I know I’m going to step on some toes here, but what the hell is the deal with mothers who carry big ass babies in strollers? Babies that are big enough to push their moms around, carry groceries, and mow the lawn?  Are there so many dependency issues that are un-discussed that this blatant baby stroller abuse is exceptional? 

Hellooo…ATTENTION BABY STROLLER ABUSERS: This madness must cease! 

I don’t place blame on the super smart children who are clever enough to pull the wool over their parents’ eyes and have them push them around town like programmed robots.  I commend those brilliant little rugrats actually, and wish they’d send me a ‘How-To’ manual. 

Who I do place blame on are the oblivious parents who are stupid enough to push around these adolescent midgets. 

If you parents don’t wake your asses up and make these children walk!  This is the reason why we have loud, rude and obnoxious children running amok inside our local grocery stores, malls and subway stations.  Parents are cradling their children and giving up their parental control even before the children’s evil little minds develop enough to understand the power of parental manipulation. 

As a spectator and avid fan of all babies, from the ages of infancy to late toddlerhood, it’s time for someone to take a stand and tell you overly dependent mothers to stop hogging the treadmill and let those babies exercise their legs a little.  Children like to walk.  Something about activities keeping their bones strong…[I don’t know].  Besides, you look stupid pushing around those big little people and I have to admit that people like me are forced to talk about you and exploit your idiocy. 

It’s evident that there are a host of “holding ons and letting goes” that parents have to do as part of raising their children: from relating to friends, to going to school, to buying a candy bar, to sexuality, to safe health practices, to driving, to voting, to getting married and having children of their own.  What the parent(s) need to understand is that the phase of letting go becomes easier once they tip the stroller forward and force the kid, who’s probably all of 12 now, to get up and stand on his/her own two feet.  This will teach the child to be independent, confident, strong, and totally not the geek in over-sized glasses who gets picked on and beat up every Friday at 3:00pm.  

The history of strollers extends back centuries in time even before the first automobile made its debut.  There was a time when a baby carriage (as it was first known) was considered a luxury only afforded by those of elite society, who actually carried babies inside the carriages. Today any household with an infant (or a puppy) is more than likely equipped with a baby stroller [cue Tori Spelling].  Over the past few, oh gazillions of years or so, a plethora of strollers have been designed for all different purposes, terrains and activities. 

You have your:

• Double strollers, triple strollers…even your quad seating strollers
• Jogging Strollers (stroller choice for parents who are serious joggers or runners)
• Combo Strollers (stroller choice for parents who want a versatile stroller that can be used for their child’s infancy and throughout toddlerhood. This stroller consists of a toddler stroller base and a coordinating infant bassinet)
• Pram/Carriage Strollers (stroller for taking leisurely walks through the neighborhood with your newborn)
• Lightweight Strollers (stroller for traveling or running errands since they weigh less than 12 pounds)

But there is not a stroller built for those children whose legs drag the ground as their parents push them, while the kid sends text messages on their Cricket cell phones. 

Parents, it’s time to let go a little.  Take a deep breath and cut the umbilical cord already.  If need be, I’ll buy you a damn pair of scissors myself.

Too much holding on and too little letting go and those poor babies will believe that you don’t have confidence in them and they’ll eventually fail to learn from their own trials and errors what they need to know to navigate into the adult world.  They are going to grow up to be needy helpless adults who live in your house and eat all of your food until you’re old and dried up and unable to fold their laundry and spoon feed them soggy Captain Crunch cereal.  

Typically when I see this moral code of conduct violated, I don’t know whether to drag the kid by the collar out of the stroller or smack the parent in the center of the forehead for putting that big mofo in a stroller in the first place, but I’m just one person.  If I’m the only who who’s willing to take a stand, then I’m simply begging for a few years in jail or a serious up ass kicking. 

What I can do however, is offer a little advice:

There is an excellent parenting book that I stumbled across that deals with this dynamic. It’s available in most book stores.  The name of it is “Getting Those Big Ass Kids Out of Those Small Ass Strollers For Dummies.”

Make the effort.  Read the book.  Have some courage and let your kid walk.  Truth be told they’re probably holding their head in shame as you strap them inside that baby stroller while they’re studying for their pre-calculus exam.  Cut the cord.  Let them evolve into a capable adult.  Courage becomes easier once you put forth a little effort.  A wise man once said 90% of any effort is getting started.  So what the hell are you waiting for?  Stop making excuses and start making some changes!

____________________________________________________ 

Quote of the week:    “Parents who are afraid to put their foot down usually have children who step on their toes.”

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Paula Abdul HSN ring

Abdul is scheduled to appear on HSN Dec. 12 and 13 to sell her Forever Your Girl line of fashion jewelry, which is marking its first anniversary.

Back in October, Columbus Day weekend, the singer was listed in HSN’s online and print program guides to do jewelry shows for two days. But she never appeared.

Around that same time, actress Tori Spelling was also scheduled to be on HSN for her costume jewelry line, and those shows were also pulled without explanation. Curious and disappointed viewers were speculating that the no-show was due to Spellings ill health or her rumored marital woes.

So far we did not see Spelling listed for any return to HSN.

Spelling and her husband Dean McDermott are the star’s of Oxygen’s reality show, ‘Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.”

Dear Donna and Kelly,

OMG!  I totally walked by your beach house the other day.  It hasn’t changed a bit.  The blue awnings are still there and the balcony where Dylan kissed you, Kelly, stands just as it once did, with a view of the Pacific.

