Just Workin on my Fitness

When it comes to my fascination with celebrities, I'm not just looking for fashion tips, I'm looking for fitness details as well. However, while starlets are more than happy to pose on the red carpet in their designer gowns, they're a little more secretive when it comes to getting in shape.

How many times have you heard a celebrity saying "I eat so much! I never diet! I don't have time to exercise, I just walk my dog occasionally!" In fact, actresses are famous for showing off their "gigantic appetite" during a lunch interview for a fashion mag. Those articles always say the same thing: "She looked casual chic in an all black ensemble and had glowing skin without a stich of makeup. She ordered scrambled eggs with extra cheese, 16 pieces of bacon, and chugged a bubba keg of beer on her way out the door."

Blake Lively once gave an interview saying that she eats pork burritos, chips, and coke before shooting lingerie scenes.

Okay. We all know she hired a trainer for The Green Lantern, and now that she's dating the fittest man alive (R. Reynolds, of course) you can bet she's keeping up with her squats.

Kate Walsh also boasted on Live! with Kelly that she did absolutely nothing to prepare for this Shape cover.

"It should be called Unshape magazine!" she laughed. " I ate a burrito right before the shoot!" I'd chalk it up to great photoshopping except she looks consistently looks smokin hot - check out those leg muscles!

There's been a lot of talk about the importance of featuring "real women" with "real bodies" in women's magazines. They suggest that we will feel bad about ourselves after seeing models, celebrities, and other superhuman beings in the media time after time.

I don't know about you, but I see real women every day. And every time I step out of the shower, there's a real woman in my bathroom mirror. If I'm reading Shape magazine, I'm certainly hoping to see an ultra fit celeb. You know makes me feels bad? Hearing stars talk about eating everything and never working out while still maintaining a toned physique. I workout most days and watch what I eat and no one has ever asked me to pose on a magazine cover.

So let's reflect on a few ladies who aren't afraid to say, thanks to LMFAO, "Girl look at that body, I work out!"

Anne Hathaway says she was working out for two hours and day and living on "kale and dust" to fit into her catwoman suit.

Gwen Stefani was quoted as saying " I am always on a diet"

And " I work hard to look this hot and I want girls to know that."

Gwyneth Paltrow works out for an hour and a half 5 days a week with the infamous Tracy Anderson- Madonna's trainer.

She also frequently goes on a 12 week (!!!!) detox.

Kelly Ripa is my fashion, fitness, and overall life idol. In a recent interview she said she works out every single day, even on vacation. She alternates between spinning, running, and "dance cardio and toning."

Also, she gave us an idea of her typical eats.

Breakfast- wheat toast and coffee

Lunch- greek yogurt and blueberries or a small salad

Dinner- small piece of fish with lots of veggies

Snacks- Pepperidge Farm goldfish- haha!

As beach season quickly approaches, I'll certainly be more aware of what I'm eating and how I'm exercising. Will I be as dedicated as these ladies? Of course not! And I won't expect my green bikini to sit quite as nice as Kelly's.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it makes me feel good to know that real women (even celebs!) have to work really hard to look really good.

The Lucky One- Review

Oh Nicholas Sparks. You never really try to surprise us. And you don't have to. We know that if we read one of your books or buy a ticket for a movie based on one of your books, we'll get exactly what we asked for.

1) Small, sleepy, coastal town in the south

2) Friendly folks who live in the town with a few quirky characters in there as well

3) Boy meets girl

4) Girl can't help herself falling for boy even though she

a) has had her heart broken

b) is in love with someone else

c) has some secret from her past that prevents her from loving anyone, ever

5) Tragedy, war, misunderstandings drive boy and girl apart (but not before at least one tastefully sexy love scene)

6) Someone dies

7) Boy and girl end up together . . . maybe.

And the latest Nicholas Sparks book turned movie, The Lucky One, delivers on all 7 accounts.

Plus, Zac Efron!

And cute southern clothes on costar Taylor Schilling!

source

A few complaints- while the storyline is very dramatic and touching, I really didn't find myself wiping away any tears- I enjoyed the movie but wasn't incredibly moved by any of it.

Taylor looks a bit too old for Zac- she's totally gorgeous of course but they seemed a bit mismatched.

Of course since Taylor is 27 ( like me) and Zac is 24 you might say I am too old for him. I would never say that!

One bonus was the lovely soundtrack- especially this song which I now have on repeat.

The Lucky One, rated "PG-13," romance, starring Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling "B-"

Gentlemen Callers

When I used to go on dates in high school, I was at a complete loss for what to wear. There's only two things more embarrassing than being a teenage girl.

1) Wearing the wrong thing on a date as a teenage girl

2) Asking the teenage guy you're going out with what you should wear

So my mom and I devised a great little system. I would be totally ready to go and wearing a cute top I had picked out. Then my mom would peer out the window when my date arrived. She would yell to me what he was wearing- jeans! shorts! (are there any more options for a 17 year old boy?) And then I would quickly decide what bottoms I needed to wear- Hollister jeans! Forever 21 skirt! (Are there any other options for a 17 year old girl?)

