Christmas Classics

So today is Christmas Eve. It is that time that we have all waited for. When our families will get together and eat tons of food, when presents we have meticulously wrapped down to the last piece of tape, will be ripped to shreds and when we can get away with watching A Christmas Story fifty times in a row, and not just because that's all that TBS plays.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, pun intended, and as I sit here at work (yes I have to work today until 1pm and there are actually people in here working out, now I call that dedication), I figured I'd try to fill the couple of hours before I leave, with a little writing and a thought or two about which Christmas Classics put me in a holiday cheer and make me dream of sugarplum fairies.

"All I Want For Christmas is You"-Mariah Carey
This song is one of those instant Christmas classics and can have anyone singing as soon as you hear those little bells at the intro. Any version of this song has me merry and I find that it is my favorite Christmas tune. Of course no version can compare to Mariah Carey's version and those high notes she hits are insane and reminiscent of a note only dogs can hear. The Michael Buble version of this song has me swooning like there's no tomorrow, and call me crazy but I really enjoy the Big Time Rush version of the song. This song is definitely on my Christmas playlist, and it should be on yours too!

"The Chanukah Song"-Adam Sandler
So, no, I am not Jewish, and I guess technically I don't celebrate Hanukkah, but I'm a sucker for a good piece of chocolate covered Matza and Eight Crazy Nights, another fantastic Sandler concoction! I literally can sing this song at any time of year and yes, I do know all of the words that Sandler sings. It's so catchy and makes me laugh each and every time. This is another one that has continually been on my holiday play list for as long as I knew what a play list was.

"Baby, It's Cold Outside"
I guess this song could technically be a winter song because there is no real talk of Christmas or Hanukkah, but either way it's definitely one of my favorite toe tappers. The Gleek in me especially enjoys the version they came out with last year, featuring Chris Colfer and Darren Criss.

"How The Grinch Stole Christmas"

Okay, so moving on to movies, this is one of my favorite Christmas movies! I love either version, whether that be the cartoon version that looks like the book literally just came to life in front of you; or the Jim Carrey version. For this instance, I am talking about the Jim Carrey one. It never fails to make me smile, and just as the Grinch, I feel as if my heart grows three times that day. I especially love watching Molly Shannon as the mother putting out the ridiculous lights on her roof top, and those Whos remind me how crazy people can really be around this time of year.


"A Christmas Story"

As mentioned above, I love watching this movie a million times around Christmas time. Yes, it plays all the time on TBS, but I also own the DVD and love watching it whenever I remember it's sitting in my drawer behind seasons one through five of Friends. I mean the BB gun incident? The tongue getting stuck to the flag pole? Christmas dinner being ruined, only to go to a Chinese restaurant?Classic. And embarrassingly enough, I have kind of always wanted to buy one of those mini leg lamps to put on my dresser(how funny would that be?).

Okay, so I think that's a good representation of what types of songs and movies I try to watch around this time of year. Anything having to do with the Christmas spirit and holiday cheer, while completely cheesy and laughable, is also completely adorable and enjoyable.

Like I have mentioned before, Christmas isn't my favorite of holidays, personally I think it's a whole lot of fuss for one day and then everyone gets in this post-Christmas depression reeling from the amounts of food they ate, the gifts they need to return and the decorations they need to dismantle.

But, I digress. Even though this holiday isn't my favorite(I'm quite partial to Halloween or my birthday), I am a sucker for the holiday season and the movies and music it brings. So, if you need to find me tonight, I'll be watching one of these movies or perhaps You-tubing some of my favorite Christmas specials from some of my favorite television shows. One things for sure, I'll be blasting my holiday play list on the drive all the way up to my sister's house.

I'm sure I'll be back tomorrow with another holiday installment, considering everyone goes to sleep so early and I like to surf the web at 1am.

Merry Christmas Eve!
Xoxo, DC

Wreck This Journal

So, as it says in the description of this blog, I talk about everything and anything pop culture. What I have realized, however, is that I have yet to discuss any books. So, for my first official book post, I thought I'd discuss something that just recently came to my attention.

The book is called, Wreck This Journal, and it is written by Keri Smith.

This is what you would consider a journal with prompts; pages that tell you what to do and give you ideas of what to write. Prompt journals can come in handy for those of us who like the idea of having a journal but sometimes run into that always awkward, writer's block.

I know, from personal experience, that keeping a journal, or even a blog for that matter, can be a difficult task. Sometimes, we get caught up in life to really keep up with it. And don't get me wrong, personally, I'm a big believer in getting out there and living life rather than just writing about it, which is why I love pictures, camera phones and twitpic to document my insane excursions. But, on the other side of the coin, writing about your adventures or your day can be kind of therapeutic, so a journal is a good idea. As Stefan Salvatore from Vampire Diaries said when he was referring to his journal, "memories are just too important."

Anyway, as I always seem to do, I have digressed. But, to get back on track...

Wreck This Journal is a prompt journal, but it is not what you think. The point of the book is exactly what the title suggests; it is to wreck the journal. Page after page tells you to do things to the journal that you would never think of doing to a journal. The point of the journal is to destroy it and be creative in a way you never thought you could be. You are asked to spill coffee on it, rip pages, shower with the book and numerous other things that seem insane, but in the best possible way. The point of it is to release the hold we all seem to have and realize not everything can be perfect and controlled. It's supposed to be cathartic and can really be a great boredom killer as well.


