Check out Virginia Willis Tonight on "Chopped"

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As exhilarating as the experience was, Virginia Willis says being a "Chopped" chef-testant was one of the hardest things she's ever done. This coming from one of the South's grand dames of cheffing, a hard worker who has worked her way up through the culinary world since age 16! We're sure Virginia handles the challenges of this high-pressure competition with true southern grace and some fast-thinking chutzpah. We hope you'll join us in cheering her on to victory! The episode premieres tonight at 10 p.m. on the Food Network. 

Aria hosts Chef Thomas Keller for Bouchon Bakery Book Tour and Tasting

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Mondays during the holiday season are reminiscent of weekendshopping and cooking. Not many have motivation and plowing through work seemsto drag out the day. Why not take a mid-morning break to meet and taste with oneof America’s finest chefs, Thomas Keller (of French Laundry, Per Se, Ad Hock,Bouchon and Bouchon Bakery.) Ariawas specifically chosen by Keller as his only Atlanta BouchonBakery book signing because of the outstanding baking abilities of PastryChef Kathryn King. This Monday December 3 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., sample avariety of pastries and desserts straight from the pages of the book , preparedby Keller, King and Sebastian Rouxel, co-author and executive pastry chef for ThomasKeller Restaurant Group. A perfect way to start your week, the midday meet andgreet is $35 a person and includes sweet treats, coffee, and mimosas. Copies ofthe book are available for purchase for $50. Tickets are available online.

From the Mountains to Cheshire Bridge: Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner at Woodfire Grill

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It was the late 70s. Two guys start a microbrewery in Chico, Calif. One guy is an avid backpacker so they named their venture after his favorite hiking place, the Sierra Nevada Mountains. And now the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. beers enjoy landmark quality akin to their namesake. Come see for yourself on Thursday, December 6 as Woodfire Grill Chef de Cuisine E. J. Hodgkinson crafts a four-course dinner paired with Sierra Nevada brews  -- Torpedo Extra IPA, Ovila Quadruple, Ovila Golden Ale and Narwhal Imperial Stout. The evening begins with a 6:30 p.m. reception followed by dinner at 7 p.m. $80 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Call 404-347-9055 to reserve your spot.

It's Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @AndreaWeigl

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Raleigh News & Observer journalist Andrea Weigl covers culinary action equilaterally in all three corners of N.C.'s Research Triangle - Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill (beyond Wolf Pack, Blue Devils and Tar Heel tailgates). If you're headed there or trying to hone in on some Carolina recipes, follow her on Twitter (@AndreaWeigl). For more, visit the News & Observer Mouthful blog.

Happy St. Paddy's to you Lads and Lassies

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Although Mom isn't big into studying ancestry, with a maiden name like Kennedy she surely has some Irish in her genes. So while doing a li'l bit o' ye old research, I found this Irish saying that Dad and I think is particularly on point with Mom.

"It is better to spend money like there's no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money!"

Erin go Bragh!
Our cousin Quest, who's partying in Belridge Maryland, agrees with us wholeheartedly. With his good looks and "knock out" Boxer personality, it's clear that the Katandy Kids are not shy of the camera.
Katandy's Reagan's Quest

Ghost Decoration Tutorial

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Pin ItHappy Thursday!! Here is the tutorial for the ghost decorations that I promised yesterday!! They are so fun and easy to make :)


I originally saw the adorable ghosts on THIS post and fell in love with them!! Hers are so awesome and I tried to make them according to her directions, but I ruined some cheesecloth in the process. I must have cheap pipe cleaners because I couldn't get enough strength in them to hold up the fabric on the arms. Plus, I only had regular round balloons and the head shape was all wrong. So I had to alter the directions to fit the materials I had on hand.


Supplies

1. Cheesecloth (about a yard for a smaller ghost...more if you want a bigger one)
2. Water Bottle
3. Balloons
4. Sticks (I used lollipop sticks purchased from Hobby Lobby)
5. Liquid Starch (Wal-Mart should carry it)
6. Masking tape
7. Piercing Tool
8. Scissors

Directions


Fill water bottle about half full...just to give a little weight to it.


With a piercing tool, punch a hole in the side of the water bottle near the top.


Punch a matching hole on the opposite side of the bottle.


Insert the sticks into the holes...these will form the arms of the ghost.


Blow up a balloon for the head. This is a regular round balloon with just a little air. I used masking tape to hold it in place.


