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The Academy Awards is synonymous with elegant style and fashion.  

While Natalie Portman and Colin Firth were big winners for their exceptional acting, other Hollywood A-listers lit up the red carpet with their show stopping gowns.

Jewel-encrusted gowns, shimmering champagne coloured dresses, bold colours and sequins were the most popular of the evening.

Want to dress the look for less?  Here are a few good buys:

Splurge:  Marisa Tomei in a navy blue 1950 Charles James couture dress 

Steal:   eDressMe.com Navy One-Shoulder Gown by Tony Bowls  $394

Splurge:  Anne Hathaway in Versace

Steal:   ABS by Allen Schwartz Strapless Draped Silk Chiffon Gown at Bloomingdales  $400

Splurge:  Jennifer Hudson in Versace

Steal:   Orange Celebrity-Inspired Evening by Faviana Couture  eDressMe.com   $238

Splurge: Amy Adams in  blue L’Wren Scott dress

Steal:  Sequin Evening Gown by Scala  eDressMe.com  $358

Splurge:  Robin Roberts

Steal:   Laundry by Shelli Segal at Bloomingdales  $285

by Christina Lianos

My Ode to Shoes

Shoes shoes I love shoes
You chase away my moody blues
In every colour, in many hues
Shoes shoes, I love yous

I don’t know exactly when my love affair with shoes began, but I do fondly remember sneaking my mother’s white patent 3 inch clogs to slip on at school in fifth grade… 1978 disco diva that I thought I was – though in retrospect, pretty laughable teetering around school like a dork.

I knew I truly had an addiction when in my twenties, my collection reached 200 pairs!  I had shoes that were never, ever worn!  And when I moved to Athens in the early 90s, well… the entire collection followed me.  I  carted them around like a lovelorn imbecile… on planes, trains and automobiles.  My first NYC apartment was selected for the sole reason that it had an aptly built closet with perfectly aligned shelves for my precious shoes. No mind to the fact I was paying a bloody premium to live there.  I just had to forego food and other essentials.  Didn’t matter because I looked gooooood.shoes, spring shoes

I love shoes and I don’t hesitate to admit it.  Is it rational?  Probably not, but who cares?!?!  They make me happy -buying them, wearing them… and a girl can truly never have enough.  How many times have I toiled to find the perfect outfit for an occasion?  But I never had to struggle to find the perfect shoe.

I personally LOVE my Loubi’s with the signature red soles. Back in those glory days of uncommitted freedom, I lusted for them… I shopped for them, in London, Paris, New York, at Bergdorf’s in SoHo… Anywhere and everywhere with total and complete wreckless abandon.

And I am thankful that I did, because a decade later they’re there for me when I need them.  And while the need to clothe, feed and educate my kids has put a drasted damper on my wallet, I can still look and lust and fondly reminisce.

I cannot tell you exactly what it is about shoes that makes me giddy but I suspect most of you can agree to most of these.

Top Ten Reasons to Love Shoes

10. Oh the places you’ll go! Oh the places you’ve been.  Trusted and true they’re always there with you!!

9.  One Shoe, Two Shoe, Red Shoe, Blue Shoe.  You can never have too many and the more you have, the less you’ll wear them out!

8.  They can stand the abuse better than any man I know. They make great weapons and torture devices! And the best part?  You can walk all over them and they’ll still be there in the morning!

7.  You can have a love affair with hundreds of them… It’s safe, socially acceptable and they’ll still love you in the morning.  And more importantly, they don’t mind!

6.  They come in all shapes, sizes and colours – perfect for the fickle gal.  They suit our every mood, they make you feel strong or sexy or cute or sporty or playful and they never ever worry about performance.  They’re there to please you and they always deliver.

5.  They’re pretty, they’re sexy, they’re hot!  And they almost always look good from the moment you slip them on.  Let’s face it, most of them make our legs look longer, slimmer and sexier!

4.  They look good from every angle… especially when they’re up 😉

3.  They make us feel like a girl again, even though we do house chores and carpool all week or scrub toilets and snotty noses… slip the right pair on and meowwwwwwwww

2.  They’re always there for us, they comfort us, they soothe us and most importantly… they’re less fattening than ice-cream and chocolate.

1.  You can still fit into them, even on fat days!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I do love my shoes!!!

