I Have Zlata Thoughts

The Strand NYC: Model for a Day Package

2012-02-23T16:34:00.002-05:00

Having experience in the travel and hospitality industry, I think it's rare and refreshing to see hotel properties think outside of the box when it comes to promotional and package ideas.

The first and only fashion hotel, the The Strand Hotel NYC has a package called "Model For a Day" - and it's AWESOME. The package kicked off during New York Fashion Week February 9, 2012 and is available through December 31, 2012. The value-added package is ideal for those commemorating a milestone, special occasion or simply to bring out fabulous at any age.

The package includes two-nights’ accommodations in a guaranteed upgraded deluxe room, vintage couture wardrobing for the shoot by New York Vintage, private photo shoot on the rooftop with professional photographer Steve Worth, portfolio containing 100 photos, hair and make-up by EDRIS Salon, hair salon to celebrities and super models, complimentary cocktails at the popular Top of the Strand. The package is priced at $1,359.00 based on single or double occupancy for two nights. Package is based upon availability and cannot be combined. Tax and service charges are not included.

Additionally person may be added for an additional cost of $650.00. For more information, to book and terms and conditions, please call reservations at l-212-448-1024 or email reservations@thestrandnyc.com.

Model for a Day Package - $1,359 per room

Two nights in a guaranteed upgraded deluxe room accommodation
Welcome room amenity
Couture wardrobe for shoot by New York Vintage Couture
Hair and make-up by EDRIS Salon – illumination/styling
Rooftop photo shoot with professional photographer Steve Worth at the Top of the Strand for up to 1 hour
Memory portfolio, presented compliments of The Strand, including DVD of up to 75 photos
$50 dinner credit to the Strand American Bistro
Complimentary signature drink (choice of cocktails at the Top of the Strand
Late check-out at 2:00 p.m.

*****

Package price based on single or double occupancy; any additional guests will incur additional charges. Excludes tax and gratuity. Advanced reservations are required. Rate is non-transferable. Offer not available for groups or in combination with any other offer. Two-week cancellation is required. Time of photo shoot, hair and make-up and wardrobe styling must be reserved at time of booking. Additional charges incur if a longer or more specialized package is requested. Photo shoots will be available from 11:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at Top of The Strand. EDRIS Salon hours of operation: Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Appointments at alternative time including Sunday may be arranged in advance.)

TV TimeZ

2012-02-23T11:31:00.001-05:00

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH TONIGHT?

ABC: Wipeout, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice

CBS: Big Bang Theory, Rob, Person of Interest, The Mentalist

FOX: American Idol, The Finder

NBC: 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, The Office, Up All Night

MTV: Jersey Shore

TV TimeZ and Casting CallZ

2012-02-22T09:35:00.002-05:00

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH TONIGHT?

Syfy: Ghost Hunters International at 9p

USA Network: Royal Pains at 10p

ABC: The Middle, Suburgatory, Modern Family, Happy Endings, 20/20

CBS: Survivor: One World, Criminal Minds, CSI

CW: One Tree Hill, Remodeled

FOX: American Idol

NBC: Whitney, Are You There Chelsea?, Rock Center with Brian Williams, Law & Order: SVU

TV NewZ

NBC is placing Community back on its schedule starting March 15 and also released the premiere dates of three other new series: Bent starring Amanda Peet will debut March 21 at 9p from Universal Television and Rosalita Productions; Betty White's Off Their Rockers after its sneak preview last month will officially open April 4 at 8p; and new female buddy sitcom Best Friends Forever, headlined by Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham from Universal Television and American Work will also launch on April 4 at 830p. With the return of Community, NBC is retooling its Thursday night lineup beginning March 15 with Community, 30 Rock, The Office and Up All Night. Parks and Recreation will be off for a six-week hiatus after its March 8 episode airs, coming back April 19 at 930p following Up All Night's 24-episode first season run. In other NBC scheduling news, Rock Center with Brian Williams will move to 10p on Wednesdays beginning March 7 for five weeks and then return to the 9p slot on April 11. Law & Order: SVU also is back with new episodes at 10p starting April 11 until its season finale on May 23.

Casting CallZ

The CW's new show OH SIT! produced by The Gurin Company (The Singing Bee, Shark Tank), is casting now for the musical chairs-style game show for adults. If you are in the greater Los Angeles area and interested in applying for the game show to compete for a large cash prize, please visit http://ohsitcasting.com for more information.

TV TimeZ

2012-02-21T11:25:00.001-05:00

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH TONIGHT?

ABC: Last Man Standing, Cougar Town, The River, Body of Proof

CBS: NCIS, NCIS: LA, Unforgettable

CW: Ringer

FOX: Glee, New Girl, Raising Hope

NBC: The Biggest Loser, Parenthood

Grooveshark Loves Samsung and Loves Love!

2012-02-16T16:46:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day or not ... everyone LOVES some LOVE [songs]!!

To celebrate the launch of the NEW Samsung GALAXY Note, Grooveshark, the world’s most comprehensive on-demand music service, and a host of other digital and social media platforms are helping Samsung GALAXY Note present the “Share A Love Note” GLOBAL campaign NOW – March 9th on http://grooveshark.com/galaxylovenote.

Part of Samsung GALAXY’s Note’s global Love Notes initiative, “Share A Love Note” is powered by Grooveshark and presents a first to market product for both parties. Love Notes allows users to draw a message on a picture and personalize text with the S Pen of Samsung GALAXY Note. Seal the note with any song from Grooveshark’s library, or tap into their curated Valentine’s Day Playlist Hub featuring top love songs selected by fans on http://grooveshark.com/valentineplaylist. Songs can be shared with friends on Facebook and Twitter, and uploaded onto Facebook using a customized Grooveshark widget.

TV TimeZ

2012-02-16T16:29:00.000-05:00

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH TONIGHT?

ABC: Wipeout, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice

MTV: Jersey Shore

CBS: Big Bang Theory, Rob, Person of Interest, The Mentalist

CW: Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle

FOX: American Idol

NBC: 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, The Office, Up All Night

Some Facebook Status Updates Are Worth a Mention

2012-02-16T16:18:00.000-05:00

You People Made Me Laugh Today:

Mary Pryor

I love when people talk about how much they hate living in America yet they are still living in America

Kristen Deanna

‎$185 to talk about sex for 2 hrs. Gotta love focus groups! :)

Patrick O'Donnell

Not sure if this is a sign of getting old, but the thought of going to a concert that doesn't start til 10 on a work night seems daunting. Really, can't they start at 8? I could be in bed by midnight.

Chris Morran

ABC gets me confused with the chairman of the FCC

Dorothy Robinson Scott

Chris Brown has reportedly been using the pick-up line, “I promise I won’t beat you.”

Ben Mehl

I'm doing well! San Fran is fun! Yes, I got the Gucci Mane song you sent me. Whoops! Sorry guys meant to send this to my grandma.

Kurt Stradtman

We live in a world where losing your iPhone is more dramatic than losing your virginity.

