BuzzSugar

What to Do With Your Year-End Bonus

LearnVest — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:15:06 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

You’ve just been informed by your supervisor that you have a tidy bonus coming to you soon for all of your hard work this year. (And, of course, you totally deserve it.)

But whenever a large sum of money falls in your lap, you need to have a plan for it, so you don’t wake up a month or two later and realize that it’s all gone.

That’s no way to reward yourself for a job well done.

What You Shouldn’t Do

Rack up credit card debt in advance of your bonus expecting to pay it off.
Use it to treat your family and friends to oversized Christmas gifts.
Count your chickens before they hatch. Even if you’ve been told how much your bonus is, it will be taxed like regular income. Because of all the factors that play into it, don’t assume you know exactly how much will land in your account.
Plan your finances around the same bonus showing up next year.

Read on for more.

See Miranda and Orlando, Jay-Z, Kanye, and Beyoncé in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!

Allie Merriam — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:37:15 PST

The Victoria's Secret runway extravaganza airs on CBS this evening! In honor of the big TV event, we're taking a look back at the show which was recorded at NYC's Lexington Avenue Armory on Nov. 9.

Between the musical acts and the amazing costumes on the angels, Nov. 9th was a night to remember. Candice Swanepoel was the first down the catwalk in the "Ballet" portion of the show, the first of six-themed sections that also included "Super Angels," "Passion," "Angels Aquatic," "I Put a Spell on You," and "Club Pink." They strutted, interestingly enough, to the song "You Make Me Want to Die" from Taylor Momsen's band, The Pretty Reckless! Candice was followed by Anja Rubik, Lily Aldridge, Alessandra Ambrosio, Chanel Iman, Doutzen Kroes, Adriana Lima, Miranda Kerr, and many more! This was a unique year from the company since they introduced at least 12 new models to the lineup.

It was hard to compete with the over-the-top outfits, gems, and wings, but the musical acts nearly did so. Kanye West was finally able to perform for VS after canceling his 2007 appearance after the sudden death of his mother, Donda West. He dedicated the event to her saying, "I lost my superhero, but now she's my superangel." Kanye went on to sing "Stronger" as the Angels walked by him on stage, then Jay-Z came out for an amazing duo on their Watch the Throne song "N*ggas in Paris." Beyoncé Knowles even came out to see Jay in action, taking a front-row seat only for the duration of the track. Jay and Kanye got the fashion crowd on their feet, and Orlando Bloom was seen doing a little fist pumping!

Orlando was front and center to cheer on his wife, Miranda. It was Miranda's first time on the VS runway since giving birth to Flynn at the beginning of the year. She took multiple turns down the catwalk and finally wore Victoria's Secret's $2.5 million Fantasy Treasure Bra. Orlando gave Miranda a couple of standing ovations, as one of the most enthusiastic famous attendees, which also included Stephen Dorff, Lake Bell, Maxwell, Jack Huston, Lala Vasquez, and Gossip Girl's Matthew Settle.

In addition to Jay and Kanye, Maroon 5 performed "Moves Like Jagger" and lead singer Adam Levine broke from the band temporarily to place a big kiss on the cheek of his angel girlfriend, Anne V. Earlier in the day while backstage, Anne V said she and Adam planned the moment. She said, "I'm a model, he's a singer, we're just doing our jobs and just happen to be together, so maybe we'll do a cute moment but nothing crazy. I'm very excited to have him next to me, it's very special." Nicki Minaj wrapped things up with a rendition of "Super Bass," with newcomer Karlie Kloss closing the show in her fluorescent wings.

Link Time - Jim Carrey Teams Up With Steve Carell

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:30:49 PDT

Jim Carrey joins Steve Carell in Burt Wonderstone - NextMovie
Find out when Die Hard 5 will hit theaters - The Hollywood Reporter
Get the scoop on Leonardo DiCaprio's next role - Moviefone
Director Joel Schumacher reveals his five favorite films - Rotten Tomatoes
See the first picture of the new Bachelor - Zap2it
First look at Chuck's final season - BuddyTV
The most iconic James Bond villains - Movieline
See which TV star wants to be on Dexter - Aol TV
Steal decorating ideas from ABC's Suburgatory - CasaSugar

Taylor Lautner Is Happy to Get In on the Action, but Not Singing

Allie Merriam — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:46:06 PDT

Taylor Lautner caused a stir in London today when he left the BBC Radio One studios. He's abroad chatting up his new movie following a lengthy press tour home in the US. His Abduction had a lackluster box office debut, coming in at just fourth place with $11.2 million. The reviews weren't particularly kind either, but that didn't stop many of Taylor's die-hard fans from turning out to see his turn as a teenage action star. It was a new realm for Taylor, but there are apparently a few genres he won't try. Taylor Lautner won't sing in a film! He said in a recent interview, "[Singing] is one thing that my fans would probably not support. If I ever start singing in a movie, they'll be like, 'Alright, I'm done.' . . . I'm terrible, terrible, terrible."

