Governor Schwarzenegger Cutting Funding To Domestic Violence Shelters

First he tried to cut all the funding for Poison Control and now Governor Schwarzenegger is trying to cut out all the funding for domestic violence shelters. This man is going after programs that actually save the lives of people, and must be stopped. Go here, NOW!!!, to see what you can do to help before some woman dies because she has nowhere to go.

Governor Schwarzenegger line item vetoed the Department of Public Health’s Domestic Violence Program, which provides $20.4 million for 94 domestic violence shelters and centers.

Domestic violence shelters are often the only thing standing between victims and grave physical danger, and California’s communities cannot sustain their loss.

Services provided by these agencies include emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal advocacy, assistance with restraining orders, counseling and other vital support services.

“We are appalled to see the Governor eliminate funding to vital programs that save lives,” said Tara Shabazz, Executive Director of The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV). “State funding to domestic violence programs has been proven to save lives, and also millions of dollars in health care, law enforcement and other social costs. It is fiscally irresponsible to propose such cuts; the Governor is balancing the budget on the backs of our state’s most vulnerable citizens.”

“If the Governor’s budget cuts are allowed to stand, victims will not have a place to turn for help and lives will inevitably be lost.”

I blame this on all of my fellow citizens of California who voted for this idiot because he was the Terminator (and haven't voted since). This should serve as a warning to keep celebrities out of politics.

Don't Forget...

Saturday is White Linen Nights in the Heights! Pull out all of those summer white outfits you've been neglecting, and get ready for a night on the town! Enjoy tons of fine art, shopping, live music, dining, and more. Get more info here.

Here are some of my favorite "all white" looks. These two ruffled cuties are from Urban Outfitters.


Love this skinny white jean ensemble from Tisdale This outfit is way too toasty for a hot summer night, but this Pencey Moto jacket is adorable none-the-less.
See you in the Heights!!

First Duggar Grandchild Is A Girl

Update : Josh has told PEOPLE that the little girl due 20 October will be called Mackynzie Renée. Haven't these people ever heard of keeping something a surprise.

Josh and Anna Duggar will have a baby girl. Unable to keep any news to themselves, the sex of the baby was revealed on the Today Show.

Luckily for the planet, it looks like Josh and Anna want a normal size family. Josh told Meredith Vieira,“We’d be happy with two or three; I think children are a blessing, though. So we’re just thankful for the one that God has given us, and we’ll take ’em one at a time.”

Would You Want A Baby That Looked Like Jon Gosselin

Well, how about Jim Carrey, Bill Gates, Joey Fatone, DJ AM, or Conan O'Brien. Because California Cryobank(One of the most reputable companies by the way.) is offering their Donor Look-A-Likes program. The same team that matches photos of your partner to photos of the donors has applied their talents to matching the donors to photos of celebrities. Some of the celebs are obscure and some just plain ugly, but you too can have a baby that looks like your favorite celebrity. The cryobank isn't offering a Brad Pitt look-a-like or a Gabriel Aubrey. If they had a Gabriel look-a-like I would be first in line. They do have Joe Jonas, Jude Law, Heath Ledger, and Daniel Radcliffe.

It was just a matter of time before some cryobank offered this service. But what do you do when your choice is no longer on the A-list? Do you really want a baby that reminds you of some D-list bottom feeder.

Salvage Life Update

In case you are wondering where I have been, I am taking some time off to work on my new website and vacation with my family. I will be back towards the end of August with new merchandise and a new site. I hope you are having a great summer!

Best Cities for Singles?

Forbes just put out their newest list: Top 40 cities in the U.S. for singles. That's right, if you are single and free to mingle, some cities are actually better you than others. If you are one of my Texan readers, you are in luck. There was some serious Texas representation in the list. Guess who landed in the #25 spot? That's right....H-town baby.

"With a low cost of living and a high rate of projected job growth, Houston is an attractive city to many, not just singles. Houston serves as headquarters for 20 of the best big companies in the country and 19 of the best small companies, according to Forbes."

San Antonio was ranked #27, Dallas at #17, and Austin at #11! Everything IS bigger in Texas...including the singles dating scene. Still searching for that special someone? Click here for the full article of cities for you!

Who Has Jude Law Knocked Up?

