Reality on Bravo

Could you be the Reality on Bravo newsletter’s May fan of the month?

I’m looking for one good fan (or group of fans) to serve as the Reality on Bravo fan of the month. You have some bigs shows to fill, with previous fans of the month being Michael’s Minions and Laz West, but if Tim Gunn is your guru or you never miss an episode of workout, you might be the perfect fan.

Contact me today at allison.boyer-at-yahoo-dot-com, or using the comment box on the left with a paragraph about why you’d be the perfect fan of the month.

Remember, at the end of the year, RoB fans will get to vote on their favorite fan of the month, and that fan will get a special prize!!

contests, fan, Bravo, reality television

Louis L. Knickerbocker, who gained fame as the ex-husband of one of the featured players in the reality show “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” died Tuesday morning after a heart attack, said friend and show creator Scott Dunlop. Knickerbocker was 67.

Read more.

For those of your not overly-obsessed with the show, like me, Lou was the brain behind the OC Aqua Angels, and he was the father of two of the girls on the show, as well as Tammy’s ex-husband. May he rest in peace.

OC Angels, Aqua Angels, Lou Knickerbocker, Louis Knickbocker, Tammy Knickerbocker

As part of national Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day, I’ve invited my younger sister, Jess, and my younger cousin, Katie, to review this week’s episode of Shear Genius! Neither of them get Bravo channel at home, but they went online to view the pictures of the finished product, and I have to say–some of their comments match up exactly to what the judges had to say!

And so, without further ado, the Shear Genius review by Katie and Jess:

Tyson

Katie: This hair style looks like bed-head and not done. It looks flat. I don’t like the color ether.

Jess: At first glance, I thought “Oh that’s really cute!” But then I looked at it again and the proportions started to bother me. The one side is nice and flowing, but the other looks very square and clean cut. Pick one or the other dude.

My two cents? Katie and Jess are right on! Tyson had first pick of model and of cutting instrument, and his hairstyle ended up looking flat and uneven. How does this guy always win the short cut challenge and they fail miserably at the elimination challenge?

Evangelin

Katie: I like a lot but it is not MY style. It looks great on her though!!

Jess: I like the idea of this one but not the execution. The color is beautiful really brings out her eyes but you can’t really see one of them because it’s hiding in the shadow of her bangs. It also bothers me that some of her hair is flipped in and some of it is flipped out.

My two cents? This was my favorite cut of the night and I still can’t believe she did it with hedge clippers! I think Katie hit the nail on the head when she said that even if its not your style, you can appreciate it!

Tabatha

Katie: I like this one a lot to! I love the layers and the length.

Jess: I like this one. It looks nice on her. Finally a cut with a cute set of bangs! I only thing I would have done differently is make it I little bit shorter so it’s above her shoulders, but that’s just my preference.

My two cents? Tab’s in it to win it. She gets my vote–she’s frank and hardworking, and I can really admire her tenacity.

Theodore

Katie: I do not like this at all. Especially with the high lights! NOT FOR ME OR ANY ONE ELSE!!

Jess: I don’t really like this one, but I’m not really sure why. I think it looks too much like a giant mass of hair. You can’t really see what the cut looks like. It reminds me of my hair in the morning if I wash it the night before and forget about brushing it. A giant puffball. The color looks nice though. Other than that I just don’t really know what to think.

My two cents? Sorry, having trouble giving it–I’m still laughing of the image in my head of my little sister’s hair in the morning! Let’s just say I totally agree with the girls on this one. It was Theo’s night to go!

Danna

Katie: I do not like it at all! What were they thinking when they put her hair in front of her face like that? Also it is to short. I would not wear that at all.

Jess: I don’t really liking this one at all. Her hair is completely covering half of her face. The color isn’t bad except she looks like she hasn’t gotten her hair colored in a while and her roots are growing out. It looks a little sloppy.

My two cents? Again, I have to agree with the girls. Danna, what have you been thinking lately? I had high hopes for you!

