Celeb Party Planner Jes Gordon’s Must-Have Phone App

iphone interface 181x300 Celeb Party Planner Jes Gordons Must Have Phone AppOffering to host a friend’s bridal shower at your place seemed like a good idea at the time but now it’s the week before and you’re still at square one. It may be tempting to wimp out with the usual (i.e. boring) party ideas but with the release of celebrity party planner Jes Gordon’s FREE “Party Like a Rock Star” iPhone app, you no longer have an excuse for the lame finger sandwiches and shower games. Whether you’re a seasoned party pro or first-time hostess, Jes’ expert tips, fresh ideas and tricks of the trade will help elevate your get-together to the next level.

Trendsetters like Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Lopez, Sting, Elton John and Bono don’t do “ordinary”, which is why they’ve all turned to Jes for their brilliant, beautiful and truly unique events. With a reputation for seamlessly blending elegance and edge, Jes has established herself as one the most highly sought after planners in the industry. (She has been featured on GLOSS a number of times — we love, love, love her!)

MORE on GLOSS: [VIDEO] Jes Gordon’s Tips for Chic Holiday Entertaining

An extension of Jes’ how-to book, the “Party Like a Rock Star” iPhone app is a must-have for anyone with a wedding, weekend barbecue or special event around the corner.

Jes Gordon’s “Party Like a Rock Star” iPhone app is free at apple.com.

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A few examples of Jes’ amazing work (more info at jesgordon.com):

Exterior Pool Candles 300x201 Celeb Party Planner Jes Gordons Must Have Phone AppExteriors Draped Walkway 300x202 Celeb Party Planner Jes Gordons Must Have Phone AppFlorals Lifetime 198x300 Celeb Party Planner Jes Gordons Must Have Phone AppTable Top Smith and Hawken Product Preview Flowers 194x300 Celeb Party Planner Jes Gordons Must Have Phone AppTables Lenscrafters Product Launch 272x300 Celeb Party Planner Jes Gordons Must Have Phone App

Applications, Holiday, iPhone Shortlink

Love the Snuggie? Online Campaign Asks Fans to Create Parody Video

snuggie Love the Snuggie? Online Campaign Asks Fans to Create Parody VideoWhy should that “Chocolate Rain” kid have all the fun? You deserve a piece of the Internet meme pie, too. Achieve status as a minor Internet celebrity and win some cash while you’re at it, just by showing your love for Snuggie, the blanket with sleeves turned pop culture phenomenon.

When the commercial for a new product called the Snuggie first aired in late 2008, it seemed more like a sketch straight from Saturday Night Live. [Watch the original TV ad here.] Intended to be “fun and quirky” enough to grab the viewer’s attention, the ad quickly went viral, thanks to its laughably bad dramatized reenactments (“Blankets are okay but they can slip and slide, and when you need to reach something, your hands are trapped inside”) and the Snuggie’s overall weirdness. As of December 2009, over 20 million Snuggies had been sold, sales that the brand’s reps attribute to the popularity of the viral TV ad.

To help promote the Snuggie fall collection, the brand is making a conscious effort to duplicate its past viral success by turning to social media and capitalizing on the product’s cult following. For the Snuggie Choice Film Awards, fans are invited to create their own three-minute Snuggie tribute, parody, song, etc. to be voted on by fellow fans (deadline to enter: September 1). The top six finalists will be flown to New York and will compete for awards including cash prizes of up to $5,000, the chance to appear in a future commercial and of course, Snuggies galore.

fey Love the Snuggie? Online Campaign Asks Fans to Create Parody Video Spawning hundreds of parodies and TV mentions (including 30 Rock, pictured right), numerous Facebook fan pages and even a few imitators, the Snuggie has become a bona fide pop culture phenomenon but it will be interesting to see if the company can achieve the same success a second time around.

Are Snuggie owners really that passionate about the brand or were 20 million Americans just tired of slipping, sliding blankets that trapped their hands when they wanted to reach something? What do you think?

Shopping, Video Shortlink

Brad Pitt vs. Zombies, Harrison Ford in Handcuffs & More Comic-Con Highlights

Every year, San Diego Comic-Con offers a sneak peek at the most buzzed about projects and announcements, but just in case you couldn’t make this year’s geekfest, here’s a quick rundown on our top 5 stories that had just about everyone — geek or not — mouth-breathing in anticipation.