Jude Law, who has three children with ex-wife Sadie Frost, has discovered he's expecting a fourth child with an unidentified former lover.

"Jude Law can confirm that, following a relationship last year, he has been advised that he is to be the father of a child due in the fall of this year," the actor's rep says in a statement. "Mr. Law is no longer in a relationship with the individual concerned but he intends to be a fully supportive part of the child's life. This is an entirely private matter and no other statements will be made."

Law, 36, next will appear in Hamlet on Broadway in October, and will star with Robert Downey Jr. in the film Sherlock Holmes opening on Christmas Day.

Why release a statement if he wants to keep it private? The statement is what is going to bring attention to the mother. Look at how the press hunted down Sarah Jessica Parker's surrogate. And the British press makes the American paparazzi seem like angels, Jude did the one thing that ensures that this will not be a private matter.
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The Jolie-Pitts At ToysRUs

Angelina Jolie took daughters, Zahara and Shiloh to ToysRUs. For all of their traveling and celebrity, they seem to be raising the kids kind of normal. They are allowed plastic toys and junk food. They seem to be skipping a lot of the middle and upper class pretension.

More pictures below.

David Henrie and Selena Gomez

Am I the only one who thinks that David Henrie and Selena Gomez will end up a couple when she turns 18? If I were Lucy Hale I would be dreading the day.
WEEN

Fall Bonpoint Online

The Fall collection for Bonpoint is available to purchase online. But still no shoes.

Michelle Obama was seen shopping at Bonpoint during the family's trip to Paris.

Magic Ottoman

So a friend of mine contacted me a couple of weeks ago with a storage dilemma. She and her husband have papers to file, and they didn't want to buy an ugly filing cabinet, or just some old file box. She wanted a truly "hidden" filing solution. So this is what we found. A basic storage ottoman, with hanging file capacity. Yes! Genius!

So that got me thinking. What other kinds of magical ottomans exist? How about one with an instant side table... (click on the photos for sources)

Or one that hides those shoes you like to keep by the door

My personal favorite! This one hides away your Rock Band instruments when your kids ::cough:: or you ::cough:: aren't using them. Why didn't I think of this?
Or..a smarter take on your run-of-the-mill ottoman: One that is actually sectioned off so you can stay organized within the ottoman.

Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise In Australia

Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise had a bit of wintertime fun in Australia. Katie is in Australia filming "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark".

More pictures below.

Taylor Momsen's Recipe For Disaster

Every week, teenagers around the country tune in to Gossip Girl to see Taylor Momsen play Jenny Humphrey – a high school rebel with requisite teen angst. But just to be clear: Momsen says she's hardly a typical 16-year-old in real life.

"I live a very adult life," the high school graduate (she got her diploma two years early!) tells Teen Vogue in the September issue, hitting stands August 4. "What am I going to do, hang out with high school kids? I just can't relate to what they talk about – it seems so petty."

And that includes high school boys. Momsen, who claims to have been in "lots of relationships," admits that she could never date someone her own age. "Boys are so much less mature than girls as it is," she explains. "I would eat a boy my age alive."


Instead, Momsen is eschewing the idea of a traditional college education, opting instead to take a few classes online, sing in her band, Pretty Reckless, and act, of course.

"I'm an artist; I'm not going to use trigonometry," she says matter-of-factly. "For most people college is a place where you learn about yourself, and I feel like I'm doing that already. I'm already independent."

But what about college friends? "I have such trust complexes," Momsen confesses. "I'm close to like, two people."

Still, all her insecurities seem to fade away when she steps in front of a crowd to sing her music. Having spent most of her life in front of a camera (Momsen began modeling at age 2), she's used to the spotlight, and doesn't mind if her Gossip Girl fans don't understand her rock star persona or her new look.

"I'm pretty, but I'm not, like, a 'pretty girl,' " she says, adding that she modeled her new 'do on a Joan Jett photo. "I know people were a little, um, taken aback. But it wasn't me that changed – it was just that I decided to start being myself."

Taylor Momsen is a little too grown for my tastes. Somebody should tell her that it is illegal for 16year-old girls to date men, no matter how mature they are. Her only real success is Gossip Girl, what is she going to have when it is gone?

