My family experiences Peppoli

When Shannon Gurley, the Floral and Event Design Manager for Pebble Beach Resorts invited my family to join her for dinner at Peppoli I had no idea the kind of extravagant and totally delicious meal we were about to experience!

Shannon in the middle and our family in front of the gorgeous Christmas tree in the lobby at Inn at Spanish Bay; this is just one of 17 Christmas trees Shannon and her team were responsible for decorating on the Pebble Beach Property!

Shannon and her team at Pebble Beach want to let SF Bay area wedding planners know what a wonderful experience their resort can offer a couple hosting their wedding celebration at any of the Pebble Beach properties. I for one was not aware of all the beautiful and luxurious options available to my clients...but now I am eager to recommend the properties!

Since my family was already planning to be in Pacific Grove, which borders Pebble Beach, for the Christmas week, Shannon graciously invited all 4 of us to join her for a personalized, chef's choice multi course dinner at Peppoli.

Asilomar Beach on sunset when we arrived; we could have walked to the Inn at Spanish Bay from our B and B across from Asilomar, but that would have been a bit difficult after dark!

I can truly say that the fresh taste of each dish, the authentic Italian presentation, and impeccable 5 Star service would win my recommendation to any bride and groom considering hosting their wedding reception with Peppoli!

Me with Justin, Kim and Jeff at the entrance to Peppoli, in front of the oil painting of the villa in Italy owned by the family who provides wine for Peppoli...a family of wine makers that goes back over 15 generations!

For my friends who are foodies, and often post photos of the incredible foods they have enjoyed, I have a few to share! This 4+ hour meal was a gastronomical tour through Italy, served in 5 delicious courses, and my photos only present a few of the multiple plates served to our table for each course!

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House-made Sausage, polenta, and braised chard

Tuna sashimi with a delicate sprout/white bean garnish

Antipasti plate including house made salamis, imported olives and cheeses from Italy, and fresh artichokes, marinated by Peppoli for 72 hours.

Wild mushroom risotto with grilled scallops

Pasta with fresh bacon, Parmesan, and Alfredo sauce; note there were 2 other dishes in the background!

Beet salad with Arugula, Carmel Valley greens, and battered goat cheese on top; butternut soup in the background...it was amazing too!

Caesar Salad, the REAL thing!

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Breaded local pork chop soaked in wine and spices, garnish of fresh greens with lemon juice.

Also in this course were Beef Tenderloin with port reduction sauce and Sea Bass with a garlic butter glaze...we are now heading into a food coma, but here comes DESSERT!!

Flourless warm chocolate lava cake with espresso gelato

Italian cookie selection...all great, but we liked the macaroon best!

Fresh fruit with mint gelato and a house almond biscotti

The Finale...three flavors of Sorbet, lemon, strawberry and blackberry...plus the empty bottle of estate wine from Italy we consumed during the meal...WOW!!!

Our family has never had this kind of dining adventure before, so we have been reminiscing about the amazing flavors, beautiful presentation, and welcoming atmosphere ever since! Thank you Shannon, and all of the staff at Pebble Beach Resorts, for treating us so royally!

I would love the opportunity to work with Shannon and her colleague Julie Bullas, the Catering Manager at Pebble Beach, to serve brides and grooms with the same personal care and flawless service I experienced at Peppoli and throughout the Pebble Beach Resorts.

December in San Francisco

December in California, and particularly in San Francisco is not to be confused with December in any other part of the country, or the world for that matter! The combination of occasionally balmy weather, incredible world renowned views, and an outrageous display of Christmas lights makes even 24 hours in the City an experience, not just a visit!

Jeff and I were recently able to enjoy one night at the beautiful Four Seasons in San Francisco, thanks to the generosity of Stacie Hallinan and David Robinson, Catering Directors at the Four Seasons. Thank you so much for the gift of rest and re-energizing after a very busy wedding season; Jeff and I had not seen much of each other since May when my wedding began, so we made the most of our time together in SF.

After experiencing the quality of warm, personal attention we received at every point in our stay at the Four Seasons, I can unequivocally recommend the Four Seasons to my wedding clients who are looking for a welcoming and professional location for their family and guests. I also really appreciate the modern and understated elegance of the Four Seasons decor, which is exemplified by this stunning arrangement in the lobby.

Jeff and I love walking, and enjoying the beauty of a city as you can only see it on foot. Even though it had been raining in the morning, we took our raincoats and umbrellas and set out immediately to explore as much of SF as we possibly could. Using The Four Seasons on Market St as our home base, we walked to the Ferry Building, then all along the Embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf, taking sunset photos along the way.

View of Coit Tower and the Transamerica Building from the dock just east of Pier 39.


The beautiful Golden Gate Bridge as the sun is setting behind the Marin hills.


The SF landmark Ghiradelli Square, where so many tourists come to enjoy the famous Hot Fudge Sundaes...and speaking from experience, some non tourists love them as well!


We met a Belgian couple who took this photo of us as we were enjoying the sunset...so nice to have a reminder of the beauty we enjoyed on our "staycation" as some people call a mini vacation within your own locale.

Once the sun had officially set, we headed for North Beach, about 8 blocks away for some wine and delicious pasta at Sport, our favorite Italian restaurant in this ethnic epicenter for Italian food!

I ordered the Pesto Pasta, which as the sign says, is a wonderful dish, and I would have to agree, I have never had better, even in Italy!

We had saved the lights at Union Square for the last part of our walk, because those can only be completely enjoyed after dark. We were not disappointed by the action, color, and life of December in Union Square. We were there for the annual lighting of the 4 story high Menorah on the first night of Hanukkah, as well as for the Cable Car Christmas Caroling by local high school students.