Adam Baeira

‎"If we threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back"

Dean Bender

I don't know about you but I feel Linundated with the Jerry Lin stories

Angela Dargan

‎(I don't like to do these, but I have to) You know you're Italian when you compare the feeling of being pregnant to the feeling you get when you eat too much pasta....

Natalie Rotman

Dear Zuckerberg, please suck it.

Does anyone know how in the new FB timeline to update photos by moving said photo into another photo albums? UGH. This was so easy b4.

Film Buffet: A Movie Social Network

2012-02-16T15:39:00.002-05:00

Movie theaters are ideal for watching movies, but not for discussing them. Luckily, there’s a new online gathering place that’s open 24/7 for movie lovers everywhere. Filmbuffet (www.filmbuffet.com), the world’s first social media and movie cataloging site of its kind, welcomes movie fans to their website to gather, connect and share their passion for movies.

Filmbuffet embraces the social aspect of movie going. The website is designed to a one-stop destination for movie lovers to discuss, view, share and discover new films together. A place where movie fans provide their own movie reviews, rate movies, generate discussions and add engaging content that matters the most to them.

Filmbuffet also aims to make it easier for people to connect over the films they have in common. The movie cataloging portion of the site makes it possible for movie fans to keep track of the films seen and discover the movies in a friend’s collection. We believe your readers will appreciate the intuitive design and numerous ways movie fans can connect and learn from each other.

TV TimeZ

2012-02-15T11:07:00.001-05:00

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH TONIGHT?

ABC: The Middle, Suburgatory, Modern Family, Happy Endings, Revenge

CBS: Survivor: One World, Criminal Minds, CSI

CW: One Tree Hill, Remodeled

FOX: American Idol

NBC: Whitney, Are You There Chelsea?, Rock Center with Brian Williams, Law & Order: SVU

Some Valentine's Day Facebook Status Updates Are Worth a Mention

2012-02-14T19:48:00.002-05:00

Ah, Valentine's Day! Here's some of the love you shared on my Facebook News Feed:

Sara Pitson Lynn

Best husband in the world! I love you — with Billy Lynn.

Tara Lee Farney and 2 other friends shared Ravi Patel's photo.

Raquel Sánchez

I bought myself flowers today. Just like I do every week.

Jessica Van Dyke

Valentine tornado just touched down in the kitchen.

Kevin Gondres

Lunch Napkin Art ... :) HVD! to all ... keep it open

Kelly Campbell Heisler

My Valentine's Day treat today was riding the subway next to Real Housewives of NYC's Alex McCord and her husband Simon Van Kempen... and observing them behaving like a normal commuting couple! Except for her sparkly evening bag and his pocket square (at 9:30 am)...

Michelle Jobes Howell

It shouldn't matter what you get or did not get today, it's how you are made to feel every other day. I love Tom Howell today just as much as I do every other day... and I bet he knows it :) Valentine's Day love to all my friends, family, and coworkers out there! I hope you've felt loved today. I have! :*

Hitha Prabhakar

Special delivery to my office today by someone VERY awesome. Happy Valentines Day everyone! http://instagr.am/p/HARFFxrywX/

Alicia Corbett

Brie Mine. http://instagr.am/p/HAPrhjES-i/

Claibourne Smith

I'm a very lucky and very happy lady! — with Matthew Garvey.

Jenessa Danielle

Happy valentines day! Out to dinner :)

Anastasia Rochelle Kurinnaya

huge singing balloon, for my hunnie♥ he deserves it♥ — with Vlad Diarey.

Richard Y. Wakile

They say love is blind! I think it's so much better when your in love with someone that looks like this! http://t.co/zBvC4SjC

Maria Lauretta

Made these for my Valentines...Bella & Julia!!! ♥

Francesca Borgognone

Happy Ryantine's Day, Ladies. xo.

ryantinesday.com

Shannon O'Malley

For 29 years I have had the greatest Valentine ever and then 8 years ago to the day an amazing four legged one joined in the mix. Love you Daddy and Sunny!

Brian Grzymkowski

Enjoy your pre-fixe menus, marked up flowers, and baby making tonight America! :)

Donna Currie

♥ my Valentine!

Jennifer Caluri

Valentine's memories 16 years ago the man I was with asked me to marry him, eight years ago the man I was with asked me to get him water for his bong and this year Fredo asked for Play Doh cologne. Maybe I need to go to therapy three times a week

Jillian Riegger

Happy Valentine's Day to all my love birds, single birds and blue birds. If it ain't a happy day for you, call me and we'll get a drink!

Katharine Ricci

Just found a Snickers bar in my desk. Happy Valentine's Day - to me.

Laura Sweet

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sharon Hirsch Kucyk

I came back from a meeting to find these beautiful roses waiting on my desk :) I love my hubby so much, more and more each day!! Happy Valentine's Day babe!! — with Mike Qsick.

And just because this is awesome:

Ben Mehl

Spent the morning in a park in San Fran and now I have an idea for a new game show!

"Are These People Doing Tai Chi...OR Are They On LSD?"

And This!

Sarah Horne Grose

Cranky V-day post of the day. Can we all agree, once and for all, to stop saying irregardless? It's just regardless. Or irrespective. Trying to puzzle out the supposed meaning of the word irregardless makes my head spin. Okay...resume chocolate and flower talk

Volvo's Biggest Fan of the Big East: Zlata's Garden 30

2012-02-13T14:14:00.001-05:00

In the seventh challenge of Volvo's Biggest Fan of the Big East, we bloggers are asked for our opinions in the Garden30 campaign: 10 Best Big East Basketball Moments of all time, 10 Best Big East Basketball Teams of all time and 10 Best Big East Basketball Players of all time.

For this post, I'll be doing some research ont he first two, but as for the players - my choices stand as they were in a previous post which can be found here and reiterated later.

As always, let's start out my post with a little thanks: I want to say first and foremost that I would really appreciate any and all support you can provide for me and Rutgers over the next few months! It's really very simple to do this [link windows open in new tab, so you won't lose this page]:

Retweet my blog posts! Click HERE to follow me.
Share my FB posts! Click HERE and HERE to add me as a friend/subscribe to my awesomeness.
Visit my profile HERE to vote for me. Like, often. In fact, I dare you to bookmark it.

So now, here we go! GARDEN30 - you can visit the official MSG Garden30 website HERE and make your own official votes, too!

10 Best Big East Basketball Players of All Time

As I said, this list won't be different from the ultimate Dream Team I made up in challenge #1. So here we go:

1. Patrick Ewing
Georgetown (1981-1985)
This seems like a no-brainer. At nearly 7 feet tall, this center [of gravity] is and was the biggest deal in basketball. During his time on the court, Ewing ended up with 2,184 points (off the court he probably scored big with the ladies, which is definitely worth something) and 1,316 rebounds. When I was born, he was named Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year (a title he held onto throughout his tenure at Georgetown). Over the next four years he would average 15 points and 9 rebounds per game, adding Co-Player of the Year for '84 and '85, First Team Consensus All-American for '83-'85, National AP Player of the Year in '85 and the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player in '84. SO outstanding even, that the New York Knicks took him with their first overall pick (Go, New York, Go New York, GO!) Perhaps of most significance for this particular challenge is that Ewing was nominated into the Basketball Hall of Fame and was the first Big East player to be inducted. BAM - He's my number 1!

