Just Do It.

Summer is still kicking it hard here in North Carolina.

The temperature is beastly.

The sun is shining beyond brightly. It's literally (fine, I know. It's figuratively, but that's so much less fun to write!) melting us at sun to skin contact.

And me?

I'm finding my way through each transition of my life. One day at a time.

This post is more of a 'let's touch base about this one particular matter' and I'll tell you things that have been on my mind, than an actual, 'here's a piece about something heavy,' kinda post.

Y'all.

Let me start off saying one single word.

Swoosh.

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Kim Kardashian West Keeps It Real

I was in the same room as Kim Kardashian West last week.

Got your attention, didn't I?

I was at BlogHer this past week/weekend thanks to One2One Network. I won a giveaway and when Malia of their team emailed me I thought she was joking. But she was for real. And so I did what I could and I made it happen. And I'm glad I did. I've got a lot to share on BlogHer and my experience, but this post? Is strictly about the Kim K keynote.

If you don't know by now, Kim Kardashian West (I'm not the only one who forgets she added his last name to hers, right?) was one of the keynotes of BlogHer16.

You may have read about this and thought to yourself, huh, really? That's odd. Or maybe you were one of the people who gave a LOT of feedback. And it wasn't good. Well, good on you.

And I'm not a Keeping Up With The Kardashians fan. Or a Kim fan, really. Honestly, I often find myself wishing Kanye would just go away.

But I went to this keynote because why not?

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Prince and Passover: Connecting The Two

This week I have been listening to Prince on replay.

You'd have to be under a rock and in hiding to not have heard of his passing.

It was the most heartbreaking news. I couldn't believe it. None of my friends could. Facebook blew up and the ache was instant.

Me. A minute (if that) after I heard that he might be gone.

The entertainment world has taken many hits in 2016. Many lives ended way too soon. Many ended as they neared their later years. Many people who represented so much of our youth. Prince among them. Taken way too soon.

Prince's passing leaves us raw and thinking of Michael and Whitney and how we felt when we heard they were gone. Prince's passing leaves us thinking of the way we used to sing his songs into our old tape recorders with our best friends and always get the words wrong. His passing makes us think of performers like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper and hope they're around for a long time to come.

Prince's passing stirs up emotions and grief. Grief for the loss of someone I never knew - someone I never even came to be in the same room with - and someone I and many others adored just the same.

But the timing isn't lost on me.

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Guest Post: DJ Kate - Keepin' It Real and Being Brave

My friend Kate is joining me today to talk about something that's more than relevant for so many of us. And if it doesn't impact us directly, it certainly has impacted someone we know and love with our entire heart. 

She's talking about Breast Cancer. Breast Cancer is way more than the pink-washing that so many people think it is. It's more than just wearing ribbons and walking for the "cure". It's about the many women and men (yes, men get breast cancer, too) who fight the good fight and battle hard to beat this disease. 

And in discussing this Kate would like to talk to us about the many bravely labeled celebrities with Breast Cancer. Sure. These individuals are brave. No doubt about it. They battle as hard as the general population do. But Kate wants us to know more. 

That said, I introduce you to Kate and I ask that you stay with her til the end here. 

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Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? Mindy Kaling ~ book review

First of all, I want to be Mindy Kaling's new best friend.

As in IMMEDIATELY.

Her book was so good. I don't know why I waited so long to read it.

I loved it.

She's hilarious. She's real. She's raw. She's entertaining.

Can I give you more adjectives to explain how much I loved the book? Probably. But why bother, right? Just take what I've said so far and go grab yourself a copy. She's so cute.

But you can't be her bestie. That's my job.

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A Peek at My YouTube History.

Hey, all.

I'm "off" today, so I'm going to share some of my favorite songs and videos with you for my post.

So stay with me ... please?

I promise you're going to enjoy them. It's a nice easy way to spend the next few minutes, even if you just click on one of them.

So, what's first?

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Macy's Welcomes Clinton Kelly!

* I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere has provided me with compensation with this post for the Macy's Martha Stewart event. However, as always, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own. *

Y'all - I got to see Clinton Kelly up close!!!

I attended a recent event of his over at Macy's and was lucky enough to be there as media and sitting in the front row. 

It was really a lot of fun, and I absolutely adore him. There were so many things that he said that were so important that I found myself emailing notes to myself so I wouldn't forget them. No worries, I'll be sharing them with you shortly. 

First, have a look at Clinton.  

How cute is he, right? He totally walked out, started talking and made the entire audience feel at ease. It was if we were old friends. He's hilarious, entertaining and real. He never once made me feel like I wasn't cool enough to be at a fashion show!

One of his first and most important points of the night was advice for us all. 

Now, onto the fashion. There were several rounds of outfits for the six models participating. Each "round" had a style appropriate for the youthful model, the curvier model and the mature model. 

Even Clinton didn't love the word mature, but it was hard to say the over-50s crowd or something like that, because it just sort of came out wrong that way. 

