Wednesday, May 30, 2012

WATCH THE TRAILER FOR LES MISERABLES

SOLD! I am really excited for this movie. The trialer gave me chills. What more do I want? Anne Hathaway is featured singing I Dreamed a Dream in the trailer for the Les Mis movie, coming out at Christmas, and we get a peek at Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, Russell Crowe and all the other big players in the screen adaptation of the Broadway musical giant. Looks like they are giving us 1800's French realness, ladies! Watch and don't shiver. I dare you.

NEW VIDEO: SCISSOR SISTERS - BABY COME HOME

I have already reviewed the amazy new Scissor Sisters album, Magic Hour, and now here is the second single and it's adorbs video, Baby Come Home. Yay!! I really like this song, and it's sort of in the style of I Don't Feel Like Dancin' and Take Your Mama Out, which of course people love! The video has the Sisters in various costumes and decks of cards and is colorful, fun and sassy. And Jake Shears is looking FINE, y'all! Those arms! That chest! Whew!! Anway, enjoy Baby Come Home and go out and buy this record!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

FLASHBACK: WILL YOU MARRY ME? - PAULA ABDUL

Two of my nearest and dearest friends, Jason and Michael, got married in NYC this past weekend and it was the FIRST gay wedding I've attended. Not counting mine, of course. It was perfect and lovely and this song kept popping into my head. Paula recorded Will You Marry Me? and released it fromher 1991 album Spellbound as it's fifth and final single. The song hit #19 on the Hot 100, which is pretty impressive for a simple little love song and the fifth song released from the mega-hit album. The video is totally cute too. But the reason it kept popping into my head this weekend, obviously, is because it's unusual in that the girl is asking the boy to marry her. So she says, "will you marry me, boy". Duh! Okay, here is the lovely little tune and I hope it gives you a case of the lovies like I had all weekend. I LOVE MY HUSBAND TOO!!

Saturday, May 26, 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEVIE NICKS!!!

The white witch herself, Stevie (Stephanie Lynn) Nicks, is 64 today. Stevie is one of my fave singers of all time, with her deep lyrics and raspy voice, she is a one-of-a-kind treasure. The fact that she lived through the 70s and 80s is proof there is miracles! Ha. From Fleetwood Mac to her solo career, Stevie has written some of the most loved and enduring pop songs ever and she continues to turn it out for her fans year after year, as evidenced below in the clips I've included. Enjoy some of Stevie's best and listen to her all day. She is the real deal!!!




Friday, May 25, 2012

REVIEW: SCISSOR SISTERS - MAGIC HOUR

They're back!! I mean that in the most dramatic way possible. While I have enjoyed certain things about every single Scissor Sisters album since their debut, I haven't had that full album experience that I had with their self-titled debut album since. Magic Hour, in that way, is certainly a return to form. It's eclectic, sexy and full of surprises. It's everything you want from a Scissor Sisters album. Jake Shears, in fine voice, and company have taken their time and really put together something special here. From the opening track, the funky Baby Come Home, the Sisters set the bar and keep jumping over it with ease. Keep Your Shoes On, first single Only the Horses, Let's Have a Kiki and Somewhere are first rate SS dance jams. The slow songs are AMAZING as well. Inevitable has a 70s groove to it that is silky and smooth. Year of Living Dangerously has that James Bond theme sound that the Scissor Sisters explored on Land of a Thousand Words from Ta-Dah. Self Control feels very 90s, reminiscent of CC Peniston's Finally, while the laid back, 70s rock of The Secret Life of Letters lulls you with its dream melody. Overall I would say this album is by far their best since their debut and, with the Scissor Sisters, that's saying a lot. Nice word, kids!!! Here is the video for the first single, Only the Horses. I love the song and the video has totally grown on me. If you like horses, you'll like it!!

NEW MUSIC AND VIDEO: KYLIE MINOGUE - TIMEBOMB

WOOHOO!! After a week of teasing on her website, Kylie Minogue unleashes her new single and video for the amazing Timebomb. I LOVE IT!!! Kylie takes it to the streets of London's Soho in the video for a rompin' good time and a lot of shots of her butt. Ha. Kylie's still got it! This year is Kylie's 25th anniversary in the business and she has treated her fans to special treats every month on the 25th and  is releasing a greatest hits this summer. For now, enjoy Timebomb! It's available on iTunes NOW, so go get it and dance the day away. What a treat for a Friday.

MADONNA FRIDAY: OPEN YOUR HEART

Madonna came thisclose to showing her vagina in this video!!! Open Your Heart was the fourth single released off of her smash True Blue album, and it did not disappoint. The song is a throbbing piece of pop rock and Madonna's vocals are top notch. The sexy video, in which Madge plays a dancer in a peep show joint and dances with and kisses a VERY young boy, and clearly inspired by Bob Fosse and even Liza Minnelli, helped push the song up the charts in the winter of 1986/87, finally hitting #1 on February 7, 1987. A pop classic by any standard, Madonna still plays Open Your Heart in concert from time to time and it's a fan fave. Enjoy the video for Open Your Heart, bitches! Have a fantastic Madonna Friday and a great weekend!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

ADAM LAMBERT DEBUTS AT #1 WITH TRESPASSING

Adam Lambert has landed at #1 with his sophomore major label release Trespassing. His last album, 2009's For Your Entertainment, debuted and peaked at #3. Adam is also the first OUT gay man to have a #1 album in the US. Yes, Elton John and George Michael both had #1 albums, but not AFTER their coming out. Interesting. Adam's sales figures, however, are the smallest #1 debut, 77,000, since Adele's 12th week at #1 in August 2011, 76,000. Hey, I'll take it. This is major for Adam and hopefully will get some radio attention for his next single release. He is truly a talented guy. Lambert recently released a teaser for his next single and video, the song he co-wrote with Bruno Mars, Never Close Our Eyes. Looks intriguing. And you can listen to the full track just below that. Congrats, Adam!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PATTI LABELLE!

The first lady of WORKING IT, Patti Labelle, is 68 today!! Patti has been all up in our faces since the 60s and she is still turning out the dramatic key changes and sky-high scoops for her adoring fans. I truly discovered Patti during her comeback in the 80s when she was doing all that weird shiz with her hair (pictures) and LOVED her right away. Her voice is truly one of a kind and she's got more sould than the (supposed) queen of soul, IMHO. Here are my favorite Patti songs, including my VERY fave Stir It Up and her original version of the Celine Dion classic If You Ask Me To, for you to feast on today. Happy birthday, Patti Labelle!!!



