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A Single Girl's Wedding Party on Dove's Fresh Takes: Discuss

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:32:15 PDT

Last night, MTV aired yet another one of those little "Fresh Takes" microsodes for Dove, starring Alicia Keys. And yet again, the whole thing seemed stilted and cheesy, with some of the most cliched dialogue ever written. However, I have to say I really liked the party idea that Alex (Keys) and Diane (Desi Lydi) have for their friend Lizzie (Jessalyn Wanlim).

This week's story (which you can watch here) begins in a bridal shop where Lizzie is being fitted for yet another bridesmaid dress. Cynical Alex scoffs at all the wedding stuff while Diane states that she has until she's 32 to get married, so she won't worry about it until she's 30. Meanwhile, Lizzie has, apparently, wanted nothing more than to be a bride ever since she can remember. Noting that their friend is suffering from the ever-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride blues, Alex and Diane throw Lizzie her very own wedding party and invite all her girlfriends to wear the bridesmaid dresses they otherwise have no use for. The guests bring Lizzie gifts and Alex and Diane present her with a wedding cake balancing little statues of the three girls on the top.

I find this to be an awesome idea: a wedding party for the fabulous single gal. It makes a friend feel special while also providing an opportunity for your girlfriends to get all dressed up in old bridesmaid dresses. What do you think about this idea? Would you throw such a party for your friend - or a group of single friends?

For more wedding-related posts, check out IDoSugar.
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Love It or Leave It: Dove's Fresh Takes, Starring Alicia Keys

BuzzSugar — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:30:22 PDT

I often like and admire Dove's campaigns, with their body-affirming messages and "love yourself" themes. I also fully support most anything that features women helping out other women, encouraging us to be good to each other rather than cut each other down.

Thus, theoretically, I'm all for the Fresh Takes micro-series that Dove is doing in collaboration with MTV. Airing both online and during episodes of The Hills, the Fresh Takes series follows three 20-something BFFs (one of whom is played by Alicia Keys) who try to soothe each others' insecurities about dating and body image, among other things. But while I'm kind of loving Jessalyn Wanlim as the energetic Lizzie, these episodes (microsodes?) just feel stilted and trite to me.

What do you think about the Fresh Takes micro-series? Have you watched it on TV? Is it kind of fun and girly? Or just silly? Check out the preview below, and you watch the two episodes that have aired so far on the Dove Go Fresh site.

Two Super Chic and Easy Ways to Wear Neon

FabSugar — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 PST

Neon hues have dominated the recent runways, but the joltingly bright shade can be a little intimidating to pull off in everyday life, especially considering how often we wear black! To make the trend more wearable in everyday life, we worked with our partners at Gap for an easy styling solution that incorporates just a touch of neon for a big impact. Our FabSugar TV host, Allison McNamara, has a basic rule for neon: pair it with solid, neutral tones and keep the silhouette clean. For a downtown edgy look, she layered a neon tee under a gray top and cream blazer, and paired it with slick leather pants. For a more feminine take that's great for the office, she substituted a full black skirt for the pants, and chose a pink v-neck to wear under the cream blazer. Her sophisticated, but insanely easy-to-wear looks prove that neon isn't an '80s leftover; rather, it's a fresh way to brighten up a neutral outfit. If you love this, check out what we did with bright blue khakis.

What to Expect When You're Expecting Set Visit: Elizabeth Banks on Her Fake Bump and Personal Baby Joy

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:05:11 PST

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood will share the big screen in the upcoming comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting, which follows different mothers-to-be as they prepare for the arrivals of their bundles of joy. Cameron Diaz, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, and Elizabeth Banks are among the famous ladies who strapped on fake baby bumps to portray different kinds of pregnant women, and Banks's character, Wendy, doesn't exactly have an easy time of it.

I visited the Atlanta set of the film last year, where Banks was shooting a climactic scene in which her character addresses all the woes of pregnancy - in an auditorium with a rather large audience. The hilarious meltdown, which you can see in the opening of the trailer for What to Expect When You're Expecting, includes harsh truths like "I'm calling it: pregnancy sucks." It was great fun to see Banks film the passionate speech again and again, especially since the funny lady mixed up her one-liners from one take to another. What was even more interesting was seeing all of the extras who played the audience members, since the group of women was a mix of actual pregnant women and women rocking fake baby bumps.

