Editors and agents that made up Wenesday's Speed Shrinking party panelists.
By Lavanya Sunkara
The best way to attain what you seek is to make the effort and take that first step. At last night’s Speed Shrinking for Love party at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, organized by bestselling author and journalism professor Susan Shapiro, New Yorkers of all ages and walks of life flocked to find what they were in search of, whether it was love, a book deal, or psychoanalysis.
Enthusiastic participants lined up for their speed meeting – think speed dating, but with literary agents and relationship experts. The jam packed space buzzed with curious newcomers, mingling friends, therapists dolling out advice three minutes at a time, and literary gurus advising writers on pitches. Free wine and Valentine’s Day chocolate cupcakes were plentiful.
But Speed Shrinking isn’t just a witty name for a networking event. It is also the title of Shapiro’s debut novel about a self-help author who sees eight therapists in eight days to deal with her cupcake addiction after her best friend, as well as her shrink, suddenly move away. What started out as a one-time party idea to promote her book, Speed Shrinking has become a social phenomenon, entertaining a series of television appearances and parties on both coasts. Last night’s event was Shapiro’s 10th party, and she said a producer is interested in turning it into a reality show.
Steve Harvey and Mary Harvey. Photo: Dean Kirkland / PR Photos
Steve Harvey was recently forced to ask a judge to temporarily lift a gag order from his 2005 divorce after rumors his ex-wife, Mary Harvey, were spreading got out of control, according to UsMagazine.com. The former Mrs. Steve Harvey claimed that the comic cheated on her with his current wife, Marjorie Bridges, and left her both homeless and penniless. Her accusations could not be further from the truth. As stated in court documents, Mary Harvey received $40,000 a month from 2005-2009. She was also awarded three houses and the reason for the divorce were on the grounds of irreconcilable differences.
Are Prince Harry and his ex-girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, back together? The former couple was spotted together in London on Saturday night in a private members club. According to People, the couple was seen at 4 a.m. climbing “into the trunk of a Jaguar to make a discreet getaway.” So, what do you guys think? Are they really back together or is this just a fling for now so that Prince Harry will have a date for his brother’s wedding?
Who should you bring to a family member’s wedding?
Eduardo Cruz and Eva Longoria. Photo: Gangster#1/Silvano/Flynetpictures.com
Just one week after finalizing her divorce with Tony Parker, Eva Longoria finally went public with her new boyfriend, Eduardo Cruz. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Longoria’s new flame is none other than actress Penelope Cruz’s younger brother. According to RadarOnline, the couple were were first spotted together in October at her restaurant, Beso, followed by a few other encounters in December and January. While it was clear that those encounters were meant to be a secret, the pair seemed open on Saturday while sailing on a luxury yacht in Miami.
Should you keep your new relationship under wraps?
Love the one you are with. Photo: Kurhan / Bigstock.com
By Sherry Richert Belul, founder of Simply Celebrate
Whether you’re madly in love, still looking for love, or are in a snit with the one you love, these 14 tips below are surefire ways to jump start more luvin’ feelings in your life, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Just choose one of these suggestions and try it out – on your spouse, your beau, yourself, or a friend. Or for those who crave a larger dose of feelin’ good, try one a day for the next 14 days!
— Make a Love List full of silly, sweet, funny, poignant reasons why you love someone. When you’re mad or disappointed, read this list! When you’re happy and in love, add to this list. If you’re sad or lonely, make a Love List for yourself, a relative, or a friend.
— Share the things on your Love List with the person for whom you wrote ‘em. Mail ‘em in a card. Send one text message every hour. Write them on notes and hide them in their shoes or coat pockets. Make a poster. Leave voice messages on their phone.
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries. Photo: Brian Flannery/FlynetPictures.com
Despite the sex appeal caused by Kim Kardashian’s enticing Super Bowl Sketchers commercial, her boyfriend Kris Humphries was not at all envious. According to Digital Spy, Kardashian says Humphries is “not a jealous person at all.” The commercial, which aired during the fourth quarter Sunday, showed Kardashian moving provocatively with a shirtless, male trainer.
Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber. Photo: Andrew Evans / PR Photos
Photographic evidence of rumored couple Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez has officially been captured, according toUsMagazine.com. While the rest of the country tuned in to Super Bowl XLV, Gomez and Bieber kept a low profile in Santa Monica, California. The rumored duo were hanging out by the pier when a paparazzo snapped a photo of them holding hands. According to sources, the pair “giggled” at being caught on film. While the two have been trying to keep their relationship under wraps, photographs of them getting close on a yacht in the Caribbean were taken on New Year’s.
When should you come clean about a long-rumored romance?
Online dating tips. Photo: dolgachov / Bigstock.com
By Julie Spira, online dating expert and the bestselling author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating
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February may be the shortest month of the year, but for those anticipating Valentine’s Day, it’s critical to ramp up your online dating search. There’s no quicker way to find a date on the Internet than by starting with a cyber face-lift of your existing dating profile.
