Head Spinning- Spoiler alerts!

Hi all. Happy Friday!

First off thanks so much for all your comments and congrats yesterday on my 600th post. If you didn't comment there is still a little time to go here comment and enter for your chance to win a 20.00 gift card. So please follow and comment!

My head is still spinning today after my roller coaster rides and last night's TV watching did nothing to help. Project Runway is back! How awful is it for me that it's up against The Not so Real Housewives? Torture I tell ya!

So I watched Project Runway both the pre-show All Stars and the actual show.

I was thrilled to see Tim Gunn back. I've decided I need a Tim Gunn in my life as my writing coach. With him I'd never give up no matter how many rejections. I'd Make It Work despite all doubts.

I loved seeing the all stars back. Santino was a trip. I can't for the life of me figure out why Chris March was to tired or what was going on with Michael/Mychael Knight's name. Yeesh. Oh and Jeffery's stach just about cracked my up. Those zany all stars.























In the end I was totally disappointed with who the judges picked to win. Once again disappointing me and my girl Korto. I have a feeling there will be a lot of that this season. Look she still looks mad in this pic.





See they went for Daniel. Doesn't he look smug? I think they look these pics after the winner was chosen. Don't you? He's about to crack up here.



As for the Season premier I think they totally made the right decision and spared us a few episodes of general nuttiness in clothing by letting Ari go. That was no red carpet dress. Buh-bye.

I ended up taping The Real Housewives of ATL. Will save that hot mess for tonight. I'm spent.

9:21 Update: I watched. It was a hot mess. Kim doesn't know who King Tut is. And I can't sell a book. What is with the world? Sigh? I'm getting a blond Barbie wig maybe that will help.

best,
Kwana

Age of Excess/Recess

What's Jack up to? As I write this Jack is curled in a ball asleep on his bed looking like a bit of mop top. He needs a hair cut bad. The poor thing is still out of sorts with the new food. He's eating it but doesn't have his usual energy that he did with his old chow. Aww Jack perk up. You'll get though this soon.

Happy Friday!

This is a bit of a 2 parter.

There was this article in The New York Times about a trend in chicklit which saw it going towards more recession conscious kinds of stories as opposed to being about excess. Call it Recession lit? Ugh isn't tagging fiction annoying. I'm so feeling like it is now. The trend makes sense for some books but I'm not fond of blanket statements.

Sidebar: For me, chicklit, which I adore and write has never been something that was solely a lifestyle thing. For me it was more a voice thing and a certain kind of coming of age or life/realization story. The fact that it has constantly been tagged as city, latte, excess frivolous fiction always pricked at me a bit and completely oversimplified a very compelling and in many cases well written genre. One that deals with women growing and changing while being entertaining. No easy task.

But the reason I'm writing this now is as I was Tweeting and having a fab virtual party over The Real Housewives of Atlanta this occurred to me:

"Oh Dwight! The fact that this is the top show goes so against the recession chick lit talk. http://bit.ly/giZqQ"

Part 2.

Then I thought and tweeted (what a silly word):

"Of course I'm still into reading and writing excess lit. I like my books like I like my TV fun and an escape. Fun!"

I had a bit of hesitation typing that one. Crazy huh? But it's amazing how often I feel I have to apologize, wrong word, justify my taste in books and television. Lately, I seem to spend a lot of time explaining it and why I don't feel guilty for liking what I like or for taking the time to enjoy the things I enjoy. Dang, it's like I can't eat Popeye's fried chicken and read a fun book in mixed company without folks clutching their pearls!

Why is it we feel that so much has to be justified and why do we feel the need to judge others on things like art and entertainment? Does what you watch on TV give any clue to a PhD?

Best,

Kwana

P.S.

I also tweeted:

Best scene of the night: Nene giving Shree's friend the gas face. I can't stop laughing! #rhoa

That scene was too funny. Did you watch. Fess up!

A Hot Mess!