If you purchase the cheesecloth in a package, it will probably come folded in thirds. You want to unfold it and then double it over. Drape the cheesecloth over the form, making sure to pool some around the bottom, and then cut desired length with scissors.


Pour liquid starch into a bowl.


Soak the cheesecloth in the liquid starch so that it is nicely covered. You want it wet, but not dripping.


Drape the wet cheesecloth over the form and arrange as desired. Let dry. I let mine dry overnight so they were nice and stiff in the morning. They peel right off the form.


Decorate as desired. I used hemp fiber and phrases printed from A Frightful Affair.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. If you do decide to give it a try, please let me know so I can see them!! You will have so much fun making them :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day :)

Getting Cricky DT Post and BIG NEWS

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Pin ItHappy Friday, everyone!! Another weekend is here...I hope you have fun plans!! It's my day to design at Getting Cricky and I have some big news to share. First a preview of my project:


For all the details on how I made this and the products I used, please visit Getting Cricky.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1. DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge - Linky Party
2. Sunday Funday #2 - Linky Party

And now for the big news...I'm very sad to announce that Kristal has decided to discontinue producing her line of stamps. She works full time and is raising two boys and she just doesn't have the time to keep up with the demand. I can't tell you how sad I am...I have used her sentiment stamps exclusively for over a year and I can always find the sentiment I need for any project. Plus, I love that she donates a portion of proceeds from every stamp sold to charity. You truly can feel good about purchasing her stamps knowing that not only are you getting a great product, you are helping those in need.

Kristal will be selling all of her inventory. You can purchase the remaining stock of stamps at 60% off or more!! That's below cost!! They range from $4.80 - $8.00. You don't need a special code to utilize the discount...they're already marked down. So click on the picture below to purchase her stamps...hurry before they are gone forever!!


Also, Kristal will be discounting her stock of twine this weekend so be sure to check back for that sale as well.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!! Have a great weekend :)

Tim Holtz Inspired Steampunk Tag!!

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Pin ItHappy Sunday everyone and I hope you are having a great weekend!! I have a Tim Holtz inspired tag to share with you today. I would love to recreate his 12 Tags of 2012, but I never have all the materials he uses for each tag. So this is (very) loosely based on the September 2012 tag.


I searched all my local craft stores for the metal tape to do the background and couldn't find it anywhere. My super-sweet and amazingly talented friend Jayne of JayneDesigns created a fabulous tag HERE. When I told her that I couldn't find the tape, she sent me some all the way from England!! Thanks again, Jayne...I appreciate it so much!! The tag is from Tim's Sizzix Movers and Shapers Tag & Bookplates die, cut on Kraft paper. I used Tim's background distressing technique on the foil tape.


The filmstrip on the side is from Tim's Idea-ology line. The gears are Spellbinders Sprightly Sprockets dies. They were coated with embossing ink and then covered with copper embossing powder and heat embossed. A couple were popped up with foam tape for dimension. The hand stamp and the three guys at the bottom are from Tim's Steampunk stamp set. They were stamped with Versafine Onyx Ink onto Kraft paper, torn out, the edges inked with Walnut Distress Ink and attached with Tim's Tiny Attacher. Imagine and Dream are Spellbinders Girlie Grunge Labels dies, inked with Black Soot Distress Ink and Walnut on the sides. The top tag is from the same Sizzex Tag and Bookplate die. It was coated with embossing ink and then heat set with Distress Embossing Powder in Black Soot. "Live the live you want" is from K Andrew Designs Positive Thoughts stamp set. You can purchase this stamp set or any K Andrew stamps at 60% off by clicking HERE.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1. DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge - Linky Party
2. Sunday Funday #2 - Linky Party
3. Joyful Stamper - Inspire Me Friday #81

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!

Products Used

Red Carpet Studio Guest Designer

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Pin It
Happy Sunday!! I hope all my American friends had a very happy Thanksgiving!! I've been so busy this week, I've neglected my blog. I haven't had a chance to do much crafting, posting or visiting. It's going to be busy up until Christmas, but I hope to be able to sneak in my craft room for a few projects :)


I'm so excited and honored to be the guest Designer this month at Red Carpet Studio!! I love this week's challenge...it is inspired by film noir and old black and white films. So the challenge is to create a black and white card.


The sponsor is Eureka Stamps and they will provide the winner with their choice of 5 digital stamps!!


