Oh geez

Apparently, its not enough that these two are possibly the most genetically perfect-looking people in the world, but as if that weren't enough to make our collective self-esteems suffer, they are now out to make us all feel bad about our inside qualities as well. Yeah, Brangelina did the ultra-good-karmic good deed of giving out gifts to Colombian refugees in Costa Rica on Christmas day. So while you thought that spending time with your loved ones while remembering the birth of Christ was enough to get you into heaven, take a number, because we'll all have to wait in line behind Brad and Angelina.

More ideas on how to save on heat

Yahoo Answers is featuring some tips by users on how to save on heat. The ideas are well put and useful. Of course, you could just use my mother's idea.

Holi-daze

So yeah, Christmas definitely snuck up on me, and it ended up being very uneventful so it would be hard to even notice that its already passed were it not for the fact that all the busy-ness and running around has made me extremely tired. I have not, however, forgotten about that holiday recipe (yes, its suitable to have in the post-season) and of course the long-ago promised (and now long over-do) secrets of some of your favorite stores.

VicPick: Reese's Peanut Butter Trees

We haven't had a VicPick in quite awhile, so I thought I would point out in similar fashion to one of the first I selected back in October, Reese's has their holiday Peanut Butter Trees out! While I usually enjoy these in the convenient 6-pack tray, I found a bargain at my local Rite-Aid, where if you bought the individually packaged ones, you could get 3 for 99¢! So rather than get the 6 in the tray for $2.50, I was able to get 6 for only two bucks! A great stocking stuffer, refer to my previous post on the pumpkins as to why I believe the holiday inspired treats to be more tasty, and satisfying, than the traditional cups.

Final days

So, its getting down to the final days of the Christmas shopping season--but for my sake, and your's, I won't say exactly how many. While I procrastinated horribly this year, I was very lucky and able to get the majority of it done this past Tuesday in a single trip to the mall. If you're done with you Christmas shopping, and are looking for some fun stuff to do at home while everyone else is out insanely ransacking the stores, I've got some cute little websites for you to check out!

~The folks at NORAD have a great Santa Tracker site that you can go to see find out how far off the Jolly Ol' Saint Nick is from your chimney.

~If you've ever wondered where all those crazy Christmas traditions come from, like who thought it was a good idea to bring a tree inside a house, then check out what the people at How Stuff Works came up with.

~Looking for totally random online holiday mindlessness? Look no further than The Holiday Spot. They've got tons of free games, wallpapers, jokes, stories, and even music.

~For you Martha Stewart types, or even those that just wish they were, you have to try some of the absolutely mouth-watering holiday recipes offered at All Recipes.

Whatever you end up doing to celebrate your holiday, just make sure its fun!

My Christmas shopping

Well, I drove over to the mall yesterday and got most of my Christmas shopping done. After a slow start, I hit it big with some deals at FYE and found gifts for both my mom and dad. I also found something for my best friend at another store, and even grabbed a pair of some really cute pin-striped dress pants at Deb for myself for only 10 bucks! However, that was not my only exciting find. I, like many, am a huge fan of Grey's Anatomy, and while strolling down the mall main-way, I stopped dead in my tracks as I laid eyes upon a larger than life picture of Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey, none other than Meredith and Dr. McDreamy themselves! The billboard sized picture was in the window of New York and Company as part of their winter ad campaign.

Pre-Op

Everyone's talking about cycle one Top Model Adrianne Curry's breast implant confession story, but look what she said about them before she got them done!

"If I got implants, then my doctor ripped me off! J/k  I have nothing against implants, but I have never gone under the knife for anything. I live in La La Land (Hollywood) Just about every woman here has breast implants. I am not against them, if it makes you feel better about yourself, how can it be bad? My friend just recently got hers done. She was in HORRID pain for 3-4 days. I could hardly speak to her on the phone, she was so fucked up on pain killers. She’s happy as a clam now. You need to think long and hard before you decide to do something like this. Watch informational videos talk to women who have implants, and hear their stories. Also, try to cop a feel! You need to decide what kind you want saline, silicone, tear drop shape, ballon shape, ect. GOOD LUCK!

