BuzzSugar

First Listen: Blake Lewis, "Break Anotha"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:30:40 PDT

Hey, remember Blake Lewis? The beatboxing American Idol contestant who made women everywhere swoon? We haven't heard much from ol' Blake since he finished second to Jordin Sparks in the Idol finale, but now he's prepping his first album, Audio Day Dream, scheduled to hit stores in early December.

His first single, "Break Anotha," is now streaming on AOL's PopEater, and after listening to it a few times through, I ... kinda like it. It has hints of Blake's signature beatboxing, but it's more outright danceable than anything he performed on Idol, with a pretty great beat backing Blake's falsetto chorus. Just over two minutes in, the song gets all crazy with a horn section break and synth-y vocal effects. It's kind of the sonic equivalent of a strobe light, and I'm not sure I love it, but I respect how weird it is.

Idolator also has another leaked Blake Lewis track, "Know My Name," which is also a strange musical soup. This one is a lot heavier on the synthesizers, and it reminds me of how a slightly lamer Justin Timberlake might sound if backed by a college a capella choir. Which is not to say it's bad. I mean, it's kind of a mess, but it's a mess I'm oddly compelled to listen to, which must mean something.

Check out the songs and let me know what you think. Is this how you expected Blake's album to sound?

Source

Model Liya Kebede Talks Minimal Makeup in Cannes

Allie Merriam — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:25:43 PDT

For model Liya Kebede, Cannes feels like magic. "It gets into you the minute you arrive here," she said this morning. "It's very glamorous, and I like that it's very international as well. You see all these different people from all over the world coming with their films, which is great." It's been a big year for Liya, who was named a L'Oréal Paris brand ambassador last June and is making forays into the film world. She's currently working on The Best Offer from Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore.

There's more to Liya than her stunning looks, though. She won a BellaSugar beauty award thanks to her philanthropic efforts. Her eponymous foundation is dedicated to improving maternal health, and she's created a clothing line, Lemlem, which helps support craftswomen in her native Ethiopia. Today, the supermodel talked about her various work endeavors and shared her best tips on beauty, the inside scoop on her own makeup routine, and more.

BellaSugar: It's pretty surreal here. Have you ever had an incredible Cannes moment?
Liya Kebede: I think you get it every time you get here. Last time, I ran into Woody Allen in the lobby. You can't believe it - it's just insane. There's so many of these great people and stars. At some point, you don't even react anymore. You get overstimulated. Every corner is some incredible person, or you go to a party and it's full of everybody. It's amazing. You just go, "I'm in Cannes!"

BellaSugar: And part of Cannes, is of course, getting made up and looking great, which you're quite familiar with, I'm sure. What's the best tip you've learned from the pros?
Liya Kebede: Less is more. If you're going do an eye thing, then don't do a lip thing. Try to find a balance about what you do. Also, nothing is necessarily specific - using a lip thing on your eye or cheeks is fine, and it works, and it's light. Play around! Nothing is so fixed.

For the rest of our chat with Liya, just read more

9 Ways to Earn Extra Cash When Money Is Tight

Wise Bread — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:51:58 PDT

I'm sure everyone can do with a little more cash in their wallets. Here are some great suggestions by Wise Bread for you to make extra money.

Even though I'm self-employed full-time, I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to make more money.

Earlier this year, I wrote a Wise Bread post on websites that can help you earn extra cash. More recently, I came across a blog post on Zaarly titled, "10 Ways to Make Money Without a Job." After reviewing the latter post, I thought it was time to revisit the topic and let you in on a few more ways to get paid.

The ideas that Zaarly presents are perfect for the unemployed or those who just want to pad their pockets a little more. In addition, there are moonlighting jobs that I do that I thought you should know about. Thus, if you're without a steady paycheck or you just want to build up a rainy-day stash, here are some of your options.

