Sandpaper (I used three different types for a higher level of customization)
White pencil or chalk
Tweezers
Ruler
Tips to know before you start:
Iron your jeans first so the length is accurate.
Get inspiration from online or a magazine — it's always best to have a vision to start with.
1. Plan and draw
Image: Kortney Gruenwald/SheKnows
Using a ruler and white pencil, carefully measure where you want your cuts to be. You can make as many or as few as you wish — this is your design! I chose to cut both the bottom cuffs and the knee areas.
I suggest marking one or two places to add "distressed" details using sandpaper. These tiny but important touches are the difference between an obvious DIY and a "Wow, where did she buy those jeans?" DIY.
Straighten out your jeans so the fabric is even. Following the marked lines and using scissors, make your main cuts as accurate to the lines as possible. Don’t be afraid — mistakes are OK and can always be straightened out by trimming the initial cut.
When making cuts by the knee area, avoid cutting too closely to the seams. The more you wear your jeans, this frayed area will naturally grow, and you don't want to compromise the structure. Use the "less is more" rule in delicate areas like this.
This is where the fray magic happens (and the totally fun part). Using your tweezers, pull through the tiny white threads from the areas you cut. How much fray you want is up to you. I went with a modest approach, as natural fray will increase through washes and wear.
Take your sandpaper, and rub the areas where you want the distressed look. I recommend having a few types of sandpaper on hand, as each varying texture will give you a different level of distress and allows you to create a versatile, customized look.
"She raised me to believe in myself, and to believe in my dreams. She has supported me through every step of my career. She has always taught my brother and I the importance of hard work, drive and dedication — but most of all, the importance of love and family. She is my best friend in the entire world. I would not be where I am without her."
2. Erin Culley, my agent
"I signed with Erin, my agent, after doing American Idol. I went into her office and said, 'I know you get a lot of singers in here claiming to be actors, but I want to put in the work and do this.' She took a chance on me, and I'm so so happy that she did. She has been an incredible mentor to me in this industry and has been by my side through every success and every failure. She has helped me to push forward and believe in what I am capable of."
3. Bridget Smith, one of my managers
"As actors, we get down on ourselves sometimes, and it is important to have someone by our side to remind us of our worth and our talents. She does that and works so incredibly hard for all of her clients. She, like Erin, has given me a chance and believes in me, sometimes more than I believe in myself. She pushes me to work hard and be my best."
4. Lena Dunham
Image: Brian To/WENN.com
"She is inspiring to me because she is a feminist, who believes in equality of all forms, not only for women, but for the LGBT community as well. If you haven't checked out the 'Lenny Letter,' it's a must! It's the newsletter she and her writing partner created to uplift women and give us an open forum."
"I first saw her in the movie For a Good Time Call but learned more about her when I was searching for charities related to Alzheimer's disease. My grandmother recently passed from Alzheimer's, so it is a subject very close to my heart. Lauren's mother was diagnosed, so she, along with her husband Seth Rogen, created Hilarity for Charity, to raise money and awareness for Alzheimer's. I joined with them this past year to raise money for my birthday."
6. Laverne Cox
Image: Apega/WENN.com
"I had the honor of working with Laverne on Season 2 of Faking It. I am a huge Orange Is the New Black fan, so I totally fangirled in the makeup trailer over her. But she was so inspiring to talk to. She exudes confidence and authenticity and taught me the importance of respecting and loving yourself first."
"Where to begin… She is my all-time favorite actress. Every performance is inspiring! She is able to transform herself into any character, while still incorporating key aspects of herself. Whenever I'm working on a set, I always ask crew members, hair and makeup artists, etc. 'Who is the nicest/coolest person you've ever worked with?' Quite a few of them have said Meryl Streep. That is a career and reputation to live up to."
Faking It returns March 15 at 10:30/9:30c on MTV. Check out the trailer:
One of the most common misperceptions about yoga is that it is just stretching and some ladylike gentle movements that barely have you breaking a sweat. In this hilarious video Earp breaks with that stereotype once and for all. See below:
SjanaEarp
SjanaEarp
Hilarious, right? The thing Earp can do with her body are really, really, really hard. No matter how "in shape" you are. But these guys all seem to have a healthy respect for yoga. They look at her and see she is doing the impossible. It's the guys who are in shape and think they are all buff and awesome who need schooling.
As an active woman, I have definitely seen the scorn. I have been in the yoga classes that are entirely full of women or that only have a couple guys, both of whom are there primarily to stare at the barely dresses hot women with "yoga bods." Any man who goes through a hot vinyasa class knows perfectly well that it is a demanding physical practice. But many who watch from afar (my husband included) really think it's just cute women breathing and gently swaying side to side.
It's not.
Yoga is an amazing practice precisely because it is what you make it. If you want a dialed down practice that will help you recover from more vigorous activities, you can try Yin Yoga or restorative. If you want a difficult practice, try a hot vinyasa flow. If you'd rather focus while also challenging your body, try Ashtanga. There is a practice for everyone. And none of it is easy.
Since deepening my own personal practice, I have become increasingly aware of the fact that the more you know about yoga, the less you know. It can be an incredibly difficult practice and the things Earp does, some people will never be able to do. It comes after years of practice and work on stability and balance, and strength. All of these things are part of yoga.
Any person who considers themselves an athlete needs to try yoga. It can be a humbling experience, but if you let it in, it can be the clearest path to greater strength, flexbility, and overall stamina. Yoga ain't for sissies, people.
Take the word misophonia for example. No, it has nothing to do with hating miso soup. It actual means the hatred of sound, or the condition of having negative reactions to certain sounds. My fiancé has misophonia specifically with the sounds people make when they eat. Even when I think I'm chewing really quietly, he looks like someone is scratching on a chalkboard. Although it may seem silly, it's a real condition over which he has little to no control.