I first found out about this book on Tumblr, everyone's favorite procrastination tool. People were talking about wrecking a journal and to be honest, I thought the whole idea seemed weird and pointless. I am a big book nerd, and to destroy a book or even have one whose sole purpose was to destroy it, seems wrong. I immediately passed by the idea.

When I came across the idea of this journal again, my best friend had pulled it out of her bag to show me. She had already colored in it and drawn all over the pages and I looked through the book and instantly became enthralled in it's purpose. The instructions in the beginning call for creativity and to just be insane, and being that I consider myself both, I figured it would be a cool idea to try out.

I am ordering one for me and one of my best friends who considers herself a perfectionist. The point is for us to think outside of the box and let loose and maybe to realize that nothing is perfect and life is messy, and just as the journal will be when we are done, things can be wrecked.

For more information, go check out amazon. The book has rave reviews and only costs a few bucks. So if nothing else, it could be a great way to pass the time between Christmas and Spring semester. I, personally, can not wait to give this a try. Once I get it, I'll definitely keep you all posted about my progress and how I feel this book really is.

Christmas Came Early on SNL

On December 17, Jimmy Fallon hosted the Christmas episode of Saturday Night Live.

Ever since high school, I have become addicted to the world's favorite comedy show; watching countless skits and sketches, memorizing the cast lists of both present and past seasons, and reliving the glory of the original shows and the newer seasons that keep me coming back. Whenever someone new hosts, I love to go through and watch every skit and scene and figure out which will become classics, which will make me scratch my head and which will make me cry of laughter no matter how many times I watch it (Stefon anyone???).

Only the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon host could pull off such an incredible and nostalgically thrilling show. Some are calling it the best episode of the season, while others in the SNL fandom are deeming it the best episode of all time. Don't believe me? Just search the Saturday Night Live tag on tumblr.

Entertainment Weekly calls the episode, "joyful and triumphant."

Anyway, being a huge Fal Pal myself, I was ridiculously excited for Fallon's triumphant return to Studio 8H, and he did not disappoint. In fact, the only disappointing part of last night's episode, was that it had to end. Oh, and did I forget to mention that the majestic songbird, Michael Buble was the musical guest. Yes? Well, there is my mention of it. And let me tell you, every time he sings, I swear an angel get it's wings. That is the expression isn't it?

So, the episode is what I would deem as perfect, but like I said, I'm already a huge fan of Jimmy. The show started with one of my all time favorite skits, the Boston Kids sketch. Rachel Dratch came back to revive her role as Zazu, or Denise to Fallon's Pat Sullivan. If there is one of the most quotable skits ever, it's this one. Or maybe that's just because I love screaming to people, "You're re-tah-ded","No,you are!". If you don't know the reference, just go Google it please. You won't be disappointed. I literally screamed in one of those super girly ways when Jimmy got to yell, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" Not surprisingly, this is always one of my favorite parts of each episode.

His monologue was amazing. He was singing, which shouldn't surprise anyone who saw him host the Emmys, or for any fan of his popular Late Night show(of which I am also addicted to). He cracked jokes at himself, mentioning how he laughs during skits, but the lyrics, "it's good to be home," were enough to make even the burliest of men tear up. The entire cast came on stage to dance with him wearing ridiculous holiday sweaters, and is it sad that I kind of want one now?

One of the funniest skits of the night, was the Michael Buble Duets sketch. The impressions were spot on, and it was hilarious. Fallon's Justin Bieber, Sting and Russel Brand impersonations truly stole the sketch; while the other impressions were spot on(I especially enjoyed Kristen Wiig's Taylor Swift impression).

I don't want to completely go through every sketch, although I would if I could, but a quick overview couldn't hurt, right?Other sketches include a mirror sketch where Jimmy is talking to himself, portrayed by Andy Samberg. That one was hilarious and Andy's impression was spot on. That was a full circle moment for the popular Late Night host; one recalls the similar sketch he did with Mick Jagger. There were some random sketches including a horse play and a ridiculously funny one where Jason Sudekis was portraying Jesus(only Sudekis could play both the devil and Jesus and pull it off seamlessly). Another picture perfect moment was the reunion of Chris Kattan, Tracy Morgan, Horatio Sanz and Fallon to sing, "I Wish Christmas Was Today." The same old moves, the same old song, and ridiculous holiday outfits to make one of the best skit revivals of the night. The entire episode was gold.

But perhaps, the best part of the entire night, was during Weekend Update. Seth Meyers made a joke, and Jimmy Fallon showed up to counter what he said. Soon, they declared it was time for a joke-off, and low and behold, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler showed up. It was like a dream. The entire bit was flawless, and to see all of the members of Weekend Update together at one desk was amazing.

Overall, I'm going to go out on a limb and discern this as the best SNL ever. The cameos were amazing, the skits were perfection, and Jimmy as host only broke character once.He did such an incredible job and you could feel his excitement through the TV screen. The goodbyes at the end of the episode were held on the ice skating rink outside 30 Rock, and the love from cast members, old and new, was incredible.

"It encompassed all the things that make the holidays — and SNL — so wonderful when done right: It reunited old friends, brought back fond memories, and made us believe there was a little bit of magic in the air,"said Entertainment Weekly's blog.

Everyone, please go watch this episode. It was amazing, and personally, I think it's worth your time. So when you're sitting at home with nothing to do, go to Hulu and watch it, and for that matter, just go watch every SNL episode you can get your hands on before the season starts up again in January!!

It aint over, until it's over!

