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Harry Connick, Jr. Knows Who's the Boss in His Female-Dominated Home

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:35:53 PDT

Living in a house full of women has taught Harry Connick, Jr. a thing or two over the years. Most of all, the crooner, actor, and activist has learned to be quiet and listen.

The father of three - Georgia, 15, Sarah Kate, 13, and Charlotte, 9 - is now hoping that others will do the same. He and his middle daughter, Kate, are working with American Girl to introduce the dollmaker's two newest dolls Cécile and Marie-Grace from 1853 New Orleans - and raising money for after-school programming for children at the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in NOLA. The father-daughter duo wrote and recorded "A Lot Like Me," based on the message of diversity that streams throughout the new dolls' accompanying books. Each time the song is downloaded, a donation is made to the music center. I recently spoke with the duo about working together and life at home.

LilSugar: Kate, what was it like working with your dad?
Kate Connick: It was great! It’s always fun working with my dad no matter what we do. It was really cool, because we got down to business. And he helped me not only as a dad, but working too.

LS: Harry was it a dream come true working with your daughter?
Harry Connick, Jr.: It's one of those things where before I had kids I would dream about what it was like to have kids and now that I have three girls, it's such a blessing. I never really thought about the prospect of having any of them want to do anything similar to what I do, but Kate's shown interest from early on. To not only have the pleasure of hearing her sing, but to be able to work with her - Kate's very serious and she has a really hard work ethic - it's a joy, I love it!

LS: The books in the new series and the song all celebrate diversity. Harry, you grew up in the diverse world of New Orleans. How do you instill the importance of such diversity in your kids?
Harry Connick, Jr.: We live in Connecticut now, and Connecticut is not as diverse as New Orleans by a long shot. I've told them for a long time that this is kind of a brown world we live in and [where] we live in Connecticut is not by any means representative of the world. So Kate's been to Asia, to Africa. She’s been all over the world, and she sees that this is a diverse world. The music that I play is also very diverse. The musicians that I play with come from different backgrounds, so Kate's pretty steeped in that.

LS: Harry, with three daughters, you're constantly surrounded by women. What's the best part of living in a female-dominated home?
Harry Connick, Jr.: I stay quiet, and I listen. Is that right?
Kate Connick: Oh, yeah.
Harry Connick, Jr.: I mean, who’s the boss of our house?
Kate Connick: Mom
Harry Connick, Jr.: Yeah!.

LS: Kate, do you guys ever gang up on him?
Kate Connick: No, he’s the only guy in the house, so we help him out.

Keep reading to see how Harry works family into his busy schedule, and how he answers our Four Lil Questions.

Thoughts on the Homeless American Girl Doll

babysugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:00:08 PDT

I'm all for exposing my child to the different walks of life. One of the reasons why I believe in the public school system is that children can get a taste of the real world by making friends with different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. Taking kids along to volunteer can open their eyes and show them how good it feels to help those less fortunate. Having said all that, I'm not sure where I stand on the newest addition to the American Girl doll lineup.

As the economy has suffered, more children have become homeless. As a way to teach children about the unfortunate plight of some youngsters, the toy makers created a limited edition "homeless" doll named Gwen. I understand the concept and think it could be a great talking point but it does seem a tad ironic that the pretty lil blonde lass costs $95. While that's the going rate for the highly coveted dolls, it seems the company could have helped the homeless cause even more if they made the proceeds go directly to a homeless cause, say one that might actually help homeless children even. What's your take on the latest American Girl doll?

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:30:46 PDT

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the selections below you can also add to your queue the kid-friendly adventure Journey to the Center of the Earth.

The L Word
Before the fifth season of Showtime's The L Word started this Summer, there were a lot of questions: Is Jenny still going to be so terrible? Is Shane settling down to make a family (uh, for real this time)? Will Alice stay with Tasha when she's shipped back to Iraq? Well, some of you may know the answers to these questions and some may not.

Now you can take home the entire season to catch up or relive the glory this Winter before the sixth and final season airs Sunday, Jan. 18. Special features include "The 2008 Wolfe Women's Party in Tampa" and "The Making of the Subaru Pink Ride."

