It's The Great Pumpkin (Vegan Smoothie)!

Here's a vegan PUMPKIN SMOOTHIE RECIPE from Hallelujah Acres that is so simple to make! It is really filling and really good, and as the weather gets colder the spices like ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon are especially good for you.

2 Cups Almond Milk (Here's my homemade nut milk recipe!)
2 Tbsp Ground Chia Seeds
1 Cup Organic Pumpkin Puree, Unsweetened
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1 Banana (Peel and freeze the banana in chunks to make this creamier...you might use two bananas.)
2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger (I used one drop of my doTERRA CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Ginger Essential Oil.)
1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
Pinch of Unrefined Sea Salt

Blend well and enjoy!

Book Review: SACRED SUCCESS by Barbara Stanny

"The problem, as I see it, is this: we've never been taught the secret wisdom of creating wealth and wielding power--as women." -- Barbara Stanny

How do you not love a woman who once wrote a book called Prince Charming Isn't Coming?

And Barbara Stanny should know. She had a comfortable start in life, as her dad was the "R" of H & R Block, but she later turned a blind eye as her husband gambled all of her money away. Everything changed for her when she took control of her life and her finances, and now she teaches other women to do the same.

Sacred Success is a book for any woman who desires more; not just more money, but a more meaningful life.  I really liked how Barbara talked about the melding of the spiritual and the practical when it comes to money, and explored the connection between money and power--not power in the traditional sense, but a woman becoming fully who she is. This is so important, because our notions of power can limit our earning potential; Barbara calls it "chronic under earning," which has more to do with our mindset than straight financial savvy. 

This is an easy to read book that is packed with useful information, and because there was so much that was new to me I really enjoyed the chapter summaries which highlighted key concepts, like this: "Beneath our dislike of or discomfort with power lurks a deeper, more ominous concern--the dire consequences we might suffer if we become truly powerful."

In Barbara Stanny's own words, Sacred Success means, "pursuing your Soul's purpose, for your own bliss and the benefit of others while being richly rewarded." If this sounds good to you, grab this book and dive in to what is both a practical process and a spiritual practice, and get ready for your life to change

For more on Barbara Stanny and how to transform your relationship with money, click here. 

A Very GOOD Day With ALEXANDER At Disney's El Capitan Theatre

The El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.

At the El Cap entrance and ready for a good day!

One of Steve Carell's movie outfits on display in the lobby.

The gorgeous interior of the theatre.

El Cap organist Rob Richards at the Wurlitzer.

On a beautiful Saturday (the first weekend that finally felt like fall here in SoCal), my husband and son and I headed to Hollywood for the El Capitan Theatre to see Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Seeing a movie at the El Cap is always an exciting experience, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to explore. I love Netflix, but this is well worth taking the time to get off the couch and deal with the Hollywood traffic. And now, the El Cap is offering daily tours--don't miss this chance to go behind-the-scenes at a legendary, historic venue. (I love the El Capitan so much that I included it in my book, From the Corner of Hollywood and diVine: Your Guide to 30 Old Hollywood-Inspired Spots.

In the lobby, we checked out props and costumes from Alexander, grabbed a souvenir bucket of popcorn, and then headed into the theatre. I always love to come early and hear award-winning organist Rob Richards on the Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ, which instantly transports me back to the glory days of Old Hollywood. This time, he played "Circle Of Life," "You've Got A Friend In Me ("From Toy Story!" screamed my four-year-old.), "When You Wish Upon A Star," "Beauty And The Beast," "Zippity-Doo-Dah," and "Be Our Guest" before riding the organ down through the floor and underneath the stage.

I absolutely loved the movie. Alexander is turning twelve, and for him...every day is a bad day. As he watches the rest of his family (including Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner as his mom and dad) have one success after another, he makes a birthday wish that they would all know what it is like to have a terrible day, too. His wish seems to come true, as one mishap after another occurs, from a ginormous forehead zit popping up on prom day to alarms not going off in the morning to a lost pacifier (if you're a parent, you will def understand that last one).

Alexander is a great example of what Disney does so well, which is getting right to the heart of the matter; in this case, it is all about family. This is one of those movies that had me laughing one minute, and then tearing up the next, either because something was painfully true about being a parent or just genuinely sweet. I hope that you never experience a day that goes wrong to the extent the Cooper family does in the movie, but if you do, you will have some wisdom from a wise twelve-year-old to keep in mind: "Sometimes, you gotta have the bad days so you can love the good days even more."

A Workout Playlist To Make You Shake What Your Mama Gave Ya

I heard a yoga teacher say that if you can walk five miles a day while pregnant, when the time is right, your baby "will just fall out." (Sounds good to me!) At this point, it would take me about two hours to do five miles (tough to work into a day of commuting, job, and hanging out with my son), so I'm doing a few miles a few days a week, along with yoga, to get ready for Baby #2 in a few weeks. I don't know about you, but music is a must-have no matter what kind of exercise I'm doing, so I wanted to share some new and old favorites with you that never fail to motivate me. A lot of these are songs that I've presented on my international countdown, The World Chart Show, and they are big hits all around the globe. Enjoy! Now, get moving...

(warm-up) "Stay Gold" -- First Aid Kit
1. "Blame" -- Calvin Harris featuring John Newman
2. "Shake It Off" -- Taylor Swift
3. "Today Is Beautiful" -- David Dunn
4. "All About That Bass" -- Meghan Trainor (If you have kids, be sure to get the EDITED version of this one!)
5. "Heart of Glass" -- Blondie
6. "Lovers On The Sun" -- David Guetta with Sam Martin
7. "Geronimo" -- Sheppard
8. "Break Free" -- Ariana Grande & Zedd
9. "Pompeii" -- Bastille
10. "Fireball" -- Pitbull featuring John Ryan
11. "Changing" -- Sigma featuring Paloma Faith
(cool down) "Take Me To Church" -- Hozier

Book Review: MOVE ON by Vicki Courtney

As Vicki Courtney was working on a Bible Study for mothers of sons (including a section on sexual purity), her oldest son told her that his fiancée was pregnant. In that moment, she found that there was no judgment in her heart or any thoughts of, "How could you!" There was only grace. And that set the course for the miracles that came after.

Later, Vicki wrote Move On: When Mercy Meets Your Mess to share her story and her journey, and to encourage others who have maybe felt that God has set them free but His people were ready to lock them up. Like The Spirit-Filled Life, another book that I just read and reviewed, Move On is written in very simple language and filled with stories (the author's and stories from others), but at the same time packed with enough oomph and Biblical wisdom that it will touch your heart and also challenge you. I liked that there are questions at the end of each chapter to encourage deeper reflection, which is so important in a book like this because what is presented can truly be life-changing.

Vicki's personal story brought tears to my eyes as I thought of the guilt and shame she suffered as a result of a secret she kept for years, and then I was so inspired by the freedom and acceptance she found as she brought what she had kept hidden into the light, and began to heal. If there is something in your past that you feel you will never be able to move on from, I encourage you to read this book. I also encourage you to pick up Move On if you yearn to be real and authentic and to drop the game of pretending everything is peachy while your world is falling apart. Because, as Vicki says, "The truth is, we're all a mess. But the good news is that God is bigger than any of our muddy messes." Amen!

