Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Are you kidding?


Why do the NYC Absentee Ballots have a typo for Barack Obama's name? Does that say Barack OSAMA!!!? Yes, it does. That's a dag-on shame.

Ladies & Gentlemen, please remember NOT to wear Barack Obama paraphernalia on election day. You will NOT be allowed to vote. We have to be very careful. Things are going to be crazy!

- Lauren

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Peace on Earth with Peace of Mind

"For the side of you that likes ice water with lemon"

Going Green-

I don't know about your city but here in Los Angeles, everyone is about "going green."

Save the earth. Save your MONEY. I'm going GREEN.

I have complied 5 easy things you can do each day that can help save energy, money and resources.

1. Carry a canvas bag instead of plastic to do your shopping.

2. Carry a reusable bottle instead of drinking and/or buying bottled water.

3. Install compact fluorescent light bulbs throughout your home.

4. Recycle. Period.

5. Make your own effective, non-toxic cleaning products. All you need is some baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap. I've included some great tips I found online.

*Stock up on a few safe, simple ingredients that can be used in most cleaning situations. Soap, water, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, borax, and a coarse scrubbing sponge can take care of most household cleaning needs.

*Instead of using a standard drain cleaner, which likely contains lye, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid, try pouring a quarter cup of baking soda down the clogged drain, followed by a half cup of vinegar. Close the drain tightly until fizzing stops, then flush with boiling water.

*For an effective glass cleaner, use a mixture of half white vinegar and half water.

*Baking soda and cornstarch are both good carpet deodorizers.

*To clean up mildew and mold, use a mixture of lemon juice or white vinegar and salt.

*A paste of baking soda, salt, and hot water makes a great oven cleaner.

*In the rare instance you need to use a hazardous product, use as little as possible and dispose of it in a way that will cause minimum harm—for example, by bringing it to a hazardous waste recycling or treatment center.

A lot of times, when I read articles or talk to people about going green. They mention things that when I'm done with the conversation I know I'm not going to go home and do. These 5 things are great easy suggestions that can make a huge difference!

Relax. Breathe. Escape.

Sometimes our day to day lives can get so hectic. I wanted to share some great suggestions with you that I think can help you be more at peace and relaxed with your day to day routine. First and foremost, me time. Me time is time that you set aside with yourself each day - maybe 15-20 minutes or 2 hours to get your mind together, get to know yourself better, relax and think. Some activities that I enjoy doing during my me time are: a great pedicure, a great bath with candles and an amazing book, or a yoga class. Some other great suggestions are: a visit to a museum, meditation or a glass of wine with no television. I hope this helps you to relax, breathe and escape without leaving your bedroom. It's a state of mind. Cheers to a great week! - Lauren


Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Fall-ing into Cinema.. :) Part 1

WOW September is already upon us!!! GEEZ where did Summer go?!?!? Summer always seems like the shortest season ever....and while this could be a post mourning the end of summer I have decided to focus on the positive...as fall gears into full swing and winter rapidly approaches...it is time to look at the Fall Movie Season!!...now the summer movie season was pretty eventful...Dark Knight, anyone???

But now comes the major contenders for the upcoming award season....Usually the movies that pick up lots of statues in January and February tend to come come out in the fall and winter... and the major players come out the week of Christmas... (i.e. Chicago,Catch Me if You Can, Lord of the Rings, Titanic....I could go on) any who lets get down to the fun part...because I am especially excited this year because those who know me best know I spent a good part of the summer reading 4 amazing books in the epidemic series that is sweeping the country. Seriously, these books are so good that it took me about three days to read each book... and each book was about 750 pages or more...so calling them a page turner would a monumental understatement...but I'll have more on these books and the highly anticipated movie based on the first book...later on in this post.....

So I'm just going to go ahead and list the movies I'm most excited about seeing in no particular order...

