Miss America 2012

The Miss America Pageant on Saturday got completely overshadowed by the Golden Globes, as it should have, but I didn't want to skip over the hot mess that was the "competition," especially the talent portion of the evening.
It was bad enough worth mentioning.

The whole thing was hilarious! But I don't think it was supposed to be.
Oh well, I enjoyed it in that cringe worthy way only bad TV can give you.

Starting with the intro... I usually like this part where every contestant introduces themselves and what state their from. These ladies each shared a fun fact about themselves or their state. I don't know who wrote these little quips for them if they came up with them on their own (doubt it) but I was surprised at some of the things these states are proud of.

Like Rhode Island's claim to fame being the place Family Guy is set in. Really? They couldn't come up with anything more impressive than a fictional (animated) show happens to take place there?
Random and Weird.

Hey, I guess it was better than Miss West Virginia talking about natural gas.
That joke just wrote itself.
Except for it's not a joke, she really did.

I usually love the evening gown portion, but there was not a lot of color or exciting dresses this year. A lot of that same cream/nude/white/blush we've been seeing so much of lately (see below)

I only some what liked two dresses:

Whoa, big over sized shoulder bow!

Now onto the "talents." This pageant is "edgy" meaning they make all the girls get ready and sit on the sidelines waiting for their name to be called, even though not all of them will perform.

And then once you're eliminated you have to talk to Brooke Burke immediately after, wish all your peers well, and try to choke down your tears. Very uncomfortable to watch, especially since they are all preparing to go on stage and then they have to just slink backstage.

As if that wasn't bad enough to watch, it got even worse for those who actually did perform their so-called talent. I did not think one of those performances was worthy of the crown.
The singing was awful and the dancing was worse.
Ever wondered what a ballet robot looks like?

Watch this.

Now you know.
I could have gone my whole life without this burned into my brain.
To lessen the blow of how boring and bizarre this was, they ran a ticker of "interesting" facts below each woman performing.
Not only was Miss Illinois doing the craziest pointe routine I've ever seen, now the whole world knows she is "afraid of windmills." I'm not making this up.

Side Note: The chick who played the piano was so hunched over I felt like I was watching The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Quasi Goes Classy!
Yikes.
(Plus a non ironic black swan performance. All I could think of was Jim Carrey on SNL.)

Now onto that magical moment. Miss America has finally been crowned. I'm sorry, but it's 2012...why is it they can never put that crown on right? It's so distracting to see that thing wobbling around when the winner is trying to do her victory walk.
Get it together, show organizers! There's got to be a better way!
(And she couldn't get the sash over her head because she wouldn't put her hand down. Finally Miss America 2011 had to physically pull it down!)
It was pretty funny. Watch here.

P.S. Miss Wisconsin, ever heard of waterproof mascara? DUH! That's like, pageant 101!
Having those huge black streaks running down your face is not a good look for anyone, let alone a beauty queen who should know these things.

Now I really want to watch Miss Congeniality. Must go see if I can't track down my VHS copy.
Gracie Lou Freebush would never let her mascara run.

Golden Globes RECAP & more pics

Hi, everyone!

I'm spending my evening watching any and every Golden Globe red carpet critique show known to man.

Remember the Fashion Wrap Lisa Rinna used to host?
It went away for a while, but now it's back with a new host-Ali Landry (still has Nick Verreos from Project Runway.)
So we've got Fashion Police with Joan, Fashion Fanatics and Fashion Wrap,
not to mention the daily shows recaps like The View, Wendy Williams, etc...
I am in rehash heaven!

Here are some of my thoughts on the actual ceremony...
(For my red carpet picks, click here.)

• I'm getting a little tired of the Clooney/Pitt shenanigans. We get it- you have a bromance that will live forever. Your friendship is a story for the ages. YAWN. I know Georgie's a "prankster" but I can't help but get the feeling in real life, these two are actually pretty boring. Or maybe just boring to me. I'm over it. I want to see some fresh faces. Give me Peter Dinklage any day! I know his speech was a little awkward and a tad uncomfortable to watch, but at least he's different and interesting.

