And The Winner Is...

Well We'll find out in 2 hours! I just started watching it.

But I'll give you a run-down of the whole show as it goes.

Beginning with the opening number performed by the 10 contestants previously voted off, and can I just say... IT SUCKED!! I HATED IT! The highlight of that number was when the dance break happened and when Josh fell trying to be all cool. Just. Please!

Then Phil rocked the house with former CCR frontman Jon Fogerty. LOVED IT! Thanks Phil for bringing the TALENT back to the show. Just goes to show why you were voted into the final 2. I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with the fact that you're a cute WGWG (white guy with guitar) haha the past 3-4 years suggest the White Guy W/ a Guitar is the clear winner. First they sang Have You Ever Seen The Rain then into Bad Moon Rising. Right up Phil's alley. This is just a preview of what his CD should sound like. CCR mixed with Mumford & Sons.

The montage of all the horrible auditions and crazy antics  really wasn't needed. We saw it in the audition round. Thanks for wasting our time....

I take that back, this mess is hilarious! Keep. It. Going. 

Then there was the Josh Ledet & Fantasia disaster. Good Lord almighty what just happened. From her hair to the outfit to the voice. I just cannot handle this. If I were watching by myself I would be fast-forwarding. But alas... I am not so I must suffer. And then the producers got smart and cut them off & went to commercial. 

Thank you! THANK. YOU!

Dear Josh,

This is why you were eliminated. 

The End.

Thank you Jimmy for never getting J-Ho's name right. She doesn't deserve the time or energy. The she-devil. Go hide in a hole somewhere... 

Up next is the ladies of the top 12. I have not a clue what they sang, I just know the hook was sampled in a Kanye West song. Which is disappointing, but they sounded good. Then they sang I'm Every Women with Chaka Khan (who came out in a skin-tight brown something. My sister said she looked like a giant turd. I kinda agree! WHO DRESSES THESE PEOPLE???????) I liked Erika's hair better dark though. She shouldn't have messed with a good thing. I forgot about Shannon. There was a reason for that. She wasn't very good.

Can I just interject here for a second. I heard a rumor that my boo Philly Phil will be taken to the hospital right after the finale and will NOT be on the tour. Say WHAT? He better be there! I will cry forever if he's not. I'll donate both my kidneys if I have to.

Back to the show... Oh never mind. It's just dumb Rihanna. I just threw up in my mouth a little. That was an excellent lip sync job you did RiRi. Way to make a mockery of the very thing you do to make all your millions. (if you even make that much) But good job making sure you sound all out of breath like you actually did something out there. 

You get a gold star.

Steven Tyler's hysterical. 
Jessica Sanchez sang I Will Always Love You.

Guys of the top 12. Not sure this was a needed performance. So I'll skip it. 

Deandre better watch out in Detroit. I'm bringing my clippers.

Where's Neil Diamond????

That's right... Neil saves the day with Sweet Caroline.
Take notes guys.
And then they SANG THE PHONE BOOK!!!
Are you kidding me??


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz of sorry JLo's on stage and I fell asleep. Excellent choice of outfits. Your hips look massive! I'm done.


Hollie Cavanagh & Jordin Sparks sang. and that's 5 minutes I wish I could have back.
Add another 6-7 for the Robin Gibb tribute. Sad for the loss, but It wasn't a good tribute.


Jessica Sanchez & Jennifer Holiday? I guess I missed that Jennifer Hudson didn't originally sing that song. My bad. Beautiful wig she's got on though. Kudos hair people.
How Jessica is NOT dying of laughter watching J. Holiday perform I will NEVER understand. That was hilarious! Sounded awesome, but the faces were killing me!


Then some Aerosmith thing happened and I fell asleep again.
Jessica & Phil sang a duet and my heart broke a little because you can tell just by looking at him that Phil really is not feeling well. 

They waited until the last 30 seconds of the TWO HOUR SHOW to announce the winner. And it ran over... SHOCKER!


And the winner is... *drum roll please*
ME!
Kidding


PHILLIP PHILLIPS WINS!


But I really win too, because Philly Phil was my choice to win and now I get a free dinner. 
The. End.

American Idol Round Up - Finale Night 1

But it's TUESDAY!!! It's not American Idol night... Oh WAIT! It's finale week so we start a day earlier. Why, you ask? Because SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE starts this week!!!!!!!! yayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayaya

Can you tell I'm excited? haha

We're just gonna get right to it!

