why we’re buzzing…

to quote ‘Lovers Ball’ from another one of our Music Buzz Stories… "there is a musical renaissance going on these days". we totally agree. for a couple years, there was something missing in music, but lately it feels to us like the spark is coming back. we have been discovering bands who are breaking out of ‘i’m in a band to be cool’ cliché, and finding the excitement for the experience of music again.

that’s what we love about ‘This Is Energy’. they have that full on ‘music is life’ passion for what they do.

we have fallen in love with the music of ‘This Is Energy’, but what makes us even more connected to their songs, is that they truly mean what they say. they truly believe that they are destined to make music, and that makes it all that much more genuine.

they have also tied a positive message into their music. we are huge into positive energy, and so are these boys. in a sea of bands who thrive on apathy and intentionally coming across completely jaded, ‘This Is Energy’ makes music because they “want to change someone’s life in a unique way, the same way that music has changed their lives”. they want to encourage people to believe anything is possible, and to go after the things they dream of.

the interview…

we love their music, and their energy, and we’re stoked they did an interview for us…

Pretty Princess Girls:

So, we basically decided you guys are kind of like the boy versions of us …There are 4 of us girls – 4 of you boys, we have really random taste in a variety of music – you guys all have randomness on your myspace playlists, we have stupid sense of humors – that’s pretty obvious with you guys too haha, Krissie’s last name is Campbell just like Britton, we love inspiring quotes – you guys are into quotes… pretty much we think we might be your little sisters in another life . But the main thing we feel we connect with you guys about, and love about you guys is the positive energy movement you tie into your music. Why is that so important to all of you, and what started that up within the band?

This Is Energy:

Maybe You’re our Little Sisters from other Misters!!! Haha…

Positive energy is very important in our Group! We are firm believers that you can achieve anything you can imagine & that there is more then enough goodness in this world to go around!! We wanna spread that message across the globe through our Music and the way we live our own daily lives!!! The way we see it…”Life is a just Employer…It gives you what you ask…but once you set the wages…you must bear the task…” Basically, it takes just as much effort and energy to barely scrape by thru life completely miserable as it does to go after your dreams and get what you want….so why choose to be miserable?!!! Anyone can Make it…no excuses!! We wanna remind people of that Fact anytime they see us, or hear our music, or whatever! Anyone and Everyone can live the life of their dreams…the only thing that stands in their way is themselves…so we encourage people to “Conquer thyself” daily thru Persistent Action and a Positive Mental Attitude!!!

Pretty Princess Girls:

Our favorite song for sure is "Let The World Know". Is there a specific song you guys see catching on more than others with fans, getting requested all the time, and being sung along with more at shows? Like a song that you feel is really becoming your "signature song"?

This Is Energy:

It’s tough to say we have a signature song…the crowd really seems split in soo many ways…everyone seems to have their favorite because it means something to them, or helped them through a hard time, or just simply moves them. Although, I will say the song we are pushing to get on Radio this year is “Running Back to You”.

Pretty Princess Girls:

We seriously have a section on our website called "parlez-vous français" where we learn a couple of new French phrases every month: http://prettyprincessgirls.com/randomness/learning-french/you-make-me-smile/, so we thought it was totally funny that you guys have a blog about the same thing… except Dave can actually speak it . We’re terrible, and basically we’re only learning how to say cute things just because want to sound cute by saying random stuff in French, haha. We don’t really have much for a useful vocab yet – but we’re working on it! Has Dave influenced the rest of you guys to become fluent in French…if for any reason to always know what he might be sayin’ about you? And do kids ever ask you for phrases at shows? And what’s the funniest thing someone has asked you to translate so far?

This Is Energy:

Haha…that’s awesome!! I think it’s good for everyone to try and learn a second language…Of course Beezy is the only one that actually has (English), haha! Having Beezy with us is a major blessing and has definitely made us curious about the French Language…although none of us are fluent yet… We try to learn little things here and there so that when we go to Europe and meet Dave’s family for the first time face to face we’ll be able to communicate with them…some what..hahaha! Beezy says we butcher the language…we can hardly even pronounce his last name!!

And yes…people request translations from Dave all the time…that’s why we do those little youtube bits on our channel, teaching kids goofy but practical French Expressions!

Pretty Princess Girls:

You guys have made it a mission to inspire your fans, so who and what inspires each of you in your own lives?

This Is Energy:

Well…we get inspiration from all over…our Family, a beautiful day, really anything can trigger inspiration for us…But what is always most inspiring, is hearing those amazing words of support or encouragement from (YOU) our friends!!

Pretty Princess Girls:

Since the band is dreaming big, what would be the coolest thing to happen for ‘This Is Energy’ in 2010…selling a ton more cds, landing a huge tour, or having a bunch of kids telling you stories of how you helped change their lives?

This Is Energy:

Haha… All of the above! But really this year…we’d like to sign with a label that can picture where we want to go and earnestly wants to help us get there and hopefully release the Debut Full Length ASAP! We’ve been writing tons of material for it!

Pretty Princess Girls:

Thank you so much guys!

check out more TIE…

• This Is Energy Official Website
• This Is Energy Twitter
• This Is Energy Myspace
• This Is Energy Facebook

download This Is Energy…

Download This Is Energy on iTunes –

River Rafting

fun lookin’ but scary lookin’ too

in the group, atleast one us and sometimes all of us, have tried bungee jumping, skydiving, paragliding, cliff jumping, and a ton of other pretty crazy things. but, ashlee is the only one of us that has tried white water rafting.

we really are pretty game to try adventurous things, but when it comes to the idea of being wildly thrown down a canyon bend in tons of aggressive water… the rest of us actually find that darn intimidating haha. it’s the drowing thing – a little scary yo. but we still want to try it someday, and we were pretty suprised at all the places in the USA you can do it! we picked out some of the places that look they would be amazing to go rafting at…

River Rafting Adventures

Oregon – Rogue River

Oregon is a huge river rafting destination. there are a few major river rafting spots in Oregon, but the Rogue River is the one we want to try. it passes by Crater Lake National Park – which is amazing, and goes through the Rogue River National Forest. on this trip, we hear you stop at pretty beaches, and see adorable wildlife.

rogue river rafting »

California – Merced River

krissie lived in Yosemite for a little bit when she was little, so she used to play in Merced River, which is right outside Yosemite National Park. that whole area is breathtaking, and we’d love to go rafting where krissie used to wear her water wings haha.

merced river rafting »

Arizona – Grand Canyon

river rafting on the Colorado River in one of the most incredible places on earth… what could be more awesome?! you go for like a whole week, and you camp, and they feed you, and you live in the canyon for a few days. sound totally adventurous and amazing.

merced river rafting »

Idaho – Salmon River

we have already been suprised at how beautiful Idaho is, and we had no idea! the Salmon River Rafting Trip boasts “pine forests and granite mountains”… sounds perfect.

salmon river rafting »

Colorado – Arkansas River

the Arkansas River… in Colorado? yeah haha confusing, but true. this sounds like the scariest one eek! anyways… when we get brave enough we want to tackle this one. maybe we’ll try one of the other rivers first, and build our courage up .

arkansas river rafting »

Sandpoint, Idaho

why we love it there…

we love lakes. we can’t say it enough, how much we love being in beautiful places and having fun on a lake surrounded by mountains and trees.

on Labor Day Weekend last year, we had a friend getting married at Lake Pend Orielle, and a group of friends all rented summer cabins on the lakefront.

the weather was perfect, the scenery was amazing, and our cabin had this amazing deck that we would go out on in the morning and watch the sunrise.

what to do in Sandpoint, Idaho…

get a cabin on the lake

hands down the thing you have to do . the lake is beautiful, and this is the perfect place to get a group of friends together, rent a cabin, and wake up to the lake every morning, have amazing summer days, and bar-b-que nights.

sandpoint idaho lakefront cabin rentals »

get out on the water

rent a power boat, a sailboat, a pontoon party boat, canoes, kayaks, inner tubes…whatever. get out on the lake and have some fun!

sandpoint marinas »

go hiking

there is a ton of lakefront hiking around Sandpoint, and it’s just minutes away.

sandpoint idaho hiking »

relax

the reason you go somewhere like Sandpoint, is to get away, relax, forget about time and schedules, and having to do anything. we say the less plans you make the better! just rent your cabin, take your summer clothes, flip flops, swimsuits, pj’s and forget about everything else. go swimming, sleep in, make smores, hang out, and have fun!

Alexandre Bilodeau

his story…

Canadian kid grows up playing hockey like alot of Canadian kids, but is inspired to switch to downhill skiing at his mom’s suggestion, and after watching Jean-Luc Brassard win gold in the moguls at the Lillehammer Winter Olympics.

turns out he is kind of amazing at it. he has been steadily creating a name for himself in moguls skiing. he won gold at the 2009 Freestyle World Championships, and just became the first Canadian ever to win a gold medal at a Canadian hosted Olympics.

his inspiration…

it’s amazing how well he performed under all that pressure, but what we really love about him is his super positive attitude. Alexandre’s older brother Frédéric has cerebral palsy and is in a wheel chair most of the time. in an interview we saw with Alexandre, he said he is always inspired by his brother to work hard. on days where it’s rainy out, and he may not feel like training, he always thinks of his brother and it puts it into perspective… what if he couldn’t ski? what if he couldn’t walk? that reminds him how lucky he is to be able to do what he does, and that he should take full advantage of the gift he has.

we love when people have that type of thinking …where they are excited about the opportunities they have in life, and they decide to be motivated and passionate about life. we also love how genuinely excited he got when he won… we’re just truly inspired by his attitude and his spirit.

Alexandre Bilodeau video…

Alexandre Bilodeau talks Freestyle Moguls

the health benefits of blueberries

you always hear that things are good for you, but we get more motivated to give something a try when we actually know what good stuff people are talking about…

• Rich In Anti-oxidants – strengthens your immune system
• High In Anthocyanosides, Carotenoids, and Flavonoids – help preserve vision
• High Fiber Content – helps prevent heart disease
• Pterostilbene, Ellagic Acid which, and Anthocyanin – fight cancer
• Vitamins and Minerals – heal neurotic disorders and prevent brain degeneration
• Antibiotic Properties – promotes urinary tract health
• Anti-inflammatory Properties – reduce cell deterioration and aging
• Fructose and Acids – improve digestion

simple blueberry ideas

we will eat plain blueberries any day, but if you want a little variety without losing the purity and health factor, here are a few of our favorite quick and simple ways to easily have some blueberries in your meal plan…

• Blueberries in Soy Milk or Organic Milk
• Blueberries with Honey
• Blueberries with Sliced Bananas
• Blueberries in Fruit Salad
• Blueberries in Smoothies
• Blueberries in Organic Cereal like Granola or Wheat Squares
• Blueberries with Vanilla Yogurt

blueberry recipes

if you want to get more creative and actually bake, cook, and make recipes with blueberries, check out Cameron’s favorite blueberry recipe book.

The Joy of Blueberries Cookbook »

Jen of Jennfunique

Pretty Princess Girls:

Tell us all about Jennfunique and how you got started.

Jen of Jennfunique:

I actually started out making jewelry and decided after about a year that it just wasn’t paying off. I was getting bored and no one was buying. I started making headbands for myself, then my sister, family, and friends. It seemed to be pretty popular and I always got comments when I would wear them so I decided to start selling them. I absolutely love it! I have done so well with it. I guess you could say I found my Etsy “niche”.

Pretty Princess Girls:

We found you because one of our other Fashionistas, Rachel of Amphoria Bello, gushed about you . In general are you friends with, and connected to a lot of other creative minded and fashion inspired girls?

Jen of Jennfunique:

I actually only have a few friends that are crafty like me. I’m an avid blogger though and meet so many great crafty women like myself to relate with online.

Pretty Princess Girls:

We love headbands, and hair accessories in general. Do you make yourself something to go with pretty much every outfit?

Jen of Jennfunique:

I have a few for myself that go with many outfits. I always start to make something for myself and then end up selling it! If I have a special occasion I always make something to go with my outfit though.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Your headbands are so adorable! Our favorite is the ‘Flora’. It’s so cute and girlie! Do you have a favorite of your own pieces?

Jen of Jennfunique:

I always have a favorite and then will replace it with a new favorite. hehe! Right now my favorite is the “Shabby Chic”.

Pretty Princess Girls:

2 of us girls are brunette, and 2 of us are blonde, and we all actually have totally different shades of hair color. It seems like it kind of influences what style of hair accessories each of us gravitates to. We saw on your blog that you just recently went from redhead back to a blonde. Does your hair accessory style and preference change when you change your hair color?

Jen of Jennfunique:

Most definitely. I feel that when I’m blonde I can do more colorful and fun accessories than with red. Red is so bright already that I don’t want to go overboard with something too colorful. I usually stuck with blacks, browns, purples, and greens when I was a red head.

Pretty Princess Girls:

You use some really unique embellishments on your pieces. What kinds of places to you treasure hunt for all the fun stuff?

Jen of Jennfunique:

I get my stuff from all over. My favorite shop is Hobby Lobby and Michaels. They have the best gems and adornments. My feathers I generally order online from the same shop because they have a huge variety. I have found things in my moms closet, local antique shops, goodwill, walmart, etc. I get all my fabric at either Walmart or Hancocks Fabrics.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Despite the economy, it still seems like an exciting time for independent designers. With websites like Etsy gaining momentum, do you feel that same excitement?

Jen of Jennfunique:

It comes and goes. It’s never steady for me. Things have picked up alot since I started listing more and I’m getting more exposure online so more people are finding my site.

Pretty Princess Girls:

We saw that you have a day job as a graphic artist. Is it hard to concentrate during work, and are you daydreaming up pretty things all day?

Jen of Jennfunique:

My day job is the best. I absolutely love it. I create headbands and cool crafty things for my boss to use in photoshoots, retouch photos, paint backdrops, etc. I’m crafting and creating pretty much 24/7 so it doesn’t bother me. My boss is always coming up with cool ideas for my new accessories.

Pretty Princess Girls:

If you could design hair accessories for any celebrity, who would it be?

Jen of Jennfunique:

Katy Perry. I love her style.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Aside from design and making beautiful things, what else are you passionate about?

Jen of Jennfunique:

I’m also a painter. That’s all I did before I started crafting accessories. I enjoy photography and interior design as well.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Thank you so much Jen of Jennfunique! Your stuff is adorable! .

J. R. Celski…

his story…

he was born in Monterey, California, but grew up in Federal Way, Washington where his brother skated with Apolo Ohno. he later got into speed skating himself, and moved back to Cali with his brother to get the best possible training. he attended school at Lakewood High School, and graduated with high honors in the Merit Scholars Program. he plans to start attending college at the University of California, Berkeley. so he’s a jock and he’s smart .

his inspiration…

this boy is seriously living out his dream. he was inspired to get into short track speed skating when he saw Apolo Ohno win his gold medal in 2002, and now he is not only friends with the guy, but he is racing with him at the world class level. when he was watching Apolo win, he asked himself, “Why can’t I do that?”… and so now he is. we totally love that he decided he wanted to create something in his life and then went and did it without any doubt. we love the idea of not only having a hero, but becoming one yourself.

the injury…

having experienced broken bones, dislocations, muscle tears, and other injuries ourselves, we are completely blown away by what he has done. it was just in September that J.R. crashed in a race, and sliced his leg to the bone with his own skate. he dived head first into rehab and was back on the ice only 60 days after the injury. knowing how hard injuries can be to come back from physically, and mentally, we can hardly believe it! here it is only 5 months later like the injury barely phased him, and he is kicking but at the Olympics.

the Olympian…

in Vancouver he won a bronze medal in the men’s 1500 meters race right behind Apolo. he’s totally just getting started, and we can’t wait to see him at the next Winter Olympics, and watch him continue to become a superstar.

J.R on video…

J.R. Celski: What Defines You

the story…

the movie is based on the life of Steve Prefontaine, who was an was an American middle distance and long-distance runner, who set the running world on fire, but then died young in a car accident. he was a small kid from Oregon who wanted to play sports, but couldn’t hang with the big boys, until he discovered running. once he found running, he didn’t stop. he went on to hold the American records in the seven distance track events from the 2000 meters to the 10,000 meters all at one time. he made it to the Olympics, but a terrorist disaster strikes the games and his race mentality falls apart. because Pre’s life is cut short, he never fulfills his Olympic Dream, but he still has left a legacy behind that no one in Track and Field distance running has come close to matching.

being huge track fans our whole lives, and having grown up around the sport, we have heard about Prefontaine for as long as we can remember. but, he died before we were even born, so we weren’t around to actually experience it, so this movie is awesome for us because we get to hear the full story.

since we are such massive fans of the sport, we love this movie just because it’s a track and field movie, but even if you are not that into the sport, it’s a one of those great “hero” movies, and Jared Leto is kinda irresistible .