One of the first things I fell in love with at this event was a pair of shoes. 

Sometimes you just have to rock an amazing shoe. 

Now, you may not know me well enough to know that I'm all about accessories. Give me a handbag and I'll love you forever. I also love a striking pair of shoes. I don't usually find them in my size, or my need for comfort, but I still enjoy looking at a beautiful design. 

The first outfit our young model was wearing was really put together, and relaxed. Except for the shoes. The shoes aren't relaxed at all. They're stylish and classy. 

And Clinton spent a lot of time talking with one of the attendees of the event about her personal style and what she was wearing, and explained the importance of a little height in the heel when you're wearing a short pant like the ones shown here. He explained aspects of proportion and how when you look longer you look thinner - which makes sense, of course. * Note to self, start wearing a wedge or something more than flip flops when going out. It'll give you some length that you need at 5' 2-1/2" tall. *

I've compiled a few pictures together here to showcase more of the outfits. If I didn't I'd have a post filled with just pictures ... which could work but isn't my style (get it?).

This dress below was possibly one of Clinton's favorite pieces of the night. It's in the collage above, but worth a closer look. He was really clear that you have to be able to pull it off before you can even consider wearing it, and that was pretty visible right away when you look at this beautiful model wearing it. The dress is really pretty and colorful, and the flowers against the white are a perfect contrast. 

And lastly, some of my favorite outfits of the evening. 

This dress is my absolute favorite. It helps that it's for the curvy girl, which, as you know, I am. I just love how the bottom part falls on the model and how the top of it is perfectly fitted. I'd imagine I'd need a lot of tailoring to get a dress to look that perfect on me, but I learned from Clinton on Rachael Ray the other day that you can take $30 and a tailor can pretty much revamp a piece of clothing to fit you perfectly in a blink. Something to consider. 

I also really loved the white outfits that were modeled. The curvy woman in the long picture of this collage looks beautiful. I'd love that outfit and would buy it immediately. The tall blonde woman in the short-shorts? I couldn't pull that off, but she looks really cute. And Clinton shared a warning about cross-body bags for those of us with larger busts. He advised that we be wary of them because they "separate the girls," and he also shared some words of wisdom for those who tend to opt for showing a lot of skin. "If you do a short short, don't show a lot of skin on top. It looks like you're trying too hard." Wise advice. 

And I love the fitted dress with splashes of color on the "mature" model. It looks amazing on her. I don't know if I could wear something like that - but he's made me want to try. 

And so, here's me. 

I'm not quite smiling, but I dressed up for the occasion, so that has to count for something, right? And I felt really good in this dress. I haven't worn it in years, but pulling it out and sliding it on? Felt great. I felt pretty. Oh! And Clinton didn't look at my shoes, which were probably too comfortable and flat for what I was wearing, but sometimes I've just got to go with what I have on-hand and make it work. 

In the meantime, he left us with a load of advice that I really hope sticks. For me and for other women out there who might not take a moment to think of things like this. 

Amen to that, Clinton. Amen. 

* I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere has provided me with compensation with this post for the Macy's Martha Stewart event. However, as always, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own. *

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Zachary Levi needs our help! #IwantmyNerdHQ

Okay, so take a look at the adorable Zachary Levi. He's a nerd like me. And you. 

Don't pretend you're not one. We all know that most bloggers are ... at least a little bit. *wink*

Oh, don't get huffy now. It's a compliment. I promise.

Now - let's talk NerdHQ.

NerdHQ is an event that Zac (we're that close, I can call him that - fine, we're not but I will anyway!) is working to get off the ground again this year. He is trying to raise funds, get sponsors, do all the things that are required for an extremely large and exciting event such as NerdHQ.

I won't do it justice, but I'm happy to help promote this event because ALL OF THE PROCEEDS from the actual event will go to Operation Smile. So while the event is free to anyone attending, there will be things for sale and whatnot, and those proceeds will go towards supporting this incredible organization.

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Amazing Reads Gone Visual!

So this week's Amazing Reads has a switch to it. I'm slacking in the reading department this week, but I have loads of videos I've watched and loved to pieces.

So I figured I'd share some of them here.

It gives me an easy post, too. Heh.

What? It's the holiday season. I'm busy baking eating cookies and whatnot.

A friend shared this this morning and I was crying. Thank you, Conan. Warning, loads of language. NOT child-friendly OR safe for work.



I'm absolutely loving Kellie Pickler's new CD right now. Unfortunately the video has been removed ... ah, well!

Have you seen the WestJet video yet? If you haven't, please watch it. You'll believe in Santa Claus again if you do. Or at the very least in miracles.


Lastly, I shared this on Facebook earlier today. It touched me so. It's so beautiful. You don't have to understand a single word to appreciate it and find yourself moved.



