From the monthly archives:

January 2012

Go Giants!

by Kathleen O'Reilly

Today, sisters, we’re talking football.  And not just any football.  Not the European football, the average Sunday American football, the backlot pick-up-game football.  No, this is the Big Dog.  This is the Game.  This is the pinnacle of the American football experience. Superbowl Sunday. For those non-American sisters, let me take a moment to educate [...]

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Jeans and Beans

by Jacquie D'Alessandro

It was a fun-filled weekend here at Casa D’Alessandro–and I have the photos to prove it.  Things started off with a bang with my neighborhood’s Jeans and Beans night–a county/Western themed party which included a chili cook-off and a dessert contest.  My DH signed up to enter the chili contest, so I decided to enter [...]

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AT THE MOVIES/WEEKEND PLANS

by Jacquie D'Alessandro

I agree with Sherri’s post earlier this week that the most important thing about the Oscars (to me, anyway) is what everyone will wear.  Still, there are movies up for awards and I guess I should give them a bit of attention in between oogling the gowns.   Nine films are nominated for Best Picture.  I’ve [...]

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Demons and Kindles and Tech Stuff, Oh My!

by Julie Kenner/J.K. Beck

Yesterday, I shared a buncha covers on my blog for incoming Demon Hunting Soccer Mom books (I hope you guys go take a look! The post is here!) I’m super excited to be diving into the world of indie/ePublishing, and as I told some commenters to the blog and Facebook page, one of the things [...]

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Oscar’s Leading Ladies

by Sherri Browning Erwin

Oscar nominations came out yesterday morning. The main question: What will they wear? Best Actress Nominations: Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs” Viola Davis, “The Help” Rooney Mara, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady” Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn” What, no Charlize Theron? Reese Witherspoon? Sandra Bullock? We know they would all [...]

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Downton Abby

by Dee Davis
Downton Abby

I am completely and totally in love with Downton Abby.  I discovered series 1 in December, through a recommendation of a woman I met in a cooking class.  And immediately went home and glommed all seven episodes.   It was amazing.  And I was in love.  I actually counted the days until the premiere of the [...]

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At the End of the Day, Overused Phrases Bug me

by Julia London
at_the_end_of_the_day_t_shirt-p235506726795649201z7tqq_400

There is something bugging me, and it’s the phrase, “At the end of the day.”   You hear it on TV, you hear it a LOT in presidential debates.  You hear it from friends, read it in papers and, if you’re like me, you say it.  At the end of the day, we are going to [...]

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Guest Blogger: Ivy Adams

by Julia London
ikc cover

Give a whiny welcome to Ivy Adams, our pal and the author of the new young adult  novel, The International Kissing Club: Piper, Cassidy, Mei and Izzy are the misfits of Paris, Texas.  For sixteen years, they’ve dreamed of escaping the stifling fishbowl of life in their small Texas town.  When Piper is the victim [...]

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IN THE NEWS

by Jacquie D'Alessandro

One of the things I love best about my new smart phone is the USAToday app.  One touch and all the day’s headlines are at my fingertips.  And best of all?  The app is FREE.  Yes, FREE!  So between that app and USWeekly Magazine, I’m all caught up on the news.  Here are the top stories [...]

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What do I do with this big, open space?

by Julie Kenner/J.K. Beck

I love our new house, don’t get me wrong, but there are things that builders are doing nowadays that either baffle me or are aesthetically pleasing and yet practically annoying. Eight foot ceilings fall into that latter category. Have you ever tried to change a lightbulb while balancing on a flimsy Ikea bar stool? I [...]

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Whiner (Weiner) of the Year!

by Sherri Browning Erwin

And now what you have all been waiting for… our Whine Person of the Year 2011! But of course, we went for naughty over nice, due to popular demand. Presenting Whiner of the Year 2011, Anthony Weiner. Or, as you might know him: Oh, sorry. You mean you don’t want to see it? But he [...]

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Playoff Recap and Predictions, the Armchair Edition

by Kathleen O'Reilly

I’ve spent most of the weekend watching football, because football is a sacred tradition in the O’Reilly household, only deigned more sacred when the weather is really, really cold and we get to have a fire in the fireplace, and honestly, it’s too freaking cold to do much else other than huddle under the throw [...]

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Friday the 13th, NOT that I’m Superstitious…

by Kathleen O'Reilly

Today is Friday the 13th, and as a rule, I’m not a believer in the woo-woo.  I don’t think breaking a mirror is bad luck.  I don’t think if I step on a crack I’ll break my mother’s back, and I have never thrown salt over my shoulder.  However, Friday the 13th makes me hinky.  [...]

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The Good News and Bad News about Spring Fashion

by Julia London
JIL-SANDER-SPRING-RTW-2011-PODIUM-028_runway

I was at the hair salon the other day, flipping through US Weekly, and I came to the Who Wears it Best? page.  The two actress both had on a dress that was bright orange on top and bright pink on the bottom.  Interesting, I thought.  And then I read that color-blocking is the hot [...]

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Our Latest Gadget

by Jacquie D'Alessandro

Actually, I should call this blog The DH’s Latest Gadget–because I’m still having a grand old time playing with my new smart phone.  But last week the DH did some online shopping and Ta Dah!  We are now the proud owners of this thing: If you’re scratching your head, wondering, “What the heck is that?” [...]

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Characters I Would (And Wouldn’t) Like to Be

by Julie Kenner/J.K. Beck
Screen shot 2012-01-10 at 6.59.11 AM

Let’s talk action-gals, shall we? Because there was a point in my life, when I thought that being Buffy or Sydney Bristow (Alias is my current pm comfort watch) would be so dang cool. I mean, they’re smart (even though Buffy always says she isn’t), they look great in all sorts of clothes, and they [...]

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Sometimes the duckling becomes a swan

by Dee Davis

I was watching an old movie with George Clooney last night, thinking about his growth from awkward geekiness (Facts of Life) to superstar leading man.   Some men it seems just get better as they get older.  And some of them surprise us, emerging from adolescence into adulthood with a “wow”.   So just for fun here [...]

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Young and at the Top of Their Game

by Dee Davis
darren criss lavo 270211

So Darren Criss, from Glee, is all set to take over for Daniel Radcliff  on Broadway in How to Succeed in Business for three weeks.  And quite frankly I’d kill for a ticket.  Criss is a triple threat, he can act, he can sing and he can dance.   And he isn’t too hard on the [...]

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Kathleen’s Best of 2012!

by Kathleen O'Reilly

At this time of year, there is always the lists.  Best of, worst of, words that need to go away.  Harper’s Bazaar has their “Best Dressed of 2011” List.   The 100 best Twitter accounts.  #1 was @kathleenoreilly!!!  Haha, no, that belongs on @humblebrag.  #1 was Tim Siedell, (@badbanana) who I have no idea who [...]

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Getting Back to Work

by Julia London
distractions

Where to start?  I have taken a couple of weeks off.  I didn’t intend to do it, but I found my motivation lacking over the holidays.  My house was filled with little kids more days than it was not, and there was all the holiday stuff to do. But now, I have to get serious [...]

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I’M IN LOVE

by Jacquie D'Alessandro

Well, it’s finally happened–I’ve upgraded.  Out with old, in with the new.  And I’m in love. With my new smart phone. Yes, my new Motorola Atrix 2 has stolen my heart–and I don’t even know everything it can do yet.  Oh, but the pleasure it’s already brought me!  The FREE Kindle App has me sighing [...]

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