For more on author Vicki Courtney, click here.

Book Review: THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE by Charles Stanley

I have enjoyed hearing Pastor Charles Stanley on the radio and on tv for many years. He has a no-nonsense way of presenting Bible truths that makes them easy to apply to everyday life, so I was intrigued when I saw the title of his newest book, The Spirit-Filled Life.

As Pastor Stanley says in the book, "[The] Spirit-filled life is both wonderful and worthwhile--especially when compared to the alternative." He shares his own story of encountering the Holy Spirit, and talks about learning to recognize the Spirit's influence in your life. I appreciated that the book was written in an easy-to-understand way, using language that anyone can understand, while at the same time being very deep; this is a thorough exploration of the Holy Spirit. I also liked the "Think About It" questions at the end of each chapter, as I have found that actually stopping to probe a little deeper can allow what you have learned to have an impact on your life, rather than just having it be "Spiritual Entertainment," as Mastin Kipp would say.

Nothing can substitute for actually reading the Bible, but The Spirit-Filled Life is a wonderful additional resource as you learn to walk by faith and not by sight. I am grateful that Pastor Stanley took the time to write this, and answer questions that so many of us have, like...Who is the Holy Spirit? And, in light of who He is, how do we live our lives? Read The Spirit-Filled Life if you feel burned out from trying to live life on your own, and discover the joy of relying on the wisdom, love, and power of the Holy Spirit.

The importance of waiting on God.For more on Charles Stanley, click here.

Book Review: DAILY LOVE: GROWING INTO GRACE by Mastin Kipp

I first heard about Mastin Kipp a few years ago at a festival in Santa Monica, when he was speaking with Elena Brower. That night, I checked out The Daily Love website for the first time and was so happy to find a place online that was so loving and supportive. And others have discovered the same thing; hundreds of thousands (maybe even millions at this point) of people check out the site or get the email every day! Over the years, I have heard bits and pieces of Mastin's story, so it was really cool to get the whole scoop in his fantastic new book, Daily Love: Growing Into Grace.

One thing that I find so refreshing about Mastin is his honesty; living in Hollywood, most people you run into are big talkers who are very concerned about how they are coming across and will never admit that they have made a mistake. Not so here; Mastin is very open with his struggles in relationships, addiction, and even his weight. The book details his journey from living the high life in the entertainment industry to crashing and burning, recovery, and finally finding his true calling..."Following your bliss," as Joseph Campbell, one of Mastin's heroes, would say.

If you have ever seen someone who is "doing all the right things" when it comes to spirituality but still behaves in a horrible way (that has been me at times), or if you have ever thought that it would be so easy to live a life that feels close to God if you could go to Bali or become a missionary in Africa (that has also been me), I think that Daily Love will resonate with you. In a way that is nonjudgmental and never preachy, Mastin intersperses tons of wisdom with his own path of walking from crisis to Grace. This is a deep read but also an easy one at the same time, and I love how Mastin managed to work in Ariana Huffington, Jesus, Oprah, Tony Robbins, The Empire Strikes Back, and Kim Kardashian along the way!

There were so many things that I bookmarked in Daily Love that I know I will come back to again and again for inspiration, and this was one of my favorites: "Yep, it sometimes takes nothing less than a life-shattering crisis to break up the soil and let Grace unfurl," writes Mastin on page 23. I also loved this, on page 21: "For if we can figure out how to relax, find our power, and learn from our difficulties, we can turn this out-of-control situation called life into something truly wonder-full." I also liked that Mastin does not encourage us to just pretend that pain does not exist, but rather to let it be our teacher and to transcend it. And in the midst of suffering, we can still look for and find those chance encounters in every day that are actually Divine encounters, or what Mastin calls "Godshots."

Whether you are dealing with a crisis or just feel a yearning for something more, read Daily Love. If you feel like the entire universe is against you, read this. If you admire those who use their struggles to help others and want to do the same, read this. Thank you, Mastin, for writing a book that is so transparent and helping the rest of us learn to uncover our gifts and share that with the world.

Book Review: THE BOOK OF REVELATION MADE CLEAR by Tim LaHaye and Timothy E. Parker

I remember the first time I read all the way through the Bible. It took me a year, and what started with Genesis ended in Revelation in a way I could have never predicted. And I had lots of questions, like, Do I take all of this literally? Is it all symbolic? A crazy dream that the Apostle John had while banished to a small rocky island? Is it happening in the future? The past? And what is up with the creatures covered in eyeballs?! I felt like I needed a revelation of my own to try to decipher it.

There have been a lot of books written about End Times, and one of this book's authors, Tim LaHaye, co-authored the granddaddy of them all: the Left Behind series (the first book is now a movie starring Nicolas Cage). I think that the popularity of these books testifies to the fact that there is something about the notion of good finally triumphing over evil, the bad guy finally getting what he deserves, and an end to tears, sadness, and suffering that always gets people's attention...our hearts long for things to be made right.

The Book of Revelation Made Clear is here to walk you, verse by verse, through what I think is the most mysterious book in the Bible, and the authors agree; the subtitle of this book is A Down-to-Earth Guide to Understanding the Most Mysterious Book of the Bible. "Guide" is a good word to describe this book, as there is not much narrative but tons of info.

The format is great: Each chapter, which corresponds with each chapter of Revelation, starts with a multiple choice quiz, followed by the verses for that section, then an explanation/clarification of the Bible text, and then the quiz again with the correct answers. I feel like this format helped me retain the information. Plus, when you are done, you will have read through the whole book of Revelation. And if you have read the book before, this guide will shed some fresh light on many things for you, I think; for example, it never occurred to me that when John is talking about the "sea of glass" in front of God's throne it represents calmness and serenity.

There was so much information in The Book of Revelation Made Clear that it actually took me some time to get through it. But I am so glad I stuck with it because I truly feel like I have a greater understanding now of biblical prophecy. This guide is a crash course in the final book of the Bible, and I recommend it to everyone, especially those who are now watching current events unfold and wondering what might lie ahead.

Book Review: AFTER I DO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid is part of the BookSparks 2014 Summer Reading Challenge. To see the complete list of books, click here.

In the immortal words of one of the characters in the Tom Cruise classic, Cocktail: "Everything ends badly. Otherwise, it wouldn't end."



After I Do kicks off with a scene that is going to be painfully familiar to many couples: Fighting over the fact that someone has forgotten where they parked the car, which is really about so much more than just the car. As someone who has lost the car in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, where the argument in the book takes place,  it made me cringe.

Lauren and Ryan met in college at UCLA and have been married for many years, but (cue Earth, Wind, and Fire's "After the Love is Gone") something has gone very, very wrong in their relationship. As we take a quick tour through their early years, it is not obvious right away what that something might be. They certainly have the typical issues when it comes to talk about money and kids, but there comes a point when they both realize that they cannot stay in the marriage they have created. But, neither one is quite ready to utter the word "divorce." So, what do you do?