Just because the semester has ended, and with that the reason for me constantly updating this blog has come to a close, doesn't mean I can't stop by every so often and write some ridiculous post about whatever is interesting, exciting or disturbing me in the area of pop culture.

In fact, one could argue that since I have no classes or papers to keep me busy, I would have more time to blog about my favorite things.

So, I figure I'm here to stay. And if you are seriously wondering why I would continue this, it's out of pure boredom; i.e. spending 6 hours at work, on a day when, if two people show up it's considered busy, you tend to run out of things to do both for the job and not.

So, continue checking back, because something tells me I will continually update this blog more often than not.

As it so happens, I have a few posts I am ready to write and will probably do so today at work and throughout the week. So yeah. Thanks for reading these past few months, and I hope I can continue to entertain you with my sarcastic comments and reviews on anything and everything pop culture. See you soon!

XOXO, DC

25 Days of Christmas

Can you believe it's December already? I know I can't.

It seems like just yesterday I was wearing shorts, driving with my windows down and heading to the beach instead of school. Well, whether you want to believe it or not, it's almost holiday time kids, and nothing says Christmas more, then ABC Family's annual celebration.

"25 Days of Christmas" is an event on ABC Family that starts from December 1st to December 25th. It is a 25 day special on the popular broadcast channel that shows everything from TV shows to movies about the most wonderful time of the year.

Taking a note from their always popular, "13 Nights of Halloween," the station has set up 25 days of jingle bells and ho-ho-ho's for everyone to enjoy.

The line up includes some classics like "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," and  "Mickey's Christmas Carol." Another great movie that they show is "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," starring Jim Carrey, which just so happens to be my personal favorite. I mean it's a true story of Christmas cheer and it reminds me of a time before Taylor Momsen grew up and decided that wearing just a bra and black eyeliner made her look cool. There's also a few original movies that are sure to make you smile and laugh, sometimes with the movie and other times at it but who really cares? It's the thought that counts after all.

"25 Days of Christmas" -The Band Perry

And my personal favorite thing about the event, are the millons of times that ABC Family deems appropriate to play any of the Harry Potter movies. Being a bit of a "potterhead," it excites me every time I can curl up on my couch with a fake fire burning on my laptop screen and watch my favorite boy wizard defeat he who shall not be named. And if you aren't that into the whole Hogwarts thing, than I apologize, sometimes I let my dorky side get the best of me.

Anyway, there's so much more to this event and if you are in the mood for some good old fashion holiday cheer, then look no further than ABC Family this month. Check out the schedule for more information on what's playing and when to find your favorite specials.

As for me, Christmas may not be my favorite holiday, but there are two things I love about it: One,the fresh baked cinnamon rolls my aunt makes every year that make her entire house smell like, well, cinnamon and two, watching my favorite Christmas movies to put me in the holiday mood.

Happy Watching!

Breaking Down "Breaking Dawn"

On November 18, 2011, the fourth installment of the Twilight series premiered.


Breaking Dawn Part I is the first part to the two part finale of the sparkly vampire romance series that millions of twi-hards love.

According to MSNBC.com, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1" broke the $500 million mark at worldwide box offices on Monday after its release only 12 days ago, film distributor Summit Entertainment said on Tuesday."

All of the original characters are back and better than ever. This time, the famed human-vampire couple gets hitched. While on their honeymoon, things take a turn for the interesting when Bella becomes pregnant. From there, the fun really starts. There's some wolf action and some intense moments in this film, there are even a few legitimate laughs thanks to the always gorgeous Kellan Lutz. Fans of the franchise will most definitely not be disappointed.

The acting was probably the best it's ever been. Kristen Stewart, who normally annoys me a lot, didn't make me cringe as much. She kept the lip biting and hair touching to a minimum, which I have noticed is apparently one of her signature "acting" moves. Robert Pattinson is devastatingly good looking in this one, having apparently died his hair darker to give him the whole "broody vampire" appearance. I'm proud to say he has a spot on American accent, which is a huge step up from the first movie, when almost every other word was dripping with the remnants of an accent the Queen of England herself would swoon over. Taylor Lautner is perhaps the most lovable of the trio. His acting in this one is very good, but with a shirtless scene in the rain, is anyone really paying attention to his acting?

Overall, without being too cynical. The movie was okay and a definite must see for anyone who loves the franchise. Or for anyone like me and my friends who keep up with it all just because of the sentimentality of it. I love remembering what I used to be obsessed with; it brings me back to the days of passing my road test, SATs and senioritis. I do have to say that I couldn't stop laughing throughout this movie, and I kind of enjoyed it.

The movie was one of the best of the series visually. Almost everything was striking and really captured your attention. One thing that could have been left out was the constant music playing over almost every scene. There are a few things about the story that are extremely disturbing and questionable; i.e. teen wolf falls in love with a newborn vampire baby named Renseme(if you haven't seen the movie and have no idea what I'm talking about, then just wait and see). But, I suppose if I really want to harp on it, I should just send an angry letter to Stephanie Meyer. 

In my honest opinion, I'd say that the choice to see this movie is personal preference. If you feel like seeing it, then go and if you'd rather do anything else than see it, then go find anything else to do. Anyway, I give it a thumbs up and a thumbs down. A thumbs up because it was okay and probably the best of the three and a thumbs down, well pretty much for almost every sarcastic comment I made throughout this post.

