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  • Duran Duran, DuranDuranAppreciationDay, #RunHappyRaces, running , 10K

An NYC All Duran Duran #RunHappyRaces 10K

As you read this I’ll be sleeping off a very delayed flight back to LA after over 2 weeks in NYC and 5 days in FL with the in-laws. After the many fitness experiences in NYC that I still have to share, I’ll admit that that I did absolutely nothing at all while I was in FL.

However, I did have one special experience that I had to share immediately!   […]

By |August 19th, 2013|11 Comments
  • Duran Duran, Simon Le Bon

It's Duran Duran Appreciation Day!

No, I don’t normally post on Saturdays anymore but today is a special day – it’s Duran Duran Appreciation Day!

Duran Duran, Simon Le Bon

 

I’m a big fan and even though I won’t be […]

By |August 10th, 2013|6 Comments
  • Simon Le Bon, Duran Duran, moustache, Sparks

Bye Bye Moustache, Moustache, Moustache, Moustache!

I have a number of posts to share from my #secretvacation but something pressing has come up this week – My main man of Duran Duran has finally shaved his face!  The group Sparks said that “100 hairs make the man” in the fabulous song from the 80’s song “Moustache” but in my opinion that was not the case for my long-time faux rock star boyfriend Simon Le Bon. […]

By |July 12th, 2013|4 Comments
  • July 4th, summer, salad

4 Things To Think About On Your 4th!

Happy 4th of July!

It’s an unscheduled post day but today is special.  Today is a day to remember how lucky you might be to live in the United States, a country that allows all of us the freedom to think, do and be who we are.  If you live elsewhere, you can still take some time to reflect on how lucky you are as well.  Why not, right?

In ValentineRD style, I hope you take some time today to think about the 4 things that are at the heart (pun intended) of this blog: […]

By |July 4th, 2013|4 Comments
  • #13in2013, goals, New Year's Resolutions

#13in2013 Half Year Check In

Sorry that this post is late today but I’ve been traveling a lot lately.   I just got back from the amazing Fitbloggin’ 13 in Portland, Oregon.  I have so much to share about my recent adventures that I need a few days to gather up all the fabulousness I’ve encountered on my #secretvacation and at Fitbloggin.

In attempt to be somewhat timely, (since 2013 is already half over – hello July 1st!) today we’re doing the quarterly check in on the progress being made with my #13in2013 goals.  My first quarter check in post is here.

#13in2013 Goals: […]

By |July 1st, 2013|1 Comment
  • MTV logo, VJ, book

Remember I Want My MTV? Read This Book Now: VJ

Believe it or not, there was a time when MTV actually played music videos and could really be called Music Television!  When MTV was born in 1982, I didn’t have cable television but I was obsessed with the idea of seeing the music I loved on screen.

During the hey-day of MTV, I’m lucky that any of my friends wanted to hang out with me.  All I ever wanted to do when we’d go to their houses was watch MTV and when we did, I was the crazy person waiting for Duran Duran videos to come on screen.  Without MTV, I could not have experienced Live Aid.  MTV brought music to life for me and for many others of my generation.

When I heard that the original MTV VJ’s were collaborating on a book there was no doubt that it would become one of my #13in2013 books to read.  It took me only one night to practically inhale the history and the stories from VJ: The Unplugged Adventures of MTV’s First Wave.  

VJ, MTV, Martha Quinn, Alan Hunter, Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman and J. J. JacksonVJ isn’t your typical biography because it’s about the lives of 5 people, the early days of cable television and a revolution within the music industry.   Profound when you think about it but the book is easy reading.  The friendly style of early MTV is evident even in the book’s format because as a reader you feel like you’re in the room during a conversation between four friends (Alan Hunter, Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman and Martha Quinn) just rehashing old times.  The 5th original VJ, J.J. Jackson, died of a heart attack in March 2004 but his views were included in the book via excerpts transcribed from videos and books.

Sadly, there aren’t a lot of photos in the book but these pioneers of the video age do a great job of giving readers a visual picture of not only great stories about some of the hottest artists of the 1980’s but it also allows you to know more about the VJ’s as individuals and how they became a part of the creation of a cultural phenomenon during the early days of cable television. […]

By |May 24th, 2013|17 Comments