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.
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.
Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. Photo: Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos
It looks like Zac Efron is finally over Vanessa Hudgens, despite a brief rumored reconciliation. People reports that Efron, 23, accompanied actress Teresa Palmer, 24, to a screening of her movie Take Me Home Tonight. The twosome then continued their night out at Voyeur nightclub in West Hollywood where, “Zac chatted with Teresa for awhile,” says a source. “She leaned in close so she could hear over the music [while Zac was] smiling and slightly flirting with her.” Efron and Hudgens, 22, ended their four-year relationship in December.
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:
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?
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.”
Diane Kruger has learned her lesson when it comes to marriage: it isn’t for everybody. The German actress, who was married to French actor and director Guillaume Canet for five years, told Glamour that once is enough for her. “Without sounding pessimistic, I learned that I don’t believe in marriage. I believe in a commitment that you make in your heart. There’s no paper that will make you stay.” The Huffington Post reports that while Kruger may not want to walk down the aisle, she is looking forward to having kids one day with TV star and long-time boyfriend Joshua Jackson.
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:
Juliana Ramos and Chris Medina. Photo: Chicago Sun-Times
How much would you sacrifice if your partner got ill? The millions of people watching American Idol Wednesday night had to consider that question after watching Chris Medina’s touching story. People reports that when 26-year-old Medina auditioned for the judges in Milwaukee, he told the story of how he and the love of his life, Juliana, dated for six years and got engaged. Then two months before the wedding, everything changed when Juliana got in an accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury. “I was about to make vows just two months from the accident — through thick and thin, ’til death do us part, for better or worse,” he said. “What kind of guy would I be if I walked out when she needed me the most?”
Should you sacrifice aspects of your life for your partner’s illness?
Alex Beh and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Photo: Bob Charlotte / PR Photos
Jennifer Love Hewitt is making it really easy for her boyfriend to propose by picking out three engagement rings for him to choose from. The 31-year-old actress has been dating Chicago actor and director Alex Beh for seven months, and things must be going well for the couple. Hewitt told Ellen Degeneres that she found the rings at Tiffany’s, according to People. “I feel like I’m doing the guy a favor. I don’t want to be upset if he picks a bad ring, so I feel like having three picked out and saying, ‘Look! Look at this plethora of things you can choose from!'”
What are ways to make sure your groom-to-be picks out the right ring?
George Clooney and Elisabetta Canalis. Photo: Janet Mayer / PR Photos
Will reporters ever stop asking George Clooney if he’s getting married? Probably not, and according to People, Piers Morgan had a shot at asking last week when Clooney appeared on his CNN show, Piers Morgan Tonight. “I hate to blow your whole news story, but I was married,” Clooney told Morgan. Nick Clooney, George’s father, appeared on the show with his son and used his own 51-year marriage to George’s mom Nina as an example of why he should reconsider. However, George, who was wed to actress Talia Balsam from 1989 to 1993, believes once is enough. He added, “I’ve proven how good I was at it, and I just. … I’m allowed one.”
After divorce, should you give marriage another shot?
Jesse James and Kat Von D. Photo: Emiley Schweich / PR Photos
It’s wedding bells for one of the most controversial couples in Hollywood: Jesse James and Kat Von D have announced their engagement. James and now ex-wife Sandra Bullock split in June after news of his multiple affairs surfaced. The motorcycle mogul, who began dating Kat Von D shortly after the divorce, professed his love for his fiancee to People. “You know sometimes the public and press gets it wrong. This is one of those times. 2010 was actually the best year of my life because I fell in love with my best friend. An amazing woman who stood behind me when the world turned their backs.”
Jersey Shore star Jenni “JWOWW” Farley is catching some heat in response to her new relationship advice book called, The Rules According To JWOWW, according to RadarOnline. Her ex-boyfriend, Tom Lippolis, is anything but supportive of her newest endeavor, as he calls her book “laughable.” “How could she write a book about dating when she’s done nothing but cheat on her boyfriend on national television?” Lippolis asks. Although Lippolis and JWOWW were the only couple to last through more than one season, that ended during season 3 of the hit reality show when Lippolis saw a picture of his girlfriend kissing tattooed trucker, Roger Williams. “If her dating book is about infidelity, disrespect, and/or lack of self-respect in a relationship then I think it will do well, definitely her expertise!” says Lippolis.
Who should you trust to give you reliable relationship advice?
Melissa Etheridge and Tammy Lynn Michaels. Photo: Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos
After a nasty split from wife Tammy Lynn Michaels last year, Melissa Etheridge has entered the dating world again – with her best friend. Etheridge began dating Nurse Jackie creator Linda Wallem three months after the breakup. A friend of the couple tells People, “Melissa and Linda have been best friends for over 10 years,” adding that Linda was “best man” at Melissa’s wedding to Tammy in 2003. The new couple, who share the same birthday and turn 50 in May, “are in a committed relationship. They’re happy,” says the pal.