Fashion's Night Out Destinations For Moms and Tots

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:31:58 PDT

No need to get a sitter this Thursday night if you're yearning to participate in Fashion's Night Out. The year's biggest night of shopping may be packed with glamorous events for die-hard fashionistas, but it's also shaping up to be a great night for moms and tots as well. If you happen to be in the NYC area this Thursday, be sure to stop by these fun parties that make taking the kids out for an evening of shopping nothing less than fun!

Baby CZ: The high-end cashmere shop will turn into a Big Top circus with food, music, and more. Shop the Fall collection for tots and moms throughout the evening. (6 to 11 p.m., 820 Madison Avenue)

Bonpoint: Divalysscious moms will be hosting the evening shopping event at the celeb-frequented store. Look for cotton candy, photo booths, kids' tattoos, and children's entertainment at the newly renovated store. (4 to 6 p.m., 805 Madison Avenue)

Crumbs Bake Shop: When you need a lil break from all of that shopping, stop by one of Crumbs' shops for the FNO Cupcake - a white chocolate brownie cupcake with vanilla cream cheese frosting, white chocolate chips, and white and chocolate drizzle on top! Buy five and get the sixth one free, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the CFDA's charities. (6 to 11 p.m., various locations)

Destination Maternity: Join athlete and new mom Laila Ali at the store where she'll share her personal style and health tips. Celebrity prenatal yoga instructor Latham Thomas will discuss the importance of exercise and reps from Mama Mio, MD Moms and Edamame Spa will offer hand and chair massages as well as skin care product demonstrations. (6 to 9 p.m., 28 East 57th Street at Madison Avenue)

Disney Store: Happily ever after turns into stylishly ever after at the Disney Store in Times Square. Get an exclusive mini-manicure with the Disney princess designer collection nail polish, customize a charm bracelet at the Kidada for Disney Store charm bar, and take a sneak whiff of the latest Disney Store fragrance - Pixie Dust. (6 to 11 p.m., 1540 Broadway)

Half Pint Citizens: Brooklyn's hip children's clothing store is getting in on the action with a 20 percent discount on all regularly priced clothing and shoes. (Until 9 p.m., 41 Washington Street)

Lester's: The NYC outpost of this newborn to teen shopping destination will have a DJ spinning tunes all evening long while shoppers peruse an exclusive collection of one-of-a-kind airbrushed t-shirts and receive a 25 percent discount on one item. (6 to 9 p.m., 1534 2nd Avenue)

Maclaren Showroom: Celebrate the grand reopening of the stroller giant's SoHo showroom. Get a sneak peek at the new strollers in the Objects of Design Collection, enter to win the new Dylan's Candy Bar stroller, and meet the top female sailors sponsored by Maclaren. (150 Wooster Street)

Green Lantern: Ryan Reynolds Is the Brightest Day in Blackest Night

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 05:46:55 PDT

It's a bad sign when the opening sequence of a movie not only fails to grab your attention, but has your eyelids drooping before you even meet the main character. Such is the case for Green Lantern, and the frustratingly dull first few minutes set the tone for rest of the film, which is based on the popular comic book series.

Ryan Reynolds is the actor throwing his hat into the superhero ring this time, and he's actually a great choice. With charisma coming out of his ears and a perfectly chiseled body, Reynolds easily fits the bill as Hal Jordan, a self-assured test pilot with a taste for adrenaline. Hal's fearlessness eventually makes him a candidate for the Green Lantern Corps., a league of alien warriors that keep the peace amongst the galaxies. Seemingly out of nowhere, Hal is absorbed by a large green bubble and transported to a site where a dying alien gives him a ring that signifies his place as a Green Lantern (and provides Hal with a slick CG suit and superpowers in spades). If you think the green bubbles and purple aliens sound silly, it only gets more convoluted from there. To see what else I thought of Green Lantern, just

