Tabz – Page 12 – QuadrupleZ

Taking Care of Your Clothes With Downy, Bounce and Janie Bryant from Mad Men

April 27, 2012April 27, 2012 Tabz Leave a comment

I’m horrible when it comes to taking care of my clothes. I dump them all in together, wash them cold and HATE ironing. SO I was very excited when I was offered “The FabricCare Guide” by costume designer, Janie Bryant, who is best known for her work on Mad Men.

The guide is a beautifully illustrated book with illustrations and pictures of garments from the show. There’s even tiny fabric swatches! If you want first class advice on how to take care of your own clothes like a pro (or just want a really fun Mad Men tie in) check out the downloadable guide here: www.downywrinklereleaser.com/janiebryant. There’s also a coupon there so you can try Downy’s Wrinkle Releaser for yourself.

“One thing I’ve always been passionate about is how important presentation is to having great style,” said Bryant. “Looking pressed and polished is often just as important as what you’re wearing and the best way to pull off that look is to know how to take great care of your clothing.”

The advice is tied in with Downy’s new Wrinkle Releaser. For folks like me who hate ironing it’s a welcome relief. You simply spray on, tug and smooth out the serious wrinkles and hang it up. Obviously it’s not a last minute product (unless you’re willing to go out with a damp shirt or pants), but it is a nice alternative to ironing. I used it on a skirt that I had forgotten to hang up immediately out of the dryer and it reduced the visible wrinkles pretty quickly (and I didn’t burn anything down). And, the plus side is it smells great!

I also received a bottle of Bounce’s new ironing spray. It acts like starch, but without the annoying smell or flakes you sometimes get from starching your clothes and ironing. For the times that I do have to iron I’m happy to have this around.

Both are available at big box retailers like Target and Walmart or check your local grocery store.

I received free samples of Bounce Ironing Spray and Downey Wrinkle Release along with a hard copy of “The FabricCare Guide” for free, but all opinions are my own and I do my best to give my honest, amazingly insightful review of any free products I receive.

The Past Always Catches Up With You! – One Tree Hill

April 24, 2012April 24, 2012 Tabz Leave a comment

I love when TV shows are allowed the season to wrap everything up, especially a long running show like One Tree Hill. Going into the season knowing it’s going to be the last one allows the writers to really bring story lines full circle. In Season 9 of One Tree Hill a lot of the past catches up with our characters. Clay finds out he has a six year old son, Brooke has to deal with X being out on parole, and Dan has to deal with his past crimes.

Past choices always influence the future, which is part of why I love the writing One Tree Hill was able to do in this final season. Good choices, bad choices, whatever you do has a way of coming back around. Back in 2009, I had a dental procedure that cost way too much and I could barely afford it (and that was with a job), but I paid the bill anyway. Now I have a $200 credit that I didn’t know I have and they’re mailing me a check! See, the past caught up with me, but it was a good result!

Want to see the end of One Tree Hill? It’s out on DVD and availble here: http://bit.ly/GCYbxt

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote One Tree Hill Season Nine on DVD.

The Amazing Spider-Man Interview on Yahoo! Movies

April 18, 2012April 18, 2012 Tabz Leave a comment

The Amazing Spider-Man movie poster — The Amazing Spider-Man' theatrical standee art (Photo: Columbia Pictures)

If you’re eagerly awaiting the new Spider-Man movie, you might want to head on over to Yahoo! Movies and check out their exclusive interview with The Amazing Spider-Man director, Mark Webb.

You can check the whole interview out here. Here’s a preview to whet your appetite:

On Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone’s instant chemistry:

“We screen tested them together, and she’s very funny and really quick and snappy. I remember the first time we screen tested them — I don’t think they’d met before, really — and he took a minute for him to get back up to speed with her because she was so funny. And then they really brought out really great parts of the other’s performance. Of course, it was there, and that’s why we cast that dynamic. It was really great to watch it on screen.”

The trickiest element of Spider-Man’s world from the comics to capture on screen:

“To create something that’s funny and whimsical, but also has real emotional stakes. That’s the real tricky part is to make it all feel grounded even though he is doing something, even though he’s swinging through the streets and he can do things that no other human can do. But still give him a hard time when he’s relating to his aunt or his girlfriend, and all those dumb little things that we all have to deal with when you don’t have that mask on. I think reconciling those two universes was tricky, but I think that people really react to it.”

