So you sat out a month...

Check out 12monthsofresolutions - February edition to see what February has in store, challenge-wise.

Are you in?

Will you be there, Edward?

They are converging on Music City, folks. The Official Twilight Fan Convention is going to be at Opryland this weekend. It's sure to be a blood-sucking good time. And by blood-sucking, I mean weird.

Devoted fans gather for the love of a vampire

This weekend, scores of fans will descend on Nashville to attend the Official Twilight Fan Convention atGaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

If you're imagining throngs of screaming teens and gothed-out vampire wannabes, think again. Among the crowds will be a multitude of women — mothers, sisters and best friends — looking to escape their daily lives by indulging in their love of Twilight.

"The love story really is for everybody," says Crystal Bandurske, a 34-year-old mother of five from Louisville, Ky. "Whether you are a teenager or an older person, it attracts such a wide range of people."

Staying at the hotel, meeting actors from the movies (including Peter Facinelli who plays Dr. Carlisle Cullen) and mingling with like-minded fans is a far cry from the daily routine and the isolation that can come with being a stay-at-home mom.

"I'm 35 — this is my girls weekend!" says Lori Joffs, laughing. Joffs, who lives in Spring Hill, is the administrator of Twilight Lexicon, one of the most popular Twilight fan Web sites. She has attended Twilight conventions in Atlanta, New Jersey, Miami and Chicago (often as a presenter for Twilight Lexicon), and plans to attend about 10 this year. With so many conventions under her belt, Joffs has seen a lot of Twilight moms.

"There are a fair share number of teenage Twilight fans," Joffs says, "but generally speaking it's a rarity to find a teenage fan who's (at a convention) without her mother. And her mother says she's a fan, too."

"The last time I went somewhere with my girlfriends was August '01," says Debbie Smith, 33, from Nicholasville, Ky. "That was the last time I went anywhere without a kid or husband. I am always with a kid."

Smith plans to travel to Nashville with two friends, and the nearly four-hour ride is something they're all looking forward to, especially Angie Napier, the ringleader of the trip and possibly the biggest Twilight fan of the bunch.

"We will catch up and see what the other families are doing and just get out and enjoy life," Napier says. "We will just escape from reality and have a good time. I think that is most of what we are looking forward to."

'Everyone Likes Romance'

So what is it about Twilight specifically that inspires such passion? For the women we spoke to, at least, it's not so much the supernatural vampires-and-werewolves angle. Rather, they're drawn to the intense romance that develops between central characters Edward and Bella. That, and the character development at which author Stephenie Meyer excels.

"There are some mature aspects of mortality and family life and your soul," says Joffs. "It is a fun, escapist love story, and it's clean, so it's something a mother and daughter can do together, and a mother is not ashamed to share this with her daughter."

"Everyone likes romance," adds Napier, who says she relates to the strong-willed, feisty Alice character.

The husbands may not understand their wives' fascination with Twilight, but most can appreciate their need to get a break from the kids.

"(My husband) is actually OK with it," says Lindsey Morgan, 27, of Fayetteville, Ky. With three children under the age of 4 and a full-time job, the convention is something she's really looking forward to. "When I first told him I was going, he looked at me like I was crazy, but he loves to give me a hard time about it. He's glad it is something me and my friend can do together and he doesn't have to come with us."

Experiencing a giddiness and excitement that has been missing since high school, these women are unabashedly giving in to the rush fans have when they come close to their passion.

"I don't remember really being obsessed with something since Dirty Dancing came out," says Napier. "When I was a teenager we all had our hair cut like Baby and rolled up our denim shorts, and that's what I feel like now. I remember my grandfather making fun of my aunt, who was my age now when all of that happened. Now I can relate."

Another draw of the convention is having a direct connection to what has become one of the biggest franchises in history. "It is kind of neat how big it has gotten," says Morgan. "It's hard to fathom that those four books have caused this much interest in the world."

"I want to meet Dr. Carlisle," says Lexington mom April P. Merrill Bormes, 31. "But the one thing I am looking forward to is spending time with my sister doing something we both like."

via The Tennessean

12monthsofresolutions

The perfect way to shop

I am a shopper. I'm also the person who looks in her closet and says, "I've got nothing to wear." I've found a great new website for someone like me.

Some of the stores they have on this site are really, really expensive. But they've also got some that are incredible. While I haven't purchased anything yet, I can feel a transaction in my near future.

For Posterity's Sake

I've lived in Nashville for almost 3 years (in June) and one of the things this city has going for it is the chance to see famous people. Now, I've been to NYC and LA and have seen celebs out and about in both (I'm fine, Phillip Seymore Hoffman. How are you?) But in each of those places I've been visiting so I've had my eyes peeled. The times I've seen people in Nashville have been random and unexpected. So before I forget, here's the list of those I've seen. I'm not bragging...just remembering.

Darryl Waltrip (race car driver...not too exciting)

Nicole Kidman (Academy Award Winner)

Keith Urban (Grammy Winner)

Mat Kearney (Singer...not particularly famous worldwide but I love his music!)

Amy Grant (Singer...a childhood icon. Story to come.)

Patty Griffin (Singer...one of my favorite songwriters. Story to come.)

P.S. I did write "Posterior's Sake" first as the title. I knew it didn't look correct.

Fuhget Abou' Dit

Listen, Montclaire, New Jersies. I loved watching the train wreck that is known as Jersey Shore (MTV) as much as the next girl. But I think it's hardly a reason to swarm a nightclub where these eight flash-in-the-pan Guidos/Guidettes are rumored to be. It's also not a reason to start fights. I mean, is that your solution for everything up there?