Dr. Boogie

Katie: It’s okay. It’s to short but I do like the little bit of hair in her face though.

Jess: I like the idea of this cut but not the execution. It looks really sloppy. The part isn’t straight and it’s really frizzy. It’s not a lot wrong, but it make a big impact on how the style looks.

My two cents? What the girls didn’t see is that Dr. Boogie admits that he’s been playing it safe. They picked up on that, though–Boogie’s hair is “ok,” but not that great. He has potential that he’s not showing us!

Anthony

Katie: I don’t like the bangs but I like the style of layers. I would wear it if there were no bangs.

Jess: This hairstyle is definitely not my favorite. After just looking at it for a second or so I already am not a fan of it. The bangs are to long. The rest of the hair cut doesn’t even look even. When you look at the camera straight on, the haircut should look mostly symmetrical.

My two cents? His cut was an improvement on the original hair. It’s ok. I do think that Anthony has the potential to make it to the finals now that I’ve seen a few of his cuts.

Ben

Katie: I love it! The color and the style of her bangs to the side tike that. I would wear that style.

Jess: This hair cut looks really nice for the model. The color looks very natural and it makes her eye color stand out. The style seems to fit her very well. I wouldn’t really want this style myself but it looks great on this women.

My two cents? I tend to disagree a bit to the girls–it’s ok, but not my favorite. It is better than many of the others, howerver!

Daisy

Katie: I like the choppy look. I would wear it gladly.

Jess: This style reminds me of Ben’s only more youthful and carefree. If I could pull it off I’d get my hair cut like that. The only problem I see is that her hair is a little frizzy. Daisy’s hairstyle is my favorite by far. It’s youthful and flowing. But
best of all the bangs look nice! Most of the styles that with bangs didn’t look right because the bangs looked funny. Daisy got the bangs and the whole picture just right.

My two cents? Is Jess channeling the judges or what?!?! That is pretty much exactly what they said about Daisy. The “choppy” look Katie is talking about is due to Daisy using box cutter to cutting the hair. I’m impressed, and even though she talks a lot, I like Daisy.

Thanks, girls, for a GREAT review! I love you both!

hair style, Shear Genius, Jaclyn Smith, Bravo, reality television

On this past episode of Work Out, Erica was contacted by a celebrity look-alike company who thought she resembled Angelina Jolie. Erica herself and Jackie both didn’t see Angelina in her, but Jesse (along with many fans) do! What do you guys think–is she Angie-worthy?

Oh, I see it.

What do you guys think? Leave a comment to vote now!

Angelina Jolie, Work Out, Erica, Jackie Warner, Bravo

Marcel, the runner-up for Season Two of Top Chef, did a lot with molecular gastronomy, which is Greek to me, since my kind of cooking is based on old recipes passed down from my grandmother! However, I’m always open to new ideas, and Wired Magazine recently featured some of Marcel’s winning recipes. Here’s a taste of what they have to offer:

The Cyber Egg
Key ingredients: Carrot, coconut milk, cauliflower, agar
Method: Spoon dollops of carrot-cardamom puree mixed with sodium alginate into calcium chloride so their surfaces form a skin. Mix the coconut milk with agar, a powerful thickening agent, and let it harden in a ring- shaped dish.
Marcel’s tip: “I prefer agar to gelatin for this sort of dish because it’s easier to use and can be heated without melting.”

The website, which you can find here, has pictures of all of his creations and more fun recipes, so check it out! More into traditional (and easier) cooking? Stephanie, over at Elementary Chef, has posted a recipe for really easy flan that will fool your friend into thinking you’ve got Top Chef abilities!

Top Chef, molecular gastronomy, recipes, cooking

Oh brother…

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GoFish Corporation (OTCBB:GOFH), the leading Internet Video Network showcasing original, Made-for-Internet (‘MFI’) programming, today announced the upcoming release of Seduce A Celeb, its newest online interactive reality show. The first season of the 14-week celebrity dating series kicks off April 26 and premieres exclusively on the GoFish Network.