With more than 116 million members worldwide viewing online dating sites, the odds are in your favor that you’ll be able to snag a date by Valentine’s Day with these tips:
Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal. Photos: Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos; Glenn Harris / PR Photos
Taylor Swift’s breakup with actor Jake Gyllenhaal has not had any lasting effects on the country crooner, reports UsMagazine.com. Swift is heading out on a worldwide tour for her new album Speak Now and is excited for the opportunity. “I can’t wait!” revealed Swift on a Nashville radio station. “Getting back on the road is something I have been looking forward to for a really long time.” Gyllenhaal, 30, broke up with Swift, 21, last month. Since the breakup, the two have briefly reunited for a dinner at Nashville restaurant Bound’ry. Though Swift was “thrown” by the date, Gyllenhaal wished “to see if there was anything still between them, if they could recapture the magic,” revealed a source. “Sadly, it wasn’t there.”
What are ways to distract yourself from heartbreak?
Tony Romo and Candice Crawford. Photo: Mark Wilkins/FameFlynet Pictures
Tony Romo has a lot to be thankful for this Super Bowl season, and a lot of it revolves around his fiancée, Candice Crawford. The duo have been pre-celebrating the game throughout the week, and they’ve even made it a family affair. According to a source, Romo and Candice’s brother, Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford, are already friends. Chace has been joining his happy bride-to-be sister and future brother-in-law for pre-Super Bowl festivities as well, reportsPeople. Even Candice’s parents joined in on the fun at an exclusive dinner party hosted by Audi in Dallas. An observer said, “Tony and Candice have been at party after party together, and they are always snuggling or laughing with each other or with friends.”
How do you incorporate your family into your relationship?
Man proposing to his girlfriend. Photo: dolgachov / Bigstock.com
Regardless of whether we’re receiving it or making it, most of us would want to have one perfect proposal in our lifetime. As a significant moment in any person’s life, the proposal should be memorable for both parties involved – a memory the two of you can treasure years after you’ve been married.
But according to Men’s Health and TheKnot.com, one in four brides were unhappy with their wedding proposal. The men’s magazine and online wedding planning resource partnered together to ask more than 3,000 men and women about what couples are thinking during one of life’s most talked-about moments – just in time for Valentine’s Day. With more than half a million men planning to “pop the question” this season, the results of their fourth annual proposal and engagement survey is a source for men and women to learn about wedding proposal do’s and don’ts. So before you plan your proposal to that special someone, take a look at what this survey had to say:
Childhood friends Emma Twist (Rachel Bilson, New York I Love You) and Will Donner (Tom Surridge, Like Minds) may have drifted apart as they grew up, but they always kept a special place for each other in their hearts. When Emma returns to her hometown to be by her ailing father’s side, she reunites with Will once again. Confused and distressed about her failing career and rocky love life, can Will remind Emma that what they had growing up was more than best friend material? Waiting for Forever tells the unique love story of two best friends separated by life and brought back together for a second chance.
When is it okay to go from being just friends to something more?
Gabriel Aubry and Halle Berry. Photo: Bob Charlotte / PR Photos
Although Gabriel Aubry and Kim Kardashian’s recent romance fizzled soon after it began, People reports that Halle Berry was not happy to see her ex out with a reality TV star. Aubry, 35, and Kardashian, 30, took in a Lakers game and a movie in late November before calling it quits. Halle Berry, 44, who split with the French Canadian model last year, was angry about the relationship because of her daughter, according to a source close to the actress. “Halle was very upset… She just didn’t want Nahla exposed to the cameras that are undoubtedly around a reality star.” But Aubry had no intention of bringing someone new into his daughter’s life right away. “Gabriel wanted to make sure he dated someone for six months before he introduced them to his daughter,” says the source.
How soon should you bring a new partner into your child’s life?
Despite what you may have heard, Jennifer Aniston is not having pups of any kind! Since Aniston’s rep issuing a denial statement to People had little to no effect on the rumors, the 41-year-old actress decided to shoot them down herself during a taping for Thursday’s The Ellen DeGeneres Show. When DeGeneres asked if she was adopting another dog, Aniston jokingly replied, “I think you’re confusing that with the Mexican child I’m supposedly adopting.” When the laughter died down, she reassuringly answered, “No, I’m not adopting any children” and added, “And no doggies right now.”
What are ways to keep family and friends from pressuring you to have a child?
Sarah Lancaster. Photo: Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos
Actress Sarah Lancaster is married and pregnant, reports People. Lancaster, who stars on NBC’s Chuck, married her boyfriend of two years, attorney Matthew Jacobs, in a ceremony in Southern California on Saturday. “It’s a really happy time in our lives,” said the newlyweds. “We are thrilled to be starting a family and our wedding weekend was simply perfect.” The nuptials were small, but included several heartfelt touches that made the ceremony unique. Lancaster wore her mother’s pearl earrings and her grandmother’s gold mesh bracelet, a wedding gift from her parents.
What are personal wedding touches you can incorporate?
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon. Photo: ER/Flynetpictures.com
Ever since Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon confirmed their pregnancy last year, everyone has been wondering about the sex of their twin babies. It’s both a boy and a girl, a close source to the pair told UsMagazine.com. The couple has been cautious about revealing too many details, as they struggled to conceive after a miscarriage in 2008. But when President Obama asked them about the pregnancy, they couldn’t resist and broke the news about having twins. The source said, “Those kids will have everything. Mariah and Nick are ecstatic.”