Wednesday, May 23, 2012

MY CRAZY, SEXY DIET: UPDATE

So things have been moving along swimmingly. I have really stuck with my new, healthy lifestyle. I had a couple of drinks last weekend, but what I learned was I don't drink as much as I used to. Now, here is the lesson I learned last night. As I write this post my stomach is in KNOTS! I went out to eat with some friends. We had Mexican food. This isn't the first Mexican food I've had since I started the cleanse, but it IS the first time I ate at this particular restaurant since I started the cleanse. As soon as they sat the burrito in front of me, albeit it was a veggie burrito, the sauce didn't look like it was a color made from nature. Right then I thought to myself, "DON'T EAT THIS! Or at least don't finish it." Well, I did and WITH a margarita. Yikes. Lesson learned. ONLY FRESH FOOD THAT YOU CAN TRUST FROM NOW ON. I'm sure it had to do with the oils used and things like that because this restaurant, which I won't name, is actually a good place. My body is just used to organic, natural foods now and I'm glad that my system is now trained to tell me that what I ate was probably not great for me. Now I am sitting in a semi-ball writing this, waiting for my next violent...um....outburst to happen. Ew, I know. BUT lesson learned. If it LOOKS like you shouldn't eat it, DON'T! I think I'll juice fast today to clean out my body. Moving forward....

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

NEW VIDEO: GOSSIP - MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Gossip's new album, A Joyful Noise, is out today. Go buy it! Just a couple of weeks ago I posted the first single from the album, Perfect World, and it's video. Today I present the second, very different single, Move In the Right Direction. A little more upbeat and happy with a pop-of-color video and plenty of Beth Ditto! Love it! This album is really good, as you read in my REVIEW, so give this a look-see and then buy her, girl!

NEW MUSIC: MILLA JOVOVICH - ELECTRIC SKY

I have long held the opinion that Milla Jovovich is one of the most beautiful women in the world. Many others hold that notion I guess since she's been modeling most of her life. Did you know she was also a singer? Her debut album came out in 1994 actually and she's recorded off and on since then. Well, here is a GREAT new song by the model/actress/singer called Electric Sky. It's dark and moody and sexy. It's a little Goldfrapp, don't you think? I love it!It's really good. This makes me happy. Milla is so gorgeous and talented. Listen for yourself. Head over to iTunes or Amazon to download Electric Sky now!

Monday, May 21, 2012

ROBIN GIBB, ONE THIRD OF THE BEE GEES, DEAD AT 62

Wow. First Donna Summer and now Robin Gibb. Robin was one third of the amazingly successful group the Bee Gees, along with brothers Barry and Maurice. Maurice and Robin were actually twins! Barry, who sang lead vocals on most of the big hits, is the only remaining member of the Bee Gees. Robin also had several solo hits in the UK and Europe. Sadly Robin had been fighting colorectal cancer for quite some time and passed away yesterday. Robin was actually the lead singer of the group in the beginning, the 1960s, but shared lead with Barry on their monster dicso hits. Of course, Robin and his brothers place in the history books is firmly planted and never going anywhere. They helped define a decade. Enjoy these hits.


Friday, May 18, 2012

MADONNA FRIDAY: IN MEMORY OF DONNA SUMMER. FUTURE LOVERS/I FEEL LOVE

Truly one of my favorite parts of any concert I have ever seen, Madonna opened her 2007 Confessions Tour with this amazing mashup of her Future Lovers with Donna Summer's I Feel Love. FLAWLESS!!! Quite an entrance by the Queen in this one too!! I saw this show at Madison Square Garden and when Madonna appeared I went nuts!! Everyone did! What a great way to pay tribute, especially for this particular song which wouldn't exist if not for I Feel Love, to the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer. It's very rare that Madonna pays homage like this, so you KNOW she must love her some Donna Summer. Long live the Queen of Disco. Watch and love and enjoy this wonderful Friday. LOVE!!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

R.I.P. DONNA SUMMER. YOU ARE A LEGEND

Donna Summer, the undisputed Queen of Disco, has died. She was 63. Donna began her long and illustrious career way back in 1968 with a production of the musical Hair which took her to Germany and lead to he meeting her future super producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellote. Together they ruled the 1970s and disco with countless hits like Bad Girls, Hot Stuff, MacArthur Park and her very first mega-hit Love to Love You, Baby. Summer transitioned smoothly from the disco backlash to have one of her biggest hits in 1983 with She Works Hard for the Money. She continued recording and scoring hits on the dance charts throught the 90s and 2000s, with her last full length album, Crayons, released in 2008 and hitting #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and giving her a #1 Dance Club Play song Stamp Your Feet. Donna's voice, strong and clear, is one of the most recognizable and strong voices in pop music history and will surely be heard until the end of time. I don't remember that last time I attended a dance that didn't end with Last Dance ushering everyone out of the room. What a sad, sad day. I spent many, many hours dancing around my room to Donna Summer, even recently, and she will be greatly missed the world over. Here are a couple of wonderful songs to remember and celebrate the life of a legend, the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer.





Wednesday, May 16, 2012

ALANIS MORISSETTE PERFORMS NEW SINGLE, GUARDIAN, ON DANCING WITH THE STARS

Alanis gave her debut performance of her new single Guardian on Dancing with the Stars last night. She looks great!! I really like the song and it's great to hear Alanis' familiar voice again. It's just soft and just rock enough to fulfill all your Alanis needs. Watch and love. ps. the dancing is great too. Alanis Morissette's new album, Havoc and Bright Lights, is due in August.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANET JACKSON!

Ms. Jackson (if you're nasty) is 46 today! I have loved Janet Jackson since I can remember. Starting with Good Times and Different Strokes, taking it through Fame and on to her amazing recording career, which for me started with her 1986 classic album Control. Janet has pumped out the hits for 25 years now, and though her chart domination has slowed, she is still in top form. I saw her in concert last year and she tore it UP! I am sharing a few of my all-time favoriate Janet videos with you so you can celebrate and bathe in her glory all day. "Don't hold back, just have a good time". Happy birthday, Janet Damito Jo Jackson!







Tuesday, May 15, 2012

LADY GAGA DENIED PERMIT FOR INDONESIAN CONCERT

Looks like the 52,000 fans who bought tickets to see Gaga at Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno stadium will be disappointed. Authorities have bowed to the extremist group that vowed to use physical force to keep the Poker Face singer from getting off the plane and have denied the permit for the concert to go forward due to concerns that they will not be able to keep the singer safe. This would have been Gaga's largest concert on the Asian leg of her Born This Way Ball Tour. Indonesia is largely Muslim, but the group making the most noise is a small extremist group that has become vocal in the last few yeas. They are afraid that Gaga's costumes and dancing will corrupt the youth of their country and undermine their moral fiber. Okay. Many religious leader and lawmakers have also voiced concern. What a shame. No statement has surfaced as of yet from Gaga herself.

