The Friday Five: June 29, 2012

Welcome to Friday!  This was a crazy week, so crazy that I didn't even have a chance to post on Wednesday and Thursday this week.  For those of you that have asked, my detox is going well and my allergies are clearing up.  I'm thinking I have an intolerance to gluten, but I'll let my doctor do the final diagnosis versus me playing Web M.D.  Let's take a look what I was up to this week:

1.  Magic Mike:  Last Friday, I ended my work day with Matthew McConaughey and Channing Tatum.  Not a bad day at the office.  This is the second time I've interviewed Channing, but Matthew is equally as charming.  In fact, while I was waiting to get miked up, this is how my conversation went with him:

McConaughey:  "How was last night?" (In reference to the screening I attended.)

Me:  "Well, I saw a lot of the two of you."

McConaughey:  "Oh yeah?"

Me:  "It was pretty awesome."

McConaughey:  "So you liked it, didn't you?"

Ummm, yes, very much so.  The movie is a bit darker than I expected, but if you are looking for a little male eye candy, go see Magic Mike.  Here's my iVillage interview with them or read my Fanboy Comics article.  

2.  SYTYCD:  We finally hit the Top 20 on this week's So You Think You Can Dance, and my co-hosts and I broke down the whole thing.  This show needs to pick up the pace before I fall asleep.  What happened to the fun?  Is it just me or do you guys agree that it's a little slow this season.  Listen here or watch below:



3.  Thirst Project:  You may remember my post about this from last year's gala, so I was thrilled to attend an even bigger celebration this year.  This charity raises money to provide clean drinking water to communities all over the world because it is a human right.  Can you imagine not having running water in your house?  Well, this is a daily fight for so many.  To learn more about the Thirst Project, click here.  Here are a few photos from the evening and check out my 22-second red carpet interview.

 Fellow M4 PR clients, Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt.

 Sobering statistics.

Thirst Project Founder and CEO, Seth Maxwell.

 Lance Bass and Josh Sussman presenting an award.  

 What happens when you bid on a silent auction.....two years worth of body wash.  

 Being interviewed on the red carpet!

With the awesome Taryn Southern in the gifting suite......

4.  Hyundai:  I may retired from the road, but I certainly haven't retired from the auto industry.  I was lucky enough to return to Hyundai to host another live stream for them.  This show was only available to the Hyundai dealers across the US, but I have to say their CEO/President, John Krafcik, is pretty awesome.  I witnessed him tweeting from the Hyundai account throughout the day, so if you ever tweet Hyundai and get a 'jfk' signature back.....yep, the CEO tweeted you back.  Amazing.

Me with the Hyundai execs: President/CEO John Krafcik, VP Of Marketing, Steve Shannon, and Director, Sales Planning and Retail Operations Steve Flood.

5.  Low Luv By Erin Wasson:  I feel like Glamhouse's lines are becoming my summer favorites.  This time it's a cuff by Low Luv by Erin Wasson.  I am amping up my jewelry wardrobe with pieces like this and the incredible cuff from Ever Eden that I talked about last week because they are versatile and easy to wear.  The Low Luv piece is asymmetrical so it fits comfortably on my wrist and the vintage coin details add an international feel to the cuff.  To take a look at the line, click here.  

Disclosure:  This cuff was gifted to me by BWR PR.  Retails for $145. 

Have a great weekend and be sure to catch up on my weekend (Disneyland!) adventures on Instagram:  @KristynBurtt.  Or see what happened to my childhood home on Facebook.....sad.  Tweet me what you are up to this holiday week.....me=Barry Manilow....I kid you not.  See you on Monday!

Hot Topic Tuesday: Baby Bump Watch Or Engagement Watch?: Jennifer Aniston

I can't believe we are doing this again, Jennifer Aniston is sure keeping me on my entertainment journalist toes this summer.  I want to thank all of the amazing Aniston fans that have emailed, tweeted, commented, and Facebooked me over the past few days.  Jen's trip to Europe with Justin Theroux has been filled with paparazzi photos with the final set of pics coming from Capri.  Jen is rocking her bikini, but some of you speculated that while she looks great, her body is a little less in shape than usual.  (I am treading  carefully on this because I hate to criticize someone's weight if they just gained a few pounds versus pregnancy pounds. Hey, my body has never looked like Jen's body, so I'm always envious!)  Here's a photo from her fantastic outing in Capri on a boat with her man.  What do you think?

