Matt Damon on CNN

PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS OFFICIALLY KICKED OFF HIS 2012 RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN BUT THE STARS AREN’T SHINING SO BRIGHTLY THIS TIME.  MATT DAMON IS THE LATEST CELEB TO SPEAK UP AND SAY…WAIT A MINUTE.. I’M NOT HAPPY.

Matt Damon, CNN\’s Piers Morgan Tonight YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqdRuY8qGEE

SOT: “ I think he misinterprested his mandate”

THIS COMES FROM THE OSCAR WINNER THAT NOT ONLY DONATED TO OBAMA- BUT CAMPAIGNED FOR HIM IN 2008.

BUT DON’T THINK HE’S SEEING TOO MUCH RED. WHEN PRESSED – HE ADMITS. NO.. HE WON’T BE VOTING FOR A REPUBLICAN.

The Shakespeare Centre, Stratford Upon Avon UK

Long before the celebs sported necklaces and rings with their initials… it is thought that the great William Shakespeare sported this ring in the 1600s.

 You can see the “W” on the right side and the  ”S” inscribed on the left side. It’s backwards so that when he used for signing documents it would appear  ”WS”.

For a modern twist… Lauren Conrad has been known to favor this 2-ring style.

Check out this option from Image-in Jewels LTD. They ship worldwide. Check out Lauren Conrads’ special ring from this website.

Image-in Jewels LTD

Have you seen the new “Old Spice” man? If you want to add spice to your message or be inspired to get a lot for a little…take a closer look at this brilliant campaign. Why have superstars like Ellen DeGeneres and celebrity blogging guru Perez Hilton featured this guy?

First check out the “Old Spice” commercial featuring former NFL wide receiver, Isaiah Mustafa.

Old Spice man commercial on YouTube

Okay.. so the first step requiring you to spend  +$1.5 million on a Superbowl  TV commercial is likely out of the question.

So here’s the gist of how the campaign has worked:

1.      Months after the commercial  “Old Spice” sent out a little message on Facebook and Twitter telling people that the “Old Spice” man may show up @Old Spice

2.      People sent in their questions and videos

3.      The “Old Spice” man responded- in very funny ways- and with a personal message

4.      Everyone wanted in on the action- including various high profile names

5.      “Old Spice” is not so old anymore

Thanks to Chris Reiss at Entrepreneur.com, here are bullet point ideas on how you can incorporate lessons from  this viral social media marketing campaign into any message you are trying to get out there.

1. Create a persona that is strong and on point

2. Seed social networks with invitations to interact

3. Engage the engaged, the famous and the influencers

4. Personalize the response and people will compete for inclusion

5. Make it episodic and easy to share

6. Keep videos simple and short

7. Promote it with tie-ins offline

Smell that? Sweet success!

Go to this article at MSNBC.com for more details on these 7 ideas.

Spotted the ultimate soda machine. You pick the soda and just the right amount of your favorite flavoring extras.

My choice, Diet Dr. Pepper with a spash of cherry and a good bit of vanilla…

This one was found in Missouri at a Pilot gas station just off of I-70 at the Higginsville/Missouri exit between Kansas City and St. Louis.

Any great “little things” in your neck of the woods?? Email me.

Cocktail Ring

Earrings

A fun Italian find!
Among the intricate canals of Venice I found Alfredo Laggia. All handmade, adding a unique touch with Swarovski crystals or Murano glass.
Check out a few of my favorite pieces.
If you can’t make it to Venezia and would like a unique piece of your own… give a call to the number below. Use Skype for a cheap way to call and remember Italy is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
Exquisite costume jewelry, new and vintage, at Alfredo Laggia (Campo San Maurizio 2623B, San Marco; 39 041 528 6042).

Do you like? Do you have any other finds I should know about?

Email me your “gems”!

The death of a King and an Angel!

Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died today within 6 miles of each other.  It’s a shocking day in Los Angeles.  The sudden death of Jackson prompts a media frenzy.  Who is first? Who has the best video, photos, celebrity reaction ?

Here’s a lowdown of how the Jackson’s death unfolds. Keep in mind this time frame, as noted in pacific time where it occurred in Los Angeles.

Michael Jackson timeline:

12:21 PM rushed to hospital

2:26PM pronounced dead- unknown to the public. Los Angeles Times announces his death

3:30ish – Breaking News on national TV ( ie. ABC’s Charlie Gibson interrupts Oprah). Immediately afterwards local, live coverage begins with Los Angeles based news stations. Let me recap the approach one local Los Angeles news station took.