2. Allen Iverson

Georgetown (1994-1996)

Part of the reason I'm even choosing AI is for the inevitable chitter-chatter that will come up. Any team without drama is not a team. This forward [thinker] did more in his two years than others did in four. Named Rookie of the Year in '95, Defensive Player of the Year in '95 and '96 and First Team Consensus All-American in '96, Iverson dominated the court as a Hoyas. During his two seasons, he racked up 1,539 points and was definitely on track to shatter the four-year-record of 2,632 (by Troy Bell) and his 213 steals were also on pace to break the conference's all-time steals record. He was the Philadelphia's 76ers first overall pick and has been in the NBA for the last 12 years. So where does the drama come in? Let's see here: In 1997, he was sopped for speeding and was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon and for possession of marijuana; in 2000, he recorded a rap album under his alter-ego 'Jewelz' that made derogatory remarks about the gays; in 2004, he peed in a trash can at at Bally's Casino in Atlantic City and was banned; in 2005, he won a hand at three-card poker at the Taj Mahal Casino (he LOVES him some Atlantic City) and was overpaid $10k in chips by accident. He got in a fight with the dealer when he wouldn't return the money; and now, apparently he is broke, loves to drink a lot and loves to gamble. Like I said, let's keep the press talking about my dream team - Iverson is still one of the best natural athletes ever.

3. Ray Allen

University of Connecticut (1993-1996)

At 6'6, Ray Allen scored an average 19 points per game while playing for UConn and received Player of the Year in '96. In his three years at the university, Allen totaled 1,922 points and 601 rebounds. He and my next pick (see below) were the only two players in Big East history to total over 1,000 conference points in a three year career. The third of five children, three year career, best three-point shooter in basketball history, three different NBA teams over his 12 seasons and...wait...for...it....my choice number three! Fun fact: He has borderline obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is borderline awesome.

4. Richard Hamilton

University of Connecticut (1996-1999)

Because I like a man who knows how to protect his most valued possession - his face. Hamilton won player of the year in '98, Co-Player of the Year in '99 and NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in that same year. He's not flashy, he does what he's good at and he has the cajones to take the big shots. His overall conference points are the most any player with a three-year career in Big East history; He left for the NBA in his junior year and just finished his ninth season at the NBA, where he has been a three time all-star.

5. Kerry Kittles

Villanova (1992-1996)

Kittles is the anomaly of your average college-basketball-star-get-recruited-by-NBA. Sure, the 6'5 shooting guard did wonders while at Villanova and holds 15 all-time career records (including most points at 2,243 and most steals at 277) - but that's not all he was at Villanova. He was a member of a fraternity (Go Kappa Alpha Psi!) and earned an MBA at Villanova's School of Business. Since I don't know a hot-damn thing about numbers, money or business - Kittles is definitely going to be the business manager of my dream team, since his career ended so early and all. Perhaps the best thing about him (for me, anyway) is the length of time he spent in New Jersey.

6. Dwayne Washington

Syracuse (1983-1986)

It's Shake and Bake! Rookie of the year in '84? Pshhh... Second Team Consensus All-American in '85? Whatever.... Making the court look like a playground for inventive moves? Yes, please! Dwayne "Pearl" Washington is on my list to make the game look interesting. My man still holds the NCAA freshman record for when he had 18 assists against Providence. He left Syracuse his junior year with 1,484 points after being recruited by the New Jersey Nets. After playing with them for two seasons, he moved down to Miami. Sound like someone else's life?

7. Carmelo Anthony

Syracuse (2003)

Melo makes big changes in only one-year's time. Who wouldn't want this dude on their team? He attended Syracuse and let the Orangemen to their first National Championship in 2003. He earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award and was named the Most Valuable Player of the NCAA East. Tired of the color orange after just one year, Anthony entered the NBA and has since been named to the All-Rookie team, the All-Star team four times and to the All-NBA team four times. Other pros: I wouldn't get bored of looking at him since he's a cutie and he married a hot chick named LaLa. I mean, how cool is that?

8. Troy Murphy

Notre Dame (1988-2001)

Because it's time this Rutgers chick picks a white boy from North Jersey for her dream team. Troy Murphy led the Irish in scoring and rebounding in each of the three seasons he played. He averaged 21.8 points and 9.2 rebounds and was a consensus first-team All-American as a second and third year. He became the fifth player in Notre Dame history to score more than 2,000 career points and finished his career fifth on the all-time scoring list with 2,011 points. Moreover, he is one of only two players in conference history, along with Richard Hamilton [also on my dream team, bitches!] to total over 2,000 points in a three year career. He's also super tall and can probably help me reach for things too high in the kitchen cabinet.

9. Walter Berry

St. John's (1984-1986)

He only played two seasons, but what a "playa" he was. In that shore amoutn of time, he established himself as a superstar. Along with Patrick Ewing, my first pick, and Chris Mullin, my next pick, he was named a National Player of the Year. He got St. John's to the Final Four as a sophomore and averaged 17 points per game. In the two seasons he played, he amassed 1,424 points and 703 rebounds. Later in his career, he thought "Eff this - I'm outta here" and went to play professionally in Italy and Greece, where he could eat gelato and spanikopita to his heart's desire. Mama's gonna bring him back to the States for a little one-on-one, if you know what I mean.

10. Chris Mullin

St. John's (1981-1985)

I like trendsetters and his haircut. Along with Patrick Ewing, Chris is most responsible for making the basketball leagues have the power it has today. He's one of the best shooters in college history and won Player of the Year in '83, Co-Player of the Year in '84 and '85, Second Team Consensus All-American in '84, First Team Consensus All-American in '85, USBWA National Player of the Year, Wooden Award-National Player of the Year in '85 and UPI National Player of the Year in '85. He accomplished ALL THIS before I could even read good. In his career, he amassed 2,440 points and 1,290 points in conference play. Best part? Homeboy got all those points before the three-point shot was in the college game. Okay?! Looks like Wu-Tang isn't the only thing you can't eff with.

10 Best Big East Basketball Moments of All Time

1. UConn vs. Syracuse - Six OT - 2009

UConn and Syracuse played a quarterfinal game in the Big East tournament that went into six overtimes. The game lasted 3 hours and 46 minutes until finally, Syracuse defeated UConn 127-117 in front of 19,375 fans at MSG.

2. UConn vs. Pittsburgh - Kembla Walker's Game-Winning Shot - 2011

As the clock ran out, the star point guard used a crossover and shoulder roll to shuck his defender right to the ground, then stepped back and swished the winning basket at the buzzer, resulting in a 76-74 victory.

3. Seton Hall 74, Villanova 72 - 1991 Semifinals

For the second straight game, tournament MVP Ollie Taylor wins it at the buzzer, this time with a 15-footer to defeat Villanova. That sets up the Pirates' first appearance at the final, in which the Hall beats Georgetown a day later.