I'm deep in editing mode right now and this project is taking me way longer than I thought and had hoped. I really hope it's not for nothing but I keep holding onto the words that author, Jayne Ann Krentz aka Amanda Quick told me at Nationals last year, "No writing is wasted writing."

The story is improving. So that means I am improving.

Where that will lead, I don't know. As an artist and being close to my work it's hard to tell exactly where I am on the craft scale compared to other writers. Now I know some may say you shouldn't compare yourself to anyone else, but that's not true. You have to know what's out there and ultimately sell your story against what else is out there. I guess in the end all I can do is be true to myself and the story and do my best which is what I do with each book I write.

Now on the the hot messery...So tonight The Real Housewives of Atlanta are back tonight. I'll be watching. I can't want to see all the crazy antics. Check out the trailer. Big Poppa is still on he scene. SHE by Sheree has some competition and NeNe is still NeNe. Yay! Will you be watching with me?





Best,
Kwana

The biggest diva is...

So did you all watch the Not So Real Housewives of the ATL? You know I did. For the record I gave a glance to the new OC season, but just a glance. I can’t get my head or my heart into it yet coming off the ATL ladies. We’ll see as the weeks go on.


Back to ALT, I would not miss this hot mess for the world. I’m sorry (no I’m not) It’s my guilty pleasure and I loved it.


The looks, the drama, the hair. How could I not? All the housewives were in rare form. NeNe was taking no crap and telling like it T-I-S.


On to Kim…So now we know Big Papa/Poppa is married and Kim says stay tuned. Should we keep our fingers crossed and watch just to see if he makes an appearance. Come on! Does somebody out there know who this guy is? And the Kim cancer thing was that all and act?


And I still say Sheree left NeNe off the party list intentionally.
And I loved Dwight with the long hair and the advice at the end. So all in all I guess he was the biggest diva.


I sure hope they come back for another season. Could it be next week please?



Best,

Kwana

Night Runner

What's Jack up to? That little stinker has the nerve to enjoy being stretched out in front of the fireplace even more than me. Jack you'd love it all the more if you were reading TWILIGHT too!

I think that maybe, kind of, sort of I've gone over to the dark side. Although I'm not fully able to admit it here because I don't want you all to throw it back in my face in a couple of months when there's snow on the ground and I'm snuggled up cozy in front of the fire refusing to go out let alone workout.

But the other evening after a particularly busy day with the teen twins, night had come with no workout. I went over the rest of the week on my head and it seemed that I would not get another chance for my daily workout. At this rate my training was going to quickly be blown. Oh well, shrug. What could I do? My life was too busy and look, it was time to get dinner started anyways. So sorry no workout for me. Shucks. Not.

But then it dawned on me. I wasn't really that late. I was just making excuses to push my needs aside and take the easy way out.

So I quickly threw on my workout gear, said goodbye to Jack and the Dear Son, pushed dinner back one hour and headed out for my date with a Dreadmill. For once family could wait. It was time for me. I'm still running. Not strong yet, but still running.

In other not so newsy news: I took the Housewives quiz. Wanna guess who I turned out to be? I'm a NeNe! Do you agree with that? All my friends out there shout it out. See I'm yet another step closer to Anderson. Just saying, again. Take the quiz here and see which housewife you are. I soooo want to know.

What did you all think of the finale? Don't these women with chefs crack you up? I'm so glad to know it's a real possibility. And have you seen the chefs? I just wonder how the DH would react to having another man cooking in my kitchen all the time. He would so NOT be going for that. The Alpha male would be out in full force. There would be a cook off every night.

But back to the show. What did you think of:

Dallas laying it on the line with Kim.

Mychael Knight sticking it to Sheree, but sweetly. I love him. He should have really put it all out there, but he's such a gentleman.

Then the big dinner. Whew.

And did you see the preview for the reunion show? OMG! This makes me talk way too much. But little Lisa's talking about flipping Malibu Barbie Kim over the couch. Till next week.