Round 1 - Simon Fuller Picks

Jessica Sanchez - I Have Nothing - Whitney Houston

I thought she sang very well, BUT for the finale I thought it would be so much MORE! I expected more from her and she disappointed.

Phillip Phillips - Stand By Me - Ben E. King

I love Phillip's style. I just love that voice, but again, I expected more from him being the FINAL performance before the winner is announced. 

*I think I agree with the judges, sadly, that Jessica won the first round.

Round 2 - Contestant Choice

Jessica Sanchez - The Prayer - Celine Dion

This was more like what I was expecting. It was big and powerful and she held it at all the right moments. She's a ballad girl, but it has to be the right ballad. She doesn't seem very diverse in that regard.

Phillip Phillips - Movin' Out - Billie Joel

Yay Phillip! This was so much better! It just goes to show you that just because the big-wig thinks you'd sing a song well doesn't mean he's right SIMON FULLER! haha kidding, but really they both did so much better on the songs they picked.

*I say Phillip took this round, the judges disagree. Steven says Jessica, Randy says it's even and JLo says Phillip. So thanks for a whole lotta nothing judges.

Round 3 - Jimmy Iovine (winner's 1st single)

Jessica Sanchez - Change Nothing - Original

The song written for Jessica was slow... SHOCKER. She's a sit on the piano and belt singer, I'm not a fan. She did however sing the song very well. Not well enough to win in my opinion. Not sure if it's her singing or the song itself. Just not a winner for me.

Phillip Phillips - Home - Original

YES, YES, YES! It was very Mumford & Sons-esque and I LOVED IT! Finally a great song written for a finalist! This song was made of all kinds of awesome. Phillip for the win! He's AMAZEBALLS! 


*Randy agreed it sounded Mumford & Son-ish. Dumb JLo thinks it's like nothing on the radio and Steven agrees on it's awesomness. Phillip wins round 3!

My prediction - PHILLIP PHILLIPS of course! Like there was ever a question! Everyone go vote for Philly Phil! And get ready to start hearing HOME on your radios SOON!

I Have Found My Wedding Photographer.

Which is really funny, because I'm not even remotely close to getting married. I'm not even remotely close to DATING anyone. haha. Regardless, I have officially found my wedding photographer. Her name is Libby Fryer, she's from the UK and she's amazeballs! No. Lie.


Here is just one little picture Libby took from my our dear friends Lisa & Steve's vow renewal ceremony. The picture that got Libby a job as my future photographer.

Photo Credit: Libby Fryer

Oh hey Lisa & Steve... Aren't you 2 just the cutest little couple ever! I am seriously sad I had to miss the ceremony! Boo, Hiss! I'll be at the next one! I think it should be every 11 years. Symbolic. 

This pic didn't really hurt either.

Photo Credit: Libby Fryer

So yay for me & yay for Libby being amazing & yay for Lisa & Steve on the renewal! Glad it was everything you guys wanted. :) 

American Idol Round Up

Dear Randy,

Why try to speak when you don't know what you're trying to say. Spit. It. Out!

Sincerely,

Your Dawg Jess

Round 1 - Judges Picks

Josh Ledet - I'd Rather Go Blind - Etta James (Picked by Randy Jackson)

I really enjoyed this! Until he got to the "Baby, Baby, Baby" part and started on that growling garbage he does. You almost had a fan in me Josh... Almost.

Jessica Sanchez - My All - Mariah Carey (Picked by Jennifer Lopez)

Either her voice is going out, or she is trying to sing to low for her range. Either way I really feel like she dropped the ball on this one.

Phillip Phillips - Beggin' - The Four Seasons (Picked by Stephen Tyler)

As always... Phil's a boss. I loved it! I cannot wait for a Phillip Phillips CD.

Round 2 - Contestant Choice

*Josh's home visit - Long & Boring... Just sayin...*

Josh Ledet - Imagine - John Lennon

I love this song, and even with the growliness I still liked Josh's version. Definitely makes up for the first song.

*Jessica's Home Visit - Like the background music. But she bored me.*

Jessica Sanchez - I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - Aerosmith

This was much better than her first song. The judges really should pick better songs!! Geeze J-lo... are you trying to cost her the competition???

*Phil's Home Visit - Loved. It. (Can you tell I'm biased?)*

Phillip Phillips - Disease - Matchbox 20

Again... I loved it. I really feel like they should just give Phil the title and be done with it! So much easier.

