Italy Here We Come

March 14, 2013 9 Comments

I know you’ve heard us say that Italy is our second home and it is looking more and more that way. The Italians have had a love affair with Ronn for decades now and he seems to visit that country more than any other. It’s hard to say no to any invitation because there are so many beautiful places to visit in Italy. This upcoming invitation is one that I am extremely excited about because it falls around my big 50th birthday in June and it’s a place I’ve never been in Sicily. 

Ronn has been invited to attend the prestigious 59th Taormina Film Festival held in the beautiful scenario of the ancient Greek-Roman monument “Teatro Antico”, facing the Etna volcano, in the heart of the Mediterranean area. Past actors such as,  Robert De Niro, Oliver Stone, Sophia Loren, Colin Firth have had the honor of being asked to do a presentation at this beautiful theater that is embedded in a rock and only holds about 19,000 people. Here is a link to the festival for more information Taormina Film Festival 2013

images-2

I take this is as another gift from the universe that we are on the right path in our exciting new career ventures and the fact that this invitation falls near my big birthday makes me so happy to again visit another beautiful place in Italy. So here are some pics of the beautiful outdoor theater and the coast of Sicily. I’m imagining my morning cappuccinos now.

Filed Under: The Bold and The Beautiful, Playboy, Playmate, New Orleans, Spices, Cajun, travel, vacation

Fresh Mountain Air

November 5, 2012 5 Comments

There really is nothing like the fresh mountain air to cleanse your mind, body and soul.  We fell in love with Lake Arrowhead a year ago when we came here for a wedding. Since then, it’s become our favorite place to get away, largely due to the four seasons and the fact that it’s only a couple of hours from Los Angeles.

It’s such good fun to hang out with friends in, “The Village” have great wine, a nice fire going and good food of course. Turns out a few of Ronn’s B&B cast mates love Arrowhead also, so we are never at a loss for visiting friends.

Wanda, Ronn & Dawn

We also get in creative mode with writing and editing Ronn’s Garage. I think that’s just something that comes with being nestled in the trees and being surrounded by the majestic mountains. This past weekend gave us a variety of colorful trees as the leaves started turning shades of gold, red and orange.

This was also a creative meeting of the minds concerning an exciting movie project that Ronn is now in the throws of. The next couple weeks will be filled with director meetings, contracts, music, photo shoots, publicity and script revisions that need to be done before we can unveil the movie’s website, which should be by Christmas.

Since this will be Ronn’s first starring role since his exit from B&B, we are all very anxious and excited to share it all with you as soon as possible. However, we must get all these preliminary things done before the unveiling. I think you will be just as excited as we are about this one and there’s a sequel in the works, so we think this will be a perfect role for Ronn. We will be sharing behind the scenes of the making of this movie with you on it’s website and there will be music from Player in there also.

I believe coincidences is God’s way of saying you are on the right path and this weekend gave us a few of them. Turns out the writer of this film that Ronn is doing, also wrote, “Easy Rider, The Ride Back” which stars Michael Nouri and LauraLee Bell. This is a film that hasn’t been released yet that we got a sneak peek of. The coincidence is Michael Nouri’s wife, Vicki Light was my very first agent and she started my career in acting. She got me my all important SAG card, which most of you know now was in a movie scene with Ronn before we were introduced back in 1986. Vicki contacted MS and was very ill, but I am reconnecting with her through a friend that visited us. So I’m thrilled to see her after so many years! Lauralee Bell is Brad Bell’s sister and plays Cricket on Y&R, so it was a surprise to see her in this “Easy Rider” sequel with the writer who is now writing Ronn’s first upcoming starring movie role. Coincidence? I think not.

Filed Under: cooking, Life, vacation

A Change Of Season

October 3, 2012 5 Comments

Dev & Lori at the Tuscan villa

The past few days spent with our Italian friends who are very much family to us felt so surreal.  Our last days in the gorgeous countryside of Tuscany was set in a quaint “Eco-chic” Boutique farm , TENUTA CHIUDENDONE . Our host was Francesco Cavallini, owner of Emilio Cavallini who has been the premier fashion tights company to many designers all over the world since 1972. We got to tour the factory where they make them and was given so many designs to take home. Lori was in sheer pantyhose heaven and Francesco’s father is a true artist in the unique world of fashion tights.