There are many more unusual conditions like misophonia that you probably didn't realize had such cool words to describe them. Here are some of our favorites.
1. Onychophagia
This is the scientific word for the everyday habit of nail-biting. Although it is one of the most common conditions in the world, if you do it obsessively, you might want to see a doctor about it. Aversion therapy, such as applying nasty-tasting nail polish, is sometimes implemented as a form of treatment.
2. Paruresis
Simply put, paruresis means pee stage fright. If you have trouble peeing in public restrooms, you might suffer from it. It tends to affect men more than women (urinals are less private after all). Treatment usually involves therapy and graduated exposure to peeing in public restrooms.
3. Katagelasticism
This is the impossible-to-say term used to describe schadenfreude, or getting pleasure out of other's misfortune. If you want a less difficult descriptor, you could just call the person with the condition a jerk.
4. Alexithymia
Ever get really frustrated with your significant other because they're not communicating with you during an emotional time? Well, it turns out that may not just be a "guy thing." There's actually a condition called alexithymia, which makes it difficult for people to express or understand emotions. Eight out of 10 people suffer from it, and not surprisingly, the vast majority of them are men.
Obsessive nose-picking. If this becomes a body-focused repetitive behavior, it's best to seek therapy because you may end up doing damage to your nose.
6. Mucophagy
Eating the mucus or boogers you pick. This one often goes hand in hand with the condition above.
7. Arachibutyrophobia
Absolute best one on this list — it means fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.
8. Paresthesia
That itching or tingling sensation you get when your foot falls asleep.
9. Crapulous
I will be using this word this weekend. It means the nasty, nauseated feeling you get when you eat or drink too much. Believe it or not, it dates back to the 1530s.
10. Peladophobia
Peladophobia is the fear of bald people, and it is, not surprisingly, suffered most by bald people or people going bald.
11. Dentophobia
Fear of dentists. This one's for my dad (who's an oral surgeon).
12. Coulrophobia
That's right. There's actually a word for the fear most everyone feels: the fear of clowns.
13. Lockiophobia
Fear of childbirth. This one has become increasingly common.
14. Medomalacuphobia
The fear of losing an erection. I don't know one guy who hasn't experienced this at one time or another.
Kim Richards' relationship with her daughter Kimberly Jackson has been one of the more stable ones we've seen on The Mother/Daughter Experiment. If you didn't know anything about Richards' life, you might wonder what these two are doing on this show at all. On Tuesday's new episode, though, Richards' confusing behavior hinted at some serious problems between the two.
The latest exercise in emotional distress for the mother/daughter duos involved one part of the pair interacting with faux gravestones. No one really took this particularly well — there were many tears and recriminations and near physical collapse, but Richards definitely pushed back the hardest about having to do it in the first place, while Jackson went with it, in spite of being super emotional, and felt that it helped her articulate why her mother is so important to her.
After Jackson's vigil at her mother's "grave," the two proceeded to have a fight on the way back to the house, during which Richards says she wants to go home. Jackson tells her mother no way; she apparently moved her finals around so she could come and do the show (reminding us that she's at least somewhat of a normal person with a non-reality show identity), and that things have been going great up until now.
Richards and Jackson do some more quarreling, which seems to be about the fact that Jackson expressed emotions while at the faux gravesite. It was a bad day for everyone, what with all the crying and the simulated death, but for Richards, the drama seemed to last longer and reach a particularly fevered pitch.
She refused to come down to dinner, and when her daughter came up to get her, she was starting to pack her things.The episode ended without her fleeing, but with Natalie Nunn bursting in on a conversation she thought Richards was having about her, those two are apparently at it... again.
During the first therapy session of the season, Jackson admitted that she saw herself as a spouse when it came to her relationship with her mother — a caretaker, instead of a child.
On Tuesday, we heard the first references to Richards' addiction from Kim herself, so I think we can safely assume that her emotional overload in this episode is about more than just watching her daughter see her fake gravestone. She's likely carrying around a serious amount of guilt, which is manifesting itself in some particularly intense ways, and this might be just the beginning.
Do you think Kim overreacted to the latest exercise on The Mother/Daughter Experiment? Are her emotions about her daughter or something more? Tell us in the comments!
First, CeCe dated her brother, Jason; now, Ali is freaking married to her dead sister's boyfriend!? No. Just no. It's so wrong. I just can't even... Ugh! The worst part is that Ali apparently has no idea!
Forget the fact that Jessica DiLaurentis had a twin — even though Mary seems like one messed up lady. Elliot has to be even crazier. Not to mention, I'm a little confused now about his timeline with Ali. Hopefully, the show will shed some light on their relationship backstory in the new season because it seems weird that CeCe wouldn't have mentioned him to Ali at one point or another. Especially because they were invested in their relationship to the point that he would do anything for her.
Maybe he was using a different name? And if that were the case, why wouldn't Ali have mentioned a boyfriend to the police when CeCe was killed?
I can't even focus on the mysterious identity of the new mastermind "A.D." right now because all I can think about is all the insane questions I have about Elliot now. The show had better do some serious explaining and soon!
Also, I understand that it's hard to let ships sail, but Caleb and Spencer (Troian Bellisario) were really growing on me as a couple. And this finale just bulldozed my developing dreams for their happily ever after with one Haleb kiss.
First of all, Hanna (Ashley Benson) should be ashamed of herself. As for Caleb, I don't know if I can morally forgive him for this one. You know what they say... once a cheater, always a cheater. So maybe he and Hanna are perfect for each other after all since she's going to have some explaining to do to her fiancé.
I mean, I know the network changed its name from ABC Family to Freeform, but I really didn't think that meant it was going to be a "free for all" where everyone just got to hook up with everyone else whenever they wanted. What happened to the innocent days of PLL where there were high school slumber parties with Mona and A was making Hanna eat cupcakes? I kinda miss those days. Oh, the simpler times.
Now we've got egg-nappings, face swappers and a bunch of cheaters.