*Randy needs to be kicked off the panel. He makes no sense!*

Round 3 - Jimmy Iovine's Pick

Josh Ledet - No More Drama - Mary J. Blige
I love this song, and I feel that he did it justice. Didn't blow me away though. Then again, he never really has. So there's that.


Jessica Sanchez - I'll Be There - Jackson 5
Ok Jimmy gets major brownie points for picking this song! She did sing it very well. Best of her 3 performances.


Phillip Phillips - We've Got Tonight - Bob Seger
I. LOVE. THIS. SONG! Thank you Jimmy, you are my hero, and thank you Phillip for singing so brilliantly! Perfect way to end the show! Now everyone go vote for PHILLY PHIL!


My prediction:
I believe it will be Jessica Sanchez and (as much as I love him) Phil. I think Jessica will be going home. She just really dropped this week. FINAL 2 - Phil & Josh!

Night Ya'll!

Home Again, Home Again.

I don't even know where to start. Honestly.

In the past 57 hours I've been driving I've been driving (well riding, Jodi drove) for 17 hours, paid $27 in toll fees, about $80-something in gas (each of us), slept for about 8-9 hours and HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE! Words cannot describe truly how much fun was had, you just HAD to be there! So if you weren't I would seriously consider making it to the next one. Whenever that happens to be.


 Now, I guess I should rewind a little and explain a bit about what this weekend was all about. Spencer Bell was an extraordinarily talented musician, artist, lyricist and just amazing person in general, who was taken way to early by Adrenal Cancer in December 2006. You can find all about Spencer's story and more HERE. Since his passing his wonderful father Bill Bell and numerous other generous individuals have put together the Spencer Bell Legacy Concerts. A day of music, fun and new found friends all to raise money for Adrenal Cancer research through the University of Michigan ACC Research Program. If you'd like to make a donation to the program, you can do so HERE. (I hope I explained that all right) 


The majority of the SBL show's I have been to have been right here in Auburn Hills, Michigan, BUT this go round we took it back to Madison, WI. Now, I don't fully know all of the stories and details to Spencer's story but I've had the privilege of reading precious memories from Spencer's family and friends. Words cannot express how grateful I am that they share Spencer with all of us strangers! I say strangers because a lot of us never knew Spencer until AFTER his passing, but we really have become a tight-knit family. A family that keeps growing & growing the more Spencer's legacy spreads around the world. 


OK, back to this particular SBL show. We took it to the High Noon Saloon and we really rocked it out! The line-up was longer than a TSA check-in line and the party didn't stop til the wee hours of the morning! I've got very few pictures from the show. Shocker, my camera battery was "exhausted" (as am I) and my phone camera just doesn't really do the trick all the time. I'll share what I have for now.

  

 From top down we've got Jake of The Kissing Club, A Coonasaurus Rob, The world's largest Culver's, Chicago traffic, Mat Black AKA Interabang Sarcastrophy AKA Tall Drunk & Foreign, Rob Coonrod, A Foxy Shazam poster I HAD to send my sister, Beautiful Chicago, a nice tall Pepsi from the Comeback Inn and the bridge at the border of Illinois and Indiana. 


Those are mine, and here are a few from my road trip buddy Jodi.

Jodi won a sweet piggy bank to start saving for the next show!

Me & my road trip buddy Jodi at the High Noon Saloon

The Fab Foursome. Mat, Jodi, Myself & Rob.

Those are just a couple from her album. My faves. The epicness of this weekend will never truly be explained. From smiley face suckers to punctuation explanations to 12+ hour shows to random hotel room encounters. Let's just say if you aren't physically & mentally exhausted after an SBL weekend, you really haven't done it right. I cannot wait for the next one. The drive is worth it. The money spent is worth it. The memories are priceless!

Where Is My Brain These Days...

I swear to you all that I actually do stuff. 
I just forget to post about it. 
You see, with the 30 meals project I had a set little schedule, now I am just going going going one direction or the other and then I sleep.
So I am sitting in my hotel room and I thought "self, you need to take the time or your blog will disappear just like all the others have."
That is a situation.


So I want to fill you in on my weekend plans. Some have yet to happen, but if I don't do it now I will forget later!


Yesterday me & my girl Jodi drove from Michigan to Madison, WI for the Spencer Bell Legacy Show (Follow that link to learn more about Spencer Bell.) 
We drove through Chicago, which was a nightmare!
As soon as we got to the city it was bumper to bumper traffic.

Got this sweet shot while we were sitting in traffic.

