diani living » Entertaining

Book Worm

dianiliving — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:33:53 +0000

I'm sure you all know what it's like to have a million things going on at once, and reading always helps me quiet my mind. I'd been hearing a lot about the controversial new book out by Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg called "Lean In", so I grabbed a copy. It's fascinating and I highly recommend it. If you've read it, let me know what you think. I'd love to hear your opinion.

Part 2 – DIANI Birthday Bash

dianiliving — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 17:25:28 +0000

Photography by Shannon Jayne

The Perfect 10 – A Birthday Bash for DIANI

dianiliving — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:58:35 +0000

We had such a fun night at our celebration of 10 years of DIANI. We had wine from wonderful local wineries, Saarloos & Sons and Sunstone. Bubbly toasts, Enjoy cupcakes, delicious appetizers and tons of style. Thank you to all who came and made it such a special night. And, I'll share more of this tomorrow... Photography Jessica Maher

Details of the Day – Thanksgiving

dianiliving — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 08:00:38 +0000

We had the most special Thanksgiving with family and friends and couldn't have asked for a better day filled with great food! We hiked with the dogs up to the top of a mountain and toasted with bellinis and smoked salmon on crusty bread. Our afternoon was a relaxed affair, prepping our feast and sharing family recipes. Hope yours was filled with love and laughter.

Almond and chocolate croissants from Renaud's Bakery.

There's been a lot of Thanksgiving celebrating going on over here!

Joan's On Third has the best chips and Sardinian parchment bread.

Peach Liquer by Marie Brizard. Perfect for making Bellini's. Order from The Montecito Wine Grotto.

Decadent macaroons from Renaud's Bakery.

My friend, Suzanne who makes the best pies ever!

Suzanne's apple and pumpkin pies.

I don't eat meat, but this bird was a big hit.

The little beggar, Raisin.

My gorgeous sis, Louise.

When there's a turkey in the house, you have to share with your four-legged friends.

Giving Thanks

dianiliving — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 15:57:27 +0000

I have so much to be grateful for this year and today I'm looking forward to expressing it. We're going on a hike with the dogs and having a picnic breakfast at the peak with croissants and mimosas, followed by some fun in the kitchen, prepping for our feast tonight with friends and family. Wishing you and your loved ones many blessings today and always. Thank you for being part of my blog and for all the kind words of support. I'm very grateful. Photo Credit - SweaterWeatherSpice

10 Years of DIANI Style

dianiliving — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:29:50 +0000

I'm still recovering from a magical birthday celebration for my business, DIANI. It's been 10 years of incredible learning and growth, hard work and tears, laughter and new friendships. I can't say this enough, but the greatest gift is being around such a fantastic team. Mary, Liz, Whitney, Victoria, Kelly, Lana, Atoia, Charlene, Sarah, Brook, Shannon and Haley, thank you so much for all your hard work and support. You are loved and appreciated beyond words and I know these sentiments ring true for our customers too. More to come from the party later in the week, but special thanks to Kim at Toast, Anna at Sunstone Winery, Keith and Heather Saarloos at Saarloos Winery, Enjoy Cupcakes, Catering Connection, Trevor at Bella Vista Designs, Classic Party Rentals, Samy's Camera, Shannon Jayne Miller Photography and Jessica Maher Photography, my amazingly beautiful sister, Louise and Jeffrey Doornbos who always leaves me speechless and humbled.

Boo!

dianiliving — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:22:30 +0000

With Halloween falling mid-week, it seemed almost impossible to create the proper creepy atmosphere to greet the neighborhood ghost and ghoulies! But with just a few quickly carved pumpkins, some candles, and lots of darkness, it seemed like I had planned it for weeks! And, a little tequila with an orange for a citrus splash, was the perfect adult treat after all the kiddies skulked back thru the darkness of the neighborhood to devour their treasure!

Part 2 – Rag & Bone Royalty

dianiliving — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 08:00:25 +0000

The stars turned out to celebrate the opening of Rag & Bone's new store on Melrose in LA. The queen of fashion, Anna Wintour even made an appearance! Here's a peek at what they were wearing.

Marcus Wainwright, Anna Wintour, Bea Shaffer (in Rag & Bone) and David Neville.

Reese Witherspoon and Cameron Diaz dressed in Rag & Bone.

Kate Mara, Max Minghella and Bea Shaffer.

Mandy Moore dressed in Rag & Bone.

Emma Roberts and Brittany Snow.

Rag & Bone is available at DIANI. Shop the fall collection here. Photography by Donato Sardella/WireImage; Alexandra Wyman/Wire Image

Rag & Bone, Chamgagne and their new Flagship – LA

dianiliving — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 19:27:24 +0000

Last Friday night, Rag & Bone celebrated the opening of their new store on Melrose in LA. The store has their unique brand of British tradition mixed with NYC slick and modern. There was no shortage of support for the British boy wonder duo, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, who have managed to carve a path to the closets of fashionistas around the world. Co host, Bee Shaffer (daughter of Anna Wintour who was there too!) Cameron Diaz, Reese Witherspoon, Emma Roberts, Mandy Moore, Kate Mara and too many others to mention were on hand to toast the stunning store and the beautiful fall collection. DIANI family favorite, Laura Hyatt was on hand to mingle with the crowd and spread the Rag & Bone love.

Laura Hyatt with Rag & Bone designer, David Neville.

David Neville with Reese Witherspoon, Gucci Westman, Glenna and Marcus Wainwright.

Laura Hyatt and Joe Reihsen- an extremely talented painter and furniture designer (www.blakeavenue.com)

Special thanks to Laura Hyatt for the photos.

Shopping for Dreams

dianiliving — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:25:53 +0000

I love and support the Dream Foundation and last night, DIANI co-hosted a shopping event with the wonderful, Arlene Montesano with a portion of sales proceeds going to the Dream Foundation. It was a beautiful evening filled with generous, special people who all have two things in common: They love to give to the Dream Foundation AND they love to shop! In the words of the Dream Foundation: "If you only had one year to live, what would your dream be? We are passionate about making dreams come true for adults suffering life-limiting illness, and in doing so – improving the quality of their lives in ways medicine alone cannot. Through this non-traditional, palliative form of healthcare, Dream Foundation provides those at the end of life’s journey with resolution, completion and peace. Some dreamers long to make happy, lasting memories with their loved ones. Others want a friend brought to their bedside for a few final moments of comfort. And still others desire to take a trip they’ve always dreamed of. Dreams can be about leaving a legacy, such as a garden, or publishing a book of poetry… or receiving help with a utility bill, or a wheelchair ramp. There are no typical dreams. Dreams are as unique as the dreamers. Go to www.dreamfoundation.org to learn more and see how you can get involved. Thanks to Summerland Winery and Dining with Di for the delicious refreshments.