Happy Halloween! Get Spooked by these Festive Viral Videos

Happy Halloween, everyone! Although you probably got all of your tricks and treats out of your system over the weekend (aka you are hungover today!) there is still time to celebrate even if you're stuck in your cubicle on this Monday Halloween.

Check out some clever, cool and creative viral videos that have been floating around the Web that pay homage to all things spooky scary!

Quick Things 10.29.11

Some quick links that are worth checking out...

• America's Best Pumpkin Carver Gets Insane Results
• Pumpkins Carved as Parks and Rec's Ron Swanson
• Ninja Warrior Invites Opponents with Surprising Results
• I Want to Go to There: The Human Slingshot
• How to Fix 7 Flailing New TV Shows
• Can You Guess? Halloween or Williamsburg? (Hint: All Williamsburg)
• Animals in Places They Shouldn't Be

Likes or Yikes? Maya Rudolph on Babies, 'Bridesmaids 2' and 'Up All Night'

This week iVillage.com's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel give their humorous opinions on what's buzzing in entertainment.


This week Pat and Jacki talk with Saturday Night Live alumna Maya Rudolph!

Rudolph talks about her role as the over-the-top talk show host Ava on NBC's new hit comedy Up All Night (co-starring Christina Applegate and Will Arnett), the possibility of a Bridesmaids sequel, her thoughts on the success of Bridesmaids co-star Melissa McCarthy and what it's like being surrounded by babies all day both at work and at home.

Chime in on the week's hottest entertainment stories with iVillage's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel at iVillage.com/LikesorYikes

The All-Stars Make Their Own Music Videos in This Week's 'ANTM'

In the newest episode of America's Next Top Model All-Stars the girls are given the most difficult challenge yet, as they are asked to write and sing a song about their lives, with a surprising twist. A few of the models struggle with the task and reach emotional breaking points. Once the song is complete, rapper Game steps in to direct the women in music videos based on their songs.

There are no photo shoot pictures from this week's episode, but keep reading to see some stills from the models' videos and a sneak peek at the episode. (Click to enlarge!)

The Statue of Liberty Turns 125 Years Old

Believe it or not, I have lived in New York City for over six years now, but I have never been to the Liberty Island, or even Ellis Island, to see the Statue of Liberty.

Today Lady Liberty turns 125 years old (she doesn't look a day over 95!) and to celebrate, please fill your brain with some interesting factoids about the Statue of Liberty, her origins and what's coming up for her in the years to come.

I mean, I'm still not going to push through tourists to see her in person, but I'll settle from the far-off views of her from lower Manhattan.

Lots of more cool facts and info from Yahoo!'s creative video series Who Knew?

See the First Posters of the Main Characters from 'The Hunger Games' Movie

Exciting! As the hype for the upcoming film version of the hit series The Hunger Games builds and builds Lionsgate has given a few major media outlets exclusive posters of some of the Games' biggest characters. As a proud member of District 8 I am overjoyed!

Although the film won't be in theaters until March 23, 2012 take an early look at Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, Cinna, Effie, Rue, Cato and Gale -- several whom we're seeing for the first time! Click to enlarge:

The Ru-Mix: Til Death Do We Party

It's a big party weekend coming up (I have no idea what to be for Halloween!) and what a perfect time to get some new tunes from The Ru-Mix just in time for some tricks and treats!

This is a fun party/dance mix that will will keep everyone in good spirits. Your transition to fall is complete with new tracks by some of your favorite artists as well as some summer hits to ensure you don't "Fade into Darkness." Incidentally, the last track on this is my very own mashup Download or stream The Ru-Mix: Til Death Do We Party

If you're digging all of The Ru-Mixes so far keep checking the blog or Fan DJ RuBot on Facebook!

'America's Next Top Model All-Stars' Episode 7 Recap

In this week's episode of America's Next Top Model the The women are asked to create a signature fragrance and launch the scent at a public event while posing in a bathtub. At a photo shoot where the models pose as reality stars, the tension is high and the all-stars begin to get on each other’s nerves. Andre Leon Tally and Nigel Barker join guest judge comedienne Kathy Griffin and Tyra Banks on the judges’ panel for the elimination

Keep reading for the recap and to see the panel order and photos!