Lauren and Ryan explore options to try to find a way to stay together (open marriage being one of them), but finally settle on taking a year apart to try to save their relationship. What comes next, I think, will really connect with anyone who has had that moment where they realized that they wish they loved their spouse they way they loved their dog (or cat). I believe this idea of taking time apart has a name; is it controlled separation? I just remember hearing about some nonfiction books that have been written on the subject, so it is an actual thing.

After I Do is full of searing, brutal honesty as Lauren and Ryan try to unravel where things went off the rails. What happens when the things you once loved about someone start to drive you crazy? (One friend of mine loved that her boyfriend was so outgoing. After they got married, she was always accusing him of flirting with the waitress.) What do you do when the future, which was always "out there," arrives and does not turn out the way you envisioned it? And do love and happiness actually have anything to do with a solid marriage?




This book should be a hit with book clubs, as there are so many things that are just ripe for discussion, and there were even some book club questions in the back of my paper copy. SPOILER ALERT: Do NOT read the questions before you have finished the book, as they will give some surprises away. I wish I could invite Taylor the author to a book club meeting and ask her how much of her real life was in After I Do, as she is young, super cute, and lives in Los Angeles with her hubby, just like Lauren. Maybe I will run into her at a baseball game? For more on Taylor Jenkins Reid, click here.

You will definitely go on a journey when you read this book, and you might even be a little shocked at how ugly marriage can become when two people lose sight of who they are, yet find that they are still tied to each other (unless you are already married). Rather than making me look at marriage as a failed institution, though, After I Do reminded me of the beauty in having a shared history, favorite pasta dishes, and building a home together. This is a fantastic read, and I recommend it to everyone!

Book Review: MY LAST KISS by Bethany Neal

My Last Kiss by Bethany Neal is part of the BooksSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014. 


Immediately, Bethany Neal's YA novel, My Last Kiss, took me back to reading The Lovely Bones over a decade ago. The book opens with a dead teenage narrator, Cassidy, who died three days after her seventeenth birthday. She cannot remember what happened to her, and cannot understand why she is still tied to the earth. Only one human can see her, and no one from "the other side" shows up to guide her entry into the spirit world, so Cassidy is basically left alone to unravel the mystery of her death. Was it suicide; could she have actually jumped from an icy bridge to the rocks and river below at her birthday party? But wait--who was the person on the bridge with her in her last moments? Did someone close to her betray her? What is she not remembering?

The story in My Last Kiss jumps between the present and some pivotal moments over Cassidy's last few days; as she says, it is not so much that she is recalling what happened but that she is actually reliving things like the afternoon spent in a basement with someone who is not her boyfriend, or chatting with her closest friends. Cassidy, trying to understand what is happening, mentions how spirits that do not leave right away usually have some unfinished business to take care of, related to the day they died, and that is certainly true here. 

There are some heartbreaking scenes as Cassidy witness her dad identify her body at the morgue, and her little sister refuse to leave Cassidy's room. In some parts, My Last Kiss is like the movie Ghost, as Cassidy tries to move physical matter and connect with those she loves. If you have ever thought you would love to be the proverbial fly on the wall and overhear conversations, this book might make you think twice about that, as what Cassidy learns about the people closest to her makes her wonder if she ever really knew them at all, and if anyone can be trusted.

My Last Kiss is Bethany Neal's debut novel, and you can find out more about her here. She has worked as an interior designer, photographer, and teacher's assistant, but something tells me that "author" will be her final career.

One final note: When you get to the final 100 pages of My Last Kiss, you are not going to want to put it down. Clear your schedule, make some coffee, and enjoy solving the mystery of Cassidy's last kiss. 

Book Review: IN BLOOM by Katie Delahanty

In Bloom, by Katie Delahanty, is part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014. 


Olivia (Liv) Bloom, the heroine of Katie Delahanty's debut novel In Bloom, gets to experience a Cinderella story, Hollywood-style. In this version, local hipsters Blair and Parker take Liv (who has recently moved to Tinseltown from Pittsburgh) under their wing and act as her fairy godmother/godfather, putting her through "Babe Boot Camp" and teaching her the rules of encountering a celebrity, like not acting like you know who they are (this is good advice for real life). The ball that Liv attends is not at a castle, but Elton John's Oscar bash at the Pacific Design Center, and her Prince Charming carries a guitar and has a microphone. She does not have an evil stepmother and stepsisters to contend with, but she does learn about haters on Twitter, the tabloid press, and publicity-obsessed starlets.

In Bloom is a really fun and light novel about Hollywood that just gets this city. After being cheated on, Liv moves to the West Coast, gets an apartment at a Melrose Place-sounding complex (complete with impromptu cocktail parties by the pool), and goes from watching Project Runway on tv one week to being at  the Sports Ilustrated Swimsuit Fashion Show the next. While at the fashion show, she has a run-in with Berkeley Dalton, the lead singer of her favorite band, and she tells him he is taller than she expected (a huge no-no, even though most celebs are tinier in person, except David Hasselhoff and John Taylor of Duran Duran.). It is an awkward first meeting, followed by more awkward encounters, but something sparks between the two, and Liv is so charming that I (cheesy as it sounds) found myself rooting for her to snag her dream guy.

You can find out more about Katie Delahanty here, and her story of going from working in the fashion industry to becoming a writer is very inspiring; most likely, if she had not lost her job, this book (and the ones in the The Brightside series that are to come) would not exist. Liv, btw, works on the design team at a lingerie company.  :-)

I just adored In Bloom. Whether you live in Los Angeles or hope to at some point, I think you will like it, too, and there are lots of insider tidbits, like getting a discounted wax at Queen Bee Salon with an apprentice (I have done this!), hiking in Runyon Canyon and passing women who are pushing tiny dogs in strollers, and shopping at Wasteland thrift store. Plus, as Liv transforms from unknown to It Girl, she gets some surprisingly refreshing advice that applies to all of us (like, find what makes you stand out and work it), whether we are in L.A. or LA (Louisiana).

 In Bloom pulls back the curtain on fame and what goes into crafting/maintaining a celebrity image, and it might make you think twice about any dreams you have of dating Harry Styles of One Direction. The book also offers some astute observations on our celeb, self, and media-obsessed culture, and each chapter has some tweets from various characters' feeds. And guess what? You can follow them on Twitter in real life--check out @BloomOlivia, for starters.

Even though, in many ways, Olivia's life is a total fairy tale, it could also actually happen. Lives in Los Angeles can change so quickly, because you never know who you are going to meet standing in line at Coffee Bean or what opportunities might come your way. It is exciting, and is one reason why so many pack up their dreams and move here with everything they own in a suitcase, ready to go for it. As one character in In Bloom says: "You can't leave things to chance in this city. Sometimes you have to make your dreams come true."

P.S. I also loved the relationship Olivia had with her psychic mom: "...no [Olivia], I'm not inserting myself into your dreams. Maybe it's your True Self trying to tell you something by taking the form of me. Maybe you should listen to your mother!"

Book Review: THE REVEALED by Jessica Hickam

 The Revealed, by Jessica Hickam, is part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014. Click here for the full list of this summer's reads! 