MORE on GLOSS: [PHOTOS] Costumed Fandom at Comic-Con 2010

The Zombie Apocalypse: AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and Brad Pitt in “World War Z”


About Survivors 288 Brad Pitt vs. Zombies, Harrison Ford in Handcuffs & More Comic Con HighlightsThis new tv series is by far my top Comic-Con 2010 pick! Even though the sight of zombies totally creeps me out, I am beyond excited for “The Walking Dead”.

Based on the graphic novel by Robert Kirkman, “The Walking Dead” follows the lives of a group of survivors after a zombie apocalypse wipes out most of the population. No B-movie effects here, this 6-episode series will air on AMC (the same network behind “Mad Men”) in October and is helmed by Academy Award-nominated director/writer, Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption”, “The Green Mile”). Extra bonus: Andrew Lincoln, the British hottie who quietly pined for Keira Knightley in “Love Actually”, stars.

Check out the trailer HERE, but be warned: this may be the “family-friendly” edited version but the zombie effects are uber-creepy and not for the faint of heart.

ALSO: It looks like Brad Pitt is joining the fight against the zombie apocalypse, too. At Comic-Con Preview Night, Paramount Pictures confirmed that the actor will star in the big-screen adaptation of the horror novel “World War Z”, a fictional account of life after the outbreak of a zombie plague. Pitt will also serve as the film’s producer; his production company Plan B Entertainment secured the rights to “World War Z” after a fierce bidding war with Leonardo DiCaprio‘s Appian Way.


Joss Whedon Confirmed to Direct All-Star “The Avengers” Film

Joss Whedon, the critically-acclaimed writer/director best known for his work on “Buffy” and the Emmy-winning “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog” Webseries, put rumors to rest and finally confirmed that he will helm the upcoming “Avengers” movie. With Whedon onboard and an all-star cast including Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), The Hurt Locker’s Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Helmsworth (Thor) and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), fans should expect a totally epic superhero flick that’s heavy on special effects, A-list appearances and witty banter.

avengers Brad Pitt vs. Zombies, Harrison Ford in Handcuffs & More Comic Con HighlightsThe all-star “Avengers” cast joins Whedon for the big announcement. (Credit: AP Images)




ford Brad Pitt vs. Zombies, Harrison Ford in Handcuffs & More Comic Con Highlights

Harrison Ford Escorted Onstage in Handcuffs

I had heard a rumor that Harrison Ford would be appearing at the convention from a colleague at Universal, but even she wasn’t 100% sure. Looks like it was more than just a rumor… At a panel for “Cowboys & Aliens”, the upcoming Western/Alien invasion flick, director Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”)  introduced co-stars Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde and Sam Rockwell as armed guards “escorted” Ford onstage in handcuffs, causing the 6,000-strong audience to go absolutely berserk. While the gag (that Ford was dragged there against his will) was lost on most of the fans in attendance, Ford still received a riotous standing ovation. Despite his god-like status among geeks, this was the 68-year-old actor’s first-ever Comic-Con appearance.



Ryan Reynolds Premieres Footage of ”The Green Lantern”


Screen shot 2010 07 31 at 5.27.41 AM 253x300 Brad Pitt vs. Zombies, Harrison Ford in Handcuffs & More Comic Con HighlightsI love me some Ryan Reynolds and thankfully, Ryan Reynolds loves the geeks. With a résumé that already includes “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and “Blade”, Reynolds has solidified his geek cred with his latest role. In 2011′s “The Green Lantern”, Reynolds stars as Hal Jordon, a cocky test pilot who is recruited by the Green Lantern Corps, a “brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order”, and given a ring that grants him superpowers.

The actor dropped by to give fans an early look at his superhero flick, which also stars Peter Sarsgaard and Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively. The footage offered a preview of Reynolds in action (as Hal, not the digitally-clothed Green Lantern) and a look at Sarsgaard as the deformed Hector Hammond. “The Green Lantern” hits theaters next June.




tron Brad Pitt vs. Zombies, Harrison Ford in Handcuffs & More Comic Con Highlights

New “Tron” Trailer Debuts

After three years of Comic-Con teasers, “Tron: Legacy”, the hotly anticipated CGI-extravaganza starring Jeff Bridges, Garret Hedlund, Michael Sheen and Olivia Wilde (in yet another Comic-Con appearance), will finally hit theaters this December. The sequel to the 1982 sci-fi classic, “Tron: Legacy” follows Sam Flynn in his quest to find his father Kevin, a video game developer trapped in a digital world for the past 20 years.