Up first is "Righteous Kill"...this one features two of the greatest actors of our generation, Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino teaming up on the screen for the second time (the first time was Heat...a movie, which is to men what Sex&The City is to Women)..this time they play two veteran NYC cops working "to identify the possible connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago; is there a serial killer on the loose, and did they perhaps put the wrong person behind bars?" (IMDB..they said it better than me)
Also starring along side the two Academy Award winning actors is actor/rapper extraordinaire (LOL) Curtis Jackson, who I have to say is raking up a pretty impressive Filmography. Oh and Donnie Walhberg is also in it...I'm guessing this was filmed before the New Kids reunion??
The movie is set to open September 12th


Up next is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button...this one gives me the same vibe of that Lemmony Shnikets' movie (i know I butchered the spelling)but here check it out..


Its star's none other that Mr. William Bradley Pitt...and is sure to be an Oscar contender...or at least I'm hoping...just another excuse to see that man in a TUX!...any-who that's neither here nor there...
This film is about a man who ages in reverse....yeah i know...but a very interesting concept and I gotta say it looks pretty dang good...If for no other reason you must go see it because there will be a familiar face playing the role of Pitt's characters young child...none other than Shiloh Jolie Pitt...yep that's right a chance to see the chosen one on the big screen even before she's enrolled in Kindergarten...gotta love nepotism!...but it's okay I LOVE HER PARENTS!! And they can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. Oh! and Cate Blanchett is in it ....so you know its getting some statues come Award Season...oh and the lesser known Fanning...Elle.. is in it as well...cause lets face it Dakota's getting up there in age...(kidding)..and Tilda Swinton...who I swear kind of looks like an Alien model but she's also a pretty stellar actress.

Also out September 12th is "The Women"...which is basically this decades First Wives Club...and I'm soooo going to see it! It's also an all-star cast with Annette Benning, Meg Ryan, Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing (good to see her surviving that post-sitcom curse that plagues a lot of former NBC stars), Bette Midler, Candace Bergen, Eva Mendes, and a slew of other comedic greats!...this is going to do well with female audiences...at least that's my prediction. It's about a group of women (new yorkers ...i think) who discover that their friend's husband is cheating with a cosmetics counter girl (played by Eva Mendes) and then of course madness and female bond ensues... with the inevitable trip to a resort spa...I'm sure we'll cry a tiny bit, and laugh, and it'll be good times!! I for one am looking forward to a good solid Chick Flick!.....


Also hitting theaters is "4 Christmases"...this one stars Vince Vaughn(yay!) and Reese Witherspoon. The two play a couple, both of whose parents are divorced, so they are forced to visit all four parents for the holiday. This looks pretty cute and with Vince and Reese I'm betting on some good comedic timing. I think it'll be a cute holiday film!
Hitting theaters Nov. 26th

Also premiering this season is the one movie...many people just didn't want to see come out...and I don't blame them it was pretty controversial at Sundance last year...so I'm thinking you are going to hear a lot about it in the coming months. You may have already heard about "Hound dog" It's the movie starring Dakota fanning....as a young girl who is raped....and from what I hear the scene is pretty graphic especially for such a young actress. However there is much more to the film than just that one scene. It's actually about a young girl who gets through her troubled upbringing by finding solace in the music of Elvis Presley....Anytime a movie is controversial I'm usually in the theater...I'm curious...and part of me thinks aside from that one scene which I can very well just cover my eyes...it could turn out to be an interesting movie..We'll see.

Up next is a movie I've been excited about ever since I heard they were making it, "The Duchess". It stars Kiera Knightly who I think is a great actress I love all of her movies (even Domino)...now I have a few friends who will argue with me up and down on that point..but I do. I think she's great!

From the trailer the costumes in this movie look amazing...and definitely a contender for best costume. It's a period piece...cause no one does period movies quite like Kiera Knightly...especially for her age...which is pretty close to my age.The plot is basically Marie Antoinette but set in the 18th century..or at least that's how I'm going to explain it for the purposes of brevity...but yeah it could be another good one...but I don't see too many men liking this one...just putting that out there.