JAY-Z SAYS OBAMA'S MARRIAGE EQUALITY ENDORSEMENT IS "THE RIGHT THING TO DO AS A HUMAN BEING"

Jay-Z is speaking out to CNN about President Obama's recent statement in support of marriage equality. The mogul/rapper says that discrimination against gays is "no different than discriminating against blacks". It's a great statement and could help change a lot of minds for someone as famous and important in the world of Hip Hop to support the LGBT community. Many do now, and Jay-Z is certainly not expressing this for the first time. But every time a huge star speaks out, minds are opened. Thanks for your continued support, J.



RuPAUL'S DRAG U IS BACK....WITH WILLAM!!!

Of course! Ru is no fool. The audience has spoken and we are getting more of the fabulous Willam on what promises to be a revamped RuPaul's Drag U. The show takes ho-hum, ordinary women and teaches them some drag queen tricks and attitude to use in life...life....life. I love Ru, but the last two seasons of this show were not it. I am glad they are revamping and especially with Willam. YAY!! Also joining in the dragalicious fun will be Latrice Royale, JuJubee, Manila Luzon, Raja, Raven, Shannel, Alexis Mateo, Mariah, Chad Michaels, Willam, Morgan McMichaels, Pandora Box, Delta Work and this season's winner of RuPaul's Drag Race, Sharon Needles. Watch the preview below. The show starts June 19th on LOGO!!

Monday, May 14, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: THE WRAP-UP


15 POUNDS LIGHTER, BEYOTCHES!!
IT'S OVER: I can't believe it's over. I gotta tell you, this is the most enjoyable "diet" I've ever done. It's completely changed not just the way I eat, but the way I think about my body, my life and those around me. The reason I wanted to do this cleanse wasn't for weight loss, although I assumed that it would be a part of the process and I wasn't hating that, but because I wasn't living the best I could. I wasn't treating my body or mind the way that made me feel good about myself. I was putting too much crap in my body: Junk food, soda, too much alcohol. I was waking up with a hang over every Sunday and wasting half a day sitting at home nursing it. Was it worth it? NO. I'm not saying I won't ever drink again. What I am saying is that I've learned that OVER-drinking is something I don't want to do anymore. Have a cocktail. Have three. Who am I, the police? I just want to feel well every day. Coincidentally, this crazy, sexy cleanse has helped me shed 15 POUNDS in three weeks. When I started this cleanse on April 23rd I weighed 179 pounds. As of this morning, May 14th, I weigh 164 pounds. I am wearing clothes and sizes I haven't worn in years. I feel energetic, light and fantastic. I also feel mentally healthy. I have tried every day of this process to be positive and start the day off with happy thoughts. I've tried to avoid negativity and even stopped watching some of the shows on tv (Bad Girls Club, Mob Wives) that I thought were putting bad vibes in my head, which in turn made ME put vibes out to the universe. I have learned that just because you WANT something -- i.e. clothes, bad food, alcohol, et al -- doesn't mean that it's what's best for you in the long run. I think twice about decisions I'm making about my body and my finances. It feels empowering. I KNOW that I can control my diet and my drinking without sacrificing a good time. It's not what my fun depends on. If everyone else is going out to have drinks and I don't want to, I don't have to! If I can't control my life, who can? So many people, whether on this blog, Facebook and in REAL life, have reached out to me and asked me about what cleanse I'm doing. They want to lose weight. I tell them that THIS cleanse and the Crazy, Sexy Diet are not really about losing weight (although you will) they are about changing your life. I have changed my life. The best part is that my hubby and I did this TOGETHER. Over the past few weeks we've learned about US too. We've talked about things that we hadn't really talked about before. We worked as a team and, I think, became closer because of it. What other diet can do THAT for you. My plan is simple; live better. I still got up and had my water w/ lemon and cayenne this morning. I did my upper body workout. I had my juice and packed my salad for lunch. I am killing it, y'all! Live healthy, have fun. Don't let anything stand in your way. If I can do it, Mr. 5-Martinis-a-Saturday, so can you!! I highly recommend you buy Crazy, Sexy Diet by Kris Carr and read it. See for yourself what a healthier life can do for you. I actually didn't think I was eating that bad before I started this. In comparison to some, I wasn't. But there was so much more I could do to love myself. I hope that following my 21-Day Cleanse was as enjoyable and inspiring for you as it was for me. Here's to a great day and an even better tomorrow.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: LAST DAY - THE FINAL FASTING!

DAY 21: I decided to start this morning off with a nice (not so nice actually) salt water flush. It is a way to get the body free of toxins at the start of the day and it's a little easier on the body than an enema. I know, gross. It's 32 oz. of  warm water with two teaspoons of UNIODIZED SEA salt. It must be unionized sea salt if you do this. It mixes with the water and doesn't sink. I added a touch of lemon to make it easier to drink. Then....well.....you can guess. Anyway, after that process, I went online and got two tickets to see Dark Shadows in IMAX. I have been waiting to see this movie since I first saw the coming attraction. I LOVE campy movies. But alas, the movie, though shot beautifully, did not fulfill my camp fantasies. It was okay though. I am pretty easily entertained and I can never get enough Helena Bonham Carter, Michelle Pfeiffer or Chloe Grace Moretz. After the movie we went to up to Cafe Blossom, a vegan restaurant on the UWS, and got ourselves some juice. We walked around and hit a couple of stores and decided that we would treat ourselves to a brand new, high powered juicer. Our little juicer was not really meant for the amount of juicing we have put it through in the last three weeks and we wanted something a bit more heavy duty. We decided on the Omega Mega Mouth Juicer. It's gonna kick those veggies asses! So off to the grocery store we ventured for fresh veggies, because we plan on juicing every morning (at least) still. And we began using the Omega Mega Mouth!! IT'S PERFECT!! We got twice as much juice from it. It's astounding. So excited about it. I'm a juice nerd now. Okay, I'm gonna wrap it up for tonight because Veep and Girls is on soon. As far as the final post for this cleanse, it will be tomorrow. I want to weigh myself in the morning and I want to be able to give my final thoughts on how I felt about this experience and what my plans are to utilize the lessons I've learned about my body and how I want to treat myself from this day forward.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: DAY 20

