If you’re like me and my BFF, you’re always looking for a nice bottle of wine to crack open and enjoy in the evening. Not for a special occasion, not for an evening with friends, not to enjoy with a special meal. No…. just because.

Having a glass of wine “just because’” really is about enjoying the Sweet Life. Something as small as this is a celebration in itself. The problem is, most of the time a decent bottle of wine is at least $18 – $25 a bottle. That’s not a lot when you’re out with friends at a restaurant, but when you’re at home, that’s not a casual price.

I’ve found the answer – how does $10.99 sound?
Yes, you can truly buy a nice bottle of wine for $10.99. To top that off, it comes with a delightfully charming name and label; Cupcake Vineyards.

Don’t just take my word for it, The Wine Spectator gives the Chardonnay 88 points.

I’ve tried the Chard and the Cab. Both are very good and I highly recommend them.

What’s even better is that you can give this as a nice host/hostess gift and it’s classy and reasonable.

Give it a try – what have you got to lose?

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Jessie with a Life size cupcake - Gotta love it!

My dear friend Regina at Dr. Flower’s Essentials is always looking out for me and sends me links to anything remotely Italian and yummy.

The following post fit the bill on both counts. It’s from an an adorably edible blog called CakeSpy.com.

CakeSpy is a Dessert Detective Agency dedicated to seeking sweetness (literally) in everyday life. They do this by writing about bakeries, conducting baking experiments, and picking the brains of bakers and food artists, and finding awesome products for lovers of baked goods. The Cakespy crew is comprised of about 6 or 7 Cake Gumshoes throughout the US, and is headed up by Head Spy Jessie Oleson.

At first I thought I would just write my own post about Italian desserts, but why, really? The work is already done and done so well.

After you’re through reading this post- pop on over to CakeSpy and check out some more yummy treats!

~ Buon Appetito!
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As I have been blithely trying to pass on the secrets of La Dolce Vita in this blog, it occurred to me that I have never posted fully about the inspiration for La Dolce Diva. Who is La Dolce Diva? What does it mean? How do you say it?

Let me answer those questions first:

1. Who is La Dolce Diva? Contrary to popular belief, I am not La Dolce Diva. Oh yes, I am the founder and Chief Executive Diva, but A Sweet Diva…not all the time. La Dolce Diva is an aspiration. Something for all of us to strive for. Being a Diva is easy, being a Sweet Diva is not. A Sweet Diva still respects and stands  up for herself and encourages and allows her sister Divas to do the same. It is not about Women’s Rights…it is about respect and support. Without getting on a soap box, after many years in the corporate world, I realized that women can be our own worst enemies, frenemies and obstacles. We try to teach our darling
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Have you ever run across anyone that is totally living a slice of life that you had imagined for yourself? I don’t mean some fantastic anomaly like being a rockstar or member of royalty. I mean a simple life decision that you could easily make now if it weren’t for all those darned responsibilities you have weighing you down.

I “met” one such person. An American who moved to Rome and is living there like a local. Her name is Jessica and she publishes a wonderful Blog called RomePhotoBlog. A photography blog aimed at capturing the city of Rome through the eyes of a someone who lives there.

Each day I visit her blog to get a quick fix of one of my favorite places. Like a box of fine Italian chocolates, you never know what you are going to get…a snap of cocktails and nibbles at a local bar, an empty piazza or fountain lit at night, a vegetable vendor or a “gladiator” chatting with a friend on a bike.  Whether you have been to Rome for a quick vacation, long stay or never at all, Jessica manages to give you the feel of looking through a friend’s treasured photo album with lovely anecdotes and explanations of each picture.

Once I got a glimpse of RomePhotoBlog, I was immediately smitten and wanted to interview the person behind it. I can’t tell you how delighted I was that she agreed to the interview and that she took the time to give such detailed answers. Thank you Jessica!
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