I hate to admit that I once fell into that category of fans who waited for months to see what crazy antics Bella and Edward would get into next. However, I've grown up and since realized there are quite a few things wrong with this series in general. I've also read some amazing novels and realized how ridiculous this story actually is. Anyway, just to humor myself and possibly enlighten you to the things that I deem completely ridiculous, I'll just name a few of my hang ups... 

One: Vampires don't sparkle. I must have missed the memo on that one. How stupid do you think Dracula feels that he never walked around sporting body glitter?

Two: Vampires, also, have fangs. I don't know if you noticed, but the Cullens have immaculate teeth and not a one has a pair of pointy incisors that are capable of drinking blood out of human veins. I know they are rich and everything in the movies, so I guess it's possible they just have a really good dental plan or something.

Three: Sticking with the whole vampire theme I have going, how about the fact they don't drink human blood and are "vegetarians." First, a vegetarian means you eat twigs and vegetables and organic things, not drink animal blood. Last time I checked, vampires drink human blood and even the most Gandhi-like vampire can fall off the wagon once in a while, see The Vampire Diaries' Stefan Salvatore. Unlike the Cullens, Salvatore has fangs and doesn't sparkle, so he gets points in that he tries to be nice to people and not drink them.


Anyway, there's so much more that I think is ridiculous, but I'll spare you the cynical comments on the Twilight series. It's one of the biggest series right now, so they must be doing something right.

I hope my obvious opinions on this series hasn't swayed you one way or another, but if I did, I apologize. Sometimes, it seems, I just can't keep my sarcasm to myself. And I suppose that in the case of this amazing, fantastic, and super awesome movie, I just can't keep my sarcasm at bay.

Elevate A Little Higher

Have you elevated yet?


On Monday, November 21st, Big Time Rush released their sophomore album, Elevate.


You know the expression, "Don't judge a book by its cover?" Well, I say don't judge a band before you hear their music. So, don't go and pass judgements because this post is about a Nickelodeon boy band.


The album consists of a series of techno and hip hop songs along with some lyrical songs that would make any girl swoon. The guys really stepped it up and the album is a show of how, as the boys evolve so does their music.

Cambio said, "The guys worked with musical heavyweights like Ryan Tedder, Tricky, The-Dream, JR Rotem and more to get their signature sound just right on this LP, and fans won't be disappointed."


The four guys of Big Time Rush, James Maslow, Logan Henderson, Carlos Pena and Kendall Schmidt, quickly rose to tweeny-bopper fame when their show with the same name premiered in the fall of 2009. They have legions of young fans who are obsessed with their show and music and flock to them like bees to honey.

Once you step away from how these boys came together, the music is actually really good. It's not what you would expect of a boy band crafted by one of the top children's networks today, which I suppose is the credit of the boys who range from ages 21 to 22. The sound in this album is a true mixture, and not one song sounds like the other.


The title song "Elevate," is an upbeat techno song that you could hear in any club or party around. Songs like "Cover Girl," are a testament to the talent these boys truly have. Kendall wrote the song and it is an anthem to all of those girls out there who don't feel good about themselves, and it's really cute. Songs  like "Love Me, Love Me," are beautifully produced and mixed to give it this incredible fast paced beat. Other songs on the album are just as diverse. The single from the album and the number one track, "Music Sounds Better With U," is a cute dance tune which features a rap from the rapper, Mann.





Personally, I kind of have a thing for boy bands, which is probably thanks to the fact that I am a kid of the 90s and the only music I ever listened to growing up was NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. Maybe it is just embedded in my head to love a group of cute boys who can sing and dance. Maybe, I will be forever cursed to love any group that can come out with a good fist pumping song and looks good in the process.


I say to go check it out. Don't look at it as listening to a Nick boy band, think of it as checking out some new music that you might actually enjoy. And if you still can't wrap your head around listening to a band created by the same people that brought you Spongebob Squarepants, then it's your loss, because this music is actually really good, and I for one will continually blast it in my car and sing along to my favorite parts.

A Fairytale Gone Wrong

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, known as television, there lived a show with a great concept, actors, and exceptional ratings! The show got renewed for even more episodes due to it's increasing popularity and they all lived happily ever after.

Okay, so that may not be the best fairytale ever written, but ABC's "Once Upon A Time," is quickly becoming one of the best adaptations of our favorite stories ever told.


Cinema Blend said, "Once Upon a Time is set up like a fairytale, with a dark curse to be broken, but it also seems to be set up like a great TV series, with a story that could play out nicely over the course of a season, if not longer, and interesting characters, some of whom we’re already familiar with."

This show stars House's Jennifer Morrison as Snow White's daughter(yes you read that right). Ginnifer Goodwin plays the princess as white as snow, who doesn't quite remember who she is.  And, Josh Dallas plays the prince, and he puts a whole new meaning to the name Charming.


Set in a small town in Maine, conveniently named, Storybrooke, this show chronicles the lives of the fairy tale characters who don't know they are fairy tale characters. Lost yet? Let me explain.


Emma Swan is a young woman living on her own in a big city, whose life consists of nothing but herself and her job. All of this changes one night, when her son, Henry, whom she gave up for adoption when she was young, shows up on her doorstep. She takes him back to his adoptive mother in Maine and he reveals that she is Snow White's daughter and the entire town has been put under a curse and she is the only one who can save them. All of the people in this town are actually fairy tale characters, they just don't know it, and they have been frozen in time. Are you following me now?


Once, Emma comes back to town, things start moving forward again and the characters can be lifted from the curse and remember who they are. All the while the show jumps back and forth from present day to the times of the fairy tales, showing the viewers exactly how all of this came to be.