Lori, Dev & Isabella

Lori, Ronn & Dev

Ombu, Francesco, Dev, Ronn & Isabella

Francesco & Ronn

We were treated to the finest  Tuscan wines at a wonderful wine tasting compliments of, Varramista Winery  and then the highlight of our trip there was a visit to the local supermarket with Ronn. I wanted Francesco and his girlfriend Isabella to show me how to cook a whole fish Tuscan style, so we stopped at the market and even the butcher wanted a picture with Ronn! Lori and I laughed so hard at the reaction from everyone,  including grandmothers and children who seemed to be drawn to Ronn for photos. I will show you guys what I learned about cooking a whole Sea Bass later on Ronn’s Garage. We traveled Saturday by train back to Rome for our final two days in Italy so that we could spend some quality time with the lovely Laura Biagiotti and my Italian sister Lavinia.They always make us feel so at home at the Biagiotti Castle. We topped off our evening with champagne at the Biagiotti boutique. Katherine Kelly Lang joined us and then went back to the castle for an amazing home cooked dinner with Laura. It was such a pleasure to introduce KKL to Laura and turns out, it was a special holiday for Italy was honoring St. Raffelle. The moon was so bright and full that we all felt the aura of excitement and anticipation deep into the night as a flutter of rain drops softly kissed us. Soon a pouring rain storm washed away the smoldering heat and humidity of the summer, and a change of season seemed to happen before our eyes with the breeziness of fall that is so welcomed now.  I started to feel a bit of a cold coming on so I decided to rest in between lunch and dinner on Sunday. Ronn and Lavinia went for a walk and to my surprise, Ronn came back with a perfectly small heart shaped rock he found on the Biagiotti property from their afternoon stroll. I was so amazed and surprised to get this from him and took it as an omen to all the wonderful things that are happening in our lives now.

My Heart shaped Rocks

It’s my gratitude rock, a symbol of our rock solid love that has conquered so much in the past few months. As some you may remember, Ronn found a large heart shaped rock walking on the beach in Malibu a few years ago, so now I have that one next to me in our bedroom and this little one with me at all times. I showed Laura the rock and she said with great flair, “Now, let’s go find a Picasso at the flea market!” Because I admire so much Laura’s wisdom, knowledge and sixth sense, I knew our trip to the flea market was something special she wanted to share with us. And there I found the cutest outfit in the latest fashionable color of deep green for this fall that I will can’t wait to wear with pride. Lavinia wanted to take us to the wedding of chef Filippo La Mantia and his bride, Stefania, which was hailed the most elite party in Rome, and such a glamourous end to our  awesome trip. Lori and I got dressed up for the party and made quite an entrance with Ronn, who epitomized Rock Star.

Lavinia, Eleonora & Ronn

Dev, Eleonora, Ronn & Lori

There we met some of the most prestigious people in Rome, including ballerina, Eleonora Abbagnato.  Lavinia grew up watching Eleonora dance and to meet her was an honor, especially since I’ve never seen a ballet. So she invited me to see her dance in Paris! Being at this party was like seeing a fashion show of the most beautiful people, each designer dress prettier than the next and the most delicious food. It was hard to move because everyone was coming to meet Ronn for photos, but Lori and I watched the whole scene in awe of every minute. Lavinia was so proud to introduce Ronn to everyone there and thus put a thrilling end to another memorable trip in our second home. This change of season is looking very promising and bright, so I’m sure another trip to Italy will be happening very soon!

Filed Under: Celebrity Parties, cooking, Fashion, food, Italy, The Bold and The Beautiful, Playboy, Playmate, New Orleans, Spices, Cajun, travel, vacation, wine Tagged With: , , ,

The Rare White Truffle

September 28, 2012 5 Comments

Lori, Dev, Ronn, Lavinia

We spent a lovely afternoon with Lavinia Biagiotti and Katherine Kelly Lang, who gave me the most beautiful kaftan, literally off her back!

