Fashion Fridays: Rough Justice Sunwear

I'm a big fan of sunglasses and I am one of those who is often guilty of wearing them inside, but sometimes I don't even notice I am wearing them.  You'll often see me sporting my glasses on the red carpet on those bright, sunny LA days, so I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to test drive

a few new pairs from the fall line of Rough Justice.  

Rough Justice is a California-based foot, sunwear, and accessories company that follows the motto, "Love the life you live, live the life you love."  Since that is always a great phrase to live by, I thought this brand might be a great fit for my crazy, but fun lifestyle.  

My favorite pair is definitely an homage to the classic Wayfarer style which is making an amazing comeback in fashion this year.  It's the Divalicious in my favorite color, Brown Tiger.  They have just a touch of animal print designs at the corner of the frame, but it's pretty subtle as you can see from my personal photos.  The opaque colors are made from recyclable materials which is always a win in my book and there are two other colors to choose from including Opaque Black and Opaque Grey. Most importantly, you will get 100% UV protection with these shades.  I have worn these jogging the bay in St. Petersburg and on the water in Chicago, so they are definitely versatile and sexy shades.  The sunglasses retail for $129.

The second pair I tried was a bit more casual, sporty, and colorful.  I have a tendency to be drawn to more earthy colors when it comes to sunglasses, so I had to be a more creative with this pair.  The Lustrous style in Ice Blue is also available in a fresh Lime Stone color and it is created in an Aviator design.  I love the splash of color throughout the frames because it isn't expected, it's just fun and perfect for that upcoming winter beach vacation. It's the pair that perks up your drab wardrobe with a bit of personality.  Like the Divalicious, this pair retails for $129.  

Each pair also comes with a sparkly gold cloth case that securely zips up and protects your sunnies from any lens scratches.  To learn more about the Rough Justice line (including shoes!), be sure to check out their website here.  

Disclosure:  Two pairs of sunglasses were provided to me by Rough Justice/Shine A Light PR, but all opinions are my own.  

Gerard Butler: Chasing Mavericks

I find that people get excited when I interview certain actors and Gerard Butler is one of those actors on the list.  I recently had the opportunity to interview him for Chasing Mavericks for SheKnows.  The film opens this Friday and it has some gorgeous surfing cinematography.  So head on over to SheKnows and see the interview/article here.  You won't be disappointed.  Gerard was very charming.

For those of you that read my Tuesday article about Internet commenters, watch my article in action in the comments for the video.  Welcome to the internet and why you have to develop a thick skin!  :)

Hot Topic Tuesday: The Internet Hates You and Loves You

I have developed a pretty thick skin working on the internet.  I love that I get immediate feedback on my reporting from people who watch what I do for the first time or for the 249530494385394857th time.  I like to pride myself on responding to most of my comments and posts, but I usually refrain from talking back to the really mean ones if I think it is unwarranted.  I love constructive criticism, but I am also human so if you tell me I should shut up forever because my yakking hurts your ears, I think..."lower the volume or turn me off.  Welcome to America, kids, we have choices here."  Yet, those haters love to come back week after week.  They get great enjoyment out of making comments on YouTube and it makes me laugh.  We are all armchair critics now that the internet has given us a bigger voice, but an anonymous one at the same time.  You can hide behind your keyboard and criticize away.  The criticism often has more to do with you versus me, but that's okay...I'm human and I have lots of foibles....and bad hair days too!

So, enjoy my latest AfterBuzz TV recap show of Dancing With the Stars with our guests, troupe members Sasha Farber and Emma Slater.  We had such a blast and I had loved reading all of the comments.....both good......and snarky. (Click on the video to be directed to YouTube and all of the comments.)

I would love to hear your opinion on this.  Chime in below....and yep, you can respond anonymously.  

Fashion Fridays: Ann Taylor Holiday

Love the black and white sweater on the left and the black peplum top with the orange belt on the right.

I don't often think Ann Taylor (AT) as super fashionable, but a few years ago, AT hired the head designer away from Club Monaco.  The last few collections have really been on trend, feminine,and fitted.  Since I have been covering entertainment news non-stop with my radio spots and SheKnows gig, I came across the press release for their holiday line with current spokesperson Kate Hudson.  Not only did she look amazing after having a baby, the outfits were ideal for some of my on-camera work.  I literally bought a dress right off of her body.

There are a couple of other pieces I am eyeing, so I will post the photos here.  Weigh in with your opinion and let me know what you think.  And I'm including a little discount secret for you in case you would like to shop the Ann Taylor Holiday Collection:

The dress I bought right off of Kate Hudson!

$98 dress

-25% off 

and a 2.5% Ebate=$71.66 Total

Ebates:  Get at 2.5% "Ebate" off of your full Ann Taylor purchase. Go to this site first and enter "Ann Taylor" in the search function.  Click on the link and Ebates will track your purchase.  I've written about this genius FREE service before here.  Click on this link here to get started with your account and get a $5 credit.

Discount Code:  ANNWELCOME1
25% off 1 full-priced item and free shipping if your order is over $175 or more

Blue peplum top with a pink belt is hot.  I love the color of the shirt on the right, but I am not sure how I feel about the big back bow.  Might be too cute.  What do you think?

Hot Topic Tuesday: Do Award Shows Still Matter?

When the news broke yesterday that Amy Poehler and Tina Fey were co-hosting the 2013 Golden Globes Awards, my iPhone blew up with text messages like, "Tina and Amy are trump cards for sure...trying to regain thunder after noms announcement before show."  Now, some of this may seem like a bunch of code and gibberish to you, but the underlying message is:  Award shows still matter.

