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Archives for January 2014

Covering the GRAMMYS

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This has been the best year yet at the Grammys! We have had such a great time and talked to so many fun people. Here are a few fun facts from the show:

– The red carpet starts at noon. This means performers and presenters have about a 12 hour day starting on the red carpet and ending at the after party.

– Not all stars smell good or have fresh breath… however Keith Urban wins for the best of both of those this year! And his Aussie accent doesn’t hurt either. When we asked Keith if wakes up every morning feeling like the coolest guy in the world, he laughed and said, “No! Only Jay-Z wakes up feeling like that.”

– Ozzy Osbourne came backstage and told us how much he loves Taylor Swift. But, he is hands down the hardest person on the planet to understand!

– Most celebrities are very petite. Hunter Hayes, Sara Hyland, and Keith Urban are all very small. One new to the “tiny” category is Miranda Lambert. After dropping a ton of weight this year, she is sooo skinny, we don’t think she needs to lose one more pound.

– Country newcomer and big winner Kasey Musgraves came backstage and chatted with us for a minute. First off, she is flawless and so genuine. She said her favorite moment of the night was seeing the whole event through her mom’s eyes who had never been to Los Angeles before.

– Sara Bareilles was just as nice as you would think she is. On the red carpet she actually got choked up telling us about her mega hit “Brave” and why she wrote it for a friend.

– Teen pop star Austin Mahone is adorable and sang me part of his new hit song with Pitbull. We are rooting for him to take Justin Bieber’s spot in tween girl’s hearts everywhere!

– Willie Nelson looks like he is on the verge of death and his posse is all older than him!

– Madonna was truly terrifying. We did not dare make eye contact. She had on a gold grill, was walking with a cane and looks like she is about 85.

– Katy Perry skips us every year and goes straight to the Japanese reporters and tries to speak with them??? Very confusing.

– DJ Kaskade is very handsome and fun to chat with. He had just returned from performing at Sundance. He makes up to $100,000 per performance!!

– We have seen Paris Hilton at the Grammys the last 3 years and we still can’t figure out why she is there.

– Daft Punk seriously covers their heads at all times because they don’t want to be recognized. That is why Pharrell ended up doing their acceptance speeches for them.
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{Keith Urban – Brittany is just a little excited in this pic}
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{Ray from ET showing us the ropes}
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{Cutie pie Austin Mahone}

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{The handsome DJ Kaskade}

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{Louise Roe interviewing Paris Hilton}

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 {The E stage where Guiliana and Kelly O. were stationed. Guiliana needs to eat a burger it seems like she gets skinnier each year}

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January 27, 2014 1 Comment

GRAMMYS GIFT LOUNGE

Every year we look forward to checking out the GRAMMYS Gift Lounge by Distinctive Assets. In a nutshell, it is an impeccably designed lounge where musicians gather to pick up their swag bags. This year we were pleasantly surprised with the variety of products. There was everything from mini robots that can dance to your music to under eye wrinkle removers made out of 24 karat gold. Stars also received extravagant freebies like all-inclusive trips to Vegas worth more than $10,000 and custom Gibson guitars. Here is a peak into everything we were able to try out today!

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A mom from the Midwest was chosen as the interior decorator for the event. She recycles materials to make amazing things. Check out her piano waterfall masterpiece below!

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Popular products from Asia always make their way into the gifting suite. This year it happened to be facial strips infused with REAL gold.GIFTLOUNGE14

The Gibson guitar booth is a favorite of ours, this year we especially loved the teal guitar. Now if only we could learn how to play one…?Britt picked out some adorable sunglasses that Anne Hathaway had grabbed a few hours prior to our visit.

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One of the quirkier booths was all about bow ties. The creators were very down to earth and were thrilled to tell us that Steven Tyler had picked up a few of their products earlier in the day. And last but not least Britt got a massage with lotion from Japan that promises to give skin a smoother appearance and get rid of cellulite in less than a month. We’ll let you know if it worked 🙂

GIFTLOUNGE14BOWTIEAll in all it has been a fabulous day ending with a sunset at the Santa Monica beach pier. We are so excited to hit the red carpet tomorrow. Stay tuned for updates throughout the big show!

January 26, 2014 1 Comment

Grammy Glam Squad

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We have already had quite the whirlwind of a day. It began at 6:00am at H2Blow Dry Bar in Foothill Village. The sweet girls were the best glam squad we could have asked for! They did protein treatments on our hair, washed it, and then made it bouncy and beautiful! Seriously, their combination of products does something magical to hair. And there is hands down nothing better in this entire world than having someone else blow dry your hair so you don’t have to…

Then, fabulous makeup artist Elyse made it look like we were actually awake! She gave me a fun smokey eye with a pink lip. For Brooke, she did a winged liner with the prettiest burgundy lip. It is so much fun to be pampered and we love the girls at H2Blow Dry Bar!

