Billboard Music Awards Recap…

Last night the 2012 Billboard Music Awards were held, and the night was full of performances and iconic legends. Lets start with the fashion. Katy Perry looked gorgeous in a Fall 2012 Blumarine gown covered with lilac sequins. Her hair honestly makes the look, and Perry pulled it off. Miley Cyrus decided to leave little to imagination in a Jean Paul Gaultier ivory tuxedo. I love the jacket, and in theory it is a great look, but I wish the plunge wasn’t so deep and the hair wasn’t so big. Lastly, Carrie Underwood decided to turn the volume up with an Oscar de la Renta Fall 2012 dress. The color is amazing, but the ball gown frothy look was a bit much for this award show.

 

Chris Brown, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, LMFAO, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, The Wanted, Usher, and newcomer Carly Rae Jepsen all took the stage and gave outstanding performances. Katy Perry and Carrie Underwood’s performances definitely stood out, but everyone, including those who lip-synched, did a great job.

The hosts Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen, known from “Modern Family”, actually did a hilarious job hosting. They cracked a few jokes, but didn’t go overboard. They were smart to address the major question: why were they hosting a music awards show? “Who better to host than America’s whitest pretend couple?” Burrell said. Added Bowen: “We are extremely white and extremely suburban.”

Finally, the awards. Adele obviously took home “Top Female Artist”, and Lil Wayne for “Top Male Artist”. Justin Bieber won “Top Social Media Artist”, and gave the worlds most boring, confusing speech about how social media helped his life. 43 other awards were given… yes it was a long show.

The award show ended with a tribute to Whitney Houston. John Legend and Jordin Sparks performed famous Whitney songs, and Whoopi Goldberg presented her to Millennium Award, which her daughter Bobbi accepted. “I just really wanna say thank you to everyone who supported us through it all, not just from when it was good, but when it was bad, too. Just everything. Thank you so much for showing us that much love because she deserved it. She did. I’m just blessed to have been in such an incredible woman’s life. There will never be another one, ever.”

 

Spotted…

Alright. I said I would tell a few stories about my run-ins with some of the most famous celebrities… so here you go!

I have been going to Los Angeles back and forth for years. I have an Aunt who lives there and she is always willing to take me around the city to all of the hottest spots. We have been everywhere from The Ivy to Paramount Studios in hope to see a glimpse of someone. But the thing that I found is that you can’t try to look for celebrities. Because like I said in another post, they are just like us. They don’t walk around Rodeo Drive with a huge sign that say’s “ I’m famous!” Whenever I have spotted an A-lister it has been in random places where I wasn’t even expecting it.

For instance I saw Diane Keaton, one of my favorite actress’s, playing a game on the Santa Monica Pier with her son. Of course I thought it was her Grandson, but that’s another story.

By far the best trip I have had to Los Angeles is when I went to see a taping of The Ellen Show. I have been a huge fan for years, and tickets are free so I went for it. I was expecting to see Ellen obviously, and The Situation (ugh) was also a guest. Little did I know celebs were out and about in full force that week. It all started with Jessica Capshaw. She is best known for doctor Arizona Robins on Greys Anatomy, and I saw her with no makeup and sweatpants at a local bakery. The next day, my Aunt suggested that we go to Nate N’ Als for brunch. I didn’t think much of it, and agreed never really hearing of it before. While we were eating my Grandma looked up from her pancakes and pointed out a woman across the restaurant. She was purely pointing out her beauty and her adorable child. No big deal it was only Jessica Alba and her daughter Honor! My mouth dropped in awe, and once she left I was still in shock.

I was still dazed from seeing Ms. Alba, when notorious troublemaker Scott Disick walks in. Unfortunately he was only with son, Mason, but it was still a pretty great sighting seeing as how that family isn’t leaving our televisions anytime soon.

Last but definitely not least I ran into another Greys Anatomy doctor. No, not McDreamy, but McSteamy. We were walking down the street in Beverly Hills and I slowly saw a tall handsome figure coming towards us. I recognized him and suddenly I panicked. “ That’s McSteamy…. guys that’s him. Stay calm.” Of course my Aunt and Grandma had never heard of him, but my college roommate Wyatt and I were star struck. Fortunately the sidewalk we were both walking on was two narrow so being the gentleman I always dreamed he was, he stepped aside. Very quietly and quivering I said “Thank you.”

So if I have any advice for anyone going to L.A in hopes of a sighting, I would say don’t try so hard. Nate N’ Als is definitely a great place to go, and just walking up and down the streets in Beverly Hills is a great place to start. There are also various websites that show where things are being filmed, which is a great help when seeking stars.

