April 2013

Book Review: Someday, Someday, Maybe

Someday, Someday, Maybe is a book that is by Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls.  I have to say, I picked this book based on the cover (I love the Brooklyn Bridge) and the fact that Lauren wrote it more so on the plot of the book.

The book follows Franny, who is living in Brooklyn and trying to make it an an actress.  She has created a deadline for herself when she will move on from her dream and try something more practical.  She lives with her best friend Jane and another roomie, Dan.  He left med school to become an aspiring sci-fi novel writer.

The book is funny, though at times seemed to go on forever.  I liked following Franny’s life, from her waitress and catering jobs to her acting classes and how awkward she was at auditions and on set because she was so new to this acting world.

Meanwhile, she ends up dating this guy from her class she really likes, all while stuff starts going on with her roomie Dan (he was engaged, but isn’t any longer) and she really can’t decide if it is a love triangle (or maybe some other shape) or what her feelings are for anyone until she goes to her first big premiere as James’ “date”.

Overall it was a good book, funny and interesting – and it takes place in 1995 – so it was interesting to see a time before cell phones with old answering machines that had tape and references to songs like the Macarena.  How could you be a working aspiring actress without a smart phone!?

I received an e-copy of this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

From Lauren Graham, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood,comes a witty, charming, and hilariously relatable debut novel about a struggling young actress trying to get ahead―and keep it together―in New York City.

It’s January 1995, and Franny Banks has just six months left of the three-year deadline she set for herself when she came to New York, dreaming of Broadway and doing “important” work. But all she has to show for her efforts so far is a part in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters, and a gig waiting tables at a comedy club. Her roommates―her best friend Jane, and Dan, an aspiring sci-fi writer―are supportive, yet Franny knows a two-person fan club doesn’t exactly count as success. Everyone tells her she needs a backup plan, and though she can almost picture moving back home and settling down with her perfectly nice ex-boyfriend, she’s not ready to give up on her goal of having a career like her idols Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep. Not just yet. But while she dreams of filling their shoes, in the meantime, she’d happily settle for a speaking part in almost anything—and finding a hair product combination that works.

Everything is riding on the upcoming showcase for her acting class, where she’ll finally have a chance to perform for people who could actually hire her. And she can’t let herself be distracted by James Franklin, a notorious flirt and the most successful actor in her class, even though he’s suddenly started paying attention. Meanwhile, her bank account is rapidly dwindling, her father wants her to come home, and her agent doesn’t return her calls. But for some reason, she keeps believing that she just might get what she came for.

Someday, Someday, Maybe is a story about hopes and dreams, being young in a city, and wanting something deeply, madly, desperately. It’s about finding love, finding yourself, and perhaps most difficult of all in New York City, finding an acting job.

Kris Allen at the Wolf’s Den

Saturday night, Kris Allen was set to play the Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den.  We got there around 6pm and there was quite a line already, so we jumped right in.  I was nervous that we wouldn’t make it in to the Wolf’s Den, but it turned out that we made it in and were the first set of tables around the upper level so we would have had plenty of time to still make it inside.  I think we had a great spot though, very close to the stage, considering.

At 8pm the show started with Jillette Johnson, who has now become the first opener I have ever seen in the Wolf’s Den!  She did about a half an hour set – very similar to the last 2 times I had seen her (once with Kris and once with Honor Society).  At 9pm Kris came out for his set.

Since it is the Out Alive tour, he off course started off the set with Out Alive.  The set was a bit shaken up from the last time I saw him in January – we got 2 new songs one he had done the last couple times I have seen him – it still has no name (so my setlist book is sad) but he has said the working title is “Paul Simon” and he liked to play it to the different crowds to get a reaction.  He did a call and response portion and then teased us because we did back all the crazy stuff he asked of us – but then thanked us for doing so because we didn’t make him look like an idiot.  The other new song was called “Unique” about liking a crazy girl lol and he dedicated it to a couple in the audience.

He didn’t have time to do a request song (and last time he did a song for Newtown so I have now missed out on making a request both times!) but instead did one he thought we would enjoy which was an Everybody Wants To Rule the World / The Way You Make Me Feel mashup.

During one of the songs he kind of went off on a tangent and was singing about how we are all going to win a lot of money tonight, but maybe not and to not take his word for it and that we probably wouldn’t win… and then he stepped away to play just the guitar for a while but was cracking himself up.  When he went back up to the mic to sing more he was still laughing and had to just play until he could calm down again. Too funny.