Nick and Vanessa Lachey. Photo: BOZFF/FameFlynet Pictures
After getting engaged, most couples practically race down the aisle like there’s a finish line at the end. That’s not the case for soon-to-be married couple Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey. Minnillo, 30, and Lachey, 36, are savoring their engagement. According to People, the two were engaged in November and have been enjoying it ever since. “We’re enjoying being engaged,” Minnillo says. “Everyone rushes to the next step and I like this step. I’m in love and we’re happy, so when it comes and it happens organically I will welcome it with open arms.”
Miranda Cosgrove learned a hard lesson recently, heartbreaks can hit at any age. The 17-year-old iCarly actress revealed that she and an ex-boyfriend recently called it quits after three years, according to an interview with Seventeen. “I’ve only had one serious boyfriend, but we dated for three years. He’s the one guy I really, really liked,” she said. Cosgrove added that despite the fact that she and her ex don’t talk much anymore, she feels he was the one who got away from her.
How long should you fight for a relationship to work?
Ashley Greene and Joe Jonas. Photos: PRN / PR Photos; Andrew Evans / PR Photos
Hot new Hollywood couple, Joe Jonas and Ashley Greene were spotted on their late night date at a Hibachi restaurant in Baton Rouge. According to People, managers at the restaurant they were dining at, Ichiban, said, “They were really friendly, they just walked in, sat down, and the word started going around that they were here.” The source also said that the duo didn’t ask for a private table or special treatment. They also consented to posing for pictures and signing autographs after their meal.
With the Superbowl right around the corner, people all over the country are wearing their lucky jerseys and making their usual party arrangements, while others are looking up rare diseases to use as their newest excuse not to attend. To those in the second category, the thought of a room full of crazy fans screaming about things they don’t understand is a living nightmare. They see the words “touchdown,” “goal,” and “strike” as nothing more than signs to immediately excuse themselves from a conversation. If you’re one of these people who consider “sports talk” another language all together and are desperate for a translator, we found the expert. Melissa Malamut’s book, She’s Got Game: The Woman’s Guide to Loving Sports (or Just How to Fake It!), guides you through the rules, slang, history and even appropriate apparel for sports events in a way that’s fun and easy to understand. Malamut was kind enough take some time out of her vacation to talk to us about her book via email. See what the accomplished author had to say:
Dianna Agron and Alex Pettyfer. Photo: Paul J. Froggatt/FAMEFLYNET
I Am Number Four actor Alex Pettyfer revealed a few details about his relationship with Glee star Dianna Agron on The Ellen Degeneres Show on Friday, reports UsMagazine.com. “She’s an amazing woman and she’s got this old school, classic movie star elegance to her..she’s a very nice girl,” said Pettyfer. Degeneres playfully dug for more details as the actor sipped from his coffee cup, eventually eliciting the response, “I’m just very happy in my personal life.”
How do you know if your relationship is on the right track?
Advice for life goals. Photo: pressmaster / Bigstock.com
Statistics show that many people are getting married later in life, and many are questioning whether they want to get married at all.
If you’re a twenty or thirty-something who has put your climb up the corporate ladder (in Louboutin heels, of course) or achieving your personal dreams, ahead of the traditional 3-step plan–get married, get pregnant, and live happily ever after (or get divorced), you will see married couples with kids or newlyweds with babies on the way, everywhere you look.
And, if you’re anything like me–an unmarried thirty-something who loves her career, lives with her boyfriend, and whose biological clock only ticks to adopt a dog right now, then you understand the questions it raises when surrounded by those who have made starting and raising a family their business of choice.
I’ve worked through this biological paradox and have helped hundreds of my clients do the same. Here are my top four suggestions:
Justin Mikita and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Photo: Andrew Evans / PR Photos
Modern Family cutie, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, made his first public appearance with new boyfriend, 35-year-old lawyer, Justin Mikita on Thursday night at the ELLE Women in TV event in Hollywood. According to Access Hollywood, although Ferguson has yet to make an official comment about his budding romance, he did announce his date via Twitter, saying “So @justinmikita and I are at the Elle Women in TV party,” and then adding a picture of two nameplates that read “Jesse Tyler Ferguson” and “Guest of Jesse Tyler Ferguson.”
How do you know when to go public with your relationship?
Luisana Lopilato and Michael Buble. Photo: Robin Wong / PR Photos
Singing sensation Michael Bublé may have found his dream home. According to The Sun, Bublé announced he plans to live in Surrey, England, with his bride-to-be Luisana Lopilato. The couple will wed in April, and Bublé says he wants his £3 million, or $4.5 million Purley estate to be “a proper home,” according to Digital Spy. A source elaborated, saying, “Michael’s bought a really smart house. He’s getting married this year to Argentine actress Luisana Lopilato and hopes to spend six months a year here. He wants it to be a proper home.”
What constitutes a ‘proper home’ for you and your partner?