Oh, halter top and American Eagle denim skirt while dancing on the beach? Another good outfit choice from my high school years.

Anyways, I love telling this story because it makes it seem like I had all of these dates in high school and that my mom was all sorts of Mrs. Bennett from Pride and Predjudice/ Amanda Wingfield from The Glass Menagerie asking if I had a "gentleman caller." Neither of these points are true, but I promise I really did get dressed at the last minute thanks my mom's spying.

I was reminded of this the other week when I was getting dressed to go out with my boyfriend. We were planning on going to our favorite mexican/sushi restaraunt so I was wearing a floral tank top and cropped jeans. Similar to this pic of Amanda Seyfriend on the March issue of Glamour.

Except I had already dried my hair and my shirt actually had a back. As I was headed out the door I got a text. We were trying a new place downtown. So I switched out the jeans for my new pink maxi skirt (Old Navy for $12,) snapped a pic, and headed on my way.

It would be convenient if this was the look from the April issue of Glamour, but instead we have this shot of Lauren Conrad.

Lounging topless in her underwear? I guess LC is also waiting to get dressed for a date.

Happy Weekend- Just Got Paid

Oh man, are weekends the best or what? This is the first weekend in forever where I haven't had major plans or had to work. And it feels so great! Also, yesterday was payday which meant I spent the evening humming "Just got paid, Friday night, party hoppin, feelin right." Except I was just going to my parents house for dinner.

And this morning I had to immediately find this clip on youtube. It's everything remember it being and more!

As soon as I started watching it I realized I remember all of the words AND the dance moves! How cool is the girl (who they picked out of the audience!!) who subtly puts her arm around JC as they're dancing?! She was my role model for years.

Looking for movies to watch this weekend?

In theaters:

The Hunger Games- I've seen it twice. You should probably see it at least once to see what all the hype is about.

The Lucky One- going tonight! Review will be posted soon.

The Five Year Engagement-getting great reviews. A lot of people are comparing it to Forgetting Sarah Marshall! Hoping to see it Sunday night with my boo.

Think Like A Man- making serious $ at the box office, so that's promising

Chimpanzee- a baby chimpanzee who loses his mommy?? I've cried enough recapping the Royal Wedding, no thanks.

To rent:

I loved 30 Rock Live this week, so in honor of a few the stars, and guest stars . .

Baby Mama- whenever I tell people this movie is hilarious they're like "ehh" and then they watch it and are like "omg! so funny!"

Date Night - worth it for the pairing of Fey and Carrell

Fever Pitch- seriously, such an underrated rom-com. I love this movie!

The Town - implausible, but still awesome. Jon Hamm looks great but Blake Lively's absurd Boston accident is laughable. Also, Ben Affleck, yay.

All totally rent worthy.

Happy weekend!

What Makes Me Cry- Matt Lauer and the Royal Wedding

I know I've blogged about it before, but watching the Royal Wedding nearly a year ago was the greatest tv viewing experience of my life. And there's one moment I'll never forget.

As a loyal Today Show viewer since graduating from college and starting a big girl job, I was obviously tuned into the coverage on NBC. Do you remember when Kate stepped out of the car and paused, so everyone could get a great shot of the dress? She delicately took her father's hand.

Then Matt Lauer, who up until this point, had feigned complete disinterest in all of the royal hoopla, decided to say something.

"I'll only say this once" he ominously began "they have called her Waity Katie . . . and today she will wait NO MORE!!!" The last words came out booming, in a Madonnaesque faux British accent.

It was so absurd, so ridiculously out of place that you couldn't help but die laughing. Except I burst into tears.

The most embarrassing thing about all of this is that I've tried to tell this story several times.

"Omg, Matt Lauer said the dumbest thing during the Royal Wedding"

I'm giggling just thinking about it.

"For some reason he said they have called her Waity . . . Waity . . ."

My eyes fill with tears.

"Waity Katie. "

sniff. sniff.

"But today . . .she . . "

Oh hell. At this point I either after to pretend to die laughing (the appropriate response), immediately change the subject, or fake a coughing fit.

So if you ask me about my favorite part of the royal wedding, I'll probably say Pippa's dress, Harry sneaking a peak as Kate walked down the aisle, or the not one, but two kisses on the balcony.

But now you know truth. Sniff.

P.S. What else makes me cry- Dear John and Superbad

Going In For the Kill

Want to hear a story?

Last week I was inspired by the infamous "Katniss braid" which I'm sure is all over Pinterest, although I wouldn't really know.

I decided to try it out and it was coming along nicely when all of a sudden I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye. I recoiled in horror when I realized what it was.

Yes, this disgusting creature was crawling along my bathroom floor. Now, you should know a few things about me. First, I hate creepy crawly bugs. Who doesn't? But I hate killing them even more. Its just so gross and I have to totally psyche myself out to even make an attempt. When I lived with Tia we had an agreement- I killed roaches and she killed spiders. Because this little intruder had way more than 8 legs, I decided it fell into Tia's jurisdiction and I wondered if I could trap it until she came into town. I considered just grabbing my phone and leaving the apartment. I wondered how much I would have to pay to break my lease and just move out?