* As I started wrapping up this post it reminded me of my friend Alissa over at Clever Compass who did something similar with her Best of YouTube posts this summer. So thanks, Alissa - for the inspiration to switch up from reads when you're not really reading... much.

Catch you all next week - and be sure to share your favorite reads with me - whether they're your own or someone else's - I love good content!

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Can you help one of your favorite childhood stars? #StartTheVox #ENMNetwork

I am participating in a campaign to promote this show as a representative of the Entertainment New Media Network. I am not being compensated in any way for this campaign, but have decided that it is something I would like to help promote on the actor's behalf. 

Question for you. Do you know who this is? Stick with me now ...

... I'm being totally serious. Do you?

Yeah - me, too. And if I show you his picture and/or say Sean Astin's name I know that the first thing you think of has NOTHING to do with politics.

Admittedly, it's not where my mind goes, either.

But that's where he's headed these days, and it's pretty awesome.

So, sure, Goonies rocked. Not a single football fan wouldn't scream RUDY if they saw him on the street. LOTR fans adore him. He's a well-known name, he's got characters that stick with you.

But he's got a lot more happening, as well.

Take a look ...



Sean's got a great political talk show happening and is working hard to get it funded. He could use your support. OUR support. If you can't contribute would you consider sharing? Think about how many friends you know who would love to help him reach his dream. Joining him on the ground floor of his mission? It sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?

I watched the clip and I'll tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. What did you think? You didn't watch -did you? Fine. Go back and watch now. I'll wait.

See? Professional. Political but NOT controversial. Focused on opening up the lines of communication. Between people of all parties and political affiliations. Sean actually WANTS to hear from people he disagrees with. Not so he can change their/your/our mind(s). But so the conversation can be worthy of so much more than one-sided blathering.

For more info on the Vox Populi Kickstarter Campaign, click through and check it out. There are some interesting perks worth looking into, as well. You can even scroll to the bottom of that page and ask questions directly to Sean and his team. So if the info I've provided isn't enough - head on over. It's worth a read, at least!

Check out what his mom has to say about his motivation and this incredible campaign here on Patty Duke's Facebook page. I often forget that she's his mom. What an awesome celebrity family. I love the pride and support shown there.

Have questions for me? Leave them in the comments. Want to join in on this campaign to share Sean's dreams? Let me know. You, too, can support him with your voice. I know he'd appreciate it. *Small disclaimer: No, I don't know him ... yet. But Entertainment New Media Network is going places. Join me for the ride. Maybe we'll meet him soon?

Thanks for your time, friends. Catch ya' on the flipside!

* I am a member of the Entertainment New Media Network and we help promote, sometimes for a fee, entertainment industry projects we find meaningful. I was provided with information on this fundraising campaign and celebrity show, and as always, all expressed opinions and personal input and information are strictly my own. For the network's full disclaimer head to http://www.ENMNetwork.com/disclaimer *

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Imagination Movers #BackinBlue

* I am writing this post as on behalf of the Entertainment New Media Network. I am not receiving any form of compensation for this post but am a participating member of ENMN and working with them to help share this information. 

If you have a child under the age of - say eight, maybe? - you're sure to know who the Imagination Movers are. I mean, as soon as I mention them the theme song starts running through my head.

Imagination Movers, you got to think about it.
Imagination Movers, you got to talk about it.

Imagination Movers, you got to sing about it.
I think what this situation needs is some imagination!

Between that and Warehouse Mouse, I'm stuck in Movers land straight away. 

And there's good news ... the Imagination Movers have just released a new CD! They're back with Back in Blue. And they (and we) are jumping for joy! 

Back in Blue is available right now, so head on over to get yourself a copy!

Back in Blue on iTunes!

Back in Blue on Amazon!

This new album consists of 26 songs from season three (last season) of the Imagination Movers series as seen on The Disney Channel. These amazing and entertaining guys have written all of the songs and are so excited to get back into the entertainment scene for our kids! (Personally, I miss Nina. I would really like to be friends with her, too!)

If you'd like to hear more music from the Movers and find your kiddos entertained by them for years to come, please spread the word about their new CD. Download it today! Share it with your friends! Head onto your social media channels and offer them whatever support you can. The Movers are back and can't wait to head to your town to entertain you (and your kids ... of course your KIDS!). Enjoy!

* Disclaimer reminder: This is a NON-PAID POST. I am writing this post as on behalf of the Entertainment New Media Network. I am not receiving any form of compensation for this post but am a participating member of ENMN and working with them to help share this information. 

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It's all about #TheBounceBack today.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by The Bounce Back Film. I have not and will not be compensated for this post in any fashion, but I am working closely with the Entertainment New Media Network on The Bounce Back film campaign. I'm pleased to participate in this giveaway to help spread the word about this movie in the making and help Shemar reach his dream. All prizes will be provided to winners via The Bounce Back film. Transportation and lodging will NOT be provided to the grand prize winner. Any questions? Find us on twitter @bouncebackfilm.   