Also coming out is "Eagle Eye" starring Shia LeBoeff and Michelle Moynahan (pretty sure I spelled that wrong.) I'm also a huge Shia fan...have been ever since Even Stevens...(yep that's right once upon a time I watched The Disney Channel)...and he could very well be the Tom Cruise of our generation..yep I know that's a pretty loaded statement....and you know what? I stand by it! just go see it..it's an action movie about two people who are being framed and are running from a voice in a phone...or as our good friends at IMDB put it: "Two strangers become the pawns of a mysterious woman they have never met, but who seems to know their every move. Realizing they are being used to further her plot for a political assassination, they must work together to outwit the woman before she has them killed."... It will be good... I think?...it comes out September 26th.

Up next is one that definitely hopes to be an Oscar contender, is "Australia". It was written and directed by Baz Luhrman...the genius and eccentric mastermind behind Moulin Rouge, Romeo and Juliet (the one with Leo), and that random "Everybody's Free to wear Sunscreen" song and video (from the Big Kahuna soundtrack) that made the rounds on MTV and VH1 sometime back in the 90's..... you'd remember it if you saw it...trust me
-
It may seem strange..but it was a big deal in the 90's..Any-who back to "Australia"the movie is set in the WWII era but from the Australian side of the story and is of course a love story in a great war setting...the synopsis seams a bit cliched..but should be refreshingly different since it has the Australian history behind it. It stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman ...both of who are two of the countries biggest native stars ...which is fitting. It comes out November 26th.

Saw V is also coming out...anyone care to guess when?!!...look I pretty much stopped with these movies after the 1st so I'm at a loss for why they keep making them. All I can say is obviously someone keeps seeing them. Otherwise, they would have stopped after the second...so there's that......

AND NOW!!!...the one movie I have been counting down for with all the other teenagers and middle aged women LOL... Now if you haven't heard of the Twilight series...then you simply aren't paying attention to pop-culture



...this about to be the next Harry Potter...only I think it could be bigger. The last book came out August 2nd and broke many records shattered J.K. Rowling's..selling 1.35 million copies on just the first day alone....for music this is not THAT big of a deal...but for a book...that's HUGE!!! and now comes the movie...It stars Robert Pattinson who, ironically, is also featured in the Harry Potter movies LOL!" but this time he stars as the handsome and impossibly irresistible Edward Cullen...now just about everyone I know who had read the books says that he is exactly what they pictured Edward Cullen to be ...and the same goes for Kristen Stewart who plays Bella Swan...now I'm go into the synopsis cause every time I tell people about the storyline they kind of cringe but only those who have read the first ten pages...truly get just how amazingly written this story is and just how addictive it is...so I'm letting you know now....THIS MOVIE IS GOING TO BE HUGE!...maybe not Dark Knight huge...but still a blockbuster..so big in fact that Entertainment Weekly even named it "mostly likely to be a blockbuster"..
and just about everyone knows that Nov 21st is the big day !!!!!

Well that's the first part of my movies post...I'll update with a few more worthy ones later on...
until then Ciao!!
Luvs
-M.Theresa M.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Oh! What times... what times!!!!

As I sat and watched tonight's events at the Democratic National Convention unfold I was moved...well more than that I was touched. Today was the first time a black man has been officially nominated to lead a major political party on the Presidential ticket. Now to me this is significant in soooo many ways which I will get to in a sec., but first I must point out this one fact to readers who may not know or just need to hear it again.

On Thursday (tomorrow or today whatever time you are reading this) the date will read August 28, 2008 which is the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech".
Thursday August 28, 2008 will also be the day Mr. Barack Obama accepts the Democratic party's nomination for president of the United States.....It's chilling to think of how historic a day it will be...it seems like it was written in the stars. Again, no matter where you stand politically you have admit that the significance of this date is extraordinary.