One thing they taught me last time they did my hair is the importance of root lifter… what is root lifter you ask? It is one of their magical hair products that gives you major volume. I now use it every day, without fail because my hair has never been the same. HERE is the brand that they introduced me to.

If you want more information about H2Blow Dry Bar, go HERE

They are located in Foothill Village in Salt Lake City.

January 26, 2014 Leave a Comment

Twin Tested: The Fainting Mystery

After getting hundreds of messages from viewers wondering what caused my fainting spell on live TV I decided to go and get checked out. The whole situation made me a little nervous,  but I took Britt along with me because she has experienced the same symptoms (and she provides great moral support)! We met with Dr. Jeffrey Anderson from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute who had us both get an EKG. If you haven’t had one before, like me, I was surprised to find out the process is really quick, simple, and pain-free! Thankfully, the results came back positive and we just have a high sensitivity to cold weather. Overall, our hearts are healthy and we do not have to worry about any special treatment. Dr. Anderson said we need to be careful when we spend time outside in arctic temperatures, I guess that means that we will have to plan more trips to Hawaii? 🙂

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As a little anecdote here are a few diagnoses I have gotten from viewers that made me laugh:

– I am pregnant: What a great story that would be! I am NOT pregnant, sorry to disappoint.

– I planned the entire fainting spell: If only I was this good at knowingly creating a viral video, watch out for part 2 😉

– I just need to eat more sugar: I love everything from cookies to cinnamon rolls – so maybe I should work on doing the opposite?

– I have an eating disorder: I have a major love for food and I honestly pride myself in taking good care of my body with a (mostly) healthy diet and exercise.

– I have SVT, SADS, or that I might die tomorrow: I am so relieved that I am not going to die!! But honestly, I appreciate all of the well wishes and kind words. Fainting can obviously be a serious concern. If you have any questions about your own health, go and see your doctor.

*All photos courtesy of Intermountain Medical Center*

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January 23, 2014 2 Comments

An Afternoon with Steve Madden

We got to interview mega designer Steve Madden on his first trip to Utah. He is in town for Sundance and an event at Nordstrom at Fashion Place Mall. He was much more down to earth than we were expecting. In Brooke’s words, “the complete opposite of Anna Wintour”.

Steve told us what it takes to start your own company, the trend he hates, and what he thinks of working with the Olsen twins.

You can read the full interview below.

STEVE MADDEN 1 STEVE MADDEN 3 STEVE MADDEN 4 STEVE MADDEN 6 STEVE MADDEN 9 STEVE MADDEN 10

B&B: IT’S YOUR FIRST TRIP TO SALT LAKE CITY, WHAT DO YOU THINK SO FAR?

SM: It’s great, I’m staying in Park City and it is beautiful.

B&B: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHILE YOU’RE HERE?
SM: We are just going to catch a few films, I leave Monday night.
B&B: THERE IS A HUGE CROWD DOWNSTAIRS WAITING TO MEET YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HAVING SUCH A HUGE FAN BASE IN UTAH?
SM: It’s unbelievable, there was a nice little article written about me yesterday in the Salt Lake Tribune, it’s great, it’s very nice. I’ve always thought it was a fashionable town. It really is. I always notice that, girls from Salt Lake are really cool.
(***Steve is happily married with 3 kids, so pretty sure he was being serious here and not just pouring on the sugar 🙂 ).
B&B: HOW DID YOU START YOUR BUSINESS?
SM: I started my business with $1,100 and I decided if it was 40 pairs of shoes I was going to sell that was it, and then it just pyramided.
B&B: HOW DO YOU STAY SO CONSISTENT? IT SEEMS LIKE NO MATTER THE YEAR OR SEASON, STEVE MADDEN IS ALWAYS IN STYLE.
SM: We’re insecure so we’re always working hard.
B&B: WHO DO YOU HAVE IN MIND WHEN YOU ARE DESIGNING?
SM: People that I work with, or more democratic, I don’t think of any stars or celebrities, I just try to make shoes people like to wear.
B&B: FAVORITE TREND?
SM: I like what you’re wearing.
(***He said this to Brooke was wearing a pair of Steve Madden studded boots)
B&B: ONE TREND YOU ARE SICK OF?
SM: Platform pumps. They are starting to look a little old to me. We sell them in our stores, but they’re starting to look a little old.
B&B: A TREND YOU WISH WOULD DISAPPEAR FOREVER?
SM: Sneakers
B&B: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BLOGGERS?
SM: I love it, it’s a great trend. Things are changing and it’s fine. I’m not a big “I like the old days” kind of guy. I would rather look at Wikipedia than the Encyclopedia. By the way, Wikipedia has my age wrong, i’m really 56, but Wikipedia says i’m 55.
B&B: WHAT IS A NORMAL DAY LIKE?
SM: I have a lot on my plate, but everybody has a lot on their plate and I really mean that. Whatever someone has going on in their life is important to them. I have a pretty big company and I have three young kids.
B&B: DO YOUR KIDS LIKE YOUR SHOES?
SM: My daughter, the darling who is named after me loves Skechers. (Face palm then laughs)
(*** By the way, his daughter is 6 years old.)
Then Steve turned the tables and asked us a few questions.
SM: You’re identical?
B&B: YES.
SM: Are the Olsens identical? (He works with Mary-Kate and Ashley on a very regular basis)
B&B: NO, THEY’RE FRATERNAL (WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE WE THOUGHT WE WERE MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY GROWING UP)
SM: Well, the Olsens look 100% more alike than you to do. You look very different from each other.
So, as you can tell Steve is a down to earth, nice and normal guy. The best part is that he is one of maybe three people in the world that think we look nothing alike 🙂

