Diva-liscious

What better way to express how you truly feel on Valentine's day... than with a first class ticket to Europe or some fabulous crazy destination?   Where ever your Valentine's Day takes you this year, there's always room for a little chocolate and flowers.  For us LA divas, there's a great idea for your out-of-the-norm chocolate-and-flower-filled event.  For Valentine's Day, make him work a little harder.. and boys.. she's worth it!  Take a look at the outstanding gifts that are sure to bring asmile to any diva's face! SEED Floral Couture announces their newest Valentine’s Day collection now available, featuring exquisite hand crafted gift boxes for your loved ones. Each gift box features incredible floral designs with romantic color palettes incorporated with gourmet chocolates, scented candles, unique vases and more.  All gift box materials are eco-friendly, and designed with certified organic flowers. Owner of SEED Floral Couture, Stephanie Elhayani is the visionary behind each design and can work with each client to customize their gift box purchase. New customers can receive 10% off their first purchase. Delivery is available in the greater Southern California area only. “Every arrangement, whether romantic, classic or hip should communicate a unique sense of style, ” says ...

When it comes to world festivals, this diva is honored to have been one of the thousands attending the second annual Taste of Playa 2010.� As incredible as the food was, it was only upstaged by its organizers, putting together the event with competence, grace and passion for all things culinary. Sunday, November 21, 2010, 43 of the Riviera Maya's most talented chefs, restaurateurs, beverage purveyors and specialty food merchants gathered in the Parque Fundadores, just steps from the beaches of Playa del Carmen, to present their signature dishes and culinary creations to over 7000 local residents and visitors to the popular Mexican Caribbean city. The event far exceeded our expectations this year!' reported event Chairperson Nicola Inwood. The small businesses who made up the participants in both the restaurant and marketplace areas truly reflected the international influences that make up the modern Riviera Maya. The local restaurants, bars and food retailers represented this year offered truly world class dishes for food lovers from across the globe who came to enjoy the Caribbean sun and experience the best of traditional Mexican and international cuisine. The Travel Channel's Mark DeCarlo was the celebrity host of this culinary festival and worked through the crowd talking ...

Taste of Playa is an annual culinary event in Playa del Carmen that celebrates the creativity and cultural influences of chefs throughout the Riviera Maya. The event promotes the unique culinary perspectives of local chefs, highlights new event venues and coordinates the efforts of local businesses and municipal governments. In 2009, Taste of Playa captured the attention of national and international media and showed the spirit of multi-cultural cooperation that defines the modern Riviera Maya. International culinary festivals are held throughout the world, with each host city highlighting the chefs, restaurants and retail food outlets that define the culture of the area. Playa del Carmen is renowned for its diversity, its international influences, its culinary expertise and its Caribbean lifestyle. The restaurants and food industry have played a major part in the development and definition of the Riviera Maya. This event provides local businesses with an opportunity to showcase the expertise of their talented chefs. Originally named Xaman-Ha (waters of the north) by the ancient Maya, modern day Playa del Carmen is the heart of the Riviera Maya. Located on the coast 40 miles (60 kms.) south of Cancun, Playa, as it is now commonly known, is the perfect base of operations ...

For divas looking for a luxurious place to have some drinks and chat up a great looking bartender... Firenze Osteria is definitely it!  Alongside Lankershim, one of the busiest streets in the valley, Firenze could go unnoticed if not for the line of great looking singles going in and out of the place. As I sipped my fabulous full bodied red, I hear from the delicious bartender that Firenze has one of the best happy hours in LA every Thursday night from 5-7pm.  They offer 6 flights of wine for $6, and you'll get to hear about the wines from a rep from the winery. The atmosphere is lux-comfy-smooth, and perfect for misbehavior.  Next Thursday night I'll be passing by to taste all the reds. Tip: Firenze's valet parking attendant is extremely nice.  Be sure to tip accordingly and your car will always be very well taken care of. See you Thursday!

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo copyright, 2010 The 1980 Chicago poster I’ve displayed in my home since relocating to Southern California in 1987, shows the city as a child’s crayon coloring exercise. Blue Lake Michigan and green parks are in the forefront while the rest of the US recedes to the Pacific. New York and the Atlantic are seen beyond Asia giving the artwork a vitality which amuses and refreshes, just as the real city does for visitors. First-time guests are astounded by Chicago’s breath-taking lakefront, stretching for miles, awash in sailboats, marinas, pristine parks dotted with notable sculptures, fountains, all anchored by world-class museums set like glittering jewels into the vast parks. That’s the view from atop the Hancock Building…something not to be missed. It offers a superlative shoreline vista. The sunlight bouncing off the lake, enhanced by the tens of acres of open spaces, gives the public buildings a fairytale feel, as though someone sketched them in watercolors. The openness of the lakefront owes a debt to Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. He designed among many projects,  the lakefront parks, skyscrapers and the Chicago Columbian Exposition, 1893. Taking his cue from Baron Georges Haussmann, 19th century city planner of the old Roman city of ...