The wildly successful Dakota Fanning has work and she still manages to relate to kids her own age. She's even a cheerleader. And even with her good girl image she was cast in The Runaways. I wonder if Taylor was even considered for a role. I bet producers guessed that there wasn't really anything behind the "rock star persona."
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Problem With Bugaboo Takata

The Bugaboo Takata hasn't been released in the United States yet, but there have already been troubling problems reported in Europe. It seems that Takata (And Bugaboo is placing the blame squarely on Takata. They keep calling it the "Bugaboo car seat developed by Takata.) didn't correctly attach all of the handles to the car seat shells. So when the car seat is being carried by the handle they can detach. Also the car seat doesn't always attach properly to the stroller adapters. These are problems you would expect from a cheap car seat. Bugaboo is saying that they have had only three reported cases of the problem though, so it may just be a quality control problem.

Bugaboo has directions on how to check for the manufacturing defect on their European websites. If you car seat is affected stop using the car seat and return it to where you purchased it.

Bugaboo has been having a lot of problems with their products lately. There was a recall for the Bee and reported problems with the the Cameleon's handles.

Talk About Spoiled

I thought my 16year-old was spoiled because he has a larger tv in his room than I have (a hand me down from great-grandma), but now I see that he has nothing on this brat. A mother had a 98inch television flush mounted into her teen-age son's ceiling. Patti Deni says that her son spends a lot of time making and watching his own videos. And since most ceilings aren't made to hold to 300lb televisions, they had to build a new reinforced ceiling before they installed the screen, video projector, and projection mirrors.

You know the kid is just watching porn on this thing. And can you actually watch the tv anywhere in the room besides the bed (If you can it must be uncomfortable, imagine the crook in the neck.). I wonder how much weight he has gained since the television was installed.

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Got a Geeky Kid?

Running out of summer fun? Check out Wired.com's list of 100 Geeky Places to Take Your Kid this Summer. Two of them are right in our own backyard! Houston Museum of Natural Science and Space Center Houston both made the list. Check out the list if you need to entertain your little geeklets.

By the way, if you go to the Museum of Natural Science website, you can turn yourself into a Terra Cotta Warrior (their newest exhibit)! Click on the guy above to go get warriofied.

Playing Dress Up

Refusing to do anything productive with my lazy Sunday, I spent way too much time yesterday at looklet.com. It is a virtual dolly dress up, and sooo much fun! All you do is pick out your model, her trendy/artsy/nature-y backdrop, and then add the clothes! You can mix and match, add shoes, bags, jewelry, etc. Here a a couple of the looks I created. One for fall, one for a night on the town anytime. It also lists the designers as you add the items, so you could actually buy your dream outfit if you so desire! The possibilities are endless!! Go play...your boss will never notice!

Saurette On Sale At Gilt

If you love Saurette but can't afford the prices, Gilt (the private shopping site) is having a sale. An $120 blouse is just $38, a huge saving. The sale ends 28 July. Gilt always has the best brands, including children's brands, on sale.

You do need an invitation to join the site. It's free to join otherwise. If you don't have a membership send me an email at trend-fashion-todayblogspot at gmail dot com, and I will send one to you. Or you can add your name to their waitlist.

iCandy Peach Blossom

While other stroller companies are busy issuing special edition fabrics and doodads, iCandy is trying to make a truly revolutionary stroller. The next stroller that they will be releasing is the Peach Blossom. It is designed to be a single or twin stroller like the Pear. On the frame of a single stroller you can even attach two car seats or carrycots. And if you only need to transport one child you can do that too. And while many strollers brag about their one hand fold,iCandy says the Peach will have one hand seat removal. Here are some of the features.

• Peach chassis included
  
• 2 seat units (one slightly smaller than the other) included
  
• 2 carrycots included (one slightly smaller than the other)
• 2 raincovers included
• The larger carrycot and seat unit will fit directly on to the chassis to become a single pushchair
• Numerous combinations of seat, carrycot and car seat positions
  
• Ultra lightweight
• Easy to manoeuvre with 2 children
• One hand easy fold
  
• Seat units and adaptors attach and detach easily with one hand
• Seat unit hoods slide up and down to accommodate your growing child
• Contemporary but practical design & fabric choice
  

Of course iCandy isn't available in the US or even online, but if you must have one call one of the European dealers and have it shipped. Warning, it will cost you a fortune in shipping.
Update: The iCandy Peach can be ordered here.