Best,

Kwana

Back to Reality

What's Jack up to? I'm typing on the bed and he's squeaking something under the bed. Shhh, Jack. Woman at work here.

Catching up on the Hot Mess Housewives. Can you believe all that mess with NeNe and Sheree. If you ask me and I know you did. Sheree is totally playin' Kim and her two faced self. And yeah I know NeNe shouldn't have been singing that song but Kim should not be singing at all. What did Miss Jan say?

How do you spell Cat? K-A-T. Oh Kim. Quick, is Africa a Continent or a Country?

And Sheree's fashion line. Sigh. First off, I have a huge problem with a designer that won't pick up a pencil herself. I don't care if you can't sketch. Learn. The sketches don't have to be perfect they just have to get your ideas across otherwise you're a merchandiser not a designer. You have be able to Sketch, drape, sew or something. Preferably all of it. Once you're big then you can farm it out. And was she seriously getting her samples the day before without any fittings? Yeah, she's ready for the masses.

Grrrrr... Can you tell it's an issue with me from my fashion days? I actually wrote a whole book about it. A cute chicklit, um, sorry, young women's fiction, romance where the girl makes good in the fashion industry. It was one of my first. I still have it if some smart editor out there wants to give it a go, give me a holla. It's ready to roll.

Now onto America's Next Top Model. Finally it's Buh Bye Majorie. No more whining.

Buh-bye. Nuff said.

Now for Top Chef!! It's so good to be in New York.

The show opens with scenes of my hometown. I'm excited but tired. Man, why can't they put this on at 9. There are chefs arriving at Grand Central Station which I don't get. There are no planes there only trains and none of the chefs are coming from Westchester where I am. No, the first is from Italy and the next is from San Fransisco. Next there are chefs arriving by ferry. Are they coming from Staten Island are New Jersey? I shrug.

The chefs go onto Governor's island and now I get the ferry. Man I am tired. Padma disappoints a few chefs by wearing jeans, but Tom does not in his purple shirt.

There's a quickfire elimination and a poor chef is already taken out. So sad, Lauren. No NY experience for you.

No rest for the chefs they are quickly given their elimination challenge and draw knives for neighborhoods. The challenge is to cook a dish inspired by your neighborhood.

The chefs cut it up in their cool new apartment not quite in the heart of things. Money is tight and the economy is BAD. But the view is awesome. Already there are pissing contests for the position of Alpha dog. My money is on Stefan with side money on quiet Gene. I don't think Fabio is a real contender.

Bummer for Hosea and Carla with Brighton Beach and Russian food. He doesn't know the food and she's waiting for her spirit guide. What?

I'm suspecting some real characters this season.

Back in the kitchen it's the usual fun chaos and I'm so happy that top chef is back. Suddenly times up and the judges come in. Gail is covered up (Sorry David) and is it me or is she wobbly on her heels?

There's a face off and all I learn is that Richard has a crush on Tom. Big woop. Get in line, Mister.

I'm happy to see the Not So Glad Room is back. Feels Like home.

Spoiler Alert Ahead!!!!! Stop reading if you don't want to know the outcome.

....

.......

..........

.............

................

The top three are: Leah, Stefan and Gene. The Winner is... Stefan.

And The bottom two are: Patrick and Ariane. Saying Buh-bye is... Patrick. See ya kid.

Best,

Kwana

Oh Honey!

I made it to the gym yesterday so, yay me. Too bad I got a stitch in my side about 5 minutes into my run. UGH!! With the stitch and the fact that a skinny chickadee hopped up on each of the dreadmills on both sides of me, burning at triple my shuffling pace, I so wanted to trip them up and go home. But I didn't. I'm such a freakin' lady.

No, I slogged my way through, stitch and all.

Yay me again!

And check this out. See I told you Anderson takes his Real Housewives of Atlanta verrrry seriously.

Oh Honey! (listen closely)

Best,

Kwana

Focus

What's Jack up to? Jack is hoping for the weather to warm up a bit for longer walks. Could winter really be coming up on us so fast. Brrrr!

