September 29, 2015No Comments

Access Hollywood Live

Keeping you glam on the go!  Great #MyStyleFinds from Bobbi Brown, and the best part?  Getting segment-bombed by Billy Bush & Dean Cain!

August 12, 2015No Comments

Endless Summer

Nooo!  It can't almost be over.  As much as back to school sounds like a good idea, I'm just not yet ready for summer to end, so I've compiled my picks to make summer feel endless, even if you're back in the carpool line...

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  • My DVF maxi wrap dress.  A classic in black and white, this was my summer go-to dress for weddings, showers, parties and date nights.  Comfortable and timeless, just add a leather jacket and boots to transition seamlessly for fall.  Well worth the investment, it's on sale now!
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  • WTRMLN WTR:  Although lacking in vowels, this drink is chock full of refreshing hydration.  Made from cold-pressed watermelons, it hydrates 6 times better than sports drinks, restocks your electrolytes and tastes like summer-in-a-bottle year round.
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  • Colorescience Tint du Soleil:  At last I've found you!  I'm obsessed with sun protection and I've been waiting my whole life for a product like this.  Tint du Soleil provides one-step, chemical-free SPF 30 coverage, anti-oxidants, & light, natural coverage.  No need for separate skincare, sunscreen & foundation, this is a game changer.  Coupled with Colorescience mineral sunscreen, my skin looks fresh and clean, while being protected.  Reapplication is a breeze, and even my son allows me to put it on his face.  I keep one in my car to reapply at stop lights.  LOVE this line.
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  • Aziz Ansari's Modern Romance:  More than just a beach read, the research and insights comedian Aziz Ansari and sociologist Eric Klinenberg have compiled in this book shed light on finding and keeping love in the digital age.  Funny and fascinating for singles or marrieds, I especially liked the research they conducted in other countries, and the conversation around the concept of "monogamish".  (Soapland, anyone?  😉
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  • Kansha Creamery in Torrance, CA:  Let's face it, artisanal ice cream is a good idea any time of year, and this brother and sister-owned creamery churns theirs daily, using organic, farmers' market ingredients.   Unique flavors like black sesame, banana clove, basil mint chip and cinna-bacon change daily, so follow them on instagram for the latest.   An off-the-menu tip: if you give them a few days' notice, they make fresh peach cobblers for events starting around $25.  SUPER YUM.

July 22, 20151 Comment

Meeting Jan Yanehiro

Today, I met Jan Yanehiro and I geeked out like a little girl.  It was awesome.

Growing up, I saw almost no Asian-Americans on television, except for the newscasters.  I was raised on Jan Yanehiro and Wendy Tokuda, two long-standing Bay Area journalists who came into my living room every evening.  Looking back, it was seeing successful Japanese-American women on the news, that allowed me to think that a career in media was even in the realm of possibility for me.  There they were, front and center, no apologies, no accents, going toe to toe with the best of 'em.  Jan hosted Evening Magazine, where she interviewed major celebrities and covered Bay Area lifestyle.  I secretly dreamed of having a job like that one day, but never thought it could actually be my reality.

I was working for Pivot TV, shooting a mock news segment outside the Academy of Art college in San Francisco, when my producer introduced me to Jan Yanehiro, head of their video production program.  Immediately, I gushed in one breath:

"Hi Jan I'm Diane, oh my god I grew up watching you my parents are going to be so excited that I'm meeting you, um, can we take a picture together?"

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She was gracious and kind and we immediately started talking shop, about L.A., entertainment, Asian Americans in the media.

"So what do you think about Fresh Off the Boat?" she asked.

"I love it," I answered.

"I'm not into it.  I think it's offensive.  That's not my experience, y'know I'm third generation, I'm not 'fresh off the boat'."

"Me either.  But I love it.  To be honest, it could have been a total piece of crap, and I still would have supported it, but I think it's good. It's a very exciting time."   I kept my cool, not letting onto my inner monologue, which was more along the lines of, "I can't believe we are just shooting the breeze about Fresh Off the Boat, this is so cool, she's so cool, OMG!" #geekout

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We could have talked for hours, but we had to get back to our shoot.  I left there thinking about visibility.  How sometimes just being seen, gives hope to others out there, sometimes just being seen is enough.  I grew up watching Jan on television, and just realized today, the impact that that has had on me, I may not have followed her exact career path, but my own was undoubtedly paved by her and women like her.  I never dreamed of becoming an actor or being famous, but I was always fascinated by television.  I feel so much gratitude to follow in the footsteps of the women like Jan who came before me, and continue their presence in media to a new generation.

