Vacation, all I ever wanted....

It feels like school's out for summer! Yay! OK, it's only for a week. Even though I love my job, whenever summer vacation rolls around, I get that same giddy get-out-of-jail-free feeling that reminds me of the last day of elementary school. And did I mention it's only a week off, not an entire summer?

Our big summer "holiday" week starts today. Heidi is taking a "trip" with her kids (it is no longer "vacation" to her), and I'm hell-bent on having a "vacation", even though I'm taking a trip with kids for the first time.

In the meantime, we've pre-recorded all-new episodes of ChickChat for your listening pleasure. Click here to download our podcasts or listen live, Monday - Friday, 2-4 pm ET.

Next week we'll ask the question, "Can you make him fall in love with you?" Hint: Yes, but you have to listen to ChickChat to find out how! We'll review signs he’s a man – and signs he’s still a boy, pass along some free relationship advice we found on the internet, figure out what your fridge says about you, and give you 30 ways to make healthy living second nature. Plus, what happened when Heidi found a spider in the bathroom (EEEWWW?)!?

'Vacation' by the Go-Gos, Cruel Summer by Bananarama and anything by Madonna are some of my favorite summer music selections...what are yours?

Cheers,
Lara

Men: A Fashion DON'T

I know there aren't many guys trolling around iVillage. But we've got a tip for you:

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD - NO CAFTANS!

I know the chicks are jumping on the caftan bandwagon. And that's not right either. (Think Mrs. Roper meets an 80 year old Miami socialite hostess). They are just glorified housecoats. No?

And men might look good in skirts to me.

And in nightshirts. And I get that Lawrence of Arabia could make a plain ol' sheet hot.

But NO CAFTANS guys.

Thank you. And you'll thank me.

Cheers! Heidi

Are you taking a summer vacation?

I didn't take a week off from work for a seven year stretch in my 20s. Dumb. Now I take a vacation each year, come Hell or high water. Up to now, it's been about hanging out with girlfriends, hitting the beach and hitting the town. If I spent one day too hungover to do anything but go to the movies, needed aftertan lotion, eaten a lot of seafood and ice cream, and let my cellphone battery die, it was a successful vacation. The hat in the picture is from an extended Bachelorette party in Santa Barbara a few years ago, but it represents my general vacation attitude. Adult-style fun!

This year, Boston Guy and his 2 tween girls and I have rented a house on Cape Cod for a week. Somehow, I think it's going to be different from my usual vacations! We're trying to figure out what to pack, how much planning is really necessary, and what kind of budget to try to stick to. The hard part is done - we all get along really well and like to do pretty much the same things. But I know I'm forgetting to do something....what is it?

I beg you - any tips for this kind of trip, practical or emotional? And oh yeah - we leave on SATURDAY. As in, three days from now!

What are YOU doing for vacation this year?

Cheers, Lara

Find Your Inner Charo

After Carmen Miranda but before Shakira - there was Charo!

I saw a new Geico commercial w/ Charo -- and had to ask myself is she really was still alive. Yup. Alive alright. And as "Cuchi Cuchi" as ever!!!

8 Things You Might Not Know About Charo:

1. She learned Flamenco Guitar from Gypsies who camped on her grandparents farm
2. She was on the Tonight Show w/ Johnny Carson 45 times
3. She holds the record for guest appearances on the Love Boat
4. She was born - María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza de Rasten
5. Twice voted "Best Classical Flamenco Guitarist in the World" - Guitar Player Magazine
6. She's got a new CD out: Charo and Guitar
7. She's got a son! Shel Rasten
8. She had the same work/life balance issues we all did. She pretty much gave up her stardom for her son:

"When my baby turned five, we didn't have any children to invite for his birthday," Charo recalls. "And I made a decision. I didn't want my son to become a typical show business kid who grows up and writes a book called "Cuchi-Cuchi Dearest." So we canceled everything -- Las Vegas, Atlantic City, New York. We even canceled Broadway -- I was supposed to do the life of CARMEN MIRANDA. And we up and moved to Hawaii"

She's a smart sexy woman, who won't stop. Full of love. Full of life. We can all learn a little somethin' from Charo.

You Go Charo!

Cheers! Heidi

Can anyone become an artist?

So this guy Donny Johnson is 46 years old, and is serving three life terms in solitary confinement. He's been convicted of murder and of slashing a prison guard's throat. So he's violent AND he's been locked up, all alone, all day long, for 20+ years, with little chance of parole. He hasn't touched another person in 17 years.

He's also an artist. First, he made a brush out of his own hair, plastic wrap and tin foil:

Then, he made paint. He puts a little water into grape jelly packets and drops in M&Ms. After a while he fishes out the chocolate part and then uses the colored water to create postcard-sized works of art like this:

A gallery in Mexico recently showed 25 of his pieces, and sold six of them ($500 each). Some people think his work looks like Spin-Art, but I think they're missing the point.