KKL’s Kaftans

Love those girls so much and am grateful to have such friends. Lori was in awe of all the shopping available in the center of Rome, so the whole day was great, although quite hot. Last night we arrived by train from Rome to Florence, which was cooler and rainy and then drove by car to stay with our friends Isabella and Francesco at his bed and breakfast farm. We are in our own spacious apartment surrounded by what seems to be vivid green vineyards. So peaceful and relaxing, it’s just what Ronn needs right now.

Lori & her white truffle pasta

We had dinner at the “Rosso Antico Osteria Moderna” restaurant, which was our best meal so far. I was so impressed with the white truffle sauce that I had to see the kitchen and get the recipe from the chef Claudio Buglioni. Apparently, the rare white truffle is only found in this area and they must be found by special trained dogs because they are deep in the ground. The rare white truffle is very expensive and only in season between September and November. If you haven’t tasted white truffle, it’s delicious and has a distinct taste and smell. This region supplies all the white truffles to exclusive areas of the world from this tiny area and the competition to find white truffle can be fierce because it can make the person who finds it very wealthy.

Claudio & Dev

I find Tuscan food to be some of the very best food in the world and have always adored this part of Italy because of it. Last time Ronn and I were here, we brought the kids and stayed with Ronn’s dance partner on “Ballando Con Le Stelle” Sara DiViara, so we hope to see her today. In the meantime, the quest to find a giant white truffle may be on our agenda.  They have offered to have Ronn as the guest star for the annual, “White Truffle Fair” in November, so we may be back then.

DevRonn

Can’t believe we have only a couple more days left of our trip before heading home. Tomorrow we head back to Rome to visit the castle of Laura and Lavinia Biagiotti. I always look forward to the wonderful talks I have with Laura. I can listen to her all day talk about history, art and her rare finds at flea markets, which she is taking us to on Sunday before we attend a wedding. So our trip is nice and relaxing now and the memories are truly special because everyone makes us feel so at home. It’s funny because every time we come to visit, I have to bring more spices to give to friends that are addicted to it like we are, especially Laura’s cooks. I’m looking forward to perhaps doing a Ronn’s Garage segment from the castle with Lavinia!

Filed Under: food, Italy, The Bold and The Beautiful, Playboy, Playmate, New Orleans, Spices, Cajun, travel, vacation Tagged With: , ,

Laura Biagiotti and Beautiful Capri

September 24, 2012 14 Comments

It feels like a dream being here on the most beautiful Island of Capri. I didn’t even know much about this area except that most of the elite come here to vacation and it’s one of the most unique places to visit. So being here feels surreal right now because we are still a bit tired from the trek here. No one is as tired as Ronn. He is like the energizer bunny who can keep going till his battery needs charging again, which is now. He always handles everything and everyone so gracefully and professionally and it’s sometimes hard for me to keep up with his pace. Between interviews, fans wanting photos, shootings and dinners, he hardly ever stops when visiting Italy. So it’s a rarity to just relax and enjoy. I’m watching my friend Lori embrace the whole experience with child-like eyes and wonder.  It’s a beautiful present for me to share this with someone like her. Ronn is so loved here and it was great to see him reunite with Katherine Kelly Lang. She’s always so sweet and fun to be around. They started the commercial shoot today very early, so it was bit of day for them both. So much so, that we are staying in and not going to dinner tonight. Just want to chill in our room and relax so that he’s fresh for tomorrow.  The Biagiotti fashion show yesterday was truly amazing and we loved the whole collection! Bright vintage 60′s colors and fun flowing prints made it so special and right up my alley. We went behind the scenes and watched Laura choose some of the models the day before the fashion show and it was an education to watch how much preparation goes into doing a collection for 15 minutes on the runway. Now Laura and Lavinia will start working for the next few months to prepare for the fall fashion show in March. As you know, Ronn and KKL did an appearance in Naples the night before so poor Ronn got no sleep and manage to fly back to Milan for the Biagiotti fashion show before Lori and I joined him and flew right back to Naples.  Getting to Capri, we had to take this hydrofoil boat for 45 minutes and I felt a bit nauseous.  Needless to say, after dinner with the clients for the commercial shoot, we were all dead tired. Then Ronn had to start today with only 3 hours of sleep. He and KKL are re-enacting a scene from Jackie O and Aristotle Onassis’ honeymoon here in Capri. They were in a million dollar wooden boat on some rough waters today filming.  Ronn is playing a dashing boatman that catches Kelly’s eye during chance meetings and there is someone else playing Aristotle. So it’s a very cute and interesting campaign that I am excited to see. Tomorrow is our 3 year wedding anniversary, so it’s extra special that we are just here in the same spot that so many interesting people have vacationed and enjoyed for centuries, including ancient Romans. I feel blessed to have had a second wedding a few months ago in gorgeous Puglia and now to experience our original anniversary in  Capri is unique and special. And we are so grateful to be here to celebrate our special day and I’m so proud of my husband and embracing every moment of our short time here. 