Oxygen Greenlights New Docu-Series 'The Eva Marcille Project'

Good news for America's Next Top Model Cycle 3 winner Eva Marcille! After successfully hosting the second season of Oxygen's Hair Battle Spectacular the network has announced they will feature a new show following her life.


Eva Marcille
According to Deadline Hollywood, The Eva Marcille Project is a docu-soap about four beautiful and successful best friends who help each other navigate the tumultuous waters of love, celebrity life, and the entertainment industry.

At the epicenter of this group of friends is Eva Marcille, fashion model, actor, producer and host. Her group of best friends includes Denyce Lawton, an actress who starred in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne on TBS, Nikki Chu, an interior and product designer who has designed for several celebrities and major brands and Kelly Marie Dunn, a talent and brand manager who has worked with A-list musicians and pop stars.

Deadline also reports that Oxygen will feature another docu-series featuring fellow Hair Battle judge and former Rachel Zoe Project stylist Taylor Jacobson and her troop styling faces famous in Los Angeles called LA Style.

Will you watch The Eva Marcille Project when it premieres on Oxygen? Leave a comment!

Meet the Designers of 'Project Accessory' Season 1

The hit design competition series Project Runway is getting a little sister of sorts, as Lifetime preps to debut the spin-off Project Accessory tomorrow, October 27 at 10:30pm following the Project Runway season finale.


Hosted by actress and model Molly Sims, 12 designers will compete and showcase their unique vision for accessories, and show audiences how to transform any outfit. The designers must dazzle Sims and the judges -- designer Kenneth Cole and InStyle Editor Ariel Foxman -- with their one-of-a-kind jewelry, belts, bags, shoes, headpieces, etc. with the help of lifestyle expert Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti as their mentor.

Guest judges for the first season of Project Accessory will include some stylish celebs, like Emmy Award-winning actress Debra Messing and Fashion Police host Kelly Osbourne.

The winner of Project Accessory will receive $100,000 from eBay Fashion to start their own line, a feature spread in InStyle and a year of professional runway hair styling courtesy of John Frieda Precision Foam Color.

Kelly Clarkson Performs "Mr. Know It All" on 'Today'

While promoting her new (and amazing!) album Stronger, the original American Idol Kelly Clarkson stopped by NBC's Today show for a chat with Matt Lauer and to perform her latest single "Mr. Know It All." Check it out!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Kelly is so cute and seems so humble and her voice is always on point!

Plus, I'm happy to report that it appears that Ms. Clarkson got a new stylist for this latest tour, because her hair and wardrobe are much-improved from past appearances. (Sorry, Kelly. I had to say it!)



Kelly Clarkson's new album Stronger is available on iTunes and in stores now!

Stories of Greatness [SPONSORED]

The Gillette Odor Shield Sweat for Greatness contest celebrates ordinary men achieving extraordinary things. And the three finalists in this year's contest have truly remarkable stories of greatness, as you'll discover in the profiles that follow.


Whose story is most extraordinary? Cast your vote online at si.com/greatness

Ellen Sends Her Reporter Amy (and Her Mom!) to Another Haunted House

Last month I shared the video of Amy Rhodes -- who plays the roving reporter on The Ellen DeGeneres Show -- getting the living crap scared out of her in a haunted house. She screams at everything in sight, and even things that are out of sight, while telling the ghouls and goblins that they're "so rude" and to quit scaring her even though she "knows they're getting paid."

This year Ellen sent Amy back to another haunted house -- actually, a haunted cruise ship -- as part of her sponsorship with the deals site Groupon. But, Amy wasn't alone this time! She was joined by her also easily startled mother, Mary Kay. Watch their adventure now:

Quick Things 10.22.11

Some quick links that are worth checking out...