I chatted with Banks about her own experience filming the movie, and she revealed that she actually felt like she was in her own little movie, since she doesn't have much screen time with her costars. Banks was refreshingly honest about not having any parenting tips and also admitted that though welcoming her son, Felix, has brought her a great deal of joy, it hasn't changed her stance on how she feels about kids in general. Here's more of what Banks had to say about pregnancy and motherhood:

What inspired you to take this role?
Elizabeth Banks: I cried when I read the script. It has a really great ending: at the end of the movie, everybody has a baby! It really is just a very relatable story for everyone: anybody who is a parent, has considered being a parent, has a baby, whatever. It's just very universal, what happens in the film. We really explore so many great storylines and different paths to getting a child. I had a unique path to getting my son, so I understand how everybody's path to their child is different.

How does it feel to wear the bump?
EB: It's sweaty! [Laughs] I think it's probably a decent approximation; it weighs a good 10 lbs. The boobs weigh about 6 lbs. They are really unbelievable. It's fun. It definitely makes you sit and walk in a totally different way. As an actor, it's a great prop.

How did you change when you became a mom?
EB: I get drunk much faster and easier, and it's a big problem, so I can't go out very much. I find that I underestimated the amount of joy. I'm really learning about my capacity for joy through my son.

To see what Banks had to say about baby fever and her parenting tips, just keep reading.

In Defense of the Chronically Late Mom

BabyCenter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:01:11 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Betsy Shaw about being late for school.

If I were to wear a scarlet letter it would be T.

T for tardy. T for turd ball. T for totally inept mother.

We are late for school with such alarming regularity it’s embarrassing. The last time we were on time, after a mini snowstorm that excited my children enough to urge them into their snowsuits and outside at 6:30 a.m., we got to school five minutes early to find it dark and empty. Delayed opening. I was apparently the only mother who didn’t get the memo.

Calling Charlie Brown…

Being late for school brings up a vicious brew of conflicting emotion in me. On the one hand I just don’t care. Life is short. Far too short to risk traumatizing your children with a bullwhip and terrorizing morning walkers and squirrels, not to mention my own white-knuckled children, speeding our way to school like Toad on a motorcar bender each weekday morning.

On the other hand I am ashamed, deeply embarrassed, to be “that mom.” All the other moms can do it, even the single ones. Why. Can’t. I? What’s wrong with me?

I complained about this once to a woman from South Carolina who I met on my Guatemala trip and she told me her school started at 7:30. She also made it clear her kids were never late.

Never late.

Keep reading for more of Betsy's reasoning for being late.

Valentine's Day Bouquet Inspiration From Flora Grubb

Elka Karl — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:00:16 PST

If I had my druthers, I'd have fresh flowers in every room of my home year-round. But a standard bouquet of roses simply isn't my taste. When it comes to bouquets, I prefer flowers that embrace the other - grasses, succulents, tillandsia, even carnivorous plants, are all favorites in my bouquets. Thankfully, San Francisco's own Flora Grubb is the go-to resource for beautiful, out-of-the-ordinary arrangements. Flora's on-site floral designer, Susie Nadler, is responsible for the gorgeous bouquets you'll see in the following pages. She's available for events, weddings, and parties.

Additionally, local residents can take advantage of three upcoming events at Flora Grubb, including two free succulent arrangement classes and a fee-based bird cage aerium class. Keep clicking for a look at some unusually gorgeous floral arrangements, as well as a link to the Valentine's Day arrangements Flora Grubb is offering this year!

Meet Me in Moscow: A Russian Food Primer

Lizzie Fuhr — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:45:20 PST

Whenever you're complaining about the ferocity of Winter, just remember things are much, much colder in other parts of the world. But while Russian Winters may be brutal, they've got plenty of amazing, comforting recipes with flavors designed to take that chill out of your bones. It's time to call up your babushka, put on your copy of Doctor Zhivago, and grab a tall glass of vodka, if you see fit! It's time to get reading about the delicious dishes Russian cuisine has to offer.