The Revealed is a nice addition to the current crop of dystopian young adult novels, like Divergent and The Hunger Games. Like both of those series, I could absolutely picture this one being turned into a film, with maybe Lily Collins or Emma Watson as Lily Atwood, the main character. One thing that I really appreciated about The Revealed is that it was full of suspense, action, and some dark themes, but did not have the graphic violence of, say, Mockingjay.

One reason this book is so chilling is that we live in a world where it seems like complete and utter destruction is just a button push away; it is not that hard to imagine ourselves rebuilding from devastation after a worldwide conflict, which is where The Revealed picks up. The middle class has disappeared, and most of the population is now working 12-hour days in factories and living in studio apartments. All that is left of the United States is the East Coast, with everything else a wasteland.

 Lily lives in Capitol City, a.k.a. Washington, D.C.,  and is the daughter of a presidential nominee; the upcoming election will be the first since the war. She has been targeted by a mysterious group called The Revealed, which has been associated with the disappearance of many other 18-year-olds. No one previously targeted by this group has ever been heard from again. The kidnappings started after the war ended, and over the past five years four hundred 18-year-olds have gone missing. ("What would an organization of any kind be doing with four hundred teenagers? Parents say having one is hard enough.")

I am not going to say much about The Revealed other than that they do NOT disappoint when they finally show, making plants grow, glass shatter, and guns fly out of people's hands from across the room.  (I know I am not 18, but how do I sign up to learn to defend myself like this?!)

In the midst of everything that is happening around her, Lily is a surprisingly normal teenager who is constantly sneaking out of the house. She is restless and yearning for freedom, and is counting down the days until her 19th birthday when she will be out of danger from The Revealed; most 18-year-olds are kept hidden away inside their homes for an entire year.  She has also caught the attention of two gorgeous guys: Kai Westerfield, who has a green-gold gaze, is the son of Lily's dad's rival for president, and is the most eligible bachelor in the North American sector; And Skylar, with the crystal-blue eyes, who comes into Lily's life under unbelievable circumstances.

I enjoyed The Revealed, and it surprised me by challenging me to think hard about destiny, the greater good, stepping into and owning your power, and the hard truth that you cannot truly understand and appreciate beauty until you have been through tough times.

Btw, Jessica Hickam is an actress and also worked in production on Star Trek: Into Darkness, and that sci-fi experience must have really come in handy while writing The Revealed. You can click here for more on the book and the author but (WARNING) do not read the author Q & A until you have finished The Revealed, because there are some SPOILERS in there. However, if you would like to try to guess at a spoiler, you will find a big clue on the cover of the book. And guess what? There is a sequel coming! The Revealed has revealed a talented new writer to keep an eye on.

Book Review: ELLY IN LOVE by Colleen Oakes

If you love watching programs like Bridezillas or any of the Real Housewives shows, I think you will enjoy Elly In Love, a little nugget of a chick lit novel by Colleen Oakes that is part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014.

This is book two in the Elly In Bloom series, and when it opens we find that Elly Jordan, owner of a flower shop in a swanky St. Louis suburb, is happily dating Keith, a solid guy who owns a deli, drives a Subaru, and reads the New York Times. He seems to be the perfect guy for Elly, whose ex-husband recently married the woman who broke up their marriage. Unbelievably, Elly did the flowers for the wedding! But that tells you something about her character.

Out of the blue, Elly gets a phone call from a reality television show called BlissBride, which covers B-list celebrity weddings and is interested in her for a St. Louis episode. It sounds like a dream come true, and the chance for so much exposure she will never have to advertise again, but this (infamous) celeb has seriously questionable taste, and if Elly cannot pull off some magic quickly this dream wedding could turn out to be her undoing. And why is Keith acting so mysterious, like he has a big secret? And who is the mysterious teenager who has appeared in Elly's shop and at her apartment?

This is a light, easy read, and Elly, with her blonde curls bouncing all over the place, is genuinely likable. I really enjoyed the peek into the world of florists and the over-the-top events they are sometimes called to do, like the toddler birthday parties with $2,000 cakes and teenagers dressed as jungle animals prowling huge backyards. There were two things, though, that just seemed a bit off to me, and one is that there were a lot of comments about weight (Elly's, Keith's, etc.) that seemed a little unnecessary. The other is that I could not figure out if this was a Christian Chick Lit novel or not, as there were a lot of references to God and praying and church, but then characters were drinking and cursing.




You do not need to read the first book in the Elly series, Elly In Bloom, to understand and enjoy everything in Elly In Love, so you can just jump right in. And I am glad that we have not seen the end of this sweet florist; Elly Inspired is coming soon!

For more on the Elly In Bloom series and Colleen Oakes (and to find out what U2, Kauai, and Stephen King have in common for her), visit http://www.colleenoakes.com/.

Book Review: Megan Abbott's THE FEVER

The girls in Megan Abbott's The Fever have some issues with their hearts, and you will most likely find yourself dealing with some serious palpitations as you read.

High school student Deenie is sitting at her desk on a normal day, thoughts wandering all over the place, when one of her best friends, Lise, has a mysterious seizure in the middle of class. Later, she bites a school nurse and ends up in the hospital. And Lise is not the only one; girl after girl follows, each with a mysterious but similar group of symptoms. As fear in the town grows and parents and kids start to turn on each other, everything from bats to vaccinations to the creepy, algae-filled lake are blamed for the continuing sickness (and what exactly was Lise doing in the bushes--and with whom--on the morning she took ill?), but no one really knows what is going on.

Megan Abbott really gets the brutality of teenage girls, as well as how quickly people can begin to unravel when tragedy strikes; as terrifying as the mysterious illness was, it was also scary to read about the hysteria and confusion that sets in when you do not know what is happening (we have all seen this kind of thing on the news). In this story, secrets, crushes, and family tragedies also come to light.

Even though The Fever might technically be a Young Adult novel and is focused on young girls in high school, there is nothing childish about it. Megan also writes convincingly from a male perspective; Deenie's brother, Eli, is a stud of a high school hockey star, and her dad, Tom, is a teacher who has recently begun dating after a divorce from Deenie's mom. And the town, Dryden, is the perfect backdrop for a chilling story, as it seems like it is constantly misting, raining, or snowing, all while fog is rolling in.


If you are an older reader of The Fever, this might take you back to your own coming of age, and possibly bring up some painful teenage memories for you. There were not any mysterious fevers going around when I was a kid (or texting and YouTube, used to great effect in the book), but school tended to be terrifying in many other ways. Reading this as a mom, I could definitely identify with the parents (much like I did with the mom in Reconstructing Amelia, another terrific read) as they struggled with powerlessness to protect their daughters not only from the mysterious illness, but from the general evils in the world that seem to be lurking around every corner.

Try to start The Fever when you can read it straight through, which should probably only take a couple of hours; I tore through it in one day, finishing it over a plate of mashed potatoes at Tender Greens. I was creeped out even in the middle of a busy restaurant, and reminded that the ties that bind can also easily tighten around our necks.

Movie Review: MERCY RULE

I can still remember when Kirk Cameron and Chelsea Noble (now Chelsea Cameron) fell in love on Growing Pains when their characters were dating. I was just a kid, but I breathlessly read all the details in Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, and every other magazine that covered it.

