Princess Bea's Wacky Wedding Hat

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenia, 5th and 6th in line to the throne of England, and offsprings of Prince Andrew and former Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson (a.k.a. Fergie), caused a post-wedding uproar on their fashionista epic fail of "not so subtle hats" at Prince William and Kate's wedding. Princess Bea's hat in particular, popularly dubbed "the pretzel hat," has reached social networking notoriety based on its 10,000+ Facebook fan following on the page called "Princess Bea's Ridiculous Royal Wedding Hat ." What consequently ensued has been a series of creative photos with said hat appearing on random objects (Heck! Even I gave it a try. LOL) and even on heads of  state (no pun intended) and government officials. It has been all in good fun, and Princess Bea has been smart to strike while the fire was hot by auctioning her infamous hat on e-Bay with proceeds going towards her favorite sponsored charity - UNICEF.  So, if you are in need of a mauve colored pretzel hat, and have $10,000+ in your bank account, be sure to go on e-Bay and bid on THE hat!

Update: Princess Bea's hat sold on e-bay for 81,000 British Pounds (or $130K USD).  Way to go, Bea!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Wales!

Countdown To "THE" Royal Wedding!

So, I sheepishly admit that I am EXCITED about the upcoming wedding of Prince William and Catherine (a.k.a. Kate Middleton). A modern day fairy tale come true. Cinderella marries her Prince Charming! Sigggh... The good thing is that I'll only be an hour behind, so I won't have to get up in the wee hours of the morn!  Don't you just  love their official engagement photo (above)?  It oozes beauty. youthful vitality. happiness.  They're off to a GREAT start! May their union be blessed and true.  I'm sure Diana is smiling down from her heavenly perch. 1 week to go...

Should Auld Acquaintance Bring Dan Fogelberg to Mind...

It's New Year's Eve, and I'm not thinking of parties, champagne and dancing in high heels, but of Dan Fogelberg oddly enough. I just heard "Same Auld Lang Syne".... a nostalgic classic that evokes bittersweet emotions every time I hear it... sadness... old joys... and shoulda-coulda-woulda's. Dan Fogelberg was a gifted songwriter. He could paint a story with his lyrics, and bring listeners to an emotional place.  Every time I hear this song, I picture ME bumping into an old lover at the grocery store... seeing my purse spill out... he and I laughing about it... engaging small talk at the checkout line... searching for a bar afterwards... buying a six-pack at the liquor store instead... drinking it in my car and reminiscing... he gets out... I drive away... and the snow turns into rain. Boom-Boom-POW! That was the power of Dan Fogelberg. You TOTALLY could see yourself in the scenarios he sings about with purity and honesty. I have ran into old lovers a time or two, but never with the poignancy like this song evokes. Wish they had. Dan Fogelberg, thank you for your music. Thank you for this song.  You left our world much too soon (1951-2007). Regrettably, he has NOT been inducted in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. What a travesty! Wanna make the first difference in 2011? Click here and vote.  Dan, you are not forgotten.  HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

GLEE Stars on GQ: WHAT THE F - - - ?!?

I have been unashamedly a HUGE fan of GLEE... until now. In the October issue of GQ, racy photos of cast members Lea Michele (Rachel) and Dianna Agron (Quinn)... and oh yeah, Cory Monteith (Finn) ---whatevaa--- were shot for a cover article spread. The spread, as men's magazines go, stayed true to its formula: Dudes look like Rock Stars, and Babes look like 'Ho's.  Ouch.  Tsk-Tsk, Girls. You prostituted your girl-next-door reps for this? Sex sells. Hope the paycheck was worth it.

I did find this pic of "Finn" hilarious. What is he holding?


I still love the show, and I am looking forward to their spin of  the "Rocky Horror GLEE Show," but I did find these photos disturbing. Next time, you gotta warn a sista. I 'bout choked on my Raisin Bran.



Andrea Bocelli Concert at the Cairo Pyramids!

The Ticket.

Andrea Bocelli performed at the Cairo pyramids on September 25, 2010 --- AND YOURS TRULY WAS THERE! I was so excited to be part of that magical night. I missed his concert when he performed at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Italy when I lived there in 2005. To miss seeing the world's biggest selling solo artist in the history of classical music perform at the world's oldest and still active opera house was one of the biggest regrets I ever had. I made a promise to myself that should another iconic venue come up with him performing at it and me nearby, then I would be there no matter what! Hence, Andrea Bocelli performed at the Cairo pyramids---- AND YOURS TRULY WAS THERE!

The Billboard.



The line forming up to the Sound and Light Theatre at the Pyramids.



The symphony and choir came out first, and a hush fell over the audience.