Light cycles, a returning original cast, a killer Daft Punk film score and it’s in 3-D? This new trailer (watch it HERE) definitely had the geeks buzzing.

These banners (pictured right) were hanging from every lamp post within the vicinity. Lucky fans got a sneak peek at the nearby Flynn’s Arcade, a pop-up that also hosted one of the convention’s most buzzed about parties.



Not so much an exciting fan announcement but…

Harry Potter Fan Arrested For Stabbing a Fellow Attendee With a Pen

After a few days of sensory overload and navigating crowds of 160,000+ strangers in costumes, tempers are bound to flare. Still, it’s no excuse to stab a dude!  On Comic-Con Day 3, a Harry Potter fan was arrested for allegedly stabbing a fellow attendee in the eye with a pen, after an argument erupted over whether they were sitting too close to each other at a panel for “Paul”, a sci-fi comedy starring Seth Rogen. (Watch the amateur video HERE.)


This year’s Comic-Con may have come to a close but tickets are already on sale for SDCC 2011! Let the countdown begin…

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[PHOTOS] Costumed Fandom at Comic-Con 2010

San Diego Comic-Con is like Christmas in July for true blue geeks like myself, and this year was no exception. (I’m still reeling from the 5 days of ultra-stimulation.) Aside from the movie sneak peeks, cool panels and A-list stars (even Angelina made an appearance), Comic-Con is the place where even a buttoned-up office drone and the like can proudly don an elaborate costume to pay homage to their favorite comic book/fantasy/sci-fi character. There was even a guy roaming the floor in a Colonel Sanders/KFC get-up!

MORE on GLOSS: Comic-Con Highlights – Brad Pitt vs. Zombies, Harrison Ford in Handcuffs

I usually leave the dress-up to my fellow convention goers but I must give big-time kudos to these brilliant examples of costumed fandom that I witnessed this year:


X-Men’s Phoenix and Dark Phoenix pose amidst the Comic-Con craziness. (Credit: Sandy Huffaker, Getty Images)

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Convention goers don’t think twice about the sight of an armored Stormtrooper pushing a baby stroller… only at Comic-Con! (Credit: Michael Buckner, Getty Images)

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If there’s aren’t adults wielding plastic Jedi lightsabers, it just isn’t Comic-Con. (Credit: Christopher Favero Photography)

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Michael Phelps or Aquaman? You decide. (Credit: Dan Steinberg, AP Images)

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To promote a panel featuring Radical Axis, the animation studio behind cult-fave cartoons like “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”, a friendly bear walked around the convention giving out Radical Axis-branded whirly pops, free hugs and cheeky stickers that read, “I accept candy from strangers”. (Credit: Bryce Kuboyama, Paper Plane Photo)

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Zombies were in full force at this year’s convention, not only with the annual Zombie Walk but promotion for the highly-anticipated  ”The Walking Dead”. I admit, zombies creep me out but even I’m excited for the new AMC television series helmed by Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption”), set to premiere in October. (Credit: Collider.com)

zombie [PHOTOS] Costumed Fandom at Comic Con 2010




















This super cute Violet Parr from “The Incredibles” was a welcome break from all the zombie moaning and shuffling. (Credit: Collider.com)

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Henchmen 21 and 24 with Dr. Girlfriend — characters from one of my favorite cartoons ever, “The Venture Bros.” on adult swim. (Credit: Collider.com)

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People were very excited for the sneak peek of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” parts I and II.

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Another one of my favorites — Dr. Henry Jones Jr. and Sr.

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This incredible reproduction of War Machine from “Iron Man” took top honors at the convention’s annual Masquerade Costume Ball. (Credit: Daniel Saklow, PictureGroup)

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geekGLOSSers: What fangirl costume would you have rocked?

entertainment, Kids Shortlink

New Season of “Project Runway” Merges Fashion and HP Technology

hp 215x300 New Season of Project Runway Merges Fashion and HP TechnologyDid you catch last night’s premiere of “Project Runway” season eight on Lifetime? I won’t ruin it with spoilers if you have it on TiVo but the fierce fashion designs weren’t the only cutting edge features on the hit reality show.

This season, contestants will have the option to trade their Prismacolors and paper for the latest in HP technology: the HP TouchSmart PCs and HP TouchSmart tm2, a high-tech notebook that can be used as a digital sketchpad and offers designers a wide array of color and brush options.