Here's what I'm talking about...via NJ.com.

"Disturbance" at Montclair club where Jersey Shore cast members were billed to attend

Far from the land of boardwalks and beaches, there was bedlam as members of the cast of "Jersey Shore" descended on a Montclair nightclub Friday night, forcing the closing of a stretch of the main business strip to disperse fans anxious to get inside, police said.

"They had crowds much larger than they could control," said David Sabagh, Montclair’s police chief. "They had 600 upstairs, 200 to 300 downstairs and 400 outside. ... There were fights inside and fights outside."

The crowds of fans responding to advertisements to "Meet the Jersey Shore Cast" spilled out into the street late Friday as they pressed against the doors of the 501 Lounge on busy Bloomfield Avenue.

Sometime after 10:30 p.m., police closed the thoroughfare between Park Street and North Fullerton Avenue for about 2 hours. A fire engine was parked in the middle of the road, along with police cruisers up and down the avenue.

By night’s end, four people were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and drunken driving, Sabagh said.

At its height, about a dozen Montclair police were called to the scene, with backup from the Essex County Sheriff’s Department and police in neighboring Glen Ridge, he said.

"They failed to hire police for security," said Sabagh, who was called in while attending a retirement dinner and spent two hours on the scene. "We dispersed hundreds of people."

Injuries were minor. "There were some twisted ankles, but nothing life-threatening," Sabagh said.

Deputy Fire Chief John Herrmann, on his way up a stairway to speak to the club’s manager, briefly got caught in the crowd and slightly hurt his wrist.

"They were in the process of removing somebody," he said yesterday. "We just didn’t expect it coming."

The owner of the property and the liquor license in place there was identified as Richard "Dick" Grabowsky, a prominent downtown fixture who several years ago bought the block-long Hinck building at Montclair’s landmark "six corners."

"Too many people showed up," he said yesterday. "A lot of people were upset they couldn’t get in. The place had a capacity of 800, and apparently about 2,000 showed up."

Yesterday, Grabowsky said he has no relationship with the club’s operators. No one could be reached at the 501 Lounge. Rich DiFeo of partybody.com, whose name appears on a poster promoting the event, declined to comment.

The investigation, in conjunction with the state division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, is continuing.

"Jersey Shore" — featuring Vinny Guadagnino and Jenni "JWoww" Farley — is a hit MTV reality show about the exploits of eight summer roommates in Seaside Heights.

The show has drawn darts from the Italian-American service organization UNICO National, which asserts that its depiction of Italian-American beachgoers as the "hottest, tannest, craziest Guidos" is offensive. Yet the show’s season finale this month pulled in some 4.8 million viewers.

Little Known Fact

You can tell how stressed I am by the messiness of my room. How about you?

Is this the movie about math?

Wednesday night, Hales, Marky Mark and I scarfed down some Baja Burritos in the parking lot of Hollywood 27 Theatre. We hastily ate because A.) we were hungry and B.) we were in a hurry to see Nine (the movie.)

It's an all star cast filled with Academy Award winners and all-around awesomeness.

Daniel Day Lewis - The Italian Film-maker (You cannot go wrong with this kid. He is incredible!)

Nicole Kidman - The Muse

Marion Cotillard - The Wife

Penelope Cruz - The Mistress (blugh)

Kate Hudson - The Journalist

Judi Dench - The Friend

Fergie - The Duchess...I mean The Whore (really, that's what she is)

Sophia Loren - The Mother

You'd think with a cast like that, you have an instant hit on your hands. Well, I'm not going to say that I hated it. I didn't hate it. I enjoyed myself. I love a big movie.

But here are my qualms:

1. The music (sans 2 songs) was not very good. The lyrics were lacking originality. They used them too much to be narrative. And frankly, you're not going to catch me driving the Civic down Old Hickory Blvd singing "My Husband Makes Films".

2. I couldn't figure out what nationality people were supposed to be. Here you have all of these actors who are from all over speaking with accents that aren't their own. Frankly, it messed me up.

3. I cannot stand Penelope Cruz (as an actress.) This probably started with Vanilla Sky, which I hated. It's that voice. Ugh. And I don't think she sang her own song. And she plays a mistress. I mean I know someone had to play that part, but I wouldn't have automatically disliked the character if say, Kate Hudson had played the part. I would have disliked it automatically if Scarlett Johannsen had played the mistress. She and Penelope are both on my "do not watch" list.

4. I don't know where the name of the movie came from. I know it's based on a musical "8 and a Half" or "8&1/2" or "8.5" but I just don't get it.

What it has going for it:

1. DDL - He is one of my all time favorite actors. Ugh...so good.

2. It takes place in Italy which is beautiful, what with it's villages situated on mountainsides overlooking crystal blue waters.

3. Fergie is really good in it. I'm not even sure she speaks, only sings. And yes, she plays the Whore.

4. There were some really great performances. Judi Dench was good as always. Kate Hudson has a phenomenal voice. Nicki K. (I call her that because she sat by me at Whole Foods one Sunday lunch) was great in her very small role. Marion Cotillard was fantastic and believable.

Would I recommend this? Maybe. You should probably see it in the theatre. I don't think I would want to watch again. I especially won't get the soundtrack.

Here's a trailer for your viewing pleasure (not for innocent eyes,)