Tattoo? Snafu??

We've all seen the bad tramp stamp, the I got it on a whim stupid little hip rose, and the more embarrassing display of drunken debauchery- tita nd ass and a usually misspelled girl's name.

 But what if you have the time to really plan ahead.
 To use a service like this : TattooMeNow.
 Would you do it?

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful. Hate my beautiful bedroom.

   
A little while ago, I spoke about being invited to the grand opening of a huge HomeGoods store in Tucker, GA. (They are opening new stores all over the country), and this store makes 12 HomeGoods stores in my Atlanta area, with another coming to Norcross in June. Wonder where the nearest one is in your area?


Use the easy HomeGoods locator tool. 


Now get in your car.


You may be greeted by something like this when you walk in. I assure you someone will have a smile for you and there will be a row of shopping carts for you to fill- or as they call them in Georgia, a buggy.

Don't do what I did. Drink your coffee, pack your energy drink, hold onto your gift cards and leave plenty of space in your vehicle for the goodies you'll be bringing home. I made an error NOT taking the SUV. ( That's my little black Audi, below.)

Big mistake. Half of the items I purchased are coming to me via a friend's Suburban later today.

Not that you need an SUV to shop here. there are plenty of trunk-sized finds. For instance. 

 Curtains!

 Just $9.99 a panel, and one package was $14.99 for 2 panels! Serious. 

 Not all HomeGoods stores carry window treatments, and mine actually rang up as decorative pillows- but I am certainly hanging them on the rod, not draping them over the bed.

Speaking of which. I was looking for a duvet cover and some color to add to my cream, black, chocolate bedroom. A pop of blue, perhaps?

 It was a hit with the gal pals and the shopping helpers I met, but when I got them home, I was thinking green... so, these will be going back to the store for a quick and easy exchange.


 HomeGoods is more than a shopping event, check out their blog for helpful hints, how-tos and look what I dids.   


All those ideas of how to spend the $100 Gift Card you're about to win from me! Yep. Keep reading.

Back to my day...

Who doesn't love to shop? 

 Add a few dozen bloggers, coffee and breakfast? Mega-fun.

So, my total score from HomeGoods:
 6 curtain panels, 2 king bed pillows, 1 set of chocolate sateen king sheets, 1 decorative pillow, 1 quilt and matching set of shams, 2 lamps, (one for bedside, one amazing floor lamp), 1 adorable wooden heart sculpture, 1 deep frying pan, 1 set of 4 round placemats, 1 set of 4 cloth napkins, one large bottle of designer water. All for $430. Whew. And tomorrow I'm going back!
Thanks HomeGoods, you've made an addict out of me. It's so much less fattening than chocolate.


I brought six people with me. They all scored lovely goods, as well. From kitchen items, to wall hangings and art to colorful pillows for a drab couch.
Here's what my friends had to say:



‎"I love the 4 new pillows, 2 hand towels, a pottery vase, and cocktail forks  I got from HomeGoods! Woo Hoo! Thanks for telling me about this store!"


"So much to choose from. I had a hard time making up my mind!" (Robyn is finishing her powder room. See her post here.) 


With her colorful, fun, garden items and a new vase, my neighbor feels like a proper Spring has sprung.


"Moving into a new, larger house, means, I needed more of everything. Thanks for the bargains, HomeGoods!"


"I had no idea what I'd find today. I liked getting inspired by strolling the aisle with my cart."  (Kari found the most amazing glass bowl sink, iron wall decor, kitchen items, towels and linens.)


"This artwork from HomeGoods is the new focal point of my freshly painted bathroom."

You can shop for free at HomeGoods, if you're lucky!

Pop over here for a chance to win a $25 gift card from Home Goods and BlogHer.
Follow the rules.


Or, better yet... Enter from May 31st- June 10th to WIN $100 giftcard from me, by commenting on this post. 
Winner will be selected randomly, with the help of a dog.

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules below to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here. 

 Don't forget, while you're waiting to shop for free...you can find HomeGoods on Facebook.



Here's how my bedroom is shaping up so far. 
(King pillows, new sheets, new lamp, decorator pillow.) 
I have ordered a moss green cotton duvet cover and  textured curtains in the same shades of green and browns.