By now, you may have heard how Kirk gave his life to God and turned his back on mainstream Hollywood to work in faith-based films. And though many years have passed since the Mike Seaver days, Kirk somehow does not age and still has that same boyish charm and crooked grin

Mercy Rule is the latest offering from the Camerons' CamFam Studios (they have three more films in the works), and is available now on DVD. When I interviewed Kirk recently, he said that he and his wife (who have six kids!!!) have a hard time finding movies that they can all watch and enjoy together, and that that is the kind of movie they hoped to create with Mercy Rule. And they have succeeded; I think that kids will enjoy the sports aspect, and adults will be touched by the deeper story that is gong on. There is nothing too intense or mature in this film for little eyes and ears, which is good news!

Kirk plays John, whose family junkyard business is being targeted for a takeover by a shady lobbyist.
Meanwhile, John's young son Cody (Jared Miller) is facing his own problems with his baseball team as he waits for his big moment to shine as a pitcher. As both father and son see their dreams slipping away from them, they will need to decide if they will face their challenges on their own, or learn that they can rely on God, teammates, family, and friends to help pull them through.

As one reviewer (Pastor Rex Holt) said of the film, "Just as Fireproof restores marriages, Mercy Rule strengthens families!" And one way it does that is by including a booklet of family discussion questions and a study guide with the DVD. This is wonderful to have, as it lets you go a little deeper with your kids and spouse. It includes some great quotes from the movie ("Winning is not as important as fighting on the right side."), and covers things like building legacies, fighting envy, taking responsibility, and quitting whining (I need to take a second look at that last one!).


Kirk told me that he made the movie to help rescue families, and to remind himself about what is really important, because today it is so easy to get distracted and not put first things first. My favorite scene in the movie happens when Kirk and Chelsea (who plays John's wife, Maddie) are having a conversation about what "everything" truly means; when we say that we have lost or could lose everything, are we really just talking about material things?  And how can we be freed from the despair of this? Mercy Rule will remind you that focusing on faith and family, and having courage and looking out for others are the important things in life, and when we make those our priorities we can believe that will bring a blessing.

Check out the official Mercy Rule website at http://mercyrulemovie.com/.

Recipe: This Nondairy Ice Cream Has TWO Ingredients!

HERE'S A SUPER-EASY NONDAIRY "ICE CREAM" RECIPE! 

With as hot as it's been, we've been eating this pretty much every day. But you can...because this is good for you. 

Take 2-3 ripe bananas, peel them, and freeze on a sheet of tin foil for at least a few hours. When you're ready to make this, put the bananas in a food processor with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (you can also add a tablespoon or two of raw nut butter) and process with the "S" blade. Let it run for a few minutes; the mixture will get kind of crumbly before it gets that super-creamy ice cream texture. Serve immediately.

I have topped my ice cream with some of the dried fruits from NatureBox, and it is so good! My favorites are dried pineapple and dried peaches...just chop 'em up and sprinkle them on. You can also use fresh fruit, vegan chocolate chips, chopped nuts, a drizzle of honey...enjoy! :-)

P.S. If you order Naturebox snack through this page, you save 50% (!!!) on your first month.

Movie Review: GOD'S NOT DEAD

Years ago, while sitting in a philosophy class in college, we were discussing different arguments about the existence of God and belief in God. We were covering things like Pascal's Wager, God as the First Cause, and various kinds of Truth Tables. At one point, a boy raised his hand and simply said, "What about faith? What about believing in Jesus as the Son of God?" The professor proceeded to viciously take him apart, and it all ended a few minutes later with the boy collecting his things and leaving, never to return. That is one of those moments that I wish I could return to, so that I could change the fact that I sat silently by the whole time.


I am guessing that God's Not Dead (out now on DVD and Blu-Ray) hits very close to home for many people who have spent time in a college classroom.  College student Josh has just started Mr. Radisson's philosophy class when the professor jumps right in with the "fact" that there is no God. "God is dead," he says, and continues by saying that he never existed in the first place and is simply a fairy tale from days gone by. These days, science and reason have supplanted superstition. When Radisson asks the class to write those three little words on a piece of paper, sign their name, and hand it in, Josh cannot bring himself to do it and he admits that he is a Christian. Josh (who dreams of going to law school) is told that if he will not sign and does not want to fail the class he will need to defend the antithesis: that God is not dead. He will need to do this in front of his fellow students, who will decide if his argument was persuasive, and cover things like free will, creationism, issues of moral absolutism, and the meaning of life.
And there are other stories in the film that weave together, from a daughter caring for her mother with Alzheimer's to an ambitious young career woman who receives tragic news.

 God's Not Dead  is nicely shot and well-acted (unfortunately, a lot of faith-based films are not), and has a terrific cast that is led by Shane Harper (who is also a talented singer and has a song on the soundtrack), Dean Cain, and Kevin Sorbo. It is interesting to see two actors who portrayed superheroes in the 1990s (Cain in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Sorbo as Hercules) do such a convincing job as bad guys! There are some great smaller roles, too, handled well by Cassidy Gifford (Kathie Lee and Frank's daughter), Willie and Korie Robertson of Duck Dynasty, and the Newsboys, whose song "God's Not Dead" is featured prominently in the film. A special shout-out to lead singer Michael Tait, who does a great job in a very emotional scene. And while you might think you know how the movie will end, there is a big twist in the last few minutes.

I cried so hard while watching God's Not Dead, and not just because it really brought home the anti-faith bias that so many young people have to deal with as they get an education. God's Not Dead reminded me that you never truly know what is going on in someone's life, and that those who appear to deserve grace the least from us are the ones who need it most. I also appreciated some great advice that the pastor in the film gave to Josh; when Josh was questioning whether he should get up in front of 80 people in his class to defend God, the pastor said that most likely those same people would never set foot in a church, and that this might be the only meaningful exposure to Jesus that they would ever have. It really brought home that God has us exactly where we are meant to be, and that we can be used right where we are.

If you have (and I think pretty much all of us have) wrestled with questions like how God can exist while horrific suffering is happening here on earth, why your prayers seem to go unanswered, or why bad things happen to good people, you must see this film. Ultimately, when trouble comes, that is when we can draw closer to God, or reject him entirely...the choice is ours. I believe that you will be comforted by the answers God's Not Dead provides, and reminded that all the trappings of this life (and even life itself) are temporary.

Book Review: Paul Hoppe's THE CURSE OF VAN GOGH

Paul Hoppe's The Curse of Van Gogh, part of the BookSparks 2014 Summer Reading Challenge, is a fast-paced, suspenseful, wild ride through the art world. And even if you do not know a van Gogh from a Picasso, or a Manet from a Monet, not to worry; this book is for anyone who loves a good thriller. Writing about art theft seems to be a trend right now, as I have read two books recently (B.A. Shapiro's The Art Forger and The Girl You Left Behind from JoJo Moyes) that deal with similar themes.

The book opens in Nazi Germany with a horrific accident involving a young man who is carrying a stolen van Gogh painting, and later we find out that this story has been circulating for years as support for the rumored "curse of van Gogh," where anyone who owns one of his paintings is doomed to either become possessed or meet a terrible end.

