James Corden Archives

FRIDAY FAVORITES – Quarantine Life

March 31, 2020 By AJ Leave a Comment

The days of this “Quarantine Life” are blending right into one another for me and it’s not doing a whole lot for my morale. So I am doing this looong “Not on Friday” version of Friday Favorites because what day is it, anyway? Does it matter? Hopefully this list of links and videos occupies you a bit; keeps you entertained. I have added a special Quarantine Life section as well, entitled “Take Advantage of This Time” because for many, this is a lot of downtime and I think it’s important to be productive, lest we let our brains turn to mush. Disclosure: Alcohol is medicinal right now so my brain may be mush already. *shrug*

WHAT I READ

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan laments on the vitality of movie theaters after the pandemic.
Phenomenal article from Politico on the global, economic ramifications of what’s going on right now.
It’s not all Quarantine Life all the time, here. I also read this super interesting article about why we do not have – but need – female crash test dummies.

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

Mashable shared this great list of accounts to follow on Instagram that will bring a smile to your face.
Wanna know if your toilet paper supply will last? This is an amusing calculator someone put up.
A bevy of new podcasts have popped up in the last couple of weeks and Vulture put some of the good ones in this list.
How much do I wanna make this baked potato soup? PRETTY BADLY. Also, this chocolate chip cookie cake. Because sprinkles.

EARLIER THIS WEEK

I made a Quarantine themed playlist on Spotify. BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING BUT TIME RIGHT NOW, GUYS.
I’ve read a couple of Batman comics and am going to start working my way through this list, too, which my friend Ryan shared.
Well, my puzzle-addiction has resurfaced. There is a 1000-piecer in progress on my dining room table right now. But I really wanna try this puzzle….

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TIME

First of all, The Sacramento Bee has assembled a STELLAR list of things to virtually-do right now, including Ivy League courses you can participate in for free online.
Try a Netflix Party!!!
Have you ever used Lynda? Lynda is not a person, it is a website jam-packed with online courses covering a ton of topics, now owned by LInkedIn. Sign up for 30 days, free, and learn some new stuff!
Some fun, new groups have popped up on Facebook to make Quarantine Life more interesting. Check out this Karaoke group, for example, or this meal prep group.
I am a little nutty so I made myself an Excel spreadsheet of movies, documentaries and TV shows I want to catch up on or watch anew during this time. So far, I’ve enjoyed “Hunters” on Amazon, “Tiger King” (of course) and “Love is Blind” on Netflix, among many others. In making the list, though, I get to check something off when I’ve completed it, making my streaming feel more productive than lethargic! Are you watching anything you would recommend I add to the spreadsheet? And if it helps, /Film has created an ongoing list of new movies being released to streaming platforms.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT A silver lining, if you will, is all the creativity we are seeing from content creators right now. Some of my favorites:

Living room concerts are IT, y’all. I’ve gotten to see some of my favorite artists perform in the most intimate of settings! Consequence of Sound is keeping a list of these updated. (You will also get a pop-up for their daily digest, “Quarantine and Chill” to sign up for!)
John Krasinki’s “SGN” (Some Good News) broadcast.
International treasure, Sir Patrick Stewart, is reading Shakespeare DAILY for us. Go. Enjoy. Bask in its warmth and creativity.
If you are a Broadway lover, you MUST check out the “Stars in he House” series happening on the Actors Fund YouTube channel, twice daily.
James Corden is having a great time messing with my emotions, like when he had Andrea Boceli on to serenade us with “‘Con te partirò” or the cast (past and current) of Dear Evan Hansen on to sing this song that ALWAYS KILLS ME! (And if you love this song, Hugh Jackman also sang it on Twitter for us.)
The Backstreet Boys collaborated on “I Want it That Way” from their individual homes for the iHeart Radio special that aired Sunday night:

FRIDAY FAVORITES: TIS THE SEASON

December 20, 2019 By AJ Leave a Comment

Friday Favorites – we’re back! Oof. Guys, I’ve been MIA for a bit but still bookmark things to share so apologies in advance, but there is a healthy handful of internet gems to behold here.

WHAT I READ

I can’t say I “read” this, but I WANT IT — Golden Girls wrapping paper!
This article about two Auschwitz lovers/survivors who reunited 72 years later gave me ALL THE FEELINGS.
If you need it – and I did – this TED Talk about living with grief is really wonderful. It also lead me to the speaker’s podcast, which I’ve been enjoying.
Podcasting is going mainstream, says FORBES. Says everyone who knows: DUH.