Now I will tell you why it was so touching to me.
Those of you who know me, know that it's no secret or surprise that I grew up in an predominately white private school from pre-k until about the 4th grade. Now when I say mostly white, I can still name and even count on a single hand all of the black children that went to my school. I can still remember learning about the presidents and seeing that none of them looked like me then learning about slavery and civil rights and realizing that even though my family, dating all the way back through the last century, was born right here in this country I still felt like maybe I wasn't part of the America that my other classmates were. This is why I could understand why Michelle Obama made that infamous comment "This is the first time in my life that I have been truly proud of my country." She did not mean it to say that she never was proud of America or that she didn't like Americans, which is what the far right media would have you believe. She meant that as a black woman in America when we look into history sometimes we feel shut out of certain parts of the history books, at least I know I did. And I'm sorry to say it's something that many people may have a hard time understanding and I can't really blame them. Being a minority is something that you can only really grasp when you walk in our shoes.

However, I feel like the gap is slowly closing, and we are all finally getting to a place where we are understanding each other, at least our generation is. That is what is special about our generation. We grew up not really knowing what segregation was or even experiencing the brutal forms of racism that our parents, grandparents, and great parents bore the brunt of.

This is why last year when I argued my older family members up and down telling them that Barack Obama could possibly clench this nomination... they thought I was out of my mind. But how could they not think I was crazy?? They saw a time when they were young. A time where people still didn't want them to even get a chance to vote.
I saw a time where my classmates...my white classmates were wearing Obama '08 buttons and driving with Obama '08 bumper stickers. I've had friends of all races...so I see what America is on its way to becoming. America is becoming a nation of people from all ethnic backgrounds coming together in the name of freedom for all and pursuit of the American Dream. And pretty soon race will just be merely just another adjective and perhaps nothing more. Now I will admit we still have a ways to go but I like where we are headed. So it moves me to see the diverse crowd of people coming to tears when Barack Obama's name was called as the Democratic Party's nominee for President of the United States. And it's also worth mentioning that Mr. Obama is the product of an inter-racial couple...cause as we all know I've been saying for years that in the next century eventually America could end up being a nation of mixed people...which would mean there could be a hell of a lot of beautiful people walking around .....and hey! Wouldn't that be something!!

On a lighter note: In entertainment news...all has been somewhat boring in Hollyweird...mostly because all the celebs are in Denver!! but I just have to share this with you guys in case you haven't seen it .....
so Solange "I am not my sister" Knowles has been making the rounds promoting her new album which I hear.... is pretty good... something new and refreshing. This week she made an appearance on a Las Vegas local morning news show. And before her segment started a producer asked her if she would mind commenting on the recent closing of Jay-Z's 40/40 club in Vegas....obviously she wasn't down with that, but she mistook the question as being part of her introduction and then....this happened.



Now I gotta admit I admire her for standing up to the woman because she thought she was being thrown a curve ball...but she was too quick with her judgement there ...Oh well lesson to be learned: Homegirl doesn't take any crap!

I realize it may be in poor taste to follow up my inspired post about the history we are making with the Obama nomination .....with celeb foolishness but hey ... I bet it made you laugh!!

Well I'm tired, so that's all for now
Luvs!!
-M.Theresa M.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Giving YOU a little ME


"For the side of you that likes a cup of tea"


I love to connect with people.  Funny thing is, I never knew this about myself.  I just discovered that I loved going out to lunch with people and taking friends out on "dates" just to connect with them.  I love trying to help people become a better person.  One of my favorite things in the world is to make sure that people that I love are constantly growing and bettering themselves.  So this poses a very important question,  what is one thing you should eliminate from  your life because it's holding you back from reaching your full potential?  So often we don't know how to cut out all the excess, the drama, the toxic waste from our lives...and let's just get to the bottom of it, it is not good for you!  At the end of the day, it's just not healthy.  We have friends, family members, books, habits, websites, drinks, etc.  that don't provide POSITIVITY.  I am all about the positivity.  Now, I'm not saying go through your blackberry or your iPhone and click Delete Contact.  I am in no way condoning burning bridges.  On the other hand, toxic is toxic.  Whether it's your boyfriend, childhood friend, or co-worker... how much of your time and energy do you allow them to have?  Is there something or someone in your life who is holding you back from reaching your full potential?  Over a cup  of tea, you should decide. 