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Sidenote: got to work with the lovely Bob Sarlotte today, he was the voice of the 49ers for 30 years!!!

I never mentioned to her that I've joked with my parents for years that the only way I would move back to the Bay Area was if I could host Evening Magazine, the show that Jan hosted...but for now, I am having an awfully good time faking it.

May 21, 2015No Comments

Access Hollywood

For a getaway, or a staycation, I've got you covered for Memorial Day with this week's  My Habit #MyStyleFinds.  I've been shopping around and this deal is smoking hot on a facial cleansing brush, so you don't have to leave your skincare regimen at home.  The patterned tote is a great option to stash all your stuff for weekend adventuring (and it's machine washable!), and the necklace  compliments everything from boho casual to summer wedding chic.   Thanks for watching!

February 21, 2015No Comments

Fresh Off the Boat: LA Viewing party

In college, I was the intern on Margaret Cho's All American girl.  Each week, I'd go to the set and soak it all in.  Mostly, this meant stuffing free craft service into my backpack and trying to get in the incredibly secretive writer's room, but I saw some stuff.  Stuff that shaped my career over the past 20 years in entertainment.  I saw how hard the road could be.  That I would almost always be seen as "other" before being seen as an American.  I saw how Margaret, with a specific and hilarious point of view, wasn't allowed to be herself on TV.   I have exactly 1/45th of her chutzpah, I was raised on Facts of Life and Silver Spoons.  No one on those shows looked like me.  If she wasn't accepted, what chance did I have?

Fast forward 20 years.

When ABC's Fresh Off the Boat debuted, I couldn't resist the opportunity to be with my peers and fellow Asian American media influencers to talk about what's different, to gauge reactions and to celebrate seeing ourselves in a major network sitcom.   The room was electric.  It was such a thrill to feel the shared anxiety that we all want this show to succeed, and then to breathe a sigh of relief that it is good.  It may not fulfill all our hopes and dreams, and no one show should have too, but hallelujah!  It's good.  It has a voice.  We have a voice.

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Getting the scoop from soul-sides.com blogger, Oliver Wang.

January 30, 2015No Comments

“Two minutes of awesome”: Nascar on NBC

Adweek is calling it "two minutes of awesome" and one of the best Superbowl spots of 2015.  I couldn't agree more, although I am just a tad biased...  after all, I choreographed it.   Having spent years as a professional dancer, it's a thrill to be a part of the creative process behind the camera, every step of the way.   Kudos to the creative team at Hungry Man and to the uber-talented Nick Offerman for all the buzz this spot is receiving.  Can't wait to choreograph more!

August 20, 2014No Comments

DIY Organic Bug Repellant

I had such a blast collaborating with Mommy Greenest's Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff making this video.  Smells great, non-toxic and so easy!

October 3, 2013No Comments

LINSANITY the movie!!!

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Mission accomplished!

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!

Opening this weekend, 10/4, Linsanity is the documentary about NBA star, Jeremy Lin and his struggles and triumphs getting to and staying in the NBA.  (Not to mention igniting last year's Linsanity pop culture phenomenon by exploding in a string of statistically unprecedented games as a little known NY Knicks bench warmer.)

I had the privilege of attending the red carpet premiere with my pals Lisa Ling and Shin An.  Three grown women who rub elbows with famous people almost daily, we laughed at how the Linsanity factor was making us geek out like school girls.  Our mission of the night: to snap a photo with the soft-spoken and humble star.

The movie's warmth and determination reflect the player's.  He's a game-changer and a trail-blazer, yet remains grounded and self-effacing.   A home-grown Asian-American basketball phenom the likes of which we've never seen before.   His story is one of faith, hard work, and the confidence it takes to be yourself and play your game regardless what anyone else thinks of you.

I've been in show business since I graduated college.  Countless times I'm seen as the friend, the sidekick, or a cookie cutter stereotype, but rarely am I even given the chance to be considered as a lead or a hero.  To see someone who looks like me, with an upbringing like mine, take center stage so assuredly, with such aplomb resonated with me.  BIG TIME.  Reminding me that if I play my game and strive for the excellence within me regardless of how I'm perceived, the stars can align and magic is possible.   If that's Linsanity, I don't ever want to be cured.