4. Ray Allen (UConn) vs. Allen Iverson (Georgetown) - Winning Shot - 1996

Ray Allen and the #3 UConn Huskies take on Allen Iverson and the #5 Georgetown Hoyas. Uconn overcomes a 13 point deficit with 3 minutes left by scoring the last 14 points of the game capped off by Ray Allen's only points on the second half in his no-look runner down the lane as he left his feet with no second option. Iverson then missed a fadeaway from the foul line and Jermone Williams misses the put back layup as Connecticut wins its 2nd of 6 Big East Tournament.

5. Da'Sean Butler (WVU) Wins Big East Title for the Mountaineers - 2010

Da'Sean Butler made several game-winning shots during this season, but the final game of the Big East in 2010, when he makes the final winning shot is as memorable as it is inspiring to watch.

6. St. John's 70, Syracuse 69 - 1986 Final
Walter Berry swats a game-winning shot by tournament MVP Dwayne Washington at the buzzer, delivering to St. John's and coach Lou Carnesecca their first championship. Ron Rowan's basline jumper with eight seconds left provided the Redmen with their only lead of the game.

7. Taliek Brown's 30-footer Beat-The-Clock - 2002

Taliek Brown launches a 30-footer to beat the shot clock with the Huskies clinging to a two-point lead in the second overtime.

8. Gerry McNamara - 2006 Season

Gerry McNamara seemed to own the tournament that year with a remarkable run to the championship for Syracuse. This year, he establishes a tournament record with 16 three-pointers, including five in a semifinal victory over Georgetown. He finishes with 16 points and four assists in the final as Syracuse edges Pittsburgh, 65-61, to become the third back-to-back champ in tournament history.

9. Georgetown 82, Syracuse 71 in OT - 1984

Patrick Ewing and the Hoyas outlast Dwayne Washington and Syracuse to claim the title on their road to becoming the first NCAA champion in Big East History.

10. Ewing. Mullin. Enough Said! - 1984

The two best players in league history play against one another four times, with Ewing's Hoyas prevailing in the Big Eat final and in the Final Four.

10 Best Big East Basketball Teams of All Time

1. Syracuse - 1987 - Coach Jim Boeheim

Record 30-7

NCAA Finish: National Runnerup; Lost to Indiana, 74-73

2. Seton Hall - 1989 - Coach P.J. Carlesimo

Record 31-7

NCAA Finish: National Runnerup; lost to Michigan, 80-79, in overtime

3. Georgetown - 1982 - Coach John Thompson Jr.

Record 30-7

NCAA Finish: National Runnerup; losing to North Carolina, 63-62, in the title game

4. Syracuse - 2003 - Coach Jim Boeheim

Record 30-5

NCAA Finish: National champions; defeated Kansas, 81-78, in New Orleans

5. Villanova - 1985 - Coach Rollie Massimino

Record 25-10

NCAA Finish: National champions, defeated Georgetown, 66-64

6. St. John's - 1985 - Coach Lou Carnesecca

Record 31-4

NCAA Finish: National semifinals; lost to Georgetown, 77-59

7. Connecticut - 2004 - Coach Jim Calhoun

Record 33-6

NCAA Finish: National champions; defeated Georgia Tech, 82-73

8. Connecticut - 1999 - Coach Jim Calhoun

Record 34-2

NCAA Finish: National champions; defated Duke, 77-74

9. Georgetown - 1985 - Coach John Thompson Jr.

Record 35-3

NCAA Finish: NCAA Runnerup; lost to Villanova, 66-64, in the championship game

10. Georgetown - 1984 - Coach John Thompson Jr.

Record 34-3

NCAA Finish: National Champions; defeated Houston, 84-75

The Facts

Just so you all know, it does not escape me that Rutgers is not on ANY of these lists. In fact, I hang my head down in shame just a bit. BUT, this does not mean my love, adoration, FANaticism and PRIDE for my Alma Mater doesn't shine through!

Thank you again and in advance to VOLVO for sponsoring my trip to New Jersey next weekend to watch Rutgers play Syracuse on Feb. 19th! I'll be sporting the Volvo S60 the whole time and documenting my experiences - so stay tuned for that blogpost as well!

TV TimeZ, NewZ and Casting CallZ

2012-02-13T11:46:00.001-05:00

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH TONIGHT?

FUSE: Fuse & Maxim's Top 100 Sexy Beats at 8p

Discovery Channel: American Chopper at 9p; World's Toughest Trucker at 10p

TLC: Undercover Boss: Abroad at 9p & 10p

ABC: The Bachelor, Castle

CBS: How I Met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls, Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly, Hawaii Five-0

CW: Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie

FOX: House, Alcatraz

NBC: The Voice, Smash

TV NewZ

FOX released upcoming winter and spring premiere and finale dates:

February 21: Glee will air its winter finale at 8p; new episodes of Glee are back April 10 at 8p
March 4: Napoleon Dynamite airs its season finale at 830p
March 6: I Hate My Teenage Daughter airs its spring premiere at 830p followed by the season two premiere of Breaking In at 930p
March 11: Bob's Burgers is back with its season premiere at 830p
March 19: Touch debuts its series premiere at 9p
March 26: Alcatraz airs its first season finale at 8p
March 29: The Finder has its spring finale at 9p
March 30: Kitchen Nightmares airs its season finale at 8p
April 5: Bones airs its spring premiere at 9p
April 6: Hotel Hell debuts its series premiere at 8p

WHITNEY HOUSTON TRIBUTES

Several networks will be honoring the late Whitney Houston with specials tonight and later this week: BET's 106 & Park will pay tribute to the singer's life and legacy in a three-hour episode beginning at 6p tonight; Lifetime is airing The Bodyguard tonight at 8p; VH1 has three specials including the VH1 News Special: Whitney Houston: Death of a Diva tonight at 930p, and on Thursday the VH1 News Presents Whitney Houston's Greatest Moments at 11p as well as next week's special 100 Greatest Women in Music that will include an updated salute to Ms. Houston; VH1 Classics will air the tribute Whitney A-to-Z on Tuesday at 1p and again at 8p; and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network will offer the two-hour special Remembering Whitney: The Oprah Interview this Thursday at 9p.

CASTING CALLZ

A major cable network and an Emmy Award-winning production company are casting nationwide for a charismatic, professional matchmaker to be in a new series titled Finding Mr. Right. The matchmaker will take several attractive single women on a journey teaching them how be better daters, what to look for in a mate and how to set them up with eligible bachelors until they find their perfect match. Interested professional matchmakers should send an email to: FindingMrRightCasting@gmail.com and include name, contact info, state/city, photos and a brief paragraph about yourself.

Leftfield Pictures is casting women who are between 21 and 40 years old who see themselves as fashion risk-takers and who define their personal style as "trashy yet sexy-chic." Interested candidates should be available for a photo shoot in New York tomorrow. They will be required to sign an appearance release authorizing their image to be featured in the project. To apply send an email to: leftfieldcasting@gmail.com.