The film takes Peter Parker back to high school. Why the high school setting is important for the Peter Parker character:

There’s an adolescent quality to a lot of the “Spider-Man” [comics] that I liked, that is really important in terms of the DNA of the character. He’s like an imperfect guy. You know what I’m mean? He is a kid, and he’s always kind of making mistakes, and he is not so sure about himself all the time. I felt like the authentic place to start that was in high school. And I think there’s something about the way you feel about the world at that age that makes things much more raw, and I thought that was really fun to explore more cinematically.

One Tree Hill & Challenges

April 16, 2012April 16, 2012 Tabz Leave a comment

Conflict. There wouldn’t be a good story if it wasn’t for conflict. One of the major points of conflict in TV shows is the challenges that characters have to overcome. In One Tree Hill, Season 9 found characters that we’ve watched for nine years face some very grownup challenges like raising children and some very interesting challenges like Clay sleepwalking and missing periods of time! While I haven’t personally gone through either of those challenges yet, but I do appreciate that not everything is sweetness and light in One Tree Hill. Even in the more unrealistic situations it’s always inspiring when characters overcome challenges that face them. If Brooke can overcome some of her life crap and get married and have kids, it seems easier to be able to face your own challenges.

My current challenges are fairly small in the grand scheme of things. Mostly the revolve around getting my large list of TO DOs done with limited finances and a large range of tasks to do. Some days it seems like everything is working against me getting stuff done and other days I just want to quit, but I know that it’ll be all worth it in the long run.

You can relive all of the challenges in One Tree Hill by buying the Season 9 on DVD and UltraViolet: http://bit.ly/GCYbxt

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote One Tree Hill Season Nine on DVD.

Image Sources: Spoiler TV & http://fuckyeah-treehill.tumblr

Dear TV, I Love You

April 16, 2012April 16, 2012 Tabz 1 Comment

I Love TV Tshirt — I Love TV shirt is available at redbubble.com (click picture to see)

Every so often I have an epiphany about myself and other people. It’s usually one of those, “hey not everyone thinks the same way I do.” This one came to be awhile ago, but the other day in conversation with my friend Lisa we started discussing it. We’re real fans of TV. The big difference between how we watch TV and how other people watch TV? We know writers, producers, actors and their real names. It seems like a small thing (and sometimes I really screw up names because I have a real hard time remembering anyone’s name), but I’ve always been really interested in the writer names on TV shows. Stephen J. Cannell was one of the first ones I remember learning when I was a kid. I knew Rick Berman from Star Trek and Paul Gross from Due South. I understood their importance in making the shows I was watching and it still kind of surprises me when people don’t know the names behind their favorite show.

But, I love TV. I love episodic storytelling. Movies are too short. Just as I get immersed in the story, it’s over. I think I’ve seen more movies this year than I have in a long while (and it’s like five). Books are great, but there’s a length and interest problem there. But, like Golidlocks in the Three Bears house I find TV “just right.”

My parents can tell you that my love affair with TV started at an early age. I used to be so glued to the TV that they couldn’t get my attention while I watched. Seaseme Street sucked me in and wouldn’t let go. The thrall has continued and is helped along by Netflix, Hulu and other devices to watch TV on. It’s more than mindless entertainment, my friends and I spend hours discussing it, dissecting it, quoting from it, and learning from it. Yes, learning. I worked through a lot of my own personal issues by watching them played out by characters on TV. As David Grenwalt once said (about writing) at a Paleyfest panel, “there’s nothing like taking all your pain and putting it in the mouths of pretty people.” The same can be true of watching it on TV.

So yes, this my love ode to the television format of entertainment. I hope that scripted TV lives long and prospers.

One Tree Hill Season 9 DVD Available Today – Extra Features

April 10, 2012April 10, 2012 Tabz Leave a comment

One Tree Hill may have just finished airing, but the Season 9 DVD is available for purchase! One of the best reasons for buying TV on DVD is the extra features. For the final season of One Tree Hill there’s a ton of great content that I’m really looking forward to exploring. The Complete Ninth Season of One Tree Hilll also features 2 hours of fan favorite extra content. Included in the content are 3 all-new featurettes, a full-length commentary, unaired scenes and a hilarious gag reel.

I always love when a TV show gives thanks to the fans of the show and there’s one featurette listed on the DVD called The Fans of One Tree Hill. I’m hoping it really explores the large fanbase the show had and some of the cool things the fans have done over the years.

I’m also excited to see some of the extra unaired scenes. Often those extra scenes of TV shows really bring some fun/in depth moments that were missed. Or you can see why they were cut out and how differently the story might have played out with them.

Relive the crazy and exciting moments like this one:

Purchase Season 9 of One Tree Hill on DVD now: http://bit.ly/GCYbxt

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote One Tree Hill Season Nine on DVD

Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 Premires Tomorrow!

