the Month in the January edition of Desert Living magazine. As for “Stevie,” that one’s a bit harder to guess: having grown up listening to classic rock, especially Fleetwood Mac, Kathleen has long been a fan of the band’s frontwoman, Stevie Nicks.  

I asked how she balances her creative side with her more analytical side. “I don’t see the two as mutually exclusive,” she said. “The arts can be a great way to heal people, and politics can help heal people, as well. Artists use their unique perspective to look at the world as multi-dimensional. This is important for politics, because if you keep applying the same toolkit to solve problems, then you will only get the same result. We need to bring different perspectives together in order to solve the world’s problems. I’m optimistic enough to believe that both of these forces can be powerful agents of change.”

Kathleen’s creative side also includes a love of music. She minored in music and sang for a year with the Orlando Opera Company. Today she continues singing at occasional open mic nights. She sings a varied selection of Country, ‘80s songs, and Pop. Her favorite musicians include Tina Turner, Bob Seger, Queen, and, especially, Cher.

Kathleen is a Desert Mountain member who lives next door in Carefree Ranch. “I’m somebody who was born in California and have lived in Arizona, Florida, and Washington, D.C., so I know how good we have it here in Arizona. I love the personality of this whole region — Cave Creek, Carefree, and, of course, north Scottsdale. Arizona’s just a great place to be an artist.”

Reflecting her passions, Kathleen is a member of the Sonoran Arts League, as well as the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations.

What is her philosophy of life?

“My Arizona license plate says, ‘Live the Golden Rule.’ I try to treat people with respect and dignity, no matter who they are.”

Her beliefs are also reinforced by her faith. “I have been very, very blessed in many ways,” says Kathleen. “Life comes with its challenges and failures, but it’s not the setbacks or fail-ures that define you, it’s how you respond to them.”

What does her future hold?

“I would love to continue to grow the business. I have goals of expanding the brand to more stores throughout the United States and into the international market. I describe my art as ‘glamour … with an edge.’ Each piece of my jewelry is glamorous, but there’s also something edgy about it. It’s a little rock-n-roll, a little bold, and very alluring. Next, I want to translate that style into home accessories, like vases, lamps, and wall art.”

Keep an eye out for Kathleen — she may be pursuing an entrepreneurial path for now, but she hasn’t set aside her political ambitions completely. Maybe you’ll hear about her brand of jewelry and accessories someday, or maybe you’ll read of her running for office, a creative soul with hopes of bettering our world.

Mixing Politics And Art

The Creative Life Of A Desert Mountain Member

meet your neighborsBy Britt Bennett

When Kathleen Sabol was pursuing her Master’s degree in Political Science at the University of Florida, her focus was on terrorism. She was studying ISIS and Al-Qaeda with thoughts of perhaps ending up in Intelligence — the FBI, or maybe even the CIA. But Kathleen also has a strong creative side, and that inclination ended up altering the course of her life.

While mired in her studies, she felt the need for some sort of creative outlet. She fashioned a bracelet for herself out of metal and stone. Finding the process surprisingly therapeutic, she then made a few more for friends.

Whenever she wore her bracelet, people would ask, “That’s such a striking piece of jewelry — where did you get it?”

Photo credit David Lee/Paparazzo Film

Desert Living • July 2020 July 2020 • Desert Living26 27

A B O U T K A T H L E E N

Family/address/family pets: My name is Kathleen Sabol. I live with my parents, Byron and Joy Sabol, on Charles Blair MacDonald Road in the gated com-munity of Carefree Ranch.

We also have two pets but, of course, we consider them “family” — Mila, our golden retriever, and Fio-na, our rescue cat. Let’s face it ... they run the house.  

We love Carefree Ranch with large lots and open space with back gate access to Desert Mountain Golf Club where we are golf equity members. We attend Our Lady of Joy Roman Catholic Church, which is about a mile from our home.

What do you like best about your neighborhood and home? The beauty of the Sonoran Desert always impresses me. I love taking walks and when I do, I am always delighted to see the beautiful landscape, stunning mountains, and interesting wildlife. My walks are too often interrupted by my need to take photos of things I see — sometimes just mesmeriz-ing rock formations!

We’re living in my parents’ “dream house” and it’s pretty dreamy for me, too. Yes, I am blessed in that I have my own “wing” of the house complete with a large open room and two bedrooms and two baths. I call it “my factory” because, in this space, I design

Photo credit David Lee/Paparazzo Film

Photo credit David Lee/Paparazzo Film

mila + stevie

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and make jewelry by hand. I am also slowly taking over the entire house as my growing business and artwork require the use of the house gym and garage and especially the laundry room! Don’t get me started on that!