Prefontaine Movie Montage

So Beautiful – Dashboard Confessional

why she’s a princess…

she makes history

as of this week, she is now the most decorated female American Olympic Alpine Skier. she won gold in Torino in 2006 in the giant slalom, and she just won the silver in downhill and combined in Vancouver. we love that she is so excited about her experience, and she even makes silver look like gold.

she owns her princessness

if we spent our lives working our booties off day in and day out to win an Olympic medal, you can be darn sure we’d be wearing a tiara when we got the medal. it’s so strange to us that there are people who think girls have to be totally hardcore, or completely unattractive, or basically be “dudes” to be respected as true athletes. to us, it’s way more negative for girls to think that they can’t be feminine and be strong and powerful, than to have a female athlete get attention for being a hottie, or for having a fun personality. we believe in celebrating female athletes who come in all shapes, sizes, personalities, and swaggers… and we love that Julia totally owns her princess swagger .

a little bit about the girl…

she’s a cali kid

she grew up in one of our favorite places ever… Lake Tahoe. she started skiing in Squaw Valley at 3 years old and has been on the slopes ever since!

she’s a fashionista

outside of skiing, she also does some modeling, and even has her own lingerie line.

she’s awesome

she’s suprising everyone and having a better Olympics showing than expected, and we love watching her win medals, so good luck in the rest of your races, and we’ll be watching for your tiara on the medal stand! <3

Fired Up Olympics Mix

• Live Forever – Oasis –
• The Fly – U2 –
• Intro – The XX –
• The Taste Of Ink – The Used –
• Shimmer – Thieves and Villains –
• The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows – Brand New –
• Castles In The Sky – Ian Van Dahl –
• Say This Sooner – The Almost –
• My Hero – Foo Fighters –
• Rock My Body – The Higher –
• Remember The Name – Fort Minor –
• Free Fall Without a Parachute – Senses Fail –
• Now’s the Time – Slick Shoes –
• Who We Are – Lifehouse –
• Timberwolves at New Jersey – Taking Back Sunday –
• Attack – 30 Seconds To Mars –
• Clock Is Down – Letter Kills –
• Let The Drummer Kick – Citizen Cope –
• What it is to Burn – Finch –
• Closer – Kings of Leon –

jenna

i’ve completely phased people out of my life because they were apathetic. that kind of energy just brings you down. i want to experience this journey with people who are stoked to be on it, and people who make things exciting… you know, the people who are curious about life .

krissie

i’m perpetually curious haha. i think everything is interesting… to the point where i’m pretty sure people think i’m a dork because of all the stuff that i think is cool.

cameron

our generation totally needs this quote. i am completely confused by the concept of negative things being considered "cool". like that whole idea that sitting around and complaining about life makes you "deep". i think it just makes you empty and boring. questioning, and creating, and experiencing life is way more fun.

ashlee

me and krissie are like 2 years olds… we’re curious about everything, all the time. i don’t ever want to lose that, it makes life an adventure.

why we’re buzzing…

some of the main things that will make you fall in love with a band are lyrics that speak to you, phenomenal or unique vocals, great musicianship, and an incredible feeling the music gives you.

The Drive Back easily has all of the above covered. everything about this band is poetry, harmony, and emotion.

every song on ‘Building Here To Settle’ feels like the best day ever, where you’re riding in the car with your friends, the sun is shining on your face, the wind is blowing through your fingers, and everything is perfect. we love that this band can completely take us to a different place, where we feel like everything is right in the world. if music ever does something for you… that feeling should be it.

it’s pretty hard to believe these boys are unsigned. they are so talented, and already so strong in their sound, but it’s exciting for us to know that there are always amazing bands right around the corner.

the interview…

Craig from The Drive Back is awesome and answered some questions for us…

Pretty Princess Girls:

Thank you for doing this! There’s actually not a lot of “internet gossip” on you guys so we’re stoked to get to find out a little bit more about you! Tell us about how you all met, and how the band formed. And we’ve seen the hilarious pic on your myspace from when you were kids haha, have you guys really known each other that long?

Craig from The Drive Back:

No problem! I appreciate you featuring us on your site! We’ve been playing music together for so long we all kind of forgot how long it’s been haha. But that picture was taken in 1999, and I’m pretty sure that was one of our first times playing together, so I guess It’s been eleven years!

Troy and I became friends early in middle school, and towards the end of eighth grade we decided we wanted to start a band, which was kind of strange because neither of us really had any musical background or anything. My parents are deaf so I pretty much didn’t listen to any music growing up. But anyway, Grady was Troy’s next door neighbor at the time, and he had already been playing drums at that point, so the three of us, and our friend Jeremy formed a band called “Spaztik!”. So long story short, we broke up and reformed a bunch of times with a bunch of different people, different styles, and band names. Eventually we reformed in eleventh grade as just Troy, Grady, and myself. We knew Jon from another band in our school that we we’re good friends with, and we had him join us in 2003.

We’re all best friends first, bandmates second, and I think that’s something a lot of bands don’t have, so I’m really grateful for that.

Pretty Princess Girls:

We listen to every genre and style of music pretty much, but we tend to gravitate to really melodic bands a lot. We love you guys for the same reasons we love bands like Copeland, Deas Vail, Waking Ashland, Augustana, and The Appleseed Cast. Who do you guys consider to be your musical peers? Also, what bands do you draw inspiration from?

Craig from The Drive Back:

We really appreciate a well crafted song, no matter what style, so we have a lot of musical influences from different genres. We definitely owe all we have to the music we’re inspired by; Jimmy Eat World, Pedro the Lion, Nickel Creek, Sleeping at Last, Ben Folds and too many others to list .

Pretty Princess Girls:

We’re so into your harmonies and vocal layering, who all contributes to the singing? And since it seems like you guys put so much into the vocal arrangements, what song is your favorite to sing? And in general, is there a song you guys have released that you are most passionate about?

Craig from The Drive Back:

When writing a song, the harmonies are usually written alongside with the melody, rather than it being an after thought, so it’s always been a really important part to our music. Jon sang most of the harmonies on our new album, so it’s great to be able to have that live. “Your Endless Eyes” from our new CD is one of my favorites, because the words really mean a lot to me. And it’s been a lot of fun ’cause we’ve never had a totally stripped down, acoustic song like that until now. It really adds dynamic to our show that we’ve never been able to get before.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Minnesota is cold. Your should come to places where it’s warmer – like California, and Nashville – where we are hehe . Any tour plans coming up?

Craig from The Drive Back:

Yeah its -14 right now. I think we’d all love to be somewhere warmer right now! But as much as we’d love to tour, it just sometimes isn’t an easy thing to do. Not very many people know who we are outside of MN, so unless we went out on the road with a bigger band, there wouldn’t be anybody coming to our shows. But we are talking to some bands about some possible tours, so we’ll see what happens!

Pretty Princess Girls:

We’re always shocked when bands that already sound as developed as you guys do, and are as awesome as you guys, are unsigned! So what else is in store for 2010?

Craig from The Drive Back:

Thank you! Our main priority will always be to just keep writing the best songs we can. We do have some exciting things in the works, so it’ll be really interesting to see how things pan out in the next few months!

Pretty Princess Girls:

Thank you so much Craig!

check out more TDB…

• The Drive Back Official Website
• The Drive Back Twitter
• The Drive Back Myspace
• The Drive Back Facebook
• The Drive Back PureVolume

download The Drive Back…

Download The Drive Back on iTunes –

The Hood To Coast Relay Experience

why the heck would anyone ever want to do this relay and run that freakin’ much and go through all that pain?! we can’t lie… it is painful, and you sleep crammed in a moving van, and you are stinky and dirty for 24 hours straight, and you’re exhausted and hungry and you have to use port-o-potties… but it’s also an incredible amount of fun!

the Hood To Coast community is a group of nutcases – in an awesome way. you see, people don’t just put on some shorty shorts and run like crazy. Hood To Coast is notorious for the fun factor. people put together teams with runners of all levels, and they choose funny names, dress in stupid costumes, dance on the side of the road, sing lame songs, and act a fool pretty much the whole race. it’s kind of like a bunch of summer camp kids gone mad, and it’s for sure an unforgettable experience.

The Hood To Coast Course

the race starts literally on Mt. Hood – at 6,000 ft. – at the Timberline Lodge. so, the first leg alone is like a 2,000 ft. descent in a little over 5 miles. then, the course continues through forests, on highways, over bridges, through downtown Portland, up hills, in the morning, the noon, and through the night for an average of a 24 hour period. it eventually finishes in the coastal town of Seaside, Oregon – on the beach.

even though you are tired and stinky and running too much… you are surrounded by this incredible scenery and terrain at all times. it’s amazing and beautiful, and the kind of thing everyone should try atleast once in their life .

Funny Team Names

again, the people that enter this race are in general, hilarious and silly and out to have a really fun time, so people choose some pretty funny team names. here are some of the names that make us laugh…

• Hoody And The Go Fish
• Crouching Runner Hidden Van
• Dude Where’s My Van?
• I B Pro Fun
• Spongebob Slowpants

The Hood To Coast Vibe

there are quite a few funny videos on YouTube of teams having a blast at the race, but this team kinda reminded us of ourselves haha…

Portland, Oregon

why we love it there…

we love that cities are exciting and busy and full of energy, but we don’t love that they are dirty and have pollution and up close… cities can be kinda gross.

Portland is one of the few cities that really makes being green and clean an active lifestyle choice. people in Portland ride their bikes everywhere, they recycle, and they don’t litter in the streets. they love and respect their city the same as people in other places respect nature, and that’s why it’s so beautiful!

we also love the way the city is built around the river. they have these amazing Queen Mary style steamboats, and these beautiful park areas that line the river. it’s totally like something out of Mary Poppins.

what we wanna do in Portland, Oregon…

River Cruise

this is probably the thing all moms would do in Portland, but we don’t care! we love the rivers going through the city and we’d be on the boat cruise first thing.

river cruise »

Portland Saturday Market

in pretty much any town or city you go to, a downtown market is a good way to take in the vibe of a place. it brings in the energy of the locals, and gives you the opportunity to see what the people are all about, to eat the food they love, view the art they create, and maybe even hear their music. and Portland is such an interesting city, just hanging out and lingering around is happiness.

portland saturday market »

Portland Japanese Garden

there are 5 gardens… ‘Sand and Stone Garden’, ‘Natural Garden’, ‘Flat Garden’, ‘Stroll Garden’, and ‘Tea Garden’. it looks like this magical place full of flowers, plants, bridges, arbors, streams, and we would love it.

portland japanese garden »

Burnside Skatepark

we’ve actually driven by Burnside and we just want to hang out and watch the skateboarders be awesome.

burnside skatepark »

Walking Trails

we would for sure have to check out the walking trails. walking in beautiful places is one of our favorite things to do, and Portland has over 200 miles of trails.

portland walking trails »

Bistro Dinner

we really want to go somewhere downtown and eat at a cool bistro. we just would want to experience that “good food, fun city vibe, nightlife energy” thing.

bistro dinner »

Forest Park

we wouldn’t even have to leave town to see the nature in Portland. Forest Park is 5,000 acres of amazingness and actually is really close to downtown.

forest park oregon »

Mt. Hood

we would head east of the city to go to Mt. Hood. we have been there, and it’s spectacular. we’d rent a cabin or stay in a lodge and be in total heaven

mt. hood oregon »

her style…

the shoes, the shoes, the shoes…

we swear we are not being creepy and foot fetishing out on her, this girl just seriously always has on the cutest shoes of all time! also, she’s tiny, so her feet are tiny… and tiny feet look cute in everything haha. but she rarely wears a plain she, and she never wears a bad shoe. she always has cute detail, interesting shapes, and she isn’t afraid of a heel. we love that since her feet are so cute, a heel never makes her look tacky or over the top. her footwear is always classy, feminine, and perfectly compliments her outfit.

her fashion…

our favorite thing about Lucy is that she dresses young! so many starlets get stylists or get into high fashion and dress way too old for their age. we love that even though Lucy wears a ton of expensive designers, she still keeps it fresh and trendy and cute.

her hair…

she changes it up between long and sleek straight, and long with loose waves. even though she has gone black before, she usually keeps her hair color a lighter chestnut brown.

her beauty…

we love that she doesn’t cover her eyes up with dark eyeliner. instead she wears light shadow with mascara. she also usually does sheer tinted gloss on her lips, and a peachy coral on her cheeks. she keeps her skin clear by seeing a dermatologist and getting facials. with a face that’s a mix between Rachel Bilson cute and Mila Kunis gorgeous, she really doesn’t need a stitch of makeup.

her singing..

we didn’t know she sang until we saw her singing on an episode of ‘Privileged’, and then in ‘Sorority Wars’. she actually got her start singing and was a contestant on a show called ‘American Juniors’, and she was part of the group that was formed from the top 5 finishers.

lucy talking fashion and shoes…

Fashion Team 110: Celeb Winter Essentials

the health benefits of herbal teas

we love teas that are soothing and healing, invigorating and awakening, there are even ones that have neato quotes on them for daily inspiration. here are some of our favorite health teas…

• Peppermint Tea – it’s for good digestion and it soothes your tummy
• Camomile – calms you down and helps you sleep
• Ginger – helps with nausea and sickness
• Milk Thistle – good for your liver
• Hibiscus – helps reduce high blood pressure and soothes menstrual cramps
• Cinnamon – supports healthy circulation and digestion
• St John’s Wort – has anti-depression effects and also helps with anemia and headaches
• Raspberry Leaf – helps with colds, sore throats, canker sores, and promotes healthy nails, bones, teeth and skin
• Watercress – high in vitamin C and good for your liver
• Echinacea – helps your immune system
• Lemon Balm – helps cleanse your skin, calms you down, and has anti-depressant properties
• Sarsaparilla – promotes energy and healthy skin
• Olive Leaf Tea – enhances immune system functioning, lowers blood pressure, reduces blood sugar, lowers cholesterol
• Slippery Elm Bark – helps with aching joints and alleviates sore throats

yummy flavored teas

the healthy teas are super good for you, but they’re not always the yummiest teas, so what we do is mix one health benefit tea bag with a yummy flavored tea bag and steep them together. then we get the best of both worlds! here are some of our favorite flavors…

• Peach Tea
• Sugar Plum
• Green Tea
• Vanilla Latte Black Tea
• Candy Cane Lane
• Raspberry Tea
• Black Cherry Berry
• Cinnamon Apple Spice
• Honey Vanilla Chai
• Plum White Tea
• Gingerbread Spice
• Mango Tea
• Black Tea Strawberry
• Coconut Tea
• Blueberry
• Sugar Cookie

our favorite healthy tea

as far as yummy teas go, we try all different brands from everywhere. we do that with healthy teas too, but we have one brand that’s kind of our favorite. we love them because they come in all these different awesome health blends, but we also love them because they have an inspirational saying on each bag. it’s just a happy way to wake up!

yogi teas »

the story…

always a bridesmaid… Jane(Katherine Heigl) is a girl who has been a bridesmaid 27 times. the movie is about how Jane is always doing everything for others and is never really living for herself. you see her come to a crossroads in her life when her spoiled sister gets engaged, and she finally reaches a breaking point with being a doormat for people. with a little help from an unlikely support system named Keven(James Marsden), she gets the courage to stand up for herself once and for all. there isn’t a deep or profound message, and it wont likely change your life. it’s just a great “funny feel-good movie”. it’s perfect for lazy Sundays when you don’t want to have to over-think, and you just want to relax, laugh, and feel happy.

Katherine Heigl

she’s completely likeable, and believable in this, and she plays the character without going over the top. even though she seriously needs to get some assertive energy together, you can see that her character just has a good heart and wants to help make people happy. but… it’s also pretty funny when she finally lets loose…again, the drunk scene is awesome.

James Marsden

totally charming and handsome, and just the right person to come into Jane’s life .

Judy Greer

she’s one of the best romantic comedy sidekick best friends ever. she’s funny, sassy, and we love her.

Malin Akerman

we know we are supposed to hate her character in this, but we actually love Malin. she’s gorgeous, and despite her character in this movie, in real life she seems super sweet. we also think she totally looks amazing in the wedding dress she tries on that makes Katherine’s character go over the edge haha.

The Trailer

Channing Tatum…

we want to mention first off that we also have a really big crush on his wife, Jenna Dewan. she was his co-star in ‘Step Up’ and is an amazing dancer and an actress herself. she’s also just as gorgeous as Channing . they are for sure in our top ten favrit’ superstar couples.

Channing is a southern boy who is originally from a small Alabama town outside of Birmingham. he was a pretty avid jock playing sports such as track and field, baseball, soccer, martial arts, and football. he even earned himself a college scholarship in athletics.

Channing didn’t end up in acting right away, in fact after college, he had jobs as a construction worker, a mortgage broker, an exotic dancer?!…and random jobs in retail. that was all until he as discovered by a talent scout who introduced him to the modeling world.

his modeling…

Channing was actually highly successful in his modeling career working for major names such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, Dolce & Gabbana, Nautica, Vogue Magazine, Gap, Emporio Armani, and was even in commercials for American Eagle, Pepsi, and Mountain Dew.

his dancing…

Channing was a freestyle street dancer with no formal training. we’re guessing that’s probably why he was so perfect for his role in ‘Step Up’. as his character was learning choreography, and partnering, and formal dance, Channing was legitimately learning all that too. he really is a phenomenal dancer. if you’ve ever seen his trampoline dance battle in the start of ‘Step Up 2′, you know what we mean.

his acting…

since an appearance in an episode of CSI Miami in 2004, he’s been creating an awesome resume. right now he’s exploding everywhere with the premiere of his new movie, ‘Dear John’. it’s just out, so we haven’t got a chance to see it yet, but so far our favorites of his include, ‘Stop-Loss’, ‘Step Up’ and ‘Step Up 2′, ‘She’s the Man’, and ‘Coach Carter’. we especially love that you might not expect him to be more than hunk, but he surprises you, and really is an actor who pays attention to the details and puts a lot of energy into creating genuine characters. we think we are watching an actor who is developing his talent with every movie he makes.

Channing on video…

Step Up 2 Dance Battle

why we’re inspired…

we love it for 2 major reasons… first of all, it empowers teens to do something. almost every middle class teen has 1 pair of jeans they don’t really wear that could be an amazing gift to someone. it’s not asking teens to give money they don’t have, or time they may not be motivated enough to spend. it’s something within almost every teen’s power to give. it’s also teens giving to teens, which inspires teens to care about other teens instead of judging, hating, bullying, or projecting negative energy onto each other.

second, it brings awareness to an easily forgotten group in need. it is estimated that between 1.6 and 1.7 million people under 18 will experience homelessness each year. the reasons for their situation ranges from running away, escaping abuse, pregnancy, and neglect, to mental illness, and failed foster care. many people don’t realize how many of these kids truly had no other choice. even if they did have some choice, they are still valuable, and worthy of love and hope.

we were completely unaware of how massively common this problem is, but this movement is bringing light to these young people who are so easily lost in the night.