 

Shopping tips:  Go to 6pm.com… great deals!  Sign up for Amazon.com email alerts.  They have great promos from time to time but you need to act quickly. I’ve missed out on AMAZING deals simply because I went back later in the day to buy and the prices were up again.  Got these coral and pearl peep toe pumps for less than a shot of sake and sushi tray!

Christina Lianos is mom of three daughter and loves to give her advice on life, love, children and everything in between all with anectodal pairings of practicality and all things Fantsi!

oscar winners, oscars 2011, oscars, colin firth, The 83rd Academy Awards were held Sunday night.  Who took Oscar home?  Who won Best Picture?  What were the celebs wearing?  How did Anne Hathaway and James Franco do?

Red Carpet

Well it was an exciting evening in Los Angeles as the stars walked the red carpet.

There were a few styles on the red carpet, and one theme that stood out was the jewel-encrusted gowns.  There were still lots of neutrals at the Oscars, a look I’ve grown tired of to be honest.  The romantic layered look was also popular.  I was happy to see some awesome colour as well!

Mandy Moore looked beautiful in a jewel encrusted gown as did Michelle Williams in a simple and elegant white Chanel.  Halle Berry was stunning in Marchesa.  One of the best on the red carpet!

Mila Kunis looked stunning in a beautiful purple gown by Elie Saab as did Jennifer Hudson in a orange-red Versace .

It was nice to see some red on the red carpet – Anne Hathaway and Penelope Cruz wore the vibrant colour, as did Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein and Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang.

Worst dressed?  It’s a tie between Nicole Kidman,  Amy Adams and Cate Blanchett.

Read my full thoughts here.

oscar winners, oscars 2011, academy awardsThe 83rd Academy Awards were held Sunday night.  Who took Oscar home?  Who won Best Picture 2011?

Here is a complete list of all of the Oscar winners:

Best Picture: “The King’s Speech.” 

Actor: Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech.”

Actress: Natalie Portman, “Black Swan.”

Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, “The Fighter.”

Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, “The Fighter.”

Directing: Tom Hooper, “The King’s Speech.”

Foreign Language Film: “In a Better World,” Denmark.

Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, “The Social Network.”

Original Screenplay: David Seidler, “The King’s Speech.”

Animated Feature Film: “Toy Story 3.”

Art Direction: “Alice in Wonderland.”

Cinematography: “Inception.”

Visual Effects: “Inception.”

Sound Mixing: “Inception.”

Sound Editing: “Inception.”

Original Score: “The Social Network,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

Original Song: “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3,” Randy Newman.

Costume Design: “Alice in Wonderland.”

Documentary Feature: “Inside Job.”

Documentary (short subject): “Strangers No More.”

Film Editing: “The Social Network.”

Makeup: “The Wolfman.”

Animated Short Film: “The Lost Thing.”

Live Action Short Film: “God of Love.”

american idol top 24 season 10Unveiling the top 24 contestants for season 10 was a long and painful process for “American Idol” fans.

The top 24 were revealed over two nights.  Who made the cut? 

Here are your top 24:

Ashthon Jones
Casey Abrams
Clint Jun Gamboa
Haley Reinhart
Jacob Lusk
James Durbin
Jordan Dorsey
Jovany Barreto
Julie Zorrilla
Karen Rodriguez
Kendra Chantelle
Lauren Alaina
Lauren Turner
Naima Adedapo
Paul McDonald
Pia Toscano
Rachel Zevita
Robbie Rosen
Scotty McCreery
Stefano Langone
Tatynisa Wilson
Thia Megia
Tim Halperin

Who was sent home?  Who deserved a spot?

Colton Dixon and Jacee Badeaux were both sent home and instead Brett Loewenstern made it to the finals.  I thought Colton Dixon deserved a spot in the top 24. 

The judges encouraged the two eliminated singers to continue pursuing their dreams. “You’re all so young,” Jennifer Lopez said. “You can come back as many times as you want.”

“Please come back,” Randy Jackson urged them.

Jessica Cunningham has auditioned for Idol many times before and I really think she should have received a spot in the top 24.

DeAndre Brackensick also should have taken a spot in the top 24 too.

Other top 40 members who were sent home were Chris Medina, Lakeisha Lewis, Hollie Cavanagh, Alex Ryan, Brittany Mazur, Erin Kelly, Jessica Cunningham and Keisha Renee.

Do you think the judges got it right?

Sofia Vergara, modern familySofia Vergara has curves most women envy and men dream about.  But her most famous assets weren’t always accepted in Hollywood.

