Global Arts

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The Night Night Book by Marianne Richmond takes a tour around the home as the child is getting ready for bed.  Whimsical artwork and comforting scenes show kids it's time to say goodnight.  The ideal way to wrap up a day with your child, this book is an adorable bedtime story that helps kids and parents bid farewell to the day, settle in for the night, and rest up for a new tomorrow.

"Comfy bed,
all tucked in.
Cozy blanket,
toes to chin.

Night night sky.
Night night mnoon.
Dear tomorrow,
see you soon!"

This book is sure to attract all ages in children.  My 7 year old son loved reading the book. He liked the way the words rhymed, and also said the pictures were nice.  My two year old niece loved the book, and said again, so we could read it to her again.

The cover is cute.  I look forward to seeing more of Marianne's work.    5 out of 5 stars. I received the book from the publisher.

The cover is beautiful!

The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell is a must read for history lovers. It shows that Gillian has done lots of research and has great admiration for Nell Gwynn, mistress of King Charles II. 

Nell Gwynn was born into poverty, but her wit and beauty drew her into the enthralling world of 17th century London theater shortly after the return of Charles II to the throne.  As one of the first actresses in the newly re-opened playhouses, Nell catapulted to fame, winning the affection of legions of fans--and heart of the most powerful man in all of England, King Charles II. 

Since Nell started out as simply one of the people and then became a well-known actress before catching the King's eye, Nell remained a beloved favorite of England common people until her dying day, unlike Charles' many other unpopular mistresses.

I didn't want to see this book end.  4 out 5 stars!







I was sent a copy for review from the publisher.

The cover of When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James is beautiful--romantic.

Linnet Berry Thrynne is considered a beauty.  In fact, most men would love to have her as his wife.  However, Linnet becomes betrothed to Dr. Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, who is considered a beast to many because of his temper.  As soon as Linnet and Piers meet, they immediately begin bickering with each other. 

Linnet vows to make Piers fall in love with her in two weeks.  She is not sure what she is getting herself into, as well as Piers will make it challenging for Linnet.

It was easy just to read the entire book in one sitting.  Would I read more books by Eloisa James?  Sure.  4 out of 5 stars.

Four authors come together to write four different love stories that happened during the same year in Season time in "It Happened One Season".  There is blackmail, war heroes,love affairs, and other action.  The stories include: The Seduction of Sebastian Tranton by Stephanie Laurens; Only Love by Mary Balogh; Hope Springs Eternal by Jacquie D'Alessandro; and Fate Strikes a Bargain by Candice Hern.

A brief summary:

"The Seduction of Sebastian Tranton": Sebastian must find a bride after his brother had a fifth daughter and no way can his wife have more children due to labor complications.  Sebastian attends parties and decides to escape to the host's library.  There he finds an unexpected visitor, Tabitha.  She is on an investigation, and Sebastian agrees to help, but they must pretend they are engaged.

"Only Love": Jack Major must marry, so he can ensure there is an heir to the family estate.  He realizes he is in love with Cleo Pritchard after he sees her at a ball. (They first met abroad during a war).  Jack wants to marry Cleo, but Cleo wants to be his mistress until she is sure she can carry a child from Jack.

"Hope Springs Eternal": Alex must find Penelope to tell her the news of her brother's death and how he had died.  When Alex meets Penelope he vows to take care of her, but yet he still hasn't told her about how he had killed her brother.

"Fate Strikes A Bargain":  Nathaniel is not sure how to get back into the Season after being in war for so long.  He takes a breather as he steps out in the hallway, only to meet Phillipa, who has a limp.  Nathaniel asks Phillipa to marry him because they are very honest with each other when they first meet.

The book cover is pretty.  4 out of 5 stars

I received this book from Harper Collins' Avon Romance.

Image by VancityAllie via Flickr"Glee" star and Mercury Records artist Matthew Morrison will go on a tour this summer and host a glee club competion in conjuction with VH1 Save The Music Foundation.



