Global Arts

Image via CrunchBaseFor everyone who’s ever dreamed of experiencing the excitement of the “American Music Awards®” (AMAs), this year they don’t need to be a music star.  They just need to dress like one!

ShoeDazzle is launching an online “AMAze Us! Halloween Contest” welcoming all dress-up divas and fashionistas to submit a photo of themselves wearing a music star costume.  The Grand Prize winner gets a trip for two to the 2010 “American Music Awards,” taking place at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 21.  For two days, they’ll feel like a bona fide star: attending the AMA pre-party on November 20, partying on the red carpet alongside nominees and attendees at L.A. LIVE, enjoying prime orchestra seats at the AMAs, then join the glitter of the official AMA after party at the Conga Room before retiring to their world-class accommodations at the JW Marriot Hotel at L.A. LIVE. The contest’s First Runner-Up receives a special ShoeDazzle gift package, while eight Honorable Mentions get a free ShoeDazzle credit to be used on the company’s website to purchase a product of their choice.

Contest submissions, accepted from October 21 through November 2, are done through ShoeDazzle’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/shoedazzle <http://www.facebook.com/shoedazzle>. After clicking “Like,” contestants can register and then upload a digital photo & the name of the musical artist they’re dressed like.  Multiple photos may be submitted.  Contestants share their submissions with friends via Facebook and Twitter, encouraging them to vote for them starting November 4.  The Grand Prize winner will be announced November 12.

As a favorite holiday for many preschoolers and their families, PBS Kids Sprout naturally has tons of fun games and activities going on to help you celebrate this weekend. A few highlights:

With 2010 coming to an end in about two months, and 2011 coming to a near,  people including myself often send holiday, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Eid cards to family, friends, colleagues and neighbors.  Shutterfly has some of the most beautiful designs of cards available to choose, including Christmas cards, holiday photo cards, tarjetas de feliz navidad, and even religious Christmas cards. 



Photo Christmas cards are a great way to let others know that you are thinking about them during the holiday seasons.

One of my favorite designs at Shutterfly is Year in Review.  A bright greeting appears on a scarlet-red square.This folded card allows you to use eight different photos of any of your choosing that has taken place during 2010.  What I would do is choose eight different photos of my family doing important activities during the year.  When you open the card, you can also write your greeting, as well as the names of those in the photos.  I am planning to send these cards out to family and friends as a way of keeping up to date on us through photos.



Even if you don't want to order cards, Shutterfly offers Christmas party invitations and  Christmas gift tags .  You have the option of choosing folded greeting cards, flat stationary cards, and flat photo cards.  Click here to see a variety of holiday cards. 


FTC: I have received some form of compensation to write this blog post.

Don’t miss “A Martha Stewart Wedding: Bayou to Bahamas” - The Style Network’s new one-hour bridal-themed special premiering on Saturday, October 23 at 9pm et/pt.

On the show, Martha Stewart gives one lucky couple the opportunity of a lifetime when they win a dream wedding in the Bahamas!

The winners, Colin and Liz, are a deserving couple from New Orleans and hear the news live on The Martha Stewart Show.  After the big surprise, they get swept away by the Martha Stewart Weddings team to start the planning process in New York City.  From designer gown shopping at Kleinfelds, to a bridal makeover for Liz, to a tailored suit for Colin—no detail is overlooked with the Martha Stewart Wedding team at the helm.

Then, it’s off to the Bahamas as the bride and groom make final preparations for their lavish destination wedding. But if you are expecting a classically traditional affair, think again!  This New Orleans-based couple incorporates Creole elements into their nuptials to add some spice to the celebration!

From beignets to beads, join this happy couple on their journey down the aisle on “A Martha Stewart Wedding: Bayou to Bahamas” premiering on Saturday, October 23 at 9pm et/pt on Style.

For the latest news, tour dates and more, check out KT's website, Facebook and Twitter.

