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Song of the Day: Kings of Leon, "On Call"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 07:11:40 PDT

Kings of Leon hail from Tennessee, but the band probably wouldn't get very far on "Nashville Star." The family foursome (including three brothers and a cousin) makes guitar- and bass-heavy Southern rock that just sounds unwholesome. And that's precisely why I like it.

I was a big fan of the band's debut album, Youth & Young Manhood, and though I could never really get into 2005's Aha Shake Heartbreak, I'm heartened by what I've heard off of the band's new album, Because of the Times, which comes out today. In particular, I'm liking the gradual swagger of "Fans" and the space-age organ on "On Call," which you can listen to when you

The Couple Who Inspired The Vow

Annie Scudder — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:55 PST

Kim and Krickitt Carpenter sold the movie rights to their unforgettable love story back in 1996. But it took until this week for that film, The Vow, to come out. The Carpenters married in September 1993, and less than 10 weeks later, a car accident left them both injured and Krickitt in a coma. Once she woke up, she had no memory of her husband.

Besides the coma and memory loss, The Vow doesn't quite follow the story of Kim (played by Channing Tatum) and Krickitt (played by Rachel McAdams) to the exact details. The real-life couple had met serendipitously over the phone when Kim, a baseball coach living in New Mexico, had called the sport shop Krickitt was working at in Southern California. Hitting it off, they talked for hours on the phone each week, and soon Kim invited Krickitt to visit him in New Mexico. After a whirlwind romance they soon got married.

The accident soon ended their newlywed bliss, and the couple described life after Krickitt's amnesia in a 1996 People article. "I honestly didn't think our marriage would work," Kim admitted thinking when his wife seemed to be a completely different person, but he said he "made a vow before God" to stick it out. She remembered asking, "'How did I do the wife thing? Did I cook for you? Did I bring you lunch?'" And she told herself, "I figured, if I fell in love with this guy before, I guess I just need to meet him again."

The accident happened in 1993, and on Valentine's Day 1996, Kim proposed again to his wife Krickitt and she accepted. In 2000, they wrote a book about their experience, The Vow: The Kim and Krickitt Carpenter Story. Although she never regained memory of the 18 months she had forgotten after her coma, they stayed together and have two kids, whom they brought to this week's premiere of The Vow. See photos of the Carpenters and their movie star alter egos now.

The Office, "Special Project": Best Lines of The Night

Lizzie Fuhr — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:11:30 PST

In this week's episode of The Office, Dwight has been chosen to spearhead a three week assignment in Tallahassee. He's putting together "a competent team" that will assist him on the mission, setting up a number of new Sabre locations. Half the episode deals with various relationship issues, and the rest is essentially an audition for the team that will head to Florida. There are some important plot points revealed: Val and Darryl vaguely express their feelings for each other, and Erin tells us she wants to head to Florida for good. While "Special Project" definitely has potential, this week just kind of landed flat for me.

Regardless, there are a few funny moments that stood out in my mind. To read a few of my fave lines from "Special Project," just keep reading.

A Doctor Dishes: Which "Superfoods" Are Worth the Cost?

LearnVest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

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

Most people you speak to these days are trying to stretch every dollar as far as possible - even the ones they spend buying apples and oranges.

Food prices are expected to increase yet again this year, and food manufacturers are making portions smaller without reducing prices. Not surprisingly, a recent Rasmussen poll found that 93 percent of adults report paying more for groceries now than they did a year ago.

So how can we supercharge our grocery dollars and get them to do overtime for us?

Yes, some foods are obviously a better nutritional deal than others (think apples vs. potato chips), but there’s another class of foods that blows the rest of the field away in terms of nutrients and health-protecting qualities: superfoods.

Superfoods can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, repair damage to your body’s cells, and more. But before you go piling them into your cart, know that some superfoods are better nutritional bargains than others. As a doctor and a mom, I’ve sleuthed out which ones are worth the extra cost in terms of their long-term health benefits. Below is the scoop on which ones may help you age better, ward off cancer, and more.

What to Know Before Buying Superfoods

Before we dive into what to buy, there are a few important things to remember about consuming these foods:

Eating foods fresh and in their natural state, especially fruits and vegetables (rather than in pill or powder supplement form), usually allows us to absorb the greatest amount of their nutrients. The way a superfood is processed or cooked can significantly lower its antioxidant content.
If the superfood can’t be eaten fresh, look for easy and appetizing recipes containing it. No matter how “super” a superfood may be, if you don’t know how to cook it, you’ll probably let it go to waste.

Are Superfoods "Good Buys" If I’m Shopping on a Budget?

Read on to find out.

