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March 10, 2012 § Leave a comment
“The JUICE” has been merged with our website at SweetDaniB.com. For future juicy posts on cookies, recipes, lifestyle and other fun and fabulous stuff, please bookmark our site and join us there!
Please click here to redirect… All good things! Xo Dani
A “Totally Rewarding” Evening
March 4, 2012 § 2 Comments
I was honored and excited when Caesar’s Total Rewards hired me as an “influencer” for their latest and greatest Total Rewards campaign. Their goal? To help you “Plot Your Escape” to all that is fun and fabulous in entertainment. Glad I could be of service!
I had my first brush with Caesar’s (which is just one of the many casinos included in Total Rewards) years ago when my friends and I planned a vacation to Vegas around the opening of Rao’s. (Sidebar backstory: As an Italian girl and foodie, Rao’s in NYC is the stuff of Italian legend. It is impossible to get in to the NYC Rao’s so the opening of Rao’s in Vegas was the perfect excuse for us to take a vacation there!) We returned a few years later to celebrate my Dad’s retirement and had an amazing few days there- including another dinner at Rao’s!
The kickoff of the new Total Rewards campaign began with a surprise concert at the amazing and beautiful Gotham Hall in NYC. Simultaneously across the country, three other concerts were bringing fun and fabulous music to other lucky fans. As my + 1 (KF of coarse!) and I made our way into Gotham hall Katharine McPhee was walking the red carpet! She is gorgeous and looks as sweet in person as she does in Smash. (I so wanted to get a photo with her when we were inches away from each other in the VIP lounge but my TV instincts kicked in and I just couldn’t ask. When you work in TV you learn never to bother the talent!).
We made our way in, got our bracelets and headed upstairs to the decked out “Diamond VIP Lounge” where Diddy’s CÎROC vodka was flowing!
Most tables were reserved for “VIP VIPs” so KF and I grabbed a ledge and people and style watched as the delicious hors d’oeuvres were passed…

Petite Mushroom Cannaloni- I am totally making these... they are wrapped in wonton wrappers- brilliant!
Before we knew it the Total Rewards clock struck 9 and Mel B came out to kick off the show!

We watched Mel B's introduction and a few clips from other shows that were happening across the country on one of the monitors since VIP the balcony edge was literally packed to the brim!
Once Diddy’s intro smoke cleared, I realized the monitor wasn’t going to cut it for us! KF and I quickly packed up our VIP ledge and headed down to the floor… The floor view was incredible- I have been describing it as feeling like we were just “across the street” from the performers! Diddy got the crowd going with his dj spinning a combo of current hits with some of his own.
I was so excited when my Total Rewards ticket contest “winner” Sarah Polite found me in the crowd!
Mel B came out after Diddy finished to show us another clip of Sara Bareilles on the Chicago stage singing “Love Song” (love that song!)… after that we knew Mariah Carey was on the way!
Her entrance was fabulous and she looked gorgeous in a black, one shoulder mermaid dress and her signature, shimmering butterfly ring. After the first couple of songs, she commented that she didn’t know “what the big deal was” about her return to stage after giving birth to “dem babies”. (It looked like a pretty big deal to me!) Her singing is so effortless yet her voice is so big it is incredible to see in person!

Mariah and backup singer, Trey Lorenz, do a sweet and beautiful version of "I'll be there" (yes, I got choked up)

A quick DIVA shoe change and hair and makeup touch up! (I was ready to change my shoes by then too!)
After “We Belong Together” the stage went dark but I knew she’d be back for an encore! I could not have been happier when that encore turned out to be “Hero”.
The night could not have ended with a better vibe. The shows were a huge success and everyone had a fabulous time. (For some juicy details on the Chicago show- AKA: The I’m jealous cause Adam Levine was there show!- check out my foodie friend Susan’s blog at http://www.feedsusan.com/)
I was sorry to hear that KF and I missed the desserts that were served and the swag bags that were handed out in the Diamond Lounge, but for me, being able to experience the music that close was worth the sacrifice. (Besides, it’s not like they were serving milk and cookies! ;))
Please keep up with my posts about my Total Rewards adventure! Coming up in the next 2 months, the great chefs of Harrah and Caeser’s Entertainment will be sharing some of their favorite recipes with us! I’ll even be giving away the gorgeous coffee table cookbook “The Seven Stars Cookbook” which features recipes from their celebrity chefs as well as hosting and entertainment tips from some of the best hosts, hostesses, executive chefs, and bartenders in the biz!
It is with great thanks to you that I was offered this opportunity. So thank you for following me here on “the Juice”, on Twitter and on Facebook (You do follow me on all 3, right? 🙂 Sweet! Spread the love)!
(((hugs)))&XXXXkisses! Xo Dani
*Next post up? A cookie inspired by Mariah! See you soon!*
An Open Studio Tour at Monroe Center
February 29, 2012 § 4 Comments
I love the sound of an “Open Studio Tour”… It just sounds so artsy! That’s exactly what the goings on were at the Monroe Center for the Arts in Hoboken this past Sunday. The building opened its doors to welcome in the visiting public and each studio or suite had the option to open up their places and participate.
The lower level gallery was decorated with beautiful “action” photos of many of the studio owners. What a fabulous way to show off the talented members of Monroe!
Coming off our successful Valentine Cookie Workshop at Urban Arts, I was honored to be asked to participate in the Open Studio Tour and hang out for the day.
I set up a little pop up shop where I sold my decorative cookies and also “tested” my new “line” of cookies I have been calling “Just add milk”! (So far so good- More about this later)
I also set up an “Ice with Me” demo where people were welcomed to join me in icing a cookie!
Later on, I took a stroll down the hall and could not have been more elated that the Puppet Heap was open! In my next life, I want to come back as a puppet maker…