Emmy Award-winning Scott Sternberg has signed on to produce the show and Andrew Firestone of ABC’s The Bachelor will host each installment. Lindsey Knickerbocker and Ashley Zarlin, two young stars on Bravo Network’s Real Housewives of Orange County, will be the series’ celebrity dates.

In a twist on traditional reality programming, Seduce A Celeb is an online dating show divided into two consecutive 7-week segments devoted to Knickerbocker and Zarlin, who will evaluate and interact with contestants through videos, and after a round of elimination, will select winners from the finalists.

Read more about this silly show here.

The Real Housewives of Orange County, reality television, Seduce a Celeb, GoFish

I’m not the hugest Work Out fan, but I do admire the fact that the show isn’t afraid to bring up tough subjects in life, other than weight loss. On tonight’s episode, the things that stuck with me the most was the opening few scenes with the group therapy and Skylab clients. One of the clients revealed that her father had committed suicide, and Jackie shared that her father had also committed suicide.

This is a subject that rings dear to my heart.

When I was a senior in high school, one of my male friends called me, in tears, because he was so upset that he was just going to kill himself rather than face his problems. It’s an incredible about of pressure for someone to basically say to you, “If you don’t convince me otherwise, I’m going to shoot myself right now.” He didn’t shoot himself. I don’t take credit for that, because I think that if he really wanted to shoot himself, he would have done it no matter what I would have said, but I do think that I gave him a reason to calm down and think about enjoying life.

Then, when I was in college, my roommate (and one of my best friends) had a lot of problems with the health of her parents, who were both dealing with depression and other issues. She was constantly the parent in most situations, even though we were ourselves still finding our way. When we were juniors, she got the phone call that her father had killed himself (or so they thought–it wasn’t actually confirmed until much later, but he did, in fact, commit suicide). I didn’t have to go through it myself, but I cried my eyes out more than once because I watched someone I loved so much go through such a horrifying reality. I didn’t know what to do for her, or what to say. Her father, Don, was a great guy. He was funny and sweet, and he cared about Jillian a whole hell of a lot. At the same time, I understand why he though he had to do this.

My last semester at college, one of the girls I had hung out with during the summer also decided to end her life. I didn’t know her well, but it was hard hearing that this girl with her whole life ahead of her and many people who loved her just one day decided that life was too hard and so KJ jumped off of a traffic overpass.

Suicide is something that touches all of our lives. I’m not saying that my personal experiences are the same as what my high school friend or my roommate or KJ’s family went through. However, I believe very strongly that I do know that kind of pain and I do understand how it feels to be so upset that you can’t think of any other option. I also know that, no matter how horrible things may seem at the moment, there is someone who will talk to you and make life worth living.

If you are thinking about suicide, even a little, please read this website. Also know that whoever you are, I am here to talk. Stay safe, everyone.

Jackie Warner, Work Out, Skylab, Sky Sport & Spa, suicide

…when you mix the Real Housewives of Orange County with Project Runway? Jo De La Rosa as a model of course! Here she is as the Los Angels debut of Marceau:

And some other images from the same show:

The Real Housewives of Orange County, Marceau, fashion, runway shows, Jo De La Rosa

This Thursday is Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day in the United States. As part of the celebration, may blogs on the 451 Press network will be written by kids–our guests for the day! Reality on Bravo is part of this celebration, and my little sister, Jessica, and younger cousin, Kaitlyn, will be signing on this Thursday to give you their review of Shear Genius!

It should be a lot of fun, so write yourself a note to check back then for their take on the Dos and Donts of the Day!

Like reading the interview with Vicki Gunvalson (see below)? Well, next month, RoB will be talking to Felicia Bushman from Top Design! If you want to get her exclusive interview (and more), use the form found here to sign up for the Reality on Bravo newsletter! Your support is appreciated!

Lauri Waring (with finance, George) and Jeana Keough were recently spotted at the 3rd Annual Sammy Sideout Benefit at the Playboy Mansion. The girls look smashing!