DAY 20: Well dinner last night was absolutely amazy!!! It was a taste sensation and the restaurant was sooooo pretty. We sat outside on their back patio (pictured), the weather was perfection and the wait staff was great. OH, and there were two celebrities there; Crispin Glover (McFly from Back to the Future) and Kyan Douglas (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy). I used the term "celebrities" loosely, fyi. Anyway, we had Plate of Assorted Cultured Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheeses and Rosemary Crisps and Natsu Maki of Avocado, Pickled Red Onion and Asparagus for appetizers and hubby had Hen of the Woods Tacos al Pastor while I ate the delish Sweet Corn and Cashew Tamales with Chili Spiced Portabella. I'm not kidding you when I tell you it was the best meal I've had in YEARS!! Oh, and we celebrated with Master Cleanse Tinis. Delish. I can't believe that everything we ate was raw, vegan food. Again, look at the menu for Pure Food and Wine HERE. After we returned home some friends came over and we all watched a wonderfully horrible, cheesy gay rom-com called eCupid. I love making fun of those movies. Okay. Slept like a baby. Today I woke up around 8:30 and ran a couple of errands for housecleaning supplies and groceries. I came home and had my water w/ lemon and cayenne while I made juice for the morning. Hubby slept in. Tired guy. I drank my juice while checking email and Facebook. After that I was ready for a little cardio, so hubby and I decided to take a nice walk since it was so nice out and he had to go out of town for the day. It gave us some time together. I was meeting my bestie who is having a baby and her husband for lunch. We ate at Hummus Kitchen, which has plenty for me and is delicious also. I took off for a little shopping on Fifth Avenue (the cheaper stores, ha) and found a cute summer tank top and an awesome tee. The rest of the afternoon was a lazy one. Just lounged around and relaxed while doing laundry and watching tv. I made the cucumber and avocado soup for dinner in time for hubby to be home and we plan on getting our last juice later from Westerly. It was a lovely, sunny Saturday. One last day left on this incredible cleanse. What a joy it's been. See you on Day 21!

8:30 AM - Water w/ Lemon & Cayenne
10:00 AM - Green Juice
12:00 PM - LUNCH - Super Healthy Salad
3:00 PM - SNACK - Rice crackers and hummus
7:00 PM - DINNER - Cucumber & Avocado Soup
9:00 PM - Green Juice

Friday, May 11, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: DAY 19

DAY 19: Wow! It's the end of the last work week on the cleanse. I can't believe how fast this whole thing is blowing by! My morning workout was great and it was the start of a beautiful New York City day again! I had my protein shake after my workout and then put together lunch before going for my Friday morning treat of buying a juice at Westerly. Oh, by the way, all the clothes I put on this morning are REALLY loose. Can I get a what-what? Then it was off to work with a little Bananarama, past and present, putting a hitch in my giddy up. Had a super-busy but good morning at work. No time for a snack though, so by lunch I was hungry. CHOW!! My afternoon at work was pleasant, but I was so looking forward to my dinner date with the hubby tonight that it seemed like it lasted FOREVER!!! LET ME GO!! Ha. I finally made it home and had myself a green juice to keep me until dinner, watched my Friends and relaxed a bit. I am going to be posting a little early tonight in order to put on some newly fitting clothes and get myself downtown to Pure Food & Wine to meet hubby for dinner. I can't wait!! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow, on DAY 20!! Can't believe it's already the end of Day 19. This rocks!

6:00 AM - Lower Body Workout
7:00 AM - SunWarrior Protein Shake w/ Banana, Raw Almond Butter & Coconut Water
8:00 AM - Green Juice
11:40 AM - Broccoli & Carrots w/ Hummus
1:30 PM - Herbal Tea w/ Stevia
2:40 PM - Handful of Mixed Nuts
5:00 PM - Green Juice
7:30 PM - DINNER????????

MADONNA FRIDAY: HOLIDAY & CELEBRATION

Since it's the last Madonna Friday during my 21-Day cleanse, I thought I'd give you two Madonna's for the price of one. But to be clear, there's no charge anyway. Madonna's first major hit in the US was Holiday and I'm featuring one of Madge's first ever performances on American television, Solid Gold (if you never saw Solid Gold in the 80s, I feel sorry for you). Released in 1983, the song introduced the majority of the world to Madonna for the first time and it remains a signature song in her arsenal of hits. Flash forward 27 years and Madonna is partying again. This time it's her single off of her greatest hits collection, Celebration. An homage to her dance history and unprecedented career, Celebration takes us to the club and gets us shakin' our butts. This is the version of the video shot ith her fans from all over the world and her daughter Lourdes dressed in her Like A Virgin drag!! Enjoy some back-to-back Madonna and have a great Madonna Friday, everyone!! She would want it that way.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: DAY 18

DAY 18: After last night's successful dinner (so delish) I slept like a baby and woke up at 7 this morning to make juice for breakfast. I put on my Madonna and juiced away. That sounds disgusting. I made juice. Okay. Packed up my lunch and headed out the door for another day at work only to be met by another beautiful New York morning. Since it was Bono's birthday today I enlisted U2 to get me through my morning work at my desk and they did a great job, I must say. Well, along with some mixed nuts and tea, of course. Lunch was my ol' staple of veggies and hummus. A nice, quiet, uneventful morning. Once again, my afternoon at work was not too shabby. Smooth and easy going. It's still really pleasant outside, sunny with a nice, cool breeze. Stopped by the store on the way home and got some black bean spaghetti and organic pasta sauce to mix with some veggies for dinner. I got home and did my cardio on my home elliptical. That thing has really come in handy. I'm so glad I go it! If you wanna check it out you should click HERE. It's totally affordable and saves you time. Yay! I had myself a green smoothie as an afternoon snack. Dinner turned out to be so good and so filling! And for desert? Dried apricot. Yummy. Okay. Now I have a ton of tv to catch up on, so goodbye for tonight. See you on Day 19!


7:00 AM - Water w/ Lemon & Cayenne
8:00 AM - Green Juice
9:45 AM - Handful of Mixed Nuts. Herbal Tea w/ Stevia
11:50 AM - LUNCH - Broccoli & Carrots w/ Hummus. Water w/ Lemon
3:30 PM - Handful of Mixed Nuts
5:00 PM - Cardio Workout
5:35 PM - Green Smoothie
8:00 PM - Black Bean Spaghetti w/ Spicy Sauce & Chunky Tomatoes.

REVIEW: ADAM LAMBERT - TRESPASSING

Adam Lambert has come a long way since American Idol. His debut album, For Your Entertainment, produced a top 10 single and went platinum. Not bad for the gay boy from a reality competition. There's no disputing that Adam is one of the best singers Idol has produced with genuine originality and loads of talent. He's proven that. Now we have Lambert's second album, Trespassing. Full of hooks and guitars and his amazing voice, Lambert has the potential to blow some songs out of the park and onto the radio. From the opening title track we see that the production is spot on and Adam's voice is in top form. The first single, Better Than I Know Myself, didn't quite connect with audiences (#78), which is a huge shame because it's amazing. But with songs like the electro-tastic Cuckoo and Bruno Mars penned Never Close Your Eyes, there's plenty of material to chose from. This album is not just a repeat of For Your Entertainment. It shows a growth and change as an artist, both lyrically and sonically. Underneath and Broken English (my fave so far on the album) have soaring melodies and grown up lyrics that show a man coming into his own. But of course there's some songs that are just sassy, campy and fun like Shady and Kickin' It, that will have your ass shakin'. Let's hope that Adam can connect with radio like he did with Whataya Want From Me or If I Had You, because he is too talented to fall by the wayside. This album deserves your attention. Watch the video for first single, Better Than I Know Myself, below. It's really great!!!

