Posts Tagged ‘birthday’

Happy birthday, Selena Gomez!

Posted by Katie on July 22, 2010 in General

Today we’d like to wish a very happy 18th birthday to actress Selena Gomez!

Selena made her onscreen debut when she was just nine years old—appearing on the popular kids TV show, Barney and Friends. Her talent was recognized by Disney and she was offered small roles on Disney Channel shows such as Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody soon after.

However, it wasn’t until a few years later that Selena reached her current full-blown celebrity status. In 2007, Disney gave her own show, Wizards of Waverly Place. The show about young wizards proved to be a hit and skyrocketed Selena to superstardom.

Selena has a number of projects lined up. She’ll be staring in the movie Monte Carlo in 2011 and is currently assisting in the development of Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie Sequel.

Have a great day, Selena!

Happy birthday, Garry Trudeau

Posted by Katie on July 21, 2010 in General

Today we would like to wish a very happy 62nd birthday to cartoonist Garry Trudeau. Garry is the man behind the popular Doonesbury comic strip, which first appeared in papers 40 years ago.

In 1975, Doonesbury brought Gary critical acclaim when he became the first comic strip artist ever to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. More accolades poured in a couple of years later when he released his animated film, A Doonesbury Special, for NBC in 1977. This film earned him an Academy Award Nomination and won him the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

The creative Garry went on to write a Grammy-nominated musical (Doonesbury), create numerous TV specials, co-produce a TV series (Tanner on Tanner), launch a presidential campaign website, and contribute to publications such as Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post.

Wow—that’s an impressive list of accomplishments! Have a great one, Garry!

Happy birthday, Degas!

Posted by Katie on July 19, 2010 in General

Today is the birthday of Edward Degas, a founder of the Impressionist movement in France and arguably one of the most influential artists of all time.

Degas began painting at a very young age and, by the time he was 18, he had turned his bedroom into a studio. When he was 21, he decided to enroll in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris to pursue his passion for painting.

Degas concentrated primarily on classical historical works during the early stages of his career until he met Eduoard Manet. Manet introduced him to the world of Impressionism and changed how Degas viewed painting forever.

Degas threw aside traditional painting methods and adopted the Impressionistic style of swift, small brush strokes. He also changed his subject matter, choosing to paint things that expressed more movement such as theatrical scenes and ballet performances.

Degas is considered to be one of the most innovative painters of his generation and has millions of admirers worldwide. His work has been credited for influencing artists from Picasso to Matisse.

Happy Birthday, Matthew Fox!

Posted by Katie on July 14, 2010 in General

Join us in wishing Matthew Fox a very happy birthday! This award-winning actor is celebrating his 44th birthday today.

Matthew is recognized by most for his roles as Dr. Jack Shephard on ABC’s award-winning drama, Lost and Charlie Salinger on Party of Five. However, did you know that Matthew almost didn’t go into acting? After studying economics at Columbia, Matthew was planning on working on Wall Street!

Starpulse.com has more information about why he decided to pursue a career in show business instead. Have a look:

All arrows pointed to a prosperous future career on Wall Street, but when Fox was convinced to try his hand at modeling, the chips seemed to fall into place, and he was soon appearing on television commercials and essaying guest appearances on such popular sitcoms as Wings.

In 1992, Fox went back to college for a role in the short-lived TV comedy Freshman Dorm, and though that show itself was decidedly short-lived, it helped his career by leading to roles in the film My Boyfriend’s Back, the made-for-television feature If I Die Before I Wake, and, eventually, Party of Five. After his wining performance in Party of Five made Fox a familiar face to television viewers, it seemed only a matter of time before he struck out on his own.

Following a touching turn opposite Donald Sutherland in the made-for-television drama Behind the Mask, Fox took the role of an ex-policeman-turned-private investigator whose near-death experience bridges a gap to the spirit world in the supernaturally charged series Haunted, which was quickly canceled despite the fact that it was beginning to see a dedicated fan base.

If Fox’s career seemed to be floundering somewhat in the wake of Party of Five, that would certainly change when Lost debuted on ABC to impressive ratings in late 2004. With his role as the reluctant leader proving once and for all that Fox had what it took to be a leading man, long-time fans could rest assured that they would likely be seeing much more of him in the future.

Have a good one, Matthew!

Happy birthday, Giorgio Armani!