According to New York Magazine, this show had "the biggest debut ratings of any new drama over the past two seasons in the prized under-50 demo, and its ratings have largely held up in its three subsequent airings." 


This show is a great twist on our favorite stories, and I for one am slightly addicted to it. I love how it sets princesses in modern day and makes you see what it would be like if they were suddenly dropped into a land where happily ever afters are few and far between. I keep coming back every week because I just want to know when and how this curse will be broken. 

Every time Snow White shows up in the real world, I find myself crossing my fingers and wishing on a star(pun intended), that she'll remember a life when she befriended seven dwarfs and ate a rotten apple which led to her meeting her true love(a love whom she doesn't even know she had). I just hope her and Prince Charming get back together soon, call me a hopeless romantic or sappy, but it just needs to happen!


After last night's intense episode where Cinderella and the evil trickster, Rumplestiltskin, made an appearance, I can honestly say this show is one of the best of the new seasons. If you love the idea of a true love's kiss being the most powerful thing in the world, than go watch "Enchanted." This show is a darker version of your favorite tales, of course there is a little romance thrown into the mix, but it's main point is deeper than that, and in this TV junkie's honest opinion, it is definitely worth checking out!

A Very Bieber Christmas

Meet me under the mistletoe! I'm talking about Justin Bieber's new album, what did you think I meant?

Last week on November 1st, Justin Bieber released his highly anticipated Christmas album entitled "Under The Mistletoe." The album quickly shot to the top spots on iTunes and according to HitFix, the album is "on target to sell up to 220,000 copies." The album is now number three on iTunes' most popular albums list, only being beat out by Colplay's "Mylo Xyloto," and Florence + The Machine's  "Ceremonials."

Justin Bieber's legions of "beliebers"(of which I am not), were literally beyond excited for this one time squeaky singer to unveil his more mature collection of seasonal songs. The album contains a mixture of new holiday songs from the Biebs himself and other classic Christmas songs with a twist only he is capable of. With songs like "Mistletoe," Justin shows he has what it takes to make the type of song people will be singing for Christmases to come. He teams up with Mariah Carey to put a new twist on her classic song, my personal favorite, "All I Want For Christmas is You." A surprising duet, however, is perhaps the song, "Fa La La,", where he teams up with Boyz II Men, resulting in a catchy and smooth Christmas tune that only the classic R&B group can make work.

Pop Crush says, "‘Under the Mistletoe’ is at once classic and modern — did you ever think you’d hear the colloquial term “shawty” used in a festive, holiday jingle? — but our boy Biebs handles himself well."

The 17 year old Canadian has been the hottest thing since he was discovered via Youtube by everyone's favorite "Confessions" singer, Usher. With his charming good looks and personality, his impeccable talent and his over use of the word "girl," in every song, he has proven time and time again that not only can he make legions of girls fall in love with him, but he can put out some pretty good albums, too.

Billboard made a reference, that I couldn't resist putting in my post, when talking about the new album.They compared Justin Bieber's Christmas takeover to, my all time favorite boy band(don't judge),*NSYNC's Christmas album, "Home For Christmas." The comparison made a good note of how the band's album was a good transition for the group before their record breaking album, "No Strings Attached," debuted and sold over 2.4 million copies in one week. They think the same of Bieber's album, saying it is a good way "to set up his sure-to-be-huge next album, out sometime next year."

While I do not have what one would call, "Bieber Fever", I have been known to belt out a pretty mean version of "Baby" in my car, on my way to class. I like some of his songs, but I think the almost Beatle-esque popularity he has is a bit overkill. However, I think the album is pretty good. It's Christmas music, which I really don't think anyone can screw up. Even the classic song "Dominic the Donkey," which makes no sense and has a donkey Hee-Haw-ing in it, is an amazing Christmas tune that can get anyone singing along while eating canolis in mere seconds(or it could just be me and my overly enthusiastic Italian family).

Overall, I say to go check it out. It's Christmas music, and if nothing else, maybe it will get you in the mood to start picking out  Christmas decorations and making a list of things you want Santa to bring you. Cough; The Vampire Diaries Season 2 Box Set...I am just saying.

72 Days of Wedded Bliss?

On Monday, October 31st, word got out that Kim Kardashian's "fairytale wedding" didn't have such a happily ever after, after all.

After what the media and fans alike were labeling, "A fairy tale wedding," reality star Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from husband, Nets player, Kris Humphries, citing "irreconcilable differences," as the reason for the split. With all of the coverage this was getting, I just couldn't resist taking a stab at it(apparently even Humphries found out about his crumbling marriage through the media. Harsh.).

According to E!, the reality star said, "After careful consideration, I have decided to end my marriage."

Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure when Cinderella and Prince Charming said "I Do," it was for forever, not for 72 days. 

Well, 72 days is all it took for this marriage to fall apart. Trending on twitter was the hashtag, #ThingsLongerThanKimsMarriage, where people posted something that laster longer than the star's nuptials. Some clever answers included "the movie Titanic" and the "NBA Lockout,"(which coincidentally has kept Humphries out of work for quite some time).

Another thing apparently longer than Kim's marriage: This article. (Thanks to one of my besties, Jess, for that clever remark).

The two wed in a lavish ceremony on August 20th of this year. The wedding was capitalized on and was made into a four hour special for E! television channel. The special showed all of the planning and drama that went into this wedding, as well as the actual ceremony and reception. According to the Washington Post, the first night of the special "average 4.4 million total viewers," and the second night, "drew an average of 4 million viewers from 9-11 p.m." Viewers seemed to love the in-depth look the special gave on the relationship between Kardashian and Humphries.