No matter what brings you to San Francisco in December, given the right weather and time to explore, you will find something to delight and inspire you.

We are so thankful that we were able to savor the magic of our beloved city as it was splashed with sunset colors and dressed up for the holidays!

My Uncle Jimmy is 92!

Planning celebrations is what I do as a professional, but it is also what I do for my wonderful family members like my Uncle Jimmy, who turned 92 this month! Jimmy has made some wonderful friends in the Palo Alto area where we live, and last week I invited about 15 of them to our home in Palo Alto for pizza, pasta, puzzles and lots of cake and ice cream!

Uncle Jimmy was born deaf, as a result of his mother having German Measles when she was pregnant with him. In 1918 when he was born, deafness was considered a handicap which required constant care, so Jimmy was not able to go to public school or college and he never married because his family thought he would not be able to support a wife.

As it turns out, Jimmy became an amazing carpenter, took care of his mother the last years of her life in the Boston area. Rather than needing care, Jimmy became the one to take care of others. When both his mother, and my mother died, Jimmy moved out here to California to be with me and my family. We are forever grateful that he did so because he has been a major part of our lives, spearheading 20 years ago the project to totally remodel our 1906 home, playing with my two children from the day they were born and into the present moments....Jimmy always makes us laugh with his slapstick humor and silly faces and comments about everything.


This group of neighbors, community store owners, friends from the Senior Center where Jimmy eats lunch daily, my daughter Kim and husband Jeff, all wished Uncle Jimmy a happy 92nd birthday and helped blow out the candles.


My daughter Kim chose an expensive bottle of well-aged bourbon for Jimmy's birthday gift...here he is making one of his familiar exaggerated grins to let her know how much he will enjoy the warmth of a good glass of whiskey on the cold winter nights ahead!


This photo exemplifies the way my Uncle Jimmy had found love in the community where we live; this hug is coming from the woman who works at the Senior Center, and sees Jimmy every day when he comes in for lunch. They tell me that he always has a smile and a joke for them at the desk. Without hearing a sound for 92 years, Jimmy has learned how to communicate with humor and genuine care for others. I am so proud to be his niece!

This was the gift I gave Jimmy: a framed enlargement of his meeting with the clown and the clown's 1 year old son, at the Zoppe Family Circus, in Redwood City last month.

I wanted to take Jimmy to the circus because so much of a circus is entertainment without words...that is what a deaf person needs! The owner of the Zoppe Italian Family Circus noticed Jimmy's enthusiastic applause and intense involvement with every moment of the performance, and actually came up to Jimmy at the end of the show to give him a high five...again, communicating without words a connection that needed no words.

I wanted Jimmy to have this photo in his tiny house (he still lives on his own, just 5 blocks down the street from me) to remind him of our visit to the circus, and the new friends he made there.

I wonder if I inherited my sense of humor from Jimmy...I would love to think I also inherited his gentle heart and warm spirit. Happy Birthday, Uncle Jimmy!

My Uncle Jimmy's 90th Birthday!!

This month I enjoyed a different kind of event planning; I was able to create a joyful celebration of my Uncle's 90th Birthday, incorporating friends and family I have known throughout my life, and some of the vendors I work with for weddings. My personal and professional lives came together, and it was a gift for me to see them overlap, enriching all who were involved.




Jimmy, my mother's brother, was born totally deaf, due to their mother contracting German Measles during her pregnancy with Jimmy; at the time Jimmy was born, particularly in the Boston area where his family lived, children with "handicaps" were not as included in the mainstream of life, as they are now. Jimmy had a tutor who came to the house to teach him how to read lips, and imitate speech, based on the vibrations he felt in his throat. Sign language was considered a stigma at that time...so much has changed in 90 years!


Jimmy in many ways grew up alone, but he always had a wonderful sense of humor, enjoyed the antics of the silent movie stars, and could make me laugh as a child like no one else could....I love my uncle, as does everyone who gets to know him! Fifty friends, and my family of 4, gathered last weekend at MacArthur Park in Palo Alto, to enjoy Jimmy's favorite meal, Barbecued Ribs with all the trimmings, and to show him how much we rejoice that at 90, he is still as full of warmth and humor as he ever was!

Jan Kearney, owner of Cast of Thousands, helped me find some performers to bring the silent film world of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin to Jimmy's party. I wanted to have entertainers whom Jimmy could relate with, and who would set a tone for a party based on humor, fun, and visual communication...Jimmy often feels left out at parties, because everyone is chatting and laughing together, but he can't hear any of it...deafness can be more of a social handicap than a physical one, and I have come to be very sensitive to the loneliness he can feel in a crowd. At this party, Jimmy was in his element!

Did you ever wonder what 90 candles would look like on a cake? Well, this is the answer, and it took 3 people to light the candles!

Jimmy was up to the challenge; it took him 3 tries to blow out all 90 candles, but he did it on his own! We were wondering if all the smoke would get the Fire Department involved...

I wish each of you could get to know my Uncle Jimmy! His life is a gift to many, and especially to me and my family.

I will have more photos to share soon, as my friends, Geoff and Lara White, brought their cameras, talent and enthusiasm to Jimmy's birthday party, to shoot portraits of Jimmy and my family, as well as a few candids of the beginning of the party.

I am blessed to have a loving family, and to be supported by dear friends in the wedding industry who added their special touch to this once in a lifetime celebration!

Thank you to Jan, at Cast of Thousands, for sending me such talented actors, and to Geoff and Lara White, of Geoff White Photography, for making the time to capture on film, this special moment in our family.

Fast breaking news: Here are a few photos Geoff and Lara just sent to me; it is clear from the quality of these images, that they were taken by professional photographers, and not by me........ but Uncle Jimmy is the Same, no matter who takes the photos!