  

I love this unique floor lamp in the seating area, the chocolate brown curtains and wooden heart.

All I need now is the silver bucket of complimentary hotel champagne and a pool boy.

DISCLOSURE: AS OWNER OF THIS BLOG, I HAVE BEEN COMPENSATED BY BLOGHER TO REVIEW HOMEGOODS TO PROVIDE OPINION ON PRODUCTS & SERVICES. EVEN WITH COMPENSATION, I ALWAYS GIVE MY HONEST OPINIONS, FINDINGS, BELIEFS, OR EXPERIENCES. THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS BLOG ARE PURELY MY OWN. ANY PRODUCT CLAIM, STATISTIC, QUOTE OR OTHER REPRESENTATION ABOUT A PRODUCT OR SERVICE SHOULD BE VERIFIED WITH THE MANUFACTURER, PROVIDER OR PARTY IN QUESTION

Right now there are three men in my bedroom. I don't even know their names. They are all big, strong, and black. Their truck is in my driveway and I'm sure the neighbors are talking.

All this for the new bed.

I've been browsing design sites for ideas. Sme things I don't want to mess with- like the whole right side of the room - that's for dressers and exercise and sports memorabilia. But, on Saturday, I'm going shopping at HomeGoods with the gal pals to buy linens and lamps and curtains and accessories.  I went to the Home Goods Blog where I got a lot of great ideas, and found a new blogger and facebook friend who is all about the DIY and budget decor. Love it.


Nothing tells the world more about you, the the way you style your private sanctuary. Let's take a look at some bedroom styles.

Here's Demi Moore's bedroom. Well, one of them anyway. I'd call this modern, sleek, and very, very bright!



some regular, non celebrity folks post their decor on this site:

RATE MY SPACE: share your ideas (20, 200 bedrooms to peek in on)

 I really like this guy's bedroom.

So, now I am getting antsy to shop. I hope I won't have to toss a coin to win the lamp of my dreams, or beat up any ladies for that *last* king-sized bedspread. heh heh. 

 You can update your look too- and for less. HomeGoods and BlogHer will be giving away gift cards. See the rules here.

 And soon, so am I.

Go online and locate the nearest HomeGoods store near you, then stay tuned for your chance to win a $100 gift card - a prize that will have you dancing in the aisle and turning up your inner decorator! 

Connect with 

HomeGoods on FACEBOOK

Help me, HomeGoods!

HomeGoods_May11_Review_009

I have been asking for a larger bed for sixteen years. You know the drill, your family grows, you grow, your dog decides the foot of your bed is much more comfortable than his crate, you add more pillows, a puffier duvet, and pretty soon you end  with more "stuff" than mattress and sleeping area. 

Part of my hesitation one buying another bed was the memories attached to this one. This iron bed from Berkeley, CA has survived many moves with us. I raised my children in this bed. Nursing them as babies, cuddling with them when they were frightened or sick, even propping myself up to eat their specially served breakfast in bed on Mother's Day. It's more than a bed, it's a piece of this family.

And as a piece of the family, it has gone through its own changes. Dressed in everything from a cozy, cottage look with quilts and hand-sewn pillows to a city look, draped in glamourous silk, the gold and creams of custom bedding. Once it was accented by organic, Asian inspired linens with a bamboo print coverlet and always, the room decor was adapted to match.
So, yes. I like change. My hesitation to upgrade the bed wasn't about that, as much as it might have been about space. We spoke about moving to a larger house five years ago. Given the current state of the economy, we can smugly say, boy, were we smart to NOT do that.
Lately we've been talking about downsizing the exterior of the home, from house to condo or town home, from distant suburbs to something closer to the places we like to go. And, of course, there is always talk of the place at the beach. Something I shop for weekly and continue to plant the seeds.

But if I have to be here in a house I adore, in a neighborhood filled with friends, in the same school district while my kids finish school, I'm insisting on a bigger bed, and the beginning of a cleaner, contemporary, clutter free home. It's going to be my version of the mom cave.

I bought the mattress and the bed from two separate online sources and scored deals on both. I placed the orders at the same time figuring the bed would come well in advance of the mattress- which had a three week shipping date.
The mattress has been here for a week, and there is no sign of the bed.
One of the distinct disadvantages to online shopping.