• I feel bad for Leo. He always shows up at these things, looking sharp, in a bad mood, and he never wins. Anything. He's almost like wallpaper at this point. A very serious, well paid one.

• Ricky Gervais. We get it: you're mean. And skinny now. You make fun of celebrities and insult people. Either get some new and funny material or be quiet.
  

• How funny was that little ditty Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy sang? That was hilarious. And they sounded good! Who knew either one of them could sing that well? I love people with hidden talents. Actually, I hate them. Mostly because I have no talents, hidden or otherwise. (Unless you consider sarcasm a talent.)

• I am DYING to see The Artist. I have wanted to see this for a while, but sadly it is playing no where near me. I know it's playing around in San Francisco, but I was hoping it would come a little closer to me, although I did consider trekking into the city just to see it! In my town, we have one theater that shows quirky movies and it's now on their schedule: dates TBD. So I guess it will be coming my way, I just have to wait. And wait. At this rate I'll be the last person in the country to see it.

• The feud between Elton John and Madonna seems to be getting pretty vicious. You could tell by the look on Elton's face when she won that he was NOT happy! I didn't think she should have won either, but that's probably just because Chris Cornell was nominated and he will get my vote every time.

• And lastly, shout out to my man, JOEY! He won for best actor in a comedy series!! I don't watch his new show, but I'm so glad for him. I'm happy he's still around and doing well. And he looks pretty good as a silverfox if you ask me!

I usually don't pay that much attention to men's fashion, since it's not that interesting to me, but I couldn't help but notice how great RDJ looked when he was presenting! I loved the tails and the white on white, and the bow tie. Looking good, Sherlock!

(Pic from Just Jared)

So glad Octavia won for The Help, but I would have loved it if Viola Davis won too. She was so subtle and touching in that movie. It was a very powerful performance.

Jane Fonda looked great!

I liked Elle's first dress and then I saw this gold number... I like this look too!

She just wears gowns so well.

Sisters and Besties having fun!

I mentioned Zooey's nails yesterday being painted like tuxedos and here's a pic:

Also, I like the back of her dress a lot better than the front!

Up next: the SAG awards on the 27th!

(All other pics from People.com)

My Weekend & TV Talk

Well, my weekend ended up being WAY more low key than I originally planned.
I got SNOWED in!
What started as rain on Saturday quickly turned into a very early snowfall.
I had to cancel all my plans for today, which means I spent my Sunday holed up by the fire.
It ended up being a nice, albeit unexpected, lazy day. I was somewhat productive- my pesky "tight drawer" finally got kinda organized, I did one load of laundry, and cleaned the kitchen (including doing many loads of dishes.) That was good enough for me!
More importantly , I got caught up on a lot of TV and finished my book.
I looked at this whole weekend as an adult snow day.

There's has been a lot going on TV-wise especially with all the new shows.

Please bear with me as I get some things off my chest...

First: Real Housewives of New Jersey:


This just turned into a HOT MESS, y'all. Where's the fun, the laughter , the good times? Everyone has just completely turned on each other and it is getting unbearable to watch. I think this pattern is inevitable. It happened in New York. Everyone started as friends and then look how the last season ended. A. BIG. HOT, MESS. Drama is one thing, but when you as a viewer can sense the hatred emanating from your TV screen, that 's not a good thing. If they can't stand to be around each other, why should I spend time with them each week? I would say I hope it gets better in the next season, but from the sound of things it doesn't seem like that's gonna happen. I, of course, am dying to know what happened the night before the reunion that made Jacqueline MIA and I know the cameras captured everything that went down, so I'll probably check out season 4 for that, but if it's all just back and forth, she said- she said,
friend vs. friend, pick a side crap...I'm out. Can't deal!