Then we got to Madison and went bowling. No pics from the alley, because I suck.

But we made a spur of the moment decision to drive over to Milwaukee to see these 2 knuckleheads. 

Jake Miller

  Rob Coonrod

They are the bomb-dot-com.

Now I'm off to lunch with Jodi, then on to the show! 

I will fill you in on all the fun later!

Glorious Day 30 - Gwen Space, Bill Space & Bill Korthas

It's glorious DAY 30!!! Can you believe it's over???

First of all, I want to thank you all for enjoying this wild ride with me. 30 meals for 30 families in 30 days turned into so much more than just me learning how to cook. I sit hear crying as I type this all out, but I mean every word. I learned so much more than how to make a great meal, more than budgeting my money. I learned about the greatest group of people anyone could ever have the privilege of knowing. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I only hope that everyone out there can have as great of a church family (Yep, FAMILY) as I do. Thank you to all of the families that let me come in and cook, THANK YOU to all of my sponsors, every single person who donated had a hand in this project, without you guys I wouldn't have been able to do this! And a very VERY special thank you to Juanita Willard for making ALL of the delicious desserts. I was blown away by your kindness. I seriously cannot thank you all enough for the support you have given me throughout this project. I try, but there really are no words.

Now, onto my final meal. Tonight was fun and full of surprises! I cooked for Gwen & Bill Space, Bob Korthas, Chuck, Bobbi & Makenzie Adams AND Connor Donohue. 
Way to go out with a bang right??? 

I know what you're thinking right now. Where's Bobbi & Chuck??? Chuck had to go pick up Maddi, their other daughter, from work and Bobbi said "No way, Jose" to the picture. :) She helped cook so I gave her a "Get Out Of The Picture Free" card.

We had the most delicious Old World Manicotti ever to grace the earth. For. Reals. Surprise numero uno. Most of the meal was prepped and put together when I got there. (Thoughtful of them right?) I had to put the finishing touches on it, so TECHNICALLY I helped cook it. :) 

So lets total this up. I officially cooked 32 meals for 35 families in 30 days. 
But I actually cooked 34 dishes. I cooked 2 separate pastas and a soup for "Young Adults" dinner. Yep... I'm that awesome!


OK... Final meal, you gotta try it!

Old World Manicotti

Ingredients:

12 large manicotti shells

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese

6 tbsp chopped fresh basil or 2 tbsp dried basil

1 26-oz jar spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Ramano cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cool water. Let pasta dry on paper towels.

For filling, in medium bowl, stir together 3 cups mozzarella with the ricotta and fresh basil. Using a teaspoon, carefully stuff pasta shells with prepared cheese mixture.

spoon 2 cups of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed shells over sauce. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over top of pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Bake manicotti for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan; bake for additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Day 28 - Piper & The Clan

My mom is pretty sweet, and she set up a dinner with my old babysitter Piper and her family. I've known them forever, but it's been so long since I've seen them. This was the coolest thing ever! Thanks mom!

Piper is in the purple, her arm is around her son Andrew and behind him is Jason. Going the other way you have Piper's mom Chris, son Jamie and dad Keith. Buddy the dog is in front. They were loads of fun to have dinner with! It was great to sit around and  just catch up with some of the coolest people on the planet.

I Kinda cheated and I'm re-doing a meal because it was so good! But don't you worry, because of the extra special meal I made with Maddi on Day 11 I still met my goal of 30 meals for 30 families in 30 days! Boo-ya Kasha!

I re-did the Jessie-Famous Johnny Carino's Bowtie Festival. Yum:

Johnny Carino's Bowtie Festival

Ingredients: 

For Alfredo sauce:

1 quart heavy whipping cream

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp black pepper

1/4 cup milk

For bowtie Festival:

1 oz melted butter

1 tsp chopped fresh garlic

1/8 cup diced red onion

1/8 cup diced cooked bacon

1/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes

3 oz. sliced cooked chicken

1 oz heavy (whipping) cream

1/8 cup Asiago cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

10 oz precooked bowtie pasta

Method:

For Alfredo sauce:   

Saute heavy cream , milk and black pepper to a consistent boil. Remove cream mixture from heat and fold in Parmesan cheese. Store completed sauce in refrigerator until use.

For bowtie festival:

In a  heated saute pan combine butter, garlic, onions, bacon, tomatoes, chicken and spice mixture.

When onions begin to turn translucent, add heavy cream and Asiago cheese.