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

Spoon Fork Bacon is giving me life with this caramelized pear tart.
And how do we feel about a toffee apple dip? I think I’d give it a shot.
I didn’t set out to make this such a recipe-heavy week but damn this lemon-dill salmon looks TASTY.
The 12is Style gave out a great list of winter coats in plus sizes. I really need a new coat but keep procrastinating the purchase… Sigh. And BTW, you should follow this blogger on Insta. She’s great.
Amy takes such gorgeous photos of concerts but most of the time, I am not hip enough to know the bands. This time, she photographed ONE OF MY FAVES!

EARLIER THIS WEEK

I finished my holiday shopping. HOORAY! I also added like 92 things to my Amazon wishlist. Like this poncho — can I pull this off?
I started researching vacationing in Naples, Florida. Here’s why.
I added to The Hollywood Picture News’ weekly wrap-up of film trailers. Always enjoy doing it! Especially because I got to make fun of CATS which looks ABOMINABLE. Please enjoy.
This heart-warming, festive moment went viral:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Memes (@kalesalad)

PR & SOCIAL MEDIA

I participated in this article, predicting video content trends in 2020.

If you are into the chaos of the streaming wars (like me), this is a must-read.
This is such a PR WIN. Behold the case study of Chris Evans’ cable knit sweater in Knives Out.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

I am massively obsessed with Harry Styles’ cover of Lizzo’s “Juice” for BBC1:

And here’s a real treat — a while back I witnessed James Corden and Eddie Redmayne shoot a bit for his late-night show in an iconic deli here in Los Angeles. Well, it finally aired and if you pay close attention, you can see me checking my phone…. (about 2:28 and fun Hollywood-esque fact, they shot this twice.)

FRIDAY FAVORITES: All The Things

December 21, 2018 By AJ Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, y’all! I sent out the annual holiday e-card this week. Wanna see?

And on with……!

WHAT I READ

I worship at a shrine dedicated to Nora Ephron. And I love the movie You’ve Got Mail. Here’s a great piece from the NY Post about how that film made New York a romcom star.
Thrillist revealed their list of Best New Restaurants this year.

Buzzfeed combined THE GOLDEN GIRLS with DISNEY PRINCESSES. Amazing.
Support local, independent bookstores! This article features 61 of them.

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

Aimee has holiday playlists for every mood!
I’ve been enjoying the unboxing of all of Agency Guacamole’s holiday gifts on Instagram.
Ah, the joys of marriage and glitter.

EARLIER THIS WEEK

I am now a BRUNCH JOURNALIST. My first article for LAist went live. Check it out!
Lin Manuel Miranda played with a puppy whilst doing an interview. This is how all press should go.

This experience warmed my heart.

PR & SOCIAL MEDIA

A genius stunt for the holidays, Popeye’s sold “emotional support chicken” for travelers.
The Daily Mail ran a terrific interview with the subject of a documentary I handled PR for.
Sigh. Instagram influencers are posting – GASP! – fake sponsored content. Read about it.
Forbes suggests some tactics to step up your social game in 2019.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

A little “Spill Your Guts” from James Corden with Will Ferrell. So disgusting and so entertaining.

I also very much enjoyed Corden’s parody of “Thank U Next,” THANK YOU JEFF. Because Jeff Goldblum.

Friday Favorites: A Rumbly in my Tumbly

November 16, 2018 By AJ Leave a Comment

The last couple weeks have been, quite frankly, very dark and terrible. And I will address some of the reasons why in a later post but for now, I choose to move on and celebrate more joyous things. The little things. It’s the WEEKEND! Happy Friday! Not to steal anything from “Game of Thrones” (which I don’t want anyway), but WINTER IS COMING and I could not be happier. Break out the sweaters, scarves and boots, guys. I am READY. It’s got me in a better mood. Walking the dog in this cooler weather makes me smile. And speaking of joy, shall we also delve into the Friday Favorites? Here we go….

WHAT I READ

I finished a fun mystery novel called Crisis . I don’t usually read books like this but it was a lot of fun to try something new. I enjoyed it a lot. Then I started Sally Field’s autobiography which has been full of surprises thus far.
A friend of mine forwarded me a couple political articles this week that were excellent reads. If you’re inclined and have a few minutes, check these out:
- From The Atlantic: “How to Salvage Congress.”
- From The Concourse: “This is All Donald Trump Has Left.”

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

This recipe from Lindsay at Fit & Awesome for a tasty and healthy “smash cake” is super cute. I know smash cakes are for babies but I want it.
Amanda (SUCH a great name, by the way), over at A Cookie Named Desire, compiled a stellar list of Hot Chocolate recipes and I’m down to try all of them.
I don’t buy a lot of movies anymore. I’m all about the streaming. But when I really love or cherish a flick, I do feel a need to own it so I will totally be buying Disney’s Christopher Robin. I had ALL THE FEELS watching that movie. Anyway, Wendy has all the deets on that release. Even though I am a Tigger fangirl, I thought Brad Garrett as Eeyore stole the whole movie. He had me laughing the mostest. (But really, I HEART TIGGER.)