Oct 31      Crystal Ballroom               Portland, OR Nov 1       Commodore Ballroom        Vancouver, BCNov 2       The Showbox SODO          Seattle, WA  
Nov 4       Knitting Factory                Spokane, WA 
Nov 5       Knitting Factory                Boise, ID   
Nov 7       Knitting Factory                Reno, NV   
Nov 8       Warfield Theatre               San Francisco, CA 
Nov 11     The Music Box                  Los Angeles, CA  
Nov 12     House of Blues                 San Diego, CA  
Nov 16     Ogden Theatre                 Denver, CO   
Nov 18     Epic                                Minneapolis, MN 
Nov 19     The Vogue                       Indianapolis, IN  
Nov 21     Vic Theatre                      Chicago, IL   
Nov 22     The Crofoot                      Detroit, MI   
Nov 23     Phoenix Theatre               Toronto, ON 
Nov 25     Club Soda                        Montreal, QU  
Nov 26     The Trocadero                  Philadelphia, PA  
Nov 27     9:30 Club                         Washington, DC  
Nov 29     House of Blues                 Boston, MA
Dec 1       Terminal 5                       New York, NY

KT Tunstall's third album, Tiger Suit, is in stores today!  The album heralds the beginning of a new musical adventure for the multi-platinum, Scottish-born singer and songwriter.

I had the privilege of interviewing Hazel Dixon-Cooper of Work on A Rotten Day. Although, I don't know much about astrology, Dixon-Cooper combines astrology and the workforce in the humorous book. Hazel is schedule to appear on Connecting Women Radio Nov. 4, 9 p.m. CST.
Hope you enjoy her interview as much as we did!


Global Arts:  How did you get interested in astrology?
Hazel: I've been interested in astrology since I was a teen. Why? Because it's a wonderful self-knowlegde tool and a fascinating subject. For nearly 5,000 years, astrology has been practiced in some form by every civilzation on Earth.
 

An oil-spilling CEO; a serial killer in mourning; and a tie-dyed rainbow meme -- the Halloween costumes cache for 2010 is vast. Faithfully imitating hip and colorful cultural icons is a stellar way to stand out at any party.

To help transform average Joe's, Jane's and groups into pop-culture icons, CouponSherpa.com has compiled two lists: 20 plus-size Halloween costumes and 30 trendy getups. Along with a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek humor, most can be made with items found around the home or at a local thrift shop.

Our list of 2010's hottest costumes includes:

• Vuvuzela Guy/Gal (World Cup Fan) - Remind partygoers of the world's most annoying instrument by stringing a series of the plastic horns together, hanging them around your neck and wearing your favorite team's colors.
• Betty White (Comeback Queen) - This riff on a classic old-lady costume can be spiced up with second-hand sports trophies. Adorn them with labels like "Betty White: MTV Best Kiss Award."
• Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock (The New Ro-Sham-Bo)- The concept is simple: Grab some friends and decorate white t-shirts with your chosen symbol from the quirky "Big Bang Theory" game. Don't become separated or run the risk of looking absolutely lame.
• Tony Hayward (BP CEO) - Sport a yachting outfit and carry a black, oily substance to randomly spill on unsuspecting revelers. Afterwards, deny all allegations and mumble things like, "I want my life back!"
• Old Spice Guy (Advertising Phenomenon) - Isaiah Mustafa's musk-scented manly-man is a cinch if you have washboard abs and a deep, sexy voice. Wrap yourself in a towel and carry a bottle of Old Spice. (Or paint a t-shirt with abs and fake it.)

Parenting.com has come up with a list of the top 30 books that should be read to your children. I looked through the list, and I have read these books as a child, and continue to share my love of these books with my own child.

How about you?

The Best Books to Read With Your Kids - Parenting.com

In celebration of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" being on TV five nights a week, Warner Bros is giving away a 2010 Toyota Prius as well as other amazing prizes in the "Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good" Sweepstakes. The rules are simple: tune-in for "Curb" Monday through Friday and watch for the word of the day. Enter the correct word on http://www.curbweeknights.com/sweepstakes/ and you'll be eligible to win. The "Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good" Sweepstakes ends October 16, so be sure to enter for your chance to win today!

I am working on not ignoring my instincts. My instincts offers its opinions on decisions that need to be done. Often times, I put my instincts aside and perform the decision in a logical manner.

I tend to use Facebook for family, friends and colleagues that I have worked with on projects and we are beyond the formality step. So, when I meet someone in person with just an acknowledgment of hello, I don't think much of it--until they decide they would like to friend me on Facebook. In The Whole Truth, Kathryn and Jimmy are constantly in this kind of dilemma defending and prosecuting individuals without know the entire story.

