Join Buddy At The Beach With These Beachy Cake Boss Cupcakes

06/18/2013

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Carlo's Bakery

Is there anything sweeter than summer? Well...actually? We think these beach-themed cupcakes from The Cake Boss's Buddy Valastro are pretty damn sweet. Sure, you can now purchase Cake Boss cakes in stores, but it might be fun to try making these cute cupcakes yourself, too. We can't guarantee they'll be as good as the ones at Carlo's but we certainly think you'll have a good time making them.

 

Click through for the recipe and don't miss The Cake Boss, Monday nights at 9/8 c.

Condolences to a Remarkable First Lady in "Letters to Jackie"

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This November will mark the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. To commemorate the event that shocked a nation -- and really, the world -- TLC will debut the exclusive television event Letters to Jackie.

Letters to Jackie is based on the book "Letters to Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation" by Ellen Fitzpatrick. For two months after the President's assassination, the White House received more than 800,000 letters for the first lady, who lost her husband and the father of her children. Letters poured in from all over the United States and from several nations around the world, and the writers represented all ages, races, religions and political persuasions. The writers included a 13-year-old suffering from polio, who wrote words of strength for Jackie; a Peace Corps volunteer who'd heard the news from his post in Ethiopia; and an African-American woman who wrote to tell the first lady how her husband's efforts in the Civil Rights Movement had affected her life.

The letters are read by some of today's most recognizable celebrity voices, including:

Bérénice Bejo
Demián Bichir
Jessica Chastain
Chris Cooper
Viola Davis
Zooey Deschanel
Kirsten Dunst
Anne Hathaway
Allison Janney
John Krasinski
Melissa Leo
Laura Linney
Frances McDormand
Chloë Grace Moretz
Mark Ruffalo
Octavia Spencer
Hailee Steinfeld
Channing Tatum
Betty White
Michelle Williams

Letters to Jackie premieres in November on TLC.

Image courtesy Harper Collins

Breaking: More Breaking Amish -- This Time In L.A.!

06/17/2013

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Not enough "Breaking Amish" in your life? You can still catch Abe, Rebecca, Kate, Jeremiah and Sabrina on Sundays at 10/9 c. But starting Sunday July 21 at 10/9 c, you'll meet a whole new crew of young Amish adults, who must decide between staying with their traditional Amish and Mennonite families, or leaving it all behind to start a new life in the "English" world. 

Walling McGarity/TLC

So just who are these new Amish adventurers?

What Wedding Season Is Going To Cost You

06/14/2013

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Thinkstock

We're oficially in the the throes of "wedding season" -- that joyous and uh, expensive time of year when all your friends and relatives decide to get married. If you're like most of us, you've got more than a few weddings to go to this summer. Most of the time, that's just grand, but after a while, the time, money and emotional turmoil (getting your significant other to go, dealing with babysitters for the kids) can take its toll.

American Express's Spending & Savings Tracker has actually catalogued exactly what wedding season is going to cost you -- and it is not pretty. According to their survey, people spend an average of $540 per wedding, on everything from travel, to dress to wedding gifts. Multiply that times, say, three weddings in a summer, and suddenly you're out more than $1,500!

And we haven't even mentioned engagement and shower gifts!

But luckily, there are ways to save.

Coming Soon! Watch ‘n Sniff with Honey Boo Boo

06/13/2013

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Want to take your Here Comes Honey Boo Boo experience one step further? Now is your chance to smell Alana and family!

Get a whiff of the smells of rural McIntyre, Georgia during the premiere of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo on Wednesday, July 17 at 9|8c. The all new episode will feature a special "Watch ‘n Sniff" feature to take your senses to a new level. With a numbered scent card that correlates to scenes in the show, viewers will be able to watch the show, scratch their cards and redneckognize the smells associated with Alana and her family. Fans will also be able to enjoy a virtual Watch 'n Sniff experience at TLC.com/HoneyBooBoo, where they can mix and match the smells featured in the show to enter to win $5,000.

The Watch ‘n Sniff cards, which feature six scents, can be found in issues of People and US Weekly hitting newsstands on Friday, July 5 and Friday, July 12, respectively. The Watch n’ Sniff cards will also be available at select Time Warner Cable retail stores across the country.

Don't miss the return of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, July 17 at 9|8 c. This one smells like an unforgettable one!

Wedding Trend: A No Cell Phone Ceremony

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In our increasingly Internet-y age, it's harder and harder to find a spot free of cell phones and mobile technology. Look around you and there's likely someone Instagram-ing a photo, updating a Facebook status, or telling the world what they ate for lunch via Twitter. We have too much information about too many things coming from too many people.

Which may be why marrying couples are increasingly calling for guests to check their smart phones and cameras at the door.

9 Celeb Ladies With Secret Pageant Pasts

06/12/2013

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Wikimedia commons

Love 'em or hate 'em, it's undeniable that beauty pageants have turned out some rather dynamic women. For instance, did you know that former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin was crowned Miss Wasilla, Washington in 1981? And while she didn't win that year's Miss Alaska Pageant, she was crowned Miss Congeniality.

You'd be suprised, actually, by the large numbers of famous faces who have done a pageant or two in their time.

Don't believe us? Click through for some of our favorite secret pageant queens. (And don't forget to check out the new season of Toddlers & Tiaras, Wednesday at 9/8 c.

Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson Takes Home A Gold At The Redneck Olymp-Hicks

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Alana and Jessica at last year's Redneck Olymp-Hicks (Credit: DCL)

Can you believe it's been a whole year since the last Redneck Olymp-Hicks? Oh time, it moves so quickly (sheds tear). Last year, we saw Alana and her family compete in the games, but come up empty-handed. This year Alana was victorious, winning a gold medal for her dancing.

What is the Redneck Olymp-Hicks? Now in its fifth year, the annual Redneck competition takes place in Augusta, Georgia, and is a veritable cornucopia of belches, beer bellies and bobbing for pigs feet (remember when Pumpkin competed in that last year?). Or, as Mama June explains it, "It’s just like the Olympics except for a lot of missing teeth and butt cracks showing."

And Alana wasn't the only winner: Her sister Anna's daughter Kaitlyn won a "cutest redneck baby" contest.

Don't miss the return of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, July 17 at 9/8 c.

Summer Essentials: A Beach Tote For All Your Bathing Needs––Under $50

06/11/2013

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It's officially hot out, which means that we're itching to head to the pool or the beach as soon as possible. Schlepping all your crap to the public pool or the nearest beach can be a hassle, but you can make things easier by carrying all your necessities in a cute but sturdy summery tote.

Don't have one just yet? No problem! We've dug up 5 great totes--under $50!--that will take you from the boardwalk to the beach and beyond!

Life In The Clouds: 5 Awesome Grown-Up Treehouses

06/10/2013

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Imagine living life high up in the sky, your nearest neighbors a bunch of birds and squirrels. For a select few lucky treehouse dwellers, that dream is a reality.

Following, take a look at five of our favorite treehouses, and don't forget to check out even more amazing dwellings Monday night at 10/9 c on Surreal Estate.

 

Flickr

 

The Minister's House

In 1993, minister Horace Burgess had a vision. God spoke to him and told him “If you build me a treehouse, I’ll see you never run out of material.” Burgess immediately began working on a treehouse structure outside of the small town of Crossville, Tennessee, and completed it 14 years later. No mere rickety structure, the Burgess treehouse is 10 stories and nearly a hundred feet tall. The structure includes a worship space and a basketball court, for sky-high dunking.

Click here for more crazy treehouse action.