StarPulse

I am pleased to announce that I will be writing for the upcoming Awards Season for Starpulse.  I am excited to bring you up close to all of the red carpet and nomination action.  I will also bring you some insider scoop on the Kodak Theatre and the lead-up to the Academy Awards.  I hope you will join me with my first article on the Academy's choice of hosts for The 83rd Annual Academy Awards, Anne Hathaway and James Franco. What do you think of this year's hosts?  Read all of the dish here.

Cyber Monday

While I am not a fan of Black Friday shopping, I am a huge fan of Cyber Monday.  I love sitting on my couch and shopping all with a click of a mouse.  Given that it is my birthday week, I will probably buy myself a treat or two.  I have had my eye on these for awhile.  If you are going to the laptop for your holiday shopping, remember these three rules:

1.  Never pay full price.
2.  Never pay for shipping.
3.  Try to avoid sales tax.  Look for sites that either pick up the sales tax for you or an out of state site that does not charge sales tax to your home state.  (This is a big one for me as California sales tax is now flirting with 10%.)

I wrote a huge online shopping article awhile back, so start there and find out how one site will pay YOU to shop.  You will thank me later when you get a check back for your holiday purchases in January.  The article also has a link that adds $5 to your account for your first purchase.  Remember, that is $5 for you to add to your bank account, not $5 off a purchase.  Happy Shopping! Be smart, be safe, save money!!

Let me know what is on your holiday list too. I would love to hear what you are buying this holiday season.

Thanksgiving Musings....

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  I hope you are all spending time with your family and friends while indulging in some mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.  I will be hitting the Toyota Live stage and then off to a lovely meal with my family here on the West Coast.  If you want to see what I am grateful for today, you will find that list here.

Otherwise, here are a few things I am excited about:

1. Press Day at Disneyland!  Yes, it is my annual trip to see the lights and "snow" at Disney, but at press day, they also serve Rice Krispie Treats the size of my head.  I cannot wait to dive right into that dessert plate.  I will post lots of photos after my December 4th visit.

2.  Happy Birthday to my amazing kitty, Beans!  She's 15 years old and I plucked her from the streets of New York City.  She has followed me from NY to LA to Minneapolis to LA back to Minneapolis to LA and soon to our new home.  She's a chubby and lovable furry family member and I am glad she is healthy after a small cancer scare earlier this year.

3.  This weekend marks the official beginning of Awards season, but there is one movie I am dying to see, Burlesque.  This movie is so wrong in so many ways, but so right at the same time.  It has it all: dancing, music, glitter, sequins, and of course, Cher.  I am hoping it is Showgirls 2.0, is it wrong of me to think that way?

4.  My new rings from a Miami street vendor on Lincoln.  It is vegetable ivory jewelry with amazing striations of color in a big chunky ring design.  The price is also right as I paid $25 for two rings--a lot of bang for your buck.

5.  Tory Burch Reva flats and yes, they were part of Oprah's Favorite Things this year.  I am not a fan of flats, but I am a fan of Tory Burch flats.  They are comfortable, well-made, and they don't make my short legs look stumpy.  While they are an investment shoe at $195, you won't buy another flat again.  This might be my birthday treat to myself this year.


Happy Thanksgiving!  Be sure to share what you are excited about this holiday season!

First Weekend: LA Auto Show

I made it through the first weekend of the LA Auto Show with a hoarse voice and some sore feet, but the crowds were the largest I have seen in five years.  Maybe it is a sign that the economy is rebounding?  Sunday proved to be the most challenging in terms of crowds, traffic, and chaos thanks to the city allowing the American Music Awards, the LA Auto Show, and the Lakers game to occur at the same time at the same complex.  Phew, that's a lot of people in one place.  Here are a few highlights including a visit from Chelsea Sexton, EV proponent whom you might recognize from the fascinating documentary, Who Killed the Electric Car? (add it to your Netflix queue.) and a clip of the show.  If you live in Chicago, Detroit, or New York, Toyota Live will be hitting your city in early 2011.

Me and Chelsea Sexton

Bossing my co-host around on the LED wall.

Lots of crowds at the show.

New Media Innovators Panel: Live Online Networks

Last week, I had the opportunity to moderate a panel at Showbiz Cafe LA on the future of live online networks with Susan Johnston of New Media Film Festival, Michael Davis of The Room Live, and Stephanie Piche of Mingle Media TV.  It was a fascinating evening talking about the successes and challenges of running an online network, and of course, monetization.  It was also a huge thrill to learn that we had over 22,000 viewers watching on Stickam that evening.  So, thank you all for a great panel and thanks for watching!  If you missed the panel, you can check it out below:

All photos courtesy of Mingle Media TV.

Press Week at the LA Auto Show

It's that time of year again when the big automotive companies roll out their big eco-friendly debuts at the LA Auto Show.  It's no secret that I host a show for Toyota as you have seen photos over and over again on this blog here, here, and here, but I also get the opportunity to participate in press week.  This year, I was giddy because Toyota launched a new demonstration RAV4 EV partnership with Tesla.  If you aren't familiar with the CEO, Elon Musk, I encourage you to read this fascinating Wired magazine profile on him.  He's basically a rock star in the automotive industry:  he's young, he's rich, the ladies love him, and he made his fortune developing PayPal.  Elon is now rocking the automotive industry with electric vehicles.  It really was a dream come true for an alternative fuel vehicle geek like me....Elon Musk in person!  

Check out a few other fun photos from my week.  If you are in the LA area, my shows begin today at the top of every hour through Sunday, November 28th.  Just look for me on the JumboTron at the Toyota Live stage.

This is what it is like to be surrounded by automotive paparrazzi.....

Don't tell anyone I ate a Mercedes cupcake.....

The new badging on the RAV4 EV demo vehicle:

Here it is!  My nerd brain is so happy to see more options for alternative fuel vehicles coming to market.  You do know I drive a hybrid, right?

My co-host drove a perfect game in the Toyota Star Safety System driving simulator.

 Me......uh, not so much.  Stay away from me on the road!

Whoa!  Scary overhead lighting makes my hair look green.  Time to add some low lights the next time I sit down with my stylist.  Photo courtesy of Mingle Media TV.

A Fashionista Extravaganza

It's no secret that I love my local store, Roni B.  If you have followed my blog for awhile,  you know she has dressed me from head to toe for events and shoots here, here, and here.  Well, I am excited to be hosting A Fashionista Extravaganza on Tuesday, November 30th with Roni B.  It will be a night of fashion, fun, food, wine, and a dash of charity.  Guests are encouraged to bring their gently used business casual and professional attire to donate to The Valley Women's Center.  So, clean out your closet and maybe add an item or two or grab a snazzy holiday gift.

If you would like an invite and you are in the LA area, contact me to be added to the list.  It will be a fun night on the fashion front!

Photo Courtesy of My Daily Find.