A think this is the most brilliant, sad, hopeful and hopeless stories I've ever heard. On the one hand, the guy is a cold-blooded killer who may always live in solitary confinement. On the other hand, he's creative and productive, and who knows - maybe even rehabilitated. He's donated the money to a fund that helps the children of prisoners.

There's more info here.

Have a great weekend!

Cheers, Lara

Old, Married and Pregnant - in Vogue

Can you IMAGINE being 41 years old, married, pregnant - and posing fo the cover for Vogue???

If you are Linda Evangelista -- it's a reality. (oh, except for that marriage part...)

Linda is winning the War on Frumpiness - and so is Vogue!

You GO girl!

And who says that the media and the fashion industry are only interested in young women???

Cheers! Heidi

What would you do with $100?

Yesterday I found a $100 bill on the street! At first I thought it was one dollar. I bent down to pick it up and did a 360, looking for whoever had dropped it. No one was around. I continued on my way, and realized it was $100 bill! So I stopped and looked behind me - no one was looking around. Here's my pal Mr. Franklin now!

I was so busy trying to decide what to do with the money (nice dinner with Boston Guy? shoes? H&M? savings?) that it didn't occur to me to try to give it back to it's rightful owner until Heidi pointed out during our show yesterday that it really isn't my money. Maybe that's why Mr. Franklin is sneering in his picture.

Thanks to everyone who called into the show yesterday to encourage me to go shopping, but guilt got the better of me and I started asking law enforcement people what a lawful citizen should do. Here's what I got:

Me: Let's say someone found a $100 bill on the street - what's the right thing to do with it if you want to get it back to its rightful owner?
Hot police officer on the street: Give it back to me, I've been looking all over for it!

Me: Let's say someone found a $100 bill on the street - what's the right thing to do with it if you want to get it back to its rightful owner?
Lady detective on the phone: I dropped it yesterday, I can't believe you found it!

Both said that you could turn it into the precinct and see if anyone claims it. Neither had ever heard of someone looking for dropped cash. Both essentially said, "finders keepers," but it sounded like "findahs keepahs" in thick Boston accents. So I'm going to keep the cash.

What would you do if you found $100 on the street?

Cheers, Lara

Pants-Off Dance-Off

You can tell a LOT about a person by how they dance naked.

Swinging around a dark sock. Getting stuck in a pants leg, hopping around pogo-style. Scrubbing the crotch with the shirt -- one hand in front, one hand in back --each holding an end of the t shirt...sawing away.

Even some 'man-boobs.'

It's all here on the new hit T.V. show this summer, Pants-Off, Dance-Off.

It's like "So You Think You Can Dance" - without pants!

Brought to you by our friends at Fuse T.V.

Steve from this week's lineup is my favorite.

Cheers! Heidi

What vinyl do you own?

Boston Guy unpacked his stereo last week, including a TURNTABLE! What's the first thing he played?

Do you know why a dude would play the EP of Beat It? Yes, that is a quiz question. Answer in the next post.

Then we listened to this entire album ... I forgot how much I love the song, "Raining on Prom Night!"

And then we busted out one of my all-time favorites....

There's something about having to flip the actual album over to hear the other side, and the scratchy sound of the needle on the record that I just love. I may as well be hand-cranking a Victrola! We have Suzanne Vega, Frank Sinatra and Al Hirt, some instrumental called "Love in London" and tons more. We listened to albums all weekend long. I'm SO glad I kept them!

What vinyl are you still hanging on to??

Cheers, Lara

**UPDATE: Dudes love the Eddy Van Halen guitar solo in the middle of Beat It....

The Outfit that NEVER goes outta style...

Cheetah. Timeless. If you wanna have fun-- say "cheetah."

That's what we do everyday in The Cheetah Lounge.

IT WAS POPULAR THEN:

AND ITS POPLUAR NOW!

I've even seen a cheetah print coat in CHURCH! (gasp)

Isn't it time you add a little Cheetah into your life????????

Cheers! Heidi

Do you wear men's cologne?

Sometimes I wear men's cologne.

Heidi and Roz (our producer) think I'm crazy, but I know I'm not alone. I got the idea from the coolest girl in high school, Kyra. She wore Azzaro sometimes - it's musky and sexy - and when she dated my brother, she gave him a bottle. I used to sneak into his room to borrow a drop or two. Later I bought my own bottle, and didn't switch to real perfume til a few years later. I kept a small bottle of Azzaro around until they stopped making the kind in the picture a few years ago. At the time, it was mysterious, edgy, a little alternative and grown up.

Now, I sometimes borrow my boyfriend's cologne (I got him a bottle of Happy for Men by Clinique). Now it feels racy and sexy, liberating, and experimental. It shakes things up a little!

Do you ever wear men's cologne?

When Streakers Cartwheel

I am sick of seeing Sharapova camel-toe on the internet. Why isn't anyone sending around pictures of her Wimbledon Streaker?????????? Because Ladies, we are lame. Let's remedy this:

And what did our girl Sharapova do? She gets the ChickChat Winning the War on Frumpiness Award for this quote:

"I didn't really look at the guy, thank God. I didn't want to look at all the details."