A major cable network and an Emmy Award-winning production company are casting brides-to-be for a free and personal one-on-one consultation with haute-couture wedding gown designer, Justina McCaffery. Brides should be energetic and passionate about finding their perfect dress and have been searching for the dream dress. Brides must also be available on February 24 and live near Orange County area. To apply send an email to: ProposalCasting@gmail.com and include your name, contact number/email, city where you live, photos of you and a brief description about your upcoming wedding.

Headline NewZ: Think Twice Before You Defriend Someone on Facebook

2012-02-10T14:06:00.001-05:00

One might find it totally normal to do a little Facebook "spring cleaning" and de-friend those people with whom you rarely have any contact. After all, no one wants to see Farmville requests from the same people they DON'T talk to over and over in their News Feed.

Well, how about if I told you that you should probably think twice before clicking 'Unfriend'? Why? Because people are UNBELIEVABLY CRAZY!

In Nashville, a couple who 'defriended' a woman on Facebook were murdered in their home by the shunned woman's father and another accomplice. Normal, right?

Billy Clay Payne, Jr. and Billie Jean Hayworth were killed last month after they deleted Jenelle Potter, the daughter of one of the suspects, from their 'friends' list. They two victimes were shot in the head and the the male Billy had his throat cut. If your jaw is on the ground right now, keep there for this next sentence: The couple's 8-month-old baby was in the dead mother's arms, unharmed.

Marvin Enoch Potter, Jr., 60, and Jamie Lynn Curd, 38, were arrested and charged with two counts of first-murder. No charges were brought up against the aforementioned Janelle Potter. Talk about Daddy's Girl.

[In case you're not picking up on the common theme here, all of these people have three names - first, middle, last. If you know someone who goes by their first-middle like that, stay away -- especially if there's a "Jr." up in there as well.]

TV TimeZ, NewZ and Casting CallZ

2012-02-10T11:58:00.000-05:00

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH THIS WEEKEND?

Tonight:

Discovery Fit & Health: Dr. G: Medical Examiner at 10p

Saturday:

A&E Network: Parking Wars at 9p; Billy The Exterminator at 10p

DIY Network: The Bronson Pinchot Project at 1030p

Investigation Discovery: Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry? at 9p

Animal Planet: Pit Bulls & Parolees at 10p

Sunday:

BBC America: BAFTA Awards 2012 at 8p

CBS: 54th Annual Grammy Awards at 8p

Food Network: Worst Cooks in America at 9p

AMC: Comic Book Men at 10p

HISTORY: Full Metal Jousting at 10p

TLC: My Strange Addiction at 10p

TV NewZ

Bravo has renewed Real Housewives of Miami for a second season. The Miami version is the seventh edition in the network's franchise and production will begin this month. I have no idea why on Earth they would renew this. I honestly haven't had any interest in watching even ONE episode.

Casting CallZ

MYX TV, the Asian American television channel is looking to develop a network of correspondents in several cities with expertise and connections in any of the following categories/industries: music, gaming, comics/manga/anime, movies, pop culture memes, food, technology, fashion and Asian community events. The cities where correspondents should be located include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego. The network will consider males and females aged 24 to 35 and preferably of Asian American or mixed Asian American heritage. The right candidates must be able to self-produce segments including writing, shooting and editing or has access to production services. For more information please visit www.myx.tv or send an email to: keesa_ocampo@abs-cbn.com.

Want Tix to New York Fashion Week? Win Them Here!

2012-02-09T16:47:00.003-05:00

LifeStyles SKYN Condoms and STYLE360 are teaming up to provide your fabulous readers with a chance to win tickets to New York Fashion Week. Five (5) fashionistas from around the United States can enter for a chance to win two (2) tickets to one of the below STYLE360 fashion shows:

· MALAN BRETON FANToME – Tuesday, February 14^th at 10:00 AM

· bebe BLACK – Tuesday, February 14^th at 3:00 PM

· SACHIKA – Tuesday, February 14^th at 7:30 PM

· EMU Australia – Wednesday, February 15^th at 11:30 AM

· THEIA – Wednesday, February 15^th at 3:00 PM

All fashion shows will be held at the Metropolitan Pavilion South (125 W 18^th Street).

Entry: Enter the Sweepstakes by Friday, February 10^th at 11:59 PM by going to https://twitter.com/#!/LifeStylesUSA aka @LifeStylesUSA and tweeting the following message to @LifeStylesUSA: #SKYNStyle360

Some Facebook Status Updates Are Worth a Mention

2012-02-09T16:30:00.000-05:00

You people made me laugh today:

Dawn Sims Beaulieu

Big shout out to people who cant stay out of other peoples business. #comeonSON

Lauryn Kahn

Blond mustaches have officially won the creepy award that no one was giving out.

Alex Blagg

I'm not here to tell you how to live your life, but maybe try starting with one Luftballon, just see how it goes.

Stacey Rice

I have an online shopping problem. Memorizing my credit card number was not my smartest move.

Sarah Bessette

LA this weekend for the GRAMMY Awards and to launch Malibu Red. Abstaining from alcohol for the next four days to make it through in one piece. Also, four most depressing words in the English language - "Business Class - SOLD OUT"

Renee Lucas

At the BCBG Show at Fashion Week. It's truly one of God's miracles that all these egos fit into one room.

DealZ: Valentine's Day

2012-02-09T13:28:00.002-05:00

With Valentine's Day less than a week away, you can find great deals on cosmetics, accessories and more. Check out these top 14 beauty coupons for Feb. 14 festivities collected by CouponSherpa.com.

1. elf
Now through Feb. 13, get a free beauty clutch ($15 value) with orders of $30 or more.

2. Bath & Body Works
Save 20% on your order through Apr. 1 with Bath and Body Works promo code PICKED4U.

3. Couture Candy
Enjoy 30% off jewelry through Feb. 12 with coupon code XOXO.

4. Elizabeth Arden
Receive a free 10-piece Valentine's Day gift and free shipping when you order $55 or more before Feb. 15.

5. Kohl's
Order by Feb. 18 and get 20% off any purchase with Kohl's promo code SMS4742.

6. Perfumania
Get free shipping and 20% off any order through Feb. 14 with code VDAY14.

7. Macy's
Take an extra 15% off your order through Feb. 14 with promo code LOVE.

8. ShoeMetro
Save 10% on any order through Feb. 29 with code SAVE10.

9. SpaFinder
Buy one gift certificate by Feb. 15 and get 25% off a second gift certificate with code LOVE25.

10. Sephora
Now through Feb. 17, get a free deluxe sample of Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Gloss with Sephora coupon code LIPLOVE.

11. Benefit
Get free shipping and free gift wrap on orders of $50 or more through Feb. 14 with code VDAYLOVE.

12. Clinique
Now through Feb. 14, get a free lip gloss with any $30 order using coupon code FIREBERRY.

13. Conair
Take 15% off any order through Mar. 31 with promo code CONAIRSAVE15.

14. Sally Beauty Supply
Get $5 off Helen of Troy Gold Series Curling Irons through Feb. 29 with code 444666.

TV TimeZ, NewZ and Casting CallZ

2012-02-09T12:41:00.002-05:00

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH TONIGHT?