For my film noir-inspired card, I used paper is from 7 Gypsies Paddington paper stock. The ticket strip is a Tim Holtz die, stamped with a TH City Central ticket stamp. The edges were inked with Black Soot Distress Ink. The middle squares were cut with Spellbinders Card Creators Matting Basics A & B. Admit One was also cut with Matting Basics A & B, and the sentiment is from the TH Steampunk stamp set.


The filmstrip is a Spellbinders Snapshot die. The male images are from the TH Steampunk stamp set. The female images are from Hampton Arts Royal Affair stamp set. After the images were affixed to the strip, it was covered in Rock Candy Crackle Paint. Once the paint dried and cracked, it was sponged with Black Soot to give it an aged, worn film look.


The sentiment label was cut from Spellbinders Card Creator Matting Basics A&B. The sentiment is a TH Stuff to Say stamp. The edges were inked with Black Soot.


I am entering the card in the following challenges:

1. Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday Challenge - Use Black
   
2. DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge - Anything Goes
3. Sunday Funday #3 - Linky Party

Head on over to Red Carpet Studio to see the amazing projects the design team has created for today's challenge!! Then link up your film noir-themed card!! I can't wait to see what you create :)

Decorate to Celebrate #39 - Holiday Party!!

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Pin ItHappy Wednesday!! I hope you are having a great week!! It's time for another fun challenge at Decorate to Celebrate!! For Challenge #39, we are asking you to create any project to be used as a party decoration (or party supply) for a HOLIDAY PARTY!! Let's celebrate everything wonderful about this season's festivities with your table decorations, party banners, pennants, yard signs, cupcakes, party favors and more :)


For my Holiday Party decorations, I created hanging ornaments. Back in July, I made an ice cream cone treat that I saw in the August 2012 issue of Scrapbooks, Etc. (click HERE for the post). I thought the ice cream toppers would make an awesome ornament :) The ornament was constructed with the second smallest Spellbinders Big Scalloped Circles Large dies. Twenty circles were cut with My Mind's Eye paper, scored on a triangle, and then adhered together to form the 3D circle. The hanging snowflake is metal paper punched with a Martha Stewart punch.


The center is a Spellbinders Standard Circles small die, adhered to a Spellbinders Big Scalloped Circles Large die. The edges were inked with Fired Brick Distress Ink. "Let it snow" is from K Andrew Designs Winter Wishes stamp set, stamped with Versafine Black Onyx ink. The snowflakes are also from Winter Wishes, stamped in Fired Brick.

I am entering this in the following challenges:

1. DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge - Anything Goes
2. Sunday Funday #3 - Linky Party

Now it's your turn!! Head on over to Decorate to Celebrate to see the amazing projects my design team sisters have created for this challenge. Then link up your Holiday Party decorations. I can't wait to see what you create :)

More gloriously awful student ideas*

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SEK’S STUDENTS: So we had this idea for our project, like a live-action, flash mob reenactment of “LEEROY JENKINS!” where we find like some random students studying or in the park and—

SEK: Let me stop you there. You’re going to surprise random students—

SEK’S STUDENTS: We have the costumes and everything. We’ll just walk up to them, stand around, then I’ll yell—

SEK: I don’t think this is a good idea.

SEK’S STUDENTS: Really? ‘Cause we’ve already made like four or five.

*I really didn’t intend for this to become a series. I think they may just be messing with me at this point.

Organizing for Change

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I really want to recommend Sarah Jaffe’s long-form interview with Jane McAlevey about her new book that I referred to here. McAlevey makes some really important points about a number of issues concerning labor–the restrictiveness of Taft-Hartley, how the Democratic Party dictates the agenda to labor, problems within the labor movement when it comes to organizing strategies, etc. You should read the whole thing. I do want to point out one piece, which gets back to some of the discussions we were having here before the election about the relationship between elections and change.

A point of influence that I’m getting rather obsessed with right now is this whole concept of microtargeting, and a lot of that’s coming from the Obama people and it’s really having an impact in the labor movement. I hear people in the last few years, in the labor movement, say “What do you think about buying databanks of information to see if we can assess whether a worker on a door is going to vote yes or not?” There’s this huge discussion going on in the labor movement among otherwise smart people, that we should just take another step past actually real organizing and just try to do the microtargeting that the Obama campaign is using to extract one vote every four years.