Teens for Jeans FAQ…

We love this movement and want to accurately spread the word, so here are the ‘Teens for Jeans’ FAQ from the Do Something Website…

» When I donate jeans, where do they go?

In light of the recent earthquake in Haiti, the first 100,000 jeans collected will be sent down to Haiti to support homeless teens and Aéropostale has agreed to match that donation with another 100,000 pairs of brand new jeans.

In addition, DoSomething.org and Aéropostale have partnered with over 600 homeless shelters across the US and Canada to support homeless teens right in our own backyards.

» If I donate more than one pair of jeans, do I get more than one coupon?

Yes. When you donate your jeans at Aéropostale, you will receive one 25% coupon for each pair of jeans that you donate.

» What sizes of jeans are you looking for?

Homeless shelters often have a greater need for large sizes, but we will be happy to accept jeans of all sizes for this campaign. All of the jeans should be in good condition.

» Is Aéropostale accepting other clothes besides jeans?

For the current Teens for Jeans campaign, we are just collecting jeans. If you have extra coats, scarves, hats, shirts, etc. please donate them directly to your local homeless shelter or charity.

» Do you have posters or materials to help promote the campaign?

Yes. Please check out www.DoSomething.org and you will see posters available for download.

» Does every Aéropostale store participate in this campaign?

Yes. Every Aéropostale store will be accepting jeans donations from January 19th through February 14th.

» Does it matter what brand of jeans I donate?

Nope. We want to collect as many jeans as possible! All we ask is that they are in good condition.

» How are Justin Long and Ashley Greene involved in the campaign?

Justin Long and Ashley Greene are the spokespeople for Teens for Jeans 2010. They both really care about teen homelessness and activating young people to get involved. They generously donated their time to shoot a public service announcement and join the campaign.

» If I’m a shelter that wants to be involved as a jeans beneficiary, what do I do?

Please send an email to TeensforJeans@dosomething.org and we will get back to you about participating in next year’s campaign.

» What if my question isn’t answered here?

Just e-mail your question to TeensforJeans@dosomething.org!

why she’s a princess…

she’s dedicated and motivated

we admire anyone who finds their passion in life and goes after it full on. she also stays determined even in the face of setbacks. in 2002, she barely missed qualifying for the Winter Olympics in a tiebreaker. she didn’t let it deter her, and came back to qualify for the 2006 Olympics, where she won a silver medal in the women’s halfpipe, and she has qualified again for the 2010 Olympic Team.

she’s brave and girlie

we’re also totally in love with how she’s this rough and tough snowboarder who risks neck breakage daily, but then she can rock a pastel dress on a red carpet.

we live vicariously through her

we love to snowboard, but we snowboard like “go to the mountain with our friends, get excited if we make it over a tiny mogul, and wear our Roxy snowboarding outfit” kind of snowboarding. only in our dreams could we ride a halfpipe or land a backside 180, and make it out alive. Gretchen lands tricks daily, and even pushes the envelope.

she was the first female rider to land a move called a ‘Crippler 540′ in competition. yeah – pretty sure the name explains the danger factor well enough. she also took the win in more halfpipe competitions in 2003, 2005 and 2006 than any other female snowboarder.

she dominates…

she has a pretty solid list of titles to prove her awesomeness…her wikipedia is pretty much an “awesomeness resume”…

• 2010 X Games Superpipe Gold Medalist
• Nominated for 2009 Teen Choice Awards “Other Action Sports Athlete – Female”
• 2008 Winter Dew Tour Superpipe Champion (Breckenridge, Co)
• 2008 X Games Halfpipe Gold Medalist
• Voted 2006 Female Snowboarder of the Year at FUEL TV’s inaugural Action Sports Awards
• Nominated for 2006 ESPY Award
• 2006 FIS World Cup 1st Place, Saas Fe, Switzerland
• 2006 Olympic silver medalist
• 2006 Overall Grand Prix Champion; won four of the five Grand Prix events determining Olympic team
• 2005 X Games and Gravity Games Gold Medalist
• 2005 US Open Halfpipe Champion
• FIS World Cup 1st Place, Bardonecchia, Italy
• Won 2004 Colorado Female Athlete of the Year Award
• Earned Transworld Snowboarding’s Reader’s Choice Award in 2004
• Nominated for 2004 Laureus “Female Action Sports Athlete” Award
• Named Snowboarder and Transworld Snowboarding 2003 “Female Rider of the Year”
• Eight straight wins in 2003
• 2003 X Games Halfpipe Gold Medalist
• 2003 US Open Champion
• Won 2003 Overall Grand Prix Title
• One of only four females invited to coveted 2003 Arctic Challenge
• 2002 and 2003 Vans Triple Crown Overall Title Winner
• Won 2003 World SuperPipe Championships

she’s a fashionista and an entrepreneur…

she’s putting her own touch on a line of snowboarding clothing and gear with Oakley called the ‘GB Collection’. the collection has everything from snowboarding jackets, to goggles and sunglasses.

she also helped design gloves with ‘Level’, she has a lip balmer with ‘Mission Products’, and she has a snowboard with K2!

snow angels…

in 2008 she was part of starting up an all-female invitational superpipe competition called the ‘Snow Angels Invitational’. the competition partners with ‘Covergirl Cosmetics’ to inspire girls to take part in snowboarding and be just as successful and worthy in their own right as boys are.

we think Gretchen is such an amazing female role model, a brilliant athlete, we think she’s beautiful, and wonderful, and we’ll be cheering her on in the Olympics… Good Luck Gretchen!!!

Gretchen on Conan O’brien…

here’s Gretchen with one of our other favorite people… Conan!!! Gretchen is known for having an amazing personality, and you can see how cool she is on this video when Norm Macdonald is being, well… Norm.

Soulmate Songs

• Everything – Lifehouse –
• Rumors – Waking Ashland –
• The Best Of You and Me – Number One Gun –
• I Caught Fire – The Used –
• Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol –
• Always – Lovers Ball –
• Deep Inside Of You – Third Eye Blind –
• Giving It Away – Mae –
• What It Is To Burn – Finch –
• Somebody – Depeche Mode –
• Truth & Reconciliation – This Providence –
• I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab for Cutie –
• White Lines and Red Lights – Between The Trees –
• Heaven(acoustic) – Bryan Adams –
• Hold On – Stellar Kart –
• Your Hand in Mine – Explosions In The Sky –
• True – Ryan Cabrera –
• With Me – Sum 41 –
• Your Guardian Angel – The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus –
• Drive My Soul – Lights –

jenna

i’m a super visual person. i’m really into fashion, and makeup, and beautiful things. i love color, and texture, and making combinations of ideas, and beautiful presentations… basically, creating amazing visual moments. so however i get to do that in life, whether it’s through makeup, fashion, graphic design, photography, cooking, or scrapbooking even haha, that’s how i would love to dream for a living.

krissie

i have so many ways that i love to use my imagination and create. the biggest one is prolly with my connection to music. i love to dance, but i think in some way, music is why i dance. it’s like i hear songs, and that inspires me to choreograph and move. and despite my shyness, music gives me the desire to perform. there are these moments when i dance, or with cheerleading even, and i just feel like i catch fire. so any way that i can dance, and create, and experience music is how i want to dream for a living.

but another part of my imagination i love is that i have this want to make things cute haha. whether it’s decorating cupcakes, or putting together cute outfits, or making gift baskets for friends, or whatever, jenna says i was born to bring cute to the world . so i kinda feel like that’s one of my “gifts” in life, and i want to get to make things “cute” in some way… every day .

cameron

in the way jenna is visual and loves to create pictures… i love to create moments with words. i love to create pictures with words. i love to capture energy in the things i write, and create experiences with stories. whether i’m writing about something editorial and true, or making something up from my own imagination, i love to inspire and stir emotions. so whether i write columns, or novels, or a script, or poetry… any way i get to write will be how i dream for a living.

ashlee

i’m for sure the tomboy of the group lol. ever since i can remember, i was always jumping off of things and rough housing, and i’ve just been pretty fearless and adventurous my whole life. the reason i love that part of who i am is because i always feel so free, and i love what it feels like to try new things. because i love that feeling so much it’s become part of my passion to inspire others to go for things and make “the jump” into something new. so for me, dreaming for a living will be any way i get to be adventurous, and inspire others to take risks too.

how we found them…

we were at a party and took a break from the chaos where everybody else was, to hang out in a friend’s room. he had this amazing band playing on his computer and we immediately freaked out because we had to know who it was. our friend then told us it was this band he found on the internet, and played the rest of their songs for us. we went home that night and immediately ordered the CD and downloaded anything we could. we are soooo excited to have discovered these boys, and they are for sure a permanent part of music collections from here on out.

why we’re buzzing…

growing up, we had older brothers who exposed us to all different kinds of music and a variety of really cool bands. without our brothers we my have just been cheerleader chicks whose music collections were Britney Spears specific . we love Britney, but luckily we were exposed to a much bigger universe.

one of the genres they really got us hooked on was electronica. we went to Depeche Mode concerts when we were still in elementary school, and we’ve always loved bands like New Order, Erasure, and Cause & Effect. We love that electronia has no rules or boundaries and a lot of the music is so beautiful, and it paints pictures of feelings and emotions.

there has been a huge revamp of the electronic genre, and we’re stoked on it. and we love all the bands coming out, but a lot of the new electro-pop is pretty surface and more “party music”. don’t get us wrong – we love that style and totally listen to it, but we love that there are bands like Lovers Ball taking it in a different direction. Lovers Ball has fun songs, but they are also one of the bands diving into the deeper, more intense and passionate side of it… and we can’t get enough.

the interview…

we’re stoked that all the boys from Lovers Ball took the time to answer our questions…

Pretty Princess Girls:

We know you guys are on tour at this very moment, so thank you sooo much for taking a minute to do this! How is the tour going? What city has been the most memorable show so far? Since your album just came out, are you having a blast playing the new songs?

Lovers Ball:

We’ve been having such a great time on the road. It’s been awesome meeting new friends and playing for people that have never heard our music before. So far we’ve played in a lot of cool places, but I think we’d all agree that our favorite city so far has been Portland, OR. The venues we played at were awesome and we met a lot of cool people there. – Joel

Pretty Princess Girls:

We have music nerd older brothers who introduced us to electronica with old school bands like New Order, Depeche Mode, Erasure, and Cause & Effect. Who have your major influences been as far as your style and sound?

Lovers Ball:

There’s a wide range of inspiration in all of us… there’s definitely a handful that got us into the electronic sides of things. Artists like Bjork, Radiohead, A-Ha, Massive Attack, Zero 7… but these influences combined with other things like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Michael Jackson, Sky Eats Airplane….geez the list could go on forever. We’re kinda music junkies so it’s nice that there is the musical renaissance going on these days.

Pretty Princess Girls:

All 4 of us girls have actually been Nashville kids off and on in our lives. We’ve totally been to shows at Rocketown, haha. There aren’t too many bands in Nashville with your vibe. Do you guys feel at home in TN, or do you feel like people get you more when you venture out on tour to other cities?

Lovers Ball:

Nashville, Music City USA, is home to a lot of great bands, but we definitely take pride in the fact that our music is extremely unique. Because our sound is so different it’s definitely a challenge to fit in to a specific genre like other bands do. - Joel

There are bands here that are our homies…like Framing Hanley, Farewell Fighter, Anathans…and bands that came from the Nashville area, like Paramore, Paper Route and Kings of Leon that make us appreciate the creative environment. Our friends and family are here in Nashville, so this is definitely home for us. Our fans are the greatest and they support us a lot here. - Nic

Pretty Princess Girls:

We’re super impressed that you guys record everything on your own, and in your house! Do you completely drive your neighbors crazy?

Lovers Ball:

We used to have a neighbor that would always call the police with a noise complaint about us; it hasn’t really been a problem since we’ve moved, which I’m kind of surprised about considering we live in an apartment and I sing really loud. - Marcel

Pretty Princess Girls:

When we heard ‘That’s What She Said’, ‘Always’, and ‘Said Enough’, we wanted all of your songs on our iPods – like immediately. We went to iTunes and downloaded the first EP, but we were crushed when we didn’t find the new Lovers Ball there yet We were less sad when we ordered the CD online haha, but we still wanted it like – now! So how long before ‘Memories Phase Out/Never Forget Details’ is digital?

Lovers Ball:

It should be out on every major digital distribution sites by mid Feb 2010 including itunes, cdbaby, amazon, etc. and you can also find it and many other items on www.loversballmusic.com/merch - Nic

Pretty Princess Girls:

Thank you so much guys! Have fun at your upcoming shows .

Lovers Ball – Lovely

a little glimpse of why this band pulled us in right away…

check out more Lovers Ball…

• Lovers Ball Twitter
• Lovers Ball Myspace
• Lovers Ball Facebook
• Lovers Ball Pure Volume

download Lovers Ball…

Download Lovers Ball on iTunes –

The 2010 United States Winter Olympics Athletes Team Roster

we’re going to be glued to the tv watching the games. just in case you catch the Olympic fever like us haha, we’re posting the team roster for the United States athletes so you can support the US Team!

• Jeremy Abbott – Figure Skating
• Ben Agosto – Figure Skating
• Morgan Arritola – Cross-Country
• Emily Azevedo – Bobsled
• David Backes – Hockey
• Shannon Bahrke – Freestyle Skiing
• Lowell Bailey – Biathlon
• Lanny Barnes – Biathlon
• Tracy Barnes – Biathlon
• Jeremy Barrett – Figure Skating
• Evan Bates – Figure Skating
• Allison Baver – Short Track
• Ryan Bedford – Speed Skating
• Tanith Belbin – Figure Skating
• Kacey Bellamy – Hockey
• Tony Benshoof – Luge
• John Benton – Curling
• Chuck Berkeley – Bobsled
• Eric Bernotas – Skeleton
• Gretchen Bleiler – Snowboarding
• Rebekah Bradford – Speed Skating
• Will Brandenburg – Alpine Skiing
• Greg Bretz – Snowboarding
• Dustin Brown – Hockey
• Rockne Brubaker – Figure Skating
• Tim Burke – Biathlon
• Caitlin Cahow – Hockey
• Ryan Callahan – Hockey
• Brett Camerota – Nordic Combined
• Eric Camerota – Nordic Combined
• J.R. Celski – Short Track
• Lisa Chesson – Hockey
• Simon Cho – Short Track
• Lauren Cholewinski – Speed Skating
• Julie Chu – Hockey
• Kelly Clark – Snowboarding
• Julia Clukey – Luge
• Jimmy Cochran – Alpine Skiing
• Caitlin Compton – Cross-Country
• Emily Cook – Freestyle Skiing
• Stacey Cook – Alpine Skiing
• Nick Cunningham – Bobsled
• John Daly – Skeleton
• Natalie Darwitz – Hockey
• Meryl Davis – Figure Skating
• Shani Davis – Speed Skating
• Bill Demong – Nordic Combined
• Patrick Deneen – Freestyle Skiing
• Caydee Denney – Figure Skating
• Kimberly Derrick – Short Track
• Chris Drury – Hockey
• Alyson Dudek – Short Track
• Meghan Duggan – Hockey
• Hailey Duke – Alpine Skiing
• Molly Engstrom – Hockey
• Amanda Evora – Figure Skating
• Erik Fisher – Alpine Skiing
• Rachael Flatt – Figure Skating
• Bryan Fletcher – Nordic Combined
• Taylor Fletcher – Nordic Combined
• Chris Fogt – Bobsled
• Tommy Ford – Alpine Skiing
• Tucker Fredricks – Speed Skating
• Kris Freeman – Cross-Country
• Lana Gehring – Short Track
• Michelle Gorgone – Snowboarding
• Mark Grimmette – Luge
• Jay Hakkinen – Biathlon
• Erin Hamlin – Luge
• Brian Hansen – Speed Skating
• Chad Hedrick – Speed Skating
• Elena Hight – Snowboarding
• Steve Holcomb – Bobsled
• Nate Holland – Snowboarding
• Jeff Isaacson – Curling
• Lindsey Jacobellis – Snowboarding
• Travis Jayner – Short Track
• Tyler Jewell – Snowboarding
• Tim Jitloff – Alpine Skiing
• Anders Johnson – Ski Jumping
• Erik Johnson – Hockey
• Haley Johnson – Biathlon
• Jack Johnson – Hockey
• Nicole Joraanstad – Curling
• Dan Joye – Luge
• Patrick Kane – Hockey
• Sho Kashima – Freestyle Skiing
• Nolan Kasper – Alpine Skiing
• Hannah Kearney – Freestyle Skiing
• Ryan Kesler – Hockey
• Phil Kessel – Hockey
• Hilary Knight – Hockey
• Mike Kohn – Bobsled
• Mike Komisarek – Hockey
• Torin Koos – Cross-Country
• Jonathan Kuck – Speed Skating
• Garrott Kuzzy – Cross-Country
• Mark Ladwig – Figure Skating
• Scotty Lago – Snowboarding
• Maria Lamb – Speed Skating
• Jocelyne Lamoureux – Hockey
• Monique Lamoureux – Hockey
• Jamie Langenbrunner – Hockey
• Steve Langton – Bobsled
• Erika Lawler – Hockey
• Ted Ligety – Alpine Skiing
• Jana Lindsey – Freestyle Skiing
• Todd Lodwick – Nordic Combined
• Zach Lund – Skeleton
• Evan Lysacek – Figure Skating
• Jordan Malone – Short Track
• Ryan Malone – Hockey
• Julia Mancuso – Alpine Skiing
• Tazlina Mannix – Cross-Country
• Chelsea Marshall – Alpine Skiing
• Trevor Marsicano – Speed Skating
• Brian Martin – Luge
• Paul Martin – Hockey
• Gigi Marvin – Hockey
• Chris Mazdzer – Luge
• Debbie McCormick – Curling
• Megan McJames – Alpine Skiing
• Brianne McLaughlin – Hockey
• Keauna McLaughlin – Figure Skating
• Steve Mesler – Bobsled
• Elana Meyers – Bobsled
• Bode Miller – Alpine Skiing
• Ryan Miller – Hockey
• Jamie Moriarty – Bobsled
• Mirai Nagasu – Figure Skating
• John Napier – Bobsled
• Andy Newell – Cross-Country
• Christian Niccum – Luge
• Natalie Nicholson – Curling
• Leif Nordgren – Biathlon
• Steven Nyman – Alpine Skiing
• Elli Ochowicz – Speed Skating
• Apolo Ohno – Short Track
• Justin Olsen – Bobsled
• Brooks Orpik – Hockey
• Erin Pac – Bobsled
• Zach Parise – Hockey
• Joe Pavelski – Hockey
• Kevin Pearce – Snowboarding
• Nick Pearson – Speed Skating
• Jeret Peterson – Freestyle Skiing
• Noelle Pikus-Pace – Skeleton
• Jenny Potter – Hockey
• Allison Pottinger – Curling
• Casey Puckett – Freestyle Skiing
• Jonathan Quick – Hockey
• Brian Rafalski – Hockey
• Daron Rahlves – Freestyle Skiing
• Kikkan Randall – Cross-Country
• Catherine Raney Norman – Speed Skating
• Katherine Reutter – Short Track
• Heather Richardson – Speed Skating
• Kaylin Richardson – Alpine Skiing
• Michelle Roark – Freestyle Skiing
• Nate Roberts – Freestyle Skiing
• Wynn Roberts – Biathlon
• Jennifer Rodriguez – Speed Skating
• Shauna Rohbock – Bobsled
• Jilleanne Rookard – Speed Skating
• Angela Ruggiero – Hockey
• Bobby Ryan – Hockey
• Michelle Rzepka – Bobsled
• Emily Samuelson – Figure Skating
• Bree Schaaf – Bobsled
• Molly Schaus – Hockey
• Sarah Schleper – Alpine Skiing
• Bill Schuffenhauer – Bobsled
• John Shuster – Curling
• Jason Smith – Curling
• Leanne Smith – Alpine Skiing
• James Southam – Cross-Country
• Laura Spector – Biathlon
• Johnny Spillane – Nordic Combined
• Ryan St. Onge – Freestyle Skiing
• Kelli Stack – Hockey
• Paul Stastny – Hockey
• Liz Stephen – Cross-Country
• Sara Studebaker – Biathlon
• Marco Sullivan – Alpine Skiing
• Ryan Suter – Hockey
• Megan Sweeney – Luge
• Nancy Swider-Peltz Jr. – Speed Skating
• Jeremy Teela – Biathlon
• Hannah Teter – Snowboarding
• Karen Thatcher – Hockey
• Tim Thomas – Hockey
• Curt Tomasevicz – Bobsled
• Katie Uhlaender – Skeleton
• Jessie Vetter – Hockey
• Louie Vito – Snowboarding
• Lindsey Vonn – Alpine Skiing
• Bengt Walden – Luge
• Andrew Weibrecht – Alpine Skiing
• Kerry Weiland – Hockey
• Johnny Weir – Figure Skating
• Seth Wescott – Snowboarding
• Charlie White – Figure Skating
• Shaun White – Snowboarding
• Mitchell Whitmore – Speed Skating
• Bryon Wilson – Freestyle Skiing
• Jake Zamansky – Alpine Skiing
• Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej – Hockey