I can’t believe it’s been so long since you all lived there.  What has it been, like ten years or something?  Donna, I hear you’re traveling the world with David, promoting your fashion line and Kelly, I hear you’re back at West Beverly guiding the new class.  With all the drama you faced in High School, I bet the kids love you for your ability to relate.  Remember the sleepover at Brenda’s where you told us all about the time you lost your virginity and how you had to constantly live up to that “fast girl” reputation.  That must’ve been tough, but I’m so glad you made it through everything and all turned out all right, well except that stint you had with a cocaine addiction and the fire where you got burned and the time you got shot… man if ever there were a girl who could complain about her life it would be you.  But you didn’t.  You just kept going.  That’s what I like about you, exactly the kind of attitude I’m trying to adopt right now.  And Donna, oh, you and your sweet innocence and naivety when it came to men and sex – god how I idolized you back in the day.

Check out the Slumber Party and reminisce:
via The Insider

To this day when I see an old episode of the show, I can’t help but get a smile on my face and remember the years I spent dreaming of a life in California, because I no longer have to dream of that life.  I am living that life.  Walking in that life.  Loving that life.  I am living the California dream, because…

Who knows what will happen tomorrow…’til then, Walking Girl here, walking off!

QVC CEO Mike George

Then back in October, we couldn’t believe it when a sharp-eyed poster on QVC’s jewelry forum said that upscale jewelry designer Stephen Dweck, whose chunky gemstone masterpieces are featured in Neiman Marcus, was on the No. 1 home shopping network’s schedule. THE Stephen Dweck?

We checked QVC’s program guide ourselves, and there it was: Dweck was doing a lower-priced jewelry line for QVC called Dweck’s Diamonds. His Neiman Marcus pieces didn’t even have diamonds. The high-end stuff is made with semi-precious stones.

Also in October, we were checking the press releases on HSN’s Web site when we saw the network had struck a deal with one of the most famous and elite fashion houses: Badgley Mischka, designers of bejeweled gowns for the red carpet and celebrities.

We’ve written bits and pieces of this during the past two months, but we thought we’d tie it all up in a tidy package for Thanksgiving: There has been a sea change in the home shopping world, prompted by the disastrous economy and the crash of the luxury market.

Yes, home shopping networks have seen their sales hurt by the economy, like everyone else. But they claim they are still managing to steal market share from brick-and-mortar retailers. In fact, QVC is making a full-frontal assault on them this Black Friday, with 28 hours of special products and programming stunts starting Thanksgiving night.

The consumer press will continue to mention “cubic zirconia” in every story it writes about QVC or HSN, oblivious to the fact that some of the most esteemed names in fashion, jewelry and cosmetics — brands you find in Saks, Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus — are plying their wares on the aforementioned home shopping channels.

ShopNBC CEO Keith Stewart

Male journalists are blind to this. You still have the nerds at Gawker, a snide Web Site for the navel-gazing media, chiding HSN for selling “useless crap.”

If you have ever seen how male journalists dress or their fashion and style sensibilities, you will realize that you can’t expect them to know names like Badgley Mischka, Judith Ripka, Robert Lee Morris, our fellow Montclair, N.J., resident Bobbi Brown, Yves Saint Laurent, Smashbox, Lancome and Dweck. And these brands and artists don’t represent “useless crap.”

Luxury-good makers are hurting, and they need to make up their loss in sales. So they are turning to outlets like QVC, as CEO Mike George explained at a recent Liberty Media conference, as outlets to distribute new lower-priced lines to the masses. George cited fashion designer Vivienne Tam’s QVC alliance at the meeting held in Manhattan by his parent company, Liberty.

“This complete implosion of luxury retailing in America has caused all these folks to rethink their business model,” George said.

And that means partnering with QVC, HSN or ShopNBC.

As we said, it will take the consumer press years to figure out that home shopping channels are distribution powerhouses that have undergone a transformation, in part because of the infllux of talent like a Morris, who does couture jewelry for designers like Donna Karan and RLM Studio sterling silver jewelry for QVC.

The Big Three — QVC, HSN and ShopNBC — are aggressively trying to broaden their audience and potential customer base, those who don’t normally watch any of these three networks. That means the three are actually “programming” the channels, doing “shows” that have entertainment value, not just product shilling, so they will attract non-QVC or non-HSN watchers.

We remember once interviewing a QVC exec years ago and asking what the network’s ratings were. He said ratings were irrelevant: QVC was only concerned about how many products were sold in an hour.

HSN CEO Mindy Grossman

That’s a totally different tune from what we heard recently from QVC’s George, and from the strategies that HSN CEO Mindy Grossman and ShopNBC CEO Keith Stewart have initiated.

Like traditional TV networks, the home shopping players want viewers to “sample” a QVC or an HSN. These new audience members, hopefully, will then see products that they want to buy.

For example, singer Natalie Cole recently did a live concert on HSN to promote a new Holiday CD set she is selling on the channel. If you’re a fan, you might tune in to HSN to see her, and then actually decide to purchase her CD. Artists such
as Jose Feliciano have also performed live on QVC.

QVC alum Stewart on a recent third-quarter conference call pointed out that actress-entrepeneur Suzanne Somers, who came to ShopNBC from HSN, had succeeded in attracting new viewers to Minneapolis-based ShopNBC because she was “entertaining.” And these networks want new eyeballs.

And home shopping networks’ capacity to reach millions of consumers and do fulfillment of orders has not been lost on magazine publishers, celebrities or cable’s reality TV stars. With circulation falling, women’s magazines such as Lucky, Allure, Glamour and Self are partnering with HSN to sell subscriptions.