New Girl:


Funny, but she needs to tone it down just a schosh. We get it, you're quirky and adorable, but you don't have to be so in-your-face about it. Hoping this one finds it's stride in the next 10 episodes or so. It got picked up for a full season, so don't think it's going anywhere. But, I absolutely hate it when shows start out and then are put on hiatus 3 episodes in! Most of the time it's a death sentence because by the time it comes back people have forgot about it, moved on, or lost interest...so annoying!

Once Upon a Time:

Finally watched 1.5 episodes. Definitely a very interesting premise. I like the contrast of fairy tale to modern day and there's a lot of mysterious components that could be interesting. I just hope it doesn't run out of steam.

Amazing Race:

Loved the episodes in Malawi. I really want to visit there. I won't give too much away in case some of you are behind an episode or two, but I will say the team I picked to win it all during the very first episode is still in the game! I hope I'm right and they go all the way.

Dancing with the Stars:

This is one of the shows I got behind on because of scheduling conflicts on my DVR. I've caught a few episodes here and there, and I know my girl Ricki is still in it. I hope she takes home that mirror ball this year.

Up All Night:



This show is kind of hit and miss for me. I really wanted to like it, and I think the premise has a lot of potential, but it's another one that I don't think has found it's footing yet. I hope it gets better and funnier as the season continues.

The Office:

I did not think I would miss Steve Carell this much. I thought there was a strong enough back bone to carry the show without him, but I might have been wrong. I just need some Michael Scott in my life. If for no other reason than to remind me to be glad I don't have an ACTUAL Michael Scott in my life!

The Kennedys:

I'm so glad they are replaying this on REELZ channel, because I missed it the first time around. I know the reviews were mixed, but it did win some awards at the EMMYS. I think it's worth checking out, but if it doesn't hold my interest, I will probably end up giving up on it.

Chuck:

The new and final season just started again a few weeks ago. I taped them, but haven't watched them yet. I love this show, but am slightly glad it's ending before it gets completely ridiculous. That seemed to be the direction it was going in, so I hope they can reign in the hijinks and go back to the classic Chuck we know and love.

Now...onto FOOD!
My sister -in- law got me a box of Starbucks hot chocolate packets in Toasted Marshmallow. I was wondering where the toasted part was going to come in and look:

the little freeze dried marshmallows were huge and "toasted!" So cute! Now I know.
Thanks, K!

After inhaling the marshmallows, it's time for whipped cream. This can only be a "sometimes" treat because I re-squirt the whipped cream about a million times!

Since I am a short person, anything above the first shelf in the kitchen in no man's land for me. I was looking for a wine glass, climbed onto the counter, and found 2 of these mugs hidden on the very top shelf. I totally forgot about them. They were for some reason not on the coffee mug shelf and on the "nice glass" shelf. I blame the move (2 yrs ago.) They are back where they belong now, in my permanent rotation. (Until the next move.)


Sunday dinner: pasta with chicken and peas. Not pictured: Saturday night's leftovers and champagne...and Sunday morning's awesome pizza bagels hubby went out and got us for brunch.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

"I'm Not Gonna Lie- This Really Excites Me"

Hi, everyone! I'm back from my quick, impromptu trip and had a great time! Good food, perfect weather, and a lot of laughs. Tomorrow I will be sharing a few pics from the last three days. But for now...can we talk about tonight???? The first day back from a trip or long weekend is usually awful but I think we all had something to look forward to...the return of The Rachel Zoe Project on Bravo. Please tell me I am not the only one who eagerly counted down the days.