Although, perhaps the constant fights on the special, as well as the fact that Kim threatened to walk out, should have been a tip off for the doomed marriage. Kardashian herself says she ended it due to "intuition" and a feeling she had beforehand. Well, if she had this so called feeling, one can't imagine why she'd go through with it.

On her personal blog on Tuesday, Kim wrote, "First and foremost, I married for love. I can't believe I even have to defend this." 

Well, apparently she does, because people are now speculating it was all apart of some clever rouse to keep people interested on everything the 31 year old star does. 

The LA Times writes, "E!, known in some circles as the Kardashian network, denied orchestrating the marriage for the cameras, calling such rumors 'completely false'."

I for one, don't think it was all a ploy, however, the timing of the divorce is a little too convenient for my liking. Kris Jenner has been promoting her new memoir, Kris Jenner...And All Things Kardashian, non stop in every media outlet known to man; and the new season of Kourtney and Kim Take New York is set to debut in November. It's almost as if the timing of this divorce was meant to promote whatever new venture this family undertakes.

Whatever the reason may be, it looks like this media princess may have to keep looking for her prince charming. Luckily, she has her multiple reality shows, clothing lines and endorsement deals to keep her warm at night.

Paranormal Activity is Back and Scarier than Ever

Creepy children who can talk to ghosts, alla "The Sixth Sense"? Check.

Home movies that reveal dark seeded family secrets? Check.

A third installment of the extremely low budget yet suprisingly popular "Paranormal Activity" series? Check.

This past weekend the highly anticipated "Paranormal Activity 3" premiered and made quite the scare, pun intended. According to MTV this movie, "broke the box-office record for the biggest fall opening with an estimated $54 million debut, passing "Jackass 3D" to become the highest-grossing September/October opening ever."

Back in 2009 when the first "Paranormal Activity" premiered, it did surprisingly well. On The Scene Blog said, the movie only cost "about $15,000 to make." According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, the film "had $193.4 million in worldwide ticket sales." And, according to the same website, the second movie in the series,"cost $3 million and took in $177.5 million."

The charm of the film is the  "Blair Witch" style of filming, where it is shot in a series of lower quality videos that give it a home movie feel. It seems so real, that audiences are kept up for hours on end wondering if it could happen to them.

The entire series is based on this one family that has an apparent ghost or in this case demon attached to them. The first movie focuses on a young couple who start to have weird things happen to them in the middle of the night and soon things go horribly wrong when things start breaking and becoming possessed. The second movie is supposed to be set during the same time as the first one. It centers on the young woman's sister and what happens to her. The third movie, however, is more of a prequel, focusing on the girls back in the 80s and what exactly it is that happened to them and caused their adult lives to become so horrific. I definitely recommend seeing the first two before seeing this one, because you will better understand the dynamics of the series better.

Personally, I thought the amount of movies being made about this same family and their demon friends, resembled the amount of movies the "Scream" franchise seems to believe is necessary. Now, don't get me wrong, "Scream" is one of my favorite slasher movies; if not for it's ridiculous serial killer dressed in a mask and black robes, but for the hilarious parody, "Scary Movie", making it even more of an enjoyable movie to watch. I don't think "Scream 4" was necessary, but it was nice to see Neve Campbell and one of my favorite friends, Courtney Cox, reunited to deal with that pesky Ghostface Killer. That being said, it actually had a good twist on the end that made it worth the $11.50 I paid to see it. But, I digress(you get me talking about horror movies, and there is just no stopping me!).

E!'s movie reviews (whom I don't usually make my opinion based off of, because when I think a movie is good they seem to think it is the worst movie on the face of the planet) even had  something nice to say about the movie. E! said, "Set in the late '80s, to explore what exactly happened all those years ago, 3 has the most likeable cast by far, some honest laughs and plenty of those patented Paranormal scares."

I went to go see this movie on Thursday night with four of my friends. Two of us were excited beyond belief to see it, while the others were slighly less than enthused; they hate horror movies, but like good friends, we dragged them anyway. As the third in this series, I was expecting a horrible movie that had a few creepy moments and made a story that is three years old even older. What I got was completely the opposite.

This movie in the "Paranormal Activity" series was, dare I say, the scariest of the three. The first one was thrilling and the second had a few good scares, but this movie, had more screams than I thought possible of a threquel. I think what made it so scary was the fact that children were involved and that there were a few too many references to witchcraft and demons than I'd like to remember(personally, I think there are some things you just shouldn't screw with). Without giving too much away, this movie definitely messes with your mind and makes you believe one thing, when really all along it was something else(Check out the trailer below!).

I'd say, if you want a really good horror movie to see this Halloween season, go check out "Paranormal Activity 3". Even I, a self proclaimed horror movie lover, had a few moments where I was desperately clutching on to my best friend's arm, while trying not to scream like a five year old who just saw a spider in her room.

I loved it and I can't wait to go see it again to try and catch all of the little things I missed, when my eyes were closed and my head was buried in my arm. But, if I had to choose one thing that would make you go see this, I'd say it would have to be the horrible 80s clothing, which in my mind was perhaps the scariest thing about this movie!

A Pretty Little Halloween!

Got a secret, can you keep it? Well the girls of Pretty Little Liars sure as hell do!

