Reality on Bravo

Grub Review - by Lessa McDonald

(Lessa is a 451Press writer at http://watchingrachaelray.com, http://watchingsurvivor.com , http://bigbrothercraze.com, and recently took a vacation - where she was delighted to be introduced to Betty, of Top Chef, Season Two, at her restaurant, Grub, in LA. What follows is the experience in her own words. Thanks for guest-posting, Lessa!)

Imagine my surprise, upon waking up one lovely October morning on my vacation, to discover that the first order of business was lunch! Ok, so not so much a surprise, since we slept in till noon, lolling about in the glow of the California sun, safely cooled by the best air conditioning this Alaskan could ever hope for. My surprise came in when we decided where to eat lunch, and my hostess, Erica, said “Let’s do Grub! You know, Baddabing Betty’s place?”

At which point I’m pretty sure there was a whole bunch of fan-girly squealing involved, because I am oh so mature like that.

Yes, it seems that my friends, who I was meeting in person for the first time after knowing them online for years, not only are fans of Betty from Top Chef Season Two already, but know her personally and eat at her restaurant at LEAST every other day! Betty Fraser & Denise Decarlo’s Grub was less then three blocks away. There was NO WAY I was going to turn down the chance to meet Betty in person!

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With the excitement of Project Runway and The Real Housewives of Orange County, which are both premiering rather soon, as well as the start of our Reality on Bravo contest, Project Blog, it seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle that Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is ending. And I don’t just mean for the season. It’s over. The fab five are saying goodbye to television, at least in this respect.

Tonight, the two QE episodes featured what the Fab Five to best - really making differences in other people’s lives. First, we followed the story of Adam G., who has worked tirelessly since graduating from college to start an inner-city boat building program. This programs gets kids off the street, as well as teaches them skills they can take out into the world. That’s one thing I love about Bravo - they are always first in line to help those less fortunate.

The second episode was the culmination of all things Queer Eye. Father and son were made over, and the grandfather was flown to New York from his home in Ecuador. The changes are life-altering, not just beauty make-overs. It makes me feel uplifted about the human race in general. While there is so many problems between the gay community and mainstream America, on the base level, if we all just help one another, we can change the world.

Ok, so I’m a little cheesy tonight. Give me a break. I just cried through a great episode of Queer Eye. What an awesome finale season.

Today, Andrew at Everybody Loves Coupons sent me a special surprise - a virtual Halloween treat for being awesome. I mean, who can blame him. I’m totally cool.

Hehe, just kidding.

Anyway, the purpose of the Halloween treat is to pass it on to 1 - 5 other people, not just to the “regulars” on your site, but simply to new friends who’ve stopped by, bloggers you really admire, or lurkers. (And if you’re a lurker, today’s a great day to de-lurk yourself and leave a comment!

That in mind, I’m awarding this award to the following bloggers:

Paul at ToyBender, because his toy collector blog really is “poop in your pants awesome.” I wrote a post on toy collecting for him in the past, and even though I’m not a toy collector myself, I sit by often because he’s hilarious!

Geoff at Knuckle Curve. I write the BCS blog at b5 media on the same channel, and Geoff has always stopped by to help promote my articles and leave comments. Check out his blog, including the World Series coverage.

Check out these two awesome bloggers today! Paul and Geoff, feel free to pass it on if you want!

With the start of the new season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, the crazies are coming out of the woodwork again. Just read through my recent comments to see what I mean. People are downright obsessed with these decadent ladies, to the point where they are willing to debate whether they live in “big houses” or “mansions.” I mean, really.

So, I felt like I needed to address this issue right away before the new season started, because I’m sure a lot of the people who do/do not like the Real Housewives will be stopping in to give us all their two (three…four…) cents.

I never said that I thought that the real “Pizza Girl” was obsessed or a stalker. I also never said that I thought she wasn’t. However, I wanted to point out some things that really do make me question someone’s sanity (not just PG’s…anyone’s):

1. Arguing with yourself via comments. If you’re going to leave a comment on my site, you can definitely use a made-up name instead of your real name. In fact, I encourage it. That said, don’t make up three or four different names and leave comments under those different names to argue with one another. I mean, really. I can see your email addresses and IP information when you leave a comment, so I know when the same person is commenting under different names. You’ve got to be kidding me. In addition, there are about five different email/IPs claiming to be “the real” PG. Will the Real Pizza Girl please stand up? Lol.

