Ear Candy - chicBuds Review and Giveaway

As a music lover, I am always listening to my iPod or songs from my iTunes on my laptop. I've always used run-of-the-mill earphones while doing so but have longed for something better.

When I came across chicBuds, my heart skipped a beat. Classy, fun, girly earphones with bling? Earphones with retractable wires? SOLD!

Thanks to the great ladies at chicBuds, I was able to try out the Black chicBuds Earphones in Marshmallow "flavor." (They're also available in blueberry.) With genuine Swarovski crystals, retractable connectors, and a mini belt clip, chicBuds are a girly-girl's dream come true.



The retractable connectors are easy to use and eliminate the tangled mess that can happen with other earphones. Click here to see how the retractable system works.

And they sound as good as they look! My music comes through crisp and clear without any distortion. I refuse to listen with any other earphones than my chicBuds from here on out!

chicBuds was founded by my beautiful friend and former model Kailynn, better known as "Chic Geek CEO," who is the Queen of all things girly so it's no surprise to me that chicBud products have become such a hit.

But don't take my word for how great they are. Thanks to chicBuds, I have a black pair of earphones in Marshmallow (retail value $40) just like mine to give to one lucky reader!



To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know which chicBud product is your favorite (see their full line of products here.) With adorable keychain and retro cassette speakers, and a wide variety of earphone designs, it will be hard to choose just one favorite!

Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

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Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Monday, March 14, 2011. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary pair of chicBuds to facilitate this review.

Paws Up! Lady Gaga's Monster Ball at Verizon Center in Washington DC

It was a packed house full of little monsters at Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour last Thursday night at the Verizon Center in Washington DC. More than 15,000 were in attendance to watch "Mother Monster" (as she's affectionately known to her fans) put on a dazzling show.

Let me start off by saying how much I enjoy attending any event at Verizon Center. In the heart of DC, the center is expansive and clean with plenty of bathrooms, and there is no such thing as a bad seat. Even those sitting in the 400's can see well.

And the Verizon Center is always buzzing with life, even blocks away, whenever a concert, sporting event or other happening is taking place. It was no different for The Monster Ball, and as my fiance Matt and I grabbed a couple of drinks and dinner at The Greene Turtle right next to the venue (we had a "Paparazzi" and "Alejandro" specially made by the bartender for the show), we found ourselves surrounded by fellow monsters:



We were approached by a lady who was in attendance with her nieces and nephews who didn't think she was hip enough, so she asked Matt if he would paint a lightning bolt on her face that looked like his. He happily complied:



My vote for best-dressed fan of the night went to Kira Peasley of Kira Peasley Designs:



Kira designs Lady Gaga costumes professionally and was featured on Virgin Mobile's "LadyVirgin.com" site (2.25.11). She even got a shot out from Gaga herself as Gaga uttered, "Nice meat dress!" while performing "Telephone." Youtube user David526 caught it on video here:



As Matt and I made our way back to Verizon Center, we had to stop for a photo next to Virgin Mobile's HUGE tour bus:



We then stopped by Virgin Mobile's photo stop, one of many within the center, and had fun taking a few shots:



We missed the opening act (Scissor Sisters) and by the time we took our seats, the center was already packed! We had a great view of the stage as well as the thrust:





The crowd grew more and more anxious as we awaited the star of the show, but finally at 9:25, Lady Gaga's silhouette appeared behind a white scrim. She did various Vogue poses to "Dance in the Dark" and her "there but not quite all the way yet" stint made the crowd even hungry for more:



She finally made her way down a steel staircase to the floor in the midst of a New York City street-scene:







The ongoing theme through the show was Lady Gaga trying to get to the Monster Ball. After her beat-up, green car (which doubled as a piano) broke down, she hit the New York subway to one of my favorite songs..."Lovegame:"







As if the sets, costumes, designs and dancers weren't enough, Lady Gaga showed what she was made of by singing every song live. "I don't lip sync," she shouted. "I will never waste your damn time or your money!"

Gaga often quipped throughout the show, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers and applause. She inspired everyone to love themselves, celebrate who they are, and to always follow their dreams.



"We're gonna be super free, little monsters! This is a place where all the freaks are outside!"

And as if we needed any coaxing, we all obeyed when she told us, "Paws up, little monsters!" (which we were obviously doing even before the show started!)

She also preached about religion, stating that Jesus loves everyone, and, "My religion is you, little monsters...tonight, my religion is D.C.!"



At one point during the show, Lady Gaga made a call to a fan in the crowd. Matt and I had given our number to Virgin Mobile when we took our picture at the photo stop, and we waited anxiously hoping my cell would ring.