So I know I promised this review on Thursday, but these days it seems like I have a pile of work that can never get done. But don't fret kiddies, because here is the long awaited review about the new PLL!

The popular ABC Family show came back last night for a Halloween special, and let me just say that it did not disappoint, although it did confuse me even more than I thought possible(I have about forty new questions that I know will never get answered until the series finale, which I kind of hope never comes!).

Wetpaint.com, an entertainment website, said, "As the first show on ABC Family to kick off the channel’s “13 Nights of Halloween” event, the spooky time-traveling episode scored huge ratings: 2.5 million viewers! Not only was it the Halloween special’s most-watched show of all time, but it was also last night’s number 1 cable show among young women."

If you are not a fan of the show then you should seriously start watching it because 2.5 million people can't be wrong. This show is fun and full of moments that make you gasp out loud, and not only because the theme song is super creepy, although that is a plus(check it out below). For those of you that don't know what the show is all about, here's a little something to get you started and help you learn all about these Pretty Little Liars(pun intended).

The show centers on four best friends: Hannah, Spencer, Aria and Emily. They are dealing with dark secrets and problems that if revealed, could ruin their lives in a second. For real, these problems are not "I wonder if the cute boy from class likes me" type of problems, more like "I just caused a girl to become blind" type of problems. They had a best friend, Ali, who was popular, gorgeous and quite frankly, a horribly manipulative person. When she goes missing, the girls lose touch and go off in separate directions.About a year later they find themselves back together and their ring leader dead...and that's only the beginning. Things start to go from bad to worse when a stalker who goes by the name of "A" and apparently knows all about their little sisterhood of secrets, starts to blackmail them.

I only just slightly summed up two years of awesome-ness, so if you are interested, go check out the show page on ABC Family's site. If you are already a fan and haven't seen the show yet, I warn you, the rest of this post is filled with oodles of spoilers and speculations. For the rest of you, read on for my opinion on the Pretty Little Liar's Halloween special, "The First Secret".

 

(From Left to Right: Aria, Spencer, Hannah and Emily)

First off, I just need to get this out: OMG!

The episode was insane! It took us all the way back to before Ali disappeared, and we got a glimpse into how this dynamic quad of friends operated with a fifth more dubious member of the group.For long time fans, I'm sure you'll agree with me in saying the amount of references to everything over the past two seasons was a nice touch. They strategically placed things in the episode that made your brain do a 180 back to the current season.

So, Noel Kahn was in the episode quite a bit, of course looking gorgeous as ever, and we get to see the crush Aria had on him back in the day, and it was a cute way to perhaps show that she may not completely be over him. Personally, I really like them together in the book and I think they would be cute together. Mona and Lucas were friends...who would have thunk it? I mean he is the epitome of Geek Chic now, but Mona has moved passed the thick rimmed glasses she was sporting in Wednesday's episode, into more designer shades. Jenna was there, causing trouble with Ali already and she wasn't blind yet. There was a cute little cameo from Ezra as a young college student bumping into Aria as a young pink haired goth chick. And, the scene throwback from the pilot where Aria caught her father cheating was a nice touch and made me long for the days of first season when this show was only kind of confusing.

I am so relieved that these girls have grown up though, because their clothes back then were so 2008, which I supposed makes sense considering it was 2008 back then, but you know what I mean. Hannah was the exact opposite of who she is now and her clothes were a little too much for me, no really she had more fabric in one skirt than I've seen girls wear in entire outfits! Aria was overly Gothic/Emo/Punk. Don't get me wrong, I love a good pink hair streak and black on black combo as much as the next girl, but it was all a little too Morticia Adams for my liking. Spencer was really just a nerdy version of herself now, without the amazing preppy sophisticated wardrobe. And Emily pretty much only wears tee shirts anyway. Thank god these girls have realized there's more to life than maxi skirts and black fishnets!

Considering this was a Halloween special, there wasn't a lack of screams. The entire abandoned/haunted house scene at the end had me gripping onto my pillow in pure antici-PATION(Excuse the Rocky Horror Picture Show reference!).  And that person dressed in the creepy mask that was "attacking" Ali seriously gave me the heebee-jeebees! But what was worse, was the fact that it wasn't who Ali had thought it was and at the end there was more than one creeper in a mask at the party.

But besides all of the amazing references to things that have been mentioned in current episodes, the ending was a shock. Ali got a text from "A"!! Now, I don't know about you, but that was something I really wasn't expecting. I only thought the creepy one lettered stalker showed up around the time Ali was found dead, I didn't realize "A", whoever it may be or may not be, started to terrorize way before that. This just begs the question, who is "A"?

(GIF from Tumblr.com)

I have my theories. After this episode, Lucas is looking more and more suspicious and so is Mona. They both didn't neglect to make it clear how much they hated the pretty blond and how soon she'll get what's coming to her. And, only because of the summer finale of this show, I think it may be Noel Kahn, which is such a waste of pretty. He didn't do anything particularly mischievous in Wednesday's episode, but he is always one to watch. Other than that, I really have no idea...and I read the books! But if there's one thing I can be certain of, the way the books went, is not the way this show seems to be heading. But then again, the writers know how to keep us on our toes, so I could be sadly mistaken.

Overall, I loved how this episode showed the massive transition the girls have made over the couple of years since their lives went from a fun little episode of "Friends" to a seriously disturbed version of "Murder She Wrote", but with no Angela Lansbury. All I know is, I don't know anything about what is going to happen, and that makes me so excited for the winter premiere in January.

