Just another week in Music City

Some of these summer days have been spent kicking it with the country stars in my never-ending quest to hob-knob with Nashville's famous and replace the top search of my blog with something other than Kenny Chesney's headwear or lack thereof. Here are just a few recent photos from the CMT awards and from the Grand Ole Opry.



Carrie Underwood belting it out on the Opry stage.



Darius Rucker, or Hootie if you're old school.



This is how close we were to Nicole and Keith on the Red Carpet at the CMT's.



But here are the real stars...

Suburban Diva's Top 5 Country Stars Based Nothing on Music But Only My Warped Sense of Priorities:

5. Barbara Mandrell. I met her and she made a very witty joke while she was drinking something with a lime in it. We could totally hang.

4. Kenny Chesney because he brings me hundreds of hits on my blog everyday.

3. Alan Jackson. He's my neighbor and it's always 5 o'clock on our street.

2. Carrie Underwood. Her husband Mike Fisher is an awesome hockey player who is going to help bring the Cup to Nashville.

And my new number one favorite?



Kix Brooks. Country music legend, Preds fan, and gentleman. AND HE OWNS HIS OWN WINERY.

(Note to Garth Brooks or Brad Paisley: You could totally take over the number one position with a cupcake stand and decent Margarita mix.)

Tampa friends: If my house is nominated, I will hunt you down like a dogdown

Do you know of a house with a decorating theme gone wild? A room with an overboard motif or idea carried too far? A hobby or collection that has taken over?

If you know someone in need of a style intervention, you can anonymously nominate them and their room run awry for a surprise makeover.

The Style Network show, “Tacky House,” starring celebrity designer Thom Filicia, is looking for Tampa area rooms to feature on upcoming episodes. Last season, the design team tackled attacking leopard prints, overgrown florals and Hawaii Five-No!

For more information, email the show at castingfortv@yahoo.com, and help streamline someone’s style.

(Pick a friend with a crazy decorating-style but with a good sense of humor, too.)

Awesomeness for charity

We are fortunate enough to be able to attend a lot of cool events around town, but last night's may have been one of the best.

Braving the heat and a fully-stocked stretch limo, we made the drive down to Sarasota to attend Dick Vitale's V Foundation annual gala to raise money for cancer research.

It was a star-studded event at the Ritz-Carlton (how could that be bad?) and we had a great time. We even got a chance to hang with some of those stars like Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson (well, we were in the same room at least) and Tony Dungy just to name a few of the many that were in attendance.

Some of whom were too slow to dodge our photo requests...


(That's Kenny Chesney in case you didn't recognize him without his cowboy hat.)

And did I mention the food? Delish as well as trademarked...



And then there were the real superstars...

Remember that interview with Brooke Shields?

It's hard to believe that its been about a decade since Brooke Shields was on the big screen. Images of her in The Blue Lagoon and Pretty Baby are so stuck in our minds that it seems that she has always been making films. But this week she returns in the family comedy Furry Vengeance, a look at how wildlife strikes back when a new housing development threatens their homes.

In the film, Brooke plays Tammy Sanders, a part that appealed to her immediately, she told me in a recent interview. In addition to working with friend and co-star Brendan Fraser, she also appreciated the opportunity to work on a family-friendly film.

Now a mother of two daughters, Brooke, 44, says the movie is a family comedy with a broader social message that “is never condescending, and allows kids to feel that they can make a difference.”

Certainly no stranger to the camera, Brooke's career spans more than four decades of film, television and modeling. She started modeling as an 11 month old, posing for Francesco Scavullo for an Ivory Soap ad. Her career never slowed as she continued in films and television, making guest appearances on many shows, including Friends, Nip/Tuck and Two and a Half Men. Along the way, she portrayed (in flashback) Miley Stewart's mom on Hannah Montana and starred in a couple of shows of her own, Suddenly Susan and more recently, Lipstick Jungle.

During our conversation, it was her poignant and unscripted thoughts about motherhood that revealed her refreshingly real beauty. When asked if her perspective had changed on her career and striking a healthy balance since becoming a mother, she said that “it is constantly being negotiated in my mind." While she was always an incredibly focused performer who often made work the priority over her personal life, that all changed when she had children. “It shifted. (It used to be) the desire for work to be the entirety of your life...having children changes that," she said. "Now the desire to enjoy my life is right in front of my face.”

That's why this film was important to her. “I liked to go to work and bring home laughter. I’m a fuller mom when I work.” She loves to share her passion with her children. "You want your kids to look up to you -- you want to earn their respect.”