PR & SOCIAL MEDIA

Here are five reasons why you should still be advertising on Facebook. (Consequently, I would also ask why you stopped?)
One of my favorite businessmen, Mark Cuban, touts why being nice is still a much-lauded, underrated trait in business.
Ice T has never had a bagel. EVER. It’s kind of the best thing that’s ever happened to Twitter. Enjoy.
And now, some PR 101. How to do a public apology by Saturday Night Live:

EARLIER THIS WEEK

I hope you caught the third volume in my continuing series of guides to Millennial vocabulary for the old folks.
And, also, that you caught my guide to coffee shop etiquette. I am here to help.
Someone sent me this list of amazing, “ugly,” Hanukkah sweaters. Wanna guess which one I bought?

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

AAAAAAAAAH!!!! Do you know who I LOVE? I mentioned this…. I love TIGGER. And I love seeing Jim Cummings doing that voice in person. He delighted me immensely singing the Tigger theme in this interview:

James Corden’s most famous segment is probably Carpool Karaoke, which I enjoy, but I also LOVE his “Spill Your Guts” segments. His duel with Jon Hamm was hysterical:

Friday Favorites – A Whole New World

July 30, 2017 By AJ 1 Comment

Gosh, guys. The last time I wrote “Friday Favorites,” Sean Spicer was still behind the podium and Reince Priebus was still the White House Chief of Staff. It’s like a whole new world out there now, ain’t it? But WE MADE IT. One more week down.

WHAT I READ

Buffer is sharing how they grew their blog following. Great data.
A co-worker shared this article with me, about the habits of exceptionally strong women.
A list of incredible omelettes you should try here in LA. I’m actually not much for omelettes but this could change me.

Odys + Penelope’s ham and molten swiss omelette.

I love this new design by Philippe Starck for the Paris 2024 Gold Medal. He designed it with the thought in mind that no one gets to the top alone. I really love it.

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

Pinch of Yum’s recipe for a Loaded Caprese Grilled Cheese induces drooling.
Speaking of recipes, I also want to try making my own bruschetta and I like Melissa’s recipe.
All hail Celeste! We Are Midlife has named her Queen Leader — they are not wrong. She is my new hero.

EARLIER THIS WEEK

I was dog-sitting. It was adorable. Check my Insta for pics.
Trump done gone lost his mind but James Corden turned around the BEST RESPONSE. It’s actually genius. Just WATCH:
Also, Biden’s tweet:

Every patriotic American who is qualified to serve in our military should be able to serve. Full stop.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 26, 2017

SCORE, the film music documentary I’m proud to be associated with, opened in Chicago today and got raves from critics! Richard Roeper loved it.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

Lupita Nyong’o won Comic Con. Did you see? I LOVE HER.

I saw Atomic Blonde. It was AWESOME. You have to go see it. And enjoy this peek at Charlize Theron’s training:

Let me leave you now as my arteries harden. How do you feel about this “Pancake Lasagna”?

Lazy Sunday Musings

November 7, 2016 By AJ Leave a Comment

The internet is always there for me in times of need.

I suck at lazy Sundays. But I excel at the internet. Enjoy these lazy Sunday musings.

Today was a struggle because even at this age, I am still trying to learn how to relax. It infuriates me that when presented with a much-needed day of sitting still, it takes me about nine hours to finally find some calm. Until then, or rather until now, I’ve passed the time dozing off on the couch, watching TV, playing games (mostly Doge 2048), surfing the web, working, and resisting a very exciting bag of Lays potato chips. Enjoying very little of it and wracked with guilt over nine million other things I should have been doing and chastising myself for not finding serenity.

I know you’re all super jealous of my glamorous life.

My weekend’s really been lovely overall, though. I had a wonderful brunch yesterday (not to worry – more on that coming soon) and I saw Doctor Strange, which I highly recommend. Tips: See it in 3-D, sit through the entire credits.

Also, if you love stand-up specials like I do, I also highly recommend “Pete Davidson: SMD” from Comedy Central, which I caught on demand yesterday afternoon. (Anyone wanna guess what “SMD” stands for?)

This blew my mind this morning during some web-surfing. Just watch. I spent quality time trying to figure out how this is even accomplished but then my brain started to hurt.

All the while, by the way, in the back of my mind I keep hearing this nagging voice chanting “THE ELECTION IS TUESDAY.” I’ve grayed out as much of the day as I can so that I can pop Xanax and sit in front of the television, digging my nails into the armrests. That’s healthy, right? We all know how I feel about this election and I’ll spare you any proselytizing. If you read this blog and know me, you likely don’t need it anyway. But I’ll confess to everyone now that I have a really bad feeling about how this is gonna go and I know I’m not alone. So let’s all just pray, meditate, send out that positive energy — whatever get you through.

