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Sugar Bits - American Idol Is Down to Ten!

PopSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:30:45 PDT

Another American Idol contestant was sent home last night. What do you think of the remaining 10? - BuzzSugar
Drew Lachey and his Dancing With the Stars partner Cheryl Burke are denying claims that they had an affair while filming the show. - People
A construction worker committed suicide yesterday at one of Mel Gibson's homes. Since the residence was undergoing heavy renovations, Mel and his family weren't there. - TMZ
A woman who pitched an idea for a reality show based on philanthropy has filed a lawsuit against Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions, claiming that they stole her idea for their new show, The Big Give. - Rush & Molloy
Viveca A. Fox will host a new show on VH1 called, Glam God With Vivica A. Fox, which will search for the next great celebrity stylist. - Reuters
That Thing You Do! star Ethan Embry has settled a case with a Deal or No Deal model who says that he left her injured on the side of the road following a motorcycle accident in 2005. - TMZ

Photos courtesy of Fox

Don't Be Afraid to Play With Scale

Elka Karl — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:00:41 PST

In a recent interview on Dering Hall, Los Angeles-based designer Peter Dunham shared his thoughts on his line Hollywood at Home and offered excellent decorating tips.

One of my favorite tips from Dunham concerns scale - and the fact that we should consider it more carefully when decorating. Scale is just as important as pattern and color when decorating a space.

Dunham says,

In a high-ceilinged room, use an oversized chandelier. De-electrify it and just use it with candles so it becomes a piece of sculpture rather than a glaring light fixture, and it anchors the space. In a small room, choose a bold, big-pattern print and cover everything in it, the French way: walls, curtains, upholstery, et cetera. It gives the room vibrancy and glamor. Also, use large, but fewer, pieces in a small room-like a sofa that may seem too big-so it feels luxurious. In a large room, use smaller-scale pieces to create several areas and bring the space more to human scale.

I love the way that Dunham plays with scale in the room above, using a bold patterned print for the walls and matching sofa. It's an important lesson to remember when redecorating a room - keep scale a playful, and important, consideration.

Source

Would You Want to be as Successful as Sheryl Sandberg?

Emily Co — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:34:15 PST

Many of us look up to Sheryl Sandberg as a role model because she's one of the most successful female business leaders of our time. She's consistently ranked by Forbes as one of the most powerful women in the world and she's estimated to be worth a cool $1.6 billion. She's the face of women trying to crack the glass ceiling, and with so many glowing praises showered on Sandberg, I was surprised to see career blogger Penelope Trunk make the bold statement that "very few women want to be Sandberg." Trunk explains:

"Sandberg wants to be a role model for women who want big, exciting careers. But here’s the problem: women don't want to be Sandberg. It’s no coincidence that the number one woman on the list of self-made millionaires is Oprah. She has no kids and no husband. She’s fascinating, nice, and smart. But few of us would really enjoy her life.

Sandberg and Oprah represent extreme choices in life. The things they give up are not things that most women would want to give up in exchange for the wild career success they could have . . . You can't have small kids and a startup if you want to see your kids."

Everyone has a different definition of what it means to "make it." In fact, success for many women doesn't mean climbing the corporate ladder; it's having a good work-life balance, according to a More magazine survey. The Facebook executive may be one of the wealthiest women around, but her intensive job may leave her with less time to spend with her two kids. What about you - would you want to be as successful as Sheryl Sandberg?

How to Throw a Midnight in Paris-Themed Oscar Party

Shannon Vestal — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:30:00 PST

If you're planning on throwing an Oscar viewing party for Hollywood's big night on Feb. 26, then I suggest that you go big this year and give your event a theme. Take a cue from the nominees and let best picture nominee Midnight in Paris give you inspiration. It has plenty of elements that translate into an opulent party: Paris, the 1920s, and many of its own scenes of revelry. Here's how to use the Woody Allen film as your party muse, and don't forget to fill out a ballot with your Oscar picks for a chance to win an iPad.

How to decorate: Scatter vintage books by the authors featured in the film, like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and T.S. Eliot, and decorate with mini French flags and twinkle lights. Stand a cardboard cutout of the Eiffel Tower near the entrance of the party.
How to dress: The dress code can be either 1920s French (think flapper and drop-waist dresses), or you can just wear your regular clothes like Owen Wilson's character Gil, but you have to continually act surprised and impressed by your surroundings.
What to serve: A rainbow of French macarons, a cheese plate, baguettes, and fancy crepes. Serve champagne in '20s-style glasses like the ones used in the film (though these are disposable).

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "The Spanish Teacher"

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:01:05 PST

Glee goes Latin this week when guest star Ricky Martin stops by to shake it and teach Mr. Schue a thing about Spanish (which, despite being a Spanish teacher, he does not know). A couple more people find out about Finn and Rachel's engagement, though Mercedes and Sam are still far more unclear about their relationship. Sue also announces a highly frightening desire to be a mother while clawing at the chance to be a tenured teacher.

There are some fun numbers this week, but they couldn't distract from the fact that this episode is all over the place. A couple of the subplots are just plain ridiculous, but it's not totally without its highlights, so let's go over them after the jump.

Beyoncé Reveals Hot Postbaby Body in Tight Dress One Month After Blue's Birth!

Allie Merriam — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:06:30 PST

Beyoncé Knowles went out in NYC last night to watch her husband Jay-Z's performance at Carnegie Hall. It was Beyoncé's first public appearance since giving birth to daughter Blue Ivy Carter exactly one month ago. She wore a tight, rust-colored dress from the Alice by Temperley line, paired with Christian Louboutin heels, bright blue nail polish, and a huge sparkling ring in the same hue as her daughter's name for the occasion. Beyoncé released the first pictures on her website and was also photographed leaving the venue with a big smile on her face at the end of the evening.