Once cheese and cream have reduced by 1/2, add in Alfredo sauce and bowtie pasta. Toss until well combined and remove from stove. Allow to cool for a few minutes so the cheese and sauce thicken.

Day 26 - Young Adults Dinner

I'm not sure why, but I like cooking for large groups. Case-in-point, our young adults dinner!

That's right... I cooked for a group of 10 last night. Should have been 13, but a few didn't show. This was BY FAR my favorite night of this whole project. Not even because of the meal. I just had such a good time hanging out with my fellow "Young Adults" at our "Adult Happening" haha. Thank you Funny Bones!

Oh yea, speaking of, Funny Bones is this way cool game. Perfect for our little group. What you have to do is, lay all the cards face down on the floor. Pick a partner (someone close in height is a good choice, boy or girl doesn't make a difference). Then in rotation one person on each team picks up a card and it will say a variety of different things. For example, "nose bone connected to the shoulder bone". What you have to do now is hold the card between your nose & your partners shoulder. Crazy right?? Then the next team goes, does the same thing and so on. When it gets back to you, you & your partner have to stay connected and bend down to pick up another card. It's kinda like twister, only instead of putting hands and feet on colors, you put body part on body part. Each card is worth a certain amount of points and if you drop 2 the round is over. Kayla & Amy won.

Here is a funny ad for the game, basically looks like us last night!

THEN, we played a game called Qwelf.

Here's an overview of the game and what each card means:

Quelf is the unpredictable party game that gives Random a new name!

Whether you're answering hilarious trivia, performing ridiculous stunts, or obeying silly rules, Quelf will inspire you to use your creativity, wit and sense of humor in ways you've never imagined.

As you move around the game board, as one of eight quirky characters, crazy things start to happen. Your friends start talking strangely. Your mom's face is wrapped in toilet paper. Your dad is acting like Dracula. And you are reciting a poem about your armpits.

Cards: 

Stuntz - balancing acts, costume creations, daredevil moves, weird contraptions

Showbiz - mime, sing, tapdance, draw, do impressions, write poetry

Quizzle - mind-twisting trivia, nutty riddles, brain teasers

Rulez - rules you must follow: snort like a pig when you laugh, say everything twice, roll the dice with your elbows

Scatterbrainz - choose one of two topics and everyone gives answers until no one can think of a valid one ("Ways to get your leg out of a spring-loaded, steel bear trap" or "Brands of Lipstick")

Seriously!! Another perfect game for our crazy group. I won't even explain any further, there are videos, I will show you when I get them from Sam.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM... Try me!

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate (I used a 14.5 oz box of Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne Rigate)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally (I used some leftover cooked chicken)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
6 cups whole milk
10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced (I used 8 oz of button mushrooms)
1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces) (I used an italian blend that had provolone in it)
1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.

While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.  While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes).  Use a little extra olive oil if needed.(Since I used left over chicken, I just cooked the mushrooms in the olive oil)

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot , melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer.  Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie.  If cooking, sprinkle on top.

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:

To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool.  Cover pan well with plastic wrap.  Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake, preheat oven to 400.  Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside.  Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese.  Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes (I only did 10 minutes)  or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

Queso Chicken Pasta   

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

8 ounces penne pasta
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/3 cup milk, 2% or higher
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cream cheese
6 ounces colby-jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup drained Ro*Tel tomatoes
2 cups cooked shredded chicken

Method:

Heat the oven to 350 F and spray a medium casserole dish with non-stick spray.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, but reduce the cooking time by two minutes.

In a medium pot heat the oil over medium heat.  Once it begins to shimmer add the onion, garlic and peppers.  Cook until they begin to soften, about three minutes.  Add the cumin, coriander and salt and cook for an additional two minutes, or until the spices become fragrant.

Add the flour and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly, until all the flour is moist.  Gradually whisk in the milk and stir until smooth.  Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow to thicken.

Turn off the heat and add the cream cheese and 4 ounces of the shredded cheese and whisk until melted.  Stir in the Ro*Tel tomatoes.

Pour the pasta into the prepared casserole dish, stir in the shredded chicken and sauce.   Top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until the pasta is bubbly and the cheese has melted.  Let stand five minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

American Idol: Performance Night

I'm going to open today's post with a letter to Steven & a letter to Phil. 

Dear Steven Tyler, 

the grey chunk of hair you have up front there... LOOKS STUPID! Please do everyone a solid and dye it or shave it off. Your choice, just get rid of it!