What did you think of Pretty Little Liars' relationship mix-up of a finale?
Doughnuts and ice cream all in one dessert is like a finger-licking dream come true. You can add chocolate sauce inside the cone, just like the doughnut cones we've seen from Prague. I used cotton candy ice cream in this version, and it was scrumptious with the doughnut cone.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
To make these doughnut ice cream cones, you'll need heating cores. They're typically used inside a pan to make cakes. They come in different sizes, but I used a small size made for use in 12-inch or larger pans.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
You can make homemade dough if you want, but I used premade biscuits dough.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
Start by heating the oven to 350 degrees F. Then brush canola oil on the outside edges of the heating core, including the top (which will form the bottom of the doughnut cone).
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
Roll out one of the biscuits into a larger-size circle. No need to use flour when rolling.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
Drape the circle of dough over the top of the core.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
On a rolling surface, set two biscuits, one on top of the other.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
Roll them together.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
And form one long roll about 15 inches long.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
Starting at the bottom edge of the dough that is draped over the heating core, wrap the rolled dough around the core. If there are any gaps, where the metal core is showing through, pinch the dough together. Work the dough to form an even cone with no gaps.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
To a shallow bowl, add the cinnamon and sugar. Mix together. Have a small cookie sheet ready by the stove for a super-quick bake in the oven.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
Heat a small skillet on medium heat, and add the canola oil. Let the oil warm up for just a moment. Using tongs, hold onto the bottom of the core, and lay the dough in the pan.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
Turn as the sides turn a golden color.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
It will brown very quickly.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
Remove from the oil, and put the cone in the sugar mixture.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
Coat all sides, and set the cone dough side up on a small cookie sheet. Meanwhile, you may want to turn off the heat and move the pan of oil to an unused burner until you're ready to fry the remaining doughnut cones. That way the oil won't overheat.
Repeat the process for the remaining cones. Then bake in the oven just until the cone starts to turn slightly darker (about three or four minutes). Remove from the oven, and let the cones cool completely before removing the cores.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
Once cooled, carefully slide the cone off the core. Then dip in the cinnamon and sugar mixture again to coat all sides.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
These are best when served as soon as they cool.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
As an option, drizzle chocolate sauce along the inside of the cone.
Image: Nancy Foster/SheKnows
Then fill to the brim with your favorite flavor of ice cream.
1 cup canola oil (for frying; amount may vary depending on the size of pan used)
2 teaspoons canola oil (to grease heating cores)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Chocolate sauce, for drizzling (optional)
3 heating cores (small size to be used in 12-inch or larger cake pans)
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease all areas on the outside of each heating core with canola oil. Set each greased core upside down (oil side up) on a plate. Set aside.
On a rolling surface, roll 1 biscuit into the shape of a circle so that it's about 1-1/2 times the diameter of the premade biscuit.
For the bottom of the ice cream cone: Lay the rolled dough on the top (most narrow part) of the heating core so that it drapes over the sides.
On a rolling surface, put 2 biscuits, 1 on top of the other, and roll them into a long roll that is about 15 inches long.
For the sides of the ice cream cone: Starting at the bottom edges of the dough that is draped over the core, wrap the roll of dough around the heating core so that each edge of the dough that's being wrapped touches one another, leaving no gaps.
Pinch together any areas of dough where there are gaps between layers. If needed, work the dough to form an evenly sized cone.
Repeat the process to make the remaining cones. There will be 1 biscuit remaining.
To a small, shallow bowl, add the sugar and cinnamon. Mix, and set aside.
Have a small cookie sheet ready next to the stove for baking the cones.
Heat a small skillet on medium heat, and add the oil.
Let the oil heat for just a moment. Watch the oil closely so that it doesn't get too hot.
Using tongs, (there should be enough of an edge at the widest end of the heating core for the tongs to hold onto), carefully lay the dough in the oil, and turn until all sides of the dough turn a golden color.
Remove the doughnut cone from the oil, and put it in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Coat all sides with cinnamon and sugar (so that the oil doesn't get too hot while coating the doughnut cone with the sugar mixture, turn off the heat, and move the pan to an unused burner). Set the coated doughnut cone dough side up on a small cookie sheet.
Repeat for the remaining doughnut cones.
Bake just long enough so the cone turns a slightly darker golden color (about 3 – 4 minutes). This will bake the inside of the cone.
Let cool completely. Carefully pull the cone off the heating core. Dip the cone in the cinnamon and sugar mixture again, and coat all sides.
Drizzle chocolate syrup inside the cone (optional), and serve with your favorite ice cream.
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott's marital woes played out very publicly on their show True Tori, but is Spelling finally willing to forgive and forget her husband's infidelity?
It took several months for the couple to work out their issues, but it looks as though 2016 is a new year for them, and they're now committed to having a stronger, healthier relationship.
"I can 100 percent move past the infidelity," Spelling told E! News during an interview. "The stuff that I cannot move past is the behaviors in the relationship — the things that weren't being communicated, the anger in the relationship — things that really had nothing to do with infidelity itself."
She continued, "I believe that women have the power, and it was a choice, and people can judge me and say, 'Well she stayed with him.' But I think it's more powerful to make the choice to try to heal the relationship and work on it and work through it if you truly love someone."
It was not easy to rebuild their relationship, and Spelling and McDermott were forced to look at their marriage and reevaluate whether it was worth saving. Of course, it was — a decision they made after determining that what they have together is undeniably true love.
"There was no repairing it because it had gone so far," she told E! News. "So we had to look at what was beneath that and at the base of it, and that was the true love that was there and rebuild it from that."
She added, "I love him. We have children together. I want to kind of repair this in a way that we can't repair, so why not start over and rebuild it, and that's what we did."
Do you think Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott have true love? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
We were two steps inside the door when the barking started. I could feel my daughter stiffen as her pace slowed and she shifted behind me. The dog owner watched her move and laughed.