More pictures below.

Bowling for Rhinos

Looking for a fun (and generous) way to spend a Saturday evening? Palace Bowling Lanes is hosting the 'Bowling For Rhinos' bowl-a-thon from 6-10 p.m. Eat, drink, bowl, and be merry while also raising money for these beautiful babies.

So you may be wondering, why do rhinos needs us to bowl?
Well according to the Houston Zoo website, there are only 5 species of rhino left, when there once were over 100 species! All 5 species are endangered due to hunters seeking their valuable horns.

All proceeds from Bowling For Rhinos go to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya, Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in Sumatra. 100% of the money raised will directly to these organizations.

For more details about bowling check out the Houston Zoo website

Murder And Mayhem Links 23 July

Phoenix Girl Raped By Four Boys
Four boys ages 9 to 14 raped an 8 year old boy. Last week they lured the girl into an empty shed where they committed the rape. And to make matters worse, the girls Liberian family has disowned her for bringing shame on the family. The boys are being held for kidnapping and sexual assault. The oldest boy will probably be charged as an adult. The little girl has been placed in child protective services.

16 & Pregnant: Life After Labor

I recieved the following reminder from MTV's public relations:

The finale special, hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky, will be an issue-driven forum on teen pregnancy. All six of the teen mothers profiled on season one of the series will participate in this event. Dr. Drew will discuss each girl's episode, specific issues and challenges and update us on what's going on in their lives now. This open discussion will provide a platform to address the controversial topics that were shown in season one: birth control, adoption, abortion, marriage, religion, gossip, finances, high school graduation and employment. During the show, Dr. Drew will field questions by members of the live studio audience, as well as select emails from viewers.

The special will air tonight at 10pm.



Maci is the one that I predict is no longer with her boyfriend. Even Catelynn, who gave her baby up for adoption, said that she felt sorry for Maci. And I am bummed I missed the chance to interview Catelynn (Busy hanging out with my kids, so I didn't read the email until after the show aired.) But you can read an interview that she did with another blog here.

Kelis Gives Birth

Update: The 7.8lb boy is named Knight Jones. In a video posted online Wednesday, proud papa Nas spilled the first details of the birth. "My son is born today, so shout-out to my son, Knight," the rapper says in a clip, which is stamped with Tuesday's date. "My son's name is Knight. That's what I named the young God, Knight," Nas tells fans in the clip. "Y'all heard it first. Don't believe nothing you hear in the media. I love y'all. Don't listen to that bullshit. I love y'all, that's why I'm here."

Kelis has gave birth to a baby boy yesterday. According to his lawyer,Mark Kaplan, Nas was not in the delivery room, even though he rushed to New York to attend the birth. Can't wait to see what they name the baby (If they can agree on a name.)

The pair had been scheduled to appear in court in their on going battle over money.

I guess the new thing in celebrity circles is to dump your husband while pregnant, and then to deny him access to the birth. Kelly Rutherford did the same thing this summer.

Kelis seems to love Twitter, so you may want to check her Twitter page for more details.

Punch Out

Sometimes Houston flavor pops up in the most unexpected of places. While walking around the adorable and arsty town of Eugene Oregon, I wandered into Modern -the most fantastic collection of modern furnishings, decor, and gifts that I have ever laid eyes on!

What should I find peeking out from a little glass case? The revolutionary pop out jewelry by Houston designer Melissa Borrell ! If you've never see it before, her work is WAY cool.
The pieces are made from stainless steel, which you receive attached to the rest of the sheet metal, and you literally “pop” the piece out and lace it on the included chain. The result is like wearing your own piece of modern art around your neck (or lobes). I have been dying to own one of her pieces for a while now (My birthday is in two months...I'm just sayin'). To find a store near you that carries Melissa Borrell click here.

First Black Miss England Crowned

The First Black Miss England was crowned in London on Monday night. Twenty year old Rachel Christie took the crown at London’s Metropole Hilton Hotel beating out 14 other finalists. During the pageant Christie won the Helen E Cosmetic Award which guaranteed her a spot in the top 15.