Cut to New York City just before the dawn of the new millennium, and we are introduced to Tyler Sears, a bartender at the Art Bar, who is just out of prison and the recipient of a mysterious invitation to a swanky event at a new building whose lobby doubles as an art gallery. As the messenger informs Ty, he is known to be good at handling matters that require the utmost discretion, which is why Komate Imasu, a billionaire art collector and chairman of a powerful global corporation, wants to meet with him.

At the reception, Imasu "suggests" (threatens) to Ty that he should do a job for him involving van Gogh's Starry Night, and in the course of the conversation lets it be known that he has way too much information about Ty's family and complicated, tragic past. That same night, Ty also runs into Lucy, a woman from years ago that he loved (and left) in Paris. Still feeling the attraction, she pulls a business card from the top of her Italian leather boots, a move that I need to try one of these days.

Will Ty agree to Imasu's plan, or will he counter with an offer of attempting to pull off an art heist for the ages? As the web tightens around him, is there anyone in his life that Tyler can trust? Can he ever tell Lucy the truth? Will he live to see tomorrow? And how about the femme fatale he meets on a train who is known as Chanel No. 5? Not only was Tyler drenched in sweat and fear at certain times of the book, so was I. As you make your way through this smart and stylish thriller, you might feel like the web is tightening around you.

The BooksSparks bio on the author says: "Paul Hoppe worked as a lobbyist in Washington DC, a stockbroker on Wall Street, and a screenwriter in Hollywood before writing his first novel.  He has lived on four different continents and currently splits his time between the High Sierras and the beaches of Australia." Reading The Curse of Van Gogh, you can definitely see how he has written what he knows, and that he has a great love of the arts. I really loved how descriptive the novel was, with tons of details about famous paintings, gadgets used to pull of heists, buildings, and cities, and lots of references to classical music and poetry. At times, I felt like I was walking the streets of NYC and DC with Tyler, who I pictured as a cross between George Clooney in Ocean's Eleven, Chace Crawford from Gossip Girl, and Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief (which is mentioned in the book).


Initially, it took me a minute to get into this book, but once I got sucked in I was hooked. Like, did not want to do the dishes, shower, work, or go to sleep so I could keep reading kind of hooked. And like The Da Vinci Code, many of the chapters are short, so you think, "Let me just read one more. And one more. And just one more..." I do want to give you a heads up that there are some graphic descriptions of violence, but you can easily skim over those parts if you are faint-hearted.



I have heard that this is the first in a series of books that Mr. Hoppe is planning to write, all involving art and museums, and I look forward to what will be coming next from him! And, inspired by The Curse of Van Gogh, I signed up to take a course on Expressionsim at Lacma. Although, unlike Tyler, I will NOT be planning on taking any masterpieces home with me...

Book Review: Beth Kendrick's CURE FOR THE COMMON BREAKUP

Cure for the Common Breakup, by Beth Kendrick (part of the BookSparks 2014 Summer Reading Challenge), is a charming Chick Lit novel, and it so perfectly fits the description for a summer beach read that I wanted to head for Santa Monica immediately. In fact, the main character is named Summer.

In a whopper of an opening chapter, we find out that Summer, a gorgeously blonde flight attendant who says that 25 is a state of mind (she is 32), is most likely going to get a proposal from her smokin' hot pilot boyfriend after they land in Paris. However, it seems that Summer is allergic to commitment, but before she can decide how she truly feels about this tragedy strikes and a decision is made for her.

While on her last flight, Summer had seen a magazine cover that touted Black Dog Bay, Delaware, as the best place to recover from a breakup. Do they only sell Kleenex and Ben Jerry's at the stores? Is Steel Magnolias on 24/7? Is the official uniform in the town sweatpants? She heads there immediately, and things immediately get really interesting when she meets a handsome stranger after swerving to avoid a turtle. She also encounters a wealthy older woman who lives in a purple house (painted that color out of spite) and owns half the town; she has a mysterious hatred for Black Dog Bay and a plan to destroy it.

Cure for the Common Breakup is so much fun; this is the kind of book you want to tear through in a weekend. It is sweet and delicious, like the M&Ms, Rolos, Twix, and other candies that Summer shovels into her mouth throughout the entire story. What I really loved about it were the details; for example, many of the businesses in town reflect the breakup theme, with a bar called The Whinery, Retail Therapy Boutique, and Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast, where the innkeeper confiscates cell phones from all broken-hearted guests upon check in to prevent regrettable texts or calls (where has that woman been all my life?). The supporting cast of characters is also fantastic, from Jake, the town rebound guy ("I've cleansed a few palates in my day."), to Mimi, an unpleasant summer resident who is described as exuding the "smell of Chanel No. 5 and filthy lucre."

There is a rumor that in Black Dog Bay, when you are ready for big changes in your life, you will see the ghost of a big black dog. Although you might not spot any ghostly canines coming toward you on a deserted beach, you might be inspired to make a few changes or take a few chances in your own life after reading this little gem of a novel. And I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a fun reading experience, whether they have been married for twenty years or got dumped last night!

Book Review: Kris Radish's GRAVEL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

I was cleaning up my house recently when I came across a picture of myself in high school. I had not seen a picture like this in years and years, and it shocked me. I searched that innocent face with the trusting eyes, chubby cheeks, bushy eyebrows, and retainer, wondering if she had any inkling of what her future would hold, and trying to find traces of the woman I would become. I then looked at myself in the mirror, hoping for some glimpse of that sweet young soul.

I wonder if Kris Radish felt that way when digging into her past for her latest book, Gravel on the Side of the Road--True Stories From A Broad Who Has Been There. This is my first time reading something from Kris, and after the first sentence ("Ordinary is very often extraordinary but experiences in this realm are usually overlooked."), I was hooked. You can tell a lot about a book from its opening sentence, and this one lived up to everything those words promised. I cannot wait to read more of her work.

I am so fascinated by the life that Kris has lead, and in these stories we find out that she is a woman who has done everything from raise babies to write for a newspaper to work as a waitress to earn money by catching night crawlers. Her fierce love for her children shines through, as well as compassion for tender souls (some who appear to be tough on the outside) who have been dealt a losing hand in the game of life.

In Jesus Drives A Thunderbird, the story that opens the book, we meet a woman (Kris) who is independent enough to have a cabin on an isolated mountain and handle a stranger at her gate.
Even Now is about the tragedy that she encountered when she responded to a routine fire call; this one will steal your breath and rip your heart right out of your chest. In Turquoise Ring, we are introduced to Ray ("He had two shirts. One plaid and the other more plaid."), a customer of Kris's at the diner who had suffered a stroke, whose simple presence helped soothe away her own anguish and loneliness.

Just the variety of experiences in Gravel on the Side of the Road are enough to make your head spin, as the book bounces from chance meetings to the sisterhood of women, peace, war, mullets, blind dates, and road trips with your family as a kid. Read this book if you want to be inspired by the ordinary moments in life that can be transformed by your attention, which is a priceless gift in these days of smartphones. I know that I am inspired to take a closer look at the people with whom I interact on a daily basis, from neighbors to the cashier at the local health food store.