• Kid Does Lady Gaga Medley on Homemade Rimba Tubes
• Little Girl Chooses Dark Side, Kneels Before Darth Vader
• Ha! Wrestler Interrupts Wedding for Improv Anywhere Couple
• Advanced Style Looks at the Elegant Elderly
• Yahoo! Mailbox Delivers Funny Quips and Gifts to Passersby
• Lol! Snapshots of People Going Through a Haunted House
• Geek Out Your Office with Meme-Inspired Decor

Likes or Yikes? 'Desperate Housewives' Stars Dish on Affairs, Sexy Hair and the Show's Final Season

This week iVillage.com's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel give their humorous opinions on what's buzzing in entertainment.


This week Pat and Jacki talk with Felicity Huffman and Doug Savant, two of the stars of ABC's Desperate Housewives.

The pair give scoop and what it's like to be "TV married" for 8 years, if they'd like a "Tom and Lynette" spin-off, and Felicity shares what she finds "so sexy" about her husband and fellow actor William H. Macy.

Chime in on the week's hottest entertainment stories with iVillage's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel at iVillage.com/LikesorYikes

The Girls Pose on Motorcycles in this Week's 'ANTM All-Stars'

Reality star and comedienne Kathy Griffin joins panel for this week's episode of America's Next Top Model. Keeping with the theme of reality TV, the girls pose as reality stars on motorcycles. Random!

Keep reading to check out the girls' best shots (click to enlarge!):

Watch the Video for "We Found Love" by Rihanna

Rihanna felt some heat from an Irish farmer while shooting the video for her latest single "We Found Love," because he felt her shoot was a little too racy for his taste. Turns out, the shots from his farm were probably the most tame part of the pop star's new video.

Check out the clip of Rihanna and a "is-he-or-isn't-he-supposed-to-be-Chris-Brown" fella' as they fast forward through a whirlwind romance filled with sex, drugs and reckless youth.

'America's Next Top Model All-Stars' Episode 6 Recap

In this week's episode of America's Next Top Model the women are divided into two teams for a flag football challenge with professional football players. During the challenge, the all-stars pause for photos and the competition is fierce. At the photo shoot, the models find out they will be posing in pairs alongside supermodel Coco Rocha. Andre Leon Tally and Nigel Barker join guest judge Coco Rocha and Tyra Banks on the judges’ panel for the elimination.

Keep reading for the recap and to see the panel order and photos!

Quick Things 10.15.11

Some quick links that are worth checking out...

• Occupy Boardwalk: How Games Got Greedy
• The World's Craziest Toilet Bowls
• Wow, Judy Jetson Was Kind of a Slut
• The 10 Most Dangerous Waves in the World
• Anthroparodie: Mocking that Overly Priced Store
• Landscapes Is Nature at Its Most Beautiful
• A Hilarious Jurassic Park Parody Song
• Awesome Stop-Motion Video of 80s Toys

Likes or Yikes? Nicki Minaj Surprises Fans, Fall TV News and 'Celeb Apprentice' Rumors

This week iVillage.com's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel give their humorous opinions on what's buzzing in entertainment.


Which celebrities are rumored to be competing on the new season of The Celebrity Apprentice? Teresa Guidice, Clay Aiken and Debbie Gibson are at the top of the list!

Two viral video stars get the surprise of their lives when Nicki Minaj joins them to perform her song "Super Bass" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

And Pat and Jacki give their take on the new shows hitting the airwaves this fall, including Ringer, New Girl and Up All Night.

Chime in on the week's hottest entertainment stories with iVillage's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel at iVillage.com/LikesorYikes

The Models Duke It Out with Coco Rocha on 'ANTM All-Stars'

During this week's episode of America's Next Top Model the All-Stars face some stiff competition when they will be posing in pairs alongside real-life supermodel Coco Rocha.