Late on, Vicki Gunvalson, Slade, and a bunch of the daughters from the Real Housewives showed up as well:

Some of the other guests:

Jenna Jameson and Tito Ortiz

Joey Fatone and Bai Ling

Blue Cantrell

Lauri Waring, Jeana Keough, Vicki Gunvalson, Jenna Jameson, Joey Fatone, Bai Ling, Tito Ortiz, Blue Cantrell, Playboy Bunnies, Playboy

Alright, those of you who have already signed up for the newsletter got a sneak preview of this story, but for the rest of you, here it is–the interview with Vicki Gunvalson! Along with Laurie Waring, Jo De La Rosa, Tammy Knickerbocker, and Jeana Keough, Vicki was one of the Real Housewives of Orange County during seasons one and two. Will she be back for the third season? Only time can tell, but while you wait to find out, here’s what she had to say about her life since the show, here career, and her family!

There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it—the portrayal of Vicki Gunvalson on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange County is an accurate one. She’s a great mom, an independent businesswoman, and a caring person. Recently, I had the chance to talk to Vicki about her involvement with the show and her life since Season Two ended.

“We never thought it was going to be on television!” Vicki was in Mexico when she got a call from her son Michael that Bravo was thinking about doing a new show about life behind the gates. He told her that he had written a letter to the producers about her, and they later contacted the family. The makers of the show came over to her house, hung out by the pool, and got to know the family. “We had a fun time. It was, ‘Here’s this professional businesswoman who can have fun, too!’”

After that, Vicki and her family pretty much forgot about the show—until four month later, when Bravo phoned her with the news that she was their first pick. “I was like, ‘First pick for what?’ Doing this show wasn’t even on my schedule.” At first, both she and Donn, her husband, weren’t interested, but a meeting with Bravo convinced them to sign the contract to film the pilot. No one ever thought the show would be aired, and even after the first season was picked up, no one realized the Real Housewives phenomenon that would hit America.

And then, something even more incredible happened—Vicki started getting phone calls and emails about her insurance business. “People were saying, ‘I want to live the way you do. I want a career like you!’” All of these calls inspired her to launch and new business venture—Coto Insurance and Financial Services—aimed at helping fans interested in her business become successful as well. The night her website, www.vickigunvalson.com was featured on the show, the site got over a million hits. Vicki wasn’t always in the insurance business, however. At 29 years old, she suddenly found herself in the middle of a divorce with no real source of income. A friend got her involved in the insurance business, and now, through Coto Insurance she’s doing weekly training calls and hosting forums with insurance agents who want the secret to her success. She also just finished writing her first book, Internet Insurance Selling Made Easy. Her goal is to continue to grow this business across the nation, helping others find success.

But oh no, that isn’t all, folks. Vicki also was inspired by all of the inquiries she received about her clothing and makeup. “People would really send us great emails about our fashion,” she says Together with the other ladies from the show, Vicki started The Real OC Brand, a company aimed not necessarily at making money, but more at simply helping fans connect with the products they see the ladies using and wearing every week.

So with all of these business ventures, how does Vicki stay in control? “The key is being organized. I keep on top of everything. Things don’t go undone. That way, you don’t get overwhelmed.” From doing the dishes immediately after dinner to folding the laundry as soon as the dryer buzzes, Vicki makes sure that she keeps ahead of her work. “My days are very hard—they are just packed with things to do.”

That won’t stop Vicki from taking a few moments to brag about her kids, which is fully justified considering how well they are doing! According to Mom, Brianna has made the dean’s list and is currently moving in order to be a little closer to home and to her still-boyfriend, Colby. Michael is attending summer classes and is looking for a job, maybe bartending, in order to buy himself a car. He’s also still with his girlfriend from last season, and they are very happy. And Donn? “He’s still putting up with me!” says Vicki. The entire family is doing great.