It wasn’t all serious talk, however. Furry Vengeance is a comedy after all, and Brooke said she had “the best time she’s ever had working on a film.” On Brendan Fraser, who also is the film's executive producer, she had nothing but the highest praise, calling him “one of the most incredible talents I’ve ever worked with.”

She believes this movie will entertain all ages because it fills that gap between adult and kid films with humor that appeals to all and won’t leave the grown-ups checking their watches. While there are plenty of scenes filled with physical and slapstick comedy, she hints that adults will particularly appreciate the end credit, They are laden with dance montages and spoofs of the stars’ past films. And she even pokes fun at herself.

“For 20 years I have refused The Blue Lagoon,” she groans. But look for a funny reference to the film before the house lights come up.

Good-natured humor about being good to nature sounds like a must-see movie for any family.

Why yes, I am bragging

Posting on more outdoor fun later, but I just had to scream across the Interwebs, Guess who is talking to Brooke Shields tomorrow???!!!

ME!!!!

Okay, back to my regularly scheduled, non-mega celebrity life now at the gym.

Me and my friend Cat were doing shots of ouzo together...

I wrote about the actual restaurant, "Kouzzina by Cat Cora" over on Whoa Momma, but for my friends, I wanted to tell you about the experience of meeting her yesterday.

First off, you know how much I love food. Eating it, making it, watching it, talking about it. So when I got the invitation for this about a month ago, there was absolutely no way I was going to miss it. No. Way.

But I had absolutely no idea what to expect. The restaurant soft-opened in August, but this was a special Grand Opening event. All the invitation gave was a date and time and that a special "tasting menu" would be served. In my head, I set the bar for "tasting" to mean either supermarket samples in paper cups or if I really reached, waiters walking around with small portions of miscellaneous food to serve the perhaps thousands in attendence.

Oh no, my friends. Oh no.

There were 8 tables of 8, with one of those reserved for Cora and her immediate family. So by my twisted math, I figured I was one of Cat's 64 best friends. And please don't correct me because it's better if you leave me to my delusions.

There was assigned seating, and the tables were set beautifully with 3 glasses of wine, a shot of ouzo and Pellegrino in front of every chair. There were about 3 waitstaff per diner, and the same for chefs in the kitchen.


We sat down and were greeted by the President of Disney--ah hello--who introduced Cat Cora who might be the only adult woman under the age of 109 shorter than me. (She stood on a box to address us.) There are cameras set up along the entire perimeter, and I just know I'm going to be re-living this moment on a Food Network special soon. She gave her very nice opening remarks, juggling her son on her hip like every other mother I know, then instructed the guests to share a shot of ouzo with her, as she likes to do. It is also her custom to do this after an Iron Chef battle, so then my delusion builds, and I think this must make me an honorary Iron Chef. Or not.

And then they start bringing out the food. Either Cat,(cause BFF's call each other by their first names) her head chef, or her mother, each introduce a dish and give the history behind it. And they are not miniscule portions in sample cups. Nope, 12 courses of the most delicious and full, Mediterranean-inspired plates of flavor you've ever seen, paired with wines from her own winery label, "Coronation."



Cat starts making the rounds and personally speaks to every single person in the restaurant. Graciously posing for pictures, answering questions, smiling...and then her mother comes around and does the same. When Cat comes to me, I think I just sputtered out some unintelligible garlic-scented drivel since I had just tried the Chilled Salt-roasted Beets with Skordalia which I think translates to "big pillow o' yummy garlic." I am a little star-struck. I admit this freely. I kick myself for not asking for a photo.

So we proceed like this for a couple of hours, dish after dish, until our limbs have petrifield into bubbling souflee cups. But I seriously don't want to leave. I feel like I should help with the dishes or something.

Because it really was that intimate. It shouldn't have been--who am I to be treated to something the exectuive chef of Bon Appetit is preparing? (Did I mention I have every single issue of that magazine since 1994? Seriously, ask Lisa.)

But I was, and that's how it felt--being treated like I was a guest in her home--a great big, well-staffed home--but a home nonetheless. And as I looked around the room, I realize I'm glad that I am star-struck. I am glad that I eat everything placed in front of me--not that anything is a stretch except for the Brussel Sprouts because I really, really, really hate Brussel Sprouts--and allow myself to enjoy the gift I was given as my hostess intended. I am glad that I can be appreciative of every single bite whether it was something I was familiar with or not.