PS- I have considered getting very small implants for the last 3 years. I have boobs that chaqnge sizes on me depending on my weight. As of now, there are still more cons to it then there are pros, so I havent had it done"

--Adrianne Curry on her blog, months before her implant surgery

What prompted Adrianne to spill this? Back in June of this year, a visitor to her blog asked her if she had implants. You can check out the dish here.

"Cheap Chic"

On Tuesday evening's NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, they featured a report called "Cheap Chic" which discussed how all the latest fashions trends and hip designers have become more accessible to the mainstream thanks to the internet and affordability. Brian Williams intro-ed the piece by pointing out how for "...high fashion types the big question is always 'Who are you wearing?'" and said that now "labels have undergone a big change and no longer require a second morgage" for those people that want to wear them. Featuring a clip from the movie The Devil Wears Prada, reporter Dawn Fratangelo pointed out how the internet and "...technology has turned everyone into and insider..." when it comes to high fashion. Anyone who knows how to log on can check out what the biggest trends are, and thanks to stores like H and M and Target there is greater accessibility and more affordable prices for the common consumer. The report said it started with Jaclyn Smith's Kmart collection in the 80's, and today name recognition has become a big driving force, such as Madonna designing for H and M and Isaac Mizrahi designing for Target. Debuting next year, designer goddess Vera Wang herself will even have her own collection at Kohl's. Other resources found online enable to get their fashion in other ways. Desire designer bags, yet can't afford the hefty price tag? Did you know you can rent designer bags online per month? Its true! The report even featured an interview with hot new designer Behnaz Sarafpour who is currently being featured at Target as part of their GO International line. This line "...showcases a rotating cast of rising fashion stars from around the world, each landing at Target for an exclusive tour of limited-time styles..."

While I wasn't able to find a link of the NBC Nightly News website to this report, I did find a related one you can check out here.

Sad

Yesterday, at the long-lived age of 95, Joe Barbara, of the cartoon genius-duo of Hannah Barbara, the ones who brought us all the likes of The Jetsons, The Flintstones, Tom and Jerry, and my personal favorite, The Snorks, past away, may he rest in peace.

Pardon me

I beg your pardon if there is a lack of posts for the first part of this week, in addition to a lot of other things going on, I have yet to start my Christmas shopping (as well as shopping for some December birthdays). Yes, I know, I'm a terrible procrastinator, and in that spirit, most of my posts will probably be coming out in the evening hours (I've never really been a morning person anyway). So, learn from my laziness, if you have not done your Christmas shopping yet--GET UP, GET OUT THERE, AND GET TO IT!

In the meantime, if you've already finished your shopping, well, bravo for you. You can get ready for some upcoming posts revealing some interesting secrets of some of your favorite stores, I've got a couple of really fun Christmas-y websites to pass along, a yummy new dessert recipe you can add to the Christmas cookie plate, and if Britney forgets how to put on her underwear correctly and starts putting it on her head, well, you can rest assured that there will be posts about that too!

Creepy Xmas

Because even scary guys know the importance of Christmas!

Celebrity Looks for Less: Attempting Angelina

We gave Team Aniston a turn, now its time to try and dress like Angelina Jolie for less. Hop on over to the Rampage clothing website and pick up their Heavy Twill Trench Jacket



Pair it with your favorite pair of fitted jeans and some simple black ankle boots. Top it off with a pair of Black Wrap Sunglasses, also from Rampage, and maybe you can score a Brad Pitt of your very own ; )

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Is it just me, or do the two of them look like they OD'd on crazy pills?

Save your pennies! (Just don't melt them down)

The U.S. Mint has just placed a ban on melting down 1 and 5 cent coins as they have received inquiries recently as to whether or not the practice is legal. Apparently your pennies and nickels are worth more melted down than they are in their coin form face values. The new ban carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison with up to a $10,000 fine. You can read more about the ban here.

"I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really good looking."