Back to the Facebook story. I decided to wait a couple of days to decide if I should friend this person or not. Instinct told me forget it. You and this person barely talk to each other in person, although we have nothing against each other--I just think it is lack of something to talk about with each other. Did I listen to my instinct despite warning me through the entire time of this process? Nope. I even accused my instinct of being judgmental.

So, anyways, I decided to friend this person. Occasionally, she would like or comment on my Facebook statuses, and I the same. Then I was gone for a couple of months abroad. After I returned, I saw this person in person. We greeted each other with casual hellos, and then went on our own business. About two weeks ago, I wanted to comment on this person's remark on Facebook, when I clicked on her profile, I couldn't! Because I had been, you guessed it--DEFRIENDED. I was stunned for like 3 seconds, and I apologized to my instincts. I had oppressed my instincts.

I see this person every now and then. And I wonder, should I ask her why she defriended me? I don't think so because I want to give her the attitude of I don't care that she defriended me.

Lesson learned: TRUST your instincts, chances are you will be right that way.

Be sure to tune-in for "The Whole Truth" on ABC Wednesdays at 10/9 C.



Disclosure: I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for 'The Whole Truth.'

Kathryn and Jimmy in "The Whole Truth" are friends and rivals. Rivals in the courtroom and friends outside the courtroom. Despite the court competition, Kathryn and Jimmy are able to continue their friendship outside of work. Many people may have a friend of two who are like Kathryn and Jimmy.

For sake of privacy, I am not going to use her real name. Tiffany was a demanding boss in the workplace, but outside she was casual, laid-back person. It was if she was two different persons. We became friends through mutual friends. When she had a job opening in her office, she had known that I was looking for a job and hired me. Unlike the friendship between Kathryn and Jimmy, Tiffany and my friendship is not as strong as it used to be. She and I have both left our careers and onto different paths of careers, thus losing contact with each other.

In "The Whole Truth", we get to see Kathryn and Jimmy's relation in the court and outside the court. An interesting twist is not the friendship between Kathryn and Jimmy, it is the fact that viewers can see the TRUTH in the court case in addition to the jury's verdict. Now that is kind of like a shock factor because you watch the show, you will be confused on who should be convicted. You can see if the jury made the right decision or not, by seeing the TRUTH at the end.

Be sure to watch "The Whole Truth" on ABC Wednesdays at 10/9 C.




FTC: "I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for 'The Whole Truth.'"

Barnes & Noble, Inc., the world's largest bookseller, announced legendary author Maurice Sendak will read the classic children's picture book Where the Wild Things Are for the Barnes & Noble.com Online Storytime program (www.bn.com/storytime). Beginning today, visitors can listen to this exclusive narration by Mr. Sendak of his children's classic and celebrate the wild rumpus through his colorful artwork and illustrations.

Barnes & Noble.com will feature a Where the Wild Things Are page with a selection of monster-themed books and toys. BN.com customers will receive a 45% discount on select items, for a limited time. To celebrate the Online Storytime, Barnes & Noble stores will feature Where the Wild Things Are in-store displays for the month of October.

"Barnes & Noble is thrilled to have author Maurice Sendak reading Where the Wild Things Are as only he can. Mr. Sendak's book is imaginative, creative and whimsical - a perfect fit for our Online Storytime," said Rachel Jarrett, Director of Kids and Lifestyle Products for Barnes & Noble.com. "After more than 40 years and over 20 million copies sold worldwide, children are still wildly enthusiastic about Mr. Sendak's book and we share that enthusiasm as we listen to him tell the tale of Max sailing to the land 'where the wild things are.'"

A monthly feature, Barnes & Noble.com's Online Storytime is perfect for children ages two through six and showcases favorite children’s books read by well-known authors and celebrities. To enhance the Storytime experience, illustrations and artwork are brought to life through pan-and-scan technology. Previous selections have included Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly read by author Jane O'Connor; Judith Viorst's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day; and, most recently, Ian Falconer's Olivia read by SNL alum Ana Gasteyer. In November, author Jan Brett will read his timeless favorite The Mitten and in December Chris Van Allsburg will read his holiday classic The Polar Express.

PreK-12 educators can save up to 25% on classroom and personal purchases, including 10% on music and movies between October 9th through October 17th, 2010 at Barnes and Noble. Discount is valid in store, and if you are ordering online, go to BN.COM/educator.

Enjoy!