Posted by Katie on July 11, 2010 in General

Today we’re celebrating the birthday of fashion designer and style icon, Giorgio Armani. Armani revolutionized both men’s and women’s clothing with his elegant yet ready-to-wear look that’s always en vogue.

Interestingly enough, Armani did not set out to be a designer. He initially was enrolled in medical school, but left to purse his interest in fashion instead.  In 1957, he became a buyer for the Milan department store, La Rinascente. Armani left La Rinascente in 1962, when the aspiring young designer began working under Nino Cerutti. Thirteen years later, Armani would launch his own wildly successful clothing line.

Armani’s staying power in the ever-changing fashion industry is a testament to his genius. This powerhouse continues to design clothes that inspire both fashion critics and shopaholics alike throughout the world.

Have a great day, Giorgio!

Happy birthday, Jessica Simpson!

Posted by Katie on July 10, 2010 in General

Today we’d like to wish a very happy 30th birthday to Jessica Simpson!

Jessica rose to fame in the late 1990s as a teen pop superstar. She released her successful debut album, “Sweet Kisses,” in 1999, which included hits such as “I Wanna Love You Forever” and “I Think I’m in Love with You.” The young Jessica went on tour soon after with the boy band 98°.

In 2002, Jessica married Nick Lachey, her longtime boyfriend and member of 98°. In 2003, the two inked a deal with MTV to document the first year of their marriage. The show, Newlyweds, was a huge hit and a pop culture phenomenon. Unfortunately, the honeymoon for these “newlyweds” did not last long and in 2005 the two filed for divorce.

The newly-single Jessica immediately launched herself into a number of projects and has been quite busy ever since her separation from Nick. In 2006, she starred in the comedy Employee of the Month, released a successful country album, “Do You Know,” in 2008, and produced and starred in The Price of Beauty on VH1 earlier this year.

Happy birthday, Fred Savage!

Posted by Katie on July 09, 2010 in General

Happy birthday Fred Savage!

Happy Birthday to Kevin Arnold…oops! We mean Fred Savage! This actor, best known for his starring role as Kevin Arnold on the “Wonder Years” turns 34 today.

We found a biography of Fred on Kidzworld.com that gave us some more info about this star. Take a look:

Fredrick Aaron Savage was born in Illinois to a real estate agent father and a homemaker mom. He was the oldest of three siblings – his younger brother Ben went on to star in Boy Meets World and his sister Kala is a singer and stage actress. He began acting when he was only four years old in a movie called Dinosaur and got his big break at the tender age of nine in the classic ’80s movie The Boy Who Could Fly. He soon landed a major role in the cult classic, The Princess Bride.

Fred really hit it big when he landed the lead in a series called The Wonder Years. He played Kevin Arnold, a kid growing up in the turbulent ’60s. The show went on for six seasons and turned Fred Savage into a household name. When the show ended, Fred continued to find work in both TV and film including roles in Austin Powers: Goldmember, The Rules of Attraction, and even a guest spot on his brother’s show Boy Meets World. He also found time to get a degree from Stanford!

While Fred still acts in the occasional role, you’re much more likely to find him behind the camera these days. Fred has directed episodes of Boy Meets World, Even Stevens, Drake & Josh, What I Like About You, That’s So Raven, Ned’s Declassified, Hannah Montana, Phil of the Future and Zoey 101 (among others)! He’s also the director of the new summer flick Daddy Day Camp.

Celebrate Macaroni Day with a fun birthday activity

Posted by Katie on July 07, 2010 in General

After hearing the word “macaroni,” your first thought might be “and cheese.” However, there are a wide variety of fun and creative ways to use this versatile pasta. So today, on Macaroni Day, we’d like to celebrate by sharing a fun birthday activity we found on eHow that features the iconic pasta.

How to Make a Macaroni Necklace
Step 1

  • Select one or several shapes of uncooked macaroni. Any type of pasta with a hole in the middle, such as ziti, will work.
  • Step 2

  • Color the pasta by mixing 5 to 15 drops of food coloring with 1 cup of rubbing alcohol. Then add about 1 cup of the pasta to the mix and stir until it’s coated. Take the pasta out of the mixture and let it dry.
  • Step 3

  • Cut string or colored yarn cut into different lengths. Make sure it’s long enough to tie and still fit over an average adult’s head. Even if the necklaces are being made by kids, they are likely to give it to a parent to wear.
  • Step 4

  • Bring everyone to the crafting area and begin to string the pasta onto the yarn. Younger kids might only want to add a couple of pieces of macaroni, which works fine.
  • Step 5

  • Tie the ends of the yarn together when you’ve finished stringing the macaroni.
  • I hope you have a fantastic Macaroni Day. What creative things have you done with macaroni before? Let us know in the comments!