Dishes:

Solyanka: The base of the spicy and sour solyanka soup consists of pickled cucumbers with brine, cabbage, mushrooms, sour cream, and dill. It's either served with meat, fish, or mushrooms.
Pirozhki : Pirozhki are small buns that are stuffed typically with a savory filling and then baked or fried. Some typical fillings include meat, onion, eggs, mashed potatoes, or cabbage.
Stroganov: Beef stroganov, or stroganoff, is cooked up in many a cafeteria today, but this recipe originated in Russia. It's typically pieces of beef served up in a sour cream-based sauce on top of egg noodles.
Blini: These thin, crepelike pancakes are enjoyed with either a savory or sweet topping. As opposed to the French crepe, blinis are made from buckwheat and are part of traditional Russian cuisine.
Borscht: Soups are a staple of a traditional Russian diet. And borscht is the czar of these soups. While it's served up cold in many restaurants in the US, traditionally borscht, primarily made of beets, is served piping hot.
Vatrushka: This traditional Russian dessert is a big ring of flaky pastry dough with cottage cheese in the center. Similar to a delicious American-style Danish, it's typically topped off with raisins or bits of fruit.

Staples:

Smetana (sour cream): Blinis are topped off with it. Soups utilize its flavor. It's even used in dessert recipes! In short, expect to find fresh and delicious sour cream accompanying just about Russian ration you eat.
Black bread: The dark, crusty, hearty rye bread is served alongside many a Russian dish.
Ikra (caviar): Briny caviar is a definite splurge in the US, but in Russia, you can find caviar far more often on a table. It's often served with blinis or atop black bread.

Did I leave anything off? Any Russian foods you love to chow down on? Add your thoughts in the comments!

Source: Flickr User Istelleinad & geishaboy500

Celeb Style: Shailene Woodley's Little Leather Dress

Hannah Weil — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:23:32 PST

The Descendants' Shailene Woodley first caught our attention showing off her red-carpet glamour; this time, she slips into Phillip Lim Pre-Fall at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, proving she's got the fashion chops to pull off a little leather dress. The actress's look is simple enough, but in a brilliant blue hue and cool leather finish, Shailene outfits an understated, fresh take on event dressing. We love how she keeps the whole look minimal, with a pair of suede strappy heels as the perfect finish. Looking for something similar? Shop our editors' picks to channel Shailene's ultrachic style.

Vince Lambskin Leather Shift Dress - $795.00	Elizabeth and James Love - $146.99
Elaine Turner Bella Metallic Snake Envelope Clutch - Sold Out	Deborah Lippmann - Celebrity Shades Nail Polish - $16.00

Check Out the Latest Trailer For The Avengers!

Becky Kirsch — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:47:06 PST

The Super Bowl wouldn't be complete without some blockbuster movie trailers, and this year's big game came complete with a fresh look at The Avengers. This spot is short and sweet, mostly focusing on seeing the team assemble and prepare for epic battling. Though the first Avengers trailer is more satisfying and in-depth, this little teaser is keeping us excited for the film's Summer release. Plus, we get a much better look at The Hulk (who actually looks pretty similar to the big green guy we saw in the Ed Norton movie.)

Take a peek at the new preview when you

read more. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Our 30 Favorite Pre-Fall Accessories - Fresh Finds From Phillip Lim, Stella McCartney, and Jason Wu

Hannah Weil — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:02:46 PST

We're taking a closer look at the standout details of the Pre-Fall 2012 collections. In this batch of fresh arm and statement footwear from Stella McCartney, Phillip Lim, and Jason Wu, we've picked the best of the bunch. Stella McCartney zeroes in on that London sophisticate with downtown cool; Jason Wu delivers a crop of ladylike bags and shoes - all with pretty pops of color and dainty detailing; and Phillip Lim crafts his minimalist cool with a brilliant palette (like the update on the Pashli in a cherry hue!). Inside, we're picking favorites and zeroing in on the pieces we love. Click on for a glimpse of the goodies to come.