Let me start by introducing you to Shemar Moore. 

Have you not read up on him yet? Let me show you how hard Shemar is working. 

And if that's not proof enough, check out the Indiegogo website to see for yourself. The numbers don't lie. Our team of Bounce Back Bloggers has been working hard to help him see his dream come true. We hope you'll consider helping, as well. With under a week to go we've still got some incredible perks available for purchase. Invest in The Bounce Back via Indiegogo and you'll find the one that's right for you. 

Now, let me take a moment to remind you what a philanthropist for MS he is. A percentage of proceeds for all purchases in Shemar's Baby Girl store goes to supporting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. 

NOW, let's get to what I have for you.

First, I'm giving away a cool t-shirt. We all are. All of the Bounce Back Bloggers have t-shirts for you to try to win. Lucky you - you could create yourself an entire wardrobe of BB tees like this one.

I've got a linky here of the bloggers participating so you can do just that. *T-shirt winner will be chosen by random.org from those who comment below. Good luck!*

But then? Even more importantly? Stay with me ... you could win a night of celebrity status ... seriously, friends. 

Oh my GAWD. What? 

Yes. You're reading that right. The Bounce Back Blog team is giving away 2 tickets to The Bounce Back movie premiere and after party in Los Angeles, California (transportation and lodging will not be included). 

All you have to do is enter via the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win. No crazy hoop-jumping, no following 900 bloggers or liking a million Facebook pages. Just come on by and enter. It's as easy as that - I promise.

And someone will win an incredible night out (with a friend) at The Bounce Back movie premiere and after party. Again - we can't provide transportation or lodging, but you can cover that if you win this amazing prize pack, right? I mean, it's for a night partying and celebrating Shemar's dream coming true. It's so worth it! Now what are you waiting for? Get to entering! And good luck. * Oh, and if you need a friend to keep you company, I'm totally available. #justsayin *

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer reminder: This giveaway is sponsored by The Bounce Back Film. I have not and will not be compensated for this post in any fashion, but I am working closely with the Entertainment New Media Network on The Bounce Back film campaign. I'm pleased to participate in this giveaway to help spread the word about this movie in the making and help Shemar reach his dream. All prizes will be provided to winners via The Bounce Back film. Transportation and lodging will NOT be provided to the grand prize winner. Any questions? Find us on twitter @bouncebackfilm.   

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Today vs. Tomorrow.

You know when you just take in everything around you and find yourself overwhelmed and weighed down by all that you've heard? Seen? Felt?

I'm not going to write this to capitalize on all that's been happening in our world these days. I'm writing it to say, what the eff has been happening in our world these days?

But seriously, sometimes things trigger and roll into one another and so on meets so forth and before you know it you can't fall asleep at night and your head hurts, your heart hurts and you wonder what sort of world you've brought your child(ren) into and what the future holds.

What the hell am I talking about - you wonder?

Well, start off with the Trayvon Martin case. And the verdict. And finding out (thanks social media) that the verdict was coming in, turning on the TV in seconds and hearing, 'Not guilty,' as you sat and stared.

My Facebook update after that?

OMG

Yep. That was all I could say. OMG.

Did I think he'd get off? Sigh. Yes. Sadly, I did. Did I want him to? Nope. No way.

You know back when this all first happened and those news stories floated around? I read them all. Watched them all. LISTENED to them all. I heard that dispatcher tell him, this 28 (now 29) year-old man, to stop following the boy. The 17-year-old boy. I heard those words. And he didn't listen. And now a boy is dead.

Do I know if Trayvon Martin was an angel? No. Do I believe he was the best young man in the world? No. I don't know anything about him to prove he was or he wasn't. I just know he was a 17-yo boy who was shot dead by a 28yo man.

Was race a factor? Sure. Say it wasn't and I say you're probably hiding the truth from yourself. That's okay. We all do it now and then. Yes. ALL of us. Even me. And you. And our friends. Family. Whomever. Whenever. We do it.

So I shook my head at the verdict and I watched as Facebook and Twitter blew up with some serious and important statements. And some huge generalizations. And some negative reactions. And some not-so-negative ones. I agreed with some, disagreed with others, and politely discussed what was on my mind with some.

The over the top people? The ones who didn't speak like real people? Generalized and went off in one direction or another. Spouting their hooey all over the web? I ignored them. Or stopped following them. Whatever I needed. And then I went to bed.

And the next morning I woke up and found out that Cory Monteith had died.

And I was really sad.

Being said about this young man of 31 did NOT mean I was less sad about the verdict from the night before. AT ALL. I was sad because someone who had an issue with drugs and addiction in his lifetime likely had succumbed to the disease and lost his life because of it. Cory Monteith is not someone I knew. He is, however, someone real. Despite being an actor. He's a real person.

And you know what? I cried for him.

Maybe it's because Glee has been a part of my world since it started those few years ago? Maybe it's because I have seen so many celebrities walk in and out of rehab, only to lose the battle anyway? And maybe it's because PEOPLE, people in general lose that battle every single day.

