NCWITB: Courtney Stodden & Doug Hutchinson May Be For Real (MAY be...)

If you follow the celebrity world at all, you have probably heard about the newest May-December romance scandal between 16 year old aspiring actress/singer Courtney Stodden and her husband, 51 year old actor Doug Hutchinson. Courtney hasn't done much up until this point but a smattering of YouTube videos that are tragic in a Heidi Montag sort of way, and Doug is most famous for his role in the Green Mile in which he plays the mean prison guard who doesn't put the sponge on the guys head before he electrocutes him.

Nobody cares what I think, but... there are a lot of factors at play here that are being lumped together to make one issue. There is the 35 year age difference, the fact that she seems to be overtly sexual for an underage girl, and the whole concept of marriage and that they are claiming to be in love. To me, none of these things are related to the other and you have have both positive or negative opinions on all 3 aspects separately.

First, their 35 year old age difference. This doesn't bother me at all, and to me it isn't a sign of any wrong doing here. People fall in love. They both have said they believe God brought them together, and I honestly believe they think He did. I am all for Age Gap Relationships (AGR's) because I think that they actually have a lot of aspects to them that make things easier, and I don't doubt for a second that these 2 really did want to get married. Plus, her parents had to sign a consent form and unless they are really terrible people, they obviously believed in this relationship too. The general public needs to get over the fact that people with age differences have sex, date, and fall in love. Inter-generational relationships are no different than homosexual or interracial relationships... if you don't like it: don't be in one.

Next, Courtney. Yes, she's a train wreck. She seems like she's on tranquilizers in most of her interviews and she is way too overtly sexual... but she's 16. If someone interviewed me at 16 I bet I probably seemed like a disaster, too. She's young and doesn't know much... but in a way that actually makes her love of Doug and her passion for her future sort of inspiring. Love and career are 2 huge things that people twice her age barely have figured out. I am worried by the people who are quick to write her off... with the state of Hollywood today, she's no worse or better than any of the other garbage out there and she deserves the opportunity to suck as much as the rest of them. Is she crazy? Probably. But if she is, she had these issues way before marrying Doug.

Lastly, their love. I think that it's probably real. It's true that Courtney has a lot of desperation in essence- she clearly wants to be famous any way that she can... but marry a 51 year old guy? If she thinks it's as disgusting as some of the couples critics do, there's no way she would have agreed to marry him. I think she really wants to be famous, but she doesn't seem like the kind of girl that would live 24 hrs a day with a man she thought was gross to do it... there's no way she's that good of a liar! Doug and Courtney would have gotten just as much attention if they just casually dated, so why the need to make it official if not for love? Also... she was a virgin before they got married, which takes some sort of scruples (especially when you look like her!) and she seems to be very happy with her life now. If your goal is to be a major celebrity, the first person you call isn't usually the creepy supporting actor in a decade old Tom Hanks movie... she must know it's going to take a little more effort than that to become a star. As for him loving her- why not? She's sexy, funny, ambitious, quirky, and a clean slate. Women Doug's age come with a lot of baggage usually... if he wanted a fresh, fun relationship that maybe someday included kids... or even just flexibility.... there's no question why he'd look to Courtney. AGR's are complicated but they can also be pretty basic: 2 people that can't find what they're searching for in the places they typically look.

I don't think these 3 issues can be piled together when making an educated decision on how you feel about them being together. People in relationships get to be themselves and they get to be their age... it doesn't effect their love. Super smart couples who are the same age can fail just as easily as Doug and Courtney, and do every day. As far as this case, and any other unconventional couple is concerned, I say judge the pieces as pieces and remember to have some respect. (This does not mean you can't roll your eyes every once in a while...)

Ch-Ch-Changes xo

The Carrie Bradshaw blog post really made me want to change the format of this page. I am less interested in products now and more interested in people. In myself. In opinions and things that are happening. I don't think it's too late to change it all up because no one really reads this thing anyway, right?

So, from now on it's all about what I think about everything.


Nobody cares what I think, but... when a girl wants to change her mind, she has every right to.

5 Truth's Carrie Bradshaw Told Me (A NCWITB rebuttal)

5 Truth's Carrie Bradshaw Told Me
an indirect response to 5 Lies Carrie Bradshaw Told Me.

Many people try to argue that Sex and the City is completely unrealistic. No woman with that great of hair, who spends most of her time shopping, could really maintain an odd group of friends, several incredibly sexy lovers, and an apartment whose rent would be debilitating in the real world. My response to anyone who doubts this? Move to the city and watch us do it.
 