Full photo set on Superior Pics.

Oh, but let's not stop here with the speculation because Justin and Jen arrived back in LA and guess who is wearing a ring--a diamond ring?  Yes, she's got a rock on her right finger which really can mean everything or nothing.  It could be a ring she has had forever.  Have you ever seen this ring before in her wardrobe?  I know some of the Aniston sleuths out there are on the case.  The interesting thing I noted is that she reaches up for sunglasses in the photo.  Many celebs will do something like this to make an "unofficial" official announcement. Jen isn't one to make statements through the press like "I'm pregnant!", "I'm engaged!" unlike some celebrities. So, is this just a ploy to throw us off or is our gal, Jen, officially engaged to Justin Theroux?  Expect some heavy press on this one because there are going to be a lot of "sources" coming out of the woodwork on this story.  The press has been trying to marry and impregnate Jen for a decade.

Full photo set on X17 Online. 

Okay, your turn.  Tell me what you think!  Let's start the debate.  This is also NOT the time to tell me she just got engaged because Angie and Brad got engaged.  Sorry, that ship has sailed and Jen and Brad have moved on.  No love triangle arguments, please.  Thank you!  You know what to do:  comment below, on Twitter, or on Facebook.  

June 28th, 2012:  So this rumor is a bust since even E! hopped on the Jen engagement rumor mill and featured it in their segment, "So True, So False".  Thanks for all of your comments and helpful links.  We are all in this together.  Have a great weekend, kids!

July 20, 2012:  The Spreecast is officially happening!  If you have questions, make sure to RSVP and get your questions in here.  The live chat will happen Monday, July 23rd at 6:30PM PT/9:30PM ET for 30 minutes.  I will be covering the entertainment news of the day and answering your Aniston questions that I haven't been able to get to lately because I have 
been working.  See you on Monday, this should be fun! 

July 24, 2012:  If you missed the live chat, the archive is here.  We will be doing another one 
on Monday, July 30th, same time, same place.  I hope to see you there!

July 25th, 2012:  I used one of Emmy's questions in this week's Behind The Red Carpet (taped) episode.  See it here.

July 29th, 2012:  Remember, Monday is another LIVE broadcast at 6:30PM PT/9:30PM ET.  All of the information is here.  I also have several of your email questions that I will answer 
and address.  I will see you tomorrow!

July 30, 2012:  I made an official call on the Baby Bump Watch on the show last night.  Here is what I said:  Spreecast archive.

August 12th, 2012:  Darn it!  I should have kept the Engagement Watch going, forget the Baby Bump Watch.  Congrats to Jen and Justin who are OFFICIALLY ENGAGED!  See the Gossip Cop item confirming the news.  

Opening Night At The Hollywood Bowl with Reba and Chaka Khan

One of my greatest summer pleasures in Los Angeles is the Hollywood Bowl.  I go every year to catch everything from Hall and Oates to Gustavo Dudamel to the Broadway musical, Hairspray.  I have never been to the Opening Night at the Bowl which always honors the inductees to the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame.  My amazing friend, Annie, who was working on the production, offered me two tickets to opening night.  How could I say no?  Well, the seats turned out to be gorgeous box seats with the most incredible view of the stage--a completely different experience for someone like me who normally buys the $10 seats in the last row.  If you live in the LA area and you haven't taken advantage of the Bowl in awhile, check out their schedule here.  It's an affordable entertainment option for the summer season.

Here are a few photos from my evening with my usual inside commentary.....

 Tarrah and I joked about our "terrible" seats all night long.......

 Okay, see that last section all the way in the back?  Yep, that's where I normally sit. By the way, the bathrooms are way nicer and more plentiful by the box seats too.  Higher price=better life?

 This photo makes me giggle--I'm taking a self-portrait on my iPhone while Tarrah is busy Tweeting on her iPhone.  Steve Jobs would be proud.

 The host of the evening, Julie Andrews.  She's a Dame, but prefers to be called, "Julie".

 The super sweet Reba McEntire.  Her awesome fans followed me all night on Twitter.  They love their gal, Reba. 

 Souvenir chocolate bars for the box seats!  We never get this in the bleacher seats.

 I was happy to see there wasn't any corn sugar or high fructose corn syrup in this chocolate bar.  