I left the theater wanting more.  Wanting a rock fountain from Target and a Timon and Puumba blanket. (Inside joke- see the movie!)  Wanting to relive those electric weeks when Linsanity swept the nation.  Wanting everyone, and especially my son, to see Linsanity, so that we can remember what's possible when big dreams and hard work combine with unerring faith.  Pure magic.

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(And an enthusiastic legion of fans is just one of the by-products...)

To see more pics from the premiere, with trailblazers like artist David Choe and Youtube stars Kev Jumba and Michelle Phan, like my FB page here.

Do you have Linsanity?  Tweet me or leave a comment below...

September 23, 2013No Comments

2013 Emmy Red Carpet for Yahoo TV

Had a blast working the red carpet and winners' walk at last night's Primetime Emmy Awards for Yahoo TV!   Check out our pre-show where we chatted with some of the biggest names in TV and film.   And if that's not enough for ya...click here to see my personal pics from behind the scenes.

September 19, 2013No Comments

Let’s not forget about the hair…

By now, I've got the dress and shoes and notecards and credentials and red carpet position all squared away.  Let's not forget about the hair.  Typically, I'm a very low maintenance hair girl, and by low maintenance, I mean, the girl who may or may not have been known to cover a gray hair with a Sharpie.  (allegedly!)   But with the Primetime Emmy Awards red carpet just days away,  I felt the need for a hair update best left to professionals.

Before...
Before...

I went to see Tina Dizon, the owner of The Private Room in Beverly Hills explaining to her what a hair color newbie I am, omitting mention of alleged Sharpie use, and she totally got me.  "Do you trust me?" she asked, to which I instinctively replied, "Yes."   Tina's a cool girl, with gorgeous hair, her own business and a small child, so trusting her is no stretch.  She worked her magic, carefully selecting pieces and painting the color on, a technique knows as balayage,  and voila! I emerged from the salon with yummy, subtle caramel highlights that look natural, and not like an Asian girl doing her best impression of white girl hair.

...and AFTER!
...and AFTER!

Love it!  Thanks Tina & The Private Room team!  See you on the Emmys red carpet this Sunday, live streaming for Yahoo TVTweet me there!

September 17, 201316 Comments

Help me say yes to a dress!

I need your help!  Next week, I'll be hosting the 2013 Emmys red carpet coverage for Yahoo TV and have no idea what I'm going to wear!  Well, almost no idea.  Today, it was my  job to try on glamorous gowns and jewelry, all in the name of...er, work.

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From L to R:  We have Tina Sparkle, Wannabe Bride and Halston Magic.  I am personally leaning toward Tina Sparkle and Halston Magic, no offense to brides everywhere.  The black column was the most comfortable, which immediately won points with me.  My son votes for Tina Sparkle, but being 6, he's a prime sucker for anything spangly.  The gray sequins are super fun, and they make me feel like shimmying, which is always a good trick to have up your sleeve in case an interview goes south.

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Next, we have Halston Halter Magic vs.  My Angelina Moment.  Boy, does that Halston knows how to cut a jersey drape, which really works wonders on a girl without a ton of curves.   Ultimately,  I have no delusions of keeping my leg out all night to show off that slit, so My Angelina Moment might have to wait.

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Baby Got Back.  Who doesn't love a dramatic back?  This on-trend coral color would totally pop on camera and the back is TO DIE FOR.   The front looked a little plain until we jazzed it up with a jade statement necklace, making it fresh yet understated.  Can I interview people over my shoulder to show off the plunging back?  You bet your cookies I can.

And the winner is....?

Tweet me your favorite, then tune in to find out on the  YahooTV  live stream this  Sunday, September 22nd starting at 4pm PST!  I'll also be posting to Instagram & Facebook giving you guys behind the scenes access all night long.  See you soon!

September 4, 2013No Comments

What up!

Hi and welcome to my revamped site and blog!  Just a quick update on how this fall is shaping up...

Later this month,  I'll be hitting the red carpet bringing you LIVE Emmy coverage for Yahoo!  (but first, I'll need your help to pick the perfect dress!)

Next month I'll be skydiving with a SOCOM paratrooper team and fingers crossed...bringing back a rad video of it.  Holy moly.

And in the next couple weeks, I'll be publishing videos from my amazing, life-changing trip earlier this summer to Peru.

Stay tuned and check back in for more!   Of course, I'll be instagramming and facebooking all the while, so you can keep up with me on the interwebs as well.  Peace and love,

Diane 🙂

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