HISTORY: Swamp People at 9p; Mudcats at 10p

ABC: Wipeout, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice

MTV: Jersey Shore

CBS: Big Bang Theory, Rob, Person of Interest, The Mentalist

CW: Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle

FOX: American Idol, The Finder

NBC: 30 Rock, The Office, Up All Night

TV NewZ

Late yesterday, FOX said this current season of House, starring Hugh Laurie as the unconventional medical genius Dr. Gregory House will be its last. Produced by Universal Television, there is some speculation the show could be picked up by another broadcast or cable network though nothing is official.

Jersey Shore spinoff series The Pauly D Project premieres March 29 at 1030p on MTV. The new series follows Pauly D as he navigates the music industry while trying to balance the trappings of fame and family time.

A new seven-part series on Investigation Discovery explores the seven deadly sins through scandalous crimes when Deadly Sins debuts March 3 at 9p. Deadly Sins is hosted by attorney and criminal behavior expert Darren Kavinoky who offers professional insight and legal expertise in his analysis of each case. The series leads into Investigation Discovery's ongoing series Scorned: Love Kills airing at 10p and is part of the network's Red Hot Saturdays programming lineup.

CastingZ

A docu-series for a major cable network is casting nationwide for hot moms aged 34-45 who gave birth to children while in their late teens or early twenties. The show is looking for dynamic, beautiful women who traded in their 20's to raise kids. Now that the kids are grown, these gorgeous moms are ready to have some fun. Send an email ASAP to: DevelopmentTVCasting@gmail.com and include your name, contact info, city/state, photos and a paragraph about you and your friends.

TV TimeZ

2012-02-08T15:09:00.002-05:00

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH TONIGHT?

Food Network: Restaurant: Impossible at 10p

Travel Channel: Vegas Stripped at 10p & 1030p

ABC: The Middle, Suburgatory, Modern Family, Happy Endings, Revenge

CBS: Person to Person, Criminal Minds, CSI

CW: One Tree Hill, Remodeled

FOX: American Idol, Mobbed

NBC: Whitney, Are You There Chelsea?, Rock Center with Brian Williams, Law & Order: SVU

Some Facebook Status Updates Are Worth a Mention

2012-02-07T17:02:00.001-05:00

You people made me laugh today:

Jake Szymanski

Prop 8 ruled unconstitutional. Now I have no excuse not to marry that guy I have a pact with about being 30 and single.

Chris Huvane

Hey Gisele, stick to modeling, instead of throwing Tom's teammates under the bus and sending embarrassing emails praying for him to win. This is football, not fashion.

Ben Mehl

I will never get this packing done if I don't stop watching reruns of the OC... I mean if I don't stop doing push ups... I was doing push ups.

Peter Shankman

ATTENTION MEN: Remember: Buying her red roses on Valentine's day tells her she's with someone who has absolutely zero creativity.

Kim Messina

danielle and i saw chris rock get in trouble with the cops in a parking lot in fort lee. he was in an illegal spot and they made him move. he then went into fed-ex to drop off a binder - probably containing the script of the next big chris rock movie. he was on the phone the whole time - we think it was with jerry seinfeld.

oh yeah, and then we found out that today is also his birthday. — withDanielle Martin Kepler.

Pointless Status Update of the Day:

Anna Kay

Lunchh ;)

Dishes Does Recipes! This week: Sweet Potato Chipotle Soup

2012-02-07T15:19:00.001-05:00

When I worked on 44th and 5th in Manhattan, I made DAILY trips to Dishes for lunch to dine. Sure, I made $8/hr at the time, but these $10 salads were worth it!

This week, Dishes features a yummy recipe called Sweet Potato Chipotle Soup. The best part? You can make it on your own! What other dining establishment shares their recipes with the public??

Sweet Potato Chipotle Soup

This soup is unparalleled in elegance, even despite its uncomplicated preparation and simple, yet tasty ingredients. Sweet, smoky and smooth with a subtle note of spice, it’s a perfect starter for any meal. Garnish with a swirl of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro for a picture-perfect presentation.

Ingredients:

· 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

· 2 cups yellow onions, chopped

· 4 cloves garlic, chopped

· 8-9 medium (3 pounds) sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely diced

· 1⁄2 cup half and half, cream or milk

· 2 tablespoons jarred chipotle peppers, pureed

· Salt to taste

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in the butter until soft and lightly golden.

2. Add potatoes. Add just enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer about 25 to 30 minutes, or until potatoes begin to fall apart.

3. Add cream, spices, and pureed chipotle to the pot. Blend with an immersion handheld blender, or transfer to a standing blender.

4. Serve warm.

Aaaaaand...DONE. You're welcome!

TV TimeZ and Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials

2012-02-07T13:10:00.002-05:00

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH TONIGHT?

ABC: Last Man Standing, The River (series debut) at 9p

Bravo: The Real Housewives of Orange County at 9p

Oxygen: Jersey Couture at 10p

CBS: NCIS, NCIS: LA, Unforgettable

CW: 90210, Ringer

FOX: Glee, New Girl, Raising Hope

NBC: The Biggest Loser

Top 10 Commercial's from Sunday's Super Bowl XLVI on NBC:

1. Doritos Nacho Cheese "Man's Best Friend"

2. M&Ms "Ms. Brown"

3. Doritos Nacho Cheese "Sling Baby"

4. Pepsi "Kings Court"

5. Volkswagon Beetle "The Dog Strikes Back"

6. NFL.net New Fantasy Game "Win a Million Bucks"

7. Acura NSX "Seinfeld"

8. Fiat 500 Abarth "Supermodel"

9. Chevy Camaro "Happy Grad"

10. E*Trade Baby "Fatherhood"

TV NewZ

In a new reality series, TLC takes viewers inside the tight-knit community of South Boston in Southie Pride (working title). The new series produced by 495 Productions (Jersey Shore) follows the lives of five South Boston women. Casting is currently underway.

Some Facebook Status Updates Are Worth a Mention

2012-02-06T16:50:00.000-05:00

You people made me laugh today:

Jim Shi

No surprise: Madonna's team received Anna Wintour's permission in early January to use the Vogue logo for part of her Superbowl halftime performance--free of charge. DUH

Romina Spinnickie

Hey Fellas, here's a bit of advice. If your lady friend breaks up with you, it is not a good move to call her every five minutes, leave a long rambling message about how she needs to listen to your five plus messages and call you back. It's also a bad idea to call her a few expletives and then say "I love you". It's just not proper protocol. Also, try not to do it on a train, as this makes other innocent passengers uncomfortable. You're welcome.

Adam Clark

My cab driver has literally made love to the juiciest most succulent orange ever for the last 20 blocks.

Carl Gucciardi

You know who I better not see at the Giants Victory Parade tomorrow? Anyone who complained about Occupy Wall Street. Specifically those of you "concerned" about the costs to the city of New York for police presence, security and cleanup.