Matthew Morrison recently announced his major summer tour that will feature songs from his self-titled debut album, slated to hit stores May 10, along with many of the "Glee" fan favorites. In understanding the value of music education in schools everywhere and in collaboration with VH1 Save The Music Foundation, Matthew Morrison will offer regional glee clubs the chance to compete for the 'opening act' performance slot at each tour stop, and winners will be chosen personally by him. Entries can be sumbitted at www.matthewmorrison.com/gleeclubcontest.
For more information and to hear a personal message from Matthew Morrison about your participation in the competition, please visit www.matthewmorrison.com/gleeclubcontest. Matthew Morrison will also be performing an intimate acoustic performance at Songwriters Music Series: NY Edition on May 16 at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York. For more info and to purchase tickets CLICK HERE.


The stars align on Matthew's new track "Still Got Tonight", written by Americal Idol winner Kris Allen. Single available on iTunes now!

Matthew's debut album will be available one week from today on Tuesday, May 10th! You can pre-order the album on Amazon!

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Matthew Morrison's US Tour kicks off on June 18 in Minneapolis. The tour will hit 20 plus cities across the U.S. before wrapping up in Los Angeles at the Nokia Theatre on July 23rd. Artist pre-sale tickets went on sale April 4th at www.matthewmorrison.com. General public tickets are on sale now at www.aeglive.com. Several VIP packages will be available and include artist meet-and-greets, reserved seating, priority venue entrance, collectible memorabilia and more.

MATT MORRISON Tour Dates
Saturday, June 18
Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre
Sunday, June 19
St. Louis, MO - Fabulous Fox Theatre
Tuesday, June 21
Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre
Wednesday, June 22
Columbus, OH - Palace Theatre
Thursday, June 23
Detroit, MI - Detroit Opera House
Monday, June 27
Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center for the Performing Arts
Tuesday, June 28
Newark, NJ - New Jersey Performing Arts Center
Wednesday, June 29
Boston, MA - Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre
Friday, July 1
New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
Saturday, July 2
Atlantic City, NJ - Caesar's - Circus Maximus
Wednesday, July 6
Washington DC - DAR Constitution Hall
Thursday, July 7
Greensboro, NC - War Memorial Auditorium
Friday, July 8
Duluth, GA - The Arena at Gwinnett Center
Sunday, July 10
Tampa, FL - David A. Straz Jr Center for the Performing Arts
Monday, July 11
Orlando, FL - Bob Carr Performing Arts Center
Wednesday, July 13
Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park Amphitheatre
Thursday, July 14
Jacksonville, FL - Moran Theater
Saturday, July 16
Grand Prairie, TX - Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
Sunday, July 17
Austin, TX - Bass Concert Hall
Tuesday, July 19
Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre
Wednesday, July 20
San Diego, CA - Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay
Saturday, July 23
Los Angeles, CA - NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Make sure you stay tuned to Matthew's official website! Fans can earn badges for activity on the site to earn prizes and be the fan leader! Listen, watch, comment, and "like" to earn badges now! Find out more at www.matthewmorrison.com.
Matthew Morrison

Available Now iTunes

Mercury Records

Connect with Matthew Morrison

www.matthewmorrison.com

www.facebook.com/OfficialMatthewMorrison

www.twitter.com/matt_morrison

www.myspace.com/matthewmorrisonmusic

www.youtube.com/matthewmorrisonmusic

From the "Game Show Network" - Play Wheel of Fortune for Free!

 You can compete for cash and prizes, just like contestants on the actual game show. Get ready to spin the wheel, buy a vowel, and solve puzzles in a variety of categories.