Yeah, ok, I'm pretty sure the two of them are just so incredibly bored with how beauitful each other are, that they enjoy nothing more than staring at all the less beautiful people around them when they go out, because they don't seem to look at each other too much.

Besides their obvious attractiveness, they can talk too, and Angelina has been dishing about how her romance began and parenting with Brad.

She states that in regard to rumors of an upcoming wedding,

"We are legally bound to our children, not to each other, and I think that's the most important thing."

As far as their children go in regards to the couple's nomadic lifestyle,

"It's hard, and maybe one day we'll have to stay in one place,"

Jolie says.

"I'm sure (the kids are) going to be 18 and say, `God, I just want to stay in one place.' They'll never want to leave home!"

Who was at the concert

For those of you that were curious about who I saw at that concert I went to, the people in the pictures in order are:

Leigh Nash former lead singer of Sixpence None the Richer who has her own solo album coming out.

Smashmouth

Guster

Daughtry, recent American Idol contestant, Chris Daughtry's, band.

KT Tunstall, newly Grammy nominated Scottswoman with Chinese heritage. Her album, Eye to the Telescope is partly named so because as a child her adopted father, an astronomer, would wake her up in the middle of the night to watch Halley's Comet.

Barenaked Ladies

John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting

and last but not least
Goo Goo Dolls

Actor Peter Boyle dies at age 71

Best known for his unique take on the classic monster in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, and most recently for playing Ray Romano's curmudgeonly father on the 10 year long running sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond, actor Peter Boyle, died yesterday after suffering from multiple myeloma and heart disease. You can read more about his passing here.





I can remember watching Young Frankenstein with my younger brother and father as a child and how much we always laughed at the now infamous tap-dancing "Putting on the Ritz" scene and the much-mimicked soup and cigar scene.

"You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be, and I don't want to go home right now..."

Just got back from a FABULOUS All-Star Christmas concert. I got all dressed up in some recent deals (more on that later) and enjoyed some great live tunes with my best bud! Below are the pictures of the acts that played, can you tell me who we saw perform?

The first Top Model gets plastic surgery, turns into virtual star

Winner of the first season of America's Next Top Model, Adrianne Curry has been through quite a rollercoaster ride since she first appeared to us as a mumbly, monotone tomboy from Joliet, Illinois who was the unlikely victor of Tyra Bank's then fledgling show. Since being presented to us as America's Next Top Model, she's modeled diamonds for Merit diamonds Sirena collection, was denied a contract Revlon (after being promised this as part of her Top Model winnings), spent some time in Vh1's Surreal Life house, where she met and hooked up with the former "Peter" of Brady Bunch fame, Christopher night. After leaving the show, they moved in together and starred in their own reality show, My Fair Brady, which featured their engagement and wedding this summer. Now, the brash brunette has become the first celebrity to be totally recreated in digital form as part of Nvidia's new graphics chip, the GeForce 8800.
The company revealed a clip showing the stunningly lifelike computer creation with pourous skin and realistic muscle movements in a press conference last month. Now the new Mrs. Brady is revealing in Us Weekly the recent breast implant surgery she underwent to correct the two different sizes of her breasts. You, however, can read some of the details straight from the horse's mouth at Adrianne'sMySpace profile where she writes on her blog:

"Why implants? I had tried working out till I had no boobs...it just made my right breast almost dissapear...my left breast still big. I tried creams, I tried it all, and nothing worked...I knew that my left breast would just sag more over time and look even more different. It made me feel bad. I hated it. A reduction would have left me with too big a scar to model...and only one implant would be stupid because in a few years..the natural one would sag and I'd have to get it done anyway. Thats why i put a small one in my left side...I didnt want bigger boobs, just a difference in size that was NORMAL!"

--Adrianne Curry on her MySpace blog

So whether she's on Top, on a Brady, Surreal, silicone, or computerized, it seems like Adrianne is making sure she's not just another 15-minutes of fame reality star, but rather a star with real staying power!