However, when told that some of the female spectators had been impressed by the streaker's physique,

Sharapova added: "He was? Maybe next time I'll take a look."

You Go Girl.

Cheers! Heidi

And the Emmy goes to....

Are your Emmy picks ready? Here are mine....and by mine, I mean
who I WANT to win in the IMPORTANT categories. Not who I think will win.
BIG DIF! I watched an outrageous amount of tv last season, and have seen
almost all of these shows. Finally, all those hours in front of the tv can be
put to use!! I love the Emmys!!

Let us know who your picks are!

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm • Larry David as Himself
The King Of Queens • Kevin James as Doug Heffernan
Monk • Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk
WINNER: The Office • Steve Carell as Michael Scott
Two And A Half Men • Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit • Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
WINNER Rescue Me • Denis Leary as Tommy Gavin
Six Feet Under • Peter Krause as Nate Fisher
24 • Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer
The West Wing • Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlet

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
The Comeback • Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish
Malcolm In The Middle • Jane Kaczmarek as Lois
WINNER The New Adventures Of Old Christine • Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell
Out Of Practice • Stockard Channing as Lydia Barnes
Will & Grace • Debra Messing as Grace

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
The Closer • Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson
Commander In Chief • Geena Davis as Mackenzie Allen
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit • Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
WINNER Six Feet Under • Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher
The West Wing • Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Arrested Development • Will Arnett as Gob Bluth
WINNER - HUG IT OUT, BABY Entourage • Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold
Malcolm In The Middle • Bryan Cranston as Hal
Two And A Half Men • Jon Cryer as Alan Harper
Will & Grace • Sean Hayes as Jack

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Boston Legal • William Shatner as Denny Crane
Huff • Oliver Platt as Russell Tupper
WINNER The Sopranos • Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti
24 • Gregory Itzin as President Charles Logan
The West Wing • Alan Alda as Arnold Vinick

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm • Cheryl Hines as Cheryl David
Desperate Housewives • Alfre Woodard as Betty Applewhite
WINNER My Name Is Earl • Jaime Pressly as Joy
Weeds • Elizabeth Perkins as Celia Hodes (VERY CLOSE RUNNER UP)
Will & Grace • Megan Mullally as Karen

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Boston Legal • Candice Bergen as Shirley Schmidt
Grey’s Anatomy • Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang
Grey’s Anatomy • Chandra Wilson as Dr. Bailey
Huff • Blythe Danner as Izzy Huffstodt
WINNER WINNER WINNER 24 • Jean Smart as First Lady Martha Logan

Outstanding Comedy Series
Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Office (VERY CLOSE RUNNER UP)
WINNER Scrubs
Two And A Half Men

Outstanding Drama Series
Grey’s Anatomy
House
The Sopranos
WINNER 24
The West Wing

Have a great weekend!

Cheers, Lara

Queen for a Day

QE2, you may be the Queen of England (and 15 other nations, according to Wikipedia), but just for today...I am the Queen! I am the Queen of Flag Cake!

I really didn't think I had a chance! I swear, I didn't expect to win! But just in case I did, I prepared a few words....

I'd like to thank Heidi for putting up a great challenge, and Rock Star Mommy for bringin' the heat. Or the cool. Either way, you two are winning the war on frumpiness and are a constant source of inspiration.

I'd like to thank 9-y-o M. and my step mother for helping me decorate the Flag Cake. I'd like to also thank my dad, step brother and Boston Guy for helping us eat so much of the cake right after it was decorated. I'd like to thank the academy...oh wait, wrong speech. I would like to thank my Granny-Mams (whose 88th birthday was yesterday and is an incredible baker), who said in a Bronx accent, "Flag Cake? I never heard of Flag Cake. You always did like the kitchen, and you know your way around it, too!"

Thanks Rori - the check is in the mail!

Cheers,
Lara

And the Winner Is....

Lara The Rock

Lara The Rock's was done with the help of a 9 year old (phew - thought Lara had spacial issues) and hers looked inviting to eat.

Hardcore Heidi's whipped cream was over-whipped (damn - you can SEE that in the picture if you are an iVillage Food expert)

Cold Stone RSM's strawberries appear to be not fully 'hulled.' And cherries with pits in them - well, ask any food expert what that means!!!

Congratulations Lara. The BAR IS SET for next year!

Smackdown Entries

It's JUDGEMENT DAY on the Flag Cake Smackdown.

Cold Stone RSM has spoken:

Lara The Rock has spoken:

Hardcore Heidi has spoken:

Find out which one "takes the cake" July 6th on ChickChat Radio when iVillage Home & Food “Cooking Expert” Rori Trovato CROWNS A WINNER!

Which one wins YOUR award?

Cheers! Heidi

Game on, sisters (and brothers)

Homemade whipped cream...wild strawberry jell-o...this is my first flag cake, and I'm DAMN proud of it! No one in my family had ever had one before and we are all new fans!

This cake was decorated by me, my boyfriend's 9-year-old daugher, and my stepmother. Power of three, people!!!

Hope you're having a fun weekend!

Cheers, Lara