2. Saying how much you hate hearing about the Real Housewives, but yet leaving multiple comments every time I post about them. You don’t like them. I get it. If you’re a regular Reality on Bravo reader and you want to voice your opinion, more power to you. I love to hear from the regulars! But if you’re not a regular, that means you found my site because you were searching for “real housewives”. If you hate them so much, why are you spending time searching for news on them? I don’t get it.

3. Thinking that showing up at a court house is stalking. I don’t know all of the daily actions by “Pizza Girl” or any of the other Real Housewives fans. I can’t say that people aren’t stalking them. I will say, however, that I don’t think that showing up at a public court trial or hearing is stalking. I might go if I lived close enough. As a fan and RHOC news source, I like to be up-to-date about what is going on, rather than reading it from others. So that specific action? No, I wouldn’t consider it stalking.

4. Calling the Real Housewives the “WORST MOMS EVER” or anything like that. Give me a break. They aren’t the worst moms ever. Even if you don’t agree with their parenting practices (and I definitely don’t some of the time), none of those ladies has ever let an innocent child starve, wear rags, etc. And I know a lot of your will cite the time Lauri kicked out Josh and he was homeless. Notice that I said “innocent child”. Once you’re 18, you sometimes need a little tough love. All I’m saying is that there are moms who do crack and have sex in front of their children. I even met a girl once who’s mom made her give blow jobs for money at the age of 10. Now that is my idea of the worst mom ever. So stop exaggerating.

The bottom line? Let’s agree to disagree. The Real Housewives, Pizza Girl, and even me - we may not be perfect, but I bet you aren’t either. So, if you have something to say, go ahead and get it off of your chest, but always use respect toward the other readers of this site!

Visit NaBloPoMo

Have you heard of NaNoWriMo? It’s a November writing month in which writers from around the world attempt to finish a novel during the month of November. It means a lot of sleepless nights and revising come December, but the process is supposed to get your creative juices flowing. And it does for a lot of people.

Me? I don’t have time. I’d like to say that I could set aside even an hour every day for personal writing, but between my various blogs, running my own writing company with a team of writers, and working part time as an administrative/personal assistant, I simply can’t. Sad but true. Some day when I don’t need the money, I’ll have time to do more personal writing!

But anyway, what I am doing is taking part in NaBloPoMo - short for National Blog Posting Month. Bloggers around the world are teaming up to take part by posting at least once per day during the month of November. That’s every day - no skipping weekends or even holidays! Because I’m an overachiever, I’m going to make this even harder on myself. I’m still going to do the typical posts, but I’m also going to countdown my list of the 30 Most Fabulous Bravo Personalities - yep, you guessed it, one per day.

(And don’t forget that Project Blog is starting really soon!!)

There are a number of other bloggers at 451 press also joining NaBloPoMo, so check them out during November for lots of special posts and prizes!

Write Anyway

Nursing Your Kids

Darkside Rainbow

Living Rural

Watching Doctor Who

Food Past

Martial Talk

And there’s surely tons more that I’ve missed. Check out the network to see who else is participating!

I turned on TLC today (It’s one of my staple channels when nothing is on - TLC, Food Network, Discovery, and Bravo of course), and the show on was Trading Spaces. I like that show, but it was already 3/4 over, so I wasn’t going to watch it.

But suddenly…SUDDENLY…

GOIL!

The sweetest, funniest designed from Bravo’s Top Design - Goil Amornvivat - seems to be the newest member of TLC’s trading spaces. Maybe he’ll be the new “Vern,” who I haven’t see on the show for ages. They have very similar clean, architectural styles. Oh man, Goil is soooo nice. You can just tell that his team is having the BEST time. On top of that, his room looks awesome.

Congrats, Goil, on your new job! I’ll have to watch trading spaces more often!