April 10, 2012April 10, 2012 Tabz Leave a comment

I’ll admit, I was dubious about watching this show. I only had a vague idea of the premise, despite seeing the billboards all over town. In a way, I’m very glad I didn’t know much about the show when I first sat down to watch the episodes available in advance on HuluPlus (and iTunes).

I already knew of Krysten Ritter’s brilliance from her role in Veronica Mars and have heard of her amazingness on Breaking Bad. If it wasn’t for Krysten I probably wouldn’t have tried out the show. Of course, there’s a lot of talent that’s gone into creating this series. Krysten’s co-star is Dreama Walker (Gossip Girl, The Good WifeDollhouse. The show was created by Nahnatchka Khan, who wrote for American Dad! and produced by Jason Winer (one of the well-known directors from Modern Family).

My favorite part of the show? James Van Der Beek, who plays a himself in a fake comedic way that will keep you in stitches. The idea for his crazy character came from the producers seeing James Van Der Beek’s Funny or Die videos that mock his role as Dawson in Dawson’s Creek. You can see some of this awesomeness in this short clip:

If slightly irreverent, situational comedy is your cup of tea… sit down in Apartment 23 and take a swig. Just don’t trust the girl who lives there.

I Have One Tree Hill Props!

April 3, 2012April 3, 2012 Tabz 1 Comment

In celebration of the finale of One Tree Hill tomorrow, Warner Brothers sent me some amazing props from the set of One Tree Hill!

I wasn’t entirely sure what they were sending, so I was really happy when one of the props was “An Unkindness of Ravens” the fictional novel by y Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray’s character). It reminds me of how Lucas fictionalized the first two years of high school, how their was an unsuccessful movie based on the book, and how Peyton obsessively collected them (later burning them when she finds out that Lucas is engaged to his publisher, Lindsey).

I seem to have a library edition (there’s call numbers on the side). Unfortunately, the book is a prop. The book inside the dust jacket is “The Tangled Mess.” The actual book may never be published, but it’s a nice memento from one of my favorite fictional writers. It would be nice if someone had written it (like Richard Castle’s books are being published for Castle).

The other items included brought up so many memories. I loved having the picture for Brooke’s fashion line “Clothes Over Bros.” The success of the company leads to many of Brooke’s growth points (like choosing cheer-leading over going to New York, realizing she’s not ready for moving into a career in high school). Of course, it reminds me how she started the company to get over Lucas (I’m sensing a theme with my props now).

I also have some campaign stickers for Lucas’ mother, Karen Roe, from her run for mayor against Dan in Season 3.

All in all it was a fun way to walk through the seasons of One Tree Hill and I can’t wait to watch the season finale. Tune in TOMORROW at 8/7c on the CW.

Want to live some more memories? Check out One Tree Hill’s website: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/one-tree-hill

I am promoting One Tree Hill on behalf of Warner Bros. WBWord division.

Women’s Day Features Dr. Oz on Cover, First Man on Cover in 30+ Years

April 3, 2012June 26, 2012 Tabz Leave a comment

Women's Day Magazine Cover with Dr. Oz — (photo credit: Brian Doben for Woman’s Day)

Dr. Oz, whose daytime TV show inspires millions of viewers, is on a mission to help get Americans healthier. His show attracts a largely female audience so it’s no wonder Women’s Day breaks it’s tradition of having women on the cover and has Dr. Oz for this issue instead.

There’s a lot of great information about Dr. Oz’ life, childhood, and his marriage including interview answers like these:

On being an outsider:

Every day in elementary school, I would get off the bus and kids would pick on me. I was in so many fights, I thought the principal’s office was a classroom…I thought I had to prove something because I came into an environment as an outsider…When you’ve been an outsider, you never forget what it feels like. It’s an instant and lifelong way to connect with people, especially when they’re feeling different.

Connecting with his audience:

When I started doing TV, I was a terrible communicator. I’d talk to women who had bad things happen in their lives, and I’d just jump in with answers instead of fully listening to them first…In many ways, it was about working through a lesson my wife, Lisa, has been trying to teach me throughout our marriage: You don’t fix a feeling, you hear a feeling.

Keeping his marriage strong after 27 years:

I sometimes say that in 27 years of marriage, I’ve been married to three different women, and Lisa’s been married to three different men: the student, the surgeon and the talk show host. People do change during a lifetime, and we should view this as a positive instead of panicking and backing away. We don’t want to stay static, because it’s dynamism and newness that keep attraction and a marriage strong.

For more with Dr. Oz, go to http://www.womansday.com/droz and pick up the May issue of Woman’s Day, on newsstands April 10^th.

Author: Tabz