Her crowning does not come without controversy however. Viewers were given a chance to call in their votes for the winner. One of the finalists, Zoey Samale received 2,013 votes. Rachel Christie only received 9. The viewer vote was not the deciding factor however and the judges ultimately picked her as the winner leaving some voters outraged.

The new Miss England is an athlete that competes in heptatathlons and specializes in the 400 meters. She is also the niece of the “most decorated” Olympic British athlete, Linford Christie and models in her part-time. Christie will compete in the Miss World Competition in South Africa later this year.

It’s nice to see that the Black beauty is being recognized worldwide. [Source]

Baby Dragged From Crib By Family's Dog

A Kentucky couple, excited about bringing home a new baby boy, are still reeling from their premature newborn's life-threatening injuries suffered after the family's beloved dog dragged him from his crib.

AJ had been home for less than 24 hours Monday when his parents, Michael and Chrissie Smith, went to check on him and found his crib empty.

Frantically, they searched the house and surrounding woods, calling 911 when they couldn't find him. Ten minutes later, Michael Smith found the family's dog, Dakota, with AJ in her mouth.

"We were downstairs for two minutes," Smith told "Good Morning America" today. "And my wife had an instinct. She just went upstairs."

Baby AJ is now at the hospital in critical condition. Born three weeks early, he suffered a cracked skull, broken ribs and two punctured lungs when Dakota took him from his crib.

"The priority is rest and just keep getting the meds in him," Smith said, adding that his son is as stable as he has been since the incident.

When the family first got to the hospital, it was a much different atmosphere.

"They took us to a consulting room with a pastor and gave us one more chance to see him," Smith said. "That was hard. I had a really, really, really, really, really bad feeling coming up to the hospital."

Smith said AJ's heart stopped at the hospital and emergency room attendants had to use tiny paddles to resuscitate him.

"When the doctor comes in and the doctor's pretty much crying, you know, you think the worst," Smith said. "But then, you just fight through it. He's a fighter. He's fought the whole way."

The family has had Dakota, a mixed breed Native American Indian dog, for four years. Smith said he completely trusted her and she was part of the Nicholasville family.

Smith said his family believes Dakota thought AJ was a doll and wanted to play with it. But experts say fear is one of the biggest reasons a pet may turn on a new baby.

"A baby could be something that a dog fears," Dr. Kat Miller of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said. "It feels trapped, it feels cornered, it could possibly try to drive the baby with aggression."

It's a kind of aggression that has been seen in headlines before -- an 8-month-old boy was killed in his New York apartment by the family Doberman. And, in San Francisco, a 9-month-old was bitten in the face and neck by the family's boxer.

Although Dakota is no longer with the family, Smith isn't calling what happened to his son an "attack."

"That wasn't the case," he said. "It was more of a snatch and grab. It was like, 'Here's my toy.'"

"I don't feel angry at the dog," he said, "But there's no way that dog could ever come back in my house."

He called Dakota "mild-mannered." The family's other dogs, including a black Labrador retriever, will remain in the house.

Dakota is at a shelter and no decision has been made about whether to euthanize the dog, according to a local newspaper.

Experts said these kinds of incidents can be prevented by keeping a close eye on both the dog and the baby and helping the dog accept the arrival of a new baby by familiarizing the dog with the sounds and smells of an infant.

"Dogs and cats, no matter how friendly and social they are, still have big teeth," Miller said. "Keep your baby safe by separating completely your dog and your baby when you are not immediately there to supervise."

You have to be extremely careful with children and pets. Remember the pet snake who killed the little girl a few weeks ago. Either the baby or the dog should have been behind a closed door.

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Anna Duggar's Ultrasound

Luckily for all the fans of Josh and Anna Duggar, the family has posted Anna's ultrasound online. You can also see several other webisodes over at Duggars: The Next Generation.

So Twisted

I saw these uber cool placemats from Modern-Twist at Marche Provisions in Eugene Oregon (which was so wonderful that it will probably receive it's own post later on). I knew they were awesome, but I also thought that they looked very familiar. After poking around, I noticed that they have popped up in multiple fashion forward sources such as Design Sponge, Apartment Therapy, Real Simple and many more. Their unique texture is from FDA grade silicone, with minimalist designs that allow the beauty of your table top to shine through. Personally I'd like to buy them all, but which one is your favorite?

A couple for the kiddies...