Dapper Darlings…

I have talked about the strange names. I have talked about the long never-ending pregnancies. I have even talked about the odd importance of their coming into this world. I am once again talking about celebrity babies. In honor of Mothers Day I decided to now bring up the ridiculous, yet adorable, celebrity baby style. From Suri Cruise to the Jolie-Pitt brood, dressing to impress is now an understatement.

Some tend to keep it cute and casual, while other moms dress their kids in designer labels from head to toe. Rachel Zoe recently gave birth to her son Skyler, who can be seen crawling around in Gucci sneakers and keeping warm in a Missoni sweater. This is just crazy. Babies get dirty, and spill things, and could honestly care less what designer they are wearing for naptime.

One child who’s mother is the infamous Jessica Parker is showing how celebrity spawn can be fashionable and affordable while playing at the park. Honor Marie Warren (who also has a semi- normal name) is always sporting the latest fashion trends whether it is a cute army green jacket, or a classic circle scarf.

Below is a picture of Jessica Alba and her adorable daughter after leaving brunch at Nate N’ Als in Beverly Hills. I am particularly fond of this photo because I was eating right next to her at the restaurant. In fact my Grandma was simply pointing out this gorgeous woman sitting across the room and when I looked up my jaw dropped. “ Grandma…that is Jessica Alba!”

I have been pretty lucky when it comes to visiting L.A and seeing a lot of the stars. Stay tuned for an entry coming soon about my different encounters with all of the hottest celebs.

New Girl…

Okay, I know I have been doing a lot of reviews lately, but this is an exception. For the past few months I have become obsessed with the show “New Girl” which airs on FOX. Zooey Deschanel is the lead actress and plays Jess, a newly single female who end up moving into a loft with three quirky bachelors. My favorite character has to be Schmidt, who is played by newcomer Max Greenfield. Every episode has me on the ground laughing, and there are also a lot of great guest stars like Justin Long. Overall it definitely worth the watch! Below is a clip from the season one finale that aired last night, where Jess, Schmidt, and Winston try and convince the third roommate, Nick, to stay in the loft.

What are some other popular shows you enjoy watching?

Let’s Go to the Movies…

It is undeniable. Women just can’t say no to a Nicholas Sparks film. We cried through The Notebook, gushed over Channing Tatum in Dear John and The Vow, and yet again The Lucky One is the perfect chick flick. The films stars Taylor Schilling and the ever so handsome Zac Efron, who portray two people who come together by fate after Logan (Efron) finds Beth’s (Schilling) picture in some rubble while serving overseas. Throughout the story Beth thinks that Logan just came to apply for a job at her dog kennel, and has no idea about the picture that he found. The two end up falling for each other, but of course obstacles interrupt the romance. Overall it was a very well done movie… a little cheesy at times, but to be honest I was perfectly fine sitting in a theatre for two hours watching Mr. Efron. It is a perfect rainy Sunday movie for any woman who wants to use up a few boxes of tissues.

However now it is being reported that the two costars are having a secret love affair off screen. Of course. The second two, young, hot stars are paired together in a movie they suddenly are getting married and having kids. Nicholas Sparks films however do have this affect on young actors. Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling dated for a little over a year after filming The Notebook. Also, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are still together after filming The Last Song in 2009. 

Repeat Offender…

Oh brother. When will Shailene Woodley ever learn her lesson? These crazy patterns are NOT meant for the red carpet, let alone the Met Ball! Woodley has also worn a few other dresses with patterns gone wrong at the SAG awards, the Hunger Games premier, and at the Vanity Fair Oscar party . You may know this repeat offender from the Oscar nominated film The Descendents, and if she keeps wearing these disastrous dresses to big events, it might be her last. The dress is by Christopher Kane, and between the hideous pattern and leather neckline it is a huge disappointment. In other words, The Secret Life of the American Teenager star should invest in a secret closet to put some of her red carpet dresses in.

Also, girl loves herself a ponytail…

 

 

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Baby Name?

She popped! Finally! After what seemed like years of being pregnant, Jessica Simpson finally gave birth to Maxwell Drew Johnson earlier this week! That was without a doubt the longest celebrity pregnancy I have ever witnessed, in fact I am pretty sure Tori Spelling has had three kids during the time Simpson was with child.

When Jessica posted a picture on Halloween of her growing bump with the caption “I’m going to be a mummy” it looked as if she was at least four or five months along. Almost seven months later Maxwell made her appearance. Yes Maxwell Drew Johnson is indeed a female. Now I am all for unique baby names and usually whether a newborn was named Apple or Blue I am all for it, but Simpson might be taking it a little far here.

In general baby names have taken an interesting turn within the last decade. Do celebrities feel the need to out do one another? Are they thinking their child will be a future star and needs an appropriate name to do so? Below are some of the craziest celebrity baby names so far, along with a video from my favorite celeb Ms. Ellen Degeneres and her “Baby Name Generator”.