“Somebody told me, ‘You have to lose weight,'” Vergara revealed on CBS show “The Talk” Monday.

“‘You will look better in the pictures. You see all the actresses and how they look.'”

The “Modern Family” star, who graces the March cover of Shape magazine, reveals that she didn’t always have curves.

“I was ridiculously skinny,” Vergara, 38, told the magazine. “They called me palillo, which means toothpick in Spanish.”

But puberty changed everything for the brunette beauty. 

“I was still skinny, but suddenly I had these big boobs,” she said. “It was terrible! I used to tell my mother, ‘I’m going to cut these off as soon as I turn 18.’ ”

Luckily the actress embraced her new, curvy shape.

Even though at times Vergara would have trouble finding outfits to wear because the size zero designer dressed sent her way didn’t fit!

“No matter what I did, they would only come up to [my waist],” Vergara recalled. “It was a nightmare.”

Vergara says that Columbian women are held to different standards than American women.

“Latin women are very comfortable with their bodies and their sexuality,” she said. “We aren’t afraid to show that off a little bit more….We’re not expected to be as thin or skinny.  And we’re a little less conscious about our bodies.”

Although Vergara is surrounded by slim celebs all the time, she doesn’t feel pressure to lose weight.  She is 5 foot 7 inches and 125 pounds.  Why would she?  She’s at a healthy weight and looks fabulous.

We love her curves!

 

This fabulous contest will give a family of four (2 adults and 2 children) a chance to stay at the all-inclusive Crown Paradise Resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a five-star rated, family-friendly resort!

The package is all-inclusive to all four travellers (airfare NOT included) and gives one lucky family a chance to spend a week lounging on the sandy beach, surfing or exploring the local Mexican culture.

Crown Paradise Resort will award the winner with a gift certificate that is valid until December 31, 2011, giving you plenty of time to escape the winter blahs before they start up again.

What else is included?

  • A Dine Around: A free lunch or dinner, with a set menu, at either of two specialty restaurants in Puerto Vallarta — The “Blue Shrimp” or “Si Señor”. One free meal per person per stay.
  • A Tropical and City tour: A beautiful sight-seeing tour for each guest per stay, visiting local attractions, like the mountains and a tequila distillery show.
  • Unlimited Golf: Unlimited golf for the guests – as many rounds as they wish at any of three renowned golf courses in Puerto Vallarta: Vista Nicklaus, Vista Weiskopf, and Marina Vallarta.
  • Activity programs for kids and offerings such as a water park with pirate’s ship, a castle, nine water slides, outdoor family game area.
  • Fine dining and lounges

This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only.

This contest is a part of the EverythingMom Network contest that runs from February 16th to 28th, 2011.  One (1) entry will be accepted from each household for each (1) survey that is completed on participating EverythingMom Network properties. On March 18, 2011, EverythingMom Network announce one (1) Grand Prize winner from all of the entries gathered.

HOW TO ENTER: All you have to do is fill out our quick survey!  We have put together a survey assist us in getting to know our readers a little better. This information will help us in offering better content and contests. Please keep in mind all answers are completely confidential and you will not be put on any 3rd party mailing lists or spammed in any way.

ENTER HERE AND GOOD LUCK!

When I became a mother for the first time, I felt blessed but overwhelmed.  Joyous but exhausted.  Proud but scared.  

When I looked at other moms, I thought that they had it all figured out, like there was some secret about motherhood they were keeping from me. 

But when I finally realized that they too were struggling to cope with all the challenges of motherhood, I felt normal. 

Then I had baby number two.  Going through it all over again was even more challenging!  Having two beautiful little human beings to care for was daunting. 

I started blogging for this exact reason – to help make other women feel like they are not alone in this journey called motherhood. 

In my blog, I realized the power of writing online and sharing my personal stories and parenting news articles with whomever wanted to listen. 

Whether my story was about dealing with a third bout with mastitis or feeling winter blues (likely due to lack of vitamin D) to tips on eating healthy, I felt that by sharing my voice, I was helping to inform other moms and dads about common concerns.  

I turned my blog into a ‘blogazine’, www.amotherworld.com, so that I could share not only my own stories but those of others.   When I write about health news and important health-related issues such as post-partum mood disorders and eating disorders, the idea that I can be making an impact on someone else’s life, is extremely rewarding. 

