Media Mondays

This is the sneak peek of my dress. With my stylist, Roni B.

It's officially Oscars Week and I am off and running.  I will try and do a few short videos so you can see how crazy the week actually is.  My favorite is always giving you a behind the scenes look at the red carpet.  I don't have access to the red carpet until Tuesday afternoon when they officially let the media into that area.

Last week, I announced my partnership with IBM and the #MySmarterCommerce campaign.  On Media Mondays, you kind of get an inside glimpse of how technology really affects my job.  Without the internet...I have no job!

Oscar Road Trip:  I was in Chicago last week to follow Oscar around the country. Okay, well, I only went on one stop, but check out my article for Starpulse on my adventure.  It was nice to see the golden guy again.

Safe Haven:  Did you see the movie over the weekend?  Here are my interviews with Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel. Josh is cute.  Like...really cute.

Your PC Hero:  I met Allen Berrebbi when I was in Vegas for the IAWTV Awards and he asked me to be on his show.  Here is our fun interview where we talked a lot about working on the web. Thanks, Allen!

IAWTV Awards:  You never know what will turn up in a Google Alert, but this sure did!  It's an interview on the red carpet at the IAWTVAwards where I give a little advice on working in the web.

Tom Barnard Podcast:  It's all Oscars talk! I come in at the beginning, so listen in here.

On the Disney lot last week to see Oz The Great and Powerful.

Oz The Great and Powerful:  While I won't be sharing my interviews just yet, you can see what was in my gift bag.  It was definitely a good day for the Disney fan in me.

Kia of Cerritos:  My latest spot is here!  I finally saw one of the commercials air for the first time yesterday.  I think I was the last one to see myself on TV because these spot run frequently.



The Radio Dish:  Oh no.....we talk about Kris Jenner getting her own talk show. The Kardashians will never go away.  I come in at the 22:00 minute mark.

SheKnows:  My favorite articles from last week.
SheKnows interviews Wendell & Vinnie star Jerry Trainor--He's just really funny.
Don Diamont knows his soap fans want "scripted material"--Nobody has better fans than soap stars.
Lindsay Lohan's film, The Canyons, finds a distributor--I'm dying to see this film. Seriously.


You have 2 opportunities to join me today:
1:30pm PT Metro News Hotline with Dave Weekley
6:35pm PT Driving with Gass on KWSS.org

What's In My Gift Bag?: Oz The Great and Powerful Edition

If you were following me yesterday on Twitter, I'm sure you caught a few of my Oz The Great and Powerful tweets.  For a Disney dork like me, it was absolute heaven seeing some of the props, costumes, and interviewing the cast for iVillage. (And dressing up like Glinda for a photo!) I am embargoed from talking about the film until March 6th, but I will give you the hint that I will be seeing it again.

I will have photos, interviews, and articles the first week of March for you. In the meantime, I thought it might be fun to go through the press gift bag.  Here's what I received:

A really sturdy branded tote with pockets.  Nice!

 A stuffed Finley monkey and a Theodora doll

 I'm not much of a T-shirt gal, but I love the print on this one.

 A zoetrope which is one of Oz's gadgets in the film. Cool! It's up for sale, too! 

This trio might be some of my favorites: Danny Elfman's soundtrack, a gorgeous book on The Art of Oz, and a catalogue of the merchandise partnership with HSN.  I'm hoping to do an article on the HSN line. It's stunning!

This is the most useful to me:  OPI-branded nail polish and Urban Decay makeup.  I'm thrilled I received the Glinda pack since we have the same coloring.

Safe Haven: Interviews with Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel

If you are headed to see Safe Haven this week, make sure you watch my videos before you go.  This is the second time I've interviewed Julianne Hough and I have to say, she's darn cool.  Julianne is fun and refreshing to interview and I do think it is her best onscreen role to date.

As for Josh Duhamel, well...darn, he's even better looking in person!  He gave some really thoughtful answers to my questions. I also wore my new Fergie boots to see if Josh would notice I was wearing a pair from his wife's shoe line.  Alas, he was too busy being thoughtful about my questions.

I also attended the Safe Haven premiere a week later and I ran into former Dancing with the Stars pro, Derek Hough, who was there to support his sister.  We will miss him for Season 16, but he's off to bigger things in Hollywood. Let me know what you think of the interviews, I would love to hear from you!

My Smarter Commerce Begins: Oscars Week

Covering the Oscar Road Trip for Starpulse in Chicago.  

Photo credit:  Jeff Schear/Getty Images North America

I'm back in L.A. and I am excited to share all of the incredible events that Oscars Week brings forward.  I will be covering a few new events this year, so it will change up my coverage a bit and hopefully, make it even more exciting than previous years.

This year, I have teamed up with IBM in a program called "My Smarter Commerce," so over the next month you will see me using the #MySmarterCommerce on Twitter to talk about how technology affects my work as an entertainment reporter.  Frankly, without the internet, I wouldn't have a career.

So, all of my entertainment-related posts will be tracking what I am up to over the next 30 days, but I want to hear from you!  In comments, on Twitter, and on Facebook, I want to hear how technology has changed your life and what you use in your daily life that has changed the way you do business and see the world.

So, let's get started, I will throw the first question out to you:

What would you like to see from me over the next month in terms of photos, stories, and how technology shapes my job?