Louie Vito – The Raw Interview after his official 2010 Olympic team selection

we loved watching Louie with Chelsie Hightower on Dancing With The Stars. we are also excited to watch hime doing something he’s a little better at haha. we’ll be cheering him on at Olympics in Snowboarding!!!

Vancouver, BC Canada

why we wanna go there…

in general, we are complete suckers for anywhere with super big mountains and grande landscapes. Ashlee has been to Vancouver, and she said it was breathtaking, and lively, and really exciting.

we hear it has amazing nightlife. there are concert venues, casinos, dance clubs, and live theatre. we tend to just be drawn to a vibe, and the energy in Vancouver just seems really upbeat and active.

it’s also a big film production city, so there is always a movie or tv show being taped there. that brings a ton of celebrities, and visitors, and activity in general that just makes the city seem really kinetic.

what we wanna do in Vancouver, BC Canada…

2010 Winter Olympics

if we had our wish, we’d be going next month because the 2010 Winter Olympic Games are there! alpine skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, figure skating, luge, ice hockey… it’s going to be amazzzzing!!! and being in such a fun city, the celebration parties are going to be insane!

2010 winter olympics »

Granville Island

an entire island of shopping and fun? what could be better than that?! there are restaurants, stores, places to see performers, and there is even a huge indoor playground for kids.

granville island »

Vancouver Snowboarding

we would for sure take a couple of days to venture outside the city and go play in the amazing mountains. there are 3 resorts (Cypress, Seymour, and Grouse) that are only about a half-hour from downtown Vancouver.

vancouver snowboarding »

Clubbing

we love dancing. going dancing in a high energy city, with lights and music and people everywhere, basically sounds pretty awesome.

vancouver clubbing »

Professional Hockey Game

we would have to see the Vancouver Canucks play. Ashlee did this when she was there and she said it was really rowdy and fun haha.

vancouver canucks »

Stanley Park

it’s over 1,000 acres of trees, wildlife, lagoons, beaches, and rose gardens, mixed in with gift shops, places to eat, a water park, and tons of other fun stuff.

stanley park »

Live Concert

it would be fun to go to a huge arena show at ‘General Motors Place’. it just seems like the kind of city you’d want to celebrate with thousands of other people in. but we also think it would be awesome to check out a real rock lounge like ‘The Morrissey’.

vancouver concerts »

Hiking

we love hiking, and we’ll go hiking anywhere that there is a place to do it! the Vancouver area has a ton of forests, trails and parks where you can wander around.

vancouver canada hiking »

Vancouver, BC Canada

Canada Olympic Games 2010 – Vancouver Commercial CBC

the health benefits of massage

we truly wish that massage was a regular part of healthy living and that insurance companies covered it under preventative care more often. there is more to massage than just relaxing and being pampered:

• manages and relieves pain
• stimulates the lymphatic system, and moves out toxins
• improves blood circulation and delivers oxygen and nutrients to your cells
• releases stress and tension
• increases joint flexibility and improves range of motion
• reduces blood pressure
• enhances the health and nourishment of the skin
• reduces anxiety and calms the nervous system
• strengthens the immune system
• improves posture
• increases awareness of mind-body connection

spending the money to get a massage…

unlike our other ‘Healthy Beauty’ stories, massages aren’t that cheap or free. but, they are not an impossible thing to make a part of your life. the biggest problem most people have with getting a massage is that they feel like it’s an ‘extra’ and not something you should get to do very often, so they just decide they don’t deserve to spend the money on it. we think it’s truly a really healthy thing, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about say… 2 massages a year, one every couple months, or even once a month. depending on where you live, most massages usually range in price from $60 an hour to $85 an hour. if you think about it, you could find ways to ‘let yourself’ afford it without feeling guilty. for instance…

• save your change in a jar – after about 6 months you could likely afford one!
• create a massage fund – put in 1 dollar per day, and you could get a massage every 2 months.
• cash your recycling in and donate to your pampering
• have a yard sale with your friends, then you can all go have a princess day, and know you earned it!
• if you eat out a lot, you could kill two birds… eat at home where you’re likely to eat healthier, and use the money to instead save up for a massage.
• cut coupons for a month! haha, we know it’s nerdy, but if you had the goal of getting a massage at the end, it’s likely to motivate you.
• if you go out to clubs, you know it’s easy to spend $60 in a night – truly think about it – cover charges, drinks, drinks for your friends, cab rides, late night eating… if you went out one less night, you could get a massage instead!
• consider it a beauty product. think of all the lotions, creams, skin treatments, and random beauty products you spend money on but end up never using. you likely have $60 worth of beauty product randomness in your bathroom. you could resist the urge to buy things that might work, and instead get a massage which you know will help you!
• this is our favorite. change your perspective. just decide it’s ok to deserve it. if you can truly afford it, realize it’s genuinely healthy, and you are worthy of being pampered!

a cheaper massage option…

even with all those ideas, getting massages may just not be reasonable for a lot of people. we don’t think that means you should give up on the idea though! even though it isn’t quite the same, you could still get some of the awesome benefits of massage with a hand held massager. you can find them for about the price of one massage – or even less, and you can use it whenever you want! you’ll still get a lot of the physical benefits and a little bit of pain relief and relaxation too.

Homedics Hand Held Percussion Massager »

why we’re crushing…

we may be motivated to watch car racing for this boy. Marco Andretti is kind of the young rockstar version of an auto racing guy. he’s definitely not an old redneck with a big mustache. he’s more kind of hot in that way Tom Cruise was hot to our moms in the 80’s.

the daredevil thing is hot…

we’re not into ‘bad boys’ at all. you know, the whole brooding, degrading, ‘i sit around with my friends and think im awesome because i’m a jerk to girls’ thing. we actually find that completely cliche’, and boring, and predictable. that kind of guy is in reality really insecure. nothing’s exciting about insecurity, in fact it gets old super fast.

but what is exciting, is a daredevil vibe. we’re really adventurous ourselves, so we love it when boys are “boys”, you know. like when they aren’t afraid to get dirty, to go fast, and to try new things. and even though we are pretty willing to try things, there are some things we just wouldn’t be brave enough to do. insane car racing is for sure on that list, haha. and this boy does it for a living. we find it incredibly hot when a boy is fearless, and brave, and has fun going nuts with something he’s passionate about.

he’s a legacy…

he’s a 3rd generation race car driver, and his grandpa is a serious legend. he’s had a crazy amount of pressure on him since he was 9 years old to carry on the legacy. to be able to come out successful under that kind of pressure and not just go off the deep end, is pretty impressive. we’re guessing he has good genes, but hard work, determination, and a ton of focus have to come into play too. one of the things we find least attractive in a boy is apathy, so we think it’s awesome when boys take whatever situation they are given and make the most positive experience come from it.

Marco on video…

U2S: Marco Andretti Interview

the story…

Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) grows up in a family hotel, that as a kid, is a magical place for him. he makes up stories and pretends he is having different adventures. when he gets older, the family has lost the hotel to a rich tycoon, and Skeeter ends up working there as a handyman. the hotel is no longer a magical place. however, the story takes on new adventures when Skeeter ends up babysitting his niece and nephew and telling them bedtime stories. the movie is unique, and funny, and perfect for kids of any age.

Adam Sandler

we all know Adam Sandler can be as overboard as a comedian can get, and he wouldn’t be the first person you would peg to make a children’s movie. he’s completely surprising in this as he is totally endearing and sweet – but don’t worry, he doesn’t abandon the outrageous personality we all know and love.

Russel Brand

again, the last person you would think would make a kids movie, but he’s the perfect sidekick in this. his interaction with the goofy-eyed guinea pig is hi-larious.

the kids

the two little kids in this, Jonathan Morgan Heit and Laura Ann Kesling are so adorable, and they hold their own with Adam Sandler just fine.

The Trailer

Bedtime Stories Movie Trailer

David and Sean Goldman

the story…

in 1999, David Goldman married a woman named Bruna Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro. in 2000, they had a son named Sean. they lived as a family in New Jersey for 4 years and had what Mr. Goldman thought was a fairly normal, happy family. On June 16, 2004, David took his son, his wife, and her parents to the airport for a planned 2-week vacation to her family’s home in Brazil. Bruna arrived in Brazil and called David that same day and suddenly informed him that the marriage was over, and she and their son Sean were not coming back to the United States.

what then took place for the next five years was a bitter international custody battle between Mr. Goldman, Bruna, her family, lawyers, and even superior court justices. for five years David’s son was kept from him and he has had to fight countless legal battles, suffer repeated defeats, and all the while hold on to a hope somewhere inside that his son would eventually come home.

the story is a heart-breaking sequence of struggle after struggle. there is much more to this story, and we could never fully explain the details, so please visit Mr. Goldman’s website for the full account, here.

despite the challenges Mr. Goldman faced, he never gave up, and as of Christmas Eve 2009, the courts ruled in David’s favor and returned custody of Sean back to him. Sean is now back in the United States and living with his father.

why this story affected us

a dedicated father…

it’s kind of similar to why we’re so inspired by ‘The Good Men Project’. to us, David Goldman has fought hard to be a ‘good man’. we hear time and time again about children without fathers, fathers who abuse their kids, and fathers who adandon their families. here is a story of a father who loves his son more than life itself. a father who wanted nothing more than to have his son in his life. a father who gave up everything, and made gaining custody of his son the reason he exists. we’re completely touched by his dedication and determination, and his genuine love for his child. when there are fathers abusing, or leaving their children everyday, here is a man fighting with everything he has just to be with his kid. it gives us faith in the meaning of the word ‘father’.

David Goldman video…

Goldman Holiday Homecoming

Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello

Pretty Princess Girls:

Tell us a little about Amphoria Bello, your Etsy Store, and everything you make.

Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello:

Amphoria Bello was born in 2002 when I began creating leather jewelry for a museum gift shop in the downtown Huntsville area where I grew up. After successful sales and having many requests for customized items, I decided to expand to Etsy in an attempt to reach a larger audience! Usually what will happen is, I will create an item which will be available on Etsy and then receive inquiries as to whether I can create a similar item but maybe in another color or size.

Pretty Princess Girls:

How did you get started? Were you a fashionista from the time you were a little girl?

Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello:

When I was just 5 years old my mother gave me needles, thread, and buttons. I would spend hours sewing buttons onto quilt squares! Pretty soon I was making little pouches and cutting the fabric into different shapes. This quickly accelerated into creating fanciful Barbie clothes and outfits for my many dolls!

The one thing which taught me a lot as a young artist was, you must KNOW the rules to break them. I would alter patterns and not follow directions up until I was 15 when I realized there was no way anyone would ever want one of my creations unless it looked professional! For 3 years i MADE myself follow dress patterns to the letter. As I became more experienced I began exploring with original designs, altering patterns and making huge changes in pre-made clothing. Seldom do I purchase a piece of clothing which does not become altered in some way!

Pretty Princess Girls:

Do you get to do Amphoria Bello full time? Or if not yet, are you hoping to make it full time?

Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello:

After quitting my full time job at a Credit Union I knew I had to do something I loved or I would be miserable! Right now I’m extremely blessed to design for Amphoria Bello full time!

Pretty Princess Girls:

We saw on your blog where you were up late one night after being inspired by the Rose Bowl to create. What other things do you draw inspiration from?

Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello:

Nature is my number one inspiration!

I do often draw inspiration from things friends wear, or wish they could find! Animals, children, the retail chain Anthropologie, and several celebrities and old Hollywood designers. They are a never ending reminder that couture design and class go hand in hand. If you want to make a lasting impression on anyone with the art you make, you must first believe in it yourself.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Do you have a favorite thing you’ve ever made?

Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello:

Yes! Several years ago I made a dress styled after one Kiera Knightly wears in the 2005 movie version of Jane Austin’s “Pride and Prejudice.”

I would honestly wear that dress anywhere and everywhere if I didn’t think it would cause people to stop and stare! The fabric is very unique and I have never seen anything like it since. I often wish I had purchased the entire bolt!

Pretty Princess Girls:

How would you describe your personal style, and what you love to wear?

Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello:

My style is certainly a mixture of classy/vintage. I enjoy wearing a fitted pant, pairing it with some “V” toed, name brand stiletto heels and topping it off with a ruffled, feminine blouse and few pieces of vintage jewelry.

One day while shopping at my favorite local antique store I stumbled across a gold plated link bracelet with a single, 3D owl gold plated charm by Monet. I have worn that bracelet at least 5 out of 7 days a week since purchasing!

Pretty Princess Girls:

We love that you love Owl City, haha – cause we do too! What other music are you into, and does music inspire your style or things you create?

Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello:

Again, back to Jane Austin, there’s a piece on that same soundtrack called “Stars and Butterflies.” One day I would love to design an entire wedding around that theme! Often times I’ll come across a word or phrase and derive an entire collection just from that one inspiration. For example, on a recent trip to Cocoa Beach, Florida I was inspired by the colors of the sea and beach to begin on a line of shell jewelry and lingerie which I hope to release in June 2010.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Who are your fashion icons and are there any designers you love?

Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello:

Angelina Jolie. First and foremost. She has that perfect balance of grace, style, class, femininity and yet strength which translate into her very manner and speech. Audrey Hepburn is another celebrity whose style I greatly admire. Its simplistic yet created such an impact that she’s considered a fashion icon still today.

A few more of my favorite muses are Marie Gregerson who has such a natural, athletic, girlish look; Carla Bruni, former model who is now the First Lady of France and Edith Head, celebrity fashion designer.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Do all your friends hit you up for cute accessories all the time?

Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello:

Always! Recently a friend of mine and I were dressing up for the premier of a documentary at the Monaco Theatre and wanted a classic, red-lipstick, 1940s look.
We went through so many gloves, handbags and jeweled pins before completing the perfect ensemble!

Pretty Princess Girls:

What else do you love to do besides being a fashionista?

Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello:

My two other passions… Running and Reading. Both of which I do to relax or escape if only for a while the pressures or simple stresses of the day.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Thank you so much Rachel K. of Amphoria Bello! You’re super gorgeous and we adore your caps especially! Muah! .