But it was another attendee who got the call and her jubilation could be felt throughout the entire center. Lady Gaga spoke with her briefly, then invited her backstage to meet her as the crowd "oooh'd and ahhh'd" with both awe and jealousy.

After the call, Gaga announced that another call was coming in. She answered and said, "Oh...it's Beyonce," then went into her beloved song "Telephone."





Gaga also performed a couple of ballads, including a new song, "You and I," performed while playing a piano with flames bursting from it.



The piano wasn't the only pyrotechnic prop. For one number, Gaga wore a costume complete with "boob sparklers" as I like to call them. But she did Katy Perry one better and had fireworks shooting from her crotch as well.

To thicken the "let's get to the Monster Ball on time" plot even further, Gaga and her dancers were swallowed up by a "tornado" that descended upon them from the ceiling.



She emerged as an angel with moving wings, but I thought she looked more like Glenda the Good Witch from "The Wizard of Oz."



That look was in sharp contrast to her dark, "bloody" monster set and costume, where spooky spiked trees dotted the stage and a creepy mist rose in the air.



And what Monster Ball would be complete without a monster? A creature reminiscent of the angler fish featured in "Finding Nemo" appeared on stage as Lady Gaga inched closer and closer before lying on the ground and being swallowed up by it.





For the finale, Gaga did a breathtaking, acapella performance of her new hit, "Born This Way." With she and her backup singers wearing long, flowing robes, it was like watching a Southern Baptist choir, Gaga-style.

It was the perfect ending to a perfect show. And the next day, Matt and I created another little monster as his daughter Kendall found my Gaga mask and wore it better than I did.



For more pics from the show, check out my Flickr page here. (Many thanks to Matt for taking many of the photos!)

Gaga's full set list from the DC show is as follows:

Dance in the Dark
Glitter and Grease
Just Dance
Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
The Fame
LoveGame
Boys Boys Boys
Money Honey
Telephone
Speechless
You and I (New song)
So Happy I Could Die
Monster
Teeth
Alejandro
Poker Face
Paparazzi
Bad Romance
Born This Way

If you're planning on attending an upcoming Monster Ball show, be prepared for Gaga's brand new "monsterlook," as tweeted by Lady Gaga herself here! Though with Gaga, you never know what look she might pull next. What you can expect though is a stellar performance by a talented woman who is one of a kind!

Disclosure: I received two, complimentary press passes from Verizon Center to faciliate this review.

Stay Tuned, Little Monsters!

Tomorrow night at 8pm EST, I will be covering Lady Gaga's "The Monster Ball Tour" live from Verizon Center in Washington DC! Be sure to tune in to my Twitter feed for live tweets and twitpics and then check back here for the post-show review!

I have both of Lady Gaga's fabulous albums and I just preordered her latest, "Born This Way," from Target. From now until February 26, if you preorder from Target, you get a free download of the title track, so hurry over and place your order before the offer expires!

From what I've read, "Born This Way" has been added to her set list so I'll let you know how it was live. See you tomorrow night!

Disclosure: I was given two press passes to the show to facilitate this review.

Live Like a Celebrity Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to kylie8cake! Her name was selected at random via Random.org as the winner of the Live Like a Celebrity giveaway.

Stay tuned for more fun giveaways to come!

Get the Dirt on How to Live Like a Celebrity - Giveaway

Some of my favorite apps on my iPod are celebrity-related: People.com, TMZ, Pop Sugar...I could go on and on. I certainly don't envy those celebs whose lives are in shambles, but I do wonder what it would be like to live the life of a celeb like Angelina Jolie for a day.

Ever wish that you could switch lives with a celebrity for a day? Wouldn’t it be great if you could figure out how to pull off a red carpet worthy look and keep your home looking like it belongs on the cover of a magazine?

The truth is, though we may not want to admit it, we like hearing celebrity gossip but we also like to keep things clean. That’s why Clorox® Regular-Bleach is giving busy moms like you the chance to do both with Get the Dirt...but Keep it Clean, a new mobile program that delivers quick clean-up tips to your phone while letting you indulge in the celebrity lifestyle.

Visit www.Clorox.com/GetTheDirt to receive Clorox’s Get the Dirt...but Keep it Clean cleaning tips and to be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Hollywood, California.



Readers of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review also have the chance to win a free Stunning Starlet Palette make-up kit by Stila! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post with your favorite clean-up tip to keep your home looking glamorous!

Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here. Please also see my disclosure policy here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry, one time, for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link. Feel free to use the Twitter share button at the bottom of this site.

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Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Wednesday, February 9, 2011. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a sample of The Stunning Starlet Palette make-up kit from The Clorox Company at no cost to me to facilitate this review.