And stars have seen the light. In a recent interview in Oprah Winfey’s O magazine, Joan Rivers, who’s had a jewelry line on QVC for almost 20 years, told O she was on home shopping when “nobody except dead celebrities was doing merchandise on TV.”

Nowadays, it’s hard to find a celebrity or TV star who doesn’t have a home shopping line. Even Madonna was interviewed on HSN when she was selling her children’s book.

Here’s a partial list:

Paula Abdul, HSN, formerly “American Idol,” Fox

Rachel Zoe, QVC, “The Rachel Zoe Project,” Bravo

Isaac Mizrahi, QVC, “The Fashion Show,” Bravo

Padma Lakshmi, HSN, “Top Chef,” Bravo

Ramona Singer, HSN, “The Real Housewives of New York City,” Bravo

Susan Lucci, HSN, “All My Children,” ABC

Carson Kressley, QVC, “How to Look Good Naked,” Lifetime Television

Dr. Robert Rey, ShopNBC, “Dr. 90210,” E! Entertainment Television

Tori Spelling, HSN, “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood,” Oxygen

Paula Deen, QVC, Food Network

Rachael Ray, QVC, “The Rachael Ray Show,” syndication

Ingrid Hoffmann, HSN, Food Network and Univision

Home shopping is a big business. ShopNBC is the also-ran in the group, but in the third quarter Stewart made some nice progress cutting its losses. Sales for the Big Three were all down, but down less than previous quarters.

And we are not talking chump change for these networks. The three home shopping channels generated $8.3 billion in net revenue in 2008. QVC domestic posted $4.9 billion, HSN netted $2.8 billion and ShopNBC had $568 million.

Even with revenue still slipping this year, for the first nine months QVC had revenue of $3.308 billion; HSN had net sales of $1.4 billion; and ShopNBC had $372.6 million in net sales.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’ll be getting my copy sometime today.

Check back later for more details!

UPDATE

I was at Barnes and Noble when it opened its doors at 9am. The sales clerks in the DVD section had no idea what I was talking about but eventually located a copy with a retail price of $59.99.

Unlike the covers for the previous few seasons, this one doesn’t feature a cast shot but rather individual pictures of the characters. Staring out from the center is Hilary Swank (Carly). I’ve been complaining about this ever since the art was first released as Swank was only in 16 episodes. Sure, she was billed as a lead character (and hired to be in the whole season) but with limited cover space, that spot should’ve gone to Vincent Young (Noah), who was not only in every episode of the season but also seasons 9 and 10. I’ve been told the decision to put Swank front and center was a marketing decision designed to capitalized on the Oscar winner’s recognition factor. Apparently that applies to the individual disc covers as well as Swank is also featured prominently on one of those while this time the MIA actor is Brian Austin Green (David), who’s been with the series since Day 1.

The back cover also doesn’t feature Young but manages to include him and everyone else in the description (though in a different order than the opening credits): “The Real World: 90210…School is over and the friends of Beverly Hills 90210 are discovering that life after graduation is not as easy as they thought! Come along with Brandon (Jason Priestley), Kelly (Jennie Garth), Donna (Tori Spelling), David (Brian Austin Green), Steve (Ian Ziering), Val (Tiffani Amber Thiessen), Noah (Vincent Young), and Carly (Hilary Swank) as they explore love and life outside of college in all 30 titillating episodes of Season 8. Experience Kelly’s recovery from a drive-by shooting, Brandon and Kelly’s wedding plans, and Donna’s drug overdose. It doesn’t take long for the gang to discover that the real world can be just as unpredictable as college.”

The set contains 7 discs with descriptions on the back of the individual cases. It’s pretty much a given there’s going to be errors (or, at the very list, vague summaries that miss the key points) but there are some doozies here! (1) “Racial lyrics lead David’s band, After Dark, into problems.” First off, the band wasn’t David’s–he was pseudo-managing them. But more importantly, After Dark is the name of the club that’s been on the show since season 5, not the name of the band (which was actually called Cain Was Able). (2) Continuing with the band name errors, they say “a member of Jasper’s Legend tries to sue Noah after a car accident” but the band was called Jasper’s Law. (3) We’ve got a serious reversal of events when they say “Valerie accuses Noah of date rape when she wakes up without any memory of the night before…and Donna and David get into a car accident.”  Considering Donna and David’s interaction is partly the catalyst for Valerie and Noah even sleeping together, the order is crucial. (4) And the biggest error comes in the description for the two-part series finale: “Kelly takes an AIDS test after she comes into contact with the blood of an HIV patient. Trying to calm their new female news achor, Brandon ends up getting her drunk. Mel issues David an ultimatium. Valerie anxiously awaits her HIV test results. Brandon and Kelly have some very big news for their invited guests a few hours before the wedding.” The first half of that (from “Kelly…” to “…ultimatium” is from an episode in season 7! That’s right, folks. How a description for an episode that wasn’t even in this season–and wasn’t even a season finale, for that matter–ended up merged with the description for the actual season finale is beyond me. And, just to be totally accurate, Brandon and Kelly had their “surprise” *at* the wedding, not hours before.

Also worth mentioning is the pamphlet advertising other shows on DVD, including 90210: The First Season. The description reads: “New Drama. Same Zip. There’s a new generation in town, and they’re turning up the heat at West Beverly High. For hook-ups, break-ups, drug busts, and betrayals, 90210 is the place to go for the ultimate in guilty pleasures! Packed with Special Features.”