REVIEW: GOSSIP - A JOYFUL NOISE

Gossip is mostly identified with its zaftig, outspoken frontwoman Beth Ditto, but they are a tight, sexy bunch who laid down the law of post-punk pop with their last album, Music for Men. Since then Beth made an amazing solo EP of trancey, dreamy dance songs and now rejoins her band for a moody, rockin' romp on A Joyful Noise. Starting off with a heavy 1-2 of Melody Emergency and first single Perfect World, Gossip are in top form and a little more on the pop side of things this time. Ditto's voice is reminiscent of Dolly Parton at times, strangely, and still able to rock out at the same time. There's some dance club influence on a couple of tracks, like the sexy fun of Get a Job and Get Lost, but plenty of emotional punch on Casualties of War and Involved. The album is nicely put together and flows easily from song to song, largely due to the vocal performances of Beth Ditto. She is a star, no doubt, despite being the antithesis of what a female pop star usually is: a heavy, outspoken, off-beat out lesbian. The girl's got spunk! Whether or not this album in able to connect with a larger audience for the band remains to be seen (I doubt it), but one thing is for sure, fans of the band will not be disappointed. I like it! Check out the video for Perfect World below.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BONO!!

Rock god and frontman of U2, Bono, is 52 today!! Truly one of the most recognizable and amazing voices in rock history, Bono and U2 have dominated the charts for more than 30 years now. Selling over 150 million records, winning 22 Grammys and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have assured Bono a place in history. U2 are currently on haitus, but Bono continues to work tirelessly for his many, many charities involving Africa and AIDS and was even nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for his work. Oh, and he's also a sexy, sexy guy!! THAT VOICE!!! That voice that can make me cry at its very sound. Ah. I am a HUGE fan of Bono and U2, so I'd like to share some of my favorite songs with you. Check it below and celebrate Bono all day!




Wednesday, May 9, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: DAY 17

DAY 17: My morning started off with my alarm going off somewhere other than beside my bed. Where was that rascally thing? Ha. I was so tired last night I left it sitting on the table in the living room. Oh, well. Still heard it!! I hit the gym on a misty New York morning for my 6 AM workout and just caught the rain on the way home. It was actually pretty refreshing and the temperature made it one of those lovely springtime rains. I had myself a SunWarrior protein shake and took my shower and read my daily affirmation, inspiration, et al. In those readings today it reminded me that I need to be my best friend. Pat MYSELF on the back and be proud of myself. Ask myself questions like: What needs more attention in my life? What's one thing I could take off my plate that would allow me more free time? What loving words about myself would my best friend (me) tell me? These are all good questions to ask yourself every now and then. We can always take time to improve our mental state. I laid on the floor and gave myself a couple minutes of a belly rub. I started on the upper right side under the ribs and apply moderate pressure while moving in small circles across and down the left side. It helps push...well, you know....down and throug the intestines a little. It works too! I got dressed for work and before I left for the train and my hubby left for the gym, we actually had a little time to put on some Dolly Parton and have a little dance. FUN!! Why don't we do that everyday, I wonder. Train equalled Dolly this morning. My AM at work included a fire drill with a pretty funny, stereotypically New York guy giving us instructions we've all known since childhood. But somce he was entertaining, it was okay. Then a morning snack and some tea. Yum. I got a compliment on how thin I'm looking from my lovely co-worker, who is now my favorite (ha), and I felt really great about that. It's nice to know things are evident to others like they are to me. My afternoon work was done VERY early due to some good things that happened, so I retreated back to my desk to do some other work and a little light reading. I was able to make a reservation for hubby and I to have a celebratory, almost end of cleanse dinner at a raw food restaurant we've been dying to try called Pure Food & Wine. Click the link and check out the delicious menu. I cannot wait to try that food!!!! Got home and had myself a green smoothie and after talking with the hubby I looked online and found a recipe for Walnut "Meat" Taco Salad. Hmmmm. I love taco salad, so I figured I'd give it a try. IT WAS SO DELICIOUS I COULD DIE!! There's absolutely NO cooking involved and it takes about five minutes if you buy organic salsa and guacamole. I can't even tell you. This is going to be a staple. All right. Only FOUR more days of cleanse. Seems like nothing because I'm loving it so far. 

6:00 AM - Water w/ Lemon & Cayenne. Lower Body Workout
7:15 AM - SunWarrior Protein Shake w/ Bananas & Raw Almond Butter
8:00 AM - Green Juice
10:40 AM - SNACK - Black Sesame Rice Crackers w/ Guacamole. Herbal Tea
12:00 PM - LUNCH - Broccoli & Carrots w/ Hummus
3:30 PM - SNACK - Handful of Mixed Nuts
5:20 PM - Green Smoothie
8:00 PM - Walnut "Meat" Taco Salad






OBAMA ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE

FINALLY!!! What a glorious day in the USA. In an interview with Robin Roberts which aired this afternoon, President Obama said the following:
"I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I've just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married..."
YES!! It looks like our President has come to the conclusion that every American really should be equal. What a historic day in our country. Congrats to him and all that follow him and maybe reevaluate their thoughts on same-sex marriage because of his leadership. Onward to the elections. You can read more of his thoughts HERE.
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NO DOUBT GIVE US BEHIND THE SCENES ON NEW ALBUM AND PREVIEW OF NEW SONG

SOUNDS GREAT!! Gwen Stefani and No Doubt are finally coming back with new music, their first full album since 2001's Rock Steady. Damn! 11 years is toooooo long. Here is a little behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new album and a preview of a song called Push and Shove that sounds amazy! No name has been given to the album yet, but we can expect it September 25th preceded by the first single in July. So excited to have Gwen back! Take a listen to Push and Shove below.

NEW ALANIS MORISSETTE SONG!! WOOHOO!!!