"For the side of you that likes ice water with lemon"

Beauty Check:

I have always been a die hard try new beauty products all the time fan.  Being the lucky girl that I am, I have stumbled upon some really really fantastic stuff.  

Now, I was never really into having my WHOLE face made up (you know how when some people get close up they look completely different) but I do love when my eyes pop.   

So #1 on my list is: Loreal Original Voluminous Mascara.  I never really liked mascara.  I didn't really think that it did that much but come to find out, it does wonders.  I had always heard "cheap mascara is the best mascara" and evidently it's true.  You can find this beauty fav at your local drug store for about $8 bucks.  Cool huh?



Everyone who know me, knows that I adore taking baths.  I love them.  All of my friends know that if we're close, at some point in my life I will be on the phone with them while taking a bath.  (Side note: leave your comments at the door). LOL.  So...that brings me to my next favorite product.  #2 Perlier Honey Bath & Shower Cream (Ricette Naturali Perlier Body Honey Miel Crema Per Bagno & Doccia.) I found this product in an Italian drugstore earlier this year while I was traveling in Italy.  My product has the Italian name which I gave you in parentheses but I found out that this product is available in the USA and you can check it out at hsn.com to have it shipped straight to your door!  The internet is a godsend.  A-may-zing.

#3  I'm not a beauty editor at a fabulous fashion magazine nor am I some fashion guru BUT  I have declared the new fall OPI color Malaga Wine as the new HOT color.  Screw all those purples, yellows, and pinks this sucker is "haute."

#4  One random fact about me is that I am allergic to random lipchaps (that's what I call them - I know I made the word up)  such as blistex, chapstick, etc.  It really sucks because no one wants to spend serious money on "lipchaps."  Anywho, if you happen to have this same problem then maybe your lips are like my lips and they enjoy when I smudge Rosebud's Strawberry Lip Balm and moisturizer on them.  Why oh, why are my lips high maintenance? Rosebud's to the rescue.

#5 Enjoy Sulfate-Free Hydrating Shampoo: Create unbelievably smooth and silky hair.  Eliminate frizz. Moisturize and detangle without buildup.  Color safe for all hair types.  $15.95 for the 10.1 fl. oz.  Sometimes I want to renew and freshen my look so...I color my hair.  Coloring you hair is high maintenance.  You have to add in that extra charge at the beauty salon for the "deep conditioner," you can't stay out in the sun too long or you come in looking blonder and last but not least you have to change shampoos that don't fade the color or damage your hair.  This is when my new favorite product came waltzing into my life.  I hope you Enjoy!
 


"For the side of you that likes a good martini"

I wanted to share with you 3 of my world class favorite places to "fine dine."

1. Prime 112, Miami, FL
EVERYTHING at Prime 112 is (as my waitress described) amazing.  It was rather annoying when my guests and I were trying to choose what to eat when our lovely waitress continued to answer all of our questions with "oh, it is amazing."  Yes, the Soy Marinated Sea Bass, Grilled Wild King Salmon, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato & Vanilla Bean Mash and EVERY LITTLE SCRUMPTIADIDDLY (clearly made this word up) thing we ordered was AMAZING.  If I could have met the chef, I would have kissed him because for the love of this man he can cook his arms off!  Prime 112 made an impression of me that I will never forget.

2. Pesce, Houston, TX
If you go to Pesce, you will meet Chef Mark Holley.  He is an extremely personable chef that comes around to your table to check on you for the evening. EVERY time that I have been there I have spoken with him.  Mr. Mark Holley is not just someone you want to speak to...he is someone you want to climb in your pocket and take home with you.  His Southern Shrimp & Grits and possibly anything else on that menu is to die for.  When you go, please have a mojito on my behalf.  The best in the country.
 
3. Crustaceans, Los Angeles, CA
Crustaceans is a dining experience.  The Cracked Crab and Garlic Noodles are a must!  You must have them both.  Crustaceans is filled with celebrities and people in the know every time I go and all I'm thinking about is that Cracked Crab.  This needs to be in that book 1,000 places to go before you die.