Left Coast Envy Mix

• California – Hawk Nelson –
• Left Coast Envy – The Starting Line –
• She Is The West Coast – That Was Something –
• Los Angeles – The Audition –
• That California Song – Go Radio
• Back to California – Sugarcult –
• Heels Over Head – Boys Like Girls –
• Meet Me in California – Plain White T’s –
• California Sky – Unwritten Law –
• West Coast – The Forecast –
• California – Metro Station –
• I Loved the Way She Said LA – Spitalfield –
• California – Copeland –
• Slow Down – The Academy Is… –
• Santa Monica – Everclear –
• West Coast Friendship – Owl City –
• From Here to California – Go Crash Audio –
• Miss California – Jack’s Mannequin –
• Ocean Avenue – Yellowcard –
• Playing Favorites – The Starting Line –

jenna

I am…

• confident
• independent
• funny
• optimistic
• friendly

I want to be more…

• inspiring
• trusting
• brilliant
• spontaneous
• cultured

krissie

I am…

• silly
• cute
• creative
• adventurous
• passionate

I want to be more…

• fearless
• confident
• trusting
• brave
• huggable

cameron

I am…

• confident
• intelligent
• motivated
• creative
• passionate

I want to be more…

• silly
• worry-free
• adventurous
• spontaneous
• free-spirited

ashlee

I am…

• adventurous
• motivated
• energetic
• encouraging
• fun

I want to be more…

• successful
• remarkable
• world-traveled
• generous
• peaceful

how we found them…

before the internet became a crazy mess of comment arguments and photo gallery wars, it was this awesome way to find new bands you’d never find otherwise. we try to just ignore the rest and find the music. that’s how we found these boys… on a random night of listening to purevolume.com we found one song. then we went straight to their myspace and left them on repeat ’till 2am.

why we’re buzzing…

this band is so new, we can’t even give you a preview, but we promise you, they will be seriously huge. Mark has hands down one of the best voices we’ve ever heard. it’s the kind of voice that gives you chills and makes you feel what a song is saying in your bones. the band has taken all their influences to heart and mixed it into their own creative sound and are already making amazing songs. they are on the verge of releasing their first EP so we’re stoked for them – and “it” haha.

the boys have their CD Release Show coming up on January 23rd, so if you are lucky enough to be near Towson, Maryland, they are playing at The Recher Theater. the show starts at 6pm and you can get tickets here. if you’re like us and you live far far away from the boys, you can pre-order the CD here. we already ordered ours and we’re sooo excited!

the interview…

Danny, who plays bass for the band, gave us the inside info ;0)…

Pretty Princess Girls:

We just recently found you guys when we were wasting time on the internet, and we no kidding listened to the 3 songs up from you guys for like 7 hours straight on repeat that night, and then went through anything we could to find more, haha. We’re pretty sure that’s love at first sound .

We saw in the video on myspace where you mentioned this is the first EP release for all of you, and we read how you guys have formed together from 2 other bands. How excited are you for the EP to come out? And tell us a little bit about how this band came together?

Danny from Storm The Beaches:

This EP is very exciting for all of us, it our first ever CD! While we are really excited about what this EP could bring, we are already writing for our full length. As a band we are constantly thinking “Okay, cool. What’s next?” So while we have been working really hard towards this EP and still have a lot to do, we are already working on the next thing.

The band came together when it came time for my 18th birthday party. It was being held at a big church and my mom wanted me to put together a jam band for that night consisting of old members from my previous bands. So Mark sang and played guitar, Wills played guitar, myself on bass, and Josh on drums. After a full night of just playing random covers, we kinda all just left the party happy about what just occurred. Then we all got together and decided to create, what is now, Storm The Beaches.

Pretty Princess Girls:

You guys are in the pop/rock genre, but we totally hear this epic “Explosions In The Sky” vibe in the background of your music. Who are your guys’ biggest influences and what bands are you stoked on at the moment?

Danny from Storm The Beaches:

We get that a lot. Our goal as a band, is to take what we love about good musicianship and bring it into a pop/rock song. Rooftops is a great example of that. We all are inspired by Angels And Airwaves, and bands of that sort. But we also love a good Pop song. So to find a line between the two, is where we want to be.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Mark’s voice and range are pretty insane, one of the best voices we’ve heard in forever – was he a choir kid? And will we be able to get the song “Heaven” on his solo myspace anywhere?

Danny from Storm The Beaches:

That’s so funny that you actually asked! He wasn’t a choir kid, but he was a worship leader at our church for 2 years! And he is actually planning on rerecording all of his acoustic songs again, so be on the look out for that!

Pretty Princess Girls:

Since you guys have the big CD release show coming up, are there tour plans in the works, and will you be heading to the south or the west coast anytime soon ?

Danny from Storm The Beaches:

In the summer, we plan to be on the road the whole time. Right now we are around MD’s neighbor states. We will definitely be in the south, the west coast would be awesome, but who knows. Well see .

Pretty Princess Girls:

We’re actually kind of surprised at how awesome you guys are and that we just found you, and that you’re releasing your very first EP. Since you’ve been in other bands, do you feel something different and better with this band, like you can sense “the magic” is for sure there with this group of guys?

Danny from Storm The Beaches:

Storm The Beaches is here to stay. Enough said, haha.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Thank you so much Danny! Have fun at the show, and we’re exciiiited for our EP to come haha .

Storm The Beaches – Gifts from Sea Album Trailer

a preview of why we’re already obsessed…

check out more STB…

• Storm The Beaches Twitter
• Storm The Beaches Myspace
• Storm The Beaches PureVolume

the princess…

Katie Piper

the girl…

a beautiful young british model with dreams of being a star someday

the story…

we honestly didn’t want to write too much about the actual story because we could never do it justice. Katie was a beautiful young model with dreams of working in the media, when a man she was dating raped, beat her, held her hostage, and threatened to kill her. after that first incident he let her go, but he then lured her out of her apartment and had a man he had hired waiting to go up to her on the street throw acid on her face. the attack almost killed her, and left her blind in one eye, terrified, and scarred for life.

we encourage anyone reading this to go watch her documentary “My Beautiful Face”. it is heart breaking and shocking, but it’s inspiring and it will make you think, and even change your life.

the documentary is currently available on YouTube in a 6 part series. we promise it’s an incredible story. you can start with the first video of the series here, and you will find the rest in the related videos in sequence, as you go along.

why she’s a princess…

when we first saw Katie’s story, we immediately wanted to do a story on her for our ‘Inspiration Buzz’ section. but as we watched her whole story unfold, we started to think she was much better suited to be a ‘Pretty Princess’. after all, she possesses the things that make a girl a princess. she is beautiful, funny, sweet, charming, strong, determined, caring, genuine, and yes, inspiring. she has an amazing spirit, and we realized she is the very definition of a ‘Pretty Princess’.

katie’s strength…

there is so much that touched us about Katie’s story. obviously the physical and health aspects of her story are unbelievable. her recovery has been so extensive and it truly is amazing that she survived and is where she is today. with over 30 surgeries, severe pain, and grueling therapies, the physical recovery challenges alone would be enough to fill lifetimes.

overcoming the fear and judgment…

then there is the mental and emotional recovery from experiencing such a horrific attack out of nowhere. the fear Katie is having to overcome to just feel safe enough to step outside. she is having to fight for her ability to trust the world around her be able to have a day to day experience without being terrified. we are so impressed with her bravery and strength to keep going.

next there is the judgment she must endure. people can be cruel and insensitive to differences in general. she has to deal with that judgment and cruelty for something that was no choice of her own. when we watched her documentary we honestly couldn’t stop commenting on how adorable she is. it has a become a cliche’ to say that beauty comes from the inside, but when you watch Katie, you literally just see a charming, silly, beautiful human being. our wish for her is that the rest of the world sees that same beautiful girl we see.

being pretty and losing your identity…

lastly there is the part that a lot of people may not see as important, but a part we completely have compassion for. before the attack, Katie had been what is considered a “physically beautiful” girl by universal standards. her self esteem was completely tied into her physically attractive appearance. the attack not only took away her “physical appearance”, but took away who she had always been. whether or not everyone values it, being physically attractive is a positive experience for people. looking in the mirror and being happy with what you see is considered superficial by many, but we think if we are all honest… it makes you feel good about yourself. and we feel there is nothing wrong with feeling pretty. it’s not everything, we’re not saying that, but we feel allowing yourself to love yourself inside and outside is healthy. Katie had that taken from her in an instant, and we completely have compassion for her feeling a sense of loss over that. she has been having to find who she is all over again, without that aspect she had known her whole life.

and there’s more to it than that. it’s not just about being beautiful, it’s having your identity taken. no matter who you are, and what you look like, if you woke up tomorrow with a different face, you would feel completely lost. what you look like is a major aspect of how you define your place in the world, blonde, brunette, big, small, tan, pale…whatever. it plays a part in who you know yourself to be. one of the things Katie said that really touched us was when she said that her face was no longer her face, but the face her attacker gave her. she now has to live with a daily reminder of what he did – and it gives him some sort of permanent power over her. the damage he did is still there as a reminder. that was the most unfair part about it all to us. our other wish for her is to someday be completely free of what these monsters did to her.

katie before the attack…

before the attack, Katie wasn’t just a beautiful girl. she was a lively, confident, talkative, socially active, outgoing young woman. she had dreams of working in the media, and was already on her way as she had started working as a television presenter. here is a video of an interview Katie did in 2007…

katie’s inspiration…

after we heard Katie’s story and began to research her, we found this huge outpouring of people who have been incredibly inspired by Katie’s story.

The Katie Piper Foundation…

Katie is such a beautiful girl, beautiful person, and beautiful soul. she has now started a foundation, The Katie Piper Foundation, to help other burns victims, to support existing burns rehabilitation, and also to encourage people to accept burns victims simply as people.

New Zealand

why we wanna go there…

it’s pretty amazing that the country is this group of islands filled with so many different types of terrain. it almost seems like a pretend place you imagine you could go when you are a little kid. we’d totally go there and run around with sheep and play with fake swords in fairy outfits – yes we would.

it’s a group of 3 main islands – North Island, South Island and Stewart Island. then there are a whooole bunch of other islands including, Chatham Island, Auckland Island, Great Barrier Island, Resolution Island, D’Urville Island, Campbell Island, Adams Island, Waiheke Island, and Secretary Island.

The water around New Zealand is turquoise blue, the hills are covered in bright green grass, the glaciers are snow-capped, and the lakes are surrounded by mountains. we’re guessing that anywhere you look while you’re there is breathtaking.

what we wanna do in New Zealand…

Take a Glacier Walk

this would be 1st on our list. the idea of being on a glacier like in the ‘30 Seconds To Mars video for A Beautiful Lie’ looks amazing – but, its insanely too cold in the arctic, and we’re pretty sure they almost died like every 5 minutes. in New Zealand, the glaciers have actual safe, commercialized, eco-friendly tours. this we’d be all about in a heartbeat. imagine trekking around on this beautiful enormous thing that’s changing every moment. it’s just exciting!

guided glacier walks »

Adrenaline Forest

it’s a multi-level aerial obstacle course! climbing around in the trees like a monkey. so fun. basically, they have this really elaborate obstacle course set up in the forest with all these different challenges like rope ladders and zip lines. they have 6 pathways, 100 challenges, and it takes almost 3 hours to do the entire course.

adrenaline forest »

Flightseeing Tour of Mount Cook

you take an alpine flight. so you get in this tiny plane and fly right through the mountain tops! eek! freaky? yes. but amazing? no doubt. you fly through the mountain ranges, over the glaciers, over lakes and rivers… it sounds un-believable. as long as it doesn’t end up like the movie ‘Alive’, we’re good.

mount cook tours »

Go to a Rugby Match

of all the rugby league nations, New Zealand was second only after England to have a team compete in international rugby competition. it’s big there. we’ve never been to a huge rugby match, so we’d be stoked to go have fun and do something crazy with the people of New Zealand celebrating their national sport. well, cricket is too – but a rugby match would be funner.

new zealand rugby match »

Jet Boat Ride

in Queenstown they have the world’s most famous jet boat operation. it would totally be like a water park river rafting ride, on ca-razy high ampage, through the Shotover River Canyons.

jet boat ride »

Milford Sound

it’s a fjord. yeah. we had to look that up. it’s "a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes". so it’s these beautiful waterways you get to explore on cruises. we’d especially want to see all the beautiful waterfalls.

milford sound »

Bungee Jumping

well, it’s ‘bungy jumping’ in New Zealand. they’ve been doing it forever so we’ll say it their way . we’d wanna try The Nevis Arc bungy for sure.

bunjy jumping »

Ohope Beach

it’s a beach on the northeast shore of the country. we’d be all about the surfing lessons.

ohope beach »

New Zealand

crazy beautiful.

have we done it?

jenna, ashlee, and krissie have all done the crazy “off the bridge and tower” kind. jenna and krissie have twice. would we do it again? totally. our chiropractors would be seriously mad, but we just wouldn’t tell ‘em . but we’ve all done trampoline bungee jumping which is almost as fun, and is totally safe for a kids b-day party haha.

the history of bungee jumping…

it’s actually been around since some crazy island dudes on the Pentecost Island in the Pacific Ocean used build 80 ft. towers and jump off them tied to vines. yup. now that is crazy. then, in the 70’s, it was modernized when a 4 man team from the ‘Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club’ started jumping off the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England. so thankfully, it’s evolved since then.

different kinds of bungee jumping…

• Bungee Jump – the classic type of jump. off of a bridge, a crane, out of a tram, hot air balloon, or off of a tower of some sort, with one harness either attached to the body or feet.
• Catapult - you start on the ground, your cord is stretched, and you are catapulted up.
• Twin Tower – you are again catapulted off from the ground, but between two towers instead of one.
• Bungee Run – you are in a soft environment and you run away from your cord and are pulled back.
• Trampoline Bungee – specially designed bungee cords work with the trampoline structure to increase power and jumping ability, and stabilize you safely back on the trampoline when you jump up and down. a lot of times, these are used in training for gymnasts and tumbling training. this is the kind for little kiddies and people who don’t wanna maybe die . we can only in good conscious influence you to try this kind.

famous crazy bungee jumping locations…

there are some super famous bungee jump locations. they are all super high and in incredibly beautiful places. our dream spot is for sure off of the Victoria Falls Bridge.

• Bhote Koshi River, Nepal – a suspension bridge 525 ft. above the Bhote Koshi River.
• Verzasca Dam, Switzerland – a dam 722 ft. above the Verzasca River.
• Royal Gorge Bridge, Colorado – a bridge 1,053 ft. above the Arkansas River.
• Nevis Highwire Bungy, New Zealand – 440 ft. high bungee platform.
• Victoria Falls Bridge, between Zimbabwe and Zambia – a bridge 420 ft. above the Zambezi River.
• Bloukrans Bridge, South Africa – a bridge 709 ft. above the Bloukrans River.

famous people are insane too…

hahaha – Zac Efron bungee jumping in Vancouver.

something so simple…

people have plenty of reasons why “going on a walk” isn’t a priority. they don’t have time, or they don’t feel like it, or they don’t have anywhere to walk. it’s honestly something you can work into your life in small steps. you can walk almost anywhere really, and we always have taken into consideration the fact that we can walk. imagine if you couldn’t. if you lost your ability to walk – taking a walk would be something you would only dream of doing. krissie dislocated her knee over the summer and literally could not walk for 3 months. she couldn’t get groceries, clean her apartment, drive a car, take dance class. it was only temporary, but it really put into major perspective how hard life could be if you lost the privilege to walk. we feel like it’s such a healthy way to clear your mind, be outside in fresh air, and it’s even something you can do to bond with friends!

the health benefits of taking a walk

you don’t have to get a personal trainer, or work out twice a day to get a little bit healthier. you can simply make "taking a walk" a regular part of your life and improve your health greatly. the following are some of the awesome things walking does for you:

• boosts your metabolism
• walking outside increases your oxygen intake – and oxygen is healthy
• lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes
• lowers your risk of stroke
• lowers your risk of heart disease
• lowers your risk of cancer
• reduces the chances of sleep apnea
• strengthens bones and reduces the chances of osteoarthritis
• balances blood pressure
• lowers the risk of needing gallstone surgery
• tones muscles
• reduces stress
• improves your mood
• increases mobility and energy

how do i get motivated?

start small

try committing to taking 1 walk a week for ten minutes. then try 2 walks a week for ten minutes. then 3 walks a week. then, increase your walks to 20 minutes. really, if you walked 3 times a week for 20 minutes, you could change your life!

get a walking buddy

if you have a friend – or friends who want to start walking with you, it’s a great idea. you will keep each other motivated, and when you walk with someone, ten or twenty minutes will fly by, and before you know it, half hour walks with your friends will become “girl time”.

walk somewhere pretty

we don’t walk to “lose weight”. we walk for the full range of benefits. especially the emotional ones! sometimes we walk together to have a fun walk, or we walk alone to clear our heads and find a sense of peace. if you walk somewhere beautiful, you can take in nature, and the fresh air, and look at the sky. you’d be surprised how much it can center you. but always be safe. if you walk somewhere alone, make sure there are plenty of other people around, and take your cell phone and pepper spray if you can. not to be negative – just to be safe .

if you don’t have time

we know this is hard, but try waking up 20 minutes earlier to take a 10 minute walk twice a week, or just try it on weekends. if you make small commitments, it wont seem so daunting, and it will be something you may eventually be excited to do instead of forcing yourself .

where to walk

like we said, always be safe. walk with a friend if you can, but if you walk alone, walk only in daylight, take your cell phone, take pepper spray, and only go where there are a lot of other people.