Yeah, I know that it is Saturday. I got tied up and didn’t get to post my Friday Fashion Finds yesterday! That said, let’s talk about today’s fashionista - Kathy Griffin. You might be a bit perplexed at that one. Kathy is funny and friendly and great to her employees…but she’s not exactly “best dressed” on the red carpet, ever. I mean, she’s not the worst looking fashion “don’t”, but few people equate Kathy Griffin to a fashion icon.

But I wanted to talk today about what she DOES do really wear - a monochromatic stage outfit.

Ok…that’s not really what I meant…

But when her pants were not around her ankles, Kathy was dressed in all dark brown. And usually, she’s dressed in all black. And hey, that can be really classy if you ask me.

Give it a try. Pick a dark color like black, brown, or navy blue and wear it head to two. This brown looks especially good on Kathy because of her red hair - it gives her a monochromatic look in general. Are you blonde? Go for all white! It can be really striking.

The key here is to look for clothing that is form fitting, but not so tight that you look like your in a bathing suit or pants suit. There has to be a bit of definition to make it work. If you think the outfit looks a bit silly on you, try breaking it up with a belt in a contrasting color or lighter color. Or try some serious bling. I love a good pendent necklace with a one-color outfit.

Kathy Griffin is herself, and even though she’s no fashion statement maker like other celebs, she knows what’s up. Wouldn’t you agree?

Kathy Griffin

I’m live-blogging this one! Refresh during the show to stay updated!

11:00:

They’re starting with Rebecca’s Day off. Mmmm sushi. She’s a pro at the choppy sticks too! But come on - we all want to know what is going on with Jackie and Rebecca’s relationship!

“I’m so full…I ate like one sushi roll.” Oh puh-lease.

11:05:

Ok, time for Jesse. Ooo, looks like he’s going to cook for us!

I like Jesse, even if he is bitchy sometimes. But awww, look at his family! Is that a little brother?

Oh man, look at that French toast. Mmmm. Wow, I’m getting so hungry during this show!

Question: What is the name of Jesse’s high-end delivery service? God, I have no idea. Does anyone here know?

11:13

The answer to the question: Jesse Delivers.

Peelers’s turn! Mmm…Brian Peeler.

LOL. Oh Andy Cohen. I think he just made a penis joke. “Brian Peeler likes BIG…THINGS.”

Oh. My. God. Look at that truck. It’s as big as a house. And that motorcycle is HOT.

Wow. Peeler wasn’t kidding. He does have a lot of toys! Ooo, and he’s going to ride for us!

Hahaha! “Oh my god, I’m Rebecca. Look at my G-String!” LOOOVE the “imitation” montage!

11:17:

Erika is so classy! I always think that she’s someone that I really could talk to and trust as a trainer.

Um…pee in your wet suit if you get cold I guess…

Why do you bring a friend who CAN’T SWIM to go scuba-diving?

Ok, another question: What was the name of the first gym Jackie ever opened? Ooo, and bonus: What’s the name of her dog? I KNOW THAT ONE! The dog’s name, not the gym. Do you?

11:23:

While we’re on a commercial break, I just wanted to take a moment to remind you that Rebecca was this week’s “Friday Fashion Find” spotlight. Check it out!

11:26

The answers: “Lift” was the gym…and Picchu is the job of course!

Awww Zen. I love her! She’s so bubbly and happy all the time!

Um…her time slot was like, ten seconds. Gees.

11:28:

Gregg…woah. His voice is HOT. Peeler move over as the “hot guy”

11:28:30:

Wow, over already. Gregg’s slot was even shorter than Zen’s.

This could have been an hour-long special - I wonder why it wasn’t! Fans of Work Out everywhere are like “WTF” right now. They didn’t answer any of our major questions! Will there be any new trainers this year? Are Jackie and Rebecca still dating? When will the new season be started?

Oh well. Hope you guys enjoyed my first shot at live blogging!

With the southern part of California being ravaged with wildfires, I just wanted to take a moment to note that Bravo has issued a statement regarding the Real Housewives of Orange County. The ladies and their families are all safe, in areas unaffected by the fires, other than the fact that their mansions are covered with ash, which also is probably making it difficult to breathe outside.