"Oh, don't worry about him! He won't hurt a thing. Come on out here and pet him!"
The apologies came fast, the dog was ushered out of the room, and my daughter's shoulders slumped back to their normal spot, inches below her ears.
We're getting used to this now. The introduction of a dog. The withdrawal of my kid. The pooh poohing of the owner and thrusting of an animal she doesn't know upon her. The rehashing of my daughter's most traumatic moments while she huddles behind me, reliving the moment when she went from just another kid to a kid who gets daily painful massages of her forehead to help heal the scars plastic surgery have left behind.
When Mom.me writer Kathryn Hively recently shared an open letter to dog owners, asking them to respect kids who have a dog fear, I wanted to send her a hug and a hardy "hear hear."
As a dog owner, I understand the belief that your canine is nothing to be afraid of, but as a mom, I'm growing increasingly tired of having to share my daughter's life story in order for people to understand she's not just being a wuss around their beloved pet. Isn't a child's discomfort sign enough that they're not up for a visit with your pooch?
Dog fears are no laughing matter, nor will they suddenly go away because you've pushed your pooch upon an unsuspecting kid. You may have the sweetest, cutest, most cuddly dog on the planet (although I doubt it, because he lives in my house), but having him thrust into my daughter's lap isn't going to undo the scars — physical or emotional — left by the dog who leapt at her face, jaws bared.
The CDC estimates 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year. The people bitten most often are kids between the ages of 5 and 9 years old.
That's a lot of kids, and as Dr. Vanessa LaPointe, a registered psychologist and author of Discipline Without Damage: How to Get Your Kids to Behave Without Messing Them Up tells SheKnows, adults often make the mistake of pushing kids to "get back on the horse" too soon, expecting children who have been bitten to interact with canines before they're ready.
"Recovering from something like that is a processing," says LaPointe, who was bitten by a dog herself as a kid and has treated several children with dog fears in her practice. Instead, she recommends "very low and slow exposure" to dogs.
In other words, not pushing a strange animal at a kid and saying, "Here, pet him; he won't bite."
I get it. Your heart is in the right place. You think you're being kind.
Dog owners who encounter kids who seem afraid have every right to say, "It's OK; my dog's one of the good ones." But rather than insisting a child touch your pet, here's an idea: Ask them instead. If a "do you want to pet him" is met with a violent shaking of the head, back off immediately.
Both the child and their parents will appreciate your kindness.
Todd Chrisley is dramatic. He doesn’t make any apologies for his sassy attitude or his reactions to anything — especially when it comes to his kids. On last night’s episode of Chrisley Knows Best, we saw just how far Todd will go to punish his son Chase for getting a tattoo.
Chase is perhaps the most rebellious of the children, at least on the show. And it wasn’t really a shock when he got a tattoo. What was shocking was that Todd decided that the price of a tattoo was $150,000. Basically, Todd has a rule where he takes $150,000 out of any child’s inheritance for every tattoo they have on their body.
Let’s just pretend that we can all relate to an inheritance that has enough in it that $150,000 is a reasonable amount to be taken out for a tattoo — I think we can all agree that tattoos are not that much of a rebellious act anymore.
Not only did Todd threaten Chase with losing $150,000, but he made him get the tattoo removed plus gave him a car as a reward.
Did I mention that the tattoo was a verse from the Bible?
I’m not saying this is right or wrong — I am saying that it makes for a hilarious show. But what does confuse me is how is a tattoo this big of a deal these days? It wasn’t visible with clothes on, it was a Bible verse and Chase is in college.
Todd certainly is allowed to make his own decisions about how to raise his children, but if this is how he reacts over a tattoo, can you imagine what he would do over something actually rebellious? I know I’m excited to watch and find out. Keep breaking the rules, Chase!
Listening to other people chew is my version of hell. The completely normal (and one might say necessary) sounds of crunching, slurping, smacking and swallowing all drive me bananas, and don't even get me started on the "rude" ones like belching, finger-licking or teeth-picking. In the past it's been enough to make me flee the room in horror and rage, swearing I'd never eat with another living soul again. But then I had kids and that was no longer an option.
So it was interesting to learn, via a study out of Brigham Young University, that my misophonia (a disorder — that I most definitely have — where repetitive, ordinary noises inspire outsized emotional reactions) might actually be a cool, new diet trick.
Calling it "the crunch effect," the researchers say that the more conscious you are of the sounds you make while eating food, the less of it you will eat. All those gustatory noises, the chewing and swallowing, act as an auditory cue to remind you that you are eating and also that you should probably stop when you are full.
"Sound is typically labeled as the forgotten food sense," explained Ryan Elder, Ph.D., an assistant professor of marketing at BYU's Marriott School of Management and co-author of the paper. "But if people are more focused on the sound the food makes, it could reduce consumption."
To do this, they recommend eating while not watching TV, looking at your phone or listening to music. Basically they want you to be able to really hear all the eating noises... which makes me want to die just thinking about it. But yes, I could definitely see how that would make someone eat less or, if they're like me, not at all.
And this theory held up in the lab. Subjects who wore headphones with noise loud enough that couldn't hear anything else ate nearly twice as much as those who could hear themselves and others. While the effect was pronounced, it should be noted participants were just snacking on pretzels so "twice as much" may not hold up during, say, a three-course restaurant meal.
"When you mask the sound of consumption, like when you watch TV while eating, you take away one of those senses and it may cause you to eat more than you would normally," Elder added. "The effects many not seem huge but over the course of a week, month or year, it could really add up."
It makes sense. Researchers have long said that being mindful of what we eat (i.e. not allowing ourselves to be distracted during meal times) is one of the best ways to intuitively lose weight. We've been told that metaphorically listening to our bodies will help us recognize those subtle feelings of satiety. And now it turns out that literally listening to our bodies also helps — well, for normal people anyhow.