What #MySmarterCommerce is all about:

#spon: I have been invited by IBM to share my honest thoughts and experiences around Smarter Commerce, and as part of this collaboration, IBM may provide me with product, access, content or other forms of remuneration. All opinions are expressly my own.

Oscars Dress: A Cry For Fashion

I'm headed to the Oscars!  In exactly 19 days from now, I will be on the red carpet interviewing all of the nominees on Hollywood's biggest night.  There's only one problem...I still need a dress.  So, I am putting a call out to you...on the internet, on social media, and wherever else this little post might get passed around.  So, if you are a designer, established or up-and-coming, or if you know someone, pass them my information.  I can always be contacted here.

Me and my dress at the 84th Annual Academy Awards in the Toledo Free Press

In exchange for letting me borrow the gown, the designer will be promoted with a video, photos, across all social media outlets, and of course, it will be plugged on any media appearances I make before and after the show.  As we all know, the biggest question on Oscar night is, "Who are you wearing?"

If you want to see what I've worn in the past, take a look at Oscars 2011 and Oscars 2012.  I also found a beautiful vintage dress in the window at Decades.  That might be my dream dress.

While I am LA-based, I am hitting the road on Friday to cover Oscars trip across the country. I will be in Chicago through February 13th, so if there are any Chicago designers out there....hit me up!

Media Mondays

I feel like the weeks are whipping by in 2013, so I was grateful for a day and a half off this weekend.  This week starts an even bigger whirlwind as we trudge towards the last 20 days of awards season 2013...Nominees Luncheon, a commercial shoot, movie premiere, a trip out of town, and a desperate Oscars dress search.

Here are my media appearances from last week:

Dara on Radio:  I made a return appearance and chatted about the SAG Awards and what it means to the Oscars.  Right now, all eyes are on the Best Picture category.  Listen here.  (You can find the rest of my SAG Awards coverage here.)

Tom Barnard Podcast: All I have to say is "Dat Ass."  It's hilarious.  Start listening at the 13:00    mark. I promise you, it's worth it.

If you know about my Club 33 obsession, then you know I need to get into California Adventure's 1901 too.  

The Radio Dish: At the 20:30 mark, you can listen to the latest snark about Kim Kardashian and her butt. 

SheKnows: Some of my articles from last week. 

Cody Simpson: "I feel blessed"--If you have a teen in your house, then you know they will like my interview with him. 

Lindsay Lohan too sick to appear in court--Another day, another Lohan drama.

January Jones: "My hair is falling out in clumps"--Slow news day. 

My football strawberries!

Cocktails and Conversation:  It's the first Saturday of the month and we dished all about the BeyoncéBowl.  That's right, the Super Bowl is just a myth, it was a Beyoncé concert. I come in at the 23:00 mark. 

If you missed my awards show updates from last week, check them out here, here, and here.  I also gave out some DWTS dish, so click here.  

I'll be on Metro News Hotline with Dave Weekley today at 1:30pm PT/4:30pm ET.  Or join me at 6:35pm PT/9:35pm ET on Driving with Gass at KWSS.org for your Super Bowl and Oscar Nominees Luncheon update.

The Inside Scoop on the Oscars...So Far

I'm in love....with these gowns. They are currently being sold at the divine vintage store Decades on Melrose.  They are both Christian Dior from the Autumn/Winter collection in 1963 and 1962, respectively.  I actually took these photos last night on my iPhone while I was passing by on my way to an event.  After doing a little research, I found out that they are a size 0 and there is no price listed...which means they are expensive, but this might be my dream Oscar gown. Which one do you like better?

I'm going to give you a little Oscars round-up today since there is a ton of news coming in from every direction.  So, pick and choose what you would like to read and view:

Fanboy Comics:  This so far is my favorite interview of the awards show season.  I sat down with Bryant and Barbra Dillon and chatted about the Golden Globes and what it means for the Oscar season. Take a listen, I think you will fall in love with their podcast.

My next album cover AKA me in 3D glasses at Wreck-It Ralph

The Paperman:  This is Disney Animation's Oscar-nominated Animated Short in this year's race.  I saw it before a screening of Wreck-it Ralph and it is so sweet, you just might fall in love. Watch it in full below:



Oscar Nominees Luncheon:  I will be back on the scene on Monday at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon where the nominees get their official certificates and they get...a sweatshirt??? Read this insider scoop on the gifts each nominee gets at the luncheon in The Hollywood Reporter. It's pretty fascinating.

Oscar Performances:  I've scoping out the show and I think it's going to a long one.  Already we have performances by Barbra Streisand, Norah Jones, Adele, 3 movie musical tributes, and more to come. I can confirm that SYTYCD choreographer Spencer Liff will be in the show along with some familiar SYTYCD faces. I'm also hearing rumors that Streisand might be doing a Marvin Hamlisch tribute.  Hhhmmm, it's going to be a musical extravaganza of a show! I'll keep you posted if I hear any updates or get any confirmations on the rumor.

Oscar Presenters:  The announcements are starting to trickle in with the first presenter announced today and it's kind of an obvious choice:  Mark Wahlberg and his co-star Ted voiced by Seth MacFarlane...who is also your Oscar host.  I'm hoping we see a few outside-the-box choices announced soon.  That always makes for an interesting show.

Have a great weekend!  If you are up early on the East Coast tomorrow, I will be on Cocktails and Conversation talking all about entertainment, the Super Bowl, and more! Join me here at 8am ET.