You know I was positively breathless alighting on the rooftop of the Rockefeller Center Building to hear my idol Diane Von Furstenberg announce the nominees for this year's Council of Fashion Designers Awards. This was DVF's first time at the helm having only recently been elected to be president of CFDA. The Swarovski sponsored cocktail party on the impossibly green rooftop lawn overlooking St. Patrick's Cathedral was a fashionista's fantasy with the greatest names in American design swirling around like kids at a high school dance and most of them my East End neighbors! Too good to be true!

Diane Von Furstenberg and Carolina Herrera Photo by PatrickMcMullan.com

The crowd was abuzz wondering who would get the nod for the fashion equivalent of the Oscar. The Proenza-Schouler boys were all smiles in anticipation, Vera Wang was flitting hither and yon hugging everyone in sight, Nicole Miller graciously accepted congrats on her 25th anniversary in the biz, jeans-clad Ralph Lauren mingled with mere mortals like moi and devilishly handsome Michael Kors gave me a wink. My night was made.

Diane revealed an amazing $5,000,000 endowment a gift from the estate of the late Geoffrey Beene who passed away in 2004. The organization's Lifetime Achievement will be renamed after Beene. A nice start to CFDA's 25th Anniversary year.

Then came the news that everyone was just busting to hear – Who is on the List? So here goes. The first American Fashion Legend Award will go to Ralph Lauren who smiled broadly to his son David when the news was announced. Nominees for Womenswear designer include Oscar de la Renta, the hot Proenza-Schouler duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez (though no longer partners out of the atelier, they are still one heck of a team), and Marc Jacobs.

The Menswear Designer of the Year nods went to Lauren, of course, Italo Zucchelli for Calvin Klein, and to the groundbreaking Ducky Browne (aka Steven Cox and partner Daniel Silver) who were first speechless then Steve let out a " #%$%# amazing - us with Ralph and Calvin!" Yes, these boys were excited.

Robert Lee Morris, who has for years brilliantly accessorized Donna Karan's collections with his bold statement making cuffs, belts and jewelry that make the Bergdorf ladies swoon, will receive the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. A Special Tribute will go to Bono of U 2 for his Edun Clothing and his humanitarian efforts in Africa.

The only discordant note of the evening was the news that Marc Jacobs, who was also nominated for Accessories Designer of the Year, had checked himself into rehab that same morning. Mon Dieu! I wish him well on his road to recovery.

Can lightening strike twice? Ally Hilfiger, Tommy and Susie's little girl who starred in MTV's Rich Girls, is setting out for LA once again. This time the party girl will open a boutique called The People's Place, the same name as daddy's first fashion venture in upstate New York circa 1969. Could be she's hoping that some of the good Karma will rub off.

There were no tears, just a lot of laughs at the party famed photog James Edstrom worked tirelessly to arrange at The Plumm, for his BFF Rita Cosby who has departed MSNBC for new opportunities. But then Rita has always been a one of a kind, make it happen, and roll with the punches kind of gal. I toasted her on all her good fortune, her "significant other" the handsome singer-songwriter Tomaczek Bednarek (who composed "You Make The News" for her) a good part of that, as did radio advice guru Dr. Judy Kuriansky, publisher Alistair Duncan, Fox News' Lis Wiehl & Attorney Mickey Sherman, MSNBC hosts Contessa Brewer, Chris Jansing and Alison Stewart, actor Bobby Abid, Celebrity Service's Bill Murray and The Village People's Randy Jones.

Ever wonder how one star gets nominated for a Tony and someone you just LOVED didn't? I found out a little bit more at - believe or not - a Tartan Week Scotch tasting and Fashion Show from Thistle & Broom sponsored by The St. George's Society Arts Initiative hosted by Tony Award winner Jim Dale of Barnum fame and organized by producer Margot Astrachan. Seems Jim, a working actor and a founder of The St. George's Society, thought just plain folks would like - besides some great Scotch - to know what goes on behind the closed doors when panels review the candidates for a variety of the theater community's annual awards, he included!

So Margot and Jim put together a panel of New York's top award givers at the National Arts Club to tell it like it is including George Forbes, The Lucille Lortel Foundation, Charlotte St. Martin representing the League of American Theaters and Producers who hand out the Tonys each spring along with The American Theater Wing represented by Howard Shermann and William Wolf and Robert Blume of the Drama Desk. How utterly fascinating to hear who was passed over and why some folks didn't make the cut. I was particularly pleased to learn that the Drama Desk is the only group to honor theater wherever it takes place - on Broadway or off, off-off or in a loft! My good friend and Southampton neighbor Randie Scott Levine filled me in on that score.

While I'm on the subject of tastings, I must share an invitation that just arrived from North Fork wine expert George Eldi of Frederick Wildman & Sons, the venerable purveyors of my favorite champagne Pol Roger, the much preferred bubbly of the British Royals. George is hosting a tasting at East Hampton's The Lodge on Race Lane. Sushi & Sake plus lovely nibblies to go with some of George's specially chosen vintages. It's on April 11 and you can get an early start on your glow as it runs from 11:30 am to 5pm, Cheers! Also on my date book is Southampton's flower man extraordinaire Jeff Pennington who will be making a special guest appearance at Macy's Annual Flower Show in Herald Square on April 12. He and other brilliant party designers like Preston Bailey and Rebecca Cole will be sharing their secrets in transforming your drab dinner table into a floral extravaganza. Great entertaining scoop here!

I'm on a wine roll now, so let's hear a big cheer for East Hampton's Michael Lynne.
As you probably know, Michael is not only the co-CEO of New Line Cinema, an avid art collector (Cindy Sherman is one of his faves), a trustee of Guild Hall, but he's also the very proud owner of the North Fork's Bedell Cellars. Although you have been able to sip Bedell's luscious wines at the East End's and New York's most chi-chi dining spots now you can sip his lovely Merlot on your next flight to LA!

The vineyard owner was just notified that his award winning Merlot beat out five other finalists to be a featured wine aboard all American Airlines transcontinental flights. Needless to say this is a big coup for Bedell and the entire Long Island wine industry.
Not so surprising as I read recently in the prestigious Wine Business Monthly – yes I do keep up, a girl has got to know what to ask for at Nick & Toni's or Le Cirque – Bedell was cited as one of the country's 10 Hottest Small Brands, the first time any New York winery was so honored. Not bad for a Southold-Cutchogue winemaker that only produces about 10,000 cases per year!

My idea of a perfect red eye flight would be to curl up with a nice glass of Bedell wine, watch a New Line Cinema flick like "The Lord of the Rings" and just float to Los Angeles in bliss. Michael any chance you can arrange to have some gourmet popcorn or perhaps some of Sacred Sweets' cinnamon sugar cookies for my flight? That would be heavenly!