• walk around your neighborhood.
• walk around your friend’s neighborhood.
• find a public walking trail.
• go down to a local high school track after school is out and when there are no sports teams using the track. call the high school and find out when their public hours are.
• find a public sports field, like a soccer field, or softball field and walk the perimeter.
• wherever you walk, just check it out ahead of time, be safe, and pick somewhere pretty if you can.

little ways to get extra steps

if you don’t have time to go on a walk, there are also little ways throughout the day that you can get extra steps. here are some of our favorites…

• take the stairs.
• walk to get your mail instead of driving to your mailbox if it’s far – like in an apartment complex.
• take your shopping cart back! haha this one is kind of just being decent to other people who need to park too. is it really that far to walk?
• park farther away. instead of driving around for forever to find the closest spot ever, park wherever is open and get some walking in !
• if you have stairs in your apartment or house, walk up and down them a few times a day just for the heck of it.
• if you work at a computer – and are allowed to do this, get up and walk around at least once an hour.
• pick a half hour of a TV show you watch, and march in place for that half hour – you’ll feel goofy – but who cares!
• if you live close to a market, or a Starbucks, or have restaurants nearby to eat at on your lunch break at work, then try walking once in a while .

things you need

that’s the best part about walking… it’s free! it also doesn’t take a lot to do it…

• water. even though, you wont be breaking a sweat all the time, or “working out”, stay hydrated. get a cute refillable water bottle and fill it up!
• comfy clothes. we love just chill clothes like t-shirts, capri sweats, sports bras, hoodies, leggings, gym shorts, and in the winter, sweats with our big jackets to stay warm and dry .
• cute walking shoes »

the story…

a boy grows up believing that his life will not be complete until he meets his soulmate. when he meets a girl named Summer, he thinks he has finally met the one. the movie is a love story of sorts, but more in the sense that it’s a lesson about love. it has this great message that every person that comes into your life – whether they are the one – or whether they break your heart, is part of your journey. every connection is the piece of the puzzle of who you are. it seems a little depressing in moments, but when the movie comes full circle, it’s like you can feel the character breathe for the first time in his life. this is also one of those movies where the soundtrack is so perfectly aligned in every scene, that it pulls you into the movie.

Zooey Deschanel

she’s pretty irresistible and adorable. she’s one of those girls that guys love and girls wanna hang out with. she has the perfect combination of cute, sarcastic, jaded and vulnerable to totally embody “Summer”.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

it’s totally the kid from “The Juror” all grown up! he plays the perfect "guy who pines over a girl and can’t believe his life when he gets her". but we love what his character goes through. if you’ve ever had a connection in your life that you became so wrapped up in that you "think" it means one thing, but then you come out the other side and see that it was actually an experience in finding yourself, this movie is totally inspiring.

Geoffrey Arend

the hilarious best friend. every romantic dramady needs a hilarious best friend… it’s always the best part .

The Trailer

500 Days of Summer Trailer

The Soundtrack

when a movie has a perfect soundtrack, it’s almost like another character in the movie. it draws you into the characters, and makes you feel the emotions they are experiencing.

his acting…

the only bummer about Trent’s acting is that there isn’t enough of it, ha ha. this boy is fer sure one of the most underrated and underexposed actors whose worth watching. he has done quite a few TV show stints, but usually 5 or 6 episodes tops. And he has been in a few major motion pictures with names such as Mandy Moore, Scarlett Johansson, Ewan McGregor, Jon Voight, Kirsten Dunst, and Terence Stamp, but no one has put this boy in his breakout role yet. our biggest questions is…”How did this kid not get cast in Twilight?!”. we’re pretty sure that’s what the movies are missing .

what we have watched Trent in so far though, he’s a complete scene stealer. can’t take your eyes off of him, and his energy is infectious. he has this amazing crooked smile that is pretty infectious too . but aside from the heartthrob thing, he really is a phenomenal actor. he’s completely believable and genuine, and he’s actually American and British – with the full on accent in effect – but he takes on an American accent perfectly in most of his roles. seriously, the first time we saw him in a film, we had no clue about the accent until we watched the DVD outtakes and he was interviewed behind the scenes!

in all the stuff he’s been in so far, it’s profoundly obvious that he could carry entire a movie. we know his leading man days are just around the corner, so we’re watching for it .

his modeling…

he actually got his start as a model and has been in campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch, Calvin Klein, Gap, Italian Vogue, and Valentino. He’s perfect enough in a wife beater or t-shirt, but we pretty much melted when we saw him in a suit… Trend Ford Modeling Photos »

the personality…

we’re definitely into the whole confident, funny, sarcastic – but romantic and passionate vibe he’s got going. he’s articulate and intelligent, which are must-haves for us. he’s pretty nomadic and adventurous – we are too, so we love it when a boy has an adventurous spirit. despite the fact that he went to 18 different high schools, he still went on to college and studied English Literature at Cambridge University. and we’ve also heard this story about how he has a necklace that he adds a new bead to every time he travels to a new place. awwwwz… yes – girls think that kinda thing is adorable.

Trent video…

‘September Dawn’ – Trent Ford as Jonathan

drop dead diva…

if you didn’t catch the debut season, it comes back this summer and you can’t miss it. it’s basically a show about a stereotypical “shallow, skinny, blonde model” named Deb who dies, but ends up not crossing over, and instead gets transported into the body of Jane, who is a “less skinny brunette”. Deb has to learn how to function in life now that she doesn’t look the same, when she always depended on her looks before. Brooke is gorgeous, so it’s a tiny bit hard to see that she would be totally miserable, haha. Brooke is also so hilarious, adorable, and so perfect in this. and whether or not you share the experience of having to learn to be comfortable with your “weight” as Brooke’s character does on this show, there is sort of a universal self-acceptance and self-love feeling you get from the storylines. if you’ve ever gone through any kind of major life change that causes an identity crisis where you lose your sense of self and have to discover who you are all over again under new circumstances you didn’t expect, this show is like a big hug saying – it’s gonna be ok, and you’ll figure out who you get to be now.

brooke as jane…

it’s kinda confusing cause Brooke, plays Jane – whose really Deb. so she’s 2 people in one – but she’s so awesome in this that you really feel like you’re seeing someone who is one soul in another body. it sounds creepy or sci-fi but don’t worry it’s not haha.

jane and grayson…

Brooke’s character Jane ends up working with Deb’s fiance’, but Jane is really Deb, so it’s really Deb having to be around her soulmate who doesn’t know it’s her . we love this relationship on the show though, because you just feel their connection, and it takes away any pre-programmed ideas we have as people that "people who look like this, should be with people who look like that". when you watch them together, you just think – cute boy + pretty girl = love. the end.

brooke in real life..

like we mentioned, she is a theater diva too. she sings, she acts, she does it all. unlike her character on Drop Dead Diva, Brooke is confident and sexy and totally owns her own energy. we adore her <3.

brooke video…

Brooke talks Drop Dead Diva…

the interview…

Leanne Mawson, Lisa Seaton and Alana Herridge are taking on a major physical challenge as they will be cycling 320 miles in 7 days! So, to take that on, they’ve committed themselves to the process in a big way. One of the girls, Leanne, took some time to tell us about Believabelles and the women behind the event…

Pretty Princess Girls:

Hello, and thank you so much for doing this! We found you guys on Twitter and think it’s awesome what you are doing. We listened to a few of your interviews and heard where the idea was inspired by someone close to you who lost their battle with cancer. Was it nerve racking to decide to put your personal experience out there, or has the decision to do this been helping you heal?

Leanne from Believabelles:

We’ve really tried hard to make this more a generic cycle for everybody we’ve ever lost to cancer or for people who are fighting cancer. It’s not really about losing one person, more about pushing forward to stop losing others to this horrific disease.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Are you all already experienced cyclists, or is this a completely new adventure for you?

Leanne from Believabelles:

We’re all novice cyclists. The most we’ve cycled is London to Brighton but London to Paris sounded cool and we just decided to go for it!

Pretty Princess Girls:

What kind of training are/will you be taking on for the big ride, and how far is the distance you will be riding at the actual event?

Leanne from Believabelles:

We’re going to cycle approx 60/70 miles a day for 7 days. Other people have done it in 4 days but being novice cyclists and doing it ourselves (not through an organized event), we didn’t want to overdo it. We’ve all been training on exercise bikes at home and also cycling to and from work. It’s hard to stay motivated but we’re all pushing each other.

Pretty Princess Girls:

We’re sure there are so many people who appreciate what you are doing, have a lot of people now contacted you with their stories? And if so, are those stories motivating you even more?

Leanne from Believabelles:

The support we have via Twitter and Facebook is bigger than we ever imagined it could be. It’s definitely inspirational when people suffering with cancer or having lost somebody through cancer send us messages thanking us for our efforts.

Pretty Princess Girls:

It sounds like this mission is a huge undertaking, so do you think after this year you will keep on going and maybe make it a yearly event?

Leanne from Believabelles:

There have been discussions about doing a Believabelles challenge a year and also turning believabelles into a charity in its own right to raise money for cancer trials but we are three normal women who have full time jobs to hold down and bills to pay etc so only time will tell. It would be great to do something life changing like turning it into a charity though so watch this space!

Pretty Princess Girls:

You have been getting a lot of attention for all of this, did you have any clue before you took this on how big it would become?

Leanne from Believabelles:

Its all come through being persistent and having fantastic Twitter friends who have been helping us to constantly promote the cycle.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Even though this is a serious cause you are supporting, from what we’ve heard so far, you seem like really fun and maybe even silly girls, haha. Will you be dressing up or wearing anything outrageous during the actual ride?

Leanne from Believabelles:

We’ve been really lucky in that Sweaty Betty have donated us loads of clothes for the event so we’ll be donning our best lycra . We are going to record the whole journey though and no doubt we’ll spend most of the time laughing and dragging each other through the days!

Pretty Princess Girls:

We’re kinda superstitious, like our lucky number is 11:11. Does the date September 25th have any special meaning or is there a reason you have chosen that day?

Leanne from Believabelles:

There’s no reason we’ve chosen that date, it was just roughly a year on from when we decided to do the event and we thought September wouldn’t be too warm or too cool.

Pretty Princess Girls:

It seems like once you become this passionately involved in a cause, there is sometimes no turning back, and it becomes part of who you are. Do you feel like this is a life long journey you are on now?

Leanne from Believabelles:

There’s definitely no turning back now. There are days when we’re all tired and battling normal life dramas and want to take a step back and hide under our duvets but we realize what we’re doing will help Livestrong fund respite days for people going through cancer and will also go towards clinical trials to finding a cure for cancer. At the end of the day, its hard work keeping it up but it’s well worth the effort.

Pretty Princess Girls:

We believe that in addition to inspiring and helping others, it’s just as valid and important to follow your own bliss in life and find your personal happiness too. Outside of this experience, what are the 3 of you most passionate about and what makes you happiest in life?

Leanne from Believabelles:

For me its being around friends and family, being happy in my career and having some kind of stability in life. I also like to shop and party but don’t all girls?? Alana is a passionate fashionista and also works in event management which she really enjoys. Lisa is very compassionate and selfless, she’s often done charity work and is mainly happy when the people around her are happy. She’s also an amazing photographer (www.lisaseatonphotography.com) and has a published book which came out this year.

her style…

her clothing…

the stylists on Gossip Girl get a lot of credit for the awesome fashion she gets to indulge in half the time, but if there is one thing this girl can do off set, it’s rock a dress and a red carpet. from her red Versace dress at the Emmys to the Oscar de la Renta gown she wore at the Berlin Film Festival, she always looks like a goddess head to toe. her casual style is very "Classic New York Chill". she wears jeans tucked into comfy boots, big sweaters, layers, scarves, and winter hats, and even likes to go a little funky with cool leather jackets.

some of her favorite designers…

Marc Jacobs, Versace, Phillip Lim, Oscar de la Renta, Chloé, Chanel

her hair…

long, long, and long. she’s naturally blonde but has beach baby highlights. she sometimes does sleek and straight, but usually wears loose tousled waves. when she wears it up, it’s a sleek ponytail, or an up do with loose bangs falling down.

her makeup…

glowing, sun kissed, corals, pinks, soft eyes, and rosy cheeks.

blake on video…

hahaha… her awesome “riverdance” on Jimmy Fallon.

The Soundtrack Of Our 2009

• Let Go – Thieves And Villains –
• Goodbye Almond Eyes – Tokyo Rose –
• Bulimic – The Used –
• Can’t Live This Way – Early States – Powerlines »
• Rise from the Ashes – Quitedrive –
• Chase This Light – Jimmy Eat World –
• Little Wonders – Rob Thomas –
• The Great Escape – Boys Like Girls –
• Rain Falls Down – We The Kings –
• Goodbye to You – Michelle Branch –
• Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart – Alicia Keys –
• Casting Off – This Beautiful Republic –
• 1901 – Phoenix –
• Shimmer – Thieves And Villains –
• Give It Up To Me – Shakira –
• Notion – Kings Of Leon –
• From Here to California – Go Crash Audio –
• Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap –
• Down – Jason Walker –

jenna

this is krissie’s favorite ever. i can see how much this gives her confidence, and i wish i could put this deep inside the head of every girl that’s ever felt the need to hide her greatness because someone else needed her to stay down.

krissie

a friend gave this to me printed out on a pretty piece of paper and i felt like it was what someone needed to say to me my whole life. i grew up being a victim of people who needed me to be “small”. it made me super shy and scared. i let people make me afraid to be myself, and afraid to “too beautiful” or “too confident” or “too amazing”, because when i let myself shine, they would end up doing awful things to me to hold me back because they were too insecure. when i read this, i felt like i finally had permission to find myself and let myself be worthy of being amazing.

cameron

to me, this is something girls should hold onto when they feel criticized or judged by other girls. we get hated on sometimes because we’re so girlie and so “preppy” or “goodie two shoes” haha. but we are discovering ourselves the same as everyone else and we want to be excited about who we get to be in this life, and we want to be confident, and feel beautiful and worthy. we think every girl should get to feel that, and never have to apologize for it.

ashlee

i agree, it’s totally inspiring for not letting girl-on-girl jealousy get to you, but i also think every girl should remember this in relationships with boys. if a boy treats you bad, cheats on you, holds you back, talks down to you, abuses you… then he is insecure and you never have to play small to that insecurity. it’s not your job to make him feel “big” because you stay down. never settle for that… always know that you can walk away and be with people who love you and adore you for how amazing you are.

the hometown…

we remember these boys when they were in San Diego, right now they’re in Seattle, but they are moving back to Cali this Spring. phew. they move a lot like we do haha. wherever they are, as long as they make music, we’re happy.

the lowdown…

some music fans have this “I hate when the unsigned bands I love get big” issue, but we for sure don’t. if we love a band, we want to scream it at the top of our lungs and turn everyone into a fan. we also want the bands we love to be able to do what they love – and being paid to do it is how that happens, haha! these boys are currently unsigned, but we’re pretty sure that will change soon, and we’re wishing big things for them.

why we’re so stoked on this band…

when you fall in love with a song, it’s pretty easy to be stoked on the vocals, the lyrics, or the hook, but this is one of those bands where we can’t stop being drawn in by all the different layers and intricacies of their songs. like the intro harmonies on “Never Let Go”, the piano break on "What It Means To Love", or the drum bridge on “Unwound”. not only is every song different than the next, it seems like everytime we listen to each song, we hear something new, or get hooked on a little part we love.

the interview…

Ryan, who is vocals for the band, was super nice and answered some questions for us…

Pretty Princess Girls:

Hey! Thank you soo much for doing this! We’ve been fans of yours since waaay back when ‘Never Let Go’ came out and it was our myspace song for like 6 months haha. We feel like you guys definitely deserve a ton more attention and we can’t wait until you get signed! You had a really big 2009 – lotsa touring, the Japan Tour, The Hot Topic In-stores… are you guys excited for 2010 and do you think this will be a major break through year for you?

Ryan from The Real You

2009 was definitely a big year for us being an unsigned band. We got a lot of opportunities that even signed bands don’t often get, so I think we really grew and progressed as a band. But 2010 is our year! We are hoping to do a ton of touring both at home and overseas. We want to make a decision on the right label home for us, and put out an awesome full length record!

Pretty Princess Girls:

Your tours have included other bands such as Hit the Lights, Valencia, Every Avenue, and even Lifehouse – that’s so huge. Has it been inspiring? Crazy? Some of the best times ever?

Ryan from The Real You

We’ve had some great tours, but nothing could compare to our first tour in Japan with those bands. It was really the first “big” tour we’ve ever done, and it wasn’t even in our own country! It is definitely inspiring to be included with a good lineup of bands, and it encourages us to work even harder to get to that level ourselves.

Pretty Princess Girls:

With the piano, and the arrangements of your songs it seems like you guys are more into your musicianship than a lot of other young bands might be. Do you guys consider that a really important aspect of your band?

Ryan from The Real You

I’m not gonna be one to say that other bands aren’t into musicianship, but I will say that for us it’s crucial. We’ve all been playing music for at least a decade now in some form, and our pianist was classically trained and has been playing for 17 years! I think good musicianship for us is a way to set ourselves apart from other “pop” oriented bands. We focus on melody and structure first and foremost, and as long as you’ve got that catchy hook everything else follows pretty easily.

Pretty Princess Girls:

There are a lot of songs out that can be pretty mean to girls and even degrading sometimes. Some of your guys lyrics are actually really – no offense – sweet, haha. We love that! Is that something you guys are even aware of and do intentionally, or are you just nice guys in disguise ?

Ryan from The Real You

Haha, well I’m glad you love it! Honestly, I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily something I’m aware of when writing lyrics, but it does come off that way. I think as I’ve matured, I’ve just come to respect females much more… and plus I don’t know how long my girlfriend would stick around if I was disrespecting girls all the time!

Pretty Princess Girls:

Haha true. Take notes boys… the nice guys get the girl in the end . Speaking of girls, since you guys are looking for a new touring guitarist, would you ever consider having a girl in the band?

Ryan from The Real You

We’ve never really discussed that option, but it’s definitely something we would consider if the right person came along. We’re looking for talent, good work ethic, and a good personality first and foremost, so if a girl came along with everything we’re looking for she would definitely be in the running!