For myself, while I recognize the benefit, I'm going to have to tap out on this one. (But not literally, because tapping also drives me bonkers.)
Lord Buchan leaned back in his chair, the crackling of the fire and the tasty whiskey slowly warming him. He rubbed his aching thigh, glad the muscle was finally releasing. In the early days immediately after his injury, there had been no easing of the pain. Late at night, wracked beyond thought from the agony, he’d begged Dr. Fraser again and again to cut off the injured leg and be done with it. Buchan wasn’t proud of those moments and could only be thankful they were blurred by heavy doses of laudanum.
Light footsteps sounded in the hallway and the new maid entered, turning toward the table at the end of the room. He lifted his glass for a sip and glanced at her without interest, but the second his gaze fell upon her, he couldn’t look away.
She was tiny, this lass. Had they been standing side by side, her head would have been two hands’ widths below his shoulder. Yet she moved with a purpose that gave an impression of height.
Unlike other maids who preened and giggled and tried to catch his eye, she didn’t spare him so much as a glance, her attention solely on her task and nothing else. In her small hands, the silver tray looked twice as large as it usually did, and she walked slowly, carefully, one foot in front of the other, as if her burden were in dire danger of falling to the floor. Indeed, when she stopped by the table to set down the tray, her hands trembled as if she were unused to the weight.
He fought the urge to arise and assist her, as he knew his ill-favored leg wouldn’t support such a dashing gesture.
She slid the tray onto the table and then bent over it to arrange the items. He watched over the edge of his glass, noting that her face, hidden by the shadows, remained tantalizingly out of view while the firelight played across her thick, shiny chestnut hair. Perfectly straight and twisted into a bun, it looked ready to tumble down, as if the pins couldn’t hold the weight of those shimmering strands. It would reach her waist, he decided, and had an instant image of her naked, her small, rounded breasts peeking through that thick, shiny curtain of dark hair.
Bloody hell, where had that come from? Pushing the unwelcome thoughts away, Buchan took a steadying drink. Had Drummond mentioned the lass’ name? He couldn’t remember. The tray finally arranged to her satisfaction, she straightened, and the firelight that had played so warmly on her hair now lit her face. Her skin was creamy and fair, her face oval and patrician. High cheekbones, accompanied by thickly lashed green eyes that tilted just the faintest bit, gave her an exotic look. She missed being classically beautiful due to the wideness of her full mouth and the stubborn line of her chin, but there was something intriguing about her — the delicateness of her neck and shoulders, the sensual promises of that too-full mouth, the unconcerned way she went about her business.
“Who are you?” He hid a wince of regret at his harsh tone; he hadn’t meant to bark.
Her gaze flickered across him, her delicate eyebrows arched in disbelief. “I am the maid.” Heavily accented and smoky, her voice ran across him like the licks of a feather, tantalizing and tempting.
“I know you’re the maid,” he said shortly. “But what is your name?”
She eyed him with cool disinterest and then adjusted a spoon. “That, you do not need to know.”
And just like that, he was dismissed.
About the author: Karen Hawkins is a USA TODAY and New York Times bestselling author of some of the funniest and freshest fairytale-based Scottish romances. When not stalking hot Australian actors, getting kicked out of West Virginia thanks to the antics of her extended family, or adding to her considerable shoe collection, Karen is getting chocolate on her keyboard while writing her next delightfully fun and sexy historical romance!
Let’s just get this out of the way right up front: For me, as a long-suffering The Bachelor franchise fan, Jubilee Sharpe was hands down my No. 1 choice for next season’s The Bachelorette.
First off, I was promised diversity. Paul Lee, former ABC Entertainment chief spoke at a TCA panel and promised us all diversity on TheBachelorette. He made two important statements.
But it didn’t. Oh sure, JoJo’s mom is Persian with an amazing emotional story about how she fled Iran during the revolution, but JoJo’s mom is not The Bachelorette, JoJo is — a self-described “Southern sweetheart” who identifies as white.
Just for fun, let's put aside the fact that Jubilee Sharpe's a war veteran who reportedly fought in Afghanistan and is one of the most beautiful contestants the show's ever had. It was the heartbreaking, genuine and painful confession she made on national TV, uttering, “I feel like the most unlovable person in the world,” after being dumped that got me.
That raw, relatable moment left Bachelor Nation stunned and caused us to relive our own romantic past, and it was the moment I started praying to the TV gods that Jubilee would be the next Bachelorette.
I pictured it in my mind: her journey to find true love. She’d make an instant connect with one dude, find another who wasn’t “there for the right reasons,” then leave another brokenhearted, just as she had been. Like many women watching that night, Jubilee represented us. Her fairy tale had ended with Ben, but we knew her story was just getting started. Surely, ABC would see what a smart role model they had in Jubilee and would cast her to remedy the wrongs.
So naturally, when Paul Lee promised “diversity” on The Bachelorette, I thought, ‘Who else could he possibly be talking about? It must be Jubilee.’ But I was very wrong.
During The Bachelor: After the Final Rose, we all watched JoJo pretend to be surprised by the announcement that she would be the next Bachelorette, despite the fact that she telegraphed the decision a few minutes earlier. She was incredibly mature, telling Ben, “Watching the season back and seeing your connection with Lauren… it really did help me understand why you chose her in the end." C’mon, those are the words of a woman who just signed a deal with ABC to be the next Bachelorette, not the words of a woman who was “blindsided” on television. We all know your game, ABC.
Look, in theory, any show that has lasted 15 years and 20 seasons obviously knows what they’re doing. But the ratings have been on a steady decline. Season 2 had over 25 million viewers, while last week’s finale had only 9.5 million watching Ben break JoJo’s heart.
For me, Caila doesn't have the gravitas Jubilee does, but she was a great second choice. She was sweet, kind and non-confrontational, which America loves but TV execs do not. Her grace was exemplified by her affable tweet congratulating both JoJo and Lauren on their continuing journey.