In the meantime, I need to decide on decor. The bed is definitely modern.
This is the headboard

Oddly, it no longer appears on the West Elm website... I wonder if this has anything to do with my shipping problem...The base is a chunky wood platform,

and the since the mattress is 14" high, we won't be using a box spring.

I will need new linens, pillows, curtains, lamps, tables or a night stand. While that sounds like quite a list, I'm not worried.
I plan to shop for everything in one place- at my favorite store: HomeGoods.


Because there are Internet Fairies... I lucked into a fantastic opportunity to shop at a special event at my local HomeGoods store on May 21st.
 It happens to be the same weekend as the BlogHer Food Conference here in Atlanta. So, DOUBLE goodness for me!

You can join in the revelry by entering the sweepstakes for a $25 HomeGoods gift card on this page:
BlogHer Prizes and Promotions. Read the rules.

 Use the store locator  to find a store near you. There are new locations opening all around the country, and with over 10,000 new items in stock weekly at HomeGoods, you are sure to find exactly what you need for your own mom cave.

Stay tuned for the shopping trip and more decorating ideas.
Connect with HomeGoods' Facebook and check out their blog.

For the mothers in the world.

I think if I saw this Mother's Day card, ( photo disappeared- but it was a woman slaving over cleaning, with disinfectant, and a guy saying, get back in the kitchen where you belong.) I would have been doing another kind of cleaning...

I mean, really?
Everyone knows I don't clean my house. I straighten, I banish clutter, I take out lots of loads of trash and donations, but you won't catch me hunched over the bathtub with a scouring pad.

Partly because, my back is not built for that kind of labor.. or yardwork, and partly because I am too much of a perfectionist,  and that to clean one room would take me hours. Of course, I would have a fulled organized closet and freshly painted window sills too.

I have used the same excuse when paying for other services. THEY are the professional. They will do it better and in less time. And besides, while they are doing my chore, I can be writing. See? Win win.

What's the chore you hire out?

A faceless man gets a face.

I always thought the whole Invisible Man thing was cool. He could go anywhere, pants anyone... right?
And then, the writer in me got to thinking when I read about the woman who'd been mauled by a dog who received the first full face transplant in 2005, in France.

 She appears fine today.

Miraculous, right? ( Did I mention her Labrador Retriever ate her nose, lips, chin and cheeks when she was passed out from a sleeping pill overdose?)

Now this guy got a new face- right here in the USA.

And I'm thinking about all those movies where they peeled off a face and revealed another- stuff I thought was ok, yeah, right. Unbelievable. Um. Not so much.

So whose face would you wear today?

What do you do on rainy days? Be honest.

(

We all have a glorified way of recounting our days... and the there's the truth.

We all know that man who says, he got up early and went for a run. What he left out is that he came home, ate three bowls of sugary cereal then cried in the shower because he has no one to run with, no one to come home to cuddle with on the couch.

The rain, may make some people contemplative,  like poets and writers-- we hope-- while others transform into angry driving fools, speeding down slippery streets late for nothing special.

It was too early to call and ask friends, so I looked at Yahoo answers, as if the mighty Internet might once again enlighten me.
 Here is what those folks said.

 Looks like there's  still at least a few honest people in the world.
(Sharon, Mr. Green Jeans and Fabian)

 And because it's a rainy Tuesday in my part of the world, and any one of you might feel like crying,
I'll give you this:

Habits I'm glad I never started.

• Tipping the grocery store bag boy.
• Smoking cigars.
• Picking the lint from my belly button on Tuesdays.
• Serving nightly gourmet meals.
• Ironing my sheets.
• Greeting new neighbors with cakes.
• Kissing strangers the European way.
• Maintaining a vegetable garden.
• Biting my toenails.
• Thumb twiddling, or wrestling.
• The Midnight Snack.
• Running Marathons
• Weighing myself daily.
• Making New Year's Resolutions

A Holiday for Sluts. Happy Halloween.

Browsing the rack of costumes at the local Target with my 12 year old daughter, we both came to the conclusion that Halloween is the Holiday for skin bearing teens to get a little more promiscuous... as if a holiday was in fact necessary. One click on Google brought me here:

Slutty Halloween Costumes

Adult

French Maid Dress Costume

XS (Teen), Small & Medium

 Don't think I am a prude- by any stretch- I have absolute admiration for beauty, in all forms. And I do love the costume party. Sexy outfits or scary, I say.