Image via Wikipedia

The hunt for Wisconsin's 14 missing state senators continues - now a new Hideaway in Rockford Campaign video from the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau suggests the State Troopers sent to find them may have gone missing, too. Perhaps they have joined the missing state senators who are hiding out in Rockford. Following a successful launch of its first Hideaway in Rockford video featuring Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen talking about Rockford's hideaway hotspots, the RACVB continues the story with a cheeky new video.  In the follow-up video, the Wisconsin State Troopers are sent to Rockford to look for Wisconsin's 14 missing State Senators, a known hide-out for the senators. Before long, the troopers find themselves side-tracked. Click Image to Watch New Video Fictitious Madison-based TV 19 tracks down the troopers hiding away in Rockford, IL. The Troopers have been spotted splashing around at CoCo Key Water Park, sharing a profound moment at Rockford Art Museum, placing cheese-heads on the 66-million-year old dinosaur Jane at Burpee Museum of Natural History, and more. "You know, folks tell me it's easy to lose track of time when they are hiding out in Rockford. And, I know locals often will take a walk through a park or enjoy one of our museums on their lunch hour, but getting totally sidetracked when looking for state senators, that's a new one," said John Groh, president/CEO of the RACVB. "I'm glad Madison's TV 19 was able to track down the troopers, and caught it all on tape." In late February, the RACVB launched a Hideaway in Rockford campaign, a cheeky promotion showcasing the city as a travel destination for state legislators and leisure visitors alike. With more than 90,000 views since being uploaded to the RACVB's YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/gorockfordregion, the original video is being called a runaway success.  Along with the videos, the campaign highlights the Rockford region's "hideaway hotspots" and special "runaway rates" and deals at local hotels, attractions and restaurants.  Additionally, the City of Rockford has volunteered to come to the aid of Wisconsin senators and Governor Scott Walker as the ideal location for a much-anticipated "Border Summit" negotiation session.  Rockford's location between Madison and Chicago make it the perfect 'middle ground,' something that has eluded Wisconsin lawmakers of late. Where do you hideout in Rockford and Illinois? Log on to www.hideawayinrockford.com to learn more about Rockford's great deals and to post about your favorite hotspot.

Current Hideaway in Rockford Deals: Lose track of time waiting for solutions at Best Western Clock Tower Resort and Conference Center: Weekends overnight stay with CoCo Key Water Park passes for four starting as low as $159. Subject to availability, some restrictions apply Don't get offsides at an Rockford IceHogs AHL Hockey game: $5 off any ticket to the game on Sunday, March 13 Tired of pre-historic legislation, explore Burpee Museum of Natural History: $1 off admission Skate on thin ice at Rockford Park District's Carlson Ice Arena and Riverview Ice House: 2 for 1 admission Get lost in the chaos at Rockford Park District's Sapora Playworld: 2 for 1 admission Yell "Fore the Sake of Humanity" at Golf Shack: one free bucket of balls at Northern Illinois' only heated outdoor driving range Hideout and dig in at Lino's Italian Restaurant: Stimulus Package which includes a large cheese pizza plus topping, 2-liter soda and a special salad for two for $1 You won't be scared of this bill: $100 includes a $25 lunch or dinner gift certificate at Michaels Restaurant and a one-night stay in one of Alpine Inn's recently remodeled apartment suites. Offer subject to availability

A free photo canvas is a great gift idea. Share the high converting Canvas People offer with your visitors and suggest they get a canvas with family memories on it! The Canvas People offer gives you  a free 8x10 photo canvas or $50 credit toward a bigger photo canvas. The way it works is like this:

1) Choose and upload the photo you would like printed
2) Choose what size. (8x10 is free + shipping/handling, or choose larger size and get a $50 discount)
3) Chose any "extras" (framing, etc.)
5) Enter shipping information
6) Pay the $14.95 shipping/handling (this is still a GREAT deal for one of these)

These photo canvases make great Christmas, birthday, anniversary, and graduation gifts as well. Visit Canvas People today!