On the way out, I get up the nerve to say "Thank you," to her as she's cutting up dessert for one of her four sons. She smiles, I know she's got hours of interviews ahead of her, and thanks ME for coming which I almost have to laugh out loud at the lop-sided absurdity of it.

But I don't.



Instead, we pose for a picture together and I try to absorb all of the sights, sounds, tastes and scents of a memorable afternoon.

Even the Brussel Sprouts.





We start with Greek salad but it's made with arugula--a much better choice for a Mediterrean salad than wet iceberg lettuce if you ask me. It had a lovely oregano vinegarette, and tomatoes that are actually grown on property.



Spanakopita. Deliriously good Spanakopita.



Pastitsio, a Greek lasagna, but this one has this cinnamon-stewed meat sauce, Bucatini pasta and a Bechamel. I am still full.




these are the salt-roasted beets. I didn't even know I liked beets, but hello? Seriously good stuff, and so pretty...



Traditional Gigantes beans--Cat's mom taught us how to pronounce it, but I can't remember.



Here's the Fisherman's Stew--scallops, red snapper, mussels, fennel, sea goodness.



This is the oak-grilled Lamb burger. If there was anything on the menu that I couldn't finish, it was unfortuantely this because it was just too spicy for me. Which made me really sad, because I love lamb, and the homemade roll and tsizki sauce were lucious.



And finally, dessert. Or should I say, desserts? Chocolate Budino cake (molten), Baklava, and Greek-style yogurt sorbet with fresh berries in that little jar in simple syrup. We were also served a Frappe that was a deleicious ending.

Suze Orman's Financial Advice for Mothers

I really hate to start out anything by saying, “These are really tough economic times we’re in.” That’s like saying Bruce Springsteen plays leads vocals for the E Street band. Duh. Now let’s just hear a rousing rendition of “Born in the USA” and move on please.

But because we are living in the times That Shall Not Be Named, there is a need to be extra vigilant with our personal finances. Enter Suze Orman.



In a recent interview sponsored by Avon, Suze talked specifically about women--mothers--taking control and empowering themselves financially. She says that as mothers, one of our many jobs is to serve as responsible examples financially to our children. “There is nothing wrong with making money,” and we must teach them to take care of themselves by first taking care of ourselves.

Is now the time to start your own business? Maybe, Suze says. “If it’s a service of needs versus wants,” it may be viable now. She advises to do your research, and make sure that you have the funds to not only start the company, but keep it going.

But don’t use up all of your savings as initial capital, she warns. Nor loans on 401(k)’s, home equity, or severance packages if you don’t already have an 8 month cushion of savings in the bank. Instead, she says to try to get a small business loan or a government subsidized funding if available.

The biggest startup mistakes women make are underestimating the ongoing costs of business and paying everyone but themselves. Be sure to determine if you need additional liability insurance as well.

What can you do now? After you get your eight month cushion, pay off the IRS and any outstanding student loans. These are two dangerous debts because the government can legally seize your assets at any time, and most students loans compound and can’t be absolved even through bankruptcy. Suze still thinks 529 are the best way to save for college.

She doesn’t see this unsteady market calming completely until 2015. She estimates that there will be some rebounds and slides in the interim because “the economy is like a football field, and the players are on financial steroids.” Once those steroids wear off or the players (like banks and corporations) become injured again, we’ll be right back where we started.

So she says to play “Risk” by planning for the worst while things are still okay. Don’t underestimate your power to control your spending and savings, and she’s offering some tools to get there.

In addition to a “Save Yourself” no fee, high return account which she offers on her website SuzeOrman.com, she is also offering another powerful tool that all women (and men and families) should have. For the next 24 hours, you can download for free the legal documents you need for a “Will and Trust Kit” that is valid in all fifty states. She estimates it is about a $2500 value, but could be priceless toward protecting your family’s financial future. Just go to suzeorman.com and click the "Will & Trust Kit" link in the blue bar on the left-hand side of the home page. Click the orange "Gift Code" button and enter "Moms Rule" into the gift code field. This gift code will be valid until 12:00PM EST on Saturday, April 25th.

But the most important lesson of the day?

“Remember, you are a powerful woman because of who you are rather than what you have.”

I'm chatting with Suze tomorrow

Do you have a money question for the gura of greenbacks, Suze Orman? I'll be asking her your questions tomorrow during an interview, so if you have a question you'd like answered, please leave a comment or divamail me!