Oh boy are my legs burning! So I checked it out and yep, the gym is still there, but I already knew that. Crap.
Only that cute Mel could get me into this mess. Her smooth words and silky charm took me over the edge and actually got me on the Dredmill twice in one week. I'm paying for it now though with Legs O' Fire. I'm following the Couch potato to 5K plan which seems pretty reasonable for a runner hater like me. Let's see if I can actually make it stick. If these legs don't stop burning I don't know.

My mind is twisting in a million different directions right about now with the Dear Teen Twins, DH, the house, housework, my writing, dieting, exercise, finances (or lack thereof) and the election about 2 minutes away. UGH! I find it tough to focus on just one thing. Of course that's the Gemini in me too.

Lists help though and breaking the day off into chunks otherwise it can easily turn into a big lump of nothing.

I find that music helps to get me moving when I really slow down. My music guru, the PIC, introduced me to Van Hunt a while back and he's been fave ever since. Check him out.








What do you think? What are some of your tricks to stay focused?

Best,
Kwana

P.S.

What did you are think of the Not So Real Housewives of The ATL? Was it cool for Kim to diss NeNe? I think not.

Oh and Scroll down if you missed the NJ conference talk.

Anderson Inspired

What's Jack up to? Jack's hibernating under my bed right now and won't come out without the promise of a treat. He so stubborn. Just calling doesn't work. I don't like Blackmail Jack.

Right after saying I wasn't inspired, I got a much needed smile and burst of energy from Anderson Cooper. I'm sure most of you know that I have been just a tad bit into this year's presidential race. The final debate is tonight up against the finale of Project Runway. Can you believe that? What's a girl to do? I'm actually taping PR because I'm even more into politics right now then pop culture. Eek! I must be sick.

But marrying my tv love and politics fix, Anderson Cooper was filling in for Regis on Live with Regis and Kelly yesterday and if I didn't think I could love Mr. Cooper any more he dropped a bomb on me and professed his love of Prince, even going so far as to steal a guitar pick from a hotel room also hanging out with Dave Chapelle and then here's the best... are you ready? He watches the Real Housewives of Atlanta!

Anderson, call me. The DVR is all set up and the Prosecco will be chilled.

Best,

Kwana

correction

I have to make a correction to my last post. (Thanks Brown Girl)

Sheree's Louis Vuitton cake on The Not So Real Housewives of the ATL was 1,200 dollars not 12,000. Not quite as crazy, but I still would have gone for a more modest cake and gotten a real bag for myself instead. Hey it's just cake. Even though this one below is so cute from Cake Lady Cakes in Australia.

Real Top Models and a Real Hot Mess Fun

What's Jack up to? As a write this Jack is being a dog of leisure and is stretched out on the couch beside me sleeping away. Yep, he leads a pretty good life.

Happy Monday and Happy Columbus Day! The kids are still out of school. Will it ever start again? So the weekend continues...

Not much to say today so I wanted to give a shout of to Models Live on Vogue.TV It's the most addictive short series where cameras follow 3 new models as they try and make it during their first season out. You get a true look glimpse into the fashion world and what it really takes to be a Top Model. No Tyra here.

Check it out and tell me what you think.








Austria will pull at your heart. Madeline will show what true determination is. And Cato may leave you wondering a bit.

Go to Vogue.tv to see the rest.

Oh, did anybody see the Not So Real Housewives Of The ATL? Whoa Baby! I don't believe for a second that NeNe was left off that party list by mistake. That Sheree is not fooling me.

Do you all find it hard to watch all the ridiculous excess of this show during these hard times or are you like me and find it a great escape and a good laugh? Although I will admit did have to shake my head quite a few times. Most notably at Sheree's $12,000 Louis Vuitton birthday cake. There is no way in the world I'd spend that kind of money on a cake. It would be Duncan Hines and a real Louis Vuitton bag on my arm. But That's just me.

I love a good accessory even more than cake.



Best,
Kwana