Check out the girl's best shots!:

'America's Next Top Model All-Stars' Episode 5 Recap

In this week's episode of America's Next Top Model the All-Stars model fashions from the Kardashian Collection for a runway challenge at the Santa Monica Pier with Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian in attendance. The stakes are raised when the women find out they must exit a moving carousel before hitting the runway. Later the girls pose as interpretations of Michael Jackson at a photo shoot and get guidance from LaToya Jackson. Andre Leon Tally and Nigel Barker join guest judge LaToya Jackson and Tyra Banks on the judges' panel for the elimination.

Keep reading for the recap and to see the panel order and photos!

Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go" Gets 'Hunger Games' Parody

This is by no means new, but somehow I just found it a few days ago. As someone who is moderately obsessed with The Hunger Games (the Capitol assigned me as a factory worker in District 8!) I love this parody music video set to "I Wanna Go" by Britney Spears.

In the clip Gale and Peeta battle it out in an attempt to woo the story's heroine Katniss Everdeen. Check it out:



Here's the lyrics, in case you are curious:

Yahoo! Mailbox Delivers Funny Quips and Gifts to Passersby

To promote their upgraded mail service -- which you can learn about on Facebook -- Yahoo! has made some pretty funny videos featuring a very large purple mailbox, aka the Purple People Greeter.

In the clips the mailbox greets and chats up people walking by in New York City, and even offers them some very nice mail, including flowers, cash, Yankees tickets and even iPads! Check it out:


The Purple People Greeter also did its thing in Chicago, delivering gifts and cracking jokes to by-standards. Watch that one, too...


Clever, huh? Love people's interactions with the giant mailbox.

"I Want It!" -- October 2011

Every month one of my favorite bloggers and Internet buddies, Roberutsu of Some Kinda Blog, does a beautiful roundup of all of the items he's coveting at the moment called "I Want It!"

Check out October 2011's picks from Some Kinda Blog:

"Fall has arrived and it’s been awesome for us in the upper central North American hemisphere. Our weather has been seasonably warm-even hotter than Vegas, if you can believe it-but we all know it’s not going to last. So let’s get ready to cozy up! For this month’s wants I’ve been attracted to warm things – wood, wool and glowing morning breakfasts."

I'm definitely digging both of those sweaters, and I wouldn't mind waking muffins and eggs either! To find out the pricing info and where to buy this month's "I Want It!" products head over to Some Kinda Blog.

Which items do you want? Leave a comment!

Roberutsu is a graphic designer, photographer and director from the Canadian Plains. Get more of his favorites on his blog or follow him on Twitter @Roberutsu

Likes or Yikes? 'X Factor' Star Liliana Rose, 'Real Housewives' Drama and Disney Goes 3D

This week iVillage.com's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel give their humorous opinions on what's buzzing in entertainment.


It's been a crazy few weeks in the world of The Real Housewives. Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon, Cindy Barshop and Alex McCord were all fired from the New York City edition, Peggy Tanous from Orange County announced she was leaving her show this week and Jacqueline Laurita and Teresa Guidice had an all-out Twitter war after Teresa allegedly set up her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga. Drama!

After the success of The Lion King's re-release in 3D Disney announced it will be releasing other classic animated films like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Finding Nemo in 3D, too.

And X Factor contestant Liliana Rose Andreano stops by to talk about her amazing audition (where she sang "You Are My Sunshine") and what it was like to get a "yes" from Simon Cowell. Get more of her music on iTunes.


Liliana Rose and Pat Sandora
Chime in on the week's hottest entertainment stories with iVillage's Pat Sandora and Jacki Garfinkel at iVillage.com/LikesorYikes

Watch the Video for "Countdown" by Beyonce

Beyonce may have debuted her baby bump at the 2011 Video Music Awards, but she is putting that babeyonce to work in the new video for her song "Countdown" from her album 4.

Watch Beyonce channel Audrey Hepburn and she gorgeously twirls, vamps and bats her eyelashes in this stylized clip.

Get More: Beyoncé, Music, More Music Videos

Sorry, but Beyonce can do no wrong in my book. Love everything she does!



What do you think of the video for "Countdown?" Leave a comment!