1. Offer Experiences to Strangers

I recently learned about a new site called Vayable, which allows people with specialized knowledge and talents, local info, and time on their hands to create experiences that others can purchase. It's basically a touring and activity company without the company. Anyone can join the site and set up an experience. For instance, the Kan Brothers offer motorcycle tours of San Francisco - which include helmet rental, a drink at a local hot spot, and a city map - for two to four people at $75 per person. In New York City, Kim G. is offering a personalized painting lesson for groups of two to six for a flat rate of $300; the experience includes acrylic paints; canvas board and supplies; studio space; wine, cheese, and crackers; and Kim’s undivided attention. Consider this tip if you're interested in joining Vayable: Browse the site to see what other people in your area are offering. By creating a unique experience that no one else has established, you have a better chance of getting booked.

Read on for more.

Glee-ful Highlights From Season Finale "Goodbye"

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:00:40 PDT

We say goodbye to McKinley High's graduating class of 2012 on this week's season finale of Glee, and while we'll be seeing a lot of these characters next year, for some, it was their swan song (pardon the pun). Everyone is feeling nostalgic, not the least of whom is Mr. Schue, who gives the kids an assignment of picking a goodbye song. The episode is mostly devoted to the characters giving each other touching send-offs, which made me feel sentimental too.

There's a pretty big development at the end of the episode that I was expecting, but it surprised me by how bittersweet it actually is. Ready to break down the highlights of the Glee season finale? Just keep reading.

5 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Paying For College

LearnVest — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:15:23 PDT

Paying for college is such a complex issue. LearnVest helps simplify it by answering some key questions in regard to paying tuition.

If you believe everything you read, then you might think you need to be a Rockefeller to have kids.

That, of course, isn't the case.

Yes, kids are expensive, and thinking about paying for a college education can be scary and frustrating . . . but that's where we come in.

As with everything else in life, figuring out what to do about your kid's college savings is all about the planning, says Stephany Kirkpatrick, CFP, LearnVest's director of financial planning. Depending on where you are in life right now and how old your kids are, you may have questions about how to set up a 529 plan (which is an education savings plan designed to help families set aside funds for future college costs), what to look for, and when to start saving.

If you're pregnant or have a newborn and are starting to think about this, then good for you! The earlier you get started socking away cash for their college, the easier it will be. You'll learn a lot in this article, but you should also check out our Baby on Board Bootcamp, which will tell you everything you need to know - financially - to be ready for a baby. It includes 529 advice, as well as financial tips on everything from putting together a will and picking out a life insurance policy to buying nursery basics.
If your kid is slightly older and you’ve done your research but haven’t yet started saving in a 529 plan, then first read the four mistakes to avoid when choosing a 529 plan, and then check out the different college savings plans available to you.
If this is the first you’re thinking about it, no matter your kid's ageI, then don't worry about it. You have to start somewhere!

Read on for more.

What It Takes to Buy a Home

Kiplinger — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:14:47 PDT

Do you have what it takes to buy a home? Consider this exhaustive guide from Kiplinger.

Tired of renting? It could be a great time to buy your first home. In many cities, home prices have bottomed, and rents have risen. Mortgage rates are still superlow. In fact, homes haven't been as affordable since 1971. On the downside, in many cities, buyers have fewer homes from which to choose and more competition for the best houses.

In Austin, TX, newlyweds Mark and Ariane Corcoran bought their first home in March. They were renting in a popular downtown neighborhood, where they paid $1,200 a month for a 500-square-foot loft apartment, when they inherited enough money for a down payment. When they began shopping, they expected to buy a classic 1930s Austin bungalow. They found lots of prospects online but drove by most of them. "Agents are really good at taking photos that exclude what they don't want you to see, like the used-car lot out back," says Mark.

They put in an offer on a $225,000, 800-square-foot home. But after the home inspection, they realized that it needed $20,000 to $30,000 in renovations and repairs and that they'd quickly outgrow it. They walked away during the state-mandated rescission period (during which a buyer can back out for any reason and get back any earnest money deposited).

Ariane identified their next prospect within an hour after the listing appeared online. It was a newly built, 1,600-square-foot home with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a yard for the dogs. The builder asked $270,000, the couple offered $260,000, he countered, and they paid $268,000. They put down 20 percent to avoid private mortgage insurance and snagged a 30-year fixed rate of 3.75 percent from a credit union. Their monthly mortgage payment is $1,524.

Before you take the plunge, consider the answers to questions often posed by first-time buyers. Read on for what to ask yourself.

The Hottest Spots in the World For Design Inspiration: Morocco, Britain, Cuba, and Two Other Amazing Destinations

Guest Writer — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:56:53 PDT

We're thrilled to present a post from Ashley Read at SFA Design. Ashley recently attended the Los Angeles design event, Legends, and reported back to us on the latest trends and inspirations from the event.

Named "LA's premier destination for home design" by House Beautiful, the La Cienega Design Quarter is chock-full of the hottest interior design studios, showrooms, and galleries. Until recently, this chic neighborhood has been a trade secret among design professionals, but with the 4th Annual Legends of La Cienega event coming to a close, it seems that the LCDQ is a secret no more!

For those not yet in the know, the Legends event is a who's who gathering of the top designers, design publications, and vendors, similar to the West Week events, but in a more relaxed, neighborly setting. Each year comes with a relevant theme: last year celebrated art, and for 2012, Legends designers shared their international inspirations via "Windows to the World," complete with panel discussions and window displays depicting an exciting array of location-based inspirations from Abu Dhabi to Antarctica, Kenya to Côte d'Azur.

Attending all of the amazing panel discussions was a real eye-opener and definitely caused me to add a few new spots to my "travel bucket list!" Check out a few international inspiration tips we picked up from the A-list Legends panelists, and instead of Paris or Tuscany, try looking to Fes, Morocco, or Vietnam as your next design muse . . .

Online Dating: 5 Ways To Stand Out From The Crowd

YourTango — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:50:50 PDT

We're happy to present this excerpt from one of our favorite sites, YourTango. Today, David Osterczy gives us an excerpt from his new book 101 Online Dating Tips.

Here is a smattering of tips from my latest book, Dating DeMistyfied, 101 Online Dating Tips.

I've left out much of "the meat and potatoes," but left in enough content for you to get an indication of what you will learn from this book. This book was written from 10 years of Internet dating experience, thousands of interviews with both men and women and research garnered from our last five to six Dating DeMistyfied Workshops.

Put great effort into writing your profile. Show passion and humor.

I mean really, if you can't have fun writing a simple online profile, then what sort of person do you suppose that you'll attract? Way back in 2001, I submitted my first profile to Match.com. I had no experience writing profiles but just figured what the hell . . . let's have fun!

I wrote the text on a Sunday night and didn't check my email until Friday night. During the five days I was "away," I received nearly 150 emails from about 120 women. Yes, some wrote me up to three times during that week! I was shocked, but realized that I was on to something!

The point that I'm attempting to make is to be sure that your personality comes through in the profile. If you're silly or funny, then by all means, portray that! If you're really smart and have a lot to say, then say it! If you're sarcastic - in a good way - then allow that to come through. If you're not into writing, like many are not, then just do the best that you can but make sure to come across as you. After all, you are the only one that you really know how to be!

Just have fun folks! Be honest and definitely ask for what you want when describing what you seek in a mate. Write in the same manner as you speak so that each person reading your profile feels that you're talking directly to him or her. After all, that is what we're all here for!

Make sure to upload only the clearest, best and most recent photos.

You'd think that this would be a no brainer, but the more you surf the personals online, the more you'll be shocked at the sheer idiocy of some people and the pictures they submit to dating sites. Photos are your first line of attack, and if they suck, no-one will even read your wonderful, well thought out profile! I'm not telling you that you need to go out and get professional shots taken, but I have friends who have done very well going exactly that route.