Anyway…. I have a few hours left of this day and now, finally feeling a little more chilled out, I’m going to make the most of it.

What’s In My Pocket Friday

May 6, 2016 By AJ Leave a Comment

The Best of the web

What’s In My Pocket Friday? Well, I’ll be honest with you. I’m turning 37 on Sunday and I’m not feeling particularly great about it. But all of that is offset by the fact that “Captain America: Civil War” is out this weekend. It’s pretty hard to be bummed out when you get to sit in a dark room and watch Chris Evans in high definition 3D for two and a half hours.

So basically, I’m calling it a draw and declaring that my life doesn’t suck. And on that note, here are some things that also do not suck…. (I AM THE MASTER OF SEGUES!)

First, and most important, this post from Donald Trump brought me so, so much joy. I think I giggled to myself for a good 90 minutes. Surely now that Trump has eaten a taco bowl, EVERYTHING IS OKAY AGAIN. (Even his food has a wall. Who do you think paid for it?)

There is a magical “nap bar” in Dubai. I wonder when that trend will make it’s way here….
There are eleventy billion outdoor movie venues in Los Angeles. Here’s a list of all of them. You’re welcome.
Also, this post about hot guys holding dogs IS ALL THAT MATTERS.

Heather posted a very easy-to-follow “Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cones” recipe! Looks yummy!
Carolyn sent me a Golden Girls coloring page. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I will be doing this in my office today, no doubt.
I saw a couple of great posts about Mother’s Day gift ideas. Here’s one from Chris, and one at Forces of Geek.
I’ve been rewatching “West Wing” on Netflix. I still love that show so much. So I was excited when Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford appeared on the same episode of The Late Late Show — AND did this:

Jimmy Kimmel also made me chuckle this week — with this video about Sarah Palin and her theories on climate change:

That seems like a good place to stop. With laughter.

Have a lovely weekend!

What’s in my Pocket Friday

June 12, 2015 By AJ Leave a Comment

The Best of the web this week!

I save things in my pocket all week long and look forward to sharing the highlights with you every Friday!

Pocket enables users to save something they find online for later. I find it especially handy as a Google Chrome extension — I only have to click a button to immediately save something to my pocket. Once something is saved, the content is visible on any device — phone, tablet, computer, and even offline.

Enjoyable: 13 Fun Things You Didn’t Know Siri Could Do!
Apparently there is a restaurant in Los Angeles that serve Churro ice cream sandwiches. I must go there.
Some delicious, new brunches in LA – check ’em out! Adding them to my database…. (Yes, I have one just for brunch.)
I thought this was great — a YouTube series that breaks down Pinterest ideas. Pin-trusted or Pin-busted?

Betty White prank called James Corden!
I enjoy this time of year when all the networks roll out their new shows and schedules for Fall.
I got some fabulously comfy new flats that I may now buy in every color. I cannot recommend them enough. Check out Corso Como’s Ballasox! (Especially awesome for travel – they fold up into a little pouch.)

I’m not trying to be ass but guys, come on. Rue McClanahan died five years ago. Be smarter.
I’m seeing Sutton Foster in concert on Sunday! Do you watch her show, “Younger?” It’s pretty great but I’ve been a fan for years. If you watch one performance from her, watch “Anything Goes.”
Had a great time leading round table discussions at EAMC yesterday! Post on that subject (Managing Your Social Media Calendar) to come soon!

What’s in my Pocket Friday

March 27, 2015 By AJ 1 Comment

I save things in my pocket all week long and look forward to sharing the highlights and best of the web with you every Friday!

This is a terrific moment for me as a publicist. When a reporter made an inquiry for information from Google, they had a pretty terrific, animated response. Click here to see it.
The cast of ‘Pretty Woman’ reunited on the TODAY Show and it was delightful!
Here are 17 shirts for lazy people and I really want most of them.

James Corden and Tom Hanks win the internet.
There is a scientific reason behind why men like big butts. I’m pretty excited about this — they should like me ALOT.
I am obsessed with Anne Hogan’s DIY jewelry organizer and totally plan to copy her.
According to The Onion, fetal position desks are going to replace standing desks. I also want one of these.

EARLIER THIS WEEK

Blogger Chris Lam gave me a nice shout-out on What I Run Into and I love her right back.
I spoke on a panel called “Branding For Women” and it was marvelous. Full recap coming soon.
I waxed poetic on why we do this whole, crazy blogging thing.
I bitched about Fan Q&As, which are horrible.
When I got a good fortune cookie, I pinned the quote.

AND THE CROWN JEWEL OF MY WEEK WAS THIS. Read it all. The post, the comments. It was a golden moment in my people-watching life: