live, work, play – east bay // 20 things to do in the bay area

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Debbi DiMaggio

Top 20 Things To Do In The Bay Area

Shop for Vintage Home Furnishings – The Oakland Museum’s White Elephant Sale – www.whiteelephantsale.org
Gaze at the Stars – Visit the Chabot Space and Science Center – www.chabotspace.org
Go to the Flea Market – Alameda Flea Market: the first Sunday of every month! www.alamedapointantiquesfaire.com
Peruse Hip, Local Art – Oakland’s Uptown district is the hip and happening place to stroll local art galleries – www.oaklandartmurmur.com
Surround Yourself in Sound – San Francisco’s Audium is a one of a kind sound sculpture auditorium. Operating since the mid 1960s, this is truly a unique Bay Area experience – www.audium.org
Walk Among the Departed – Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery offers amazing views of the bay, plenty of gorgeous architecture and history galore – www.mountainviewcemetery.org
Take a Hike – The East Bay Hills boast miles and miles of trails in a multitude of parks. www.ebparks.og
Go to the Show – The newly renovated Fox Theater in downtown Oakland is gorgeous and a great place to see music. www.thefoxoakland.com
Immerse Yourself in Experimental Music – The Chapel of the Chimes at the end of Piedmont Ave has an annual experimental music festival. Check it out here: www.gardenofmemory.com
Take a Slow Boat – The ferry from Oakland to Sausalito is a great way to see the Bay: www.blueandgoldfleet.com/Ferry
Make Your Kids Crafty – Museum of Children’s Art – www.mocha.org
Make Yourself Crafty – Studio One Art Center www.oaklandnet.com/parks/facilities/rc_studioone.asp
Learn To Work Metal – The Crucible – classes in metalworking, welding, jewelry making, ceramics and more – www.thecrucible.org
Get Jazzed – Yoshis Jazz Club and Japanese Restaurant – www.yoshis.com
Get Tilted – Heinholds First and Last Chance Saloon– Oakland’s one remaining pre 1906 bar, complete with sloped floors, bar, and tables – www.heinoldsfirstandlastchance.com
Get Cultured – Oakland Museum – www.museumca.org
Get your Vintage Pinball On – Playland not at the Beach – dozens of antique games from circuses and fairs that you can play – www.playland-not-at-the-beach.org
Learn what Inspired Disney – Children’s Fairyland – www.fairyland.org
Get Buzzed – Cole coffee – the freshest coffee and the coolest coffeehouse – www.colecoffee.com
A Peak Inside – Keep an eye out for the Children’s Support League Kitchen and Home Tour in Piedmont – www.wehelpkids.org – the Oakland Heritage Alliance – www.oaklandheritage.org and the Crocker Highlands Home Tour www.crockerschool.org/hometour just to name a few.

Tags: Bay Area

Posted in: Charity Destinations Events

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world class ski destinations // winter wonderland

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Debbi DiMaggio

Welcome Back ! We hope you had a wonderful, relaxing holiday with family and friends. XOXO!

As always, the season kicked off on December 1st with parties and celebrations, shopping and over-indulging, dining out, office parties, gift exchanges and perhaps a trip to the sun or the slopes. Like many Northern Californians, we too spent some time in Lake Tahoe over the holiday. We drove up on a crystal clear blue sky day and by day 3 it was truly a Winter Wonderland. Our son, Chase spent a full day snowboarding at North Star while Adam, Bianca, Mindy and I began our holiday with a long, leisurely lunch at Moody’s Bistro and Lounge in Truckee followed by a YOGA class and a STEAM at the Club at Lahonton. Driving was a bit scary in this Winter Wonderland but the vistas were certainly SPECTACULAR! It was a beautiful, awesome sight.

Discovery: The slopes and parking lots at the Village at North Star were jam-packed so we headed upwards to the Ritz . As we wound up the mountain, past the gondola drop off point just beyond the trees, out of nowhere, this magnificent hilltop resort oasis errupted – it was so dramatic – it was as if we just popped into a Harry Potter novel. It surely came out of nowhere. When we entered the double doors of the Ritz Carlton it was bustling with people lounging by fireplaces, reading, talking, eating lunch and sipping cocktails and cocoa at the lobby bar. Set on multiple levels with dramatic windows facing the ski slopes just beyond, the views were so stunning, we immediately knew we would be back to ski or just lounge. Bianca and I turned towards one another and started planning our next trip! It surely is a must see! We all enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and an amazing lunch – We highly recommend it! Later I learned that the Ritz Carlton Residences and Resort is Lake Tahoe’s first 5 Star Base Camp Resort.

As always, with every wonderful experience I enjoy, I feel compelled to share my resources and recommendations with you. Below the photograph you will find a list of Ski Destinations and links. Lake Tahoe is just a 3.5 hour drive from the East Bay and Utah is a great alternative – just a brief 2 hour flight from Oakland and a quick 45 min shuttle to a variety of world class ski resorts. If you’d like a personal recommendation for you and your family just give me a call. I’d be happy to share my experiences with you so you can make glittering memories of your own. XOXO! Debbi

World Class Ski Destinations

Tahoe Luxury Rentals www.tluxp.com

Lake Tahoe www.visitinglaketahoe.com

North Shore Lake Tahoe www.gotahoenorth.com/resorts-and-towns

South Shore Lake Tahoe www.bluelaketahoe.com

Ski Lake Tahoe www.skilaketahoe.com www.skilaketahoe.com/area/information

NorthStar www.northstarattahoe.com

Ritz Carlton Residences / Resort – Lake Tahoe’s First Five Star Base Camp www.theresidencestahoe.com/

Squaw Valley www.squaw.com www.thevillageatsquaw.com

Alpine Meadows www.skialpine.com

Sugar Bowl www.sugarbowl.com

Heavenly Valley www.skiheavenly.com

Utah – Park City, Solitude, Deer Valley and more – Ski, Skate, Hike, Bike

Just under a 2 hour flight and a 45 Minute Shuttle to each Resort from the Airport

www.skiutah.com www.parkcityinfo.com

Ski Lake Tahoe or Utah – Contact Debbi or Adam to learn more about each resort and which one is ideal for you and your family. 510.414.6777 debbi – 510.414.1250 adam. www.debbiandadam.com

Posted in: Destinations Inspiration

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a season of giving // support the cause // cancer research

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Debbi DiMaggio

Cancer League’s Happy Holly Ball

John McWilliams
McWilliams Photography

Posted: 12/09/2010 11:18:37 AM PST

Updated: 12/09/2010 11:18:38 AM PST

Barbara Rogers, left, Cancer League President, and Sarah Abel, Holly Ball Chair who is also a breast cancer survivor, led the annual Holly Ball at Claremont Country Club Dec. 3. In its 37th year, the Cancer League’s signature fundraiser had as its theme. `The Gift of Giving.’ The 380 guests enjoyed a live auction, a cocktail hour featuring local wines, dinner and music by Livewire. The proceeds from the ball go to Bay Area organizations to support the fight against

cancer. For more information about Holly Ball or The Cancer League, go to thecancerleague.org or e-mail cancerleague@gmail.com.

John McWilliams/McWilliams Photography

Major Underwriters Debbi DiMaggio, Adam Betta and Heidi Marchesotti of Highland Partners were among the 380 guests at the annual Holly Ball at Claremont Country Club Dec. 3. In its 37th year, the Cancer League’s’ signature fundraiser had as its theme. `The Gift of Giving. Ì Guests enjoyed a live auction, a cocktail hour featuring local wines, dinner and music by Livewire. The proceeds from the ball go to Bay Area organizations to support the fight against cancer. For more information about Holly Ball or The Cancer League, go to thecancerleague.org or e-mail cancerleague@gmail.com.

Posted in: Charity Events Highland Partners

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merry christmas!! // may all your dreams come true // celebrate

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Debbi DiMaggio

season’s greetings from highland partners // hp will be collecting warm coats for the ONE WARM COAT DRIVE through march 1, 2011. xoxo

Posted in: Charity Events Highland Partners

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it’s not too late to see SANTA // highland partners, piedmont

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Debbi DiMaggio

It’s Not to Late to tell Santa what you want for Christmas…A STYLISH NEW OUTFIT – WORLD PEACE – ADVENTURE and HAPPINESS in 2011…Come young come old, SANTA has a candy cane for everyone and a cup of hot cocoa or an espresso too! xoxo! Stop by this morning between 10 and 12:30PM.