Simply put, if you don't have any decent, clear photos of yourself, then grab your digital (you know that you have one!) and grab some friends and spend the day taking lots of photos alone and in groups. It is critically important that you have a variety of pictures. Have some close-ups (head-shots) so that people can see how beautiful your eyes are, some full length shots so they can get an idea of your body type and some group photos so they know that you actually leave the house and can be social.

For the rest of the article, head to YourTango: Online Dating: 5 Ways To Stand Out From The Crowd

Written by David Osterczy for YourTango.

Once Upon a Time Stars Dish About Their Hopes For Season Two

Maggie Pehanick — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:30:01 PDT

ABC's hit show Once Upon a Time has been renewed for a second season of fairy-tale fun, and no one is more excited than the cast. We caught up with some of the stars of the show at ABC's Upfronts party in New York City and chatted about who they'd be excited to see on the show, and what upcoming ABC shows they're adding to their DVRs.

BuzzSugar: Where do you hope your character goes next season?

Josh Dallas (Prince Charming / David): I just hope it gets more and more complex and intricate. I hope they give more of the backstory of Charming and who he is. We still don’t know his real name. We don’t know the whole story with him and his mother and his father. I think what’s great is that we’re going to be able to go back and look at all the characters that we’ve already established and dig deeper and deeper into them, and also have new people from the fairy-tale world.

Buzz: Which characters from the fairy-tale world would you like to see introduced?

Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White / Mary Margaret): Oh, I’d love to meet Ariel, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty - her job might be a little boring though.

JD: I would love to see Jack and the Beanstalk. I would love to see Ariel, The Little Mermaid, there are so many!

Lana Parilla (The Queen / Regina): There have been rumors about a mermaid appearance so I’m sad that I won’t be playing it. Every little girl’s dream is to play a mermaid. I had all my cousins convinced I was a mermaid when I was little, I was a better swimmer and they couldn’t go as far as I could out in the ocean.

See what else the Once Upon a Time stars had to say after the jump.

Tom Cruise Gets Shirtless, Looks Hot in the New W!

Allie Merriam — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:17:40 PDT

Tom Cruise is shirtless on the cover of June's W magazine. He posed for a spread tattooed up and channeling his Rock of Ages character Stacee Jaxx. The movie, a big-screen adaptation of a musical, is out in the US on June 15 and sees Tom paired up on the big screen with costars Julianne Hough, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, and many more. Tom spoke with the publication about his desire to make a musical at this point in his career, as well as his background in music. He apparently even suggested an addition to the cast to director Adam Shankman. Here are highlights from Tom Cruise's interview in W:

On growing up singing: "I did the scene from Risky Business around the house. I would sing Bob Seger - my mother worked, my sisters were out, and I'd turn the music up. I learned how to dance watching Soul Train. I noticed that if a guy could dance, he'd get a lot of attention and girls would want to dance with him. I worked very hard at imitating those moves."
On making a musical at this point in his career: "Kate [Holmes] loves musicals. She sings and dances, and we kind of went through the history of musicals together. And Suri loved Hairspray. With kids, you watch everything over and over; I watched Hairspray 15 times with Suri. I thought Adam Shankman did a great job directing the movie, so I arranged to meet him and said, 'Where's our musical?' He came back and said, 'Rock of Ages.' We went and saw it in LA, and for me . . . I didn't know how to play the character like that. I had to find my own Stacee Jaxx."
On taking vocal lessons: "I needed to find out if I could really sing! . . . And then I had to learn how to play guitar. I'm very good at air guitar - and air drums - but I had never played an actual guitar. After working for weeks on Stacee’s technical skills, I was thinking about the character, and I said, 'You know what? I need a monkey.' Adam said, 'What the f-ck are you talking about?' And I said, 'I'm serious - I need a monkey.' When Stacee's not on stage, he's kind of sad. And I thought, 'This guy has to have a monkey that's his best friend.' Adam found this baboon. He sent me the baboon’s audition tape, and I said, 'The baboon's name has to be Hey Man [laughs].' Stacee Jaxx doesn't work without Hey Man."