Boys & their Toys – NY Auto Show

On the way to the Javits Center for the New York International Auto Show, I couldn’t help but wonder if Christian Grey might be lurking at the Audi showroom! (Hey, a girl can dream!) As Stacyknows had posted in her blog, “Whenever I see an Audi now, I will forever associate it with this trilogy….and I’m ok with that.” http://stacyknows.com/2012/reading-50-shades-grey/

I thought I was being all clever and creative with this introduction, but it turns out there’s actually a ton of blog posts combining this erotic novel with automobiles. Here’s a worthy few to check out:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/road-sage/auto-erotica-and-fifty-shades-of-grey/article2375260/print/

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/04/2013-lexus-es-50-shades-of-biege/

OK…now on to the PG version of the show….

The New York International Auto Show is full of activities that are fun for the whole family. Many exhibitors have activities specifically for kids including simulators, video games, movie cars and more. Strollers are allowed and kids 2 and under are free.

A special thank you to Nissan for providing me with the complimentary tickets to the show. It’s a big show this year for this car manufacturer. The Nissan Altima 2012, the most innovative ever, along with the Nissan NV200 “Taxi of Tomorrow” and the Nissan Pathfinder Concept, a preview of the next-gen Nissan Pathfinder SUV, are all on display at the show.

The New York International Auto Show is taking place now until Sunday, April 15, 2012. Monday – Saturday: 10am – 10pm and Sundays: 10am – 7pm (Personally, I love the late hours)

For more information, go to http://www.autoshowny.com/show/

Laters, baby! I have cars to go test drive!

Tori’s (VicTORIous) Tips –part II

With it being Good Friday and the first night of Passover, plus Easter Sunday, there’s a good chance you’ll be hosting family and/or friends this weekend.

In yesterday’s post, I promised that I would follow-up with a review of Tori Spellin’s (aka 90210’s Donna Martin) new book, CelebraTORI: Unleashing Your Inner Party Planner to Entertain Friends & Family.

Overall, I am happy with the book and do recommend it. There are aspects and parts that I adore. But I also must admit to rolling my eyes a few times. (I feel like I should apologize but I am also being honest and objective)

Let’s start with the positives!

The photography is stunning! Having worked in the wine and spirits industry, I am fully aware of how difficult it really is to shoot cocktails, bottles and many food items. So major kudos to photographer Sara Remington, as well as Elizabeth Messina, who Tori refers to in the acknowledgements as “her personal photo goddess.” The colors in the photos are so rich and vibrant and very inspiring.

Tori’s creativity and passion for party planning shines through. While I am no means a Betty Crocker nor will I ever be an aspiring mixologist, I am tempted to try many of the featured recipes. I especially want to taste the let them eat cake martini (page 100) and my nanny’s famous wine cake (page 126).

I really do appreciate all the of the attention to details. As someone who created personalized crossword puzzles at my Sunday brunch wedding and gave each guest the Sunday newspaper and a cup of coffee or tea for the road on their way out, I flipped over the black and white scrabble tile cookies on top of the red cupcakes for game night.

I also really like all of the “Tori Tips.” (hence the title of this post)

So what am balking about? I was able to gloss over many pages and flip past them. Maybe it’s because as someone who often planned corporate events and parties, I am not the target audience. I just felt that some of the information was unnecessary and felt dumbed down. While there might be some fans who buy this book simply because they love Tori and want to support her, I suspect the majority are also interested in party planning. Therefore, I would have preferred less information in part one: ESSENTIALS.

I admire that Tori dedicated the book to her mom, “The master party planner,” especially after the years of strife and discourse in their relationship. She writes, “I learned everything I know from watching you throw the most amazing parties. Thank you for the gift of knowing its all in the details.” Yet, on page 13 of the introduction, Tori says, “My parents threw some spectacular parties, including my first wedding. but opulence is not my thing. Over-the-top, yes. But I live in the real world (well, the “reality” world), where the coffers aren’t exactly limitless. Besides, I like the feeling of working hard, being creative and doing things myself.” I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. My aim is not to bad-mouth anyone or pick anyone apart, especially someone in the public eye who already gets so much scrutiny from the media.

Lastly, I just have to ask Tori, were you serious about the carnation renaissance or were you just making sure the readers are paying attention? I am sorry, but I’m just not buying into that one.