Filed Under: Fashion, Italy, The Bold and The Beautiful, Playboy, Playmate, New Orleans, Spices, Cajun, travel, vacation Tagged With: , , ,

Bora Bora

April 3, 2012 3 Comments

Experiencing Bora Bora was in a nut shell magical. The water is very clear aqua blue that is  absolutely gorgeous and calm. Our every need was taken care of at the St. Regis, which seems to be the honeymoon haven for many couples. I can clearly see why. Upon arrival you are greeted with a flowered lei and taken by a boat that resembles a yacht to the resort where you are then greeted with a drink and a cool towel to feel refreshed. Our over the water bungalow was pretty awesome and a bottle of champagne was waiting for us. We had a candle lit dinner on a sugar white sandy beach and a gorgeous buffet breakfast with everything you can imagine every morning overlooking a pristine private beach. Each day was like heaven waking up to the still water surrounding our spacious bungalow hut. We rode bikes that were all over the resort around and had a couples massage side by side at the spa. We snorkeled and went on an aqua safari, which was quite interesting. You put these space like square helmets on in which you can breath and go down about 10 feet to see all kinds of fish and stingrays. I quite enjoyed that and we took a lot of underwater video and pics. Every evening our bed was turned down and treats of cookies and rose petals that spelled out LOVE was placed on our bed. Each evening we dined at a different restaurant with a different mood. The food on the Island is primarily Asian and French or a combo of both. So one night we had sushi, the next night French and one night we went to a very casual place called, “Bloody Mary’s” which is quite popular for seafood. Mama who owns “Bloody Mary’s” was a big fan of Ronn’s and everyone wanted photos. Seems all of Tahiti loves B&B and Ronn and pretty much everyone we went was the same scenario. I can honestly say Bora Bora is the perfect honeymoon location and we highly recommend it. Hopefully we will get to return for an anniversary. Apparently, they give you a seashell necklace that you are suppose to throw off the boat when you leave that says to the Island you will for sure return again. 

Filed Under: The Bold and The Beautiful, Playboy, Playmate, New Orleans, Spices, Cajun, travel, vacation Tagged With: , , , , ,