The mistake is that how you win an election and how you win change are fundamentally different. The election of the right people is a prerequisite to fundamental change, but all we do is help them get elected, and then we don’t do anything in the governing period except put everyone to sleep like a switch. If you think about the talent on the Obama team, what are they going to do for the next three and a half years? They basically go home. If you have the best campaign team during the election, those people actually need to stay and keep organizing the base every damn day, to actually create a left base to allow these people to run to the left when they’re governing.

I think a huge problem with the modern left, broadly defined, is the belief that if we elect the right people to office that things will change. That’s absolutely not the case. Change happens on the ground–in the workplace, at the school board meetings, in the courts. This all requires motivated and organized movements that see the election merely as a tool, not an end in itself.

“This Bond Ripples with Muscles”

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Richard Cohen:

This Bond ripples with muscles. Craig is 44, but neither gravity nor age has done its evil work on him. Nothing about him looks natural, relaxed — a man in the prime of his life and enjoying it. Instead, I see a man chasing youth on a treadmill, performing sets and reps, a clean and press, a weighted knee raise, an incline pushup and, finally, something called an incline pec fly (don’t ask). I take these terms from the Daniel Craig Workout, which you can do, too, if your agent and publicist so insist. Otherwise, I recommend a book.

“Skyfall” is a lot of fun — don’t get me wrong — but it still says something about our culture that, in the autumn of my years, I do not like. To appreciate what I mean, contrast this new Bond to Roger O. Thornhill, the charmingly hapless advertising man played by Cary Grant in “North by Northwest.” Like Bond, Thornhill pulls off some amazing physical feats — his mad frantic escape from the crop duster, the traverse of Mount Rushmore — and like Bond he wears an expensive suit. Unlike Bond, though, when he takes it off we do not see some marbleized man, an ersatz creation of some trainer, but a fit man, effortlessly athletic and just as effortlessly sophisticated.

Indeed; casual fitness…

and effortless athleticism…

were totally a thing for major male stars in the 1950s. Maybe SEK should write something on it.

See also Alyssa; one of the most interesting developments in the Craig Bond films is that the camera treats Bond in a fashion normally reserved for a Bond girl. I should note that while I didn’t love Skyfall (James Bond does not need to become Bruce Wayne), I did find the first Bond-Silva meeting to be a very interesting. While villains over the years have certainly threatened Bond with emasculation, Silva implies a very different kind of sexual assault. I also found it interesting that Bond makes his “how do you know it’s my first time?” comment after Silva mentions Bond’s childhood trauma, leading me to wonder whether Bond is trying to imply that a) he’s had a sexual encounter with a man before, or b) he’s been sexually assaulted before.

I See Your Cohen And Raise You All-In

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How much more Friedman could this be? Well, it could perhaps use more apocryphal cab driver. But otherwise, none more Friedman:

President Obama is assembling his new national security team, with Senator John Kerry possibly heading for the Pentagon and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice the perceived front-runner to become secretary of state. Kerry is an excellent choice for defense. I don’t know Rice at all, so I have no opinion on her fitness for the job, but I think the contrived flap over her Libya comments certainly shouldn’t disqualify her. That said, my own nominee for secretary of state would be the current education secretary, Arne Duncan.

I…gawd. If you’re going to write a column about how magic education “reformers” can solve anything when they have exceptionally little record of success even in their own portfolios, at least go all the way and nominate Michelle Rhee for Attorney General too.

The Six Year Itch? Whatever.

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Not too soon, the campaign season will commence again, with a focus on the Congressional elections of 2014.  In the smattering of stories that I’ve read in the past two weeks about this upcoming festival of joy, a term that I was only vaguely aware of keeps popping up, the six year itch.  However loosely defined, six years removed from his (or, presumably someday her) first election, the incumbent President’s party is apparently doomed to suffer atypically huge defeats in these mid term House elections.  On paper, this does not inspire confidence for the Democrats come 2014.  To quote from the Politico article linked above:

The party controlling the White House during a president’s sixth year in office has lost seats in every midterm election but one since 1918, when Woodrow Wilson occupied the Oval Office. And the setbacks typically aren’t small: The average loss in these elections was 30 seats.