So I wallowed in the music of Glee. I watched videos of Cory singing songs.

I was already sad from the night before. I had no words. I had needs.

I needed to cry.

You know when that happens? When your tears are there but they need that final shove? That ultimate trigger?

That was me.

I needed that catharsis. I needed to cry. For Trayvon and his family. For Cory and his. Two totally different situations, yes, for certain.

I saw a tweet that made fun of those of us reacting to the loss of a celebrity who meant nothing to anyone. And I got it. I did. But I also didn't like it very much.

People grieve in their own way. People react to things that are beyond their control, their scope of living, and their PERSONAL CIRCLES in their own way.

Unless you knew Trayvon Martin, you're going to grieve over this verdict differently than his family will. And you can say it hurts you and makes you ache, and no doubt it does. But you weren't his friend. You weren't his mother. His father.

So I respect your grief. I respect your pain. And I especially respect the fears this brings to life for you. I have so many friends who have discussed this. Mothers of black sons. I will never understand. I can never pretend to. I can try, and I can respect, and I can love. But I won't understand. Not exactly. Not precisely. But I will try. And I will respect. And I will love.

And I have done so. And continue to do so.

And at the same time? I think to myself of a 31-year-old man who sat in his hotel room and lost his life. And I shake my head because why is it that celebrities die this way all the time? What is it that leaves them so sad and lonely that dying alone is what has to happen for them? Can you imagine it? Have you ever lost someone to addiction and said to yourself, why? What happened that made them succumb again?

As a social worker I can try to get into Cory's brain. I can try and imagine what spurred him back to the drugs that soothed him in some way. We all can, I'm sure. But as a social worker I've been asked to before. This was not a field I chose to go into lightly. And when I followed my path to work with children many years ago, I met with many people in many organizations helping men like Cory. And I didn't take those roles. I wasn't sure I was strong enough to. I'm still not. But there are people who are. And I hope that they find the Cory-s out there and help them. Help them before they find themselves alone in a hotel room.

Because it's so damned sad when a life ends too soon.

No matter how it happened. Or why.

And when someone accidentally takes their own life - it sucks.

And when someone intentionally takes their own life - it sucks.

And when someone has their life taken away from them - it sucks.

Death sucks. Period. End of story.

And this, my friends, is why I watch The Daily Show at night. Because laughter really IS good medicine.

And why I cried when I watched this video, because Cheerios rocks and people need to know that THIS? THIS is our future. This is what we need to see. Need to watch and need to feel.

And damn, if I didn't watch it and cry my eyes out.

For good for a change. Because these kids? They see the good. They ARE the good.

And so is mine. And so are yours.

Cheesy final line? *I believe the children are our future.* Truth.

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Shemar Moore is working hard. #TheBounceBack

Disclaimer: I was asked to participate in this campaign by the Bounce Back Film Campaign as part of a first-of-its-kind blogger initiative. I will cover the making of the movie from fundraising to premiere throughout the next year. I am being provided promotional material, giveaways and exclusive interviews but this is not a paid post. As always, my opinions are my own. 

If y'all don't know who Shemar Moore is, give me a minute. You'll know. Or you'll want to.

Shemar currently plays Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds. Whew. Have you SEEN him? Yeah. You should. Go on, look here ...

He's a beautiful man. For serious.

And he's apparently quite passionate. *Get your minds back on track, people, this is a big project he's got underway here!*

Shemar Moore is trying to fund a film he truly believes in. He's trying to do it without being taken into the fold and forced to lose control over the decisions he truly wants to make. So, yes, he's using his star power, but he's using it to work towards something he believes in. More power to him, I say.

And in order to get things underway, he needs your support. He is working to raise money to get The Bounce Back underway. He's connected with Indiegogo and has created a wonderful list of perks for those interested in investing. If you think that could be you, check out the how to invest in The Bounce Back page at Indiegogo today!

Also, there's a video clip of him talking about his dreams for this project. When I tried to embed it it looked pretty huge, and as much as I adore his face, I would prefer that you click on over to reach it.

You'll want to - there's a totally gratuitous shirt-changing moment. Yeah, I mean it. Check out The Bounce Back campaign video directly and you'll see.

I'll remind my readers that I am participating in a sponsored campaign for this production. I am NOT being financially compensated in any way, but I will be provided with promotional material, products, etc. for giveaways and more as I participate. I hope you'll continue to come on by and check out what I have to share.

There may even be a chance for YOU to come up with some questions for me to ask Shemar. So start thinking of them now and I'll keep you posted on what happens next!

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Sometimes I write.

Do you have anything for me to write about this weekend?

I've started three different posts and haven't hit my stride yet.

Then I thought that maybe I'd share some of my favorite reads from the last week or so.

Stuff that doesn't have anything to do with Kimye and baby North. Ehem. West. North West. So. Yeah.