Unless you are out of the loop the known facts are this:
Taylor no longer works for Rachel ( this is kind of old news somewhat addressed on last season although weather or not she stole samples is still TBD)
Brad bid farewell and is now styling on his own (the behind the scenes of this are also still TBD)
Rachel finally got knocked up after all the talk about it last season and
Rachel is launching her own line

So they talked a little about what happened with Brad with Rachel claiming he told her he wanted no part of the industry but would rather be home with his dog... and then started styling and pursuing her clients, etc. We will probably never know what really happened, but Brad IS still out there in the fashion world. The way I see it there are there possible scenarios:

1- he never told Rachel that
2- he did tell her that and lied
3- he told her that and then changed his mind

Either way, Rachel feels betrayed and used. And launched another great soundbite from the premiere: "It's not the first time I've been used but I would say it's gonna be the last time." I hope so because I like recurring characters, not new ones.

So the show was filmed when she was 6 months along and had found out the baby was a boy. She claims to have cried for three weeks when she found out it wasn't a girl. Is this normal or is she being just a little bit Dra Matic? She also admits to using the baby as a weapon which also doesn't sound healthy, but what do I know? Her and her husband are styling, firing, hiring, looking for a house and she has now gone from "dying" to "gagging." Vomit seems to be a central theme of the episode.

In hiring a new employee the question is: experience versus personality? Rachel says she values a person she likes over one who has a lot of experience. This seems a little backwards to me, but again what do I know? She's the one with her own clothing line. I guess puke, dangerous babies, and Starbucks go along way in fashion. (PS Jeremiah-the-new-guy is basically Brad version 2.0)

The teaser for the upcoming season is Oscars, awards, the launch of her line, crazy wicked banter between rach and rodge, and finally actually having the baby. Should be a fun ride.
I die.

Below: In happier times

RHNJ Recap

This episode starts out with Caroline telling us: I will not hate someone just because you want me to. Yikes- that mama Manzo is tough! She rules with an iron fist. Tough but fair. Would not want to meet her (or any of her children) in a dark alley. She's referring to inviting Kathy and Rich to her party even though Theresa wouldn't like it. Hmm....Theresa vs. Caroline- not sure who would win, but it could be interesting. Maybe after their housewife, cooking, and radio careers are over WWE can set something up??? We then see Melissa inviting the kids over for a play date and the editing makes it seem like Theresa was 3 1/2 hours late. I can't help but wonder (due to my skeptical nature) if it really played out like that or if it's exaggerated for TV. The kids seem to love each other but that little Guidice girl is a tyrant. Add to the list of people on the show I do not want to cross. The situation with Theresa and Melissa is a hot mess. These girls are really playing with my emotions. One episode I like Melissa , one episode I don't. One second you think they made up and every thing's good- the next the digging starts. It's gonna take a lot more than a glass of wine to fix these problems.
Next up is the annual Brownstone New Year's party and all the ladies are getting done up to the nines. And now for my all time favorite feature: New Jersey Housewives Without Makeup! You might want to take out your contacts for this one...Yikes...they say it takes a village to raise a child, it must take the whole state to make these women presentable, especially considering what they have to start with. That being said, once they all arrive, Theresa does look very pretty. I like her dress and her glittery hair piece. I had to say that so she won't cut me. There's some tension in the air, but for the most part the evening goes off without a hitch. Question: Why are all the children still up? Is this normal? I don't celebrate New Year's so I'm not sure if most people let their little kids party past midnight or again, if it's just for the show.
SMARTEST MOMENT: Whoever weaseled their way into an invite to that party. Good food, open bar, dancing...Caroline even said it's a very exclusive event.
DUMBEST MOMENT: It's a tie between Ashley trying to drink at the bar even though she's underage, surrounded by watchful family members, and- I don't know- a MILLION cameras rolling...and Melissa saying, "I don't want to get in the middle" and then proceeding to do just that. Leave it alone, girl!!!