Incumbent Presidents tend to suffer losses in damn near every mid term election for whatever reason (see the figure below), so this sentence could be restated as “the party controlling the White House has lost seats in every midterm election but three since 1918 . . .”.  Given the relatively small sample size, this really doesn’t tell us anything.  A better way of looking at the question involves comparing the mean seat loss for the incumbent party in bog standard boring midterm years, and the hypothesized qualitatively different six-year itch years.  During such years, apparently “Anger, exhaustion and frustration tend to set in among voters as presidents approach the last leg of their final term. It happened to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1938 when voters recoiled at his New Deal reforms. “  Of course, FDR would be re-elected in 1940, so that anger must have dissipated quickly. In comparing the means between these two types of midterm elections, we have to settle on a measure of what is, and is not, a six-year itch election.  In terms of consistency, wikipedia lets us down; the brief entry on this topic includes 1974, by which time Ford had replaced Nixon, yet inexplicably overlooks 1998, possibly because it doesn’t fit the model.  In my analysis, I’ve settled on not settling in defining a clear measure.  Instead, I’ve chosen to start with a strict definition, and progressively loosening the parameters of this six-year itch.  The above figure distinguishes such elections with a solid black border, with additional candidates with a thinner border. The table below compares the average seat loss for an incumbent party in standard (non-SYI) and SYI elections using five different measures.  A strict measure of SYI does what it says on the tin: a President must be in office at the time of the election six years from his first election.  From 1932 (20 total midterm elections), this limits us to five elections: 1938, 1958, 1986, 1998, and 2006. Using a strict definition, there is no appreciable difference in average seat loss by the incumbent Presidential party in such elections.  The second column adds 1950 to the mix; one might argue that while Truman was not elected President in 1944, he did assume the office less than three months following the January 1945 inauguration thus giving Truman close to a full term in office prior to the 1948 election, but adding 1950 makes little difference.  The third column adds 1974.  Here, one has to argue that the voters either explicitly associated Ford with Nixon’s sins, considered Ford a mere extension of the Nixon years, or simply hadn’t noticed that Nixon was no longer president.  Given the pounding that Republicans experienced in 1974, this moves the means slightly, but still not convincingly. Not satisfied?  The fourth column measures the SYI by including both 1942 and 1966.  In the case of the former, theoretically, why should FDR suffer from this phenomenon in 1938, but not even worse four years later?  If there is anything to this, then the itch really must have been festering in the minds of the voters in 1942 (as evidenced by the Democrats having lost 45 seats in that election).  1966 can be included for reasons similar to 1974 — LBJ, at least during 1964, was committed to continuing Kennedy policies in most domestic areas, hence his first “term” can be construed as a simple continuation of the Kennedy administration (which, in terms of names and  faces, it largely was).  Democrats suffered 1942 and 1966, so this does push the means even further apart.  Finally, the fifth column merges all this suspect logic by adding 1946.  Only now, do we see real daylight between the average seat loss of ordinary midterm elections and the special SYI elections.  Incidentally, this is also the only version of the five measures of SYI where the difference of the two means approach statistical significance (p=.086), but a) this assumes a one-tailed t-test, the use of which requires solid a-priori theory to suggest both the presence of a relationship and the direction of the estimate, b) these data are not random probability samples, and c) who cares? Long story short: it doesn’t appear to exist.  There’s nothing really special about a President’s second midterm election that can not be explained by all the reasons why Presidents generally lose seats in any midterm election.  Visually, the only real pattern in the data illustrated by the figure above that is suggestive of the phenomenon is the period between 1952 and 1978, but for this to work one would have to loosen the definition of the measure such that both 1966 and 1974 merit inclusion.  1958, 66, and 74 do look different, but only one (1958) fits a rigorous definition. What does this mean for 2014?  Nothing.  The Democrats will probably lose seats in 2014, but we don’t need a manufactured non-phenomenon to tell us that.  Alternatively, we can participate in some hard core wishful thinking and ignore oppressive historical precedent and choose to believe that the Democrats can retake the House in 2014 . . .

Kids' cable punches it up with film, game tie-ins

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Kids' programmers are ramping up with tunes, toons and movie spinoffs. In their new and upcoming lineups, they're emphasizing ties to movies and games from their corporate siblings.

• 

  Nickelodeon

  The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra is a spinoff from the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Nickelodeon

The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra is a spinoff from the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender.

"Programming is more competitive than it's ever been," says Margaret Loesch, a veteran of kids' TV who runs the new kid on the block, The Hub, a joint venture between Discovery Networks and Hasbro. "What I'm getting as feedback from kids and advertisers is consistent: They're looking for more choices."