Honeymoon Bliss

March 23, 2012 4 Comments

Last night Ronn and I attended a movie screening “Smitty” which starred Peter Fonda, Mira Sorvino and Louis Gossett Jr. It was a heartwarming story about a troubled boy and his dog. This event was to benefit the Ventura Animal Shelter and www.shelterhopepetshop.com. My pals Kira Reed Lorsch and Kim Sill were involved in putting the event together and DevRonn donated spices for the gift bags. It was fun to hang out with Quiet Riot’s drummer, Frankie Banali and his fiancee’ Regina Russell. I was hoping to see Peter Fonda since he directed me in a play many years ago that I did with Vanessa Marcil and Dwight Yoakum. If you haven’t seen “Smitty” it’s a terrific movie that you will for sure enjoy. Today we are packing and getting ready for our belated honeymoon to Bora Bora. It’s been over 2 years since we have been married and we haven’t had time for a honeymoon! In fact, I’ve been with Ronn 8 years and we have never been on a vacation where it wasn’t work related or kid related, so this will be a real treat for us!  We are so looking forward to a quiet time to reflect and enjoy our loving relationship. Ronn is pressed for time right now with upcoming PLAYER press and concerts that are being formulated, as well as, an upcoming remote shoot in Italy for B&B. He is also trying to get the first show for “Ronn’s Garage” on Lorenzo Lamas done so that he can officially launch “Ronn’s Garage” which I’m sure you guys will love. So we take off tomorrow for Tahiti and will take lots of pics and video to blog when we return.

Filed Under: Life, The Bold and The Beautiful, Playboy, Playmate, New Orleans, Spices, Cajun, travel, vacation Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Vacation time!

July 20, 2010 Leave a Comment

Ronn has a month off of B&B to rest and relax this summer and that starts now. We decided to drive near Yosemite to hang out with my pal Alana Curry and fellow Playmates LuAnn Lee and Jacqueline Sheen and their boyfriends to have fun swimming, jet skiing, boating and water skiing on a beautiful lake. It is just what Ronn loves to do to unwind himself into vacation mode. It’s also great for me because the cabin has Internet and enables me to keep up with everyone and it has a big beautiful kitchen for me to cook in so I feel right at home! I’ve enjoyed introducing everyone to “Devin’s Kickass Seasoning” with dishes like, Salmon and caper Buccatini, Lental soup and Steak Devin with Roasted potatoes. Ronn and I have been sleeping in every morning and enjoying every second of this amazing place. We plan to stop off and check out Yosemite before heading to our own cabin and picking up the kids next week. We will then head to Hawaii with them for a family vacation before Ronn heads back to work in mid August. It always seems like the summer just flies by with the kids, their friends, our friends and traveling. So we are just trying to enjoy every minute of it. I plan to finally finish my next book, “True Age, Timeless Beauty” as well as, make up some new recipes of course. We are also planning to renovate our cabin by next year so that we can have friends come and hang out with us there. Ronn just loves editing all the video he shoots and enjoys the peace and quite there. So we hope to spend more time at our cabin once it’s remodeled. Hope you are all enjoying the summer as much as we are!

Filed Under: cooking, The Bold and The Beautiful, Playboy, Playmate, New Orleans, Spices, Cajun, travel, vacation Tagged With: , , ,

Viva Las Vegas

June 27, 2010 4 Comments

Ronn and I have been having a blast and have found Vegas to be an adult playground. The last time we were here was about six years ago, so being back for my birthday and the Daytime Emmys made it quite special this trip. Our stay at the beautiful Venetian hotel was amazing and we were in awe of both Cirque Du Soleil shows, LOVE and ELVIS!! Highly recommend seeing both. Today we head over to the Hilton to celebrate the first live broadcast of the Daytime Emmys on CBS tonight, will blog later about that. Here are a few pics of our trip so far.

Filed Under: awards, The Bold and The Beautiful, Playboy, Playmate, New Orleans, Spices, Cajun, travel, vacation Tagged With: , ,

Bolgheri, Italy

June 10, 2010 Leave a Comment

This is from our recent trip to the cutest little town called Bulgheri in Tuscany, Italy. We stayed in Bulgheri after I finished Ballando con le Stelle (Dancing with the Stars) and went to spend some time visiting my Italian dance partner, Sara Di Vaira, and her wonderful family. Sara grew up in this special scenic town. In this clip, we’re meeting Illia. She’s 92 years young. She’s the oldest person in Bulgheri and, as you can see, probably the most spry as well.

Filed Under: Italy, Life, The Bold and The Beautiful, Playboy, Playmate, New Orleans, Spices, Cajun, travel, vacation, wine Tagged With: , , , ,
«Older Posts

To the Top