But then I realized who I was channeling with my hair . . . and I thought WWKD. (What Would Katniss Do, obvi.) She would probably pick up this bug, no prob, gut it with a hook and use it for bait to catch some fish which she would eat raw, then strategically place the clean bones to throw the Careers off her path.

So I knew what I had to do. I slid a few hairpins into my half finished braid and I ran into the other room to grab a weapon. I chose the top to an empty shoebox from my Easter shoes. (see below- aren't they cute?)

And I crept to the corner of my bathroom, prepared to go in for the kill. However, something wasn't quite right. When I kill a bug, I only have about one good smack in me. And my victim was fast. It moved quickly and erratically along the edge of the bathtub. I needed something to stun it so my aim would be spot on.

I dashed to the kitchen cabinet and grabbed a can of Lysol. Not only would I begin to drown this creature but my bathroom would smell like Fresh Linen. I slowly crouched down and took aim. I pressed down as hard as I could as it furiously crawled straight towards me, like a Capitol created, genetically engineered insect. My efforts did little to slow this creature down. It creeped closer and closer to my foot. I started to tremble and that's when I saw something. Imperceptible at first but as I continued my attack, a few of the thousands of legs started to slow down. This was my chance. I raised the box over my head and slammed it down as hard as I could. I instinctively let out a blood curdling scream.

It was over. But I still needed to get rid of the corpse. I grabbed a paper towel to scrape it off the floor when I noticed something moving. What was happening? How was this possible? I peered closer. I had severed two of the legs in the attack. And they were marching away. On their own. NOT ATTACHED TO THE BODY. I shudder just thinking about it! I gritted my teeth and grabbed the entire carcass ( and every single leg) with my paper towel. Into the trash it went. I was safe. For now.

Disclaimer:This post might be slightly over exaggerated.

P.S. Here's how my hair turned out!

April Madness

Oh hello . . .

I had a dream last night that I somehow got to go to the premiere of The Lucky One and Zac Efron invited me to an after party at his house. Unfortunately I woke up before I could go to the party, or see what was in his pockets.

It's been quite awhile since I posted and while I predicted that I wouldn't be posting much in April, I didn't anticipate the entire month. I've found that blogging, like exercise, healthy eating, and hanging up my clothes instead of throwing them in a corner on the floor, is an easy habit to fall out of when you're busy. And the longer you go without doing something, the more you get used to its absence. That was a lot of nonsense to say what I'm sure no one (except Krysta!) has commented on- I took a break, now I'm back- for a little.


So what have I been up to? Well I could bore you some more with the details but I'd rather tell you about the movies I've seen recently!


In theaters:
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen- have you even heard of this movie? Well, we went to see it and rather enjoyed it! Its an eccentric but simple movie- basically about faith and falling in love and fish that swim upstream. I always have a girl crush on Emily Blunt and I do love Ewan McGregor as a shy guy dealing with unrequited love. Christian in Moulin Rouge anyone? (side note, Moulin Rouge is over 10 years old. crazy.) This is a movie that you could watch with your parents, grandparents, or great grandparents and not be all flustered when something vaguely inappropriate comes on screen.





American Reunion- Not so much a 4th movie in the American Pie series but a nod to all of the hijinks in the first film. A few funny parts, but if this was my reunion I would have skipped the travel costs and resorted to some good old fashioned facebook stalking.

The Hunger Games- I finished the book, and loved it in the end, although Carly and Claire were spot on about the high expectations. My world wasn't changed but I'm certainly glad I read the book- and saw the movie!
What I loved- getting to see the Gamemakers create what was happening in the arena, the intensity of the first few minutes standing on the pedestals, everything about Stanley Tucci.
What I didn't love-a lack of exploration behind the real/pretend Katniss and Peeta relationship which for me was one of the most compelling points of the book. No shots of Katniss manipulating her reactions because she knew there was a camera on her. Jennifer Lawrence's gigantic boobs. She's got a great body, but I expected Katniss to be a little less bombshell, a little more Lisbeth.

New(ish) on DVD:
I Don't Know How She Does It-I finally saw this movie!! And it was GOOD. Very different than I expected, but highly entertaining and really made me think. Isn't SJP just the best? I think so.

Warrior- I remember listening to NPR this fall and someone referred to it as "Rocky meets Shakespeare." I'd say that's about accurate. Good for when your boyfriend wants to watch something violent but you'd at least like a cohesive story to go along with it.

Oldies but Goodies:
With all the renewed Marilyn Monroe buzz- My Week with Marilyn and Smash (is anyone watching?) I'm ashamed to say I'm not very familiar with the her on screen. However, I recently watched Some Like it Hot and The Seven Year Itch thanks to TCM and my DVR. Both were funny, interesting, and surprisingly modern.

Anyways, I hope to be back soon with a review of The Lucky One and more pics of Zac Efron. Anyone see any good movies in April?