Thanks, HGTV, for saving me a considerable amount of time this fall. In just a few short hours, I’ve realized that I would never, ever watch any show featuring any of the designers left on your “Design Star” competition. This year, the designers left in the pack couldn’t be more annoying: the egos, the whining, the over-drama. Gah. And with that, I’ve already weeded out my TV schedule. Thanks!

It’s the return of Top Ten Monday! And I’m drained, so I’m going to go with an easy one: top ten unreal women whose lives I admire. And by unreal, I mean fake. And not fake in a Pamela Anderson way. Fake in a “only real on film” kind of way. Got it? Here we go (in no particular order):

1. Tracy Lord (played by Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story). She’s rich, beautiful, lives on the Main Line and was being pursued by three men, two being Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant. She’s also funny and smart. My, but she was yar.
2. Truvy Jones (played by Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias). Admit it, you thought I was going for Ouiser. But no. I loved Dolly’s character in the film. I loved that she was smart and sassy and original – also a small business owner. When we opened up our additional office for the firm, I called my mom and said, “Mom, I’m a chain!” I felt exactly like Truvy.
3. Nora Charles (played by Myrna Loy in The Thin Man and sequels). Where to begin with this one? A rich socialite/detective married to the witty William Powell. A classic martini happy hour every day. Flawless clothes. A dog that behaved perfectly (sorry, Lyle). You had me at martini.
4. Dora Orefice (played by Nicoletta Braschi in Life is Beautiful). I know this one doesn’t end happily. But the love that her husband had for her child… That feeling is what every mother wants for her children.
5. Hildy Johnson (played by Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday). A tough-talking news reporter. Hildy was totally my inspiration growing up. She was so smart and driven. She held her own on screen with Cary Grant without looking shrewish or catty. And her clothes? Amazing.
6. Princess Leia Organa (played by Carrie Fisher in Star Wars and sequels). C’mon, she travels through space with Harrison Ford. And she has hair that can double as pastries in a pinch. What’s not to envy?
7. Jesminder Kaur Bhamra (played by Parminder Nagra in Bend in Like Beckham). She lives in the UK (well, at least in the beginning). She’s beautiful. Being a professional footballer just sounds awesome. And in the end, she gets to look forward to a life with the dreamy Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
8. Frances Stevens (played by Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief). Super sexy. High society. Wardrobe to die for (okay, maybe not the best word choice there). She lives on the Riviera with Cary Grant. Le sigh.
9. Toula Portokalos (played by Nia Vardalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding). Notwithstanding the fact that I spent much of my first year of law school wishing I were Greek (long story), I loved so much about this character. I totally relate to the idea of feeling both blessed and overwhelmed by your culture. It was so great to see a girl that didn’t need saving, she just needed, as I am fond of saying, to be tolerated. I love that she found happiness. She gets to have as much baklava as she wants for the rest of her life. And she wakes up every day with the yummy John Corbett.
10. Mary Poppins (played by Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins). Who doesn’t want to ride a carousel all day with Dick Van Dyke or fly around courtesy of your own umbrella? Exactly.

Okay, who did I miss?

Help a blogger out?

b5media is hosting a contest on the Entertainment Channel where I also write Gossip Girl Report about, well, Gossip Girl.

The current challenge is poll-related. I have an easy peasy poll in my sidebar on the site. All you have to do is a click a button and vote!

For more info on the choices (if you’re so inclined), you can read the post here.

My kids are crazy nuts about Bindi the Jungle Girl – the show starring Bindi Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter’s daughter). We watch nearly every episode. And that “Bindi the Jungle Girl” song is constantly in my head.

Today, the kids were watching the show and the girls decided that they wanted to play the characters.

Katie says, “Mom, we’re going to play Bindi. I’ll be Bindi. Amy says she’ll be the dad because he talks a lot.”

Amy knows herself to a tee.

The show, not the guy.  I mean, the guy’s pretty creepy but I don’t know enough about him to write a whole post.  But the girls on that show?  The ones claiming to be falling in love in all of about 10 seconds?  Weeping about wanting to get married and destiny and nonsense?  I don’t get it.

I was talking today with a friend about marriage and what it means (a friend of ours  just got married last weekend).  And it’s weird to me how people associate the idea of being married with happiness and not so much the relationship itself.  That’s a mistake.  And I think that’s what those desperate-sounding girls on the show are doing.

Ick and shudder.

This is priceless. Just priceless.

This is priceless. Just priceless.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww]

Despite the fact that I told Chris no more blogs, I couldn’t help myself.  I had given up Kids Dish earlier (to the very talented girlfiend) because I was finding it difficult to continue to dream up creative entries about food and kids.  Perhaps it was because I was also finding it difficult to deal with food and kids.  But that’s another story.

Skip ahead.  The blogging is going smoothly – taxgirl.com is loads of fun to write and I’m really enjoying my kids’ book blog (I’m going to interview Meg Cabot!  I’m going to interview Meg Cabot!).  I’m constantly scouring the press releases from the publishers to write for the book blog – and I found out about Gossip Girl.  And I was really intrigued.  It was being turned into a TV series for the CW, which kind of re-ignited interest in the books which I missed the first go round (which is why I mentioned it on my site well after its debut).

At any rate, I started following the book series – and the show – and a little ad happened to catch my eye for a Gossip Girl blogger.  Oh yeah.  I couldn’t help myself.  I applied.  I got it.  So if you’re into the drama, check it out at www.gossipgirlreport.com.  It’s so retro-90210.  And I’m loving it.

Last night, when the Sopranos was ending, I was one of millions… not watching.  Nope, never seen an episode.  I can’t watch violence and I had heard that it was quite violent.

But it makes me wonder…  What popular TV shows have you never seen an episode of?  Not you saw it once and never again.  But really, what have you never been able to sit through despite popular acclaim – and why?

I’ll start.  No CSI, no Law and Order.  No Big Brother.  The first two because I found the subject matter icky (that’s the technical term) and the latter because I found it annoying (i.e. who cares?).

You?

Last night, when the Sopranos was ending, I was one of millions… not watching.  Nope, never seen an episode.  I can’t watch violence and I had heard that it was quite violent.

But it makes me wonder…  What popular TV shows have you never seen an episode of?  Not you saw it once and never again.  But really, what have you never been able to sit through despite popular acclaim – and why?

I’ll start.  No CSI, no Law and Order.  No Big Brother.  The first two because I found the subject matter icky (that’s the technical term) and the latter because I found it annoying (i.e. who cares?).

You?