In The Day They Sliced Me Open, Kris writes about how her newborn son seemed to know her voice just minutes after being born, and years later always knows it is her. Soldier Boy recounts Kris's meeting with a young man from her home state of Wisconsin, moments before hopping on a plane that would take him to a war zone; he had gotten married the day before. Becky Barton, a story that had me sobbing on the treadmill at the gym, is about a thirteen-year-old cancer patient whose mother wanted Kris to write a story about her daughter to help the family raise money for treatment ("Get involved. Never look back. Throw my heart into the air and watch it land in Becky's bony hands.").

Someone once said, "Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile, leave footprints on our heart, and we are never, ever the same." Gravel on the Side of the Road has left an impression on my soul, and I am just so thankful that there are writers like Kris Radish to remind us of the beauty, wonder, and humanity all around us.

Movie Review: VeggieTales Celery Night Fever

Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are back in another cleverly titled VeggieTales adventure: Celery Night Fever (out August 5th)! And yes, there are vegetables in leisure suits, fringed vests, and Sgt. Pepper jackets this time around.

What I love about the faith-based VeggieTales films is that they teach kids such great lessons in a very sweet and cute way, with enough sass to entertain parents as well. You never have to worry about your little ones seeing something violent or disturbing, which is really nice. Although, I have a cried a few times during particularly touching moments.

Celery Night Fever does not disappoint! During Grandparents Day at school, we find out that Laura Carrot's grandfather was a member of a legendary 1970s group, which he refuses to discuss these days. Another child's grandfather, Bruce Onion (voiced by Terry Crews), is a wealthy veggie that wants to turn the kids' beloved Celery Park into a strip mall or motel. Laura and her pal Junior Asparagus are determined to save the park, and put a bold plan in motion...a plan that could involve getting Grandpa's band, The Groovy Brothers (who got their start in Celery Park), back together.

Can the band members find their way back to each other after years apart? Will Laura and Junior be able to mend their own broken friendship? Do not miss Celery Night Fever, which is all about friendship and forgiveness, and is full of fun new VeggieTales songs, like "Perfect Puppy." My four-year-old loved the movie so much that when it ended he pulled out our set of VeggieTales Christmas Marathon DVDs to watch next and screamed, "Mama! There's never, ever, ever, ever, ever been a show like VeggieTales!"

BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge: Review of Erin McCahan's LOVE AND OTHER FOREIGN WORDS

I liked this book right away, as I related to fifteen-year-old Josie Sheridan's passionate love for Dennis De Young; seriously, have you HEARD his version of "On the Street Where You Live?!"

This is technically a Young Adult novel, but (like the wonderful Wonder by R.J. Palacio), Erin McCahan's Love and Other Foreign Words is a great read that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. After reading some heavy stuff lately (Nathanael West's The Day of the Locust and You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz), it was a relief to dive into something light and sweet and fun where nothing terrible happened to anyone. Unless you count breaking up with someone in the middle of a high school dance.

Josie, the ponytail and glasses-clad narrator, is so cute that I wanted to squeeze her; she's smart (genius iq and in high school and college at the same time), funny, and just the right amount of gangly and awkward to keep her feeling like a real person. She is surrounded by an interesting cast of characters, consisting of her family, her best friends (Stu and Sophie) that live across the street, and her friends from high school and college. All of the characters engage in witty banter on everything from how a good-looking boy smells (like day-old pizza grease, it turns out) to when a couple will have kids, which reminds me a little of the Dawson's Creek days of rapid-fire exchanges. I will say that all the cleverness does get a wee bit exhausting if you are a little sleepy while reading, and there were moments where I just wanted someone to give a straight answer or be serious for a moment; For example, Josie's dad buys a journal, and when she asks what he will be using it for his response is, "Wouldn't you love to know?"

Life is going along just fine, and then one night Josie's beloved older sister Kate brings new fiancé Geoffrey Stephen Brill over to meet the family. Josie is horrified at Geoff for a variety of reasons (one being that he seems really into tick-borne diseases) and vows to stop Kate from making what she thinks will be the biggest mistake of her life. Kate tells Josie, who has been on three dates in her life at this point, that she needs to fall in love first, and then they can talk. Josie, who is wise beyond her years when it comes to book smarts and already studying language in college (she's working on a project on the different meanings words have), sets out to try to define and understand this mysterious feeling called love. (Note to Josie: Even most of us grownups still struggle with that.)

Will Josie find love? Will she be able to define something that poets and authors have struggled with for centuries? You will have to read Love and Other Foreign Words to find out, but you will definitely find a charming coming of age tale that had me laughing out loud on the treadmill at Equinox. If you are a younger reader, you might see shades of your life right now in Josie's story. Since I am (a few years) (okay, more than a few years) past high school, this story took me back to that innocent and complicated time in my life, and also made me yearn for the kind of close relationship with my siblings that Josie has with hers. Erin McCahan does a beautiful job of capturing the unique love and closeness between sisters, but also the ways they can wound each other.

How would I define Love and Other Foreign Words? In one word: Fantastic!

Theater Review: ONCE at Pantages Theatre

Guy meets Girl and makes her a CD in ONCE. (Photo Credit: Joan Marcus)

 After seeing the movie Once, I sat on my couch for fifteen minutes and sobbed, unable to move. Even now, years later, if I hear even a second of the big hit song from the film, "Falling Slowly," I fall apart quickly. I was so thrilled to hear that the film had been turned into a musical, and even more excited to find out that it was coming to the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, one of the best places in town to see a show. (I wrote about the Pantages in detail in my book, From the Corner of Hollywood and diVine: Your Guide to 30 Old Hollywood-Inspired Spots in Southern California, available here.)

First of all, let me say that Once the Musical has not been turned into a huge, over-the-top production. This is not Phantom of the Opera with a giant chandelier, or Miss Saigon with the helicopter, or even Ghost the Musical with the cool LED curtains. What Once is...is lovely, funny, and charming. But I think it is good to know that it is very low-key (with lots of dim lighting on stage and a set that does not really change) before going in so you can have some tea or coffee; there were lots of people yawning around me, but it was not because they were bored! I heard lots of, "This is the greatest musical EVER!" "Beautiful!" and "Fabulous!" statements at intermission. Not that I was eavesdropping on everyone around me (I was), but the general consensus seemed to be that it was nice to watch a story unfold slowly, experience the actors creating a scene, and not be blown out of your seat with a loud orchestra.

The Pantages is an Art Deco lover's dream.

There is no orchestra at all in Once, in fact; the music is provided by the actors on stage. The whole cast is fantastic, the two leads (Stuart Ward and Dani de Waal) beyond perfection, and I have to give props to the ladies who were dancing and singing while playing violin. And they start the show a little early; there is a jam session on stage before the play even officially begins, with audience members hanging out in the pub that is the center of the action! Each song is truly something special and was warmly received by the opening night audience at the Pantages. The music and lyrics were written by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (the stars of the movie), and the book by an award-winning Irish playwright and screenwriter named Enda Walsh.