The Vampire Diaries "Dangerous Liaisons": The Good, The Bad, and The Bloody

Shannon Vestal — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:57:03 PST

The original vampire family hosts a ball on this week's episode of The Vampire Diaries, and the whole town puts on their finest formal wear for the event of the supernatural season. Elena has two dates to the event, but it's her date to meet the original witch that gives us insight into what's in store for Klaus and his siblings.

Speaking of Klaus, we get some developments between him and Caroline that are sweet and promising (even if she's a bit cautious to date him because of his cruelty in the past and general bloodlust). There's also a hot hookup that I didn't see coming, so there's lots to talk about this week. To get to the good, the bad, and the bloody, just keep reading.

25 of Our Favorite Romances - and the Stylish Looks We Want to Steal

Marisa Tom — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:56:38 PST

Our favorite romantic movies - rom-coms included - have the ability to transport us from our couch to falling in love aboard the RMS Titanic, to sipping lattes in a quaint café in Montmartre, to attending Beverly Hills High with best friends Dionne and Tai, and beyond. In a nutshell, it's pretty great. To add to their cinematic charm, these flicks not only have us daydreaming of modern-day knights in shining armor, but they've also made quite the stylish impression. We can't help but call to mind An Affair to Remember's dreamy '50s wardrobe, Ali MacGraw's classic American style in Love Story, or even Cameron Diaz's Winter-luxe looks in The Holiday. From period pieces to last year's Ryan Gosling takeover, we've rounded up a sweet mix of Valentine's Day-perfect flicks that just so happen to flaunt some fun fashion, too. Click through to see our editors' picks and shop your favorite looks.

Get the Sweater-fied Hair Effect From Richard Chai Love

Jaime Richards — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:22:10 PST

You know that amazing moment when you pull off a sweater and your hair looks perfectly disheveled immediately thereafter? That's just the effect hairstylist Kevin Ryan (for Aveda) wanted to capture when creating the lifted, slightly mussed coiffures at Richard Chai Love.

To create the play on texture, particularly at the crown, Ryan began by spritzing the brand's Volumizing Tonic on models' hair. After blow-drying, he applied Brilliant Humectant to slick back the sides and added Control Granules for extra texture. Then, right before they hit the runway, Ryan switched around models' hair parts to create what he calls a "jump up on the front." The result was pretty hair with a little "strange volume" - sans the static cling, of course. See shots of the lived-in hair up close and learn more about the androgynous makeup and nail looks now.

Daily Tech: Speaking Out Against Apple

GeekSugar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:55:13 PST

Protests head to the Apple store today - Newser
Superman's Fortress of Solitude is real! - Cracked
Just how big is the universe? - Dvice
A sci-fi and fantasy teen Summer writing camp backed by sci-fi heavyweights - PopCandy
FBI called Steve Jobs "deceptive" - SlashGear
Knitting needles used in space make for an awesome video - Tecca

What Is Twig Tea, Anyway?

Camilla Salem — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:45:16 PST

Alicia Silverstone claims that twig tea, also called kukicha, cures just about everything. And we've been noticing it appearing in more and more stores (we also saw it a few times at the Fancy Food Show). But what's the deal with all of the hype?

Twig tea is essentially a Japanese blend of the tough stems, stalks, and twigs from the Camellia sinensis plant. These bits usually get discarded, but when they're saved, toasted, and steeped in water, kukicha is formed. The flavor is nutty and slightly creamy, and since most of the caffeine is stored in the leaves of the plant, you won't get the same buzz from a cup of this stuff as you would a cup of green or black tea, so this is a great option for anyone trying to eliminate caffeine from his or her life. Its alkalizing properties and low caffeine level also make it a beverage of choice for the macrobiotic diet.

Kukicha tastes deliciously rich and toasted, which is the perfect way to start your day (in fact, there is a quality about it that reminds me of a good cup of coffee). Steep your twig tea in freshly boiled water for four to five minutes. Have you ever tried it?

A Closer Look at Scandinavian Woodburning Stoves

Elka Karl — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:00:17 PST

Scandinavian interior design is one of my absolute favorite decorating styles, and one standout feature in many Scandinavian homes is the traditional stove that regally occupies a corner of a bedroom or living room.

Most Scandinavian stoves are column-shaped, ceramic, and white in color. Similar to the one pictured here, they also often feature a crown-like adornment near the top - a nod to the countries' shared history of monarchy rule.

These stoves are usually ceramic masonry heaters, sometimes called tile stoves or contra-flow stoves. Most commonly, wood is burned in the stoves, and heat is radiated through the thermal mass of the heaters.

This ancient, efficient technology is seen throughout the world in many forms. Some varieties include the German kachelofen, the Finnish kaakeliuuni, and the Chinese Kang bed-stove.

While these stoves' main advantage is their ability to efficiently heat a home, they also are a gorgeous addition to a room - much more so, in my opinion, than the American fireplace. Are you a fan of the look of these stoves as well?

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