Pretty Princess Girls:

Thank you so much Ryan, and whoever you guys find on guitar, tons of luck to you boys in 2010!

The Real You – CW11 music underground…

it’s an old school interview with CW11’s music underground show in Seattle. we think it’s such a cool clip though, because you can see that Ryan’s voice is just as amazing live, you get to see how stoked their local fans are about them, and in the middle you catch a glimpse of their song “Wrong Side of My Head” before it even had a title!

check out more TRY…

• The Real You Twitter
• The Real You Myspace
• The Real You PureVolume

download TRY on iTunes…

Better Now Than Never – The Real You –

Paris, France

why we wanna go there…

from what we’ve seen and heard, it’s beautiful of course! we love the idea of going somewhere where they celebrate beauty and fashion and art and romance. we want to visit the rest of he country along with visiting Paris, but we also want to be completely cliché and experience everything touristy about Paris. the language is so beautiful and we want to be able to speak it fluently before we go so we can be totally immersed in the energy and have a fairytale adventure .

what we wanna do in Paris…

The Eiffel Tower

like we said, we want to be completely cliché and do the predictable things in Paris – but there is reason over 200,000,000 people have visited the tower – it’s awesome! we want to for sure see it at night when it’s all lit up and the fountains are sparkling .

The Eiffel Tower images »

Notre Dame Cathedral

the images we’ve seen of this are breathtaking. it looks like a castle inside! we can only image that actually being inside, you would feel magic all around you.

Notre Dame Cathedral images »

Angelina

one of the cheesy things we really have to do is eat at the french cafés. we read about ‘Angelina’ and it’s rumored that they have the most amazing hot chocolate ever, so we want to have hot chocolate and french breakfast there!

Angelina, Paris »

Classic Walks of Paris

this is total “Paris for Dummies” but we’re all about it. they take you around to all the cheesy touristy stuff and they speak english, haha. they take you on The Da Vinci Code Walk, The French Revolution Walk, The World War II Walk, The Montmartre Walk, Latin Quarter Walk, and they even offer bike tours. it sounds like a fun way to take in French history.

Classic Walks of Paris »

The Louvre

we can’t imagine going to Paris and not seeing this.

The Louvre »

Paris Opera Ballet

even though ballet originated in Italy, it was developed and perfected in France. and since we love dance, we think it would be incredible to experience a classic ballet in the country where it became such an incredible art form. we hear it’s practically impossible to get tickets, but since we’re dreaming right now, we’ll pretend we can get them haha.

Paris Opera Ballet »

Go Boutique Shopping

even if we can’t afford the clothes we’ll just drool over them and maybe try some on. but it’s the center of fashion so we have to go shopping!

Shopping In Paris »

Visit A Chocolate Shop

we don’t really care which one we would visit… in fact, we might just go to all of ‘em .

Paris Chocolate Shops »

Outside Of Paris

we definitely want to venture outside of Paris. we want to travel through the French Countryside and stay in a château, we want to party on the French Riviera, and because we love the mountains, we want to have adventures in the French Alps and stay in a beautiful alpine chalet. *sigh* someday .

the history of ballet…

ballet started all the way back in the 1400’s in Italy during the Renaissance period when art, creativity, and performance were thriving. then, in the 1500’s the dance style was introduced to France where it was developed, and became a well recognized art form. the first official school of ballet was then established by King Louis XIV of France, which is where all the french terms used today in ballet were created !

some common french ballet terms…

• Arabesque – dancer is standing on one straight leg, the other straight leg is extended behind the body
• Ballerina – female ballet dancer
• Barre – a horizontal bar used for bracing in the practice of ballet
• Chassé – a rapid, gliding dance step forward or sideways
• Danse – dance
• Développé – one leg is raised to the knee of the supporting leg and fully extended
• Glissade – a sliding step beginning and ending in the fifth position
• Jeté – ballet leap in which the weight of the dancer is transferred from one foot to the other
• Pas de deux – dance for two
• Piqué – executed by stepping directly on the point or demi-pointe of the working foot in any desired direction or position with the other foot raised in the air
• Pirouette – a complete turn of the body on one foot, on point or demi-pointe
• Plié – full bending of the knees
• Relevé – raising of the body on the points or demi-pointes, point or demi-pointe

the benefits of ballet…

if you are a dancer, ballet is incredibly important for technique. it helps strengthen your core which is super important. a stronger core gives you balance and helps a ton with keeping your turns upright. ballet also teaches proper placement of your body and limbs. this is why barre exercises are important, so that when you are in motion away from the barre, proper body placement is second nature. ballet helps prevent injury by helping with overall strength and flexibility, it gives you long and lean lines, and in general, ballet gives you grace and beauty in your movement .

if you are not a dancer, ballet is a fun workout! it improves your posture, increases flexibility, it tones your body, it’s creative, and even non dancers could use more grace and beauty in their movement .

where to take ballet…

most areas have at least one dance studio in town or near by. and most studios offer some sort of beginner or adult ballet class, so you don’t have to be a pro! if you don’t have friends or family in dance classes to get a review from, then check out a studio for yourself. usually studios will allow you to observe a class before signing up, and some even offer one free class to make sure you like it. doing a local internet search for dance studios in your area is a good place to start, but a lot of great studios are not internet savvy yet, so it’s good to check your local phone book too.

dance classes can be intimidating, but just go in with the attitude that you are excited to learn, and don’t worry about what other people think! don’t judge yourself either… you can’t get good at something unless you start it in the first place right? so take a risk and go for it!

what to wear to class…

a lot of studios have dress codes – especially for ballet, so check with the studio you want to attend classes at to see what they would like you to wear before you go shopping. a pretty common ‘uniform’ for a ballet class is a black leotard with pink tights, and pink, black, or nude ballet slippers, but some studios allow you more freedom.

when you are ready to go shopping though, totally check out our favorite place for dance gear online. they have a huge stock and really good discounts…

Discount Dancewear at All About Dance »

ballet on DVD…

so maybe you would rather try out a little ballet and get a little vocabulary in before you take an actual class. well you’re in luck! there are actually ballet DVDs where you can get some practice and technique in at home!

ballet dvds »

the story…

a rich high school student in Beverly Hills named Cher and her best friend Dionne are popular, pretty, fashionable, and full of trendy vocabulary. the adorable movie follows their adventures with boys, school, friends, charity, fashion, and learning who they are.

Alicia Silverstone

noone else ever could have played this role. it’s like Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde – who Alicia was in real life created such a unique twist on the character. she plays it so perfect that no matter how stuck up her character acts, you can’t help but adore her.

Stacey Dash

she’s also the perfect sidekick. Dionne helps Cher’s attitude make absolute sense, and again, Stacey is so spot on in the role that you love her no matter what.

Brittany Murphy

she was so endearing in this, and had adorable comedic timing. the accent, the clumsiness, the ‘makeover’ – unforgettable.

why we love it…

it’s like the best movie to put in and it instantly makes you happy and takes you into a world where nothing is serious and everything is rediculously girlie. it’s filled with adorable clothes, catch phrases you know by heart, and despite the fact that it seems like a shallow movie at first glance, the humor in it is actually incredibly smart and whitty, and the acting really is completely perfect. this movie was the original that lead to ‘Meangirls’, Bring it On’, ‘Gossip Girl’ and all clever teen movies and shows. we have seen this movie more times than we can count, and we’ll keep watching over and over and over…

The Trailer

Clueless Movie Trailer

how he got into dance…

his sister was a dancer, so he saw her loving it and wanted to try it too. as a kid, he got his start with tap & acrobatics and then moved into jazz and ballet. now that he’s all grown up, he specializes in hip hop and contemporary.

where you have seen him…

he was one half of our favorite couple, who performed our favorite routine, on our favorite season of So You Think You Can Dance. he was teamed up with Lacey Schwimmer on Season 3 of SYTYCD, and their first dance together was a contemporary piece choreographed by Mia Michaels to ‘Dancing’ by Elisa.

since the show…

…he went on tour with SYTYCD, he’s taught at dance workshops, he performed on the Latin Grammy Awards and was in a music video for a singer named Priscilla Jayne. *sigh*….we wish that list would get even longer so we could watch more .

Sugar and Bruno…

Kameron also has his own series of clothing at the dance inspired clothing line Sugar and Bruno.

kameron performing…

Kameron with Lacey performing ‘Dancing’

her story…

she was born in New York, and found music early on in the piano at only 7 years old. she went on to major in choir at the Professional Performance Arts School of Manhattan as a young teenager and then got a scholarship to Columbia University, but dropped out after 2 years to pursue music full time. it worked out because she became the first artist signed to Clive Davis’ J Records. then, after the release of her debut album, ‘Songs In A Minor’, she became a massive star.

her awards…

• 12 Grammys
• 11 Billboard Music Awards
• 5 American Music Awards
• 3 World Music Awards
• 3 MTV Video Music Awards
• 3 MTV Europe Awards
• 2 Nickelodeon Teen Choice Awards
• 3 BET Awards
• 14 NAACP Image Awards
• 7 Soul Train Music Awards
• 2 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
• 2 People’s Choice Award
• 1 My VH1 Award to name a few. yeah, not too bad

her influences…

Marvin Gaye, Prince, Nina Simone, Quincy Jones, Donny Hathaway, Barbra Streisand, and Stevie Wonder.

her acting…

‘The Secret Life of Bees’, ‘The Nanny Diaries’, ‘Smokin’ Aces’, and when she was little…’The Cosby Show’!

she gives back…

she co-founded the organization ‘Keep a Child Alive’. it’s a non-profit organization that provides medicine to families with HIV and AIDS in Africa. She has traveled to various African countries to visit and provide help for children affected by AIDS. a documentary about her efforts in Africa was filmed and is called, ‘Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland’.

alicia video…

Alicia Keys in Africa…

how it started…

a man named Tom Matlack was not living up to the status of a “good man” in his own life. he was unfaithful to his wife, he was drinking too much, and he wasn’t being a good role model for his family. after his wife kicked him out, he hit rock bottom and began to examine his life and who he wanted to be as a person. he later became aware that around 30 million children in the United States do not have father figures, and decided that there is a universal need for men to raise the bar and become “good men”.

the book and documentary…

The Good Men Project has collected stories from real men discussing what it means to be a man in modern day America. they profile a collection of all different types of men including Pulitzer Prize winners, ex-cons, professional athletes, and everyday guys. they are basically motivating men to have an ongoing conversation about what it means to be a "good man".

the Good Men Project team members

The idea has expanded, and Tom Matlack now has a team.

• Tom Matlack – The idea founder and co-editor of The Good Men Project
• James Houghton – Co-editor of The Good Men Project, Co-founder of a foundation focused on kids at risk in upstate New York
• Stephen Sheffield – Professor of advanced photography at the New England School of Photography in Boston
• Larry Bean – Editor at large for Robb Report, Consulting editor for Niche Media publications
• Joseph Kolchinsky – Manager of OneVision Resources, a technology consulting firm

why we’re so stoked about it…

we’ve all had pretty major experiences with the boys and father figures and men we are supposed to look up to in our lives, cheating, lying, being abusive, and disappointing us on every level possible. we’ve grown up in a world where it’s been the burden of women to “do what’s right” and “accept” men as they are – no matter how much they let us down, or disrespect us, or hurt us. we’re not guy bashing – we’re just being honest about the level of pain our generation of girls has experienced from the widespread lack of integrity and honesty and strength of character in the modern male. and what’s even more frustrating is that our moms took on the role of trying to “fix” the men in their lives – as if we are responsible for someone else’s choices. we’ve always had a major issue with that type of thinking… so now that The Good Men Project is speaking out and saying the men are responsible for themselves and their own choices, and it’s time they choose to be better, we feel like it’s finally taking the burden off girls. if that kind of positive energy continues, more women and girls can instead learn to focus on bettering themselves, and discover what it means to be a "good girl" instead of trying to fix a boy.

we do like boys…

don’t get us wrong, we do like boys. that’s why we have our "boy crush" section, haha. we want to be positive about the amazing things we do see in boys! we also believe in soulmates and that there are boys out there that are honest and worthy of our hearts. we have adorable nephews and in them we see innocence and honor. we have guy friends who are kind and sweet and treat us with respect. we are inspired by boys who are passionate, motivated, artistic and talented. we think confidence is hot. we love when guys care about others and give back. we’re drawn to intelligence and independence. we think it’s awesome when guys are reckless, free-spirits. we value boys opinions, and feelings, and ideas. we adore guys who are funny and "guys" guys. we promise… we totally like boys! … we just think it’s even more awesome that there is a major energy shift that is inspiring men to evolve and grow.

learn about The Good Men Project Foundation…

a single defining moment.

her fashion…

her clothing…

professionally, she designed a line for DKNY. when she’s on the red carpet, she changes it up between classic black dresses, and trendy, funky stuff. when she’s off-duty, she usually goes pretty casual, but always looks super cute. she wears a lot of flowy sundresses, jean cut-offs, skinny pants with button up shirts, cardigans, and leggings with boots. it seems like she has like a million pairs of amazing boots.

her accessories…

she is seen with a lot of big hoop earrings, chunky necklaces, bohemian hats, and scarves.

some of her designers…

Cake Couture, Carla Mancini, Hudson Jeans, J Brand, Joe’s Jeans, Karen ZAMBOS, Kasil Jeans, Paper Denim & Cloth, Raw 7, Rebecca Norman Jewelry, Signorelli, and Tricia Fix.

her hair…

she rocks everything from sleek-straight hair, to ponytails, loose waves, low-neck buns, to full bangs.

her makeup…

light, peachy, and natural, so you can see her cute nose freckles. sometimes she goes for a really strong lip color and eyeliner.

rachel on video…

Nylon Magazine Cover Shoot

The Soundtrack Of Our 2009

• Love Drunk – Boys Like Girls –
• So Obvious(Acoustic) – Runner Runner –
• White Lines & Red Lights – Between the Trees –
• TiK ToK – Ke$ha –
• Vanilla Twilight – Owl City –
• Stay Beautiful – Taylor Swift –
• Kings and Queens – 30 Seconds to Mars –
• Good Girls Go Bad – Cobra Starship –
• The Climb – Miley Cyrus –
• A Melody, The Memory – Mae –
• Never Let Go – The Real You –
• Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart – Alicia Keys –
• Casting Off – This Beautiful Republic –
• 1901 – Phoenix –
• Shimmer – Thieves And Villains –
• Give It Up To Me – Shakira –
• Notion – Kings Of Leon –
• From Here to California – Go Crash Audio –
• Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap –
• Down – Jason Walker –

why your liver is so important

you probably don’t think about your liver very often, haha, but it’s called your live-r for a reason! it definitely keeps you healthy and alive.

• detoxifies your body
• aids in the intestinal absorption of healthy fats and important vitamins
• helps clean your blood
• helps keep your skin clear
• eliminates potentially harmful biochemical products produced by the body
• processes fats, including fatty acids and cholesterol
• manufactures important hormones
• converts glucose into glycogen which provides the body with short term energy storage
• helps break down old blood
• overall, it helps keep your body clean and healthy

healthy liver foods

here are some foods that your liver likes! some of them help with detoxification, and some provide anti-oxidents, compounds, and vitamins the liver needs.

• carrots
• onions
• garlic
• broccoli
• cabbage
• brussel sprouts
• cauliflower
• apples
• artichokes

healthy liver liquids

here are some drinks and liquids that your liver likes!

• carrot juice
• apple juice
• boiled lemon juice in water first thing in the morning
• green tea
• apple cider vinegar
• milk thistle tea
• ginger tea
• and water of course!

healthy liver herbs and supplements

any health related ideas we give are simply ideas. always inform yourself about herbs and supplements and check with your doctor or health professional if needed.

• milk thistle
• dandelion root
• artichoke leaves
• boldo leaf
• astragalus
• vitamins A, D, E, and K
• sarsaparilla

what else can i do?

well, if you love your liver year round, it will be less upset with you in general, but when your liver is under stress, it helps to get some exercise, and get enough rest!

jenna

there are people that try to make other people feel bad about making christmas fun and light – and "superficial". but we think it’s supposed to be about joy and celebration – isn’t getting things you wish for about joy?

krissie

i totally spoil my nephews at Christmas – like ridiculously. I get them one big thing, and like a ton of other little things so they have like a big bunch of presents to open – and none of it’s useful, lol. they are toddlers, not grown-ups! i just want them to have fun and be super excited .

cameron

we’re not saying don’t give to those in need or be charitable on Christmas, we just feel like kids getting to be young, and do things just for fun, is just as valid and important. this quote probabaly isn’t supposed to be this deep, but it has a bigger meaning to me – like life doesn’t have to be about fighting against something negative to be important. i believe that celebrating life is why we’re here.

ashlee

i have nephews too, and i get them the cool shiz their parents wont get ‘em .

the DIY…

Brad and his manager – who is also his wife – totally promote his music, book his shows, create his own merch, and get his music out there all by themselves. we think that’s pretty impressive

where you have probably heard him…

his songs are actually everywhere and you’ve almost certainly heard him. his music has been featured on everything from shows like Laguna Beach, The Hills, and One Tree Hill, to a national GMC commercial.

Brad Skistimas, Five Times August Interview

Brad Skistimas, who is better known as ‘Five Times August’, is crazy busy doing all of his music promotion himself, but he still took some time to answer a few questions for us!

Pretty Princess Girls:

First off, thank you so much for doing this! Congratulations on “Life As A Song” too! We looove it! We literally just bought another digital copy for one of our moms because she loves it too. She always says “who is this guy? I like this guy!”, whenever we play your songs, haha! Is it kind of funny to think that girls and their moms are listening to your music together all over the country? And we’ve never been able to go to one of your shows live, we know, sad , but do you get a big variety of fans? or is it a serious ’sea of girls’?