He also was joined by “not the one and not the only” Kris Allen – who plays the saxophone for a few songs.  He said that when he had a myspace, he would always search for himself but instead found ANOTHER Kris Allen who played sax.  He lives in the area so he finally got to meet him and invited him on stage to play during I think it was Rooftops.  That was pretty neat for there to be TWO Kris Allen’s on stage at once! And Kris was definitely a great sax player as well.

For the encore, he came out by himself and said that Reba (who was performing at the arena Saturday night) was the first concert he went to when he was 7 years old and he wore a silk shirt and cowboy boots and a cowboy hat.  He also told us how a few years ago he got the chance to meet Reba and was trying to figure out what to say to her – and decided he’d tell her that she was his first concert.  Instead, all that came out was “I love you”.  So in honor of us not being at the Reba show and instead seeing him – he did one of her songs.  Or, part of it.  He didn’t seem to remember all the words and stopped after a minute or so to go into an Idol Medley.  The medley was Falling Slowly (I gasped when he started it. LOVE him singing this song!), Heartless and Ain’t No Sunshine.  The band joined him back on stage and then he did Shut That Door to close out the night.

He is just so, so good and I have been spoiled with him seeming to come to Connecticut every few months.  I hope he keeps it up!  He also mentioned that he is ready for his 3rd album so I hope that all gets underway soon as well 🙂

 

Out Alive
Better With You
Alright with Me
Vision of Love
Before We Come Undone
Faith / We Are Young
New Song (Paul Simon)
Leave You Alone
Everybody Wants To Rule the World / The Way You Make Me Feel
Monster
Unique
My Weakness
Rooftops
Live Like We’re Dying

Reba song – Fancy
Falling Slowly / Heartless / Ain’t No Sunshine
Shut That Door

Book Review: Happy Beginnings

Happy Beginnings is the story of Lorena Bathey.  The book starts with Lorena being told by her husband that he was leaving.  She was shocked and didn’t know what to do.  The book tells about how she overcame this setback of her failed marriage and turned to friends (and vodka) to help herself get through it.  I liked that she was really honest in the book, she takes us through all the steps she went through and how she felt at the time.  I felt like I was at her side throughout the whole ordeal.

After she finds out her husband is leaving, he offers to let her use his flyer miles and she takes a trip to Italy to find herself.  And maybe find love.  And that she does.  She meets a guy named Nicco and they seem to hit it off.  Once she gets back to America, things are still progressing and Nicco is going to come visit.  Her husband wasn’t happy as he was kind of holding out hope she’d go to Italy and come home to be with him again – not come home and be interested in another man.  Things don’t quite work out in this other relationship and Lorena finds herself getting a divorce in her late thirties and trying to figure out how to date again and everything awkward that comes along with that.

Somewhere along the way, she finds out that this was not her unhappy ending but was actually her Happy Beginning!  Lorena stopped waiting around for a fairy godmother to show up and help her out and instead decided to be her OWN fairy godmother.

While I haven’t ever been married so I certainly can’t even begin to know anything about divorce – I really felt like I was involved in everything with how Lorena told her story.  I am also pretty sure there are many, many other women out there who didn’t do anything wrong and as Lorena said in the book – aren’t ogres, but their husbands just decided that they wanted to leave them.  If you know someone going through a divorce, or maybe you yourself are going through one, I recommend this book.  You’ll realize that you are not alone and since Lorena has already been through it all and came out the other end better than ever, you can use her mistakes to learn from and come out better than ever yourself!

Take the wand in to your own hands!

I received a free copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

This is the story how Lorena Bathey started over after her fairy tale marriage failed after eleven years. With the stunning declaration made by her husband that he was leaving, she began a journey where she learned loving, loss, friends and vodka were the road map to finding herself. This is a very open and honest account of how Lorena Bathey struggled to find her inner fairy godmother after being made to start over again. She uses humor and insight into the world of the late-thirty divorcee that will bring chuckles, guffaws or tears. Lorena’s story is her own but one that many women are experiencing at this time. She stopped waiting for her own fairy godmother and took the wand into her own hands! You can too!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Idol Top 4