Unfortunately, this set isn’t “packed with special features.” Just as it was with season 7, my biggest complaint is the absence of special features altogether. I can only hope they are making some kick-ass ones for a complete series release. (And if there’s no complete series release, I’ll be hella pissed.)

Season 9 comes out in February.

Stay tuned!

Over the course of 13 episodes in 1993-1994, Cress Williams added drama, humor, athleticism and, perhaps most importantly, color to Beverly Hills 90210.  As D’Shawn Hardell, we saw Williams challenge Brandon (Jason Priestley), woo Donna (Tori Spelling) and show off some pretty smooth skills on the basketball court.  Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Williams appear on one of my favorite non-teen drama shows, Prison Break.

Williams was kind enough to discuss both with me:

TeenDramaWhore: When you joined Beverly Hills 90210 way back in October 1993, were you familiar with the show?

Cress Williams: I knew the show existed, but I had never seen the show. After I got the job I watched an episode. I was in the middle of finishing college, so I didn’t watch a lot of TV.

TDW: Your last appearance was just over a year later.  Did you keep up with the show after you left?

Williams: Other than watching it that one time to get a sense of it, I never really watched it again. After I finished on the show, I was done with school and fully involved in life and career.

TDW: On the surface, D’Shawn was just a basketball player who hassled Brandon.  In reality, you brought some much-needed diversity to the show.  Did that cross your mind at all?

Williams: Most definitely. I knew there wasn’t really any people of color on the show. In fact, when I met the assistant casting director at a little seminar before ever auditioning for the show, I pretty much blew it off because I didn’t think I had much of a chance of being on a show like that.

TDW: Are you actually skilled at basketball or was it the “magic of television”?

Williams: Basketball was and is my favorite sport. When I was younger I played a lot. So at the time of doing the show, I was in good shape and played it a lot. All the basketball stuff was me, not movie magic.

TDW: Do you have a favorite memory or episode?

Williams: 90210 was my first professional job, so all of it was a new experience for me. Mainly I just remember being a trained actor and knowing about acting, but not knowing about acting on television. Everyday was a learning experience.

TDW: Are you still in touch with the cast?

Williams: Not really.

TDW: Last year, you were on another one of my favorite shows, Prison Break.  What was it like joining a series that you know is in its last season?

Williams: Like 90210, I have done a lot of work on shows that had been in production for a while. I know how to step in and fit in on the fly. I really enjoyed playing a character so different from me and what I have played in the past.

TDW: Did you have to catch up on the complicated back story and conspiracy?

Williams: Not really. My character was a hired gun who was simply called in to clean up. A lot of the crew were big fans of the show, so they helped to give me any back story I needed.

TDW: You played a hit man, who ironically had his own unexpected death.  How do you approach a character like that?

Williams: Well, I saw the character as a man who didn’t really do what he did because he enjoyed it. I saw him as someone who killed because it was simply a part of who he is. He took no pleasure in it, and he never took it personal. It was all business. He was so good at what he did because he had a distance from what he was doing. I felt like if he could, he would love to be normal, but he couldn’t change who he was. So I tried to keep what I did acting-wise very simple.

TDW: What projects are you working on now?

Williams: Recently I just finished an episode of Cold Case, which [aired] in October. I am currently working on writing a future TV series of my own with a couple of friends. I hope it makes it to the small screen someday.

TDW Interview Index

Candy Spelling dahl-ing, I can certainly relate to your life these days. You’re giving up your 56,500 square feet Holmby Hills manse to move into 16,500 square feet of condo space in Century City. I had to do the same. Well, maybe your dimensions are larger but our percentage is somewhat similar.

When I moved to Italy, I gave up my nearly 2,000 square-foot townhouse with a backyard and garage for much smaller digs for a year in Florence then 15 months in Positano. Afterward, I spent four years in New York City in various 500-square-foot apartments.  So I’m here to tell you Candy, it can be done. You may not like it. But then again, a story in today’s L.A. Times said you’re not even sure how many rooms you have in The Manor, which has been on the block for eight months at $150 million and is not being reduced. Do you know how many rooms I had in a couple of my Manhattan apartments? One room plus a bath and kitchen. No flower-cutting room, gift-wrapping room, wine cellar/tasting room, barbershop, silver storage room and the such for me. Your service wing has five maids’ bedrooms and two butlers’ suites. My overnight guests had to share a bed with me and I considered it a big deal when I had enough room in one apartment to push my bed over a few feet and put a blow-up Aerobed next to mine.

I embraced my downsizing (to a point) and am sure you will too. Being forced to live in smaller quarters taught me how not to be a pack rat and how not to spend money frivolously on kitchen gadgets I might never use or clothes I may never wear. I only kept a year’s worth of magazines on hand and shredded docs on a regular basis. I not-so-kindly asked publicists to quit mailing unsolicited press kits to my home as not only did I not have any room to store them but it was a waste of trees and their clients’ money. I adhered to the rule of if I hadn’t worn it in a year then I had to get rid of it. Because I’ve always loved to entertain, I reserved the party room in the luxurious Manhattan high-rise ($2541 a month for 500 sq. ft) I lived for a year and planned to give an Emmy party. Then I realized, I didn’t have any of the proper party accoutrements, such as serving dishes, etc. If I bought those things then I wouldn’t have anywhere to store them afterward because my kitchen was full. And so was under my bed. So I cancelled the party.

Now that I’m back in my spacious (by my standards) pad, I wonder where is all of my stuff. I went to my closet in search of a white skirt this summer and there was not even one. I guess I gave the one or two I had away when I lived in NYC. I could have sworn I had more shoes and purses than what is in my closet. Why did my friend Renata have to go to a store to buy me a USC shirt the morning of last Saturday’s homecoming game? Because I had somehow tossed my lone USC sweatshirt too, although I know I could still fit it. The holidays are coming and I don’t have a red sweater. What happened to them? I had three George Foreman grills. Why do I now only have one, and the smallest one at that? Over the summer as I prepared for my high school reunion picnic I realized I didn’t have an ice chest. I know I used to have one or two. Stacked in the closet in my office are oodles of boxes of books purchased when I lived in Italy and New York. What happened to my bookcases? Where are all of those flower vases I somehow accumulated? I remember a stick mixer that I won in a raffle at a company holiday function when I worked at the Pittsburgh Press in the late 80s. I never used the gadget but I looked for it the other day. It’s gone too. I have an ironing board but no iron, not that I’ve ironed in a decade or so (that’s why dry cleaners are for) but overnight visitors expect me to have one.

When I was away, I just assumed some of these effects were in storage. But they weren’t. I gave away more than I realized since I never  planned on coming back from Italy and continuously purged in NYC.

Now that I’m in L.A., I want my stuff again. Candy, I don’t know what you plan to do with all of your belongings on your 4.7 acre property aptly called Candyland. You can’t take everything with you and I have a feeling you’re not giving anything to your daughter Tori Spelling. So if you’re looking for someplace to unload your unwanted possessions, look this way. I have room.

Here’s the condo building Candy plans to move into next year. She bought the top two floors for $47 million.

Even though its not quite Thanksgiving yet, LEGOLAND California is already decked out for Christmas.

Master Model Builders trimmed the Christmas tree in front of the Capitol in Miniland USA this morning in preparation for LEGOLAND California’s Holly Jolly Holidays presented by Western Dental kicking off Nov. 30 following the annual tree lighting ceremony.

The Miniland Washington, D.C. Inauguration scene has been replaced by a LEGO® interactive marching band wearing green and white uniforms with festive red sashes. The animated band marches back and forth while playing “Jingle Bell Rock” and a familiar “ho-ho-ho” can be heard when Park guests push buttons cueing different sounds of the season. Holly wreaths have also been added to the eaves of the Capitol above a 20-inch-tall LEGO Christmas tree trimmed with more than 500 ornaments. Nearby, a line of minilanders wait to sit on a mini Santa’s lap while carolers sing on the Capitol steps. Other holiday models include children building snowmen, an elf workshop, a horse drawn carriage, toy soldiers and, of course, presents under the tree.

The entire theme park is being transformed into a holiday wonderland featuring vibrant holiday decorations including a new LEGO snowman complete with top hat and black coat tails that stands 5-feet tall, features 37,000 LEGO bricks and took nearly 200 hours to build. Children may also pose with a special life-size LEGO display of Santa, his sleigh and two reindeer. The 7-foot tall display features 51,100 bricks and provides a unique photo opportunity during the holidays.

LEGOLAND California’s Holly Jolly Holidays starts with a bang with its annual tree lighting ceremony Nov. 30 at 5:30 p.m. featuring special guests Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott and a performance by one the hottest children’s entertainment groups, The Jumpitz™. Spelling and McDermott are currently in production for the fifth season of their popular and record-breaking reality series “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood,” scheduled to premiere in Spring, 2010 on Oxygen.

The world’s largest LEGO Christmas tree stands more than 30-feet-tall, is made of more than 245,000 forest green DUPLO® bricks, adorned with more than 240 LEGO ornaments and surrounded by packages and LEGO friends the whole family can enjoy.

LEGOLAND California’s Holly Jolly Holidays runs through Dec. 31 and guests can enjoy festive entertainment every weekend including carolers, strolling musicians and nightly fireworks Dec. 26 through Dec. 30. From Dec. 3 through Dec. 24, a child will randomly be selected to help pull the switch that lights up the LEGO Christmas tree during a fun ceremony right before the Park closes each night.

Also, the sparkling musical “Let it Snow” returns with exciting songs, dancing and a holiday story to warm guest’s hearts. The musical holiday show features the Park’s signature song, “Season of Imagination” and runs every weekend from Nov. 27 through Dec. 13 and daily Dec. 19 through Dec. 25.

The holiday season concludes with the one-and-only Kids’ New Year’s Eve party in southern California on Dec. 31 with festivities beginning at 4 p.m. For more information on the LEGOLAND theme park, event schedules, hours and prices visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO.

Christmas was one of my most favorite times at LEGOLAND. I was the one that decorated and designed the scenes in Miniland at Christmas for 4 years. You can even see the candy canes I designed in the picture.

So, if you are in the area, stop by and check out LEGOLAND for their Holly Jolly Holidays celebration.

• The CW’s Web site has launched a store with accessories and clothing seen on Gossip Girl and 90210.
• PEOPLE.com has more on the Leighton Meester (Blair, Gossip Girl) coverstory in Glamour UK.
• Two Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills 90210) films–Mother May I Sleep With Danger and Co-Ed Call Girl–made AOL’s list of Most Awesome Lifetime Movie Titles Ever.
• Rihanna has refuted reports that she’s dating Tristan Wilds (Dixon, 90210).
• MTV has several articles jointly featuring Kellan Lutz (George, 90210) and Nikki Reed (Sadie, The O.C.), all related to Twilight and New Moon.
• Zap2it and AOL have interviews with Benjamin McKenzie (Ryan, The O.C.).
• Olivia Wilde (Alex, The O.C.) stars in Fix, which starts tomorrow in some areas. Perez Hilton posted a pretty picture of her.
• AOL also has a video interview with Joshua Jackson (Pacey, Dawson’s Creek).
• After separating in June, James Van Der Beek (Dawson, Dawson’s Creek) and his wife are getting a divorce.
• The Dawson’s Creek Web site now has a trailer advertising Dawson’s Creek: The Complete Series. It’s pretty cool.