I'll be honest, though, I started a post about Ms. Paula Deen. Really. I did.

I started to say things about how it's redonkulous that she could simply say something like, (obvs. paraphrasing here, please know that much) yes, I used the N-word and wanted to host a plantation-style wedding ... ehem. EXCUSE me? *smh* I'm not lovin' on Paula right now, my friends. I'm just not. I still have a post in drafts about how we may/may not hold celebs to higher standards and even if we do are certain things just completely 100% NOT okay, and yes, yes that is what I think. Absolutely. Certain things are just NOT OKAY.

Paula's been taking some hits this year or so. The diabetes. The whatever it was, contract or something with a pharmaceutical company. Didn't go over very well. Hmmn. I still love me some Bobby Deen, though. His show is enjoyable in that he's back in my home city AND he's wearing Simon Cowell-like t-shirts. What's not to like?

But Paula, despite her ooey gooey butter cookies being one of my faves over the years, she needs to make some sort of statement about this whole thing. Apparently she was supposed to meet with Matt Lauer but canceled. Can't blame her there. He's become skeevier and skeevier over the years. (Skeevier is not showing up as a word, but it is, okay? It just is.) But she needs to do it. And soon.

Anyway, back to your regularly non-celeb-related scheduled programming.

If you haven't heard about the amazing Climb Out of the Darkness event happening all over the country and world, you're missing something critical. I'm not doing an incredible climb of any sort, but I did so some walking with my daughter today and it truly meant something to me. She walked her baby in her old stroller. I walked beside her. We walked together. It was a far cry from so many years ago when my anxiety kept me company as I walked anywhere. Postpartum Progress is an incredible organization and has supported SO many women in need. SO many women who are facing postpartum mood disorders. And if you know me well enough or at all, you know how important this kind of support is to me. Personally AND professionally. If you should be so inclined and wish to make a small contribution supporting moms everywhere, check out my Climb Out of the Darkness donation page. * I just noticed I'm the Warrior Mom of the Day today over at Postpartum Progress! How very cool and what awesome timing for me to catch it. *

One of the most amazing posts I've read about this event was over at my girl Kim's place. Check it out at Make Mommy Go Something Something. And the beautiful and daring Susan shares an incredible video of herself and her wee one, discussing the climb. Watch it over at Learned Happiness and have your heart explode.  Sew Curly also has a pretty phenomenal post up about this event and her PPD experience, as well.

Oh my GOODNESS, y'all. I was about to go in a totally different direction just now, but then I read that Paula Deen was fired by The Food Network. WHOA. And she did issue an apology. I'll refrain from any linkage. You'll find it if you happen to click anywhere on the interwebs.

Okay, I'm sort of on a tangent here, so maybe I'll just stop for now, wish you all a great weekend and leave it at that. I kind of feel like the Climb (anyone else singing Miley Cyrus every time you read about this event? No? Just me? M'kay then!) and Paula/Kimye don't belong in the same post, but maybe it's okay for me to just open up my brain and pour it out that way because I am so totally absolutely the kind of person that tangents. UP A STORM.

Wishing you all a beautiful weekend. Happy start to summer! May the sun shine brightly, may you not sweat too much, unless, of course, you WANT to, and may you find everything you need when you go to the store. Peace out!

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Jump the shark - who me?

Excellent.

I've been in the mood to write, but my head hurts and my sinuses were bothering me and so I just couldn't think about what to say.

My heart pushed me to be emotional and do a Father's Day thing, but I'm not up for it right.this.second.

So, Monday Listicles to the rescue!



TEN TV SHOWS THAT WERE CANCELED TOO SOON!!

AHA!!!

I've SO totally got this!!

I'm always iffy about what can and can't be shared on the blog when it comes to YouTube, but if it has a share option and is public I can do it, right?

I'm starting with my first choice because I just HAVE TO.

OCTOBER ROAD.

omg. I was so horribly sad when this show left and disappeared permanently. SO much so that right now I'm looking for a clip and found a supposed "series finale" and am watching it. It's kind of awful, mind you, but I'm watching anyway. I need to find the season finale prior to that episode, because my DVR/TiVo didn't record it and it made me super sad.

Hmmn. So, this was the end of the season finale episode, and it appears they did "solve everything" in a ten-minute answer to it all that was added to the DVDs. I almost kinda' wish I hadn't seen it. But I'll get over it.

Either way, it's a show that was gone way too soon. * Don't mind the first ten seconds. Then watch! *



You're going to see that I have an addiction. My next show also featured the one and only Geoff Stultz aka Eddie Latekka from October Road.

THE FINDER

Sadly this show was canceled so quickly it barely had enough time to get off the ground. Even more sadly, Michael Clarke Duncan has passed away, which made me so sad - even before I knew the show was gone. Sigh. Plus it was a spinoff of BONES, which I love.