Idol Top 4.  I am so done with this season that I didn’t even have my laptop ready for a song by song critique this week.  And I’m writing this now on Thursday the afternoon after I’ve watched so the details may be hazy.  I would give round 1 to Amber.  Round 2, I don’t know.  But I don’t think anyone really wants her [Amber] to win.  For me, Idol is all about growing as a contestant.  While Kree was the early front runner, all her performances have remained consistent.  Good, but she’s kind of flatlined for me.  The other contestants seem to have growth every week.  While there are rumors of no one going home this week because the save wasn’t used (although, don’t they typically double up on eliminations when it is used?) I wouldn’t be surprised if it is Kree.  I want to like Angie, but there is still something about her that I am just not digging.  I can’t quite put my finger on it, still.    Everyone seemed to cheat with One Hit Wonders and did songs that were 1 hit for someone and then were made more popular by other groups.  I don’t know, to me, that’s not a one hit wonder.  If you’re singing it and I can go “Hey, The BeeGees and Destiny’s Child did this song too” then it’s not a One Hit Wonder.  When you sit there going “Oh yeah this song was popular in the year XX and I can’t for the life of me remember who sang it!” That, to me, is a one hit wonder.

Honestly, this season has just been SUCH a mess – get rid of Nicki, get rid of Jimmy.  We don’t need 4 judges and we certainly don’t need 5… And can you put at least ONE cute boy in the competition? Geez.  No wonder why the ratings are falling.  Guys win every season for a reason.  That is who the voters enjoy.  I am not even sure I’ll watch next season.  I said the same about this season but only watched again because of Johnny.  Hopefully he won’t try out again next year so I don’t have to be devastated and then tortured for another year!

Well, my prediction was right – no one went home.  But again – didn’t they ALWAYS do a double elimination the next week? And the one year they decide to add in another week they don’t need it? Fishy.  Candice and Amber were also the bottom 2, which I’m not really thrilled about either.  This weeks votes will be added to next weeks for the final tally.

However, I guess Idol has heard all my “there are no cute boys!” rants and had my boo, Stefano, on to sing his new single Yes To Love <3

Book Review: 50 Shades of Gay

 Here I go again with another spin off from the 50 Shades of Grey books.  This book starts out when Matty, who works for a news program, is too sick to do an interview with Taylor Grayson – a hot Hollywood hunk – so he asks his roommate Alex to do it instead.  Alex is tossed in to the room with the cameras and is told he has 4 minutes to do the interview.  It actually reminds me a lot of the Mila Kunis interview that had been going around (when I wrote this and scheduled it – it was news.  Now that this is actually posted it has probably long since been forgotten) with the guy tossed into the interview that ended up talking about his friends and inviting her to a wedding and football match!

Anyway… back to the story.  Taylor is so taken by Alex’s interview that he asks for him to go to his movie premiere and get the exclusive interview with him right after for Matt’s news program.  Alex agrees and takes Matty as his plus one.  Matty and Alex are both gay and are roomies and that’s it. (I guess since the title is Fifty Shades of Gay I didn’t need to mention that, really, but you never know.)

Taylor claims he is not gay, but asks Alex to enter in to a contract with him. (If you’ve read 50 Shades of Grey you know where this is going.)  Alex doesn’t exactly want to, but hangs out with Taylor anyway.  One place he hangs out with Taylor is at a party – where he finds out from Taylor’s publicist that he is actually going to be marrying a model named Natalie and that they would be announcing it very soon on the Tonight Show.  Alex isn’t happy with the news at all, especially with how he finds out about it – not from Taylor.

Some other stuff happens that I don’t want to give away… and Alex is offered a job in New York.  Does he leave Los Angeles and Taylor behind after Taylor took off on him and he thinks its over?  Well, what  Taylor has to say on the Tonight Show may help solidify his decision.

I thought this book was a lot better written than the 50 Shades of Grey books and I really liked the writing style of Jeffrey Self.  I felt like I was in Alex’s head going through everything with him.  The book is also a bit less descriptive than 50 Shades of Grey which I liked as well because let’s face it – 50 Shades of Grey is a bit over the top.  If you enjoyed those books though I think you would really like this one as well, it’s a different dynamic with a guy and a guy involved I think and it makes things more interesting.

I received a free e-copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Meeting his celebrity crush was one thing, but even Hollywood could not have written what happened next.

Inspired by E.L. James’ international phenomenon, 50 Shades of Grey, Jeffery Self’s 50 Shades of Gay tells the story of a young celebrity blogger, Alex Kirby, who interviews Taylor Grayson, a superstar leading man in Hollywood blockbuster films. Grayson also happens to be a closeted gay man with a passion for BDSM. When Grayson draws the younger man into his private orbit and initiates him into his sexual world, the younger man can tell that kinky sex has shielded Grayson from having a real emotional connection with another man. But he is head over heels in love with the older, powerful, gorgeous man who has selected him for the pleasures of submission. Ultimately, Alex decides to experiment with the power differential between them, and see if he can break through the armor that Grayson and his layers of Hollywood handlers have imprisoned him in. Will he be able to open Grayson up to real intimacy, or will he cause Grayson to end the relationship and cut himself off yet again?

Jeffery Self is a writer and an actor. He co-created and starred in Jeffery and Cole Casserole on Logo, and has appeared on numerous television shows, includingDesperate Housewives90210Hot in Cleveland, and 30 Rock as Randy Lemon. His book Straight People: A Spotter’s Guide is forthcoming. Follow him on Twitter @JefferySelf. You can also visit him online at Jefferyself.tumblr.com.

Product Review: Sort It! App

As I’ve mentioned before, I am always looking for new apps.  A lot of times I’d much rather something that will challenge my brain – and that is where Sort It! comes in.  It is a free app from Ogurec Apps and you can get it for Android in the Play Store.  The description of the app says: ‘Are you tired of boring racing and other games with a trite motto ‘kill all monsters around’? Do you want to get from the game both pleasant leisure and some benefit? If your answer is ‘yes’ then don’t go because you have already found what you were seeking!  ‘Sort It!’ is an unusual quiz game. Here you’ll find great pleasure and passion in searching for the right answer to our puzzle. It combines fun warm-up for your brain and a real test for your logic. Are you ready to show your abilities? Welcome to the world of Sort It!”

Each level has 3-5 photos that you have to place in the correct logical order.  You have to figure out what the common detail is between all the pictures and figure out what the connection is and what order they go in.  It’s not as easy as you may think – I was stuck on the 7th level for DAYS and even had a little chart of all the possibilities I had already tried.  When that seemed like it was hopeless, I decided to look at the objects a different way and order them and what do you know? I got it.  There are no hints or words – just pictures. (Well,  a couple had captions on them.)  It is also incredibly addicting.  When I got stuck again, I ended up pulling my phone out at Easter brunch and had the whole family taking turns trying to figure out what order these photos should go in!  Even my two and a half year old cousin got in on the fun.  While he didn’t figure out the order (we would have been shocked since at this point all the adults were stumped) he picked up on the dragging of the photos and then re-setting the game in no time.  We ended up going and going and ended up finishing all the levels that are currently available.  (Let me tell you – some of them are SUPER easy but others are TOUGH – even if you have 7 people in the room who all think of things in different ways!)

This is a free app and I definitely recommend it if you are in to brainy games instead of the more action-packed games or if you are just looking for a change of pace!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Book Review: Farmyard Knits

Farmyard Knits features everything you need to know on how to make your own Farmyard by knitting.  While I love crafts and this is why I decided to check out this book, I unfortunately don’t know how to knit.  I’ve also never tried it, so maybe it is something to add to my bucket list – to at least give it a try – maybe not attempt at making anything too intricate and see how it goes.  Then maybe in time I can end up with my own barnyard?

The book lists everything that you need to have ready as supplies so that you won’t be missing anything important when you start your project.  It also shows you how to do all sorts of different stitches.  It also touches on crochet (a chain – which I have actually attempted once when my grandmother taught me as a kid!) as well as embroidery.

The pieces in this book are absolutely adorable and if you are a knitter then I definitely suggest you check the book out – especially if you have any children in your life.  You can really make a storybook come to life with all of these great characters in the book!

I received a free e-copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Hi-ho, the dairy-o meets knit one, purl one in the latest book of adorable toy knits from best-selling knitting author Fiona Goble.

Fiona Goble’s Farmyard Knits takes you through a day in the life of a farm as knitters of all skill levels create a farmer and his wife, their cat and sheep-herding dog, and a whole host of charming farmyard animals, from the rooster that crows to greet the day, to the cows slowly chewing their cud in the meadow, to the horse eating hay in its paddock, the pigs playing in their pen, the sheep who are herded into the barn as night falls, and a sly fox that prowls around the coop after dark while the hens are snug in their roosts. You can even knit an adorable tractor for the farmer to ride on, as well as a playmat with a variety of fields and a pond to set the scene.

The little farmyard knits make perfect gifts or toys for children as you teach them about animals and life on the farm.  Each pattern begins with a list of materials needed and includes step-by-step instructions, along with full-color photographs of the completed dolls. An illustrated overview explains all the stitches and techniques. More than just a knitting book, the gorgeously illustrated pages of Farmyard Knits also tell the story of the farmer and his wife as they go about their daily chores.

Crayola’s Big Colorful Birthday Adventure

The original 8 crayola crayons are celebrating their 110th birthday!  To celebrate, they are throwing a birthday bash at the new fun-onemal Crayola Experience, the world’s only interactive Crayola family attraction.  Right now, they’re out on a colorful adventure to spread the news and you’re invited to join the fun!

How can you join in on the fun? You can FOLLOW the crayons on their adventure, LEARN more about each color and enter to WIN a trip for 4 to celebrate their birthday at the Grand Opening of the all new Crayola Experience coming this May, 2013!

Visit the Crayola Facebook page and click “enter now” for your chance to be first in line when the Crayola Experience reopens.

The new Crayola Experience features four floors of new interactive exhibits and one-of-a-kind attractions that will bring the magic of color and your child’s creativity to life! The winner will be among the first to experience the fun, along with a three-night, all-expenses paid stay. It’s an experience your kids will never forget – and neither will you!

 

(I received this information to post from Crayola.)

Music Monday: Natania

Natania is a new artist I was recently made aware of.  Her song Cherry Love is SO catchy (check it out in the video above) and the animation of the video is pretty amazing as well.  Natania has a very unique voice that I really enjoy.  Keep an eye out for her because I can see this song catching on with radio very quickly – a great Summer Hit…

 

A little bit more about Natania –
At the burgeoning age of 20 years old, Singer-songwriter Natania brings herself to Los Angeles, CA to offer her warm, young take on acoustic pop without shame. Her smokey voice coupled with humble vocal melodies create the perfect environment for her use of clever metaphors and witty plots. This can easily be defined as the height of her style. Audiences find her comfortably intimate and undeniably personal as she unravels her fascination with love and loss on the stages across the city. Natania recently released her debut EP, “Hope & Heartbreak” and is building a local following one show at a time.

Natania had always loved music growing up but only thought of it as a hobby until arriving in the US from Mumbai, India in the summer of 2010. Natania couldn’t say what she expected from her new surroundings but signed up for Berklee College of Music’s 5 week summer program to see where this unforgiving love of a “hobby” might take her. Natania frequented the practice rooms and excelled at her studies with ease. It was towards the end of this program when Natania called herself “comfortable” with her writing ability, though still unsure of her identity as a songwriter.
Natania took another leap towards her curiosity of music, and enrolled herself into Musicians Institute’s vocal program in Hollywood, CA for the fall quarter of that same year. Natania called this migration out west the most pivotal decision she’s made. The fast pace of Southern California begged her to keep up, which resulted in a tremendous amount of invaluable experience that ultimately honed her craft of songwriting. She wrote boundlessly. Self discovery was undeniable. Natania found her niche as a writer, and now regularly interprets the inner cogs of love and loss that turn with each step she takes during this journey. Her translations echo common emotions we’re all familiar with, thus making the listening experience that much more personal.
What was then a hobby, can now be defined as a way of life for Natania, and a way of understanding for listeners.

Locksley at the Wolf’s Den

Friday night, Locksley was set to play their first show of the year at the Wolf’s Den at Mohegan Sun.  I hadn’t seen them in several years (after seeing them multiple times on the Hanson tour as well as opening up for Taylor’s side project Tinted Windows) and I had no idea what their fanbase in Connecticut was.  I also thought with it being a Friday night, the casino might be packed.  But I was wrong.  One of the waitresses said that due to the stuff going on in Boston, the whole casino was a bit slower that day.

When I arrived, hardly anyone was seated and no one was in line.  I was asked if I wanted to be up close and was given a front row, center seat.  The closest I had ever been at the Wolf’s Den.  When the show started about an hour later, there was really only a handful of people there, but a crowd did gather around the outer perimeter here and there.

Since it had been so long since I had seen them last, there were a bunch of new songs that I didn’t recognize. And the ones I did recognize, they seemed to totally re-work!  Overall though it was a really enjoyable show, though I wish that more people were there to witness it!  They said that some of the new songs they had never done before and may never do again.

They played for about an hour and a half, and after the show I was able to get a setlist from the guy clearing the stage (good thing too because I had no idea any of these songs names!)

Open Up Your Arms
I’m So Glad
All Over Again
Rodeo
Black Ajax
A Ray
Sophie
Vilas Beach
Someone Our There
My Bones
Don’t Make Me Wait
Darling, It’s True
Touch & Go
Days of Youth
Lonely World
21st Century
Long Night In Heaven
She Does
The Whip
Away From Here
Let It Ride
New Sensation
Jealousy
On Fire
Nothing

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