Caila congratulates JoJo on The Bachelorette
Caila congratulates JoJo on The Bachelorette
In the end, we didn’t get the diversity we were promised, and with the exception of Juan Pablo, The Bachelor continues to negate the face of America and who we are culturally. As a fan, I will watch The Bachelorette and enjoy JoJo — who was my third runner-up.
Were you happy JoJo was named the next Bachelorette? Let us know in the comments below!
Britney Spears brought the crowd to tears yesterday — and it wasn’t even her show. The pop singer went onstage at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville to introduce her sister’s performance. Appearing with brother Bryan, Britney surprised Jamie Lynn with the introduction of a lifetime.
The whole Opry crowd roared when Britney walked onstage, but she was happy to quickly avert the attention to Jamie Lynn. Just like a good big sister would do.
"Thanks to the Opry for letting me introduce this beautiful young lady who is my heart and my soul," she started. "Not only is she beautiful and extremely talented, but she's my little sister: Jamie Lynn Spears!"
Watching the sisters hug and tear up onstage was a very sweet and endearing moment. It’s not too often we get to see these kinds of emotions from Britney, so the whole moment was special to watch. It’s clear that family, and especially her baby sister, is still the most important thing to her.
The Grand Ole Opry is a sacred stage in Nashville and country music, so having Britney there for the younger Spears, whose country career is gaining some major traction, made the night all the more memorable.
"I can't believe that my whole family kept this secret from me," Jamie Lynn said when she finally was able to stop her tears. "Well, now I'm gonna try to sing some songs for y'all."
Thursday is the Season 2 finale of How to Get Away with Murder, which means fans are most likely in for cliffhangers, reveals and, of course, death. Speaking of death, I have a bad feeling one beloved character might not make it out alive. Just to whom am I referring? It is none other than Laurel Castillo.
Karla Souza, who plays Laurel, shared quite the cryptic tweet Wednesday. Alongside a silhouette of Laurel, she wrote, "Tomorrow for one last time." What the heck does that mean? "One last time" for what? Maybe I'm reading too much into her tweet, but it sure sounds like she's alluding that this will be "one last time" for Laurel on the Shonda Rhimes series. Or, maybe, she just means this is "one last time" for Laurel in Season 2 and until Season 3 airs.
Whatever the case, I'm beginning to get even more nervous for Laurel. Souza has been pretty spectacular this season and I've really enjoyed Laurel's arc, so if she does die, it will be heartbreaking.
Karla Souza
Karla Souza
If that doesn't sound ominous enough, the promo for the finale teased, “Three backstabbers exposed, two dead bodies added to the count and one bloody good ender." Is that really what's going to happen?
Executive producer Pete Nowalk told TV Guide, "I hadn't seen the promo until it aired. I was like, 'Is that accurate?' Luckily we already know we're coming back for a third season, so I don't want to say one way or another." As for the bloody crime scene also teased in the promo, Nowalk told TV Guide, "That is, I guess, one of the dead bodies they're promoting. That is a crime scene."
It sure looks like there is at least one dead body in the finale. I mean, check out this photo Matt McGorry (Asher Millstone) shared on social media Wednesday.
Matt McGorry
Matt McGorry
Hmm... who is underneath that blanket? Well, it definitely isn't Asher — or so it seems. Maybe, just maybe, it's Laurel? Whoever it is, the finale sounds like it won't disappoint in shocking fans.
How to Get Away with Murder's Season 2 finale airs Thursday, March 17 at 10/9c on ABC.
And she's doing something about it. The 20-year-old college student recently noticed a trend on Twitter where people commented on what women of a certain weight could and couldn't wear.
"I had seen a tweet from someone saying that 200-pound girls shouldn't wear bikinis," she told the Huffington Post. "I just did some quick searches and found a bunch of similar tweets, so I decided I could do my part to chip away at body-shaming however I could."
So, she decided to demonstrate that, yes, women can wear whatever they want — even if they surpass the so-called "cutoff" weight for what's "acceptable" by random Twitter users. Her message: Wear whatever you want.
Sara Petty
Sara Petty
The saddest part of this is that all of the tweets are from other women.
"I hope women realize how important it is to stop tearing each other down and uplift each other," Petty told the HuffPost. "We have a lot going against us as women; we don't need other women against us, too."
Plus, her photos prove that weight is just a random number and doesn’t look the same on all people, thanks to an amazing little thing called genetics. For example, I've asked more than one person to guess my weight and they've all guessed considerably less — like 30 or more pounds — than my actual weight. It's a unit of measurement, not a representation of my worth as a person.
"I also hope that girls are able to separate who they are from the number that shows up on the scale and realize there is no number, high or low, that dictates if you're worthy of feeling beautiful," Petty added.
Wait. Hold the phone. What is happening? Seriously, did that really just go down? Someone please come calm me down. OK. Now that is over and done with, if you've yet to watch Wednesday's Younger (the episode before the Season 2 finale), then read no further. Don't say I didn't warn you.
So, I guess I'll just rip the Band-Aid off and say it. Younger just killed Thad, or so it seems, but, yeah he's totally dead, right? I'm just going to assume he's a goner. Yep, you read that correctly. You know what that means? Kelsey will no longer be planning a wedding, but rather, planning a funeral. Seriously, did anyone see that coming?
Now, let me back up a bit to how he presumably died. Remember how Liza was sent that video of Thad having sex with someone who wasn't his fiancée? She then gave him an ultimatum: He tells Kelsey or she will. That's where Wednesday's episode picked up, but before Thad gave into Liza's wishes, he discovered her juicy little secret — she definitely isn't 26.