 I had a recent tête-à-tête with a guy pal about the outfits some "kids" are wearing in public on a regular basis.  My point was, dang.. save some mystery. His point was, nope, make me stop and stare.  


And when the DH said he was recently hit on by very touchy-feeling co-eds so skantily clad they were presumed to be cheerleaders, I was thinking... but were they pretty on the inside, too? 


Of course when forty- somethings talk about "kids" we mean twenty-somethings, and when we say outfits we mean bikini tops and mini skirts, pajama bottoms and grandpa's flannel shirt, and maybe part of my hesitation now is that A. I am not that twenty-something getting the stop and stare and B. My daughter soon will be.

The life of a writer

It isn't the same for any of us.. and sometimes you want to slap the shit out some of them... but this guy? This guy I want to buy beers with and go sailing.
Check out Mike's great blog post for a fantastic retreat that CATERS TO WRITERS. DO YOU HEAR ME, WORDSMITHS??

What are you counting down to?

It's exactly that long until I will be surrounded by two of the things I love the most.

Water and writers.

JOIN US AT SANTA ROSA BEACH, FLORIDA.

Where will you be?

Tell Me Something Good

You know I like the fashion. You know I like the music. You know I like the CHAKA KHAN.

AND you know I like to tell you something good. It's coming. I promise. For now.. feel the funk.

What should I read next?

You could go here and see what they tell you to read.

 You could answer a few questions here and see what they recommend.

 You could read the NYTimes bestseller list

1	THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST, by Stieg Larsson. (Knopf, $27.95.) The third volume of a trilogy about a Swedish hacker and a journalist. Excerpt	2	14
2	THE POSTCARD KILLERS, by James Patterson and Liza Marklund. (Little, Brown, $27.99.) An N.Y.P.D. detective joins a Swedish reporter in a search for the killer of young couples in Europe, including his daughter and her boyfriend.	1	2
3	SPIDER BONES, by Kathy Reichs. (Scribner, $26.99.) Temperance Brennan investigates the case of a man who seems to have died twice.		1
4	THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Amy Einhorn/Putnam, $24.95.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s ­Mississippi.	3	74
5	BEARERS OF THE BLACK STAFF (LEGENDS OF SHANNARA), by Terry Brooks. (Del Rey/Ballantine, $27.) The denizens of a valley are left vulnerable when their protective layer of magic disappears.		1
6	STAR ISLAND, by Carl Hiaasen. (Knopf, $26.95.) A paparazzo attempting to kidnap a drug-addled pop star grabs her stunt double by mistake. Excerpt	5	5
7	TOUGH CUSTOMER, by Sandra Brown. (Simon & Schuster, $26.99.) A private investigator pursues a deranged killer.	6	3
8	THE RED QUEEN, by Philippa Gregory. (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, $25.99.) More intrigue during the War of the Roses; by the author of “The Other Boleyn Girl.”	8	4
9	THE COBRA, by Frederick Forsyth. (Putnam, $26.95.) A former C.I.A. operative is unleashed on the cocaine industry.	4	2
10	THREE STATIONS, by Martin Cruz Smith. (Simon & Schuster, $25.99.) Inspector Arkady Renko faces corrupt Russian capitalists and bureaucrats.	7	2
11	I’D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE, by Laura Lippman. (Morrow/HarperCollins, $25.99.) A man who kidnapped a 15-year-old girl contacts her from death row years later.	16	2
12*	THE REMBRANDT AFFAIR, by Daniel Silva. (Putnam, $26.95.) The art restorer and assassin Gabriel Allon discovers that there are deadly secrets behind a stolen painting.	10	6
13	LAST NIGHT AT CHATEAU MARMONT, by Lauren Weisberger. (Atria, $25.99.) A woman is challenged when her musician husband suddenly becomes a star.	9	2
14	JULIET, by Anne Fortier. (Ballantine, $25.) A woman digging into her Italian roots is surprised by what she learns.		1
15	THE VIGILANTES, by W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV. (Putnam, $26.95.) Members of the Philadelphia Police Department are plagued by vigilante groups.	13	3
Also Selling
16	CROSSFIRE, by Dick Francis and Felix Francis (Putnam)
17	DEAD IN THE FAMILY, by Charlaine Harris (Ace)
18	PRIVATE, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown)
19	THE PASSAGE, by Justin Cronin (Ballantine)  Excerpt
20	THE OVERTON WINDOW, by Glenn Beck (Threshold Editions/Mercury Radio Arts)
21	VEIL OF NIGHT, by Linda Howard (Ballantine)
22	SIZZLING SIXTEEN, by Janet Evanovich (St. Martin’s)
23	THE BLACK PRISM, by Brent Weeks (Little Brown & Company)
24	A DOG'S PURPOSE, by W. Bruce Cameron (Forge)
25	THE LION, by Nelson DeMille (Grand Central)
26	THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET, by David Mitchell (Random House)  Excerpt
27	THE LAST LIE, by Stephen White (Dutton)
28	THE EVOLUTIONARY VOID, by Peter F. Hamilton (DelRey/Ballantine)
29	FLY AWAY HOME, by Jennifer Weiner (Atria)
30	HANGMAN, by Faye Kellerman (Morrow/HarperCollins)
31	SUPER SAD TRUE LOVE STORY, by Gary Shteyngart (Random House)  Excerpt
32	BAD BOY, by Peter Robinson (Morrow/HarperCollins)
33	THE SEARCH, by Nora Roberts (Putnam)
34	THE GLASS RAINBOW, by James Lee Burke (Simon & Schuster)
35	DEATH ON THE D-LIST, by Nancy Grace (Hyperion)