I love Tori Spelling. I love her tv shows, her books and I love her decor and now I’m addicted. But not just to the show, to her house. Obviously. I fell in love with her bedroom, especially the colors of the robins egg blue and dark chocolate brown. It’s the perfect mix of feminine and masculine and I love the graphic print on her comforter. I bought it….
These are the pictures of the master bedroom & comforter I was talking about:

This is the rest of the house!
All images from Oxygen.

Here’s some pictures from The late ‘Chateau La Rue’ that no longer exists. It was quite pretty though. Images from Tori’s Myspace.

**

Finish your holiday shopping before the rush– enjoy 50% off sitewide at Delicate Raymond with the coupon code “LASTCHANCE” at checkout.

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HSN's Bill Brand

The Sunday story is headlined “NYC’s Celebrity Fashion Obsession,” and features a photo of one of Susan Lucci’s HSN necklaces.

In the piece, the Daily News says that New York consumers are skeptical of goods that have been given the stamp of a celeb. The story then quotes Bill Brand, HSN vice president of programming, marketing and business development.

“If the celebrity doesn’t have a connection to the to the product they are selling, it won’t translate,” Brand is quoted in the Daily News.

He cited health-conscious actresss Fran Drescher’s new skincare line, which is about to debut. “It was natural for her to be doing a skincare line for us and it sells,” Brand told the Daily News.

The story points out that Lucci, Paula Abdul, Rachel Zoe, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Tori Spelling, Serena Williams, Tina Knowles and Iman all have products on home shopping outlets.

The Daily News does have a tiny scoop: that designer Isaac Mizrahi’s new line for QVC premieres Dec. 4 with “plaid-covered cheesecake,” whatever that means.

By the way, Brand is never asked about the reliability, or lack of it, when dealing with stars. For example, earlier this year Spelling and Abdul were scheduled to make appearances on HSN, but those shows were abruptly cancelled, without explanation.

• Last night’s 90210 (1.9 million viewers) decreased in the ratings compared to the previous new episode two weeks ago to a season-low.
• The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Candy Spelling (wife of Aaron and mother to Tori and Randy of Beverly Hills 90210 fame) will in fact be participating in Ryan Seacrest’s new reality show, Bank of Hollywood.
• Just a reminder I will be interviewing Lee Norris (Mouth, One Tree Hill) later this week.  Since I’ve already interviewed him, I figured this time I would use reader questions.  Please comment here with your question by Friday morning.  I cannot promise it will be asked but I’ll do my best!
• If you’re in the Wilmington area, One Tree Hill has put out a call for “fresh faces” as they need a greater-than-normal amount of extras for some “larger scenes.”  Wonder what they’re filming!
• Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill) and Austin Nichols (Julian, One Tree Hill) will participate in a USO tour in Turkey and Germany.
• E! Online says no affiliates have pulled out of airing next week’s Gossip Girl but that could change.
• The Daily News has an article on Gossip Girl, which basically says the show is failing because no one’s talking about it anymore.  I think the show is failing but there’s plenty of people talking about it.  The buzz is what’s keeping it alive, but the article says there isn’t buzz at all.  I disagree and take issue with a couple of other things in there as well.  See if you can spot them!
• Tonight is the Paley Center panel on Dawson’s Creek. You can get live updates by following the Center’s Twitter account. But hold tight!  I’ll have my own DC goodness in the coming weeks.
• This is also a good time to remind you to check which DC stars are on Twitter via my directory.  This tweet from James Van Der Beek (Dawson, Dawson’s Creek) about the panel is pretty funny.
• After the panel, Busy Philipps (Audrey, Dawson’s Creek) tweeted about comments she made regarding Chad Michael Murray (Charlie, Dawson’s Creek; Lucas, One Tree Hill).  According to several different live tweets from reporters, she didn’t say the nicest things.  Later in the event, Van Der Beek paid him a back-handed compliment.
• Kevin Williamson (creator, Dawson’s Creek) also tweeted after the event.
• TVShowsonDVD.com posted a joint reminder and warning regarding the Dawson’s Creek Complete Series set, which comes out next week.  Apparently there’s a chance some of the discs could be scratched.
• Staying In posted a great list of top Dawson’s Creek episodes.

Większość straszy na własne życzenie, za sprawą operacji plastycznych…

Smyranie Krupy

Badgley Mischka

An odder assortment of celebrities might be hard to find, but there will be lots of premieres of these stars and their products on HSN in November. If you are a fan of any of these folks, but hate home shopping networks, remember that you will get a chance to see these celebs live — unfiltered and without scripts — on HSN.

Sometimes it’s not a pretty sight, like when Jessica Simpson recently appeared on QVC. Other times it’s a pleasant surprise, like seeing the likable and amiable Tori Spelling and Paula Abdul when they sell their fashion jewelry on HSN.

Drescher has a skincare line, FranBrand, that will debut on HSN Nov. 10. HSN describes her as “the flashy girl from Flushing.”

Sims’s fashion jewelry line, Grayce, will premiere Nov. 13. Items are already up on HSN’s Web site.