1. In a big city, your friendship group IS slap-together.
Everyone always comments on how there's no way that the 4 girls on Sex and the City would have ever been friends. Are you kidding me? Anyone who thinks this obviously wasn't at my friend Jenna's birthday get-together last week. An eclectic group of friends is what city living is all about- mostly because you start combining people from different areas of your life to create a support group. Friendship groups are NOT instantaneous. On Sex and the City, they all met seperately. They started meeting each other randomly, and one at a time each girl was added to the bunch. The bonds were formed within the group despite their personality quirks, and this is exactly like real life. Some of my friends are from high school, some are from college, some are from work, and some are just random people I met at the bar. Nonetheless, when it comes time to gather to help a friend with a break up or celebrate something special, we are all there... for better or for worse.

2. Sex is weird.
It is one of the central focuses of Sex and the City, and while it could be argued that "real people" don't have that much sex (though I disagree), I would like to point out the way they depict sex is very realistic. When you meet a new partner in the city, you never know what to expect. Totally normal guys may be into swinging, politicians may want to pee on you, and guys who love you (and even some who don't) will cheat on their wives to be with you. Unlike a fairytale chick flick movie where all sex happens after coming in from being caught in the rain, Sex and the City is absolutely real about the absurdities that you can encounter when dating in the big city. Condoms break. Lovers move away. Lets face it, people: being dumped on a post-it note, "funky tasting spunk," erectile dysfunction--- it's all just another night in New York City! (or Minneapolis, or Phoenix, or...)

3. Real estate is everything.
How could Carrie, who people think "barely works" and "spends all her money on fashion," afford an apartment like that in the city? She moved there in the 80's and it was rent controlled! While people always comment on her apartment being grand in size, its important to note that it wasn't necessarily grand in stature: she had done nothing to her place in 25 years but paint it a new coat of egg shell white (before redecorating in the 1st movie.) She found a cheap place that was perfect, and that's as much effort as she put into it. In the city, if you can find an incredible bargain, or location, or apartment: you hunker down and stay there! Carrie even held on to her apartment after moving into an incredible place with Big! And, Charlotte, having rallied so hard during the divorce for Trey's perfect Park Ave. apartment ended up staying there and raising her new family in it (even though her husband was a wealthy lawyer that could have easily bought another place.) Sex and the City got it right: if you're lucky in big-city-real-estate-love once, you marry for life.

4. The majority of a city girl's money is spent!
The girls spent a lot of money on clothes, we get it! Was it realistic? I say maybe. Every Sex and the City girl did stay true to her fashion sense. Charlotte spent her money on shoes that were lady like yet perfect for working at an art gallery. Yes, Carrie shelled out big bucks for funky pieces, but she had plenty of incredible vintage mixed in. Miranda was hardly shown shopping, and though she had her stylish moments, she could often be found in a Harvard t-shirt and sweat pants. Samantha always looked fabulous, but was rarely seen buying anything unless it was a major attention grabbing must-have (suiting her personality.) What would have made the show even more unbelievable is if every character showed up in every scene wearing the "hot new trend of the moment" like it was some teen sitcom on the WB. Carrie was the only one of her friends who sold her soul for new (shoe) soles... and that, I believe, is very realistic. Some girls in the city go broke due to keeping up with the nightlife, and some of us go broke keeping up with what's going on during the day, but the sad (yet fashionable!) truth is: most city girls do in fact have their money "hanging in their closet."

5. It always works out, but not always how you planned.
It was a long journey through 6 seasons and 2 movies, but in the end all the girls were happy. What makes this story "believable" though is that they were all happy in situations they never expected to find themselves in. Charlotte is the best example of this, and to me, a very realistic big city storyline: If Sex and the City was a faux-fairytale, things would have worked out with her marriage to Trey. He was a WASP doctor with a beautiful home, so of course in la-la-land his flaws would have been sugar coated. However, Charlotte (who could not handle Trey's sexual short comings and cold demeanor) leaves him and instead finds herself happily married to a Jewish husband and has two beautiful daughters, one of which is Asian. Now there's a real big-city-fairytale-ending! Between Samantha ending up happy on her own, to Miranda ending up happy in Brooklyn, big city living is all about searching for a winning hand in the cards you've been dealt. Carrie eventually does marry Mr. Big in very "Hollywood-ending," but even they have issues in the 2nd movie when he won't keep his smelly feet off the new furniture (how suburban of them...?) When it comes down to it, life in the city is has a very odd way of ending up wonderful more often than not... and come on... even you can't deny having your 3 close friends there with you makes the ride a little bit easier.