1^st live shot: helicopter live shot hovering about Jackson’s Bel Air home where he was living and practicing for his upcoming sold out tour.

2^nd live shot: UCLA hospital where he died

3^rd live shot: Encino estate related to Jackson

4^th live shot: a reporter goes live in front of a hospital in Santa Monica to do a story on how a heartattack happens.  It just happens to be St. Johns, the same hospital Farrah Fawcett died earlier that morning.

5^th live shot: Hollywood Walk of Fame where Jackson’s star is embedded. Although the reporter never showed the star.

As the coverage progressed here are some highlights:

The official announcement and first words from the family come from Jermaine Jackson at a press conference outside of the UCLA hospital where he died. Incidently, Rev. Al Sharpton was one of the first to issue a statement, even before family.

Twitter: becomes the hottest place for celebs to express their condolences.

Entertainment Tonight : has exclusive last known photo of Jackson, as he lay on a gurney with medical equipment over the lower half of his face.

The Sun: reports he started breathing slowly after taking a shot of Demerol, which is a known painkiller much like morphine.

Major media outlets and entertainment shows give celebrity reaction: Quincy Jones, Madonna, Lisa Marie Presley, etc..

This is worldwide news. This is the beginning. This is how curiosity is fed.

Jessica Alba picks out an early birthday present

Just before her 28th birthday, Jessica Alba discovers Dara Ettinger’s jewelry. Alba loved these lava stone earrings she’s holding and a druzy ring bottom-dipped in 24K gold. Here’s what she said about her new finds:

“These rings are so bad! They’re perfect for my birthday. I love my lava stone earrings…I can’t wait to wear them”.

All the rings are one-of-a kind, but if you’d like to get a similar look check out www.daraettinger.com. She even gave me a coupon code to pass along so you can save, use SARAHZ for 20% off!

Have fun! Drop me an email and let me know what you think.

Can I really say winning is overrated when I once again walked away empty-handed from this year’s New England Emmy awards? It’s the eighth time, I should be used to it by now. But really is anybody shedding a tear? NO not even me, I didn’t even make it to the actual awards ceremony.
In fact, losing isn’t always bad. Here are a few names, do you recognize them?

Fantasia Barrino…winner of American Idol season 3

Kristen Dalton… winner of Miss USA 2009

Britta Stephan … Olympic gold medalist in the women’s 50 freestyle in Beijing, China.

Okay, what about this list of names?

Jennifer Hudson … 6th runner-up American Idol season 3

Carrie Prejean…runner-up Miss USA 2009

Dana Torres…silver medalist women’s 50 freestyle in Beijing, China. (Oh, in case you forgot, Torres lost by 1/100th of a second!)

The first list…the WINNERS. The second list…the LOSERS?

Jennifer Hudson went on to win an academy award. Fantasia played herself in a Lifetime movie.

Carrie Prejean has agents, offers and more publicity than the reigning Miss USA Kristen Dalton could even dream, even though Prejean came under a firestorm of scrutiny for answering a question about same-sex marriage that ultimately cost her the crown. Prejean made lemonade out of those lemons.

Dana Torres, okay… who even knows Britta Stephan? (except maybe her faithful German followers). Dana has brought in thousands in endorsements, with her killer looks and ability. I guess silver is the new gold.

Forget the big moment of winning…it’s where you go after the lights have dimmed.

On the Red Carpet at the Beverly Hills Film Festival

The famous 90210 zip code was the land of opportunity for aspiring independent films. It’s a unique film festival showcasing non-studio films to the entertainment industry.
Take a look at our red carpet fun!

The two big winners of the night included:

Drifter: Henry Lee Lucas starring Antonio Sabato Jr. He plays a serial killer and the movie was the festivals biggest hit earning the most awards.

Italian film Tre lire, Primo Giorno won best foreign film and the night’s highly coveted Golden Palm Award.

On a personal note, I hope Salud gets a little love. A couple of young guys from Brooklyn, New York poured their hearts and soul into that movie.

School of Style

Here’s your front row seat on how to be a celebrity stylist. I headed to the famous Smashbox studios in Hollywood, CA where I met Luke Storey, stylist to the stars.

Watch as I take you through celebrity styling 101:

To find out more check out www.theschoolofstyle.com.