I hope you all enjoyed my little review on this episode and that perhaps you'll be more careful of the things you do and the secrets you keep. And until next time, to take a note from our favorite creepy stalker...

Stay Safe Little Liars,
D

The 13 Nights of Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Okay, so it's about two weeks too early, but it's never too early to celebrate this holiday in my book! Seriously, in my planner I have pictures of pumpkins and ghosts drawn all over this month(which is not weird).

I was channel surfing the other day, trying to avoid homework, when I came across a commercial on ABC Family for the "13 Nights of Halloween." I stopped to watch the entire preview and literally jumped off of my bed in a pure burst of excitement for what was to come.

The "13 Nights of Halloween" is a 13 day special on ABC Family that contains classic movies and TV episodes celebrating everybody's favorite candy eating holiday, Halloween (I don't count Valentine's Day, because it's not a real holiday in my eyes).

ABC Family has some of the best original content out there right now, including Pretty Little Liars(I'm slightly addicted to this show, I mean the clothes and the drama, need I say more?), as well as those classic television shows you just can't get enough of, like Full House. They are also known for playing all of those movies that you would gladly spend a Saturday night inside watching. I'm talking about "Nobody puts baby in a corner", "I'm the king of the world", and "O'Doyle Rules!", type movies (if you didn't catch the references, I'm referring to Dirty Dancing, Titanic and Billy Madison, respectively).

This time around, ABC Family is airing special spooky content all the way until "All Hallows Eve" is upon us. The line up includes Nightmare Before Christmas, The Goonies, The Haunted Mansion and a special Halloween episode of Pretty Little Liars (which I will be watching and reviewing for this blog so check back on Thursday). Hocus Pocus is one of my personal favorites! I mean it is the perfect Halloween movie; there's a talking cat, a creepy song that lures children into the woods(check it out below) and Sarah Jessica Parker before she became the fabulous Carrie Bradshaw.

For a full list of movies and shows that will be airing, check out the schedule. And, if you need to find me for the next 13 days, I'll be in my room with some candy corn and popcorn balls watching TV! The website says it best,  "grab a fistful of Halloween candy and settle in for some dark and stormy nights, because the 13 Nights of Halloween are coming for you. And there's no escape!" Happy watching!

The Kardashians Take Over Sears

On the day after Kim's wedding (which was deemed by fans all over "the American version of the Royal Wedding"), it's only fitting that we discuss the Kardashian Clan in today's post (and I am going to spell that with a C, not a K, thank you very much).

Today, while browsing the internet to try and find a dress for my little cousin's sweet sixteen in November, I came across a new clothing line that immediately struck my interest. Can you guess what it was? Yes, it was the new Kardashian Kollection at Sears. The collection was a mix of great basics and stellar accents that could surely bump up any fashionista-in-training's wardrobe, but more on that later.

To really understand this new clothing line, first you need to really understand the Kardashians. This family is everywhere. If you don't even know who they are, then drop whatever you are doing, grab a seat on the couch with some popcorn and turn on E! to witness the craziness of this family, and don't worry if you miss an episode, because they repeat them every other hour, so you'll be sure to catch it sometime.

But the true stars of this family are the three sisters whose faces are on every tabloid known to man. Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian.

(From Left to Right)Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian

These girls are all over the place. This new clothing line is just one of the girls' many business ventures. They have multiple fragrances between them, a new nail polish line coming out(as a nail polish addict I am kind of excited for that one, not going to lie) and endorsement deals out the wazoo, with popular brands like Skechers, Carl's Junior and QuickTrim. They may not be singers, dancers or actresses, and some may say they have no real talent, but they sure do know how to market the one thing they seem to know best: themselves.

Fashion is where these girls really know what they are doing, however. They have another, higher end clothing line that is sold on QVC called K-Dash. K-Dash includes several pieces that touch on the girls' sought after fashion sense. There are blazers and sparkly tight dresses that extenuate a woman's figure, the way only a Kardashian could.

An Ad for the popular K-Dash brand

The girls then decided to open up their signature style to a broader audience, creating a more affordable clothing line available at Sears called the Kardashian Kollection.

“This is our lifetime brand,” said Khloe Kardashian in an interview with Women's Wear Daily. “It was always our goal but we never thought it would be in a department store. We thought it would be in our store.”

As I looked through the clothes, I became slightly disappointed. It's not that the clothes aren't good, it's that I have seen them before in countless other celebrity-turned-fashion-designer brands; basic dresses, shoes and tops that could be made by anyone.


That being said, I do like the clothes. The dresses are curve hugging with strategically placed cutouts to show just enough skin without it being too much. The blazers are perfectly structured to create a strong silhouette (even though I could do without the pointed shoulders). There are some prints they have chosen for certain pieces that make me cringe, and personally it's not my thing(like the striped dress picture below that screams "prison break" to me). But, the prices are decent and any working girl could easily afford to look like a Kardashian for a night, or if you're like me, multiple nights, because a great outfit should be shown off more than once!

E! said, "Kim, Kourtney and Khloé's successful Kardashian Kollection for Sears is set to rake in between $200 million-$300 million in its first year." And I completely believe it. Anything these girls do seems to turn to gold, and I'm sure that this clothing line will surely sell like hot cakes as well (even though I don't know what hot cakes are and why they sell so fast).

Overall, while the clothes are nothing new and some of the pattern choices are questionable at best, the clothes are affordable and I would gladly add any of the pieces to my already over stuffed closet.