Comments? Questions? You know what to do. I'd love to hear from you below!

Kris Humphries & Kim Kardashian: Married! (A NCWITB Congratulations)

Kongratulations are in order for celebrity power couple Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian who married last night (8-20-11) in a private ceremony in Montecito, California with the help of 440 guests. Pictures and details are beginning to leak, but NCWITB just wanted to extend a small little "congrats" to them as they begin their lives together.

Now I promise you that, while it may seem to be the case, NCWITB is NOT a Karashian blog. I discuss other things here and will fill the next few pages with a lot of other topics. However, Humphries being a native to Minnesota also peaks my interest in this couple. They have been spotted around town at places like Costco and Lake Minnetonka, so in my mind it's only a matter of time before I meet them and become their best friend. Understand?

Have a  "kongrats" for this celebrity couple? Comment below and let me hear your opinions!

Amber Tamblyn & David Cross: Engaged! (A NCWITB Congratulations)

Congratulations to the newly engaged to actress/poet Amber Tamblyn and her incredibly hilarious fiance comedian/actor David Cross. The two got engaged yesterday, and have been dating since 2008. No further details have been reported, but I am keeping an eye on this story closely!

Nobody Cares What I Think, But... love is love, and a 19 year age gap is nothing if your passion for each other can over come the obstacles the difference in age may place in front of you. I am a BIG supporter of inter-generational couples and David & Amber are a beautiful example of when the unconventional way works out. I wish them all the best!



A fan of Amber Tamblyn or David Cross? Comment with a congratulations for this awesome couple!

Kardashian Kollection for Sears

Nobody Cares What I Think, But...

the Kardashian Kollection for Sears:

delivers! (a satisfying, affordable way to look like your favorite stars!)

By now it is pretty obvious that I am a gigantic Kardashian fan, however, I am not bias. I am completely willing to call something out as awful if it is, even if it's by the Karashian's! Luckily, I don't have to do that with the Kardashian Kollection. The whole set is actually very impressive, affordable, and chic! Lovers of all things Kardashian dream of looking and dressing like their favorite K-named lady (mine is Kim!!), so here I was hoping for a few curvacious dresses inspired by the girls... turns out: I didn't dream big enough!

The Kardashian Kollection featured exclusively at Sears includes apparel (ranging from extra small up to an extra large!), as well as jewelry, purses, shoes, belts, hosiery/intimates AND sunglasses! Leopard/animal print runs rampant through the kitchy, very Kardashian line of dresses and shoes, while the jewels and sunglasses have a surprisingly classic feel to them. (NOTE: At the time of this post, both pairs of sunglasses in the collection were SOLD OUT.)

You can buy pieces from the collection (sorry, kollection) in Sears stores nation-wide. You can also purchase items online here. They are currently offering 30% off if you use the coupon code KARDASHIAN at check-out.

A fan of the Kardashian's, their new apparel, or have a comment on the "kollection" ? Comment and let me know!

SMASH* by K&Company

Nobody Cares What I Think, But...

SMASH* books by K&Company:

are the hottest summer 2011 trend.

Move over, SillyBandz! The coolest trend of the summer isn't something you wear, it's something you smash! SMASH* books are a scrapping-made-simple product from K&Company, and they are in such high demand that some of their more popular products are on back order for months! The concept is basic: get a book, gather any fun items/memories/pictures you have, and smash them all inside! 

Each journal comes with a pen that doubles as a glue stick, so you never have to worry about your adhesive. There are add-on's of course, like SMASH* pockets and stickers, but I think the best part about the SMASH* concept is is that you don't need all that stuff if you don't want to include it. Unlike regular scrapbooking, K&Company has created a stress free way to organize your memories. How? By making it cool to not be organized at all! The most fun you can have with SMASH* books are when you just let the pieces speak for themselves.

To find out more about this awesome fad, visit their website: http://www.eksuccessbrands.com/kandcompany/smash

In on the SMASH*book trend? Comment and let us know all about it!