 

or you could ask a friend

so, I'm asking...

 What should I read next?

A real story of BFF's

The Girls from Ames:

 A Story of Women & a Forty-Year Friendship

by Jeffrey Zaslow

 Born in the same year as the girls in the book, with a similar small town upbringing and  an even more similar group of close female friends, friends, that I still- in my forties, vacation with, I was drawn to the idea of this book and intrigued even more by the fact that an outsider wrote it, an outsider who’s a man.

 Wall Street Journal’s Moving On columnist, Zaslow, opens The Girls from Ames with the explanation of how he learned of these extraordinary women and their bond, and how he came to write about it- a section that intrigued the story seeker in me.

Zaslow writes a story with a journalistic bent, but manages to portray the love and closeness of these friendship bonds as the tale unfolds.

 Some of the characters seemed to be more eager to share their lives, more willing to open up for the sake of the book, but even those that fell into the background still came across as women you’d like to also meet and spend time with. I found myself comparing my friends to the girls, fitting us all into categories- athletic, popular, intellectual, hard working, nurturing...

 I hate to laugh at the way Zaslow spoke of the differences of male-male friendships and female-female ones. It reminded me of a similar conversation I had just engaged in with my gal pals. The fact that our husbands know nothing of their co-worker’s or even casual friends’ lives… the fact that most of the time the only reason they have some of these friends is because we- the wives- introduced them.

 I’m used to making new friends, and could associate with some of the women in the book who started over, came in late, or fell away a bit. Having moved more than 13 times in my adult life, I’m always leaving someone behind. Thanks to the Internet and cheap telephone plans, I’m able to continue to keep up with them and their families, although I wish the face to face time was more frequent. 

Like the girls in the book, my friends and I have been through our stages of life together, and separately, each one finding their way- to marriage, through divorce, into motherhood and through the illnesses and deaths of loved ones.

 After we rekindled some friendships face to face at our 20^th high school reunion, we decided that turning forty was a worthy milestone to begin annual girls only reunions, preferably at a warm locale with lots of wine.

I found a large house in Hilton Head, one row back from the beach, with a private pool and plenty of beds.

One flew in from London, two drove separately from Atlanta, Georgia, one from Greenville, SC, one flew down from NJ, another from upstate NY, and the last of the group drove down from NC.

We were all married, some on their second marriage, and all but one of us had children, with one pregnant at the time- it was the second marriage baby, giving her a whopping thirteen years between kids.

 We came together over food and wine and shared old stories and caught each other up on our daily happenings. There were still "preferred BFF's", but it wasn't as pronounced as high school... whether it was because of our age and new maturity or the time that had lapsed, I don't know. But we bonded, and we began to build a new kind of friendship- one that will last at least another twenty years.