That said, I’m sure many of our favorite Bravo moms do have friends and family being evacuated or that have lost homes already. Please keep them in your thoughts, along with all Reality on Bravo readers battling the blazes.

Last week, I wrote a post about Lauri Waring’s wedding and how to go about getting a piece of that extravagance at your own ceremony. In a world that is over-the-top, however, it isn’t just weddings that are expensive…everything is top of the line. So, I thought I’d do a little series for you all to show you even more about how “the other half” lives. Today, let’s talk about the homes found in Coto de Caza - and who better to study for that information than the one and only Jeana Keough, one of Re/Max’s top real estate agents.

If you head to Jeana’s Re/Max page, which is kept updated daily just like almost all agents’ pages, you can see what’s for sale in the Coto area. And woah mama look at those prices. In Orange County - well, the Coto area at least - an acre of land is easily worth a million dollars. Most of Jeana’s properties are in the $1.5 - $2.5 million range, although some are significantly higher. Break out the calculator here for a moment. I’m not exactly sure what the average % commission is for real estate agents, but let’s just go with a modest 5%, figuring that her average house sells for $2 million. That means Jeana’s average commission is $100,000. If she sells just one house, she’s already made more than I make in three years. Um…maybe I’m in the wrong business.

So after check out some of the homes listed on Jeana’s site and what they have to offer, I decided to pretend I have $3-4 million to spend on a home. What are some of the features I want and could get?

• At least 5 or 6 bedrooms
• A walk-in pantry off of my enormous kitchen
• A fireplace
• Walk-in closets in every bedroom
• A pool and hot tub
• A view of the mountains
• At least 2 or 3 acres of land
• French doors leading out to my Master bedroom’s balcony
• A home theatre
• Intercom systems
• Cathedral ceilings
• A Library

Put an emphasis on the library. I love me my books, hehe.

But let’s come back to the real world. I can’t afford a 3 million dollar house, nor will I probably ever be able to. That said, I am moving at the end of the month out of my tiny apartment and into a cozy 2 BR house. I’m super excited - it may not be Coto, but who needs a live in maid anyway?

My new house:





So, if you could plan a dream house with no budget, what would YOU include?

This week is bringing us lots of fun and atypical shows on Bravo, so I thought I’d take a minute to go over them. Make sure that you don’t miss any of these specials! Although…well…it is Bravo. I guess there’s a good chance that we’ll see lots of reruns!

Monday:
10 AM - 4 PM: Last Comic Standing marathon
8 PM: Inside the Actor’s Studio, Alec Baldwin

Tuesday:
9 AM -3 PM: Top Design marathon (been awhile since we saw TD!)
5:30 PM: Special - Moving Image Salutes Will Smith
9 PM: Queer Eye, The Biker Charity
10 PM: Queer Eye, Jeff proposes to his girlfriend

Wednesday:
2 PM - 10 PM: Work Out marathon
11 PM: Work Out Special: Trainer’s Day Off
11:30 PM: Better Half, Fitness Trainers (Jackie Warner as gust judge)

Thursday:
11:30 AM - 6:30 PM: The Real Housewives of Orange County marathon

Friday:
9:30 AM - 2:30 PM: Work Out marathon
4 PM: Ultimate Superheroes, Vixens, & Villians
7 PM: Bravo Original - Even Scarier Movie Moments

Saturday:
11 AM - 4 PM: The 100 Scariest Movie Moments

Don’t forget that Bravo also shows their famous “Bravo’s Big Picture” movies, and since we’re so close to Halloween (mwhahaha - does my laugh sound evil to you?) most of the movies they’re showing in the upcoming two weeks are thrillers or horror. Here’s what’s on the schedule this week:

Addams Family Values: Monday at 8 AM and 6 PM, Saturday at 7 PM
Harlem Nights: Wednesday at 11:30 AM
Hollow Man II: Monday at 9 PM and 11 PM
House Arrest: Tuesday at 7 PM
Leprechaun: Friday at 9 PM
Leprechaun 4: Friday at 11 PM, Saturday at 5 PM
Next Best Thing: Saturday at 8 AM
Some Kind of Wonderful: Thursday at 8 AM
Witness: Thursday at 8 PM

For more great TV schedules, reviews, and so forth, check out TV Blogging!