Most of the kid-targeted cable networks are up this year in the ratings, with Disney XD, Disney Channel and Nick Jr. leading the increases. Leader Nickelodeon is down slightly, and third-place Cartoon Network, up 1%, is seeking a boost by "trying to refresh; they're trying to be more Adult Swimmish," says Amy Sotiridy, senior VP at ad firm Initiative, referring to that channel's successful (and far edgier) late-night block.

What's on tap:

Nickelodeon

On Friday Nick launches Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures (8 ET/PT), a buddy comedy about two surfer dudes. But the network is putting its biggest emphasis on animation, where SpongeBob SquarePants, which premiered in 1999, remains unrivaled. Some will be spinoffs, including The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra and Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. This fall, look for a new version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the self-explanatory newcomer Robot & Monsters. In live-action, Nick will take a page from Disney next year with How to Rock, a music-based series starring rapper Master P's daughter, Cymphonique Miller.

Disney Channel

Bidding farewell to a trio of hits, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place and Suite Life on Deck, Disney is eyeing recent addition Shake It Up (Sundays, 8 ET/PT), a dance-fueled buddy comedy, as the next franchise for tween girls. (It's the top-rated series among that crowd.) Animated hit Phineas and Ferb, which plans an Aug. 5 movie, will serve as a platform to expand more deeply into animation, including next summer's Gravity Falls, in which twins visit their great-uncle's weird town. New live-action A.N.T. Farm (Fridays, 8:30 ET/PT), about an 11-year-old musical prodigy, will be joined this fall by Jessie, an ambitious teen from rural Texas who moves to New York to become a nanny. On Disney XD, look for animated spinoffs Ultimate Spider-Man and Tron: Uprising in 2012.

Cartoon Network

After years of working at arm's length from corporate sibling Warner Bros., Cartoon is now embracing the studio and its DC Comics label. New programming block DC Nation will showcase projects such as Green Lantern: The Animated Series, coming next year. Ratings for a revamped Looney Tunes Show (Tuesdays, 8 ET/PT) have been solid. Cartoon is gearing up for Level Up, a 2012 live-action series (a movie is due this fall) about three gamer pals who enter a real video game; the return of ThunderCats July 29; a new version of Ben 10; and How to Train Your Dragon, based on the DreamWorks film. Goofy toon Adventure Time is its top-rated series, and overall, there's a "shift in emphasis," says chief content officer Rob Sorcher: "The stuff that's really worked is at its core a comedy."

The Hub

A new joint venture between Discovery Networks and Hasbro, The Hub this fall will give The Aquabats, a "super-hero" rock band, a new platform in The Aquabats Super Show, from the creators of Yo Gabba Gabba. Investor Warren Buffett is behind Secret Millionaire's Club, a series of animated specials that will teach "business principles." And a pint-size riff on American Idol is due in Majors & Minors, in which 16 singers are mentored by X Factor's Leona Lewis and Idol winner Jordin Sparks for the chance to win a record deal and concert tour. And while The Hub downplays its role as promotional vehicle for Hasbro products, the channel is mining the toymaker's vaults with shows pegged to Clue, The Game of Life, Scrabble, Transformers' Rescue Bots and trading-card game kaijudo.

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Gwyneth Paltrow Gets Sexy For Vanity Fair (Photo)

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Gwyneth Paltrow showed off her trim figure in a topless photo for Vanity Fair magazine?s August issue, wearing Louis Vuitton jewelry.

Actress and singer Gwyneth Palrow, 38, looks gorgeous in August?s Vanity Fair magazine?s Louis Vuitton ad.

Paltrow is wearing fishnet tights and Louis Vuitton jewelry, but little else.

The actress, who regularly gets up at 4:30 a.m. each morning to exercise, is known for her healthy eating habits and workout with celebrity trainer, Tracy Anderson.

In a recent interview, Gwyneth revealed, ?I?m really not a morning person at all. It is just sheer determination. I?m very strict with myself. When I practice six days a week and eat clean food, I feel much better.?

Gwyneth, who is married to Coldplay?s frontman Chris Martin, has two children, daughter Apple, seven, and a five-year-old son, Moses.

Click thumbnails for larger pictures

Images: wenn.com/vanity fair

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/stupidcelebrities/~3/Yl4fCp0T_Og/

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