Sincerely, The Whole Wide World.

Dear Philly Phil,

I found out you have a girlfriend tonight. I'm officially devastated.

How. Dare. You.

Sincerely, Heartbroken in White Lake

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the performances shall we??

60's Jams

Hollie Cavanagh - River Deep, Mountain High -Ike & Tina Turner

Umm welcome to American Idol Hollie, glad you could finally join us! Seriously? Where have you been hiding all of that this whole dang show? Her first song of the evening was amazeballs. Just. Sayin'.

Phillip Phillips - The Letter - The Box Tops

I love you Phil. I love how every week you come in here and totally change a song to make it "Philly Phil Style", you just make them so different and new. Love it!

Skylar Laine - Fortunate Son - Credence Clearwater Revival

I HATED the song choice, but she sang the crap out of it! She performed her little butt off & I gotta give her credit for that.

Jessica Sanchez - Proud Mary - Tina Turner

Brace yourself... I'm going to defend Jessica in 3... 2... 1... She is SO much better than that song! I usually don't like her, but I really felt bad tonight! Again, song choice is key people! And Jessica dear, please don't try to dance again. Please.

Josh Ledet - Ain't To Proud To Beg - The Temptations

Josh to me, just looked bored the whole performance! I mean, I'm normally pretty hard on him, but if you aren't gonna put you're heart into it why be there????

Phillip Phillips & Josh Ledet - You've Lost The Loving Feeling - Righteous Brothers

Oh someone please stab my eardrums with a pencil!! Are you nuts AI??? That was the world's worst pairing ever! Ugh, way to bring them down when it counts the most! 

British Pop Tunes

Hollie Cavanagh - Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis

Waah Waah... This song was really not the ending she needed. Her first song was so much better. Bad song choice Hollie, you're better than that. That last big note was killer though.

Phillip Phillips - Time of the Season - The Zombies

I don't know if I like that you sang the original melody. I just really don't know. You're very sexual though... Just thought you might like to refer back to the above letter. You have a GIRLFRIEND. I know I'm hot & all... but you're committed... Sheesh. And the high notes just didn't happen for you. Stop it, right this instance!

Skylar Laine - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - Dusty Springfield
Even just the rehearsal was amazing! That one long note hooked me. And she didn't disappoint in her live performance either! Much better song choice, much better performance! Great job Skylar!


Jessica Sanchez - You Are So Beautiful - Billy Preston
One word: BREATHTAKING. I think she finally remembered that this is a singing competition. (Man what is the deal tonight! I actually LIKED J. Sanchez!) This song was beautiful! That is the voice we know & love from her! I'm going there... She get's a Bomb-Diggity-Bomb-Dot-Com for that performance!


Josh Ledet - To Love Somebody - The Bee Gees

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz... Oh sorry Josh put me to sleep. We can attribute that to the fact that his song was slow & boring or it was just so smooth & melodic. I'll let you decide.  And what's with the front of his hair? Are you going for a little frohawk? I don't get it, please stop.

Skylar Laine, Hollie Cavanagh & Jessica Sanchez - Higher & Higher - Jackie Wilson

The girls trio was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than the stupid boys duet! They just mix together so much better! I think the producers are biased towards the girls this season. A girl hasn't won in 5 years for a reason! Don't sabotage the boys!

Well folks, there you have it. Performance reviews from yours truly. ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. Yea that's right, I'm on time & stuff. Oh snizap. You just got served. Goodnight.

My prediction for tomorrow:

Bottom 3 is Josh Ledet, Hollie Cavanagh & Jessica Sanchez.

I think Hollie is gonna go home this week. (and that makes me sad.)

California Trip - DISNEYLAND!!!!!

Happiest. Place. On. Earth!

Oh yea baby! Disneyland is the bomb-diggity-bomb-dot-com! I would live there if I could. Applied for a job once, I guess I didn't meet the "Happiness Quota" that makes me super sad.

I love Disneyland's "It's A Small World" Ride because they have a bunch of Disney characters mixed in with all of the other dolls. Super cool!

Ummmm Hi... A Michael Jackson MOVIE. AT. DISNEYLAND????? Have I died & gone to heaven??? I do believe so! Someone bring the panels, this chicks about to code!

First MJ, Now Alice!!! You have GOT to be kidding me! Happiest place on earth, fo sho.

I'm hoping to get a disc from Sam with all of the good Disney pictures (because you KNOW we posed with the characters!) When I get them, I will update!