There are a few basic things we all seem to know: our name and age. Ask almost any toddler how old they are and you will have a fistful of fingers, cookie crumbs and all, depicting their years on earth. What if you went to another country and you were suddenly 1 or 2 years older? How could that be? Travel to Korea with Little Passports to find out. Like Little Passports on Facebook and get fun updates on your world. Inspiring quotes, reasons to celebrate, and travel stories are all shared on the Little Passports Facebook page. Join today! If your favorite little explorer is not signed up for Little Passports yet, give them the gift that shows up at their doorstep every month! Find out more here.        Age Reckoning in Korea Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul Everyday life in Korea is a fascinating blend of our modern world and ancient traditions. Age reckoning is one of these traditions that strongly lives on in Korean culture. Here's how it works: a child is considered one year old at birth and with each New Year (not birthday) one more year is added. This means EVERYONE turns one year older on the same day! So a child who is 8 in the United States, might be considered 9 or 10 in  Korea. If your child just can't wait to boast double digits, tell them to head to "The Land of the Morning Calm"!            Important Age Celebrations  Korean Soup While most of us have moved beyond childhood (at least on the books) our little ones have many special age rites ahead of them. In Korea, the 100th day of a child's life, Baek-il, is a promising sign that they will grow to become a healthy child. On the other end of the age spectrum, an important age in Korea is 60. Reaching 10 years beyond your bicentennial is a reason to celebrate. Hwan-gap marks the complete 60 year cycle of the zodiac and is commemorated by celebrating with family and eating yummy food such as the soup pictured above. Notice the raw meat and raw egg waiting to be topped with boiling water and cooked before your eyes. What do you think? How old are you? Little Passports is going to side with Mark Twain: "Age is an issue of mind over matter.  If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Activities   1) How Old Are You? Discover your age according to Korean age reckoning. Do this by using the dates of Seolnal (Korean New Year). Example:                  * August 15th, 2001 (Amy is born!) = Amy is 1 year old (1 day in US)      * February 12th, 2002 (Seolnal) = Amy is 2 years old (6 months in US)      * February 1st, 2003 (Seolnal) = Amy is 3 years old (1.5 years in US)      * February 3rd, 2011 (Seolnal) = Amy is 11 years old (9.5 years in US) In the United States Amy would be considered 9 years old, but in Korea she would be considered 11 years old. 2) Make Kimchi Click  here for a yummy kimchi recipe. Be sure to also check out our other international dishes! 3) Re-think Birthday with Little Passports Either way you count the years, most of us missed out on counting year number one while we were still warm in the belly. Let's make up for it with a celebration! The entire family can celebrate together over a traditional Korean dinner. Some of us may not have the experience in the kitchen to pull off ALL the bells and whistles of an authentic Korean meal, so, let's improvise. A proper Korean meal includes numerous side dishes called banchan. Get creative and make your favorite side dishes to accompany your steamed rice. Soup (guk or tang) is also a common dish to be served WITH the meal, not before. Many Koreans do not consider a meal complete unless kimchi is involved. Get the Basics Down! 4) Map Activity   Can you find these countries on the map?      * South Korea      * North Korea      * Singapore      * Nepal 5a) Bonus Questions 1) What vegetable is typically used in kimchi? 2) Are BBQ's popular in Korea? 3) What is the capitol of South Korea? What is the capitol of North Korea? 4) Do you know why Hibiscus is important in South Korea? 5b) Bonus Answers 1) Napa cabbage 2) Yes! Korean BBQ is a fun and interactive way to enjoy traditional Korean food. Scissors are often used to cut meat and the BBQ takes place right in the middle of the table. Plenty banchan accompanies a BBQ, so come hungry! 3) South Korea: Seoul, North Korea: Pyongyang 4) Hibiscus, or mugunghwa in Korean, is South Korea's National Flower. The word mugunghwa stems from the Korean word mugung, meaning "immortality."

Madagascar Live!: All-New Stage Musical Based on the Hit Movie Comes to the Rosemont
		Rosemont Theatre (Rosemont, IL) Full Price: $27.00 - $57.00      Our Price: $15.00 - $30.00 Dreamworks' hit animated movie comes to wild life in the fun new family musical, Madagascar Live!, at the Rosemont Theatre. This original stage spectacular follows everybody's favorite zoo refugees Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, along with their intrepid pals the penguins, from the concrete jungle of New York to the wilds of Africa, and features singing, dancing and plenty of on-stage adventure for the entire family.    Learn More    Check out the official Madagascar Live! website for activities, pics and more.

Available Dates:    Wednesday, Mar. 16 @ 7:00pm   Check Availability   Thursday, Mar. 17 @ 7:00pm   Check Availability   Friday, Mar. 18 @ 7:00pm   Check Availability   Saturday, Mar. 19 @ 11:00am   Check Availability   Saturday, Mar. 19 @ 2:00pm   Check Availability   Saturday, Mar. 19 @ 5:00pm   Check Availability   Sunday, Mar. 20 @ 11:00am   Check Availability   Sunday, Mar. 20 @ 2:00pm   Check Availability