Younger, Thad
Younger, Thad
Sutton Foster
Sutton Foster
Man, oh, man. Liza just can't catch a break, can she? Obviously, Thad used this to blackmail Liza, meaning if Liza didn't delete his sex video, then he would tell Kelsey and whoever else that she is really 40. However, Thad didn't get what he wanted, because like the good person and friend she is, Liza said that he could tell whoever he wanted about her secret, because Kelsey deserved the truth.
Then, the craziest moment happened. While Liza was walking away, she and Thad heard a noise. As Liza turned around, a beam fell off the top of a construction crane and landed right on top of Thad! There's no way he could survive that, unless he's some kind of superhero. I know Younger is a dramedy, but never did I think something like this would occur.
I guess there's a chance that Thad could still be alive underneath that beam, but that's highly doubtful. Plus, based on next week's promo for the finale, which is titled "No Weddings & a Funeral," it sure looks like Thad's funeral is happening. Also, Dan Amboyer (who plays Thad) has been tweeting up a storm about the shocking death and ending. So, yeah, Thad's death seems permanent.
Younger finale
Younger finale
So, if Thad is truly dead, what does this mean for both Liza and Kelsey? There's a good chance that Liza will feel some guilt over Thad's death. Liza didn't know or mean for Thad to die, but part of her might think, "If I would've just dropped it about the video, none of this would've happened."
If she does feel guilt, plus add in her sadness for Kelsey, that means Liza might finally reveal her secret to Kelsey. Not to mention, Liza just saw firsthand how short life can be, so maybe she'll want to confess everything (including Thad's sex tape) to her coworker and newfound BFF.
As for Kelsey, she's going to be devastated, of course. Where will this lead her? If Liza does tell her the truth, then what? Will she be mad? Will she forgiver her? That beam falling on Thad could push Liza and Kelsey in so many different directions.
Whatever the case, there's no doubt the Season 2 finale is going to be epic. As Sutton Foster (aka Liza) tweeted, "If you think that was crazy, wait until you see the season finale next week." Yeah, I'm both nervous and excited.
The Younger Season 2 finale airs Wednesday, March 23 at 10/9c on TV Land.
Beyoncé is at it again — proving to the entire world that we will never be as great as she is. She released a new line of merch on her website to support her newest single, “Formation,” and chose a model with spastic muscular dystrophy to be the face of the new line. For anyone who’s counting, that makes her crazy talented, supportive of all women and she has a heart of gold.
Jillian Mercado, the newest face on Beyoncé’s site, is a blogger turned model who has been living with her diagnosis since childhood. While this isn’t her first modeling gig, it’s probably her most exciting.
Mercado, who has modeled for Diesel and Carine Roitfeld's CR Fashion Book, signed with IMG Models in August 2015.
According to an interview with Vogue, fashion was always something she felt passionate about, but was worried the world of beauty and modeling wouldn’t feel the same about her. "At first I was very hesitant," she told the mag. "I wasn't sure about showing everyone my world because I didn't know if there would be an audience. We've been brainwashed [as a society] not to care about someone who has a disability, or their world."
Luckily for her, Beyoncé does care about all women, including Mercado. And when Beyoncé cares about something, we all care.
"OK LADIES now let's get in FORMATION! So BEYond excited to finally announce that I'm on the official @beyonce website!!! A special shout out to Queen Bee herself and the amazing team behind it," Mercado captioned her Instagram photo of herself wearing a gray "I Twirl on Them Haters" sweater and a white "Hot Sauce" hat.
Beyond just sending a powerful message that she does not care what the fashion industry rules are, Beyoncé also stayed out of the way and let Mercado speak for herself. She didn’t want to take credit for breaking boundaries or even call attention to it. She put a beautiful model in her newest clothes and that was the end of it.
Could you live alone on a beach? Survivor brought back its Exile Island theme in a season that has already proven to be relentlessly brutal. The unexpected drama unfolded during a swap in which the Brains, Brawn and Beauty tribes were dissolved into two new divisions.
But since there were 13 castaways as a result of Caleb's medical evacuation, one person was left out from the new tribal lines. The selection was entirely random as each contestant picked their new Buff. Six were blue (Chanloh tribe). Six were yellow (Gondol tribe). One was red. That solo person was forced to spend their time alone on the former, desolate Brawn tribe.
And the unlucky winner of that torturous honor was Julia, an 18-year-old member of the original Beauty tribe. Her disappointment was clear. Not only was she less than enthused about living alone, she hated that the new tribal divisions would start making alliances without her being able to mingle.
Image: CBS
"Being out here alone is the hardest part of my game so far," Julia said. Her time in essential exile reduced her to tears as she struggled with dehydration.
Julia on Survivor alone on third tribe
Julia on Survivor alone on third tribe
Viewer jokes about Julia alone on Survivor
Viewer jokes about Julia alone on Survivor
Funny Survivor tweet about Julia being alone
Funny Survivor tweet about Julia being alone
Survivor viewer on Julia's exile
Survivor viewer on Julia's exile
Viewer says Survivor's Julia is a champ
Viewer says Survivor's Julia is a champ
It may have sucked being exiled, but it was good for Julia's air time since she has been mostly invisible this entire season. At least her bad luck gave viewers a chance to actually see her.
The silver lining? She was instantly immune from the next Tribal Council and would join whichever team voted somebody out after the Immunity challenge.
For those of you keeping track, here's who landed on each newly formed tribe:
Gondol (former Beauty camp): Tai, Aubry, Peter, Anna, Scot and Joe.
Chanloh (former Brains camp): Debbie, Neal, Jason, Cydney, Nick and Michelle.
Beauty targeted
After the newly formed Gondol tribe lost Immunity, numerous strategic schemes were being planned. One group was ready to take out Tai. Some suggested voting out Anna. Meanwhile, Tai felt like he should use his hidden Immunity Idol to blindside Peter. To solidify his idea, Tai built confidence in Anna and Scot by showing them he has possession of an Idol. Interestingly, Scot hoped he could convince Tai to keep the Idol as long as possible. His secret plot involved getting Tai's Idol to the merge where it can be connected with Jason's to create the so-called "Super Idol," which is permitted to be played after all votes are cast.