Alanis Morisette has already announced the release of her next album, Bright Lights and Havoc, this August, and now we have a new track. Magical Child is a gorgeous electro-ballad that sounds very different for Alanis. I love it! It's actually not that new. The song appeared on the Starbucks compilation Every Mother Counts. It's new to me! And maybe you! It probably won't be on the new album either. So I guess I'm a liar. Ha. Anyway, I think you'll enjoy it. I personally cannot wait for new Alanis. It's been too long.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: DAY 16

DAY 16: Today started off great. I slept in until 7 AM because of my after-work-cardio day and made juice for our breakfast. Put together some lunch and I was off to work with Robyn in my ears. My morning at work was A-okay and non-eventful in a great way. Exchanged a few happy texts with the hubby and set up plans to meet with a friend who is embarking on an exciting overseas journey soon. OH, today I also read in Crazy Sexy Diet that there is an iPhone app called Vegan Xpress that tells you what your vegan options are a chain restaurants and movie theatres, and even with beer and wines!! Fun! Like did you know that McDonaldland Cookies are vegan? Or the vegetarian options at Chipotle (without cheese of course)? That stuff is good! It's worth buying the app if you travel a lot or if you are frequently with friends who are not vegan and want to eat out a lot, like me. Anyhoo, I got all my work done for the day early so I took a couple of hours off and headed home to do my cardio and have a little snack. Relaxation is my friend, so I sat on the couch and watched a little tv after that (Friends, of course). At 6 I'm to meet my friend who is adios-ing for a while and then on to my evening plans, so I'm writing a little early today. What a great day it is!!! Day 16 was a breeze and quite lovely, I must say. See you on Day 17!! 5 more days to go on the cleanse, then the rest of my healthier life.

7:00 AM - Water w/ Lemon & Cayenne
8:00 AM - Green Juice
10:30 AM - Rice Crackers w/ Hummus
12:15 PM - LUNCH - Broccoli & Carrots w/ Hummus
2:00 PM - Herbal tea w/ Stevia
3:15 PM - Cardio Workout
3:45 PM - Water w/ Lemon & Cayenne
4:00 PM - Rice Crackers w/ all natural Guacamole
6:00 PM - Green Juice

RITA WILSON, ACTRESS AND TOM HANK'S WIFE, CAN SING. WHO KNEW! CHECK IT OUT

Rita Wilson is a 55-year-old sometimes actress and producer married to mega-star Tom Hanks. But a turn in the musical Chicago lead to her recording a new album AM/FM. Songs chosen because of their connection to Rita's youth were recorded for the album, and she sounds pretty damn good on them!! Here is a video for the track Angel of the Morning, the Juice Newton (among others) classic. Now nothing can compare to Juice's version of this song, but I gotta say Rita puts her own stank on it and I like it. Listening to some of the other tracks on AM/FM, she does a great job. Is it possible I might spend $9.99 on a Rita Wilson album? We'll see. Here is the track listing for AM/FM and watch the video below and the very Sheryl Crow, who guests on the album, cover photo to the right. Go, Rita.

1. All I Have to Do Is Dream
2. Never My Love
3. Come See About Me
4.Angel of the Morning
5. Walking in the Rain
6. Wichita Lineman
7. Cherish
8. You Were On My Mind
9. Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues
10. Love Has No Pride
11. Please Come to Boston
12. Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
13. Faithless Love
14. River
15. Every Perfect Picture

MORE NEW SCISSOR SISTERS

We have heard first single Only The Horses with it's Calvin Harris chorus, but now we get another track from their upcoming album called Let's Have a Kiki. In case you DON'T watch RuPaul's Drag Race (shame on you) a "kiki" is basically gossiping. The song talks all about it and is pretty fun and funky, if I do say so myself. Take a listen and look for the Scissor Sisters new album, Magic Hour, due at the end of May. The track contains a lot smack talkin' by Ana Matronic and sounds like the cast of Paris is Burning over a latin club beat. Hot!! Ana always has one track all her own on each album (Tits on the Radio, Kiss You Off, Skin That Cat, et al), and this one is a good one, IMHO. I'm really excited for some new Scissor Sisters now after hearing these two tracks. It's a different sound for the kids. Yay!

Monday, May 7, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: DAY 15 - WEEK 3

DAY 15: Here we go! It's the last week of the cleanse. Lookin' good and feelin' better every day!! I had my 6 AM workout today and I have lost another 3 pounds, which brings my total after 2 weeks to 10 pounds. Pretty freakin' great, IMO. Especially after the added calories from Saturday. Ha. I am back in my thin clothes and I feel really energetic going into week 3. Anyway, made a salad for lunch, popped some ABBA in my ear and took off to work. Anyway. 10:30 was snack time so I broke out the rice cakes and almond butter and had a delish treat. While I am in a good mood, I'll share a little secret with you. There are some people during this cleanse that will look at you and ask why you're doing it. They'll be negative about it and maybe even avoid you for a while or say there's nothing you can do because of your cleanse. Guess what! You're not doing it for them. You are doing it for you. That's what I tell myself when I feel like their negativity is getting to me. I am doing this for MY health. I am doing this so I feel better. If you just tell them that instead of getting defensive and telling them to f*ck off, they really can't argue. So, don't listen to the negativity. Keep your eye on the goal of feeling light and free and healthy. It's better than eating that cheeseburger in the middle of your cleanse to shut someone up. Right? Right. That being said, there will be a far greater number of people who will be really curious and want to know all about your cleanse. No matter how many ask, answer them! Spread your knowledge you've gained about your body and how great you feel. There can never be too many happy people, ya know. So I had a good day at work and headed home for another snack. Decided that I'd have a smoothie for dinner tonight and watch Girls and Veep on the DVR. Day 15 complete and Week 3 off to a great start. Don't you like my pretty juice rainbow pictured???

6:00 AM - Water w/ Lemon & Cayenne. Upper Body Workout
7:15 AM - SunWarrior Protein w/ Coconut Water & Frozen Mixed Berries
8:00 AM - Green Juice (but red because of Beets, ha)
10:30 AM - Brown Rice Cake w/ Raw Almond Butter. Herbal Tea
12:00 PM - LUNCH - Salad w/ Mixed Veggies, Beans, Raw Sauerkraut and Green Garlic Dressing w/ Apple Cider Vinegar
3:00 PM - SNACK - Black Sesame Organic Rice Crackers w/ Green Garlic Dressing.
5:00 PM - SNACK - Black Sesame Organic Rice Crackers w/ Hummus
7:45 PM - DINNER - Green Guru Smoothie



RIHANNA HITS THE SNL MUSIC STAGE

Rihanna hit the stage at SNL and gave it her all. Did she sing well? It's hard to tell with all the reverb at first, but she certainly made some interesting moves along with some questionable notes. She slapped her....um....nether regions a few times just for good measure. I will admit that I've been down on RiRi lately because of all the Chris Brown mess. She seems to be a little off kilter. Anyway, I DO like the Talk That Talk album and these tracks are pretty good, especially the second set. Watch Birthday Cake w/ Talk that Talk and Where Have You Been below. The second performance is MUCH better vocally and stylistically in my opinion.


