Have a Very Cherry Summer

Memorial Day has come and gone, and summer is officially here.

As always, we’re scouting out our seasonal cherry picks, and here are a couple of must-haves:
Danica’s cherry print make-up case is actually roomy enough to stash all of our potions and lotions with space to spare.

We picked ours at one of our favorite LA boutiques – Pickett Fences on Larchmont.

At Urban Outfitters we spied this retro one-piece. You’ll be channeling 50’s glam by the pool or at the shore in this cute suit with square neckline and boy short bottoms.

Also available at Now Designs. Call 1.866.253.9001 for stores

Virgins on Tour: Wine & Chocolate in San Fran and Atlanta

Demi-secs, and zinfandels, and muscats, oh my!

We’re two-thirds of the way through our nationwide wine and chocolate tasting tour (hiccup!), and feeling none the worse for wear.

Dove Chocolate so graciously afforded us the privilege of meeting up with fellow Virgins in the oh-so-swank Spanish Suite of San Francisco’s Clift Hotel, where we munched on smoked salmon canapés, swilled Toad Hollow wines, and enjoyed the view from the terrace on an atypically balmy evening.

Local Go-To Girl Tiffany Bass Bukow (aka Ms. Money) was our special guest, and sommelier Julee Resendez wow-ed the crowd with her explanation of how to pair bubblies, reds, and cocktails with dark chocolate.

In Atlanta, on the roof terrace at the Glenn Hotel, we donned sunglasses and SPF 20 to meet and greet alongside local Go-To Girl, Sandra Brown.

Guests who joined us to enjoy the skyline view included the Atlanta Business Journal’s Rina Cook, Atlanta Journal & Constitution’s Michelle Miller, and Turner Broadcasting’s Lea Ann Leming.

Sources say that the Pear vodka cocktail was the top tipple of the evening for our ladies in the ATL.

Virgin’s Guide Wine & Chocolate Tasting Takeaway: Don’t chew the chocolate! Let it dissolve in your mouth and commingle with the flavor of your chosen libation.

Top Wine & Chocolate Tips from the Spirits & Sustenance Chapter of A Virgin’s Guide to Everything:

Wine-Tasting Moves

The swirl. With the glass on the table, grasp the stem as if it were a pencil. Move the glass as if you were writing.

The sniff. Bring the glass to your face. Stick your nose in the glass. Sniff hard, with your mouth closed, like you’re vacuuming money through your nose.

The sip & swish. Follow the sniff with a big gulp, enough to fill your mouth. Swish it around as if it were mouthwash.

The lines. Useful phrases for when you’re stumped. “What a lovely finish.” (Translation: nice aftertaste.) “Beautifully balanced.” (Translation: you like it.) Yum (In a pinch, works very well.)

Storing and Serving Chocolate

Keep it in its box. Cover the box in plastic wrap, or put it in a plastic bag.

Store it in the warmest section of your refrigerator, or in a cool place.

Serve it at below room temperature, at 62° to 65° degrees F.

Most chocolates keep for two to three weeks. Those filled with liqueur can last up to six months.

Want more? Click here to buy the book.

Spring Break Beauty Party

Thanks to Tricia Nelson, our LA-based Travel Go-To Girl, for hosting our Spring Break Beauty Party at the Beverly Hills L’Oreal Paris store.

Guest make-up artist Gail Scher joined us for an evening of drinks, hors d’oeuvres, travel beauty tips and makeovers as well as giveaways and goodies from Jana Feifer’s Love Luggage Joint, Flight 001, and Hello Kitty.

And thanks to our pals at Orbitz, DrPhil.com web-mistress Gabrielle Pascoe won a round-trip ticket to a destination of her choice.

Here are a couple of photos from the event. For more, visit our photo gallery.


Virgin's Guide Travel Go-To Girl Tricia Nelson & Shelley Slack


April Kobayashi checks out her new look


Celebrity makeup artist Gail Scher advises an event guest