Tribal Council was nothing short of predictable. As expected, Tai kept his Idol and the foursome of former Brains tribe members collectively voted to get Anna out of the game. Wait, who? Yes, Anna was one of those castaways who will likely disappear into reality TV obscurity faster than usual because she was rarely showcased despite declaring in her exit interview that she was playing hard.
Image: CBS
Another Idol unearthed
Before the tribal swap went down, Neal found a hidden Idol at the Brains camp. It was almost too easy as he stumbled on a bright blue clue inserted at eye level in a cracked tree. Really. With Neal's discovery, that means there are three active Idols currently in play with Tai and Jason also having theirs. Does this mean a "Super Idol" may actually happen?
Did you feel bad for Julia as she struggled at the former Brawn camp alone? Do you think you could handle it? Are you happy Anna was voted off? At this point in the competition, who do you hope wins the entire game? Join the conversation and leave a comment.
Nashville is finally back, y'all! Whew, it's been a minute, but the ABC drama didn't let us down with the midseason premiere. ICYMI, Rayna Jaymes and Deacon Claybourne finally managed to make it down the aisle — and Layla finally learned what really happened to her manager/boyfriend Jeff on that rooftop.
As for the wedding, it was just as magical as we all imagined it could be. I ugly cried no less than six times during the perfectly soundtracked, rustic-chic affair.
Image: ABC
But, admittedly, my focus wasn't entirely on Rayna and Deacon. For shame, I know. The problem was rooted in the fact that Jonathan Jackson is so damn good at his job. He was gutting tonight in the brutal honesty and heartbreak he channeled through Avery Barkley, a man very much torn between his love for his wife and his need to extract himself from her toxicity.
And his wife, of course, is none other than Juliette Barnes — the sassy country-singer-slash-movie-star currently in rehab to deal with the demons caused by postpartum depression, drugs, alcohol and guilt over Jeff's death.
So in anticipation of Juliette's return, let's take a look at a few clues about what might actually go down once this little firecracker explodes back onto the scene.
1. The tables may turn
Thus far in Juliette and Avery's history, Avery has by far been the stable one. He's the one who encouraged Juliette in her career and supported her choices. He's the one who has been faithful and dependable, staying behind to raise their daughter while Juliette struggled with postpartum on the road. But if the panic attack Avery had tonight at Rayna and Deacon's wedding is any indication, Juliette's return may be enough to push Avery into unstable territory. He may wind up being the volatile one while she tries to be the Band-Aid that holds him together.
Layla hasn't always been the most likable character, but she really grew on me when she joined Highway 65 and as her relationship with Jeff progressed. It's no secret she and Juliette have hit some snags along the way but, let's be real, who hasn't Juliette bumped heads with at some point or another? It was heartbreaking tonight to see Colt finally tell her the truth about Oliver's death. Based on next week's teaser though, it would appear she decides to repay Juliet by hitting her where it hurts most: the heart — not only does Layla ask for Avery to be her producer, but it appears she may be moving in on Juliette's man.
3. Avery doesn't know how to let Juliette be a mother
If there's one thing that defines Avery as of late, it's the fact that he is a great dad. The best, even. He adores Cadence and is fiercely protective of her. Tonight, after Cadence's first visit at the treatment center with Juliette, Avery looks visibly shaken. And although he promised he would be fine with Juliette being a part of Cadence's life upon her return, that seemed less certain when he told Emily after Rayna and Deacon's wedding "I don't know if I can do this." As much as Juliette wants to mend things with Avery, she likely won't take kindly to him constantly trying to swoop in whenever Juliette spends time with their daughter. It's understandable on his part after everything they've been through, but still... that'll surely cause some friction.
4. If only for a minute, Avery and Juliette will reunite
Am I convinced Avery and Juliette are going to fall back into each other's arms and live happily ever after? Meh. Not as much as I'm convinced they'll fall back into bed at least once before the season is over. If you've ever been struggling to get over someone, this is a scenario that probably resonates with you. Chemistry is a hard thing to deny, especially if you're still harboring feelings for the other person. But it doesn't mean they're good for you, and it sure doesn't mean you can make it work if you don't fix the stuff that broke you in the first place.
Granted, it hasn't been that long since she stepped off of one. She was in a pretty bad mental state at the time, though, and she definitely wasn't striking anything close to balance between her personal and professional lives. With a slew of huge music cameos announced in the season promo — Kelsea Ballerini, Derek Hough, Kesha, Thomas Rhett — it's highly unlikely Juliette won't score a duo with someone special. This may be a critical moment in her marriage (or divorce) to Avery. Also a remote possibility? That Layla will use the newfound knowledge of Juliette's involvement in Jeff's death to try to ruin Juliette's career.
6. We could lose another favorite character
OK, so, I love Nashville. I'm a Southern girl and it speaks to many of my Southern sensibilities. One of those just so happens to be drama, 'cause we know this show deals that out in droves. It's not unheard of for something jarring and drastic to happen just when everyone seems to be happy — you know, like the death of a character. Obviously, everyone's on a high right now in the wake of Rayna and Deacon's wedding. However, the teaser trailer for the rest of the season includes some distraught characters, so we know there's going to be some serious drama in the near future.
7. That character could be Avery
Here's where I start asking myself, "Is Layla's plan just to steal Avery away from Juliette? Or does she want to take him away from Juliette the same way she feels Juliette took Jeff away from her?" The latter would mean Layla makes an actual attempt on Avery's life, which is crazy. Right? Right?! Fingers crossed that's just me being paranoid. Then again, this is Nashville, so anything could happen. And given that Jackson's real life alt rock group — Jonathan Jackson and Enation — have a new EP in the works with Grammy-nominated producer Greg Archilla, his focus could certainly shift.