From a girl who loves a cup of tea, ice water with lemon and a good martini,

Lauren


Rarely do speeches inspire me like this.....

Hello all! It's pretty late...but I'm up doing job related stuff and un-necessarily looking at things on the internet and I just watched Michelle Obama's speech tonight from the Democratic National Convention.


Now no mattter where you stand politically...to the left or to the right, you have to admit her speech was pretty inspiring. She had so many people in that packed Pepsi Center with tear-filled eyes. That's what politics should be, at least to me. Politics should move you. When politicians speak it should make us want to sit on the edge of our seat and hope that they only want what's better for this country, and that the laws that they are working to pass are laws that are going to make our lives richer and easier. Laws that would fund programs like the CHIP program (the Children's Health Insurance Program) which is why my heart was so broken months ago when our president vetoed the bill that would have funded the SCHIP bill. Actions like that break my heart because no matter what motive you have behind political beliefs children should NEVER fall victim to your motives or agendas. In some ways I had begun to loose faith in politics because it seemed to me like everyone has an agenda, but tonight listening to Mrs. Obama's speech I felt that maybe she really did connect to people like me, people who want to believe in the greater good in mankind!! I don't know only time will tell. But I will say this I too want to see a change we can believe in!...Ok I realize this is a pretty heavy post...so I will lighten things up a bit and shift gears....


So those who know me, know that I have a pretty eclectic music taste (to say the least) and one of my favorite songs ever is Wild Horses by the Sundays...(for my musically challenged readers LOL..it's the song they play in the movie Fear with Reese Witherspoon ) anywho its a song with really beautiful lyrics...and so imagine my excitement when I came across this cover Alicia Keys and Adam Lavigne (from Maroon 5) did together!! of the song!! it's soooo worth checking out...these are two of my favorite artists singing one of my favorite songs... I've added it for your viewing pleasure....enjoy!!!
That's all... I'm out One LUV-

M.Theresa M.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Virgin Post

Hello to all reading this!!! (and yes the title of this post was done with my tongue planted firmly in my cheek LOL)
This is Theresa...so Lauren and I put our ever so busy heads together and decided to collaborate on a blog...So I guess I'm first up to bat...
The first one is always the hard one....but I'm going to keep a little brief until I have something a bit more substantial go run with. Its storming outside so I should be able to get deep because my mind seems to really work well in inclimate weather. What that means.... I have no idea...maybe I'm as deep as I often like to think that I am.. LOL! A little bit about me goes like this...I'm anspiring broadcast journalist. I've just graduated from school the illustrious(or so they'd have us believe) University of Tennessee...where I got an education on all fronts...but more on that later. I previously worked as president of the schools TV station where I was fortunate enough to do a little bit of everything. And I simultaneously worked as an Associate Producer at WATE-6News...I wrote it out just like that because I had to spend the better part of my days answering the phones rattling that off!! I've moved back home and I have begun the grueling yet exciting task of applying for on-air jobs...I say grueling because the process goes something like this....1.) Look for an opening 2.) Apply for said opening 3.) Type up some super fabulous cover letter that will wow them on the spot without even having met you 4.) Print out resume 5.) Burn copy of Demo Reel 6.) Place label on demo reel that corresponds to the job I am applying for 7.) Label large envelope that will be sent to station containing coverletter, resume, and demo reel 8. Place my picture and contact info inside the cover for my demo reel then put inside evelope 9.) Mail off package and hope for the best This is pretty much my daily ritual which I have come to love.........Okay so I'm gonna end this post for now and I will be back later today with something far more interesting to post.
Oh and I am going to add my demo reel to the site for anyone who's curious....also this is my starter version this isn't my best one this one has a few editing errors so bare with me....oh and you might catch my real name...since Theresa is just my middle name....
Also I think Lauren will be up next to bat with her virgin post LOL.....(my weird sense of humor)