 Hey, Dawg, it's Randy Jackson!

 The diva-licious Chaka Khan even had a costume change with only a 5-song set.  "Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan!"

The best way to end the night......Hollywood Bowl fireworks.  

Don't forget, it's #RadioBurtt night!  I will be on the Driving With Gass show at 7:35PM PT/10:35PM ET tonight on KWSS.  I hope you join me for the latest in entertainment news.

If you missed my appearance last week with Dara on Radio, click here to listen in about how I got my start in entertainment reporting. You can find most of the archives to other media appearances here.  

Disclosure:  My tickets were complimentary.  I was not asked to post on this event, all opinions are my own.

The Friday Five: June 22, 2012

We've made it to the weekend! After finishing up the Magic Mike (Hello, naked butts of Matthew McConaughey and Channing Tatum!) press junket, my relaxation time begins.  I'm heading to the opening night of the Hollywood Bowl this evening with Reba McEntire and Chaka Khan, so I am looking forward to the first official weekend of the summer.  I'm also starting a month-long detox and cleanse, so we will see how that goes. (I am doing this under medical supervision and I get to eat real food.  I am not interested in drinking maple syrup, lemon, and cayenne pepper for 30 days.)


Here's my Friday Five for June 22, 2012:

Photo courtesy of AfterBuzz TV.

1.  AfterBuzz TV:  I am having so much fun co-hosting this show with AJ Gibson and Corrinne Williams.  I love chatting about So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) and the personal stories of the dancers.  This week we had a special guest, Leif Gantvoort, of The Amazing Spider-Man join us in studio to chat about the show because he is a super fan.  He knew each season better than we did.  In the coming weeks, we have former contestants giving us the inside scoop on what it is like to make it to the Top 20.  So be sure to join me LIVE at 10PM PT/1AM ET each Wednesday at AfterBuzz TV.  Here is this week's episode if you missed it. (I know there is no image, but I promise you that the video is there once you hit "play".)



2.  Fanboy Comics:  They kindly syndicated my article on "Three Reasons To See Disney•Pixar's Brave".  I warned you in the article and I am going to warn you again.....this movie is scary.  Please think twice about taking a child under the age of four.  My mommy friend took her three-year old today and her little girl was only happy when the movie was over.  As for everyone else, go see the movie and check out my article here and a great Vulture article that Josh Sussman passed along to me that ranks their favorite Pixar films.

3.  Swirly Garden:  I was given this hand-painted glass as a part of The Artisan Group gift bag at the GBK Gifting Suites during Oscar season.  I love how vibrant the flowers are on the glass and I am going to scoop up more for gifts during the holiday season. Check out Meena Kumar's work on her website where you can find exquisite hand-painted wine glasses, coffee mugs, and vases.  Tell her KB sent you!

4.  Ann Curry:  I imagine this was a really hard week to be Ann and go on national TV each morning while everyone speculates about your firing and possible replacement.  Even though the news was made public this week, the gossip has been going around for nearly six months in the entertainment industry.  It reminds me of this insightful article Deborah Norville wrote for The Hollywood Reporter about women needing to support, not bash, each other in the industry.  For even more perspective, read today's New York Times article on the whole debacle.

5.  Rumor Fix:  I love debunking Hollywood myths and I discovered a site that does just that with reality shows.  For my Housewives fans, watch Alex McCord give inside scoop on how they film the Housewives series.  Yes, the emotions are real, but the situations often are not.  Remember, reality is not always reality.




I will see you on Monday, but be sure to follow my weekend adventures:
Instagram:  @KristynBurtt for all of my Hollywood Bowl photos tonight.
Twitter:  for all of my weekend chatter.
Facebook:  to see the "HUGE" check I received this week and why it was sent to me.




The Swirly Garden glass was gifted to me.  I was not asked to post about it, I just thought it was a cool gift idea.  All opinions are my own.  

Ever Eden Event

On Monday, I was invited to check out the jewelry line, Ever Eden, which is featured on the Glamhouse site where you can find other jewelry lines like House of Harlow 1960 and Belle Noel.  The event was held at one of my favorite beauty places in LA, Blushington, so the night was filled with jewelry, beauty, champagne, and candy.   I am a huge fan of rings, so I was excited to see the wraparound fan piece in an Art Deco design.  It was the first thing that caught my eye when I walked in until I turned around and saw significant cuffs and necklaces.  The perfect pieces to create bold statements with a simple outfit. Take a look at the line and tell me which piece is your favorite. I've been wearing my favorite cuff all week.  