Two more selections up next so

read more. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl I bet there are a lot of little girls (and OK, big ones, too) that are super excited for the release of this movie, which stars Abigail Breslin as the intrepid budding journalist Kit Kittredge. Interestingly, the Depression-era feel-good flick is actually kind of timely now, given the current climate. Netflix describes the plot as such: "With Kit's father (Chris O'Donnell) away looking for a job, her mother (Julia Ormond) takes in boarders to make ends meet - and when the family savings are stolen during a series of robberies, Kit sets about finding the thief." You'd think a movie like this one would have a special features bonanza attached to it but as it is, there's just an "American Girl Movie Trailer Gallery" featuring previews for direct-to-DVD American Girl movies.
Death Defying Acts I noted over the Summer how strange it is that a movie with two big-name actors and an acclaimed director had almost zero publicity around its opening weekend. But that was the situation with Death Defying Acts, a story set in 1926 Britain where Harry Houdini (Guy Pearce) "enters into a passionate affair with a Scottish psychic (Catherine Zeta-Jones). The psychic and her daughter (Saoirse Ronan) attempt to con Houdini during a highly publicized séance to contact his mother whose death has haunted him for many years. However, all does not go to plan." Despite the red flags, I still think it sounds pretty cool and I love that little Atonement actress so I'm definitely adding this to my list of movies to watch at home. Special features include commentary by director Gillian Armstrong and producer Marian MacGowan, and a making-of featurette. Source

Link Time! 10/14

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:30:25 PDT

American Girl announced yesterday that it would discontinue all products related to Samantha Parkington?! - Popwatch
Were those a bunch of clues about the future on How I Met Your Mother last night? - The TV Addict
Check out a list of the seven funniest horror movies, and the lowdown on this year's most popular movie-inspired Halloween costumes (Joker, Iron Man, etc.). - Cinematical
Check out Bjork's new single, with backup help from Thom Yorke. - Stereogum
Scrooge McDuck pops up on a list of TV characters you could trust with your money in these tough economic times. - TV Squad
Guillermo del Toro discusses his new take on Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. - MTV Movies Blog
Practice your Office lingo with this "Addictionary." - Pop Candy
Click here to chat about Rocco DiSpirito's hot pink ruffly number from this week's Dancing With the Stars, and make your official winner predictions. - Watch With Kristin
Celebrating the news of a new Saturday Night Live clip site. - geeksugar

Source

Did You Ever Get Into the American Girl Series?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:00:37 PDT

I've already declared my love of the American Girl books, which I enjoyed mostly because they incorporated interesting historical stuff into stories about girls who - aside from the differences in time periods - were just girls like me and my friends. Now, even though I'm an adult with no kids, I'm excited to see the adorable Abigail Breslin play Kit Kittredge in the movie adaptation heading to theaters just in time for the 4th of July.

Not only did I love the books, but I was the ecstatic recipient of a Kirsten doll at one point. My friend's mother even sewed us pajamas that matched our dolls (the white nightgown for me and Kirsten, the red-and-white striped two-piece PJs for my friend and her Molly doll). At that time, there were only three girls to learn about: Kirsten, Molly and Samantha. Now there are tons! And customizable dolls, too. It's crazy to think how far the American Girls have come over the years.

Was the American Girl series a part of your childhood, too?

Source

First American Girl Feature Film: Kit Kittredge

BuzzSugar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:34:05 PST

I don't know about you, but before I was all about The Babysitters Club I couldn't get enough of the American Girl book series. Of course, these days there is all sorts of American Girl stuff to accompany the stories, and there are way more than just the basic five or six characters I grew up with.

With fond American Girl memories in mind, I recently watched the trailer for the first American Girl feature film: Kit Kittredge, with Abigail Breslin in the starring role. Kit Kittredge is a Depression-era American Girl with (what else?) a go-getter attitude and a fierce determination to become a great journalist. With a supporting cast that includes Joan Cusack, Stanley Tucci, Chris O'Donnell and Jane Krakowski, I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing this movie.

Kit Kittredge arrives in theaters July 2, so to check out the trailer,

Fat-Proof Your Life

Health — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:06:06 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Maridel Reyes

It's true that there are certain times in your life when extra poundage seems to appear out of nowhere . . . and settle on you. In fact, experts have honed in on the exact moments when you're most vulnerable to weight gain.