Should you risk losing a friendship by taking it to the next level?
After they were spotted sitting together courtside at a Knicks-Spurs game, rumors about actress Chloe Sevigny and Jersey Shore’s Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio were an item. When asked by Interview magazine about the possibility of dating Pauly D, the Big Love star called the idea “hilarious,” reports People. Sevigny added, “That would be the weirdest couple in the world. It would be like the apocalypse. We represent extremes, in opposite directions. So for us two to come together, it would be a very strange meeting of the minds or colliding of two worlds.”
Congratulations to first-time father Owen Wilson and his girlfriend, Jade Duell! The couple welcomed a son in Hawaii on Friday, according to UsMagazine.com. Wilson has stayed quiet about his girlfriend’s pregnancy, but a source says that he was looking forward to becoming a father. “He’s super into it and asks a lot of questions to make sure he knows what’s going on every step of the way,” the source said. Although the actor has yet to pop the question, he does believe that Duell is “The One.”
Keira Knightley and Rupert Friend. Photo: PR Photos
An off-screen romance that bloomed during the filming of Pride & Prejudice has fizzled out. According to People, Keira Knightley and Rupert Friend broke up under the radar months ago due to distance and career factors. Knightley’s father, Will Knightley, said, “They were together for quite a long time, and it is always hard breaking up. She’s focused on her work.” Here’s hoping a few films and some new co-stars will help heal Knightley’s broken heart!
How do you know when you should pick your career over love, or vice versa?
Sammi 'Sweetheart' Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro. Photo: FPA/FameFlynet Pictures
It’s official! Jersey Shore couple Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro have split up, according to Entertainment Tonight. After dating on-and-off for three seasons of the hit reality show, the pair have ended their relationship for good. The pair first connected on the first season of Jersey Shore, which was then followed by a second season picturing Ortiz-Magro in questionable scenes with other women. That said, Giancola told People that her on-again-off-again boyfriend is “an all-around good guy” despite their tumultuous relationship.
Benjamin Millepied and Natalie Portman. Photo: GG/FameFlynet Pictures
While Natalie Portman still hasn’t publicly spoken about her new fiance (and new baby bump), People reports that she recently opened up about what she wants in a partner in the new issue of InStyle. “I look for all the same things I would in a friend… Obviously, you need the sexual attraction, too, so it’s like your best friend who you are also really attracted to.” Portman is engaged to French choreographer and actor Benjamin Millepied, who she met on the set of her new movie Black Swan. The two are expecting their first child later this year.
How important is it to be best friends with your partner?
Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. Photo: ER/Flynetpictures.com
Can separation actually bring people closer together? It looks like that may be the case for ex-celebrity couple Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. According to People, the pair were “constantly touching and kissing each other” at Friday evening’s SHG’S Eden Hollywood opening. Efron and Hudgens announced their split in December, but appeared to be more than friends on the dance floor. “Vanessa was bopping around with her arms up while Zac had his hands all over her,” the source says. “Vanessa had a smile on from ear to ear and the two were inseparable after that.”
How can you hang out with an ex after a public breakup?
Roberto Martinez and Ali Fedotowsky. Photo: Glenn Harris / PR Photos
When it comes to Ali Fedotowsky and Roberto Martinez’s relationship, what Bachelorette host Chris Harrison loves the most, “is that they’re living their lives.” According to People, Fedotowsky recently began a gig as a correspondent for the local Fox station in San Diego. Her groom-to-be has opened a new office for his insurance business as well. Friend and former Bachelorette bachelor Kiptyn Locke suggested, “It’s important to be away for a while and get to know each other so then when you go do those things, it’s all real.” With things going so well, it doesn’t seem that a 2011 wedding will surprise anyone.
What should you know about your partner before getting married?
Prince William and Kate Middleton. Photo: Landmark / PR Photos
This weekend, Kate Middleton got to know her future royal family a little better at the wedding of a close friend of her fiance, Prince William. People reports that Middleton and Prince William joined Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice and Middleton’s future in-laws at the wedding of Harry Aubrey-Fletcher to the Honorable Sarah Louise Stourton on Saturday. Kate Middleton, who turned 29 on Sunday, will get married to Prince William on April 29 at Westminster Abbey.
While promoting her new movie, Blue Valentine, Michelle Williams had what she calls a “devastating” experience with Nightline. E! Online reported last week that Williams didn’t like how Nightline producers edited the interview to focus almost entirely on Heath Ledger’s death. “They used those few quotes, and the way they edited the piece to sell the interview, it appeared as if I were breaking some kind of silence and sitting down with the express purpose to discuss something that is very private to me,” says Williams, who still finds talking about her former partner’s death a “struggle.”
How can you avoid unnecessary questions about a lover who’s no longer in your life?