PopSugar

Will You Read the New James Frey Book?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:30:32 PDT

Soon after Oprah chose James Frey's A Million Little Pieces for her book club, the memoir became a bestseller. But then it was revealed that Frey had exaggerated and even made up pivotal plot elements and characters in his "memoir." Not only was Frey humiliated in the publishing world, but after Oprah dragged him onto her couch for a difficult-to-watch public tongue lashing, many figured the man would never work again.

Well, he did work again. Frey wrote a novel called Bright Shiny Morning (on bookshelves today) that was given a glowing review by the New York Times in which the reviewer wrote, "He got another chance. Look what he did with it. He stepped up to the plate and hit one out of the park. No more lying, no more melodrama, still run-on sentences still funny punctuation but so what. He became a furiously good storyteller this time."

That is the kind of review that is hard to come by for any author, much less one whose career hit rock bottom in a swirl of controversy and who managed to enrage the queen of book clubs. I have to say I'm intrigued by this excellent review.

How do you feel about checking out a new book by James Frey?

The Best Biggest Liar of 2006

PopSugar — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 17:24:49 PST

We all fell in love with James Frey's A Million Little Pieces. His tale of despair, drugs, and finally redemption was addicting to read and an inspiration to many. Oprah loved the book so much she gave it a coveted spot in her Book Club. Unfortunately, we soon found out that most of the million pieces that made up his memoir were lies. At first Oprah went on Larry King and said that everyone was making "much ado about nothing." But soon after she changed her tune and gave Frey a verbal ass-kicking on her show. Soon after his agent and publisher dumped him. Many felt betrayed but we were entertained.

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Easy Ways to Get More From Your Food Budget

LearnVest — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:15:48 PDT

Go the extra mile with your food budget with these tips from LearnVest.

For years, many people - my husband, mom, sister and even my son - told me to stop wasting so much food.

Throwing away half a piece of chicken here or a handful of grapes there never seemed like such a big deal to me. If I was full or no longer in the mood for that particular food, then I had no problem tossing it.

That is, until I experienced a bad case of sticker shock during a recent trip to the supermarket. The cost of bread, eggs, fish - basically everything I was purchasing - had increased. And, according to the USDA, we can expect prices to rise even higher this year.

As I forked over my money and left with only a handful of bags, I realized just how important it is for me to pay more attention to what I spend on food . . . and to confront how much of it I shove down the garbage disposal.

Unfortunately, I'm not the only one with wasteful ways. In 2010, 33 million tons of food was thrown away, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Obviously, wasted food means wasted money, but figuring out how to make your grocery budget go further can be a challenge.

To keep more food in your fridge (and more money in your pocket), try these expert tips.

1. Ward Against Freezer Burn

Those large bags or packages of frozen veggies or meat come in handy when you have a large family, but "each time you open a bag of frozen food, air gets in and will cause freezer burn within two to three weeks," says consumer saving expert Andrea Woroch. Freezer burn will dry out the meat and make it less tasty. Woroch suggests going small.

Read on for more.

10 Ways We Could Use Some Tough Love

Lizzie Fuhr — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:00:31 PST

Steve Ward is a handsome, strong-willed dude from Philly, who is definitely not your average matchmaker. On his VH1 show Tough Love Miami, Steve takes a no-nonsense approach when it comes to helping women find true love. He sets up a "dating boot camp," designed to break down the women's barriers about love. Steve sets the girls up on dates to see where they need real help and find them the man they've been looking for. Steve's brand of tough love may seem a little brutal, but each week that I'm glued to the screen, I find that the girls are experiencing real progress. Here are 10 solid pieces of tough love from the man behind Tough Love Miami, Steve Ward.

"When it comes to letting a guy know you're interested, it's not just what you say, but how you say it. Or show it." Body language and nonverbal communication are just as important as what comes out of your mouth. It's important to be conscious of the vibe you're putting out from the way you carry yourself.
"There's flirting. And then there's moving way too fast." There's no reason to come out guns blazing if you have any sort of attraction for a man. Take things slow. Try your best to have an objective eye. Let things happen naturally, and don't lead someone on just for the hell of it.
"For many women, texting is a habit that can not only get out of control, it can turn a man off in no time." Steve dedicates a whole episode of Tough Love Miami to "Dating in the Digital Age." Steve hands all the girls cellphones and tells them they can communicate with their dates before they meet the following day. The experiment only proves that these women rely way too much on texting. Steve says if a man doesn't respond to a text, it's not an excuse to text him a million times before he responds. Have some self control!
"Let me make my point: men hate this sh*t, OK? When you're communicating with a man over a text message, or email, or other any type of ecommunication, use words and grammar." Steve says drop the acronyms like LOL and LMAO. Lay off the exclamation points and stop with all the emoticons. Men are just not into it.
"It's OK to have preferences, but even your preferences have to be realistic." Every single lady has got her list of deal breakers. Steve urges the women in boot camp to recognize that no one is perfect and to let go of these random preconceived notions about what her ideal match looks like. Love comes where you least expect it, but you've got to be open to the possibilities for that to happen.

Keep reading for more reasons we could benefit from Steve Ward's tough love.

Pippa Middleton Has a Book Deal

Tara Block — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:45:07 PDT

Kate Middleton may be married to a prince, but her hardworking little sister Pippa Middleton is poised to sign a $1.6 million book deal.

The book would be all about party planning and how to be the perfect hostess, something Pippa is sure to know a lot about as she helps out with her family's mail-order party supplies company Party Pieces. She also edits the company's blog The Party Times.