"Life transitions, having a baby, and going through menopause cause many women to pile on pounds," says Susan Albers, PsyD, author of But I Deserve This Chocolate!: The 50 Most Common Diet-Derailing Excuses and How to Outwit Them. "But with planning and prep, you can stay thin."

We asked top experts for their strategies to help you ward off weight creep - and even shed pounds - at these tricky stages. Solutions ahead.

Getting married

Heavier ever after? It can be the flip side of wedded bliss: "Six out of 10 of my clients come back heavier after the honeymoon," says celebrity fitness and wellness guru David Kirsch.

Health.com: 25 Diet-Busting Foods You Should Never Eat

Young newlyweds pack on an extra six to nine pounds in the five years after getting hitched compared to singletons, according to research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And most of that gain happens in the first year of marriage.

"Couples start to mirror each other's eating habits," explains Albers. "You might be matching him calorie for calorie without realizing it."

Learn how to keep the pounds down postmarriage and in the mommy years, after the break.

Your American Girl Doll Stories

Tara Sharp — Wed, 11 May 2011 12:35:06 PDT

When we read The Hairpin's article about how your American Girl doll shaped your life, we immediately began reminiscing about our own AG dolls. This year American Girl is celebrating its 25-year anniversary, and only a couple of the historical girls we grew up with are still available. But I remember when it was just the classic Molly, Samantha, Felicity, Addy, and Kirsten. I had Samantha first, then Felicity, who I wore matching dresses with while touring colonial Williamsburg. Annie had Samantha as well, and her sister Molly had her glasses-wearing namesake, of course. We asked our Facebook fans which doll you had, and you gals seemed to love your AG dolls as much as we did, with Molly and Felicity being the most popular. And don't worry if you didn't have one, according to The Hairpin that means you are now "financially independent, level-headed, and unspoiled." Click through to read your American Girl doll stories!

Pilot Scoop: Smash

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:04:40 PST

NBC is getting in on musical madness with new show Smash, a drama that follows the production of a musical about Marilyn Monroe and the two ingénues vying for the lead. With high production value and an ensemble cast that includes Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston, the show is a colorful, splashy, and tune-filled entrant into the midseason lineup. Before you check out tonight's premiere, check out my first impressions below.

What it's about: The first episode charts the early development of the musical Marilyn, the brainchild of a few theater producers (including Messing and Huston). As the idea germinates, the showrunners have to make the difficult decision of who to cast as Marilyn Monroe: the seasoned, Ivy (Megan Hilty), who's also a dead-ringer for Marilyn, or inexperienced Karen (Katharine McPhee) who comes in at the last minute and knocks their socks off.
Where it works: Former American Idol contestant McPhee is an inspired choice here; we've all heard her sing, but it turns out that she can also act. She's charming and plucky as Karen, the girl who's a waitress by night so she can nurture her dream of making it big on Broadway. I also enjoyed seeing her home life with her supportive (and dashing) boyfriend played by Raza Jaffrey.
Where it doesn't: It's unclear how much of the musical the series will be. In the opener, we hear numbers from Marilyn and familiar tunes like "Beautiful" in auditions, but when Ivy and Karen break into song at the end of the hour, it doesn't feel that organic - or necessary.
When it's on: Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC, starting Feb. 6
You might like this show if: You like Glee, but this show is even more appealing to theater fans.

See a preview for Smash and photos after the break.

Runway Retrospective: Alexander Wang

FabSugar — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:00:29 PST

Ever wonder how your favorite designers started? Fashion Week is almost upon us, so we're prepping with a study of some of the top American designers.

By now, the Wang girl is totally iconic; it's hard to imagine the world without Alexander Wang's vision of the downtown, edgy-cool chick. While urban street style existed before 2007, Alex Wang took it and refined it into something so insanely chic and wearable that every girl wants a piece, whether it's his slouchy denim, killer bags, or body-conscious dresses. Today, Alexander Wang is a global brand and one of the first places you look for something not so much sweet and pretty as utterly cool. Take a look back with this runway retrospective of Alexander Wang's relatively short - but unstoppable - career, and stay tuned for our full report on his upcoming Fall 2012 collection, taking place on February 11 during New York Fashion Week.