Have a great holiday weekend! Hope its filled with loved ones and mouth-watering food and drink!

Taking InvenTORI of a Celeb’s Jam Packed Schedule

Yes she grew up as Aaron Spelling’s daughter so she’s used to life as a whirlwind, yet I can’t believe the jam-packed, hectic schedule a mom with three children under the age of 6 and pregnant again while nursing her 5 month old is dealing with. I wouldn’t even be able to do it pre-motherhood let alone in her current state.

Think your calendar is jam-packed? Check out what Tori’s past two days for the east coast kick-off on her publicity book tour looked like:

http://www.torispelling.com/post/my-celebratori-press-tour

Keep in mind, she can’t show up in comfy clothes, without make-up, having a bad hair day! We think its all fun, glamour and excitement for celebs, but there is hard work involved too. I don’t envy your schedule following jet-lag. From online media research, it appears that she had at least 3 different outfit changes on Tuesday. (My family has been known to wear the same jeans for 3 days straight!)

Yesterday Tori tweeted, “Just finished no joke an 18hr press day. Beyond exhausted, but such an amazing response to my new party book CelebraTORI!”

At an event for mom bloggers on Tuesday, April 3, at Make Meaning, Tori said that this 4 day trip is the longest she’s been away from her kids, that she functions on very little sleep and constantly is making “lists” in her head.

Tuesday night she did a book signing at Bookends in Ridgewood (Northern NJ) before making a live appearance on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” at 11pm.

Yesterday morning she was live on The Today Show at 10:35am followed by her book signing at Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue in NYC at 12:30pm.

While waiting in line, children who weren’t even born when 90210 was on the air were squealing with excitement and glee about meeting her.

After the signing, I really wanted to head to The Peach Pit and start perusing her book. Write-up on the book to follow in a subsequent post. I already admitted that I am not a machine and there’s no way I could have gotten through her book within a few short hours of the signing with my two year old.

You can purchase celebraTORI: Unleashing Your Inner Party Planner to Entertain Friends and Family at Amazon.com for $15.59. (Which is almost $10 less than the copy I bought at Barnes & Nobles, but mine is personally autographed by Tori!)

Her autobiographical book sTORI Telling debuted on top of the New York Times Best Seller list and was named the best celebrity autobiography of 2009.

Another Piece of My Heart (Book Review)

“The problem with heartbreakers, she thinks, is that they break hearts.” (page 358)

Jane Green became a favorite author of mine well over a decade again when I hungrily wolfed down her early chick-lit, including favorites Mr. Maybe and Jemima J.

Her latest, Another Piece of My Heart, was released on Tuesday, March 20th. It’s being described as “Green’s most emotional and powerful novel yet: a story that explores the complications of a woman marrying into a ready-made family, and the true meaning of motherhood.”

I picked it up only hours of finishing 50 Shades of Grey. Reading Green’s prose is super easy for me. It speaks to me like an old friend. I immediately became engrossed in Andi’s story. I will admit though that after reading a few chapters, I was itching for something more drastic or exciting to occur. Finally around 100 pages in, my wish was granted.

“This is the mothering that no one told her about, no one had warned her about. She thought it would all be hearts and flowers, she and a darling child, laughing and loving, and sharing moments of bliss…No one warned her of the exhaustion…”

I promise not to give anything away. In fact, I was hesitant to read other write-ups and reviews until I finished reading the novel for fear of any plot spoilers. This line adequately sums it up without revealing much: “life, children, domesticity have gotten in the way.” (page 173)

There’s always two sides to every story….and then there’s the truth. I commend Green for providing both Andi and Emily’s perspectives.

Another Piece of My Heart, which is currently #16 on the New York Times Best Sellers List, explores family dynamics, jealousy, addiction, destruction, drama, transformation, adoption, step-families, selfishness, being selfless, growing up and the fine line between love and hate.

I recommend finding some “ME” time to curl up and read this book. It might make you appreciate your own life more and remind you that nothing remains the same and you never know what life has in store for you.

“I limit myself to those fantasies twice a week. Weekends only. A forbidden, but delicious treat.” (page 341) “Fantasies aren’t reality.” (page 364)

Dear Mr. Christian Grey, You Sir Should Not Have This Power Over Us & Our Inner Goddesses

“You beguile me, Christian. Completely overwhelm me. I feel like Icarus flying too close to the sun.” (page 210)

Would YOU ever sign a NDA and contract to be submissive to who you think is the “man of your dreams”?