Sean-Patrick M. Hillman

I wonder if the top trend today is #hungover

Grace Yan

HEY RUTGERS B&N: You have got to be OUT OF YOUR FRIGGIN' MIND if you think I'll pay NINE-HUNDRED DOLLARS for a "custom Rutgers PhD regalia meant to be worn through multiple ceremonies." Multiple ceremonies??? What's "multiple ceremonies?" Like going home and playing dress-up with my dog?? Give me your "standard retainable regalia, meant for one-time use" instead - I'm totally fine with that.

Nancy Martira

I am becoming the kind of woman who loves big, European handbags. I am as surprised at this development as you are.

Jen Khoury

I legitimately have a stalker. What the hell? What part of "I'm not interested" is this guy not getting???

Anna Khersonsky

to the woman who is powerwalking while smoking at 6 am, I think you are being counterproductive.

Danielle Pisano

AMAZING!!!!

Melody Marrone

Lol

Tyler DeAngelo

The best part of waking up is not Folgers in my cup

Super Bowl Recipes Using POM!

2012-02-02T17:33:00.003-05:00

I love to try new recipes out. With the Super Bowl coming up on Sunday - and with my family being all 'health-conscious' - I've decided to look into a few healthier options. Don't get me wrong, I will REALLY miss the infamous Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip, but I miss the way my clothes used to fit more.

Here are a few recipes from POM. If you end up making them, please share photos on my Facebook Page and let me know how they turned out! Note: the only thing REALLY healthy about these recipes are the POMs themselves! Oops!

POM Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup arils from 1-2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates or POM POMS fresh pomegranate arils
1 8-oz. package cream cheese or 1 cup cottage cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

POM Salsa
1 cup mayonnaise
1 6.5-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
fresh vegetables for dipping

Preparation: Score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.).
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Mix together cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, Swiss cheese, chopped spinach, mayonnaise, artichokes and arils.
Spread into a 1-quart baking dish or 9-inch glass pie pan. Bake until bubbly around the edges and cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.
Serve with fresh vegetables to dip.

Pomegranate, Gouda and Pear Quesadilla with POM Salsa

Ingredients:
Quesadilla
1 cup arils from 1-2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates or POM POMS fresh pomegranate arils
6 8-inch flour tortillas
4 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, thinly sliced
2 large firm pears, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

POM Salsa
Juice from 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate*, or 1/4 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
2 cups arils from 2-3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates or POM POMS fresh pomegranate arils
3-4 teaspoons chopped jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
4 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Preparation:
Quesadilla:
Score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)
Place 2 strips of cheese on each tortilla
Using fingers, press 1 teaspoon of arils into cheese.
Add 2 slices of pear, sprinkle with sugar. Fold tortilla in half.
Add 1/2 teaspoon oil to a nonstick skillet and heat.
Place folded tortillas in the pan and brown lightly; turn over and cook until crisp. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil if needed.
Cut each tortilla into halves and serve with POM Salsa

POM Salsa:
Score 2-3 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 2 cups of the arils from the fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)
Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.*
Thoroughly mix to combine all ingredients. (Salsa will keep covered, in the refrigerator, for 2 to 3 days.)

POMojito

Ingredients:
1 oz. POM Cherry 100% juice
1 1/2 oz. light rum
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and cold water dissolved together)
Soda
4 mint leaves
Mint sprig for garnish

Preparation:

In the bottom of a double old-fashioned glass bruise the 4 mint leaves with the fresh lime juice and simple syrup.
Add crushed ice then the POM Cherry and rum.
Top with a splash of soda and stir. Garnish with the mint sprig.

POM Velvet Cupcakes with POM Cream Cheese Frosting

Time to Table: 35 Minutes Prep, 20 - 25 Minutes Baking and 20 Minutes Cooling

Servings: 30 regular cupcakes

Ingredients:
POM Cream Cheese Frosting
Juice from 3-4 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates*, or 1-1/2 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
1 cup arils from 1-2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates or POM POMS fresh pomegranate arils
4 oz. soft unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
14 oz. powdered sugar

POM Velvet Cupcakes
Juice from 6-9 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates*, or 2-1/2 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
16 oz. granulated sugar
12 oz. soft unsalted butter (3 sticks
4 ea large eggs
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
15 oz. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 oz. cocoa powder
3/4 oz. baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

POM Cream Cheese Frosting:
Prepare fresh pomegranate juice*, score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water, break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs), the arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top, sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside, (refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use), reduce the pomegranate juice, over low heat, down to 3 fl. oz., Allow to cool, place butter into electric mixer bowl with paddle attachment and cream on medium-high speed for 1 minute, add the cream cheese and continue to mix for 2 more minutes, turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar and the pomegranate juice reduction, mix until the sugar is fully combined, remove icing from the mixer and place into a piping bag with a round or star tip.

POM Velvet Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350ºF, reduce the pomegranate juice, over low heat, down to 1/2 cup, place sugar and soft butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream on medium-high speed, until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, turn the speed down to low and add the eggs in one at a time, in a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, pomegranate juice reduction, white vinegar and vanilla extract, and then slowly add half of this to the mixer, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and then sift at least two times until well mixed, add half of this to the mixer, add the remaining half of the liquids to the mixer, and then the remaining dry ingredients, finish off with the heavy cream, beat just until combined, place cupcake liners into cupcake pan, and using a spoon, fill with cake batter until it is just about 3/4 full, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, allow the pan to cool slightly, and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool fully, once the cupcakes are cooled completely, they can be iced with the pomegranate cream cheese frosting and topped with fresh pomegranate arils.

TV TimeZ

2012-02-02T17:16:00.001-05:00

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH TONIGHT?

MTV: Jersey Shore, I Just Want My Pants Back at 11p

ABC: Wipeout, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice

CBS: Big Bang Theory, Rob, Person of Interest, The Mentalist

CW: Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle

FOX: American Idol, The Finder

NBC: 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, The Office, Up All Night, The Firm

TV NEWZ

The day before Valentine's, Discovery Channel debuts new competition series World's Toughest Trucker on February 13 at 10p directly after the season premiere of American Chopper at 9p.

Showtime granted new season pick-ups of Shameless, House of Lies and Californication. Production on season three of Shameless, season two of House of Lies and season six of Californication will begin in Los Angeles later this year.

A second season of Flip Men was approved by Spike TV. The network picked up to 12 episodes of the original non-scripted series featuring Utah-based Doug Clark and Mike Baird as they buy and flip foreclosed property. The production schedule and debut date for season two will be announced soon.

ABC picked up a four-pack of new one-hour pilots: Gotham centers on a female copy that discovers a magical world within New York City. Michael Green is the EP through 20th Century Fox Television.

The second pilot is Zero Hour from ABC Studios about an editor of a skeptics magazine who is drawn into one of the most compelling conspiracies in human history. Paul Scheuring is the writer and EP along with Lorenzo DiBonaventura and Dan McDermott.

Pilot number three is from Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry titled Devious Maids and based on a Mexican format. Devious Maids is a soap about four maids with ambition and dreams of their own as they work for the rich and famous in Beverly Hills. Cherry is the writer and EP through ABC Studios; Sabrina Wind is also an EP.