read more. The movie shifts back and forth between the Green Lantern realm in outer space and Earth. On his home planet, Hal wrestles with his new superhero status, which makes for a few entertaining scenes as he shows off his suit to his best friend Thomas and tries to repair his fractured relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Carol Ferris (a mostly bland Blake Lively). I found myself cringing every time Hal skyrockets off into space again where Reynolds's charm is swallowed up in a world that's almost entirely CG. Even Hal's suit is animated, which makes him look like a floating head performing stunts on a cartoon body. There is some semblance of a good story when you're not having comic book facts spewed at you in rapid succession, thanks in part to Peter Sarsgaard's performance as Hector Hammond. He's Hal's nemesis, (though their history is a little foggy), who's recently acquired some superpowers of his own. Though Sarsgaard doesn't get as much screen time as a standard comic book villain, he makes his mark as a nerdy loser turned evildoer who's drunk on power and literally grows a giant head. Trying to tell too much at once is ultimately Green Lantern's downfall. Hal's human interest story isn't nearly developed enough, and the climax of the film feels rushed and stuffed in between everything else. The space aspect is what makes Green Lantern stand out as a superhero, but it's an other-worldly experience that's hard not to scoff at. You can't blame Reynolds for seizing the opportunity to get his own action figure, but he may end up with nothing more than a souvenir of a failed attempt at a franchise.

When Will You See Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2?

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:44:38 PDT

We're just two days away from the movie event of the Summer: the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2! The final Potter film is already selling out at the box office and will be showing on more screens than any other movie in the series. The bottom line here: tickets are going fast.

Fans will undoubtedly be lining up in full costume for the first screenings at midnight on Thursday, and I'm sure the theaters will be flooded with fans all weekend long. If you're a die-hard Potter lover, chances are you've got your hands on some tickets by now, or at least made plans for seeing the movie. So tell us - what are your plans for seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2?

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Sucker Punch: Lights, Camera, Exploitation

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 03:05:00 PDT

Sucker Punch is an action-fantasy hybrid that tells the story of a young woman known only as "Baby Doll" (Emily Browning). In an engrossing prologue, we're introduced to Baby Doll's plight; when her mother dies, she and her sister become the targets of their sadistic stepfather. In a tragic twist, Baby Doll is involved in an accident that lands her in a dilapidated mental institution. Unable to accept her new reality, Baby Doll escapes into a fantasy world in which she imagines that she and the other female patients (Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, and Jamie Chung) are beautiful dancers in a burlesque theater.

Even in Baby Doll's parallel world where she and the others are gorgeous seductresses, there's still danger from the evil club owner. Fixated on escaping from the theater, Baby Doll learns from a mysterious mentor that she needs five tools to earn her freedom. The other girls are willing to help, and each time they retrieve one of the tools, they all disappear into a second fantasy world in which they're gun-toting, sword-wielding warriors tasked with defeating a variety of faceless enemies. Does that sound confusing? It is. Though director Zach Snyder tries very hard to make Sucker Punch something of an instant classic for the gamer set, all he creates is a messy illustration of female eye candy atop a half-baked story.

To find out why Sucker Punch left a bad taste in my mouth, just

read more I'm solidly behind any movie with a roster of strong female characters, which is what Sucker Punch presents itself as. But Snyder's characterization of the women is vapid and weak. Their sexuality is exaggerated from their names (Baby Doll, Sweet Pea, Rocket, Blondie, and Amber) to their revealing costumes, while their personalities are minimized. Besides Baby Doll, we get virtually no backstory or insight into who these women really are (and even our knowledge of Baby Doll is limited). When you factor in the inane dialogue, the female cast goes from generic to downright pathetic. That's really the problem with the whole movie; there's so much style, it's as if Snyder hopes that all the visual noise will distract you from actually thinking. That's not always a terrible thing, if Sucker Punch could keep up the mindless entertainment that it has in the first act. But it doesn't. The extended battle scenes wear on, and with the complete disconnect to the characters, you don't feel any real sympathy for Baby Doll and her cohorts as they struggle to complete their escape mission. Sucker Punch lets so much go to waste in its quest to be epic. Jon Hamm's part is hardly more than a glorified cameo, the soundtrack is more exciting than the action, and the empowerment that could be present with five sexy, tough ladies is instead just an exploitation of nubile young women.

Giada Spills Her Secrets For Looking Great

YumSugar — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:15:39 PDT

During her cooking demo in Aspen, Food Network star and fan favorite Giada De Laurentiis opened up the floor to questions. One woman in the back raised her hand and asked the question that the whole world was dying to know.

"How do you manage to cook all this food and still look so great?" she asked. The mother of Jade Marie, now 2 - who looked casual chic in a boatneck tee and cuffed jeans - took some time to talk about how she stays so slim and trim. Find out her secrets after the jump.