Another one I always have to look up. I remember the actress, the story, the whole deal. But I forget the name every.single.time. We loved this sitcom. Even though it was quirky.

COMMITTED



I was absolutely not ready for this next show to go off the air. #sadface Even though it kind of jumped the shark when Jim died. But then he didn't die. It was horrible. But I had hoped they'd make it disappear and come back better. And I'm still scarred by the episodes where Andrea died. Broke my heart.

GHOST WHISPERER



I was so not ready for this show to end! This isn't the series finale, but it's a great moment anyway.

NUMB3RS



Geez, I've got five and this is already the longest post of all time ... give or take a little ... but I have two more, so I have to share them!

JOAN OF ARCADIA



Another fave, that suddenly has me realizing that I have liked a lot of shows with dead characters.

DEAD LIKE ME



I can't believe I couldn't think of ten. Honestly, I could surely give you a whole list of shows I miss, but I think lasted just the right amount of time ... but I won't. Not now, anyway. I'll just remind you to head on over to NorthWestMommy's place and check out everyone else's list. Or link up with your own. Because I'd love to see what you're missing, too.

Chat atcha later!

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The one where I can't stop talking ... #vlog

When it comes to entertainment you have to know by now how addicted I am to my shows. Whether it's General Hospital every.single.day (on DVR, so I absolutely need to catch up!) or NCIS every week, when I'm a fan I stick with a show as long as possible.

I've honestly watched GH since I was a kid. Seriously. A kid! I'd head home after school and watch with my mom or my childhood best friends. Sounds crazy, right? But I plan on getting my own child addicted, too. She's already there. She heard that theme song enough times in utero that she knew it by heart when she joined the world outside of my belly!

Anyway, I haven't vlogged in a while so I figured I'd give you a taste of what I'm watching now. So, here's my latest vlog chatter. I hope you'll stick around and watch the entire almost six minutes of it. Is that too long? Tell me the truth, I can take it. I might not change my vlogging style or lose my need or tendency to ramble, but at least I'll know - right? Enjoy!

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AMC and OLTL are BACK!

** This post is part of a campaign I am participating in via One2One Network. I have not and will not receive compensation for this post. I will be entered in a drawing for a prize when my post is completed, but there is no guarantee I will win. I like soap operas enough that I figured I'd share this info anyway. Why not, right? All soap-related chatter below is my own, minus a few pieces of specific information provided to me for this post. **

Anyone who knows me knows I'm addicted to General Hospital.

But wait - you say - that's not what the title of this post said. I'm here for AMC and OLTL info!!

I know. I'm just trying to explain why I'm an expert in the world of soap operas. I've watched GH since before I was born. My own daughter knew the theme the minute she popped into the world. I've watched Days of Our Lives, Another World (long gone) and many more.

Because of that, again, I'm an expert, people.

And when I tell you that All My Children and One Life to Live have, like many a soap star, returned from the dead, like the Phoenix rising ... well, you'd better believe me.

Many fans were devastated some time back. How could you replace our soaps with MORE talk shows? COME ON! Doesn't anyone know what we like? Are the soap star-fests not enough clarification of how dedicated we fans are?

It might be rough to accept new characters. It often is. But having some of the old fan favorites return is going to pull everyone on in. Seriously. Take a few minutes to watch the previews. It's like your favorite old shows are back after a spring cleaning.





I'm loving the music. I'm also loving fan favorites like Jessie and Angie, Vicki and Clint, Bo and Nora, Dorian (AH! DORIAN! I've loved her forever!). Blair and Todd? Maybe? I honestly can't tell what the deal is with Todd. After his stint on GH I don't know what's happening with his character ... but he's here in these clips at least!

OM-GOSH! I just found this video which might be even better at getting you guys excited. Here's why these two shows are returning and how the cast and crew feel about it.



Plus check out the new hottie(s)! They're definitely reaching out to the younger audiences, as well. With this new half-hour online format the hopes of bringing in new viewers, along with old faithful fans is sure to be reason enough to spice up the episodes.

So - where can you find them, you ask?

I'll tell you!

AMC and OLTL will be airing via The Online Network starting at midnight on Monday, April 29th.

Each show will have their own Hulu page, as well, that you can find here:

All My Children Hulu Page

One Life To Live Hulu Page

One important piece of info for you guys ... if you used to watch these episodes in front of or with your kids or your little siblings, you might want to test a few out first. Since the shows have moved off of network television there's a chance for some profanity (profanity! cool!) and more "adult content" than we're used to seeing. Nothing to deter you, but just an important reminder I was asked to pass along.

So - what do you think? Will you be tuning in?

** This post is part of a campaign I am participating in via One2One Network. I have not and will not receive compensation for this post. **

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Things I learned this week ...

Let's start off with I am still watching the AMAs. Yes. From Sunday night. It's Tuesday.

What of it? I can learn things over time. It's a good way to remember them better.

* I'm old.

That should be enough, shouldn't it? I suppose. But I can't help but add more to it.