 

January 19, 2014 Leave a Comment

Life as a Viral Sensation

To say that the past 2 weeks have been a whirlwind is a major understatement. I have been pulled in a million different directions talking to media around the world. I never knew passing out during a live shot would bring me so many interesting opportunities! Two weeks ago, I was just doing my job on a Saturday morning as a reporter for KUTV in Salt Lake City, when I completely passed out on air. I was getting a lesson in cross country skiing up in the cold, Utah mountains. What you didn’t see on screen was me telling the producer during the commercial break that I was not feeling well and please do not come to me. Well, due to the fact that we were in the mountains, we had a bad connection and she did not hear me. So, I passed out on live TV and the clip has now gone viral with millions of views. I have received thousands of thoughtful messages from people as far away as India, New Zealand, Norway, and England. This homegrown girl from Utah is definitely feeling the love.

Here are a few photos to give you a peek into my life since my fainting video went viral.

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This was my crazy set-up for Entertainment Tonight with Nancy O’Dell. I had to communicate with Nancy over a speaker phone while still looking into the camera ahead of me. It was a doozy 🙂 I have always loved watching Nancy and it was fun to chat with her and see her own bloopers from her local news days! You can watch the interview HERE starting at 16:12.

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I was thrilled to get a call from CNN. Being a newsie I have always admired their on-air product and was excited to see how things work behind-the-scenes. They treated me like a princess! They sent a driver in a town car to pick me up from my house (!!). Then I was taken to their studio downtown where a stylist was waiting for me to do my hair and makeup. It was glorious! The anchors from New Day were so great and probably my favorite interview that I have done. You can watch it HERE.

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For my interview with CBS This Morning a photographer came to my house. It was nice to be relaxed in my own space. I thought they did a nice piece on the whole incident and were very kind with their comments. A shout out from Oprah’s BFF Gayle King is always a fun surprise! You can watch the interview HERE.

 

I also got to interview with people in Australia. My face looks a little confused because there were 3 anchors talking in my ear at the same time with Aussie accents! I loved hearing from them and they were so funny. There was a 3-second delay since Australia is a little far away, but overall the interview was really fun. You can watch it HERE.

Last but not least, I got to talk to a scout troop about being in the media. I wasn’t sure how interested 8-year-old boys would be in a girl, but they were an excellent crowd! I was asked to be the guest speaker for their media night and my topic was having a positive attitude in the middle of a mishap. (surprise!) It was so fun to hear their questions and remember what it was like to be a kid.

Overall, this experience has been really eye-opening. My hope is renewed in society. I have been inundated with sweet emails, phone calls, and messages from complete strangers. The world is a great place. Who knows what will come next! Thank you for all your support. I want everyone to know that I am completely fine. I’ve been checked out by doctors and they say it was a combination of me coming down with the flu and having altitude sickness. I’m so glad it wasn’t something more serious. Crazily enough, Britt and I have actually both passed out before while skiing because we do get altitude sickness quite often when we’re in the mountains. So, this was just the first time someone recorded it 🙂 Thanks again for all of your concern and kind words on my behalf. 

Here are a few of my favorite articles and mashup videos:

Time Magazine

Huffington Post

Today Show

Mashable

Youtube Mashup & A Rap Mashup

Death and Taxes 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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January 12, 2014 6 Comments

Hi! We are identical twins, Brooke & Brittany. We test the latest trends in fashion, beauty, travel and fitness so that you don't have to.

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