For more information on Ever Eden,  click here.

My "before" photo at Blushington.....

The "after" photo with my cat eyes.  A perfect Mad Men look for the red lips I was already sporting. 

I couldn't take my eyes off of this silver cuff.

Look what showed up in my gift bag--the silver cuff!  I happily wore the cuff on air last night at AfterBuzz TV.  Photo taken on Instagram:  @KristynBurtt

I was invited to the complimentary event by BWR PR and the silver cuff was gifted to me.  All opinions are my own.  

Behind The Red Carpet: Absurd Photo Edition

Beginning today, I will be doing a weekly series called, Behind the Red Carpet.  I am going to break down the myths of Hollywood because this town is nothing but smoke and mirrors.  I've done a few pieces like this before (See Kardashian House, Oscars Red Carpet, and What is a Press Junket?), but I think it is time to make this a regular feature on Red Carpet Closet.  So, if you have questions about how things operate in Hollywood, why certain celebrities are photographed more than others, or why this town is so darn crazy, contact me in the comments below, on Facebook, Twitter, or via email.  I look forward to hearing what you want to know about Hollywood.

Now, let's get cracking with three absurd Hollywood photos of the week:

1.  Leann Rimes Cibrian:  Um, who gives their husband a birthday cake with his favorite things including sexy bedtime and his two little boys (Watching? Listening in? Thinking about the therapy they are going to need?) on the front of the cake and then TWEETS it out to over 298,000 followers?  Awkward.  When I see things like this, I think Team Brandi.

2.  Ashley Olsen:  So our gal Ashley is dating an older man, Olivier Sarkozy, who happens to be the half brother of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.  He's 43, she's 26.  Oh yeah, one of the girls in the photo is Olivier's daughter and the other one is his date.  It's hard to tell the two apart, no?

3.  Kim Kardashian:  Sigh.  I hate to give this gal more press, but I am going to call her out on this dress.  Kim was complaining on Twitter that the press was saying she was wearing Spanx under her Stella McCartney dress.  She set the record straight and said the dress came with nude panels.  I am setting the record straight to let her know that Spanx or nude panels, the dress is still ugly.  

Okay, it's your turn.  What do you think of this week's Behind the Red Carpet? What do you want to see next week?

Chagoury Couture's Fall/Winter 2012 Sneak Peek

Love this dress, love this model who stuck a pose for me.

It's no secret that I love Chagoury Couture and you've seen me in their gowns here, here, and here.  So when I was invited to take a look at their Fall/Winter 2012 collection, I immediately called my stylist, Roni B. and told her she was going to come with me.  Yep, that was an order.  Gilbert Chagoury creates amazing silhouettes for women that drape and hug the body in such a flattering way.  Every time I put on one of his gowns, I feel good about what I am wearing and how my body looks.  That is a hard thing to accomplish since women are so notoriously critical of their figures.

The evening was all about "Philanthropy of Fashion" to create awareness for the Children of War Foundation where twenty percent of the evening's proceeds were donated to the charity. The keynote speaker was Dr. Mark Urata, the Chief of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.  He spoke of his work with children who had cleft palates and how they were often mistreated in their cultures because they different.  With simple procedures to correct the cleft palate, the children were able to go on to lead normal lives.  Small things can make a big difference.  Dr. Urata's work has also been seen on a bigger scale working with separating conjoined twins.  His work truly is a miracle.  To learn more about the foundation or to donate to the cause, click here.

Now, here is what you have been waiting for, a sneak peek at Chagoury Couture's Fall/Winter 2012 line.  I think my Oscar dress is in here, can you pick out which one it is?

 I love this color.  Perfect for the red carpet.

 The flowing lines of this dress is what captured my attention.

 Look at the incredible beading on this dress.  

 Every angle is consider with a Chagoury Couture gown. 

 Divine.......

 I love this shot from the window, very Toulouse-Lautrec inspired lighting.  You can see how packed the event was.

 Roni B!

Me in my new Ted Baker dress from this event. 

Many thanks to Gilbert Chagoury and Marco D'Angelo for the invite to the event and for always being so gracious in letting me wear their designs on the red carpet.  It's such an honor and privilege.