Maybe Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes should be cast as the main characters in the Hollywood film version of 50 Shades of Grey. (You know there will be one and probably it’ll be in the works long before many of us have made it through the trilogy, if it isn’t already)

A younger actor Thorsten Kaye who played Zach Slater on All My Children (and was also on One Life to Live) is who I am envisioning the sexy, smoldering, cocky, controlling and disarming billionaire Christian Grey to look like. Reading this is certainly making up for me not having my soap opera to tune into daily. Thanks E. L. James. To put it bluntly, Christian is “50 shades f-cked up.”

According to Forbes, “The erotic trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey by British author E L James began as Twilight fan fiction that slowly built an audience online before triumphantly erupting on the publishing scene as ‘THE book everyone is talking about.’ It’s called ‘mommy porn’ for its suburban female readership and graphic sex scenes, is getting credit for spicing up marriages across the U.S. and even received criticism for encouraging women’s sexual submission.”

For a while I didn’t pay any attention to anything pertaining to 50 Shades of Grey. I never got caught up in Harry Potter, Vampires and Twilight, Hunger Games, etc and assumed this was another series along those lines. Yet I admit I was worn down and just couldn’t avoid the hype anymore. It was everywhere I turned – on fellow mom blogs that I admire and respect, on Facebook and being talked about on the playground. So when a close friend told me she had gotten her hands on a hard copy of the hard-to-get-your hands on book during a recent playdate, I begged her to let me borrow it as soon as she finished it. Once she went home, I jumped on Amazon and pre-ordered Fifty Shades Darker and the sequel Fifty Shades Freed for us to share. I am so happy I did!

“Fifty Shades of Grey has electrified women across the country, who have spread the word like gospel on Facebook pages, at school functions and in spin classes. Or as the handwritten tag on a paperback copy in a Montclair, N.J., bookstore helpfully noted, “Yes, this is THE book everyone is talking about.” -breakingnewsonline.org

We’ve all been there, and have had a “school girl crush.” Fallen head over heels for a “bad boy” who our heads know is wrong and yet we can’t stay away from. We can’t get enough of that person and don’t even recognize ourself when we are in his company.

Ana’s mom Carla explains to her, “You’ve fallen for someone, finally. Oh, honey, men, they are so tricky. They’re a different species, honey.” IF only she knew the half of it! This is not the guy you want taking your innocent daughter’s virginity.

“For the first time, I’m wishing he was –normal – wanting a normal relationship that doesn’t need a ten-page agreement, a flogger, and carabiners in his playroom ceiling…..I feel a paradigm shift. I know that if I do this with me, I will get hurt. He’s not capable, interested or willing to offer me more….and I want more. Much more. The surge of jealousy I felt moments ago tell me that I have deeper feelings for him than I have admitted to myself.” Ana, page 146.

“He is totally beguiling and I am bewitched. I place my hand in his.” (page 242)

In her Kansas City Star column, Jeneé Osterheldt writes, “For me, reading the series is like catching an episode of ‘Keeping up With the Kardashians’ during one of the E! marathons. You’re both mortified and intrigued by the glamour and dysfunction. Sometimes, you can’t stop looking.” YES!, that’s exactly how it is with this kinky best-seller. It’s a distraction and an escape from our normal, everyday life filled with responsibilities, chores, errands and compromises.

I may be going out on a limb here, but I think one of the main reasons this book appeals so much to us moms is the whole newness and excitement of their relationship. Reading their email exchanges makes me remember when I anxiously would await witty emails from my now husband. Ana and Christian’s relationship has many parallels to Carrie and Mr. Big.

I keep reciting lines from the book, including:
‘Anastasia, you should stay clear of me. I’m not the man for you.’
‘I don’t do the boyfriend thing.’
‘I’m not a hearts and flower kind of guy.’
‘I don’t make love….I f-ck hard.
‘This is all I know.’

I do have some knit-picking issues with the book including would Ms. Steele really be a graduating senior who had never had oral sex, eaten a oyster, much less have her own computer?

Well, if you would please excuse me now, I seem to have more reading to do. “…the intangible, mysterious, vague hues of gray that color my world……I flush, but then I feel seven shades of scarlet from his heat.”

Laters, baby©