Now with the power of social media, the reach of Mom bloggers is even greater.  Moms are sharing information and opinions about the latest products, health news, food, meal and exercise plans, and more importantly, being a  constant support to other moms and dads. 

Mom bloggers are making a huge impact on the health of Canadians, both physically and mentally.  And I’m proud to be one of them. 

I’m writing this post in the hopes of becoming sponsored to Blissdom Canada 2011 by . You can follow me on Twitter @amotherworld and feel free to become a fan on Facebook.  To support Ddrops, please follow @BabyDdrops #DdropsBliss on Twitter.

Three baby products, including a baby monitor and an Ikea crib, were recalled this past week because of safety concerns.

Ikea Sniglar cribs

Also recalled – Sniglar cribs from Ikea because of a problem with the bolts on some full-sized cribs could result in falls or suffocating.

The four bolts that secure the mattress support on the cribs may not be long enough and could cause the mattress support to detach and collapse.  Infants and toddlers could then become trapped between the side of the crib and the mattress, which could lead to suffocation or strangulation, or they could fall out.

The words ‘SNIGLAR’, ‘IKEA’ and the model number 60091931 are printed on a label attached to the mattress support. The crib frame and mattress support are made of light-coloured wood.

Luckily Health Canada and Ikea have not received reports of incidents or injuries to Canadians. Customers can return the cribs, or contact Ikea for a repair kit.

summer infant video baby monitorsSummer Infant video baby monitor

Health Canada announced the recall for the Summer Infant video baby monitor, warning that an infant or toddler could be strangled by the cords attached to the crib.  The company that makes the devices has received two reports of strangulation deaths and one near strangulation incident occurring in the United States in the past year. 

Fortunately Health Canada has not received any reports of incidents or injuries in connection to the devices, which were sold from May 2003 until this February. About 58,000 were sold at Sears Canada, The Bay, Zellers, Toys R Us and various other specialty retailers across Canada.

Summer Infant rechargeable batteries

There is also a recall for rechargeable batteries being sold with a handheld video monitor because they can overheat and rupture, possibly burning those using them.

Summer Infant has received five reports in the United States of ruptured batteries, including three incidents of minor property damage. The batteries are used in the Summer Infant Slim and SecureTM Handheld Colour Video Monitors. They’re unmarked or marked with MP or BK.

The video monitor is sold in either silver and white with the model number 02800 and 02804; or pink and white with the model number 02805.

Batteries that are marked TCL are not included in this recall, Health Canada said.

Neither Health Canada nor Summer Infant has received any reports of incidents or injuries in Canada related to the use of the rechargeable batteries.

Ste. Anne's Spa

CONGRATULATIONS TO….

KARINA TANO of Mississsauga, ON!!!!

Day Spa for Two! 

Treat yourself and a guest to a day spa at award-winning Ste. Anne’s Spa in Grafton, Ontario!

Prize includes:

~ round-trip train transportation for two from Union Station, Toronto

~ shuttle service to and from the inn

~ $100 in spa allowance each

~ three-course lunch

~ afternoon tea

~ one group wellness class each

~ complete use of the extensive facilities which include hot tubs, steam rooms, indoor pool, fireplaces, fitness facility, walking trails on over 400 acres of private property and many lounge areas to relax in during your stay.

About Ste. Anne’s:

Conveniently located 90 minutes east of Toronto, nestled in the scenic hills of Northumberland County, is the charming fieldstone sanctuary of Ste. Anne’s Spa. Situated atop a natural underground spring on 400 acres, the peaceful property boasts lush meadows, enchanted cedar forests and a spectacular view of Lake Ontario. Ste. Anne’s Spa offers guests CAA/AAA Four-Diamond accommodations featuring 28 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, fine dining and wellness classes that leave guests feeling relaxed and re-energized. Ste. Anne’s Spa, Canada’s largest destination and day spa, also offers guests a comprehensive array of traditional and alternative spa therapies including European-style Moor Mud baths, Shiatsu, Thai massage, aromatherapy and hydrotherapy. A sojourn at Ste. Anne’s Spa is an investment in yourself and your future wellbeing. Invest in yourself.

Contest ends March 11, 2011.  You may enter once by filling the form below.

For a second entry, become a Fan on Facebook  AND  follow us on Twitter!

Note: By entering this contest, you also agree to be added to amotherworld’s and Ste. Anne’s newsletter database.

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Ste. Anne's Spa