Without giving anything away if you have not seen the film...Once is not your traditional love story. Boy meets girl (or, in this case, Guy meets Girl--we never get their real names) and finds in her his muse; as the tagline on the posters say, "His music needed one thing--her." Of equal importance in the story is the message of having the courage to follow your dreams, no matter what the price, that I'm sure was especially poignant to the crowd in Hollywood, a town with a well-deserved reputation for squashing artistic dreams like bugs. I have a feeling that once will not be enough for many of us who experienced Once, and that we will be back again. And again. See this immediately!

Even the bathrooms at the Pantages are glamorous!

Once is playing at the Hollywood Pantages through August 10th. Click here for ticket info. 

Theater Review: Shakespeare Center of LA's ROMEO AND JULIET

The Japanese Garden, on the VA Campus in Westwood, is a beautiful place to be on a summer night, with its pond, strands of lights, and picnic tables. Throw in some William Shakespeare, and you have got an evening to remember.

This is just 5 minutes from the 405 freeway!

I attended my first Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles (SCLA) production here last summer, and it was A Midsummer Night's Dream infused with some rockabilly tunes that sounded straight out of the 1950s. So, when I heard that this year's offering was a 1920s-inspired Romeo and Juliet, I was intrigued.

I am thrilled to say that this production did not disappoint. Performed in the round, the cast held the audience's attention for three hours and even occasionally ventured into the crowd to involve an audience member in the action. The set is bare bones, but it did not seem to matter because the acting was so good. And it does not hurt that Juliet is played by a gorgeous gal who looks like Rihanna!

Jack Mikesell (Romeo) & Christina Elmore (Juliet) (photo credit: Michael Lamont)

Being a huge Art Deco fan, it was cool to see this classic story of star-crossed lovers set against a backdrop of 1920s Los Angeles, with Romeo and Juliet being from warring newspaper families. "My only love sprung from my only hate!" proclaims Juliet, in flapper headband, drop-waist dress, and t-strap shoes. She sports beach pajamas (big in the twenties) in one scene, while the guys stroll around in gangster suits and tilted fedoras. And there is a great moment at a party when the guests do the Charleston!

Back in the day, we had to watch Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet in one of my classes, and of course there was Baz Luhrmann's 1996 take on The Bard with Leo and Clare Danes. If you love Shakespeare and live theatre, I think you will really enjoy this fresh take on the story, and it is nice that the dialogue remains unchanged ("With a kiss, I die." *I attempt to cry quietly into my scarf.*)

A river runs through it.

Things to know:

1. Come early and picnic! A lot of local markets (like Gelson's) will pack a meal for you. Bring a blanket, as the tables tend to fill up quickly and you might end up on the ground.

2. There is ample parking, but if you end up in one of the overflow lots you will take a small hike up a little hill and then walk down a dirt path, so you might want to opt for comfortable shoes with a closed-toe.

3. Dress casual and stylish; this is a hip crowd. Layers are good, as it might be warm when you arrive but cool off quickly when the sun goes down.

Shakespeare Center of LA's Romeo and Juliet is playing through July 26. For tickets, call 213.893.8293 or click here.

BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge: Review of Emily Giffin's The One & Only

 As a proud bookworm, I am honored to be one of the bloggers for the 2014 BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge! I will be reading and posting a review of a book a week through Labor Day, and you can see the full schedule for the program here. Plus, they are giving away some great prizes, like a $500 Visa Gift Card! Happy Reading! #SRC2014

Disclaimer: My son is named Dallas, my husband is from Texas, and we are huge Cowboys fans.

I try not to find out much about books I am planning to read so that I can just jump in with an open mind, but I did kind of geek out when I found out that Emily Giffin's latest, The One & Only, involved football and the Lone Star State. I have read everything she has ever written, usually staying up until the wee hours to see how they ended, and this book was no exception. 
  
(cue the Friday Night Lights theme)

The One & Only tells the story of Shea, a thirtysomething football fanatic and sports writer who has started to wonder if her comfortable and familiar life might be a little too comfortable and familiar. I pictured her as a cross between Erin Andrews  on Fox Sports and Diane Keaton in Something's Gotta Give, since Shea is hot but refuses to believe it, even while football players are falling at her feet and gifting her with diamonds. Her BFF since birth, Lucy, is the daughter of the superstar college football coach, Coach Carr, a man so handsome that a male sports writer once compared his looks to those of George Clooney. He also constantly calls Shea "girl," which brought to mind The Gos in Crazy Stupid Love. The story kicks off with the death of Coach Carr's wife, and while I am not going to give anything away here...I will say that certain things about the book are very predictable. But still enjoyable.

If I am remembering correctly, all of Emily's books have an element of a forbidden relationship in them (remember Rachel and Dex in Something Borrowed?), which I think is one reason why her stories connect so well with her audience. One of her books was called The Heart of the Matter, and that is exactly what she gets down to in The One & Only, in a way that would make Don Henley proud. If you have ever longed for someone that was out of reach or forbidden, or felt torn between two loves, or harbored a secret crush for years, this story will resonate with you. And beyond romance, the novel might make you consider if you are dreaming big enough and truly pursuing your passion, no matter what your age or stage in life.

If you are going anywhere near a beach or pool in the next few days, The One & Only belongs in your bag. It is a perfect summer read, and can easily be devoured in a few days or even one marathon reading session into the wee hours while the hubby and kids snooze. Even if you are not that into football and do not know a line of scrimmage from a coin toss, you can still enjoy the story, and you might even be inspired to check out SportsCenter or an actual game when the season starts.

Movie Review: Disney's PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE

 In the "airport" section of our family room, Dusty Crophopper, Ripslinger, Bulldog and more friends from Disney's Planes are lined up and ready for takeoff. When my son saw the movie last year, the story of the gutsy cropduster with a dream captured his then three-year-old heart and imagination...and I also think he developed a crush on the aerodynamic plane named Ishani.

In the LA Live Regal Cinemas lobby.

I am happy to say that I thought Fire & Rescue (which opens July 18) was even better than Planes, and it is a wonderful tribute to all those who fight fires. As one character says about the fire planes, "They fly in when others fly out." The action starts off in Propwash Junction with Dusty and his friends from the first movie, but quickly moves to Piston Peak, where Dusty goes to train and become certified as a firefighter. And, of course, we get to meet a some new friends, including a Dusty super fan, voiced by Julie Bowen of tv's Modern Family, who likes to watch Dusty while he sleeps.

Fun Thing To Watch For: If you have been to the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland, you will see that the Grand Fusel Lodge in the movie looks just like it.

Sporting some stylish 3D glasses.

You are most likely going to be seeing Planes: Fire & Rescue if you have little ones, but I do think that mom and dad and older siblings will enjoy the movie, too. We saw it at the LA Live Regal Cinemas in 3D, and the flying and fire scenes were absolutely spectacular. And do stay through the credits (the movie is very short) for a little surprise about one of the characters. Enjoy! Maybe we can look forward to a third Planes film in Summer 2015?

And...thanks to Disney for these two activity sheets for the kids! Print the pics and have fun coloring and doing the maze.