The fourth project is Penoza based on a Dutch format about the widow of an assassinated criminal who is forced to adopt her husband's part in a crime syndicate in order to protect her family. Melissa Rosenberg is the writer/EP via ABC Studios. Endemol Studios, Alon Aranya and Howard Klein are also on board to executive produce.

Production on a pilot episode called The Dramz was completed by New York-based TAG Studios. The Dramz is a one-hour scripted series about the reality behind reality. The series follows a production company shooting a reality show and the convergence of the two worlds. The show has cast real-life people to play the roles of the reality cast to offer more authenticity to the production

I Have Zlata Thoughts

The Strand NYC: Model for a Day Package

TV TimeZ

TV TimeZ and Casting CallZ

TV TimeZ

Grooveshark Loves Samsung and Loves Love!

TV TimeZ

Some Facebook Status Updates Are Worth a Mention

I love when people talk about how much they hate living in America yet they are still living in America

‎$185 to talk about sex for 2 hrs. Gotta love focus groups! :)

Not sure if this is a sign of getting old, but the thought of going to a concert that doesn't start til 10 on a work night seems daunting. Really, can't they start at 8? I could be in bed by midnight.

ABC gets me confused with the chairman of the FCC

Chris Brown has reportedly been using the pick-up line, “I promise I won’t beat you.”

I'm doing well! San Fran is fun! Yes, I got the Gucci Mane song you sent me. Whoops! Sorry guys meant to send this to my grandma.

We live in a world where losing your iPhone is more dramatic than losing your virginity.

‎"If we threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back"

I don't know about you but I feel Linundated with the Jerry Lin stories

‎(I don't like to do these, but I have to) You know you're Italian when you compare the feeling of being pregnant to the feeling you get when you eat too much pasta....

Natalie Rotman Dear Zuckerberg, please suck it.Does anyone know how in the new FB timeline to update photos by moving said photo into another photo albums? UGH. This was so easy b4.

Dear Zuckerberg, please suck it.Does anyone know how in the new FB timeline to update photos by moving said photo into another photo albums? UGH. This was so easy b4.

Film Buffet: A Movie Social Network

TV TimeZ

Some Valentine's Day Facebook Status Updates Are Worth a Mention

Best husband in the world! I love you — with Billy Lynn.

Tara Lee Farney and 2 other friends shared Ravi Patel's photo.

I bought myself flowers today. Just like I do every week.

Valentine tornado just touched down in the kitchen.

Lunch Napkin Art ... :) HVD! to all ... keep it open

My Valentine's Day treat today was riding the subway next to Real Housewives of NYC's Alex McCord and her husband Simon Van Kempen... and observing them behaving like a normal commuting couple! Except for her sparkly evening bag and his pocket square (at 9:30 am)...

Special delivery to my office today by someone VERY awesome. Happy Valentines Day everyone! http://instagr.am/p/HARFFxrywX/

Brie Mine. http://instagr.am/p/HAPrhjES-i/

I'm a very lucky and very happy lady! — with Matthew Garvey.

Happy valentines day! Out to dinner :)

huge singing balloon, for my hunnie♥ he deserves it♥ — with Vlad Diarey.

They say love is blind! I think it's so much better when your in love with someone that looks like this! http://t.co/zBvC4SjC

Made these for my Valentines...Bella & Julia!!! ♥

Happy Ryantine's Day, Ladies. xo.ryantinesday.com

For 29 years I have had the greatest Valentine ever and then 8 years ago to the day an amazing four legged one joined in the mix. Love you Daddy and Sunny!

Enjoy your pre-fixe menus, marked up flowers, and baby making tonight America! :)

♥ my Valentine!

Valentine's memories 16 years ago the man I was with asked me to marry him, eight years ago the man I was with asked me to get him water for his bong and this year Fredo asked for Play Doh cologne. Maybe I need to go to therapy three times a week

Happy Valentine's Day to all my love birds, single birds and blue birds. If it ain't a happy day for you, call me and we'll get a drink!

Just found a Snickers bar in my desk. Happy Valentine's Day - to me.

Laura Sweet Happy Valentine's Day! Sharon Hirsch Kucyk I came back from a meeting to find these beautiful roses waiting on my desk :) I love my hubby so much, more and more each day!! Happy Valentine's Day babe!! — with Mike Qsick.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I came back from a meeting to find these beautiful roses waiting on my desk :) I love my hubby so much, more and more each day!! Happy Valentine's Day babe!! — with Mike Qsick.

And just because this is awesome:

Spent the morning in a park in San Fran and now I have an idea for a new game show!"Are These People Doing Tai Chi...OR Are They On LSD?"

And This!

Sarah Horne Grose Cranky V-day post of the day. Can we all agree, once and for all, to stop saying irregardless? It's just regardless. Or irrespective. Trying to puzzle out the supposed meaning of the word irregardless makes my head spin. Okay...resume chocolate and flower talk

Cranky V-day post of the day. Can we all agree, once and for all, to stop saying irregardless? It's just regardless. Or irrespective. Trying to puzzle out the supposed meaning of the word irregardless makes my head spin. Okay...resume chocolate and flower talk

Volvo's Biggest Fan of the Big East: Zlata's Garden 30

TV TimeZ, NewZ and Casting CallZ

Headline NewZ: Think Twice Before You Defriend Someone on Facebook

TV TimeZ, NewZ and Casting CallZ

Want Tix to New York Fashion Week? Win Them Here!

Some Facebook Status Updates Are Worth a Mention

Big shout out to people who cant stay out of other peoples business. #comeonSON

Blond mustaches have officially won the creepy award that no one was giving out.

I'm not here to tell you how to live your life, but maybe try starting with one Luftballon, just see how it goes.

I have an online shopping problem. Memorizing my credit card number was not my smartest move.

LA this weekend for the GRAMMY Awards and to launch Malibu Red. Abstaining from alcohol for the next four days to make it through in one piece. Also, four most depressing words in the English language - "Business Class - SOLD OUT"

Renee Lucas At the BCBG Show at Fashion Week. It's truly one of God's miracles that all these egos fit into one room.

Natalie Rotman

Dear Zuckerberg, please suck it.

Does anyone know how in the new FB timeline to update photos by moving said photo into another photo albums? UGH. This was so easy b4.

Dear Zuckerberg, please suck it.

Does anyone know how in the new FB timeline to update photos by moving said photo into another photo albums? UGH. This was so easy b4.

Happy Ryantine's Day, Ladies. xo.

ryantinesday.com

Laura Sweet

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sharon Hirsch Kucyk

I came back from a meeting to find these beautiful roses waiting on my desk :) I love my hubby so much, more and more each day!! Happy Valentine's Day babe!! — with Mike Qsick.

Spent the morning in a park in San Fran and now I have an idea for a new game show!

"Are These People Doing Tai Chi...OR Are They On LSD?"

Sarah Horne Grose

Cranky V-day post of the day. Can we all agree, once and for all, to stop saying irregardless? It's just regardless. Or irrespective. Trying to puzzle out the supposed meaning of the word irregardless makes my head spin. Okay...resume chocolate and flower talk

Renee Lucas

At the BCBG Show at Fashion Week. It's truly one of God's miracles that all these egos fit into one room.