There’s one word that comes to mind when I think about Work Out’s Rebecca Cardon: Spicy. Like the other ladies on the show, Rebecca is always sport but elegant. Even when she’s working out, she looks great!

This week, Bravo is showing a special Work Out “where are they now” show on Wednesday at 10. We’ll get to see what the trainers do on their days off, including what’s going on with Rebecca and Jackie, as they had a bit of a relationship last season. We’ll also catch up with Peeler, Zen, Jesse, and all of our other favorite Work Out trainers! Maybe we’ll even get a preview of the next Work Out season!

But back to the fashion in question: Rebecca Cardon. Rebecca is the queen of brightly colored, flowing dresses, which look great paired with her tanned skin and thin frame. But don’t worry - even if you don’t have the body of a trainer, you can still take a cue from Miss Cardon. The key is to look for colors that look nice with your skin tones. Specifically, look at your undertones. Is your skin more pink or more yellow? Look for colors that bring out the right qualities and take into consideration your eye and hair color. As you can see, Rebecca looks great in green, orange, yellow, and other really bright hues. Of course, her dresses may be a bit pricey for the average person. Check out the similar, inexpensive dresses I’ve found!

This great Mossimo puff-sleeve sweater dress is casual and comfortable, so you can wear it around the house, but it’s pretty enough to wear out to the mall or even to dinner with the right accessories. The high waist and the skirt that floats away from the body helps you hide a belly if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s from Target for only $27.99!

Swell’s Billabong dress comes in pink and brown - be daring and go for the pink! Again, this dress can be a great casual look for running around during the day, be with a pretty up-do and accessories, you can wear this to a nice dinner as well! This one is only $44.

Bubble-gum colors don’t look great on everyone, but sometimes subtle colors can be really fabulous as well. You don’t have to do black, chocolate brown, gray, or white! This rusty color is great, and the dress is elegant for a nice evening out, especially with some metallic shoes. You can find this Max & Cleo dress at Overstock for just $59.99 - you’ll save over $50!

For more fashion tips on a budget, check out Bargain Styling!

Rebecca Cardon, Work Out, fashion

Bravo is all about the “look”. Project Runway is overtly about fashion, of course, but most of Bravo’s other shows also celebrate style. On the Real Housewives of Orange County, Bravo documents the crazy-extravagant style of five Orange County women. On Top Design, style is on the walls. On Work Out, they get you in shape so that you can better show off your style. On Top Chef, the style is about the food.

In any case, in honor of Bravo’s style, I thought I’d post a few pictures from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. There are literally hundreds of designs, but these are my favorites!

This design is edgy but still wearable. By Christian Audigier, I love the sassy look.

Gorgeous. I mean…gorgeous. That’s the only word that can describe this collection by Dina Bar-El.

I really like Coco Johnsen’s collection because it pushes the limits without being too out there. I can see people wearing this stuff, but it’s not like everything else out there.

Heatherette’s collection was effing weird, and I’m not exaggerating. I have to admit, though, I looked at all of the pictures. It was just so strange and intriguing. As Tim Gunn would say, however, it’s not a good thing to be a joke. I do like this piece, but the rest of the collection was just craaaazy. Not for me…not for anyone.

If there’s one thing I have to say, it’s that style is all about what YOU like. What do you think about the above pictures? Did you see anything else from fashion week that you liked?

And more importantly, HOW READY ARE YOU PROJECT RUNWAY?!?!

Check out more about style here!

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Is it just me, or does it seem like Bravo’s been trying to show waaaaay too much original programming lately?

Don’t get me wrong. I love Top Chef. And Project Runway. And My-Life on the D-List. And Queer Eye. Hell, even The Real Housewives of Orange County, Work Out, and Shear Genius have a place on this network. But really, let’s go over all the underwhelming shows that have premiered in the last year:
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