gayle portrait

Photo: Greg Kessler

Just Starting Up...
CBS This Morning, with Charlie Rose and Erica Hill. I'm really excited about it—and I had no idea how good New York could look at 4:30 A.M.!
mariah carey

Photo: Arianna Davis

I Recently Caught Up With...
Mariah Carey, who told me the wildest Valentine's Day story. In 2009 she and her husband, Nick Cannon, lit candles and had just started exchanging gifts when the presents went up in flames! Mariah saved the day with water from the roses she and Nick had given each other. Who knew this singer and mom was also a firefighter?

I asked Mariah to recommend three favorite love songs for my iPod playlist:

1. Donny Hathaway, "A Song for You"

2. Minnie Riperton, "Lovin' You"

3. Stevie Wonder, "Overjoyed"
tyler perry

Photo: Courtesy of Gayle King

Nothing Beats a Vacation With Friends...
Though when Tyler Perry invited Oprah and me to the Caribbean, we had to fly on a tiny seaplane. You can see how much we enjoyed that (just look at Oprah's eyes)! Not long after we got back, Tyler wrapped his latest movie, Good Deeds (in theaters this month), which he tells me features "the best breakup scene in film history." Not missing that!
Kerry Washington

Photo: Courtesy of ABC

I'm Excited About...
Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes's new show, Scandal, this spring. I got a sneak peek: Kerry Washington plays a badass crisis manager who fixes major problems—like an Oval Office affair.
lara setrakian

Photo: Jack Dabaghian

I'm Blown Away By...
Lara Setrakian, the 29-year-old Middle East reporter for Bloomberg Television and ABC News. When I interviewed her recently and asked if she gets scared, she didn't even hesitate before saying no. Back when I was a local news anchor and they discussed sending reporters into danger, I was hiding under my desk.
cakes

Photo: Gregor Halenda

I Just Found...
The perfect gift (even if it's for yourself!): These exquisite little henna-inspired cakes taste as good as they look. A bit bigger than bite-size, they're a guilt-free (almost) indulgence.

Crème Delicious ($20 each; creme-delicious.com)