Beyond that, Vicki is making good on her promises last season to simplify her life. “The viewers will probably be surprised to know that my house is for sale,” she says, talking about how she’s trying to slow down and relax more often. She and Donn are moving to a smaller house in Coto in order to be able to take more time to enjoy life. Her goals for the future are to continue building the business, promote her book, and continue being herself—a positive role model. “Morals always shine through, when you do the right thing.

Vicki Gunvalson, Lauri Waring, Jo De La Rosa, The Real Housewives of Orange County, Bravo, Orange County, reality television

I love MadTV! I also miss Project Runway. Here’s a look at a little skit they did awhile ago featuring none other than “Tim Gunn”. If you want to check out more YouTube goodness, head over to YouTube Digger.

Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund

April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia Tech community and the world beyond.

To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.

The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:

• Grief counseling
• Memorials
• Communication expenses
• Comfort expenses
• Incidental needs

If you plan to give, please click the link below:

Lacey

Nice, but a little blah. I mean, anyone can really do that if you ask me. I feel like I could do that style with a box of hair color and a curling iron on myself. It was Jennifer-ish…but not really. Blah.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tyson

I have the same gripe about Tyson–it’s just a little boring for me. Honestly, I think that he’s someone with lots of potential, but he’s kinda getting lost in this competition because his personality isn’t standing out. You look at him and are like “What was his name again?” Nothing makes him that special.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jim

Good lord. Honestly, if I were going to Gwen someone in 2 hours, I would bleach the front as much as possible and worry about style. Gwen is ALL about style. I mean, who cares about color? Here hair’s been every single color under the sun.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Evangelin

Cute, cute cute! I knew Evangelin would be in the top three this week–she made a good choice looking at the wall of contestants, and the cut was fabulous. I’d totally let her do my hair!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tabatha

I have to admit it–as scary as this lady seem to be, she knows her stuff. In my opinion, she should have won. Her color was beautiful, and that cut was amazing…and all in two hours.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Theodore

*laughs at judge’s armpit comment* Oh gee, Theodore…what happened tonight. First, he was so cocky about his color, and then he did this hurried plain-Jane look. I’m not a fan of this hair cut at all. The color is cute, but I also think he got lucky and it turned out alright at the last minute. It looks nothing like Jessica Simpson.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Danna

I like this hairstyle, but really, it’s not all that different than the model’s original hair. I mean, it’s lightened, and of course it’s styled, but when the girl washes it out at home and does it herself…it won’t look much different. I think she’ll be disappointed. There’s some real potential here, so I hope to see better things from Danna.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dr. Boogie

Dr. Boogie is constantly playing it safe. He amazed me in the coloring short cut competition tonight, because he made a mistake and turned her hair blue and then had enough time to fix it. That said, I think he needs to step it up a little bit. I like his cuts and styles, and if he boosts just one notch, I think he can really blow everyone away.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anthony

Sexy. Polished. Fun. Anthony’s cut really was great. Top three? Definitely. Winner? Eh. I still think Tabatha deserved the win on this one. I do have faith in Anthony’s instincts, though, and I think he’ll make it to the end.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ben

I loved Ben’s color, but the style was just off…which is really fun because Ben said early in the show tonight that he doesn’t do a lot of color, he’s more into cut and style. Here, thought, it just doesn’t work for the girl. It’s Ok. It isn’t hideous. I just think he could have done better, especially since he was one of the three that knew ahead of time what his client wanted.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daisy

Hunny, if that was my client, I would have said “Look, some people might think I’m a bitch, but this is a competition and you’re going to listen to me. Her client was a total jerk though, especially on the runway. I mean, even if you aren’t happy with the style, you work it. I’m glad Daisy stayed though…I like her, even if she does talk a lot!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ok, as is usual from the second episode of a reality show, my clear favorites/least favorites are beginning to appear. They’re still changing a bit as I get to know the stylists’ personalities a bit more (which may not even be their true personalities, because we all know how Bravo likes to play the characters!).

hair style, Shear Genius, Jaclyn Smith, Bravo, reality television