311 Day 2010

This post is far overdue, sorry for the delay!

I am a HUGE 311 fan. They have been my favorite band since I was in 8th grade--for 15 years now. When I run into people that I haven't seen in years, one of the first things they ask me is if I still love 311. Yup!

I see them every time they tour, which usually means driving around Southern California seeing them in one city one, then in another the next night. For my fellow SoCal friends, or those who are familiar with this region, Irvine and San Diego are the shows I attend.

For the past decade they have been hosting 311 Day in New Orleans (with one show in Tennessee). Every two years people come from all over the world to see 311 on 311 Day, which is March 11...3/11. Also known as "fan appreciation day" according to the band, the shows never disappoint. In 2008, there were concertgoers from 15 different counties. Seriously.

(Steph and me)

This year the show was moved to Vegas so I had to go. I was thrilled that my pal, Stephanie, of Thoughts from Cali, joined me!

Held at The Mandalay Bay, the show went on for five hours and consisted of 60 songs. Pretty amazing. Even more impressive, the band had no opener and only took four 10 minute intermissions. I couldn't even stand for five hours, I have no clue how they performed with high energy that entire time!

(Our view of the show)

Everyone was so excited to be there. Fans wore their band gear all weekend and made sure to stop and speak with you, or at the very least, yell "311!" when they would see you were there for the show.

If you are unfamiliar with 311, here is a little history. They have been around for about 20 years. The five guys that make up the band are all from Omaha, Nebraska. Their sound is a mix of rock, rap, and reggae. The message behind the music is unity, and they close every concert with the words, "Stay positive and love your life."

(Me in my new band shirt after the 5-hour concert)

311's biggest hits are "All Mixed Up," "Beautiful Disaster," and "Amber." They also remade the Cure's "Love Song" for the movie 50 First Dates.

Here is a video for your enjoyment. This was my introduction to the band. 15 years ago I saw this video and was hooked from then on. And it didn't hurt that the lead singer, Nick Hexum, is HOT! He's the blond guy haha ;)

This summer they are out on tour with The Offspring and Pepper. I highly recommend you catch a concert if they are in your area! They put on an incredible live show. Check out the Unity Tour 2010 schedule.

Photos courtesy of: 311.com

LemonAid: It Tastes Good to Do Good

There are so many things in this world that need attention; sex trafficking is one. The Body Shop has paired up with ECPAT USA and the Somaly Mam Foundation to raise awareness and funds in an effort to stop this horrendous world epidemic. But they can’t do it without us. Here is your chance to make a real difference.

Today, The Body Shop's Sweet Lemon product line was launched along with LemonAid. Not only do the products sounds scrumptious, the cause is beyond worthwhile. While shopping for these new items on The Body Shop site, please take a few moments to perform the actions listed below. When you do so, the following amounts will be donated to the cause (up to $10,000):

• Become a Facebook fan - $2
• Follow on Twitter - $2
• Tweet with the hashtag #LemonAid - 50¢
• Enter daily Sweet Lemon sweepstakes - $1
• Squeeze the lemon on the LemonAid widget - 50¢
• Install the LemonAid widget - $1

Cool and easy, so be sure to visit the site to perform these actions often!

Wondering what the Sweet Lemon sweepstakes is? The Body Shop is going to randomly select one winner per day, every day until 4-11, to win the following products:

• Sweet Lemon Body Butter
• Sweet Lemon Lip Butter
• Sweet Lemon Whip Body Lotion
• Sweet Lemon Shower Gel
• Sweet Lemon Body Scrub

And because The Body Shop is so cool, they are offering one of my readers the same giveaway!

To enter my contest, please do one or more of the following (one entry each):

• Tweet with BOTH the hashtag #LemonAid and @jointhegossip
• Follow The Body Shop on Twitter
• Follow me on Twitter
• Install the LemonAid widget on your blog

Please leave a separate comment for each action you perform, otherwise you won’t get full credit. Sorry, contest is only open to U.S. residents.

Giveaway ends Wednesday, March 31. Good luck =)

Photo courtesy of: The Body Shop

The Vampire Diaries at PaleyFest

Last Saturday I had the privilege of attending The Vampire Diaries at PaleyFest. As you may have read here on my blog, I am a huge fan of the show! And yes, it's a total teen show. But that's OK, 26 is almost the same as a teenager, right? ;)

Obviously, when I heard about this event I had to go.

The PaleyFest takes place over the course of two weeks, throughout which TV programs are discussed by the shows' actors, creators, producers, etc. Tickets are sold for a beautiful Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills and guests are welcome to come and learn more about their favorite shows. If you would like to learn more, check out the bio of William S. Paley, the man that the Paley Center was named after.

This year was the 27th Annual PaleyFest and the lineup was huge! Shows included Lost, Glee, Seth MacFarlane and friends, Dexter and many others.

Now onto The Vampire Diaries!

I was lucky enough to be invited by Kate of Nautical by Nature and her friend, Amanda. We may have been the only sane ones in the whole building haha! We sat front row of the mezzanine with a perfect view. Surrounding us were hundreds of screaming girls.

The night started with an advanced screening of the next episode which will air Thursday, March 25. If you are familiar with the show--it's a good episode! If you have yet to watch, you'll want to start. Next we were honored with the presence of the cast, "Stephan"- Paul Wesely, "Damon" - Ian Somerhalder, and "Elena/Katherine" Nina Dobrev, Executive Producers Julie Plec and Bob Levy, and most impressive, famed Executive Producer Kevin Williamson. As a fan of Dawson's Creek and the Scream movies, this was so awesome!