If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. There is even a website to help you keep the girls straight, or learn more about them.
THE BOOK PAGE

Maybe reading this book will make you want to physically re-connect with your girlfriends, taking the social network "poke" to the next level, and planning that trip to the Caribbean that you had always dreamed of.

Teaching you how to say a hottie's name

Free Book! Getting the Pretty Back.

Molly is Getting the Pretty Back, after 40.

She's talking all about it.
 Here she's interviewed for USA TODAY.

Has a video up here: On the Daily Stab

Michigan likes it. as do Detroit and San Francisco.

 I'm starting my copy this week, and will post a review as well.

 And for one lucky reader... you can win a free copy!
all you have to do is send a comment, with a way to reach you.

If your name is selected, I will mail you the book and perhaps a secret surprise.

Feeling the Squeeze? Frugality is the new Norm.

FRUGALITY? Yahoo news had this to say.

A few years ago I was thinking bigger house, pool, 4 car garage, entertainment terrace with pool table and full Irish pub. I was wanting more space, blank walls, a need to spread my arms and not touch a fence or a neighbor's mailbox. My kids were older, didn't need to run next door and play, didn't need the community pool or courts or playground.
Thinking about upscale living made me work harder. After all, bills would be higher... keeping up with the Joneses ain't cheap and it ain't pretty.
 But I love my house. And all the changes I've made. I wasn't ready to commit to something new, something time sucking. I had a novel or two to complete. A few more countries to cross off the list.
 So here we are. In the smallest house ever, and pretty darn happy.
 I am learning to cut back on non essentials, to make for even more rainy day money. And just last week decided some of the hidden costs of special TVchannels and landlines we never answer and a massage place I never visit could probably disappear painlessly.
 Next step, coupon cutting and wholesale shopping. Meal planning and maybe even... cleaning my own house.  steps like this could buy my beach escape all that sooner-- though with an oil spill approaching, I might be going Atlantic instead of Gulf. It's just 6 hours in the other direction, right?

SAVING YOU A SHITLOAD

   I only want to help you spend your money wisely, as I begin budget #5,678.

look- coupons!

Who doesn't like a murder trial?

Some People like to think life imitates art... and maybe ART id too strong of a term for athe afternon soaps.. but I can't help think I've seen this tiral, protect someone you love, confess to the bad guy thing before... in real life. Hmmmm.
 That said, you'll want to watch General Hospital this week, as some nicely dressed, well coifed men get angry... and maybe, get even.
 I had to giggle at the view of the single commenter on this site, regarding the storyline this week.
 You go girl!

  

I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime  and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.

Your Viewing Pleasure on The View this week. I'm like your TV Guide.

Straight from the mouths of those BEHIND THE SCENES girls.... my notes in RED

MONDAY, MARCH 8 – The day after the Oscars!!  It Isn’t over till the co-hosts have spoken! And the armed guards have picked up the borrowed jewelry. Guest co-host Vanessa Williams love her- used to see her drunk in Syracuse in the bars when she went to college there (“ABC’s Ugly Betty”); Day of “Hot Topics”; co-host Sherri Shepherd will Skype live from Hollywood post-Academy Awards and share her Oscar experience; Chris Cuomo breaks down crimes in the headlines.  Interesting... because there's not ENOUGH bad news, you have to tell us twice??? First time musical guests – Lady Antebellum perform Totally love them.

TUESDAY, MARCH 9 – Guests -Andy Garcia and his daughter Dominik Garcia-Lorido (“City Island”); Elissa Stein and Susan Kim (author, Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation).oh-kay. Totally EWWW.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 – Guests: Forest Whitaker (“Our Family Wedding”); Jesse Ventura (author, American Conspiracies). I know his ex-campaign manager... and some secrets!

THURSDAY, MARCH 11 – Sir Elton John will be sitting with the women at the table and partaking in “Hot Topics”; Going to wear some special glasses for this one,. Should be a hoot. Guest - Eric McCormack (“Who Is Clark Rockefeller?”).

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 – Co- Host Kate Gosselin is back and will join the women and the return of “The View: Fashion Friday” with designer Carolina Herrera. Taking bets on what Kate's hair is going to look like now.....

  I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a totebag or other The View  branded items to facilitate my review.