* I'm not just old. I'm older than Justin Bieber's mother. (Thanks, Jamie! SO very much!)

* Pink still rocks. She doesn't just rock. She totally kicks ass. She's Pink, after all.

* Ryan Seacrest continues to be every.freakin.where. I stopped watching AI after Simon left, but it doesn't mean I don't get my fill of Ryan. I wonder how he has any time to spend with Julianne. After all, she's a rising star, is she not? or she was. I don't know anymore.

Switch to other entertaining news stories.

* Rico whatever-his-name-is who plays Manny on Modern Family? Has written a book. Like a book you can buy. My life has no meaning, really. I've been writing since I could hold a pencil in my hand and this kid has a book. A published book?

Let's go back to the AMAs for a sec, shall we? The Backstreet Boys are handing out an award!

BWAHAHAHAHAH! They're old. And I'm older. So, yeah. I shouldn't laugh.

* Did you hear that Biebs and Selena broke up? How could I only just find this out? They're the perfect couple, are they not? I mean, my daughter knows the girl from Wizards is Justin Beever's girlfriend. This is gonna break her tiny little five-year-old heart. Poor thing.

* People,  I could seriously be Justin Bieber's mother. For real.

* Maybe he's dating Carly Rae now? She just won her first AMA. Good for her. That song that shall not be named is still one of my ringtones. Actually, it's my "go get your kid off the bus" alarm tone, but that counts, too, right?

I should just have titled this the Bieber post. He's on the awards now. Singing. I still say he's twelve, but whatever.

OK, where was I?

The thing is, his music isn't THAT bad. And as much as I want to dislike him, he's a good kid. Or at least that's what Ellen tells me ... but she also loves JT, and now that he's Mr. Jessica Biel we don't see much of him anymore either. Who thinks THAT's going to last, eh? Right. Me, too. Sure.

Did you know that I am an entertainment news junkie? I totally am. I think in all the years I've been blogging I've mostly kept it out of my stuff, but today I'm stuck. Truly stuck in it.

Hey, did you vote for your fave DWTS couple yet? Time's running out. If you don't want your favorite couples to go home you need to vote. They make it crazy easy, there's even a facebook app, cause who doesn't have fb these days, right?

I find myself voting against the professionals I don't like, honestly. I'm not a Karina fan. So as much as I try to root for Apollo, I'm not sure I can. Besides, Kelly aka Sam and ValC? They're SO a couple in real life, aren't they? I mean, you can tell, right? How they look at each other? And she's SAM. So #GH represent!

Bieber is still singing, people. This is the longest performance of all time.

Today I entertained myself for a bit while reading/skimming Suri's Burn Book. I laughed so hard a few times tears slipped out. I might have even peed a little. I'm old, remember?

Who the heck is he singing with now? She looks like Nicki Minaj with dark hair, so I know that can't be her, right?

Oh, and back to useless reality show people, somebody really needs to boot Mario Lopez and that Kardashian sister off of The X Factor. Come on, Simon, you HAVE to know what a waste of airtime that is. We could be enjoying the performances. And speaking of, Demi, sweet, sweet Demi. Please stop. Whatever you are doing to your contestants is just awful. Britney is lucky her kids have so much freakin' talent, or you both would be booted off so quickly, for realz.

OK, I'm done. I'm waiting to go all Gangnam Style since I saw a clip earlier and MC Hammer is cameo-ing. Rock on, my friends. Rock on.

omg - WAIT! STOP THE PRESSES!!!

XTINA IS PERFORMING! What the what? She looks kind of beautiful. Who is this girl? I mean, yeah, there are the infamous boobs we see 2x/week on The Voice, but her hair (I'm sure it's fake, but it's the effort that counts here, friends) is blonde, without a variety of dipped colors. She was totally channeling Demi for a while there. Oh, wait, never you mind. She changed her clothes. Now we see the fake tan. Ah. Sigh. Peace out friends. Also? Her voice still kind of rocks. I just wish she would stop calling herself Xtina. Team Xtina is for Twitter. Not for real words. CeeLo, Adam (yum, Adam) or Blake should tell you that if they consider themselves true friends. *smh*

p.s. If you missed me yesterday you can totally catch up on my life anyway. I was over at my friend Tricia's place. She can be found at Southern Spark and I was chatting about blogging, buns and boogers ... so to speak. So go check it out, wouldja?

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Future Ex-Husbands: Cause they're HOT!

I'm so excited. I am linking up with Only Parent Chronicles today for FEX. I am so excited. Have I mentioned how excited I am? I mean, I get to post pictures of hot celebs, just cause. Seriously. Why not, right?

The only problem was, I just couldn't decide. I really couldn't. I had to pick more than one. I just HAD to. And the person I wanted to pick and told Kristin over at OPC that I had to link up with.

Bradley Cooper

Jon Stewart

Anderson Cooper

Chris O'Dowd

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