Brad of Five Times August

Thanks for the interview, my pleasure! I’m always appreciative of anyone who enjoys my music. A fan is a fan, and it’s actually kind of cool that my music can be enjoyed by not only a younger crowd, but their parents too. I’ve had full families come out to shows in the past because they all were fans, I think that’s a rare thing in the music industry today. Most bands are geared toward a specific crowd, style, and look. Although there are a lot of girls that come out to the shows, there are just as many aspiring guitar “dudes” that come out. So I’m happy to see my music is spread through such a wide demographic.

Pretty Princess Girls:

So many bands write songs about “girls” but the “girl” in the song doesn’t really exist. We think it’s so cute that you have a real life muse. So does your wife ever get to hear the songs that are about her while they are being created, or does she have to wait until they are recorded like the rest of us?

Brad of Five Times August

My wife and I are together literally 24 hours a day. Since we work together we’re hardly ever apart. It took me a while to get used to having another person around while I write but eventually I got used to it. Most of the time I’ll go into my studio room and write with the door closed, but if I get into writing a new song I’ll play her a rough version of what I have and get her opinion. It’s nice to have her around while I write, it’s not only inspiration at times, but just to have some more input from another music fan is good to have too!

Pretty Princess Girls:

You’ve really done so much for your music with a major ‘DIY’ approach. We can only imagine how much hard work it has probably been, so was there ever a time where you we’re worried it wasn’t going to work out? Or did you always know you had to do this, and you wouldn’t quit no matter what?

Brad of Five Times August

I still go through days where I’m worried it won’t work out. It definitely is a lot of hard work, especially when you are trying to keep your fanbase interested and coming back for more. It takes a lot of money to market yourself and when you aren’t on the radio every day like Miley Cyrus or Taylor Swift, it’s hard to keep people interested. I’ve definitely built a name for myself and my music, and I’m very lucky to get to do what I love for living. I definitely plan to do what it takes to keep going, but there are some days where all the responsibilities are too much weight on the shoulders. Eventually you just have to keep pushing past it and working at it even harder. I guess I’m too modest to sit back and go “Okay, I’m success – let’s sit back and relax” – I feel like the moment I do that it will all unravel!

Pretty Princess Girls:

We read your blog about how you’re excited to take some time off of touring and start writing again. So now that you’ve got the girl, you’ve got your dream job, and your music is successful, will it be totally different when you sit down to write?

Brad of Five Times August

I’ve been writing my own music since I was 18 years old and my style has developed a lot over the years. I find that every time I sit down it brings something new out of me, so I think this next time around the songs will definitely be different. As I get older I find myself maturing as an artist and songwriter, so I think the music will reflect that. I am excited though, it will be interesting to see what happens!

Pretty Princess Girls:

Your songs have been featured in a crazy amount of TV shows. Everything from Laguna Beach, The Real World, Army Wives, to One Tree Hill, which is so cool by the way, but since you are the soundtrack to so many TV Shows, and people’s lives, what are 5 songs that are crucial to the soundtrack of your life?

Brad of Five Times August

That’s a tough question!

• Smile – written by Charlie Chaplin
  It’s a song that will always cheer you up and one I wish I had written
  myself. Check out the Nat King Cole version
• Yesterday – The Beatles
  Another song I wished I had written. It’s the most covered song of all
  time. No matter who you are you know this song!
• My Love – Paul McCartney & Wings
  It was my wife and mine’s first dance at our wedding.
• God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
  Beautifully produced song. The Beach Boys are definitely one of my favs.
• Songbird – Fleetwood Mac
  It was the last song my wife and I danced to at our wedding after everyone cleared out of the room. A memory I will never forget.

Pretty Princess Girls:

Thank you sooo much Brad, and have fun writing!

Better With You – Five Times August…

that’s his super cute wife in the video playing the teacher …

check out more FTA…

• Five Times August Twitter
• Five Times August Myspace
• Five Times August Facebook

download FTA on iTunes…

Life As A Song – Five Times August –

why she’s a princess…

well, she literally is a princess in Shrek but besides that, she’s not afraid to be goofy and silly. sense of humor is the thing that connects us to each other, so we love when other girls make us laugh. she always just “sparkles”. nothing’s more irresistable than a girl that “sparkles” .

the actress…

everytime she’s in a movie she totally pours herself into the role and full throttle and takes on the emotions of the chracter. whether she’s obnoxiously drunk like in “What Happens In Vegas”, or she’s completely mentally unstable in “Vanilla Sky”, she portrays it with complete abandon. we’re so impressed by that especially since she jumped into her first acting role ever – “The Mask” – and held her own against Jim Carrey, all with zero acting experience, and hasn’t stopped since then.

our favrit’ Cameron Diaz Movies…

“What Happens in Vegas”, “The Holiday”, “The Sweetest Thing”, “Vanilla Sky”, “Charlie’s Angels”, “Any Given Sunday”, “My Best Friend’s Wedding”, and “She’s the One”.

she wants her freedom…

she told Cosmopolitan magazine, “I think women are afraid to say that they don’t want children because they’re going to get shunned … I have more girlfriends who don’t have kids than those that do. And honestly? We don’t need any more kids. We have plenty of people on this planet.” Ha ha – we know she was just being funny in the way she said it, but we agree with what she said. not every single girl wants marriage and kids and a domesticated life. Jenna, Ashlee, and Krissie all don’t want kids – not because we don’t like kids – in fact we all have adorable nieces and nephews who are our favorite people ever. we just think it’s a huge life choice and it’s not for everybody. it’s like choosing to be an astronaut, or a professional athlete, or a nurse. you wouldn’t be good at any of those things if you didn’t want to commit to it or if you weren’t passionate about it :\. what takes more commitment and passion than raising another human being? so many people have kids and they don’t really want to be a parent – so the kids suffer. soooo, we love that Cameron isn’t afraid to be honest and make her own choices.

she gives back…

Cameron is involved in causes that help raise awareness for everything from the environment, to poverty. she’s neat.

• 4REAL Foundation
• Act Green
• Centre For Environmental Education
• Declare Yourself
• Environmental Media Association
• Food Bank For New York City
• Green Treks
• ONE Campaign
• Pangea Day
• Racing for Kids
• The Lunchbox Fund

his activism…

Kenna is the guy who is responsible for the creation of ‘Summit On The Summit’. It’s an event where a group of celebrities and activists are climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money and awareness for the ‘Global Clean Water Crisis’. check out our inspiration buzz to learn more. he came up with the idea after talking to his dad about the water crisis, and decided he wanted to do something major to help. we think it’s awesome when people use their fortunate status to help other people have the chance to experience a better life.

how we heard about him…

our older brothers are actually fans of his music, so we’ve known about him for a couple years, but we got our crush on him when we got excited about Summit On The Summit. what can we say – girls actually do like the good guys

the music and the collaborations…

you may have heard Kenna’s work and not even realized it, he’s worked with a ton of people:

• The Neptunes
• Mike Shinoda a.k.a. Fort Minor
• Mark Ronson’s cover of the Ryan Adams song ‘Amy’
• Mae’s third album Singularity
• Produced for Ashlee Simpson
• Lupe Fiasco
• Wiley
• Produced for JoJo
• Remixed Kings of Leon’s song ‘My Party’

Kenna video…

‘Sun Red Sky Blue’

what is Mt. Kilimanjaro?

it’s a massive inactive volcano in Tanzania. at 19,340 ft. Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa, and the world’s highest freestanding mountain. the mountain has 3 volcanic cones, Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo, and is a major climbing destination for adventure travelers from all over the world.

the Summit On The Summit Event

in January 2010, a group of celebrities and activists are going to be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in an effort to raise money for and awareness about the Global Clean Water Crisis. check out the official Summit On The Summit Website to learn more – SummitOnTheSummit.com »

The Global Clean Water Crisis

there are over 1 billion people in the world who do not have access to clean drinking water. it’s ironic to think about when it’s something we take for granted every second of every day. in fact, we wrote one of our ‘healthy buzz’ stories on how to get yourself to consume enough water each day, because people who have limitless access to it tend to think it’s a chore :\. in other countries, there are children walking miles each day just to bring water home, and the water they have access to is not clean – or healthy – and it’s making them incredibly sick.

the celebrities

Summit On The Summit was actually created by the singer Kenna, who felt compelled to take action and help those who are suffering from the Clean Water Crisis.

• Kenna – Recording Artist
• Lupe Fiasco – Recording Artist, Producer
• Jessica Biel – Actress
• Alexandra Cousteau – Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s Granddaughter, Explorer
• Kick Kennedy – Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s Granddaughter, Activist
• Jimmy Chin – Expedition Photographers
• Isabel Lucas - Actress
• Michael Muller – Photographer
• Elizabeth Gore – UN Humanitarian
• Simon Isaacs – Activist, Marketer
• Bernise Ang – Social Entrepreneur
• Melissa Arnot – Mountaineering Expert
• Dr. Greg Allgood – Director of Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program
• Jason Walsh – Personal Trainer

how can we help?

it’s really simple … Sponsor A Foot! we know that we all have our own bills, and expenses, and most of us are struggling in our own lives, but donating 1 cent to the cause equals 1 liter of clean drinking water. think about how such a small effort could have such a giant impact. so get one less coffee at Starbucks this week and donate $3.00, and instead of that Starbucks coffee, have your own glass of clean water that day .

did we donate?

of course! we donated $11 bucks because it’s our lucky number, haha, but a simple $10 donation provides clean water to a child for a year and a half! so right now there is a child in the world who will have clean water for the next year and a half because of such a small effort by us. $11.00 will not have much impact on our bank account – but in reality could save that child from illness and death. pretty amazing when you really think about :\ and imagine if we all made that same small effort – we could truly change the world.

climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro

we’re incredibly adventurous and have a big dreams to try big things in life. the Summit On The Summit Event got us thinking how amazing it would be to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro someday. we’re lucky to have been introduced to the owner of an Adventure Travel Company out of Portland, Oregon through a friend. His company actually has a package where you can take the trip!!!

The company is called Embark. the owner is super friendly and incredibly passionate about what he does, so we think that’s for sure the kind of person we want taking us on an expedition like this. also, the people at Embark are total experts when it comes to traveling to crazy places, so we know we’d be safe. if we ever get the chance to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, we’ll be calling them stat!

get informed and inspired…

you may have seen the cool HP commercial supporting the event, so check out some behind the scenes from the making of the commercial…

the story…

two women – one from England – and one from LA, need to get away from their troubles for the holidays, so they swap houses and experience each other’s worlds.

Cameron Diaz

she has such amazing comic timing, and even though her character is a high-strung stress case in this, Cameron is so adorable that you love her anyways.

Kate Winslet

even though we know Kate is confident and strong in real life, she is great as the fumbling and insecure girl who comes into her own.

Jude Law

at first you think his character is pretty much a schmoe in this, but he ends up being really charming, and his character has the cutest daughters ever.

Jack Black

such a different role for him. he’s sweet, and calm, and a total gentleman, and he has amazing chemistry with Kate Winslet in this. aside from his more down-to-earth role, he’s still super funny, and helps make this movie memorable.

summary…

it’s an all around adorable romantic comedy, and turns out to be funnier than you expect. all the actors are great in it, and it’s great for anytime of the year .

The Trailer

The Holiday Movie Trailer

the mountains…

it you are lucky enough to be in Tahoe for the winter, check out atleast 1 of the 14 mountains and go skiiing or snowboarding. there is every level of mountain and slope from beginner to pro, beautiful views from the mountain tops, and if you’re just learing, they have bunny hills and lessons you can take .

Alpine Meadows Ski Resort

Location: in North Lake Tahoe six miles Northwest of Tahoe City, California.

Lifts: 13

Skill Level: 25% Easier, 40% Intermediate, 35% Expert

Alpine Meadows »

Boreal Mountain Resort

Location: off Interstate 80 in Truckee, CA, at the Boreal / Castle Peak Exit.

Lifts: 8

Skill Level: 30% Beginner, 55% Intermediate, 15% Advanced, Lanes for tubing

Boreal »

Diamond Peak Ski Resort

Location: in North Lake Tahoe on Ski Way in Incline Village, NV.

Lifts: 6

Skill Level: 18% Beginner, 46% Intermediate, 36% Advanced

Diamond Peak Ski Resort »

Donner Ski Ranch

Location: on Historic US Route 40 high atop Donner Summit in Truckee, CA.

Lifts: 6

Skill Level: 25% Beginner, 50% Intermediate, 25% Advanced

Donner Ski Ranch »

Granlibakken Ski Resort

Location: in North Lake Tahoe at 725 Granlibakken Road, Tahoe City, CA.

Lifts: 2

Skill Level: Mostly Beginner and Intermediate

Granlibakken Ski Resort »

Heavenly Ski Resort

Location: Ski Run Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA.

Lifts: 29

Skill Level: 20% Beginner, 45% Intermediate, 35% Advanced

Heavenly Ski Resort »

Homewood Mountain Resort

Location: in West Lake Tahoe, CA, directly across the street from the lake.

Lifts: 59

Skill Level: 15% Beginner, 50% Intermediate, 35% Advanced

Homewood Mountain Resort »

Kirkwood

Location: on Highway 88, 35 miles south of South Lake Tahoe at Carson Pass.

Lifts: 14

Skill Level: 15% Beginner, 50% Intermediate, 20% Advanced, 15% Expert

Kirkwood »

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe

Location: 11 Mi. Lake Tahoe’s North Shore.

Lifts: 8

Skill Level: 20% Beginner, 30% Intermediate, 40% Advanced, 10% Expert

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe »

Northstar At Tahoe

Location: on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe off of US Highway 395.

Lifts: 19

Skill Level: 13% Beginner, 60% Intermediate, 27% Advanced

Northstar At Tahoe »

Sierra At Tahoe

Location: located on Highway 50, at 1111 Sierra-at-Tahoe Road, south of Lake Tahoe.

Lifts: 12

Skill Level: 25% Beginner, 50% Intermediate, 15% Advanced, 10% Expert

Sierra At Tahoe »

Soda Springs Snow Park

Location: off I-80 at Donner Summit north of Lake Tahoe.

Lifts: 2

Skill Level: 30% Beginner, 50% Intermediate, 20% Advanced

Soda Springs Snow Park »

Squaw Valley USA

Location: north of Lake Tahoe off of Highway 89.

Lifts: 33

Skill Level: 25% Beginner, 45% Intermediate, 20% Advanced, 10% Expert

Squaw Valley USA »

Sugar Bowl Resort

Location: off I-80, north of Lake Tahoe.

Lifts: 13

Skill Level: 17% Beginner, 35% Intermediate, 40% Advanced, 8% Expert

Sugar Bowl Resort »

Tahoe Donner Downhill

Location: off I-80, north of Lake Tahoe.

Lifts: 3

Skill Level: 40% Beginner, 60% Intermediate

Tahoe Donner Downhill »

what it’s famous for ….

it’s the largest alpine lake in North America, it has snowboarding for days, major casinos, incredible views, amazing hiking, awesome cabin vacations, and, ‘The Godfather’ and ‘The Bodyguard’ both filmed scenes there!

Lake Tahoe

why go there?

it’s breathtaking, life-changing, spiritual, magical, and the water is incredibly blue and sparkly. it’s for reals one of the most memorable places in the world.

what to do…

snowboarding & skiing

Lake Tahoe is like a snowboarding and skiing heaven. with 14 mountains to choose from, you will find everything from beginning slopes to olympic powder. our favorites are Sugarbowl, Alpine Meadows, Sierra, and Boreal has night boarding!

Lake Tahoe snowboarding & skiing »

Zephyr Cove

Zephyr Cove is this awesome resort on the Nevada South Shore side. They have these super cute cabins you can rent, a beach you can hang out on, parasailing rides, waverunners & boats for rent, snowmobiling, and cruise ship tours.

Zephyr Cove »

Heavenly Flyer

what is it? a zipline! sooooo amazing! you’ll be at 3,100 ft., and it’s the longest zipline in the lower 48 U.S. states.

Heavenly Flyer ZipRider »

The Lake Tahoe Casinos

if you’re over 21, there are casino’s with 24/7 gambling, places to eat, free cocktails, and night clubs. we’ve heard South Lake Tahoe is insane on New Year’s Eve.

casinos in Lake Tahoe »

hike The Tahoe Rim Trail

it’s 165 miles of amazing hiking. it passes through two states (California and Nevada), six counties, one state park, three National Forests, three Wilderness areas, and has a perfect view from every mile.

Tahoe Rim Trail »

Lake Tahoe Kayaking

according to VirtualTahoe.com, Lake Tahoe’s water so clear that a 10 inch white dinner plate would be visible at 75 feet below the surface. with water that clear, you have to see it up close, and explore all you can.

Tahoe Kayaking »

North Shore Tahoe & amazing mexican food

even though South Lake gets the most action, don’t forget about North Shore. everything in North Shore looks like it’s from Santa’s Village – even the gas stations are cute. King’s Beach has this incredible park area on the lake, you can drive through the North Shore neighborhoods and see incredible houses, and Tahoe City has one of the best mexican food restaurants ever.

Blue Agave Mexican Food Restaurant in North Lake Tahoe »

Emerald Bay

it’s this beautiful cove that contains the only island on Lake Tahoe. the views are like nothing you’ve ever seen.

Emerald Bay Lake Tahoe »

her fashion résumé…

Teen Vogue, People’s Revolution, Diane von Furstenberg, People’s Revolution – again, and now she has her own fashion line, “Whitney Eve”.

Whitney Eve…

her clothing line, Whitney Eve, is super girlie and filled with adorable dresses. she uses a ton of color in her collection, and though her line is far from discount, with a price point of $60 to $400, her clothes are at least possible.

the whitney style…

classy and dressy, but still young and fun. she looks like a model, so everything fits her beautifully.

get more whitney…

check out a ton of whitney photos at her fashion spot forum ».

whitney answering questions…

whitney’s so cute and sweet! <3