COUGAR TOWN MAY MOVE TO TBS

This is amazing news!!! In danger of being cancelled by ABC, my beloved Cougar Town and even more beloved Courteney Cox may be moving the Culdasac Crew to TBS! According to a TBS spokesperson, "Should the show become available, TEN (Turner Entertainment Netwroks)looks at all opportunities presented to us that fit our brand." That would be awesome. While the ratings for ABC are not stellar, the rating for most other networks (Hello, NBC) would be good, so it's a smart move to move it to another network. The shows fans (i.e. Me) are loyal and love the show and would hate to lose it. Plus, the world can NEVER have enough Courteney Cox, IMHO. So it looks like, whatever happens, our Cougar Town gang will be safe. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN AND EDUCATION SECRETARY COME OUT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY

WOW!! Those are some major endorsements right there. While Obama is still "evolving" on same sex marriage, Joe Biden has finally come out in support of same sex marriage. The Vice President appeared on Meet the Press and says he is "absolutely comfortable" with same sex marriage and believes we all have the rights to the same civil liberties. Nice! He doesn't comment on whether or not the Obama administration will eventually endorse marriage equality, but he is standing up for the LGBT community and even says "Will & Grace probably did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody has ever done so far." Cool. I would agree with that and of course throw in Ellen, who really started the ball rolling in my opinion. Meanwhile, Education Secretary Arne Duncan went on Morning Joe and was asked by the panel what his views on same sexy marriage were. They are asking everyone on the cabinet, by the way. Well, he answered them simply and straight forward. Check out his response below Biden's full explanation below. We're getting there!!!


Sunday, May 6, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: DAY 14 - THE SECOND FAST

DAY 14: Well, last night was a total blast, but I definitely broke the cleanse. I didn't go hog wild by any means, especially considering my past. Ha. I did, however, over a 5-6 hour period have four vodka/sodas and a half a glass of champagne. So what I'm deciding today is this:

Do I feel better:
A) Completely clear-headed, energetic & thin
B) After four vodka/sodas and a half a glass of champagne

Of course the answer is A. Duh. BUT, two of our best friends in the whole world are getting married at the end of this month and last night at a drag restaurant (Lucky Cheng's is one of the funnest, most politically incorrect places to dine in the universe) and cruising around the East Village was the perfect way to celebrate.  We killed it!!!! At least the meal was pretty much right on track for the cleanse, aside from maybe not the perfect oils. So, lesson learned and I hope I will remember this slightly poisoned feeling the next time I have more drinks than I need to feel my very best. No, I WILL remember it. Moving on to Day 14: The Fasting!! Sounds like a Stephen King novel. Ha. It's not. No one is going to send in a rabid dog or a self-aware, murderous car to do me in. I woke up at 8:15 this morning and made myself some herbal tea while waiting for hubby to get up, who, btw, did better than me last night drinks-wise. Just saying. Ha. Today is the second fast on the cleanse and I have, believe it or not, been looking forward to it all week. As amazing as I felt last week after the fasting day, I expect a repeat performance this week. I headed down to the Westerly and got hubby and I two cleanser juices to start off our morning. Beets really make a juice sweet and delicious! This one was red!!! (pictured) After a morning grocery run and catching up on Vampire Diaries, hubby and I walked to Lincoln Center to see about getting tickets for the new documentary First Position. We've been dying to see it!! Click HERE to watch the trailer and read all about it. We got tickets, we saw it and IT WAS AMAZING!!! I cried so many times watching these young performers working toward their dream. It was inspiring. We then visited with on of our friends whose bachelor party it was last night. He is still alive! Ha. Then we came back home. Hubby went to the gym and I decided to shower (finally) and prepare to make juice for tonight and tomorrow morning. Had some herbal tea while it did it, girl. Helped get me to the next juice, which I'll have at 7. I am going to write a bit early today because my funniest friend Ian is coming over tonight to watch our oft-quoted Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion. "Have a Romy & Michelle day!" Okay. The second fasting was pretty easy as well. Heading into the last full week of the cleanse and I can see the finish line now. I am very optimistic that the thinness and feelings of glee and euphoria are going to keep me much healthier into the future. Week 3? Bring it!!!

8:30 AM - Herbal tea
9:00 AM - Cleanser Juice
12:00 PM - Green Juice
3:00 PM - Green Lemonade
5:20 PM - Herbal Tea
7:00 PM - Green Juice

Saturday, May 5, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: DAY 13

DAY 13: Started my day off with some water w/ lemon and an herbal tea. I got up at 7:30 this morning, so I sat and read my daily cleanse reading (inspiration, affirmation and focus) and then worked on my blog a bit. I went to the post office at 9:15, hit the gym at about 9:30 and then back home to make juice. Then it was off to buy a new blender. Turns out our 300 year old blender wasn't great for making smoothies, especially after I put a metal wisk in it by accident. Heehee. I'm pretty. So off to Macy's we went. We were looking for a Vita-Mix because everyone recommended it, but they don't carry Vita-Mix in-store. We had a gift card, so we ended up getting a Ninja and it is FANTAS-GREAT!!! We made Live Cucumber and Avocado soup, garnished with corn and red peppers. It was so fantastic and so filling I couldn't believe it!! Success on our first soup of the cleanse!!! Yay!!! After that my hubby went to the gym and I went to get my hair cut. I'm pretty again!! THEN..I tried on a shirt that I might wear tonight that I almost gave a way a couple of months ago because it was too tight AND NOW IT FITS....WITH ROOM TO SPARE!!! Yay! I'm shedding all of that stupid bloat I hate so much. Talk about feeling good! My hubby and I had a little used-to-not-fit fashion show dancing around our room to Madonna. So rom-com!! Anyhoo........Tonight is our best friends' "bachelor" party. We are doing it for both of them together because we're gays and that's how we roll. Ha. It should be lots of fun and we're allowing ourselves at least a drink to toast the couple tonight. So there will be a tiny bit of alcohol in the mix, but not enough to blow this thing wide open. Okay!! Doubt me not! Around 4:30 I started to need a little snack, but didn't want o snack until 5:30, so water w/ lemon and cayenne once again saved the day!!! So we made a delish smoothie with avocado, almond butter, banana, mixed berries, agave and E3Live and romaine. It was scrumptious! All right, now I have to get myself put together for the bachelor party festivities tonight. I'm not giving any hints in case the bachelors themselves see this before we start!!! They're sneaky bitches like that!!! I'll have to tell you what I ate tonight tomorrow. Okay. Into the nightlife we go. See you on Day 14!!!

7:30 AM - Water w/ lemon and cayenne
10:30 AM - Green Juice
12:30 PM - Live Cucumber & Avocado Soup
4:30 PM - Water w/ Lemon and Cayenne
5:30 PM - Smoothie of Death

NEW KYLIE MINOGUE GREATEST HITS ALBUM COMING THIS SUMMER!

