Lifestyle Archives - Page 33 of 45

“My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding” preview: Girl Gone Wild

May 17, 2012 Lori Acken

In Sunday’s upcoming episode of My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding, the actual wedding takes a back seat to the myriad ways women adapt to — and sometime rebel against — their role in Romanichal culture. • UPDATE: Read Channel Guide’s exclusive interview with Mellie Stanley! If you watched last week’s episode, you’ll recognize Martinsburg, W.Va., Romany Laura as the one-woman cavalry called in to teach teen gorger bride Amber proper gypsy-missus ways before she married Laura’s cousin Tommy. This week, you get to meet the rest of Laura’s family. Or at least a couple hundred of them. Laura’s cousin Kayla […]

Getting Fatter: “The Weight of the Nation” addresses obesity epidemic

May 14, 2012 Barb Oates

Americans are truly getting fatter. Obesity is now one of our country’s most pressing health issues with more than two-thirds of U.S. adults age 20 and over being either overweight or obese. Equally staggering is the fact that nearly one-third of our nation’s children and adolescents age 2 to 19 are also overweight or obese. Obesity-related health costs are around $147 billion annually. The only good news in all of this is that the award-winning HBO is making its multipart documentary series on this topic, The Weight of the Nation, available for free to everyone at their website hbo.com/theweightofthenation. The […]

“My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding” preview: It’s a Man’s World

May 11, 2012 Lori Acken

Gypsy wedding fans, prepare yourself for some days of Amber and roses (and another quick but delightful glimpse at Pat Baby) when My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding airs its third episode — “It’s a Man’s World” — Sunday night on TLC. The ep spotlights the strict division of freedoms, duties and expectations between the genders — and the challenges women from outside the gypsy culture sometimes face when they fall in love with gypsy men. At the center of the hour is 23-year-old Romany Tommy, a traveling paver and construction worker, who is headed home to West Virginia celebrate his traditional […]

CGM interviews “My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding” designer Sondra Celli!

May 8, 2012 Lori Acken

Boston clothing designer Sondra Celli is catching her breath between prepping 30-plus blinged-out bikinis and an army of matching accessories for an upcoming gypsy luau and waiting for the UPS guy to arrive. “Thursdays are a little suicidal,” she chuckles. But it’s now 4pm and most of her loyal contingent of Traveller customers is in church, so I’m the only person calling. At least for the moment. As the longtime couturier of choice for America’s widespread gypsy and Traveller communities — and the unflappable star of TLC’s new Sunday night hit, My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding — Celli finds […]

“My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding” preview — Rockin’ Pat Baby!

May 4, 2012 Lori Acken

As a proud devotee of all things Gypsy Wedding, I’ve been hoping against hope that My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding — now airing Sunday nights on TLC — would offer me up a U.S. version of my most beloved Irish Traveller, Paddy Doherty. • RELATED: Channel Guide’s exclusive interview with Sondra Celli On Sunday’s upcoming episode, “14 and Looking for Mr. Right,” I found him: Douglasville, Ga., resident and Romanichal gypsy Pat Baby. Proud paver, party-thrower and papa to his utterly stunning 14-year-old daughter Priscilla. Because 32-year-old Pat Baby and his 33-year-old wife LouAnn have raised their daughter in strict adherence […]

“Long Island Medium” recap of “Bellies and Babies” episode

April 30, 2012 Barb Oates

Only two episodes left until the end of Season 2 for TLC’s hugely popular Long Island Medium. Last night’s episode, Bellies & Babies, Episode 11, was most unusual, as cameras followed Theresa Caputo to a baby shower where an unexpected mom-to-be and her closest friends and family were gathered, but instead of playing traditional shower games they were greeted with a surprise visit from Theresa. Prior to going to the shower, Theresa was a bit apprehensive, not knowing if her appearance and/or any connections she might make would be welcomed, but the guests appeared to be entertained by Theresa’s bold […]

Cat Cora, Curtis Stone and 12 brave chefs take you “Around The World In 80 Plates” on Bravo

April 30, 2012 Lori Acken

What do you get when you combine the sumptuousness of tasty travel shows with the excitement of cooking competitions — and throw in celebrity super chefs Cat Cora and Curtis Stone to curate the action? Bravo’s most ambitious series yet. Around the World in 80 Plates launches 12 adventurous chefs on a culinary quest for supremacy that spans five continents and 10 countries in a mere 40 days. In the first half of each episode, two teams of contestants must successfully navigate the city, completing challenges to win a locally prized “exceptional ingredient.” Then the crews take over a popular eatery […]

“Long Island Medium” recap of “Long Island Romance” episode

April 23, 2012 Barb Oates

You would think after being together for over 15 years, Larry Caputo would have picked up on a few signs on how to read his wife, but that clearly wasn’t the case in last night’s episode, “Long Island Romance.” While Theresa might have been looking for some new bling for Valentine’s Day, she never saw this one coming. After failed attempts at making a last-minute dinner reservation at just about any restaurant within like 100 miles of their home, Larry turns to the kids for Valentine’s Day ideas. Shockingly, he actually takes his son’s suggestion — that a night out […]

“Dance Moms: Miami” re-airs “Don’t Judge Me” ep with new social media feature April 24

April 19, 2012 Lori Acken

Heads up, Dance Moms: Miami fans — and you newbies waiting for a chance to catch up. Instead of a new episode, Lifetime will re-air last week’s “Don’t Judge Me” with a spanking new fan-centric feature called FAN CHAT that will include Twitter and other social media content from the ep’s initial broadcast. The previously promised episode, “Your Duet Can Take A Bow” — in which “Hannah and Sammy are paired in a duet that brings out issues between the girls and their moms” — will premiere the following Tuesday, May 1, at 9pm ET. So fire up those Twitter […]

“Dance Moms Miami” episode 3 recap: Insecurities Exchange Commission

April 18, 2012 Lori Acken

• Missed the full episode? Watch it now for free! No question about it — when it comes to Dance Moms theme songs, Miami takes the prize. No “my world, my girls” drivel down here. Down in Miiiaaaami, they dance so hot! And everybody’s taking a shot! Including Angel and Victor — Aw yeah! Victor is wearing a cassette-tape necklace that is all kinds of awesome! — who are carping on another group routine that earned first place. “You’re not living up to your full potential,” Angel tells the dancers. Apparently their full potential involves something even better than first. Uber-first! […]