Baskets full of gift ideas

One of the best parts of the holiday gift-giving season, particularly for shop-aholics, is that buying for others rather than just yourself is guilt-free! Though, this is still not an excuse to go haywire--I doubt your friends and family would enjoy their gifts very much if it meant that you had to file for bankruptcy. The most artful aspect of Bargain Hunting involves your ability to think creatively when faced with spending limits. My favorite thing to do for Christmas gifts, and also the plethora of December birthdays I know, is to put together "gift baskets." Below is a list of some ideas to get you started, and where to find many of the items at affordable prices.

Some basic items you will need for all your baskets: various sized baskets or decorative boxes, tissue paper, clear plain or colored plastic cellophane, ribbon.

All of these items can be found at a dollar or discount store.

If you want to get especially creative and fancy with your baskets, you can also get mulitple kinds/colors of ribbon, silk flowers, and tulle or crenoline.

These items can be found at your basic craft or fabric store.

The hardest part is probably brainstorming the ideas or theme for your basket. While a general theme is very cute and clever, sometimes just filling a basket with different things that you know the person you are buying for likes or enjoys can be very heartfelt.

Some theme ideas:

~a movie night basket filled with: a dvd or movie passes, microwave popcorn packets, assorted candy

~a gardening basket filled with: gloves, small garden tools, seed packets, sunscreen

~a reader's basket filled with: a recent bestseller or classic favorite, a large mug, packets of tea or hot chocolate

~a writer's basket filled with: a decorative pen, a blank book, stationary

Many of these items can be found at stores like the Christmas Tree Shop, Pier 1, or Home Goods. Even discount retail chains like Big Lots, Ocean State Job Lot, or Xpect Discounts or Marc's will have great deals on basics and regular items like Christmas decorations, mugs, picture frames, gardening tools, or even drink mixes (tea, cider, hot chocolate, or otherwise). If you do a good job with your presentation, no one will ever guess where you got the particulars.

Those are just a few to get you started on your own brainstorming. You can even get creative about the container for your "gift basket" itself--mix it up a little by stuffing a stocking, filling a large mug, or even a tote bag or purse. Remember--its bad luck to give a purse without putting money in it, so make sure you drop a few cents into one of the pockets before you present it to its recipient!

Now we know what Nicole has been up to 'All Night Long'

The incredible shrinking woman, alias Nicole Richie, was arrested early this morning in Burbank, CA, and arrested for DUI after police received phone calls that a car matching Richie's description was driving the wrong way down the freeway. The daughter of Lionel Richie and newly reunited BFF of Paris Hilton reportedly admitted to drug use to police at the scene, though drug test results administered at her booking are still pending. The Smoking Gun already has her booking sheet, and comparing it to her 2003 arrest for heroin possession, the wasted waif has shrunk an inch and lost 5 pounds.

Celebrity Looks for Less: Looking like Jennifer Aniston

I can remember when it first started--I was going into 6th grade and preparing to start middle school. Shortly before the school year started, I went to get a haircut, and like many females in the great year of 1995, I got it cut like "Rachel", Jennifer Aniston's character on the then-new Friends tv show. For the entire span of the show's 10 year run, I followed Jennifer's hairstyles religiously, mimicking it as best I could with my own tresses. Now that Friends has been off the air for a couple years, its harder to keep up, although its somewhat easier to keep up with her latest hairstyle than with her tremendous fashion sense. Though a bit on the darker side most of the time (Jen has a penchant for black dresses), Jen is a fan of simplicity for her evening style. Although of course, the Captain of Team Aniston wears designer dresses, Versace among them, you too can look like Jen just by shopping at your local mall!