Kardashians- Recap

I am still behind on pretty much every TV show ( I know about the Bachelorette, but haven't actually watched it yet. Hoping I get some time to soon.) But, I did get watch the Vegas episode of Kardashians while I was cleaning my living room. Wow was this one a doozy. It starts out with Kourtney, Scott and Kim watching an episode of Fashion Police (on E! Cross promotion, much?) where Scott was a guest judge and Kim was a "must-see" look that week...Anyone else think this is a bad idea? Your brother in law commenting on a dress you're wearing that shows everything in the front? Thanks, for the plug E!. Now on to the actual episode. The cameras follow Scott into his therapy session where he talks about his efforts to not get drunk and crazy. When the Dr asks him if he's been thinking about drinking lately and he answers, "not really," I think we all know where this is going. I can't help but wonder if this "therapy" is real or fake. As I said before, I take everything on this show with a grain of salt so your guess is as good as mine. I'm gonna go with somewhere between "probably" and "definitely." And...what a shocker, Scott goes to Vegas and ends up drinking. I'm going to file that with Clay Aiken and Ricky Martin being gay under: Things that do not surprise anyone. It starts with one drink by the pool and ends with what looks like a hot mess. Kourtney is worried the whole night and then finally gets a call from Scott assuring her everything is fine and all is well. This is where things get confusing. Scott comes home. Kourtney asks him about the trip. Is it just me or is he trying to make it seem like he didn't drink at all? I couldn't tell if they were trying to make it look like he lied to her or what. Let's not forget it's extremely hard to hide something from your girlfriend when you were FILMED the entire trip. I'm sure he had fun explaining that one. If this is just another set up for "Scott's a jerk" all season, then YAWN.
The other story line this episode is Kris thinking she works too much and is missing out on her younger daughters' lives. Since they are 13 and 15 I would think it's a little too late to being worrying about that. The ship has sailed. They are already teenagers and embarrassed they even have parents, let alone want to spend any amount of time with them (except for Bruce. They still love their dad, just die of mortification every time their mother is around.) Kris doesn't make things better by going down a guilt spiral and trying to tag along to every activity possibly available to someone who can't drive yet. (Think jumping rope, making up dance routines, and ice skating.) Bruce finally steps in and tells Kris to back off before the kids mutiny. Overall, pretty much a snooze fest, but this episode seemed even weirder than normal. Please tell me it wasn't just me.
SMARTEST MOMENT: Kylie and Kendall locking Kris out of the car. I would have done the same.
DUMBEST MOMENT: Kylie is trying to talk to Kris about something important. To say she cannot follow is an understatement. Kylie then asks her, "Are you drunk?" and Kris has to think about it before saying no. Wow.

RHNJ Recap

Since I've been gone- I have a TON of things to caught up on. Laundry would be number one. Followed closely by all my shows I haven't been able to watch. I am a few episodes behind, but hopefully this weekend I can make a dent in my DVR and Hulu list.

I watched the Christmas episode of RHNJ. The to be continued of will the Gorgas stay for dinner or not? Honestly, this didn't seem like a big deal to me. I guess it is(was.) For those of you on the edge of your seat...they did not stay. I don't really understand the drawn out To Be Continued but that's just me. I could not get over the food spreads these people put out for the holidays. Maybe it's because I don't celebrate Christmas, but I could not take my eyes off all those cured meats. Cured meats are my weakness. Along with cupcakes, cookie dough, and lasagna. I thought the Manzo bracelets were cool- a neat design and obviously a lot of thought behind it. I think it's sweet. How about those Stuart Weitzman's? Those must have cost a pretty penny! By far the funniest part of the episode was when Kathy's husband broke down during his kids letter to their mom. I was cracking up...a few episodes ago he's threatening to burn a house down and now his tears are literally falling to the ground as he struggles to ask for a tissue. Too funny. "wow i didnt even know u were gonna do dat" " Can I get a tizue 'ere?" LOL
SMARTEST MOMENT: Albert upgrading Caroline's ring and then recreating his proposal... so touching. I may have teared up a little.
DUMBEST MOMENT: The Manzo boys freezing up around MS Alexa Ray...somebody make a move before the women step in and do it for you!