    How the Official Sponsor of Birthdays Celebrated America’s Birthday!

    Posted by Birthday Cate on July 06, 2010 in General

    x2_1cee511As the official sponsor of birthdays, we went all-out for the Fourth of July – America’s birthday!

    To kick things off, we headed to New Orleans for the Essence Music Festival. We met thousands of people eager to share their stories, join our movement for more birthdays, and learn new cooking and exercise tips from our special guests: chef Kim Byrd and fitness expert Simbonika

    Spencer! We all had a fantastic time. Check us out on Twitter @morebirthdays for all the updates and twitpics from the festival!

    But to really celebrate the Fourth of July right, we headed to Washington D.C., where acclaimed street artist Alec Andon decorated an entire wall along the waterfront with a design he made exclusively for the American Cancer Society. His artwork was created to represent everything we’re doing together to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays – and to wish America a happy birthday from the official sponsor of birthdays! Thank you Alec for your amazing work! Did you know that you can post Alec’s exclusive portrait to your Facebook wall or blog? Click here post it now.

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    Everyone from the More Birthdays crew hopes that your holiday was a healthy and happy one! Did any of you use our healthy recipes for your party? Let us know how they turned out in the comments below!

    Theme Thursday: Jungle Party

    Posted by Katie on July 01, 2010 in General | Theme Thursday

    Go wild on this Theme Thursday and throw your child a jungle-themed birthday party! Transform your home into the tropics with these great party ideas that we found here on Epinions.com. Have a look:

    Decorations:

    • Use leafy green-colored helium balloons and scatter in small groupings of three and five (always decorate in odd numbered groupings, as it is more pleasing to the eye) around the room. This will help create a lush, green jungle effect. You can weigh these down with a rock wrapped in green tissue paper so that they can be placed on the floor or ground.
    • Use green streamers on the ceiling to create the feeling of a canopy of leaves.
    • Draw large leaves on green construction paper, poster board, or fun foam craft sheets. Cut them out and then tape to the streamers and onto the walls to further enhance this effect.
    • Use real or silk green houseplants (borrow some if you don’t have enough) and make these part of your jungle decorations. Big leafy ones or rubber type trees would work best. Place in strategic groupings to recreate the feel and look of a “jungle.”
    • Purchase raffia from a craft supply store. This is usually sold in long strands. Place the entire bunch down the center of the table like a table runner. This will create the effect of native jungle grass.

    Jungle Party Games:

    • Jungle Animal Freeze: There are no winners or losers in this game… just hilarious good times! Play music (something jungle- or animal-inspired like “I’m Being Eaten by a Boa Constrictor” or “Talk Like the Animals” would add a nice touch) and then instruct the children to jump up and down or dance to the music. Stop the music and then shout out a name of a jungle animal. The kids then have to stop and strike a pose like that animal!
    • Animal Charades: Here’s another game with no winners or losers. Before the party, cut out pictures of animals from magazines or from a computer publishing program. Glue or tape them to small index cards. Place the cards in a bag or upside-down in a pile. When the game begins, each child takes a turn to pick a card (advise them not to show anyone else what’s on the card). They must then act out the animal that’s on the card without using words; animal noises and sounds are permitted. When the children guess the animal correctly, everyone jumps up and acts out their own version of that animal. Continue playing until each child has had a turn. This game is guaranteed to bring on peals of laughter and to burn up some excess energy!
    • Pin-the-Spot/Stripe/Tail-on-the-Jungle Animal: Blow up a large image of a jungle animal (have your child choose their favorite) and then cut off a part of its body (this could be the tail, nose, a stripe or spot that has been blanked out to appear “missing”). Recopy the animal with the missing part onto a large poster-sized sheet of paper or card stock). Then make multiple copies of the missing part for the children to use as their game pieces (your local copy center can do this for you). Play the game just like Pin-the-tail-on-the-Donkey.
    • Safari Animal Round-Up: Before the party begins, gather together as many stuffed animals as you can (borrow some from friends and family if you don’t have enough). Hide them throughout the party area. Make this more or less difficult according to the age of the children who will be in attendance. Send the safari hunters out to round up the wild animals. Whoever finds and captures the most animals wins!

    We guarantee these ideas will make for a roaring good time!