Jennifer wearing a Versace halter dress at the London premiere of her movie The Break-Up this past summer

$29.80 Forever 21

Jennifer wore this 1970’s blue jersey Halston dress at the 55th Emmy Awards

$27.80 Forever 21

Jennifer's original designer dress

$19.80 Forever 21

Britney always gets by with a little help from her (lawyer) friends

While poor Brit may forget to put on her underwear from time to time and has difficulty getting out of cars in short skirts without spreading her legs wide apart, and let us not forget how hard it is to carry your infant son, a smoothie, and walk, she does have enough sense to keep good lawyers on hand. It seems that the reason why the former Teen Queen filed for divorce from K. Fed on Election Day last month was not a subtle right-wing disctraction attempt to keep the Republicans in majority, but rather Britney's thrifty way of saving money. The divorce, which was filed exactly two years and one month from the date of her marriage, prevented her from having to pay Mr. Federline a third year of alimony because of 30-day legal grace periods. Since Britney's pre-nup stipulates the total length of their marriage as a basis for K. Fed's alimony settlement, this difference is important--hey, everyone needs to save a little during the holidays!

Alias/ MadTv Spoof

Alias spoof

It was a great show with a great premise, but perhaps the writing was a little too good.




Now you can buy the entire dvd collection of all five seasons in a special Rambaldi artifact box.

Celebrity Looks for Less: Dress like Paris for less

Believe me, I did not go searching for this, however, I came across it as I was researching some other posts earlier this week. I have been thinking about starting to do some "Celebrity Looks for Less" posts, and although I do not consider Paris to be a style icon by any stretch of the imagination, I do think that this is one of her classier looks and is very appropriate for the holiday season. Above you can see the original designer (unfortunately I'm not sure which) dress that probably costs hundreds (if not more). Below you can see Wet Seal's version. Finish it off with Forever 21's beaded necklace and skinny black headband. Finish it off with some closed-toe black pumps from Windsor and you've got the look of a multi-million dollar heiress for mall prices.
Wet Seal

Keep your eyes peeled for more Celebrity Looks for Less from VicPicks, coming soon!

OH! Well, that makes it ok!

On Britney Spears' website today she gives what I'm sure she thinks are very reasonable excuses for why she has been hanging out with someone like Paris Hilton, leaving her babies at home with an unknown babysitter for numerous nights in a row, and forgetting to put on underwear. Now try to forget the fact that Britney is a pop star (and not a very good one at that) who makes millions of dollars for doing very little (not very well I might add), and disregard the fact that Britney insisted and was reported in numerous publications saying that she wanted to be a young mother, and read her statement where she whines:

"Its been so long since I've been out on the town with my friends. It's also been 2 years since I've even celebrated my birthday."

--Britney Spears on her website

Aww, I didn't realize that Britney. You're right. Never mind all the other hardworking single parents that work stressful jobs for a blue-collar wage without anybody to help out with their kids and can't even remember the last time they have been on vacation. You Britney, brought us such priceless poetically titled gems as "Hit Me Baby One More Time" and a rather raspy cover of Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative." Tongue kissing Madonna at an awards show takes more out you than I thought. Leave the kids home more often and party it up as much as you want--you, after all, deserve it.

America's Next Top Model winner

Well, it was a Battle of the Blondes last night as Tyra Bank's announced America's Next Top Model is 21 year old CariDee from Fargo, North Dakota. After Eugena was eliminated in the first half hour, CariDee and Melrose faced off in an outdoor fashion show featuring ghost brides. While neither of them were any of my favorites this Cycle, I am glad CariDee beat the superficial and rather annoying Melrose. CariDee made her first live appearance as the ANTM winner on Regis and Kelly this morning where she revealed that she actually won way back on June 10th, but had to return to her normal life and keep everything a secret until the show aired on the new CW network last night.

Retail work without schedules

The Yahoo homepage is featuring a very interesting article about an experimental company reshaping endeavor occuring in Best Buy stores where employees no longer have set schedules or mandatory meetings. Referred to as "ROWE" or Results Only Work Environment, the company is now operating on the principle that productivity matters more than physical presence. Read more about what happens when companies start Smashing the Clock.