To give you a bit of background on this, the tiff between the Golden Globes began awhile back as the Globes started becoming a serious predictor of the winners for the Academy Awards.  The Oscar nominations happened after the Globes show and no one likes to share the same stage. So, this year, in a last minute trump move, The Academy announced that the nominations would occur 3 days before the Golden Globes show.  Talk about stealing a little thunder, the Academy ran away with it.

In recent years, the two shows have battled for a bit of attention since the Oscars are all about prestige while the Globes are all about alcohol and fun.  No one wants to be the old dinosaur, and the Academy has fought that image, yet still gone with a tradition show each and every year.  To change that image, the executive producers of this year's show, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, invited The Family Guy's Seth McFarlane to host the show.  This is the closest to the changing of the guard we have seen in decades.  Whether he succeeds or not, someone finally thought outside of the box when it came to the show.

Well, how does the Globes challenge that casting?  They've had a wicked Ricky Gervais (One of my favorite hosts ever for just making fun of Hollywood and telling it like it is.) to drum up controversy and throw out scorching one-liners to Hollywood for the last two years.  It was time to find someone just as witty, but smart and sexy.....bring on Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, two women in comedy at the top of their game.  The move was brilliant, calculated, and brought more excitement on my Twitter feed for a host than I've seen ever.  The Globes trumped the Oscars once again.

So if you think these shows don't count, don't matter, or are a waste of time, think again.  They bring in money to the box office, they send award show execs into their back offices to rethink strategies, and the announcement of a fresh, exciting host sends their name to the top of a Twitter trending topics list.  You can make fun of the shows all you want, but I bet most of you will catch the red carpet, watch the opening monologue, or click over to YouTube to catch a glimpse of what you missed the night before.

Bring on Awards Show season 2013!

Spot The Shuttle

Did you hear the story about the space shuttle moving 2 MPH through the streets of Los Angeles? If you live in this city, it was hard to miss the news.  My friends and I decided that this was too big of an opportunity to skip since it's such an unusual moment in history and we had to be there.  The day was long because the journey to the California Science Center was slower than anticipated:  trees, a mechanical malfunction, and power lines slowed the trip.  We figured this was a two-hour field trip, instead it was a six-hour adventure.  

We lost one friend along the way who left out of boredom, but the rest of us replenished with delicious Louisiana Fried Chicken and hung out with the rest of anxious crowd in the Krispy Kreme parking lot. Yep, it was a glamorous day.  Once we realized the shuttle wasn't going to make it to our location until 8 p.m., we decided to hit the road and go meet the Endeavour ourselves.  About a mile and a half down the road, we were greeted with one of the most awesome sites I have ever seen.  It was well worth the sun, the crowds, and the wait.  

I've never been much of a science geek, but I think my face says it all while it drove by.

If you missed the Endeavour trip through the streets of LA, the exhibit opens at the California Science Center on October 30th.  

 Guess who quit halfway through the day?  

Photos courtesy of Matthew Troyer.  They may not be used without permission.  

KB All Over the Internets

I'm tired.  I am going to spend a lot of my day on the couch hanging out.  So, here are a few places I was hanging out last week:

Dara on Radio:  Dara asks some of the best questions in the entertainment biz and we had a fun 30-minute chat about the Emmys and other upcoming award shows.  Listen here.

AfterBuzz TV:  Dancing with the Stars:  All Stars.  We are having so much fun with our DWTS guests and last week was no exception as Sharna Burgess, Emma Slater, and Jaymz Tuaileva stopped by.  They are all dancers in the DWTS troupe and we heard a lot of inside scoop.  (See the group photo here.)

Tara Weingarten, Micah Muzio, me, Brett Chukerman, Marlo Smith.

HSN:  You might have heard about my Toyota and HSN adventures over the weekend and I had a blast on air with the entire crew.  In fact, we made electronic retailing history and USA Today covered our show in Monday's online and print edition.

Cocktails and Conversation:  My favorite Saturday gals and I talked about the latest entertainment news with a little dish on Rihanna and Chris Brown and the ongoing AI feud between Mariah and Nicki Minaj.  I think that battle is playing out for the TV cameras, do you?  Listen here.

SheKnows.com:  I've been having fun writing daily entertainment articles for the site, so here are three of my favorite pieces from last week:
       -Community postponed yet again.
       -5 Tear-jerking breast cancer films.
       -Nick and Vanessa Lachey debut their baby on Twitter.

The Radio Dish:  Hello, Kansas City!  My weekly entertainment segment dishing on the latest in Hollywood news can be heard at the 21:00 mark. Listen here.

Phew!  That's it.  That's all I did last week.  What was your favorite segment?  Let me know in the comments below!

I'm Coming To A TV Near You!

You can never leave the past behind........

As much as I try to leave the automotive and home shopping worlds behind, they always suck me right back in.  This weekend is going to be a fun one too!  I will be appearing on HSN three times on Sunday, October 7th (That's tomorrow, kids!) at Noon, 4pm, and 9pm ET or 9am, 1pm, 6pm PT with HSN hosts, Marlo Smith and Brett Chukerman. Yes, it's live, so anything goes!  Check your local cable listings for your HSN channel.  It's part of a basic cable package, so most of you should have it.  If you are a cord cutter, then you can still watch it live online at HSN.com.

Oh, and no pressure at all....it's the first time an automotive company has done anything like this.  Let's make some electronic retailing history!

Streamy Awards 2013

2010 Streamy Awards red carpet.  Recognize the dress? 

Well, it's officially awards season and it looks like the Streamy Awards are officially back.  I want to thank everyone that has nominated me on Twitter, but a few of you have asked for the official widget so you don't have to type anything.  Well, here it is!

The first widget is for hosting, while the second one honors the show, Red Carpet Report.  Any support or help is appreciated.  Let me know if you throw my name or show in the hat so I can personally thank you!