Describe how you’re involved in the Desert Mountain communi-ty: I’m on the Board of the Home Owners Association at Carefree Ranch. In addition, I’m also on the board of the Notre Dame Club of Phoenix, the Catholic School Board for Diocese of Phoenix, and the Parish Council at Our Lady of Joy Catholic Church. I’m also a member of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Policy and sing in the choir at Our Lady of Joy.

What’s your most memorable Desert Mountain experience? I par-ticipated in the chili cook-off and came in second place with my Alligator Chili – yes, I had alligator meat flown in from Louisiana. It’s super tender and tastes like chicken!

Describe any recent events to celebrate: Completing my eighth marathon in January when I ran the Rock ‘n Roll in Phoenix. The race course runs through Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe!

Favorite holiday tradition? Attending Midnight Mass on Christ-mas Eve as a family, then opening gifts on Christmas Day.

What is the business and what is the name of the business? I am the founder, CEO, and designer of mila + stevie, a hand-crafted jewelry brand that mixes natural gemstones and metals that

adds glamour with an edge to any ensemble. We sell our jewelry on milaandstevie.com, art fairs throughout Arizona, and in retail boutiques around the country. I started this company in 2016 when I was in graduate school and needed a creative outlet to my analytical studies. I’ve always been both strongly “left- and right-brained.” It’s named after Mila, my family’s fluffy Golden Retriever.

We moved to Carefree Ranch in February of 2018 after living 16 years in Orlando, FL. I was born in Los Angeles and have lived in Southern California as well as the Phoenix area when I was younger. I enjoyed attending Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Scottsdale and Xavier College Prep.

What do you like to do for fun? I’m constantly being creative. I love singing, painting, cooking, playing the ukulele, or working on new jewelry designs. I also really enjoy working out and going to the Desert Mountain Dog Park with our family’s Golden Retriever.

What is something unique about you that not too many can claim? I worked at Walt Disney World for 10 years. My paycheck literally had an image of Mickey Mouse on it!

What high school, college/university did you attend? My first year of high school was at Xavier College Prep, then I moved to Orlando and graduated from Bishop Moore Catholic High School.

I have a Bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s College at Notre Dame, IN. I have a Master’s degree from George Washington University and a second Master’s degree from the University of Florida.

Guilty pleasure? Trashy reality TV. I love it all!

The song you would sing at karaoke night: “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood

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Favorite restaurant? My favorite restaurant at Des-ert Mountain is Constantino’s because of its gor-geous scenery and the food is always delicious. Off the mountain, my favorite restaurant is Bubablou’s Bodacious BBQ in Orlando. It’s a no-frills eatery with the most flavorful BBQ I’ve ever eaten – I could literally eat it every day. And you leave the place smelling like a BBQ roaster!

Favorite way to relax: Tequila and some dance music!

Favorite sports teams: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish for college sports. Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks for MLB baseball.

Favorite TV show you’re into right now: All the Chicago TV shows developed by Dick Wolf — I’m obsessed with Chicago PD and Chicago Fire.

A favorite movie you could never get tired of watching and why: The Devil Wears Prada – it’s so funny and has a relatable character who is trying to discover her purpose in the world. She goes after

Things you can’t live without: Iced coffee, a cross that my father gave me when I was Baptized, my college ring from Saint Mary’s College, and my cat and dog.

Who has made a difference in your life? My parents are inspirational as they are both trailblazers. My father is a speaker and author but was also one of the leading practice development executives within the legal profession in the U.S., which led to an international business. My mother spent 40 years in aerospace where she served for a decade as the only woman vice president in Lockheed Martin’s missile division.

Skills you would like to improve? I recently got a sewing machine and would like to really learn how to sew.

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Favorite vacation destination outside of AZ? Ireland

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Photo credit David Lee/Paparazzo Film

Photo credit David Lee/Paparazzo Film

the challenging tasks, falls down, and gets back up again. Plus, the casting is amazing! Hello, Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway!

Favorite music genre and/or artist: I grew up listening to all kinds of music — everything from classic rock and Motown to current pop hits. I love music with either a really good dance beat or great lyrics. Some of my favorites are Cher, Fleetwood Mac, Hozier, John May-er, and Florence and the Machine.

Favorite quote: “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde

Favorite part of a typical day: Watching the sunset while having a delicious margarita!