Mac-and-Model-spotting

Ever since I got my pride and joy, "Ducky", a white 1.83 GHz Apple Macbook, I have totally become a Mac snob. A PC user my entire life, I never really used a Mac until college, where I was editor of the yearbook and our offices had Macs as design programs run best (and are first designed for) Apple computers. Over the years, I witnessed more and more how efficient the OSX operating system is, and decided that my first laptop would have to be a Mac. Ever since, I have fallen in love with my Macbook, and have a hard time tolerating the sluggish inefficiency of PCs. As though now a member of an exclusive society, those "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" commercials have become extremely amusing (and truthful!) and I am totally titillated whenever I spot a Mac on TV (Marc Horowitz has one in those "Seven Days in a Sentra"commercials, I've also spotted them on reruns of shows like Friends, Sex and the City, and Yes Dear, as well as new shows like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and Ugly Betty.) Today, I came across Tyra Banks' Holiday Wish List, where she says she would like a Macbook just like mine! To think that I have something Tyra Banks wants--now that is very cool. I shall be very amused indeed as I watch this cycle's finale of America's Next Top Model.

Staying out of debt during the holidays

Here's a great article from Yahoo called 12 Saving Tips for the Holidays by David Bach, that details specific strategies you can use during this oh-so-expensive gift-giving season. Some of the advice includes using cash, shopping online, and wrapping your gifts in recyclables, such as newspaper, comics, or old maps.

Save on heat!

No matter how high or low oil may go, the cost of heating oil is always a major concern, particularly in the northeast. This money-saving tip is courtesy my mother--simply keep the house temperature at a very comfortable 58 degrees (F) and when people huddle under blankets and insist it is too cold, suggest that they get up and move around!

Britney bought some underwear

For those of you that were concerned, and I'm sure many of you were, the "Help a Blonde Pop Star Recharge her Career" fund has reached out to Miss Britney, and she was able to buy herself some new bloomers just in time for her 25th birthday. Bravo.

Coupon ethics?

Many coupons, offers, and promotions at stores involve many exclusions and restrictions in order to make sure that the company offering the coupon is suffering as little loss as possible. When those few and far between times arise where you find a coupon or an offer that neglects to specify certain things, is it ok to take advantage? For example, purchasing a 1 dollar piece of candy at the register in order to get a 12 dollar bottle of lotion for free when you get a Bath and Body Works coupon that allows you to get a free item 12.50 or under with any purchase? Or trying on a pair of jeans you have no intention of buying at Delia's just to get a 10 dollar gift card? Do you feel an ethical obligation to multi-million dollar corporations that reap unbelievable profits off of its customers and even it workers? Or should ethics always turn a blind eye on circumstance?

Sarah McLachlan - World On Fire

Perspective

This video is not new, although Sarah McLachlan does have a new Christmas album out this month that is supposed to be very good. I believe this song is off her last album, and while you may have heard the single before, the video itself is inspiring and beautiful. I actually got choked up the first time I watched it. Take a look and keep it in perspective this holiday season.

For online shoppers

If you'd rather avoid the frantic and often chaotic over-packed malls this holiday season, I for one do not blame you. However, browsing items online is difficult when you are buying for someone and you are not sure what to get them. The simple efficiency of the internet eliminates the tactile nature of what happens when you go through a store and get to pick up items, feel them, or even smell them, which may often help you to decide what to purchase. For these instances, I've found a website called, very simply, Gifts. This is a great creative resource that you can use for gift shopping year-round, and has a variety of categories to help you narrow your search, including gender, age, occasion, etc. If nothing else, this tool can even help you decide what to get before you go out to the stores themselves, by helping you brain storm and sort through ideas.

Pretty much as cheap as it gets

I'm sorry, but I just had to post about this. Apparently Britney's publicist thinks that the best way to revive your career and recover from a divorce from the biggest loser on the planet is to become best friends with the most famous celebrity with the least amount of talent (I'm being generously discreet there--she is actually famous for doing something). In any case, these two have been a few skin grafts short of becoming conjoined twins lately. You would think that hanging out with an heiress would be extravagant, but true to the Paris Hilton textbook, Britney has stopped buying (and wearing) underwear, and at a recent outing (above) couldn't afford the top half of her dress. As if that weren't tragedy enough, if I can direct your attention to their lower halves, the girls could only afford one pair of fishnet stockings between them, each wearing one leg on their right side.