1. My Name is Earl actor Jason Michael Lee names his son Pilot Inspektor.

2. Pop star Gwen Stefani named one of her sons Zuma Nesta Rock.

3. Sylvester Stallone named his bouncing baby boy Sage Moonblood.

4. Jermaine Jackson named his son Jermajesty.

5. And last but not least Alicia Silverstone named her baby Bear Blu. Between the name and her feeding strategy, I just feel bad for the kid.

Privacy Please…

I always find myself rolling my eyes whenever I hear celebrities complain about how intrusive the media is when it comes to their personal lives. Unless I am mistaken, they signed up for this right? They audition for years hoping to make it in Hollywood, sign autographs, and get photographed on the red carpet. For the first few years they are friendly and excited about the buzz they receive, but for some reason after a while the claws seem to come out. Some handle it with class and dignity, while others say whatever is on their mind. I do agree that some of the paparazzi take it a little too far, and that once they get their “shot” it is reasonable to simply walk away, but lashing out at the these people is only going to get you more attention. The name that comes to mind when I think of a paparazzi lover and now hater is Miss Miley Cyrus. Below are two videos. The first one is from 2009, and the second one is from a few weeks ago. Please compare and see if you can notice a slight change in this actress’s attitude towards the photographer she encounters.  

If you can’t tell, Miley says “Don’t get hit… or do I don’t really care.” Classy huh?

Fashion Friday: Coachella Edition

This first of my many “Fashion Fridays” is dedicated to Coachella! Coachella is a three-day music festival that all celebrities seem to gravitate towards around the end of April.  Everyone from Fergie and Josh Duhamel to Rihanna rocked out last weekend, and while some went for the Woodstock hippie look, others played it safe. The three F’s of Coachella were in full force, those being Face paint, feathers, and fedoras. Below I have chosen the best and worst dressed of the festival, along with simple modifications that would make the look even better.

First, I will start with the worst dressed of Coachella 2012. I am going to have to go with former High School Musical actress Vanessa Hudgens. Below she is wearing a lot of pieces that individually I really like, especially the hat and dress. But all together with the thigh-high stockings and rain boots, it just doesn’t work for me. Vanessa was a huge fan of face paint and feathers, but overall it was a little too much.

            My favorite outfit of the festival had to be my girl Lauren Conrad! She wore a pair of high wasted striped shorts, with a lovely mullet tank top. I probably would have enjoyed the ensemble a lot more if the shorts were a solid color, but she pulled it off.  Of course my favorite piece has to be the hat. All together she summed up the idea of how to let loose and try new styles at Coachella, without look like one of the lost boys from Peter Pan.

What’s the Fuss?

Growing up I have always been intrigued with celebrities and life in Hollywood. From a young age I remember looking over my moms shoulder while she was on People.com or would steal her magazines with Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt on the cover, obviously this was a while ago. Whether it was online or on print I have always had an infatuation with these people and the lives that they live. But why is this? Why are people so interested in another human being whose job is to read some lines on the big screen or play a few songs to a crowd? It could be that we live our lives vicariously through these people who travel all over the world, live in mansions, and drive nice cars.

The dictionary defines “celebrity” as a famous or well-known person. But what makes a person so well known that dozens of paparazzi follow them to the grocery store? My favorite magazine article is where they show celebrities and how they are “just like us”, and under the caption is Tori Spelling filling up her gas tank. Yes, believe it or not, Tori Spellings car doesn’t magically fill itself up.

Last week while I was on Twitter, I saw something that made my mouth drop. Lauren Conrad was on her way to Portland for a book signing that was ten minutes away from my house. I texted everyone I knew immediately to tell them that this girl who I have been watching on television since I was 13 was coming to my hometown. For some reason I didn’t expect much of a turnout, so I left my house at six pm and the signing was at seven. To my surprise I arrived at the bookstore to be given a wristband, and was told I was number 352. As I waited I couldn’t help but get more and more nervous. Lauren Conrad was someone that didn’t know that I existed; yet I have been watching her life unfold since 2004. For some reason I wanted to make a good impression, as if she would ask me to be her new best friend and travel the country with her. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that she is just a person. Since she was born until she was 17 nobody knew who she was either, and the only thing that made her famous was her love triangle and high school drama. After I walked up to her table, and had a quick conversation with her about my dress, it was over. That excitement that had been built up all day was gone. Lauren Conrad would continue to be followed by the press, date the hottest celebrity bachelors, and drive around Malibu with her top down. I would go home, do some laundry, watch Glee, and be someone that Ms. Conrad would never think about again.

                        I guess what I am trying to say is… what’s the fuss?