They all spoke about the show, and how they were afraid of being compared to Twilight (which as I have said before, came after The Vampire Diaries). Then they answered questions from the audience. It was a bit creepy when a lady in her 30s explained that she had driven from North Carolina for the event and then professed her love to Paul Wesely who is only 27! After her crazy talk, Paul was nice enough to jump off the stage give the lady a hug, then a kiss on the cheek. Instead of being happy with that she made him kiss her again and pose for several pictures--creeper!

Sadly, the cast didn't stick around to sign any autographs like they usually do. Apparently their "people" pulled them offstage. Regardless, I had a blast!

Congrats to the Glam Girl!

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway to win “101 Glam Girl Ways to An Ultra Chic Lifestyle” by Dawn Del Russo! While I wish each of you could win, one person was randomly selected. And the winner is...

Laney!

Congrats =)

Image Courtesy of: Bella Novella

Syrup Desserts in Downtown LA

I just had the most fabulous morning courtesy of Syrup Desserts! Located in Downtown LA on Spring and 6th--this cute, quaint establishment is totally unexpected. Upon entering, you are greeted with tables, artwork, and the pastries. Yup, pastries. We decided to forgo these treats and get more of a meal though.

The Syrup Dessert menu (which you must check out!) was a bit scary for me. I am a plain gal that goes for the familiar. In a world full of flavors, I am vanilla. However, I tried to break out of my shell for the experience. In addition to coffees, teas, ice creams, waffles, and crepes, the menu has a grilled cheese section. Now these weren't any ordinary grilled cheese sandwiches, they were crazy grilled cheese sandwiches!

Each of these sandwiches came with fresh fruit inside them. I know that cheese and fruit go together--but grilled together with bread? Yes, it totally works! I selected the Nutella and banana. For some reason this isn't on the menu that I linked to in the above paragraph, so let me break it down. Nutella, banana, and cheddar cheese on walnut raisin bread. If you are thinking to yourself that this sounds nasty, that's OK. I was terrified that it was going to be gross, too. But it was fantastic. Paired with fresh fruit and a caramel macchiato, it was a terrific meal. All of that for a mere $10!

The place is two stories and set up as a modern loft. We headed upstairs to sit in two oversized swivel chairs that overlooked the downstairs area. The eatery was complete with books to read, board games to play, and free wifi. Hours upon hours could easily be spent here.

If you live in the LA area, or are ever come to visit, I highly suggest visiting Syrup Desserts. It will certainly take you by surprise!

Gold Canyon Candles

Last weekend I went to a Gold Canyon Candles bunco party and had an absolute blast! If you are unfamiliar with Gold Canyon, it's a candle company that individuals sell. Think the candle equivalent of Avon or Cookie Lee. From what I understand, their biggest competitor is Yankee, so they are on the same level as far as quality. The prices are a bit pricey, but you are definitely paying for quality. There are some items that you simply must splurge on--Gold Canyon is on my list.

So imagine my excitement when these wonderful candles were paired up with bunco! Each player had a $20 buy in, multiplied by 12 players, the total was $240. At the end of the game that total was divyed up and given to the winners as Gold Canyon credit. For example two of us tied for most wins. We could have rolled the dice as a tiebreaker but we decided to split the winnings and each got $37.50. After deducting my $20 buy in, I had $17.50 to use on my purchases. Not too shabby =)

This is what I ended up buying, the descriptions are straight from Gold Canyon's site:

Blackberry & Vanilla Pillar Scented Candle

With subtle hints of sweet vanilla musk and organic wildflowers, the scent of handpicked blackberries transforms into our classic pillar in a regal shade of purple.

Cozy Cabin Heritage Scented Candle

This soft, woodsy fragrance has the invigorating aroma of the great outdoors.

Sunrise Tangelo Heritage Scented Candle

We've captured the aromatic freshness of this juicy fruit, a citrus hybrid of the sweet and tangy tangerine and the tart grapefruit ancestor, the pomelo.

If you are interested in buying some of these yummy smelling candles, you can head over to the Gold Canyon site and browse around. Too bad they haven't invented scratch-and-sniff computer screens yet, because although the scent descriptions are divine, you really have to smell them to understand just how amazing they are!

Be sure to enter my latest giveaway!

Photos courtesy of: Gold Canyon Candles

Blogger Spotlight!

I have two friends that recently started blogging and I wanted to spread the word since they are relatively new to this community. Please check them out!

(Stephanie)

First is Thoughts from Cali by Stephanie. This blog features a wide range of topics--from makeup and dieting to everyday life. Stephanie is one of my best friends. In fact, a lot of the blogs I post feature events that we have gone to together.

We met a few years back, working at the same place and writing for Beauty Chat. My time as the managing editor of this blog allowed me to work closely with Stephanie, watching her grow as a blogger. Therefore, I am so excited that she now has her own blog.

(Jana and Logan)

Another former co-worker of mine and Stephanie's, Jana, has started a blog that's perfect for mothers. Things to Do With Your Kids is the name of her blog, and it features just that! She frequently updates about her adventures with her adorable son, Logan. I don't even have a child, but the things I read them doing sound so fun! Tips include Sothern California outings, as well as ideas perfect for a mommy in any city, state, or country.

Both of these ladies are very talented and I am happy to call them my friends! I hope that you can call them your blogging buddies as well. Do take a moment to visit them and leave some comments. The great thing about the blogosphere is that people connect so easily and have a great way of making you and your blog feel special and loved. I'd be so grateful if you welcomed them into the community!

Be sure to enter my latest giveaway!