The Great Pyramid and the Sphinx lit up in dramatic colors to coincide with the moods and rhythms of the music.

And then the great tenor appeared on stage, and immediately enthralled the audience. 

The Finale.

The concert was 2 hours long, and was marvelously accompanied by Mr. Bocelli's traveling soprano, alto, and violinist.  After the finale, Andrea Bocelli performed 5 encores that pleased the audience, and left them begging for more.

The Programs.

Enjoy an Andrea Bocelli classic below: Con Te Partiro. 

Eating at Julia Robert's Mystic Pizza

Anyone remember the 1988 indie romantic dramedy "Mystic Pizza"? If not, I highly recommend it. It was a coming-of-age film that casted new comers Julia Roberts, Lili Taylor, and Annabeth Gish as quirky waitresses whose love-lives unfold while working in a small New England pizza parlour. I had the good fortune to visit Mystic, CT and eat at the very same pizza establishment that was in the movie. Too kewl!



I crossed over the little drawbridge that was in the movie into the small seaside town of Mystic, CT. Methodically, I followed the directions of the local tourist map that I had obtained beforehand at the town's visitor's center.



I loved the feel of Old Downtown Mystic, as I passed American flags and renovated old clapboard buildings that had become fashionable specialty shops and restaurants.



And then, my search came to an end as Mystic Pizza loomed ahead of me. The exterior looked the same as the movie's, but the interior definitely had a face-lift. It was more upscale, and it totally befitted its status as a favorite tourist spot by having its interior fully decorated with a bounty of movie paraphernalia and keepsakes.

Mystic Pizza's menu board had an array of unique pizza topping specialties that whetted appetites and satiated visitors, and had them coming back repeatedly. I can personally attest that I ate their several times before I left New England!

The Zelepos family, who opened the pizza parlour in 1973 and still owns it today, were smart enough to take advantage of the movie's popularity by selling "Mystic Pizza" brand named merchandise, as well as developing a line of frozen pizzas sold in food stores that matched the family recipe. And so, the locals tell it that it was "the pizza that made the movie famous." LoL.

I thought these stained glass frames hanging at my booth's window were so kewl.



I also liked the flat screened TVs that were strategically placed throughout that showed the movie. Talk about capitalizing on the little indie movie that could!



And then finally, my pizza was handed to me and the smell of its freshly baked pizza dough, atopped with the Zelapos family's special sauce, wafted its sloganed promise of "a slice of heaven" or in my case, many slices of heaven. LoL. I kept waffling between 2 combo specialties, so I ordered both in halves. One half of my pizza was the Seafood Pizza - clam, shrimp, scallop, oregano, garlic, parsley. The other half was the Mediterranean Delight - basil, artichoke, spinach, tomato, and roasted red bell pepper. BOTH WERE SOOOO PIZZALICIOUS!

I left with a belly full of Mystic Pizza, and the memory of having eaten at the site of one of my favorite 80s chick flicks. Rent it today!

Twerd Update: TTS Eclipse Review

Dear Twerds and Tweeks Club,

I know I've been out of commission lately, but have appreciated all the pre-411 mails and blogs on The Twilight Saga (TTS) Eclipse's premiere in the States. Like the last Twi-film, I was on pins and needles for the premiere in Cairo. I saw it last night and let's just say that I am eagerly awaiting the unveiling of TTS Breaking Dawn 1 & 2! I'm so glad Hollywood is going to split the last book into two Twi-films. I'm not ready yet to say good-bye to my favorite saga characters. But I digress... many have written me wondering what my take was on the third Twi-film installment, so here TTCs, I goeth:

I was pleased that the Twi-film pretty much followed the book. It definitely had better action, acting on the other hand - not so much. That being said, however comma, the essence of the characters stayed TRUE. TTS Eclipse may not win an Oscar, but it will win next year's MTV Awards "Best Kiss" and "Best Punch". LOL. I found it amusing how I reacted to the movie like I did with the book. I wanted to shake Bella with her pamby wafflings, but sheesh both Edward and Jacob were SO HAWT and SO EARNEST in their pursuits that she was quickly forgiven. I kept putting myself in Bella's shoes. LOL. My 18 y/o inner Tween was swooning when both were overtly wooing her... sigggggggh. I was NOT a fan of the directorial choices of camera CLOSE UPS throughout the film (except for Taylor Lautner's face because he is SO old school Hollywood-ly beautiful. Me likes!). On the close ups, I kept getting distracted with Bella's, a.k.a. Kristen Stewart's, pores and weird eyebrows. LOL! I thought the tent scene could have played out better by showing more of Edward's inner/outer struggles with the situation, and Jacob's pleasure in Edward's discomfort. This was one of my favorite parts in the book, so I had been looking forward to this scene. It just didn't live up to my expectations. I did like the line when Jacob told Edward that he was hotter than him; obviously an insider's joke for those that read the book. LOL. Bonus surprise: my conversion to Team Jasper! Holy Twi-Hunk, Batman! The Jasper speakeths. I never realized how yummy his Southern drawl was, and I totally loved his backstory on his life pre-Cullens, as I did Rosalie's. The audience definitely got a more historical perspective of how werewolves and vampires evolved. LOVED that! As for the villainous Victoria, I loved Ron Howard's daughter Bryce Howard's big film debut. I thought she did an excellent job playing the arrestingly beautiful, yet wicked Victoria. Kudos on her acting chops! Looking forward to seeing more of Bryce Howard in the film roles to come. Overall, I give TTS Eclipse two thumbs up! It stayed true to the author's depiction of how and why Edward was the better choice for Bella. Pooooor Jaky. It will be VERRRY interesting to see how TTS Breaking Dawn 1 & 2 will be played out with regards to him.... verrrrry interesting indeedy.

The Beatles Music Lives On Through Film!

Last night I saw "Across The Universe" on DVD and was blown away! How did I miss this in 2007? An astounding rock opera of Beatles tunages that told a story of six principle players living in the throes of the Vietnam conflict, anti-Vietnam protests, and the Civil Rights movement. Despite the violence of the times, the fresh voices sung by a cast of new-talented no-names (except for Rachel Evan Woods who revealed her rich singing voice for the first time) were uplifting. The movie wove a medley of impressionable Beatles songs sung amid psychedelic and special effect montages. Cameo performances of Joe Cocker's "Come Together" and (U2) Bono's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" were highlights of the movie. Although "Across The Universe" wasn't a box office hit, I absolutely LOVED it! It's the kind of film that gets better with every viewing. Don't miss it!

This made me recall another Beatles' rock musical film that I defiantly loved (although it, too, didn't fare well in the box office): "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band". Released in 1978, it featured Beatles' songs from the album of the same name and "Abbey Road". Rock 70s artists Peter Frampton and The Bee Gees played the film's primary characters, along with an assembly of impressive cameos of the time - George Burns, Alice Cooper, Steve Martin, Aerosmith, and Earth Wind and Fire. Like "Across the Universe," its predecessor "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" performed a beautiful tribute of Beatles' hits befitting the famed four from Liverpool. The Beatles Roccccck!

Another Blue Peeps Flick?

I don't know if the hype of Avatar influenced this latest Hollywood film project, or if the rash of oldie remakes did it, but in 2011 there will be another blue-skinned flick that will be hitting the cinemas. Can you guess what it is?

No, it's not the Blue Man Group....

Here's a hint below.... still having trouble guessing?

Ready for the answer? Wait for it.... wait.... wait ....

Tadahhhhhhhhh: The newly anticipated smurfs movie is making its way to 21st century filmaking, and is set to be a mixture of live-action and animation. Pop singer Katy Perry ("I kissed a girl") has signed on to lend her voice for Smurfette, and actors Alan Cumming and Neil Patrick Harris have also committed to the project. It's going to be interesting to see this other favored blue-skinned film up on the big screen. La La La La La La, La La La La La!

Should Footloose Be Remade?

I have mixed feelings on whether Footloose should be made into a remake. Next month Kenny Ortega, who directed MJ's This is it concert documentary (and what would've been MJ's comeback tour), and choreographed the hit movie Dirty Dancing, is to begin filming the classic remake starring Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford and DWTS's Juliane Hough. At least Hollywood is being smart by picking the BEST director for a film project of this caliber. If anyone could enhance a cultclassic such as this, Kenny Ortega would be the man to do it. Footloose hit the big screen in 1984 and became a runaway hit with its upbeat music, high energy, and no-name stars that overnight became a household sensation, and for some went on to become Hollywood's biggest stars: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, Chris Penn, and Sarah Jessica Parker. KB and SJP's rise to fame go without saying. CP died in 2006 at age 40 to "non specific causes," as noted by his autopsy reports. LS withdrew from Hollywood in the late 90s, and pursued her Juilliard-trained passion as a celloist. She has been performing at several venues, Carnegie Hall being the most recent. It will be interesting to see how CC and JH will fare in the new remake. Supposedly, the remake is supposed to follow more of the Broadway musical production with both actors singing and dancing. JH won't have a problem with her triple threat of talent chops, but CC on the other hand.... things that make you go Hmnnnnnnnnnnn.