OOOOOHHH!! Yay for all the Kylie fans out there!! Kylie Minogue is celebrating her astounding 25th year in the music biz this year and to celebrate has been releasing acoustic covers and special videos on the 25th of every month on her website, kylie.com. This summer Ms. Minogue will bless us all with a greatest hits album, The Best of Kylie Minogue. Although no new songs will appear on the disc, the 21-song selection was chosen, according to her label EMI, by "fans through extensive market research conducted by EMI late last year". Well, I'm going to hold out hope that Kylie puts some of her acoustic covers on as bonus tracks and has a kick-ass set of liner notes and photos. KYLIE! Here is the track listing:


Can't Get You Out Of My Head
Spinning Around
I Should Be So Lucky
Love At First Sight
In Your Eyes
Kids (with Robbie Williams)
Better The Devil You Know
All The Lovers
Give Me Just A Little More Time
Celebration
Slow
Red Blooded Woman
I Believe In You
On A Night Like This
Confide In Me
Get Outta My Way
The Loco-Motion
Tears On My Pillow
Wow
In My Arms
Never Too Late

Friday, May 4, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: DAY 12

DAY 12: Well, well, well. Day 12 it is!! Woke up to pouring rain this morning so I decided I would wait for my workout until after work so as not to start my day off soaking wet in workout attire. It was a nice extra hour of sleep. I packed up lunch and headed out for my Friday treat, a juice made for me at Westerly, and off to work. The rain had stopped by the time I left the house, by the way. See how smart I am? Ha. My music choice this morning? Alanis Morissette. Hadn't listened to her in a while and it was a punch of nostalgia the whole train ride. LOVE IT!!! "Cuz I got one hand in my pocket.....". Morning work completed, I had leftover Mexican Pilaf for lunch (seriously, can't get enough of it) and some water w/ lemon afterwards to wash it down. Interesting to note, Kris says in her book that it's NOT great to drink while eating. That it actually hinders your body's ability to digest. My digestion has been better since I started doing it, but I've also completely changed my diet, so..... My afternoon of work went smoothly and I was already excited for the weekend. I had time for some carrots and hummus on a break in the PM and then I went home and decided I was going to give myself a day off from the gym after all. I will go in the morning and that's still 5 days this week. I had some rice crackers, water with lemon and took a 20 minute power nap. I listened to some music and awaited my hubby's homecoming. We are juicing for dinner tonight to give our digestion a kickstart into the weekend. What a great end of the week!

8:00 AM - Green Lemonade
10:30 AM - Handful of mixed nuts & Herbal Tea w/ Stevia
12:00 PM - Mexican Pilaf
3:30 PM - Carrots and hummus
5:00 PM - Rice crackers w/ organic bean dip
8:00 PM - Green Juice

MADONNA FRIDAY: DEAR JESSIE

Dear Jessie was the fifth single off of the Like a Prayer album, but it was only released in the UK, Australie, Japan and select European countries. The US did not get an official release, instead getting Keep It Together. By far the most sugary sweet of any Madonna song, Dear Jessie was written by Madonna and frequent callaborator Patrick Leonard, inspired by Leonard's daughter, Jessie. The song is more of a lullaby than a pop song, but the theme of it fit perfectly into the Like a Prayer album, sandwiched between the joyous Cherish and the darker Oh Father, which used the string section at the end of Dear Jessie to seque into its own. The song reached #5 in the UK in the winter of 1990. The video for the song features Madonna only in cartoon form, as a short-haired, Tinkerbell-esque character floating through the room and imagination fo a little girl. It's really cute, y'all! So here is a rare look at a Madonna song never released in the US as a single. Enjoy Dear Jessie and have a great Madonna Friday!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

21-DAY CLEANSE: DAY 11

DAY 11: Woohoo! I am so proud of myself. I'm halfway through this (super easy) 21-Day cleanse and I feel fanstasgreat, energetic and light. It's really a huge difference in my health and my mood. So great!! My morning started off with the super green juice, as usual, and a healthy dose of Scissor Sisters blazing in my ears. My AM at work was quick, painless and uneventful (in a good way). I did, however, have my first real urge to ingest something I can't have today: Diet Coke! I wanted one really badly, but instead I made myself some green tea w/ lemon & stevia and I was satisfied. Crisis averted! As part of my daily focus, which is outlined in the Crazy Sexy Diet book for each day of the cleanse, I was to write a list of 10 things I absolutely love. I included a picture (lower right) of that list on this post to share with the world. They were the first things that popped into my head, but of course I love MILLIONS of things. You can click on the picture to enlarge it if you can't quite make it out. More good news came this afternoon in the form of my super amazing sister-in-law getting a great new job that she wanted. It also made me realize how much I miss her, my brother-in-law and my two adorable nephews. Waaahh!! They live in Boston, and although not too far from NYC in the scheme of things, it's hard to get away this time of year it seems. Hopefully things will slow down as the Spring/Summer moves on and we'll have an opportunity to get to Beantown. Okay. I pulled it together and headed on with the day. That was a mini emotional roller coaster, huh? I got home and hopped on my elliptical for a nice cardio workout while, yes, watching Friends. AGAIN!! You should be over this by now. I watch Friends 10 times a week. My name is Wendell and I'm a Friends-aholic. Anyhoo, my handy friend and gaybor came over to help me put in our new air conditioner. Well, he put the AC in and I pretty much watched. He has tools and everything!! So we are officially set for any hot, muggy weather that may come our way, and with the forecast being 81 and raining tomorrow, I think we're gonna need it pretty damn soon. Having the Mexican Pilaf again tonight. Yes, there are other options to make, but we are little obsessed with this dish. I am not kidding you, people. It's crazy amazy! Okay, gotta adios for now. Day 12, get ready to be my bitch!

7:15 AM - Water w/ Lemon and Cayenne
8:00 AM - Green Juice
11:30 AM - LUCH - Salad w/ beans, corn, cucumber and raw sauerkraut
3:15 PM - SNACK - Carrots and Hummus
5:00 PM - Cardio Workout
5:35 PM - SunWarrior Protein shake w/ Banana and Coconut Water
8:00 PM - Mexican Pilaf

NEW MUSIC/VIDEO: CHERYL COLE - CALL MY NAME

Brit popstar and former Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole is back with the first single Call My Name from her upcoming third solo album, A Million Lights, due in June. The Calvin Harris produced single is very of-the-moment sounding with a lot of clubland synths and build-ups a la We Found Love, also a Calvin Harris track. Coincidence? I think not. I am not sure how I feel about this song or video. There's something a little I-don't-know about it, but Cheryl looks amazing, as usual. I always forget how much she looks like Shania Twain. Right? Doesn't she? Yes, she does. Anyway, take a listen and judge for youself. Here's Cheryl Cole's Call My Name.