I could have stayed in The Puppet Heap for hours- their work is incredible! They also sell a few of their puppet designs- some are sweet like the puppy and others are scary cool like the squid- what an amazing gift item! I'll be back!
I also was happy to pop in and visit my new friends at Botanical Design. I have been looking for a floral vendor to recommend and these guys are amazing! They have just the right taste level and they are warm and welcoming. I love their studio space which is a combination of a showcase of their work and a working studio.
After my walking tour, I stumbled upon “Rosie’s Weenie Wagon”, which was set up in the perfect spot- between the elevator and the live music! While loading up an order of nachos for me (yum), Rosie mentioned she is available for party bookings: how fun would it be to have her wheel her cart into your yard this summer?
Monroe hosts Open Studio Tours about twice a year but the building is always bustling and open to the public. It’s a wonderful place to visit and is a fast growing cultural center. I had a great time on Sunday and am looking forward to returning for our Spring Cookie Workshops March 31st and April 1st! Check out our Workshop Schedule and come join in the fun! Xo Dani
Sweet Style Saturdays: An Ode to The Man Repeller
February 25, 2012 § Leave a comment
This past week I kept up with Fashion Week via Vogue’s amazing runway slideshows. I wish I had time to watch all the designers that have shown each day, but instead I rely on the Vogue Newsletter emails which includes fabulous summations of the day’s events. This morning while spinning (where I often do a lot of thinking to keep me distracted), I “challenged myself” to choose my top 5 fave looks from the week off the top of my head…

Ralph Lauren does it again with this incredible pairing of colorful menswear prints + animal print! (YES, PLEASE!)

I had never heard of Mary Katrantzou before I saw this dress, now I can't stop thinking about it! Its a work of art! Glorious!

Marc Jacobs entire RTW Fall12 line is so over the top... it is the chicest Dr. Seuss couture- LOOOVE!!!
One thing to note about my personal “dream looks” is that each one is, for the most part, a “Man Repeller”. This brilliant term is coined (and owned) by fashion blogger Leandra Medine, who’s blog The Man Repeller shot into the stratoshpere just last year. She is bold and adorable, super fashionable and writes with such humor that I often find myself nodding while chuckling with her blog out loud.

Here's me "Man Repelling" in the Meatpacking district... what the darkness hides are the neon colors of this vintage plaid coat
Thanks to Leandra, I realized that I have been “Man Repelling” for years and never knew it.

...doing some more "Repelling" in a patchwork Anthro dress while demoing a kiddie hat craft at a Princess Party...
Well, I kind of knew it… There’s a specific look of “question” on KFs face from time to time when I emerge from our room dressed for the evening. Or sometimes “the look” is an actual direct question:
“Are you are going to wear that- You know we are just going for a burger right?”
“Did you raid Mrs. Roper’s closet again?”
“Is that new?” (eyebrows raised)

...and here's me texting "help, get my Mara Hoffman muumuu out of here" while "Repelling" in a bar filled to capacity with body con dresses...
My love for mumuus, patterns, patchwork, paper bag pants, and platforms runs so deep that its unlikely I’ll stop “Man Repelling” any time soon but thanks to Leandra, I now have a term for it!
Now, what in the world should I wear tonight? Happy Saturday! Xo Dani
Where the Gnomes Live
February 21, 2012 § 2 Comments
I’ve definitely had the mushroom inspiration “bug” for a while. Aside from being a huge foodie fan of mushrooms (shiitakes are my fave) in the past few years, toadstool mushrooms have been popping up all around me…

Me on the set of Martha's Halloween 09 'Wild Things' show sitting on a Toadstool stool crafted by Kristin St. Clair
Around the holidays, I was so excited to find these adorable mushroom ornaments with wire spikes in the flower district one day and I just had to buy a box. As a craft hoarder I’m lucky to have a space to keep all my craft materials and these items pretty much magically found eachother just in time to make KF a totally excellent “Terrarium Valentine”.

I used Martha Stewart craft gel glue and both coarse and tinsel glitter to make the mushrooms shimmer
While my crafty ‘shrooms were drying, I cleaned out an antique ball jar (which I collect) and filled it 3/4 full with a combination of potting soil and horticultural charcoal.
I am so happy with the way my toadstool mushroom terrarium Valentine turned out! KF loved it and the reindeer moss does not require any special care. The sign has weathered a bit due to the moisture, but I love the way it looks (plus I can always replace the sign when needed). This would be a really fun project to do with your kiddies or with friends and family at a Craft Brunch not to mention, your Gnomes and Gnomis will love it!
Happy Crafting! Xo Dani
P.S. Look for our March Gnome & Gnomi how to coming soon!