Kardashians- Recap

So obviously everyone knows how fake this show is and last night's episode was no exception. The highlight for me was those nifty fitted denim jackets 2 of the 3 sisters were sporting...it inspired me to drag my gap jean jacket out of the coat closet that's for sure. The editing on this show is so choppy and inconsisitent, i have noticed two MAJOR editing mistakes this season alone....so while i still do continue to watch this show- i take everything I see and hear with a grain of salt. Last night's episode was pretty boring- Bruce has hearing problems and Rob is a deadbeat... no new news there.
Smartest moment: pairing a tight jean jacket with a maxi dress
Dumbest moment: Bruce actually telling Uber control freak / neurotic Kris that he basically chooses to ignore her 99% of the time they are around each other...good going, Bruce...when that whole conversation went down I literally put my fingers in my own ears to prepare for Kris' reaction... Yikes! Spare us Please!!

WWHL Recap

So directly after the new episode of Jersey housewives, Melissa and Joe Gorga both made an appearance on WWHL. I am so glad they addressed the way Andy was saying GUIDICE...was that bothering anyone else or just me? The explanation was a little weak (why the sudden change Joe and Theresa) but at least they said something about it. If you did not watch this episode seriously you need to find it online or on Bravo again...DVR it - you won't be sorry. This is a totally different side of these two that make them appear to be ...actually LIKEABLE... I know shocker!!! We all know from the show they like to have a good time but the dare or dare game took it to a whole new level...and may I say- Joe's Kim Zolciak impression is scarily accurate!! HIlarious, but creepy at the same time. Nice to see the Gorgas just chillaxin with Andy and getting crazy!! i'd invite them to one of my parties! Or maybe they could host- I ain't got no 50 G's....
Smartest Moment: the Gorgas actually making me want to hang out with them.
Dumbest Moment: Andy was giddy as a school boy around Joe...I thought his eyes were gonna pop out of his head.

RHNJ Recap

Last night we were treated to another fantastic trainwreck on Real Housewives of New Joisy. Does anyone else find it strange to be watching holiday festivities in JULY? Does it really take 7 months to edit these shows? NO wonder none of the castmates can comment on what we're seeing since they obviously don't remember back that far. Until this point in the saga, I was mostly Team Theresa even though I think she is absolutely crazy and her husband seems like the biggest sleeze ball in the tri state area...I guess it's just my loyalty to veteran cast memebers over the newbies. However, last night's episode was kind of a turning point for me. I think we can all agree that both Melissa and Theresa give and get well enough. Granted, it is hard to blend families whether they be big, small, male family members, female family memebers...it can be really difficult to not only get along but have a good relationship, especially when children come into the picture. This whole Gorga/ Guidice thing has probably been a hot mess for a while before the cameras put a spotlight in everyone's face. I could not believe that Kim G would bring Monica to the party...there's no way she didn't know that was gonna bring the drama. I really think she is trying for as much screen time as possible, which is sad. But I give props to Melissa for being willing to ask her to leave. That obviously was an uncomfortable and akwawrd thing to do, but she completely had theresa's back and showed that she can be a loyal and good friend. I admire people who can put issues aside when family needs you to have their back. This whole party- not to mention the sheer expense (50,000K are u KIDDING me)- was kind of a disaster waiting to happen... you have Theresa with that fake smile plastered on her face all night, tension with melissa, tension with Kathy, tension with Kim G, tension with Monica...WOW. Scary place especailly with alcohol mixed in. And next week;s episode looks ca RA zY! manzo boys kicking people out, Kim G causing more trouble...last night wsas just the tip of the drama iceberg.
Smartest moment: Melissa asking Monica to leave- classy move in my book ( even if she did have ulterior motives of not wanting a war to errupt in her home while she was wearing white)
Dumbest moment: whoever asked JOe Guidice for $1,000...did you really think that was gonna go over well???? come on now.