With all the hype surrounding Pippa, despite having never heard a peep from her, the book is sure to be a hit amongst those hoping to get a glimpse inside her world. I'd be curious to hear what it's like hosting the royal family, as she's sure to have some very important guests now that sister Kate is married to Prince William. Would you check out her party-planning book? It will most likely be published before Christmas 2012.

Miranda Kerr Models Her "Curvaceous" Body in a Tiny Bikini

Lauren Turner — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:02:57 PDT

Miranda Kerr slipped into a printed bikini for the cover of Cleo's November issue. She showed off her sexy supermodel body again when she posed in another two-piece inside the Australian magazine. Miranda talked to the publication about how her figure has changed since giving birth to Flynn, saying, "I’m a little more curvaceous now, which I really love. I think it’s great to embrace these curves and work with them."

Her figure was also on display during an appearance for Victoria's Secret this week in NYC, where she presented the brand's $2.5 million diamond-studded bra. She'll wear the 142 carat Secret Fantasy Treasure Bra during the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which will be taped early next month and air on Nov. 29.

Miranda Kerr Shows Leg and Gives a Sneak Peek at Her $2.5 Million Bra

Katie Henry — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:17:17 PDT

Miranda Kerr hit the talk-show circuit in NYC today, first visiting Fox & Friends to show off the $2.5 million Victoria's Secret Fantasy Treasure Bra that she'll model in this year's VS fashion show. She introduced the jewel-encrusted garment, which is made of 3,400 gems like diamonds, pearls, citrines, and aquamarines and weighs in at 142 carats. Miranda then headed to Victoria's Secret's Lexington Avenue store, where she changed into a sexy pink Michael Kors gown for more photos with the lingerie. Miranda said of the bra's craftsmanship, "It's such a piece of artwork! It's absolutely stunning - it kind of feels a little mermaid-like - but I can't believe I'm wearing $2.5 million on my chest." Little Flynn didn't join her for today's round of press, nor did a currently-in-LA Orlando Bloom.

Dolly Parton Would Give Reese Witherspoon a "Big Old Boob Job"

Miriam Lacey — Thu, 26 May 2011 11:40:00 PDT

Dolly Parton is an irrepressible blond bundle of bonhomie and bon mots, and she's been talking up a hilarious storm lately. In an interview with UK magazine Q, she dished on everything from losing her wig and having a legendary bosom, to sawing Taylor Swift's legs off at the knee, to her thoughts on giving Reese Witherspoon enlarged assets. To see all the juiciest tidbits from the interview, just keep reading.

Would You Wear a Divorce Ring?

Yahoo Shine — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:00:54 PDT

We're happy to present this article from one of our favorite sites, Yahoo! Shine:

We've heard of women transforming their engagement rings into new pieces of jewelry after a divorce, or even celebrating their newly single status with divorce parties, but the latest craze is women buying symbolic divorce rings.

Bride Finds has brought our attention to the 18K gold Spritzer and Furman "Divorce Ring" set with four full-cut diamonds and center trillon diamond. It can be yours for $3,200.

We get that this is supposed to be an empowering thing, and maybe some women will be so excited and relieved to be free from their exes they'll be psyched to have a piece of jewelry representing their split. But on the other hand, wearing a ring of a broken heart split by a diamond bolt might look a little nuts. Like now when an eligible bachelor checks your ring finger to see if you're married, he'll see this design symbolizing your dead marriage. Hmm.

Would you wear a divorce ring?

Rob and Cortney Novogratz Share Tips on a Chic Home, Sourcing Art, and Re-Creating Looks From the Show!

Elka Karl — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:26:56 PDT

One of my favorite home design shows this year has been Rob and Cortney Novogratz's new series Home by Novogratz, which airs Saturday nights at 10/9 central on HGTV. While I loved their Bravo series 9 by Design, their new series for HGTV offers oodles more direction and tips for decorating and renovating your home. And since most of us can't afford this creative duo's services, it's nice to get a decorating crib sheet from the show.

The Novogratzs also seem to enjoy the way that working with limited funds on the projects featured on Home by Novogratz have sparked their creativity. "It's been a challenge to find cool, unique pieces with small budgets," Rob and Cortney explained in a recent interview. "We tried to explain where, in a renovation, it is worth it to spend the bigger part of the budget, and how you can achieve all sorts of stylish looks with very little money. For us, being chic is never about spending a lot."

When I got in touch with Rob and Cortney about an interview, I asked them if they'd be willing to share some of their tips for chic and inexpensive decorating. They were happy to provide CasaSugar readers with some of their ideas - take a look!

On re-creating looks from the show:

"Turn family photos into wallpaper, or just arrange them on a wall for a stunning look."
Try carpet tiles in your home as an alternative. It is a relatively inexpensive way to make a bold statement and practical, too, since you can pull one up if it gets stained and replace it."
"We love to mix patterns and textures, and try different things that you just aren’t expecting such as using vintage letters as a focal point in a room, applying blackboard paint on a ceiling, and even covering a wall in graffiti as an art statement."

On sourcing beautiful, inexpensive art:

"You can find art anywhere. Frame a poster, frame a photograph, our daughters collect portraits of women they find at flea markets. We met an artist Jan Eleni, who took all of our kids’ art projects, shrunk them down to business-card size, then made a framed artwork from all of them. Go to an art fair near your home, a tag sale, or make your own art!"

Keep reading to find out where Cortney and Rob Novogratz recommend you should splurge and save.