Sean “Diddy” Combs, formerly known as Puff Daddy, has a fragrance line set to appear on HSN Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

And Badgley Mischka, in the wake of a major recently announced deal, will premiere the American Glamour line Nov. 17, with a two-hour show.

We expect the legendary designers, and we mean that, Mark Badgley and James Mischka to be down in Florida.

We have a pair of pink metallic sandals from these guys that we bought at a Manhattan sample sale. That was years ago, but we could go to a black-tie event with those shoes and they’d look right in style.

On its Web site, HSN welcomed the celebrity newcomers to “the HSN family.”

• The Los Angeles Times has “five burning questions” on 90210. Spoilers already revealed the answers to numbers 3 and 4 but it’s still worth a read.
• Greg Vaughan (Cliff, Beverly Hills 90210) tweeted that he’s “making his return to the new 90210.”  I guess that means he’ll be playing Cliff?  Who knows, though, considering 90210 2.0’s inconsistency.  Last month, Vaughan was fired from General Hospital.
• So apparently AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi, 90210) and Kellan Lutz (George, 90210) are together!
• Charles Rosin (executive producer, Beverly Hills 90210) did a blog post about the progress of his current project, showbizzle, and linked back to the interview we did together.
• Brian Austin Green (David, Beverly Hills 90210) was also a victim of the same thieves responsible for robbing Rachel Bilson (Summer, The O.C.) and other celebrities.
• Candy Spelling (wife of Aaron and mother to Tori and Randy of Beverly Hills 90210 fame) will reportedly appear on a reality show being made by Ryan Seacrest.
• According to TVGuide.com, Gossip Girl is in danger of cancellation.
• In interviews with Entertainment Weekly, Kenny Ortega says he has confidence in Chace Crawford (Nate, Gossip Girl) appearing in the Footloose remake (even though he’s no longer directing it) and co-star Julianne Hough called him a “cutie.”
• The CW Source has podcasts for last week’s Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill.

The annual trip to the pumpkin patch is a favorite fall festivity for many families – including celebrities.

This weekend many of them flocked to their local Pumpkin patches to select the perfect one to carve into a jack-o’-lantern for Halloween.

Here are a few pictures of some of the celebrity families spotted this weekend.

Tori Spelling along with husband Dean McDermott and kids Liam Aaron and Stella Doreen visit a pumpkin patch in Woodland Hills, California.

Chris Noth,Tara Wilson and their son Orion Christopher visit Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch.

Chad Lowe Kim Painter and baby daughter Mabel Painter Lowe at Mr. Bones.

Mabel is cute and happy in a BabyBjorn Carrier Air

Tim Allen, wife Jane Hajduk and daughter Elizabeth Allen at Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch

• TVGuide.com has an article about tonight’s One Tree Hill.
• The One Tree Hill Connection posted pictures of James Lafferty (Nathan, One Tree Hill) directing tonight’s episode.
• Leighton Meester (Blair, Gossip Girl) spoke with MTV about an old Halloween costume.
• Hilary Duff (Olivia, Gossip Girl) is on the Nov. cover of PEOPLE StyleWatch.
• Michelle Trachtenberg (Georgina, Gossip Girl) talked to MTV about the upcoming threesome.
• PEOPLE.com has a picture of Lady Gaga on the set of Gossip Girl.
• There’s two Gossip Girl references–and one BH90210–in this article on Melrose Place.
• 90210 once again had drastic–and the best–improvements in ratings when DVR numbers are factored in.
• There’s a picture of Jessica Stroup (Silver, 90210) in the Nov. 2 issue of PEOPLE.
• Also in that issue, AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi, 90210) said she avoids the gym by doing “anything outdoors-y.”
• Mandy Musgrave has reportedly been cast on 90210.
• “Tori” (Donna, Beverly Hills 90210) was the answer to the clue “Actress Spelling–The Help costar” of Megan Fox in PEOPLE’s crossword.  Interestingly enough, Tori is also connected by having worked with Brian Austin Green (David, Beverly Hills 90210) who is Fox’s on-again, off-again boyfriend.
• James Van Der Beek (Dawson, Dawson’s Creek) will appear on The Forgotten.
• PEOPLE.com has a cool video showing the style transformation Katie Holmes (Joey, Dawson’s Creek) has had over the years.
• The same issue of PEOPLE as mentioned above has a picture of Holmes at the Annual Elle Women in Hollywood Tribute.
• Also in that issue, Selena Gomez said she admires Rachel Bilson (Summer, The O.C.) for her fashion sense.
• The people responsible for robbing Bilson and some other celebrities have reportedly been caught.  I know I wrote about the break-in when it first happened but I can’t find it.
• The aforementioned crossword puzzle also had the clue “Actor Brody” to which the answer was “Adam” (Seth, The O.C.).

Creazione di Tori Spelling

Ho sempre pensato che se Tori Spelling non fosse stata la figlia del produttore non avrebbe mai fatto niente ad Hollywood (e non è che abbia fatto molto alla fine, ma il nome è conosciuto). Non è brava a recitare, non è bella, non ha realizzato qualcosa di suo. E ancora non sapevo che disegnasse gioielli. Come il resto, era meglio non dedicarcisi. Sono inutili (qui alcuni pezzi) nel panorama dei veri creativi e si aggiungono ai gioielli delle celebrity.