Baby Blue stayed home, but her presence was noted while Jay was onstage - he performed his track "Glory," which features her infant noises from when she was only 1-day-old. Afterwards, Jay noted on stage that he wasn't sure he was going to make it through the song without getting emotional. Beyoncé was a few minutes behind Jay-Z as they headed off to celebrate his show at his newly reopened 40/40 Club. As she headed inside, Beyoncé spoke about Jay-Z's return to the stage, saying, "It was amazing."

"Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

Tres Community — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I’ve been dating my boyfriend for a year and two months. Since this year has started, I’ve been trying to decide what I need to do in regards to our relationship. My main issue is the minimal effort he has put into making things work. He has his own business, of which he needs one or two more people to assist. However, besides his sister helping on occasion, he does everything on his own. From the start, I understood, as well as accepted this. However, our dates have always been centered around his business or attending one friend’s parties. This averages out to me seeing him about once a month.

We have never gone out and spent an evening by ourselves, nor have we ever done anything “special.” When I ask him about this, he always just says he’s busy. His sister has said to both him and myself, that even if he’s busy, he has the type of business in which I can hang out at. After two big blow outs between us where he was blatantly disrespectful to me, I’m beginning to wonder about the future of our relationship. He used to call me at least once a day, and now three to four days will pass before he calls. I usually try to call him at least once a day, however, I’ve noticed that if I don’t call him, four days will pass before I hear anything from him.

So, over a week ago I called him and told him I don’t think it was going to work. He invited me over to talk about it and the conversation ended after I expressed my frustration with our current state of affairs. He told me that he loves me, he doesn’t want to lose me, and he promises that he is going to give me much more attention. He has promised this before, which I have pointed out, but he says that this time it’s really going to be different.

This past week, the only time we spoke was when I called. Of course, our conversations never even lasted past three minutes. This morning, I called him to let him know that I was going to be in town later, to help my cousin organize an upcoming charity event, and was wondering if he would like to get together in the evening. He was hesitant at first, and then said that he was going to be busy, but I could come over. He’s planning to have friends over.

This is how it’s been from the time we’ve met. I love him, but I’m increasingly feeling like I deserve more than this. I would like for us to spend time together, especially seeing as I have to drive an hour to see him. I do all the driving because he doesn’t drive. What should I do?

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

6 Strategies to Save More This Year

Kiplinger — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:27:21 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Saving doesn't come easily for us young adults. Entry-level salaries don't give you a lot to work with. And, well, we also tend to spend what we make - and then some - on the latest gadgets and flashiest fashions.

But don’t worry. We’re not doomed to frivolity and the wreckage it can make of our finances. Here's how you can start saving smart throughout 2012:

Periodically calculate how much you spend. What better time to review your budget than at the start of a New Year? “It’s really hard to [track your spending] each month, so aim for just once or twice a year,” says Jill Boynton, a certified financial planner in Newington, New Hampshire.

Just be sure when you do it that you track everything. Boynton recommends filling out a spreadsheet with a month’s worth of spending. Or you can try an online budgeting tool such as Mint.com (See our slide show: Which Budgeting Site is Best for You?). But note: Mint works best for those who deal mostly in plastic as opposed to cash. When you make an ATM withdrawal, the site labels the transaction as “Cash & ATM.” Unless you diligently manage your cash transactions (you can manually edit Mint’s labels), you can easily lose track of where the money goes.

The drudgery of tracking spending can pay off when you find surprising expenses you could easily cut. At the end of 2011, I crunched my own numbers and found that I shelled out about $200 a month at Starbucks and other restaurants. I’m sure I could cut that by at least half. That’s like finding a $100 bill every month in my back pocket.

Read on for more strategies.

Madonna's Super Bowl Halftime Show: Touchdown or Letdown?

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:30:00 PST

The Giants may have won the big game, but the verdict on Madonna's Super Bowl halftime show is still out. The Material Girl took to the field in a Viking-like headdress and costume to revisit some of her biggest hits, like "Vogue" and "Music," while interacting with some impressive Cirque du Soleil performers, LMFAO, and Cee Lo Green. The set was a mix of old and new, since she topped it off with new single "Give Me All Your Luvin'" alongside Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. I thought it was a fun enough show for fans of Madonna, but I was hoping for something a little more explosive - after all, this woman has never been afraid to take risks. It just felt a little safe to me, and I would have liked to have heard some more classic Madonna hits. But I'd love to hear your thoughts; were you feeling the halftime show or not?

Save Thousands Just By Itemizing Deductions

LearnVest — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:15:01 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Though we all groan about having to pay taxes, the government is nice enough not to tax us on the full amount of our earnings.

There are two big buckets of deductions the government gives us: the first is called above the line, and the second is called below the line, which we’ll cover here. (The “line” these deductions refer to is a literal line on your 1040 form for the Adjusted Gross Income.)

Below the Line Deductions

Below the line deductions come in two types: one is called the standard deduction, and the second is called itemized deductions.

The Standard Deduction

The standard deduction is an amount of income that the government will not tax any taxpayer on. Most people take the standard deduction on their returns, which is worth anywhere from $5,800 to $11,600, and opt out of the whole process of itemizing. It’s as simple as saying, “I’m a single person (or married filing singly or married filing jointly), and yes, I would like the standard deduction.” For some people, this is just fine. After all, that’s a lot of money, and taking just the standard deduction makes your taxes simpler and faster. What’s not to like?

Check out the chart below to find out what the standard deduction is for your filing status.