The Models Channel Michael Jackson for 'ANTM All-Stars' Shoot

The concepts for the photo shoots on America's Next Top Model All-Stars are getting more and more interesting... and kinda strange!

In the next episode the models get guidance from LaToya Jackson, sister of Michael Jackson, where they channel different evolutions of the King of Pop.

Check them out after the jump (click to enlarge):

'America's Next Top Model All-Stars' Episode 4 Recap

In this week's episode of America's Next Top Model the All-Stars audition for a role on popular television show CSI (see the photos below) in front of creator of the franchise, Anthony Zuiker. At a photo shoot modeling Express fashions with male models, a few of the women struggle in front of the client. Andre Leon Tally and Nigel Barker join guest judge Anthony Zuiker and Tyra Banks on the judges’ panel for the elimination.

Keep reading for the recap and to see the panel order and photos!

'America's Next Top Model' Cycle 18: US Versus UK?

The All-Star Cycle of America's Next Top Model is only a few episodes into the season, but details about the next cycle have been leaked to A Blog About Things! A reader sent us the details from a special "Fierce Parade and Fashion Show" that presumably unveiled the girls of ANTM Cycle 18 and a very unexpected twist: The next season will feature models from the United States versus models from the United Kingdom!


Tyra Banks to pit US models against UK models?
According to the insider, attendees of the event were encouraged to wear red, white and blue or stars and stripes to the show at the Hard Rock Cafe in Los Angeles. The stage in the venue formed a V with two runways jutting out from the stage to a center point. At the sides were two large floats; One with the Statue of Liberty and the other with Big Ben.

Jay Manuel was the emcee for the reveal. To keep with the US vs. UK theme Brit Nigel Barker rolled up in a Mini Cooper convertible that was painted as a Union Jack. Miss J. pulled up in a red and gold Ford Mustang.

Next came the float with Big Ben carrying seven British models, followed by the float with the Statue of Liberty, the American models and a bunch of shirtless guys with American flags and white flags that said "America's Next Top Model." How patriotic!

The invite stated that the models were all wearing clothes by designer Oliver Tolentino, which looked "high fashion military" according to the source. The UK girls were wearing red with gold, blue, silver accents and the US girls wore blue in different pseudo-patriotic colors.

'Work of Art: The Next Great Artist' Returns for Season 2

When Bravo premiered the first season of their art competition series Work of Art: The Next Great Artist -- executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker -- last year I was very skeptical as to how a show about all kinds of art would translate onto TV. After watching the show I was very pleasantly surprised with how the series turned out, which is why I am excited that season two is premiere next Wednesday, October 1 at 9pm.


Host China Chow and the Contestants
Bravo's Work of Art: The Next Great Artist is a creative competition series that seeks to discover new talent and shed light on the artistic process the typically occurs behind closed doors. Assembled in New York City under the watchful eye of art world elites, fourteen up-and-coming artists are ready to make their mark on the industry and battle it out for a solo show at the Brooklyn Museum and a cash prize of $100,000.

Returning to the show is host China Chow, along with judges Bill Powers, a New York Gallery owner and literary art contributor and Jerry Saltz, senior art critic for New York Magazine. World-renowned art auctioneer Simon de Pury adds his voice of expertise as a mentor to the contestants.

Each week, the contestants are tasked to create an original artwork in the medium of their choice, including - but not limited to, painting, sculpture, photography, collage, industrial design and performance art.

Keep reading to meet the contestants looking to take home the title of "the next great artist:"

Quick Things 10.1.11

Some quick links that are worth checking out...

• Kelly Cutrone to Replace Andre Leon Talley on ANTM
• 9 Fake SNL Products We'd Actually Buy
• A Collection of People Saying, "Hey, It's the 90s"
• Photos: The Evolution of the Telephone
• A Guide to Women in Movies, Written by Mindy Kaling
• Fashimals: The Most Stylish Creatures on Tumblr
• The 10 Dirtiest Things You Touch Every Day