• Tomorrow is the last day to enter my Soundtrack 90210 contest!
• College News included Shannen Doherty (Brenda, Beverly Hills 90210) on their Top Ten Grouches of All Time list.
• Apparently there is a photo spread of Trevor Donovan (Teddy, 90210) in the new issue of Life & Style.
• Lindsay Price (Janet, Beverly Hills) is on the October cover of Fitness.
• Jennie Garth (Kelly, Beverly Hills 90210) is on the October cover of Cookie.
• Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills 90210) gives Halloween party tips in the October 26 issue of PEOPLE.  Also in that issue is a short Q & A with the ex-wife of Tori’s hubby, Dean McDermott.  Apparently she and Tori get along for the most part.
• In the same issue of PEOPLE, AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi, 90210) says she loves dark nail polish.
• The same issue of PEOPLE has pictures of Blake Lively (Serena, Gossip Girl), Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill) and Olivia Wilde (Alex, The O.C.).
• The same issue criticizes this season of Gossip Girl.
• And the same issue has an interview with Penn Badgley (Dan, Gossip Girl).
• Mark Schwahn (creator, One Tree Hill) is working on two new projects for The CW.
• Eliza Dushku is dating Rick Fox (Dante, One Tree Hill).
• Rachel Bilson (Summer, The O.C.) is on the November cover of Lucky.

• 90210 slightly increased its ratings last night ( 2.2 million viewers) compared to last week.
• SoapNet is having a “Voluntary Viewing Marathon” on Oct. 24, with charity-themed episodes of Beverly Hills 90210, One Tree Hill and The O.C. You can watch the promo here.
• Shannen Doherty (Brenda, Beverly Hills 90210) will star in a Hallmark movie airing this time next year.
• John Mayer made a pretty funny reference to Doherty in an interview with MTV.
• There will be another season of Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, starring Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills 90210), airing next spring.
• Tiffani Amber Thiessen (Valerie, Beverly Hills 90210) now has a Facebook Fan Page.
• The CW announced a new iPhone application, CW City Wize, that will allow you to find “actual locations seen or talked about on The CW’s hit shows Gossip Girl [and] 90210.”  A second app, CWTV, allows you to access video content and more from all the shows.  They are available through the iTunes store.
• This is the first picture I’ve seen of Gina Torres in her role as mother to Vanessa (Jessica Szohr, Gossip Girl).
• Talking Gossip has a new podcast about this week’s Gossip Girl.
• There is a Halloween edition of the Gossip Girl tour in New York City.
• PopEater has an interview with Leighton Meester (Blair, Gossip Girl) on her singing career.
• In honor of the release of the complete series on DVD, the Paley Center will be hosting a panel called “Dawson’s Creek: A Look Back.” Creator Kevin Williamson, James Van Der Beek (Dawson) and Busy Philipps (Audrey) are the only announced participants so far.

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott‘s reality TV show on Oxygen is going to hit the road for its new season. That’s pretty awesome!

Says Spelling: “This has given us the amazing opportunity to reach our fans who have become our friends in such an intimate and unique way. It’s an honor to bring our living room into theirs.”

Aw! She’s so sweet, that Tori Spelling. Digging her today. Girl can rough it, to reach her audience. We like that. She’s a working princess, Dean too.

You can’t go on the road together across the US, if you have a ‘loveless marriage’ as Tori and Dean defy the slurs by tabloids this year. She’s smart. Love this next adventure from Tori, Dean and family. Like her father, Aaron Spelling, Tori works so hard to entertain America.

The online forums on not only HSN but QVC were buzzing Tuesday with speculation about the cancellation of actress Tori Spelling’s scheduled appearances on the Southern Channel.

There were two threads on the topic on HSN.com, and one on QVC.com called “Tori Spelling cancels visit to HSN.”

Spelling, who does a fashion jewelry line for HSN, has been the subject of much chatter in the tabloids, regarding her weight and whether her marriage with Dean McDermott is on the rocks.

When one gossip rag claimed that Spelling was now only a sickly 95 pounds at 5-feet-6 inches, the blonde shot back that she actually weighed 107. Wow, what a whale!

HSN and QVC customers weighed in passionately about why the actress was a no-show, speculating that Spelling was ill, and blasting her for not only her recent weight loss but also the fact she and McDermott immorally left their then-spouses to run off and get married a few years back. Those two cheaters deserve to be miserable, according to many of the customer forums.

Anyone remember the Bible quote from Jesus, about let he is without sin throw the first stone?

Spelling is also reportedly stressed out over her estranged relationship with her mother Candy, which may be why she has dropped so many pounds.

Interesting enough, Paula Abdul’s jewelry shows on HSN this past weekend were also cancelled, but nobody crucified her on the HSN forums.

Spelling is busy, doing a reality show for Oxygen called “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.” In fact, we actually saw Spelling and McDermott during an event that Oxygen held at a cable convention a few years back, and both were uttering charming.

They looked madly in love. He was gorgeous and was so attentive to her, it could make you swoon.

We’re waiting for a response from HSN, but now celebrity jewelry designer Tori Spelling is the latest cancellation for a scheduled appearance this week on the home shopping channel.

Actress and Oxygen reality TV star Spelling was supposed to have shows throughout Tuesday, according to HSN’s program guide and its October Gem Month jewelry guide. But her shows have been replaced on the schedule by silver and gem shows.

Former “American Idol” Paula Abdul was also in HSN’s program guide with scheduled “Forever Your Girl” jewelry shows this weekend, but she wasn’t on.

We know Spelling, star of Oxygen’s “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood,” and Abdul are busy, but their cancellations left some HSN viewers disappointed when they tuned in and didn’t see these celebs.

Perhaps we’ll learn that HSN has rescheduled the two women’s shows, but shouldn’t the network have had everything nailed down when it printed its program guides?