MORE on GLOSS: Project Runway‘s Heidi Klum Gets a Geek Makeover!


In addition to a presentation at New York Fashion Week and a spread in Marie Claire magazine, this season’s winning designer will receive a $50,000 prize package from HP and Intel to launch his or her own label.

This is the second season that HP will be featured on “Project Runway”, adding yet another chapter to HP’s history of merging fashion and technology. In 2008, HP made a splash at New York Fashion Week when models toting designer Vivenne Tam’s HP Mini “digital clutch” notebook strutted down the catwalk. The stylist HP notebook also made an appearance in this summer’s “Sex and the City 2″ film, bumping SATC’s long-standing affair with Apple MacBooks.

“Project Runway” season eight will air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.

As Tim would say: Alright… Carry on.

Photo: Contestant Valerie works her magic on an HP TouchSmart tm2.

entertainment, Tablets, Technology, Television Shortlink

Website of the Day: justJENN’s Kid-Friendly Designs, Recipes

Screen shot 2010 07 30 at 3.32.21 PM Website of the Day: justJENNs Kid Friendly Designs, RecipesAdorably geeky designs, quirky comics and tasty cupcake recipes to boot, I can’t get enough of justJENN. A website featuring cheeky thank-you notes to express your gratitude for the cash, toys or monkeys (checkboxes included) or a comic book based on her real-life conversations with her grandma, so funny they give Sh*t My Dad Says (NSFW) a run for his money? Sign me up!

One of my many fabulous finds while in San Diego for Comic-Con, justJENN is a fabulous artist, baker and crafter. While I was first drawn to her booth for superficial reasons (“She spells her name with two n’s, just like me!”), I soon became a full-fledged fan of her actual work, after perusing her selection of unique stationery, postcards and buttons.

One of my favorite designs was a postcard featuring X-Men’s Wolverine brandishing his adamantium claws and two icing-topped donuts, the first in what justJENN describes as her ‘Superheroes and Sweets’ collection. (Her young son acts as Art Director, instructing Mom which superhero and sweet to draw next.) I had to pick up two – one for myself and the other for a friend who was back at his hotel room, sick. It definitely perked him up! The rest of my Comic-Con mates were equally thrilled with the other justJENN goodies I brought back: an “I See Batman” vision test, a sugary sweet “Thug Life” pin and a copy of “O.G., Original Grandma”, a comic book based on justJENN’s real-life conversations with her adorable Japanese grandmother (“So I barfed last night”).

The icing on the cake was the too-cute-for-words mini “hamburger” that she threw in, constructed out of a York peppermint patty, Nilla wafers and green-tinted coconut. Unfortunately, I ate it before I could take a picture (sorry) but you can see a new, equally cute food creation every day on her kid-friendly baking blog, justJENNrecipes.com. According to justJENN: “I bake when I’m stressed… which is why you’ll find a new recipe almost… Every. Single. Day.” If you want to check out her collection of stationery and gifts, head over to justJENNdesigns.com – she does custom stuff, too!

(Also: If you’re in SoCal, justJENN will also be co-hosting a “Comics + Cupcakes” event at The Comic Bug, a local comic book store, on August 4 from 5 to 8pm.)

Superheroes and baked goods – how can you resist?

Websites Shortlink

BlackBerry iPad Competitor Said to Launch in Fall

blackpad1 250x300 BlackBerry iPad Competitor Said to Launch in FallWatch out, iPad. Here comes the “BlackPad”.

RIM, the maker of the BlackBerry smartphone, plans to introduce their own tablet computer in November to compete with Apple’s iPad, which sold over 3 million units within 80 days of its debut.

The “BlackPad” will include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology as well as a few extras such as a front- and rear-facing camera for video conferencing capabilities. BlackPad users will also be able to integrate their BlackBerry smartphones and download apps from the BlackBerry App World.

According to Bloomberg, the BlackPad is another way RIM hopes to beef up their competition with Apple. Next week, the company will unveil the BlackBerry 9800, a smartphone that boasts a full touchscreen like Apple’s iPhone but also includes a slideout Qwerty keyboard.

MORE on GLOSS: The New BlackBerry OS 6, Touchscreen, Quick Search, Faster Web Surfing

The BlackPad will also be priced to compete — Bloomberg’s source says the tablet, like the iPad, will set you back $499.

What do you think? Will you be lining up to snatch up the BlackPad?

Blackberry, iPad, Tablets Shortlink