SavvySugar

Gearing Up for Season 2 of the Atlanta Housewives

Kelliegrl — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:40:36 -0700

Gearing Up for Season 2 of the Atlanta Housewives

Here's a rundown of where the Atlanta Housewives were the last time we saw them, and what's on the horizon for season two at the end of July. Why doesn't it surprise me that Kim's only ally is the new housewife, former member of the 90's R&B group Xscape? Could it be because Khandi doesn't yet know the real Kim Z? Or does it have anything to do with Khandi's connection to the music business, an industry that Kim has been desperately chasing? Want to know more, check out the article below from The Dish.

Who's Who? Your Season 2 Guide to 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta'
By Gretchen Hansen, Dish | Monday, June 29, 2009, 4:36 PM

The Real Housewives of New Jersey" is wrapping up its first season, and "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" are apparently ready to reclaim their place as reality television’s resident drama queens when Season 2 premieres July 30th. This time, NeNe, Kim, Sheree, and Lisa, are joined by new wife, Kandi Burruss. Here’s your who’s who guide to the five wives:

NeNe Leakes: Ms. Tells It Like It Is
Current Status: Married to real estate entrepreneur Gregg Leakes
When We Last Saw Her: NeNe was narrowing down the list of potential daddies, starting a charity for battered women, and squashing stripper rumors. (Just to be clear, NeNe only strips for one man -- her hubby.)
On the Atlanta Horizon: What does the second season hold for NeNe Leakes? Well, NeNe's as feisty as ever, with a new 'do but the same penchant for stirring up conflicts and catfights. You'll watch her plan the second annual Twisted Hearts charity event, and follow her continued search for her biological father.

Sheree Whitfield: Looking for Love
Current Status:: Divorced from former NFL football player Bob Whitfield
When We Last Saw Her: Sheree was pursuing a career in fashion with the launch of her clothing line, She by Sheree.
On the Atlanta Horizon: After a painful and public divorce, Sheree questions whether or not she's ready to dive back into the dating scene. Season 2 has a lot of surprises in store for the aspiring designer and mother of three, including an unlikely (and unstable) alliance with a former enemy.

Kim Zolciak: Drama Mama
Current Status: If you know, fill us in. Her on-again, off-again relationship with the mysterious and ambiguous "Big Poppa" always keeps us guessing.
When We Last Saw Her: Weeping on a couch at the reunion special. Kim's castmates accused her of lying about her cancer, while Kim recalled waiting for the diagnosis at Chili's.
On the Atlanta Horizon: Her single, "A Crack in the Foundation," might best describe Kim's upcoming storyline in the tumultuous second season. While she has an ally in new castmate Kandi, Kim's relationships with the other wives and Big Poppa are more strained than ever. You'll see her struggle to launch a wig line AND a country music career, but will either take off? And seriously, who IS Big Poppa?!

Lisa Wu Hartwell: The Quintessential Career Woman
Current Status: Married to NFL football player Edgerton Hartwell
When We Last Saw Her: Lisa was this close to kicking some ATL a-- during the hot mess of a reunion special. After calling Kim a "habitual liar," she threatened to flip her castmate over a couch.
On the Atlanta Horizon: Lisa is a career woman, or shall we say careers woman. Season 2 finds Lisa struggling to balance her many obligations -- owning a real estate firm, running jewelry and clothing lines, and perusing work in acting, modeling and writing. The mother of three seems busy enough, but Lisa's wondering if she's ready for baby number 4. Will there be an addition to the Hartwell clan, or will Ed's career have to come first?

Kandi Burruss: The New Housewife
Current Status: Engaged to A.J. Jewell
When We Last Saw Her: We didn't. Kandi's the new wife on the block. (And forgive us for pointing out the obvious, but it's not easy being the new girl, especially in this group.)
On the Atlanta Horizon: It doesn't take long for the Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter to jump into the mix. Kandi has a lot on her plate -- she's a single mom who's planning her wedding, launching a solo career, and working on a new album. She's worked with TLC, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and other superstars ... which begs the question: Will Kandi's impressive resume make the other Atlanta wives a little, well, jealous?

Source: http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/whos-who-your-season-2-guide-to-the-real-housew...

All about buying a handbag or purse! Lots of info!

MOMto2Kitties — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:04:50 -0800

Many women know that buying handbags isn't as easy as it may seem. Other women have found that it's all too easy to buy lots of handbags, but it's not always as simple to buy handbags they want to use often. This handbag buying guide is for all the women who have wondered how to buy handbags that they'll love, that will go with their clothing and that will fit their lives.

Tote Bags And Shoppers

When you need to bring along many of your belongings, tote bags and shoppers are the large handbags for you because:

Tote bags and shoppers have a bigger capacity than other handbags. Most tote bags and shoppers have a heavy-duty design. Totes bags and shoppers are available in several types of materials, often in canvas twill and leather. Totes and shoppers usually have a functional square or rectangular shape and an open top. Some tote bags are wide open and ready for whatever you want to put in, while other totes have handy storage compartments for keys, cell phones, water bottles and anything else you may need. Tote bags always have some sort of handle, and occasionally the handles are long enough to use as a shoulder strap. Tote bags have one other special quality: the bigger the handbag you carry, the smaller you look--instant weight loss from your accessories!!!!!!!!

Where you'll be taking your tote bag or shopper

On an airplane as a carry-on
To the beach with all of your swimgear
To work when you need to bring along a full day's supplies, including gym clothes for after work
Out shopping so you won't have to use any plastic bags

Do's And Don'ts

Do: take advantage of the utilitarian design of tote bags and shoppers and use one of these handbags when you're wearing casual clothing, like jeans and a sweater or a tracksuit.
Do: choose a tote bag that can be taken to the office by selecting one in a neutral color, possibly out of leather, so it won't take away from your career look.
Don't: use a tote bag when you're wearing an evening gown, even if your tote bag is a designer handbag.

Shoulder Bags

Perfect for everyday, shoulder bags are the workhorses of a handbag wardrobe because:

With straps long enough to go over your shoulder (hence the name), shoulder bags will keep everything you need handy without taking up one of your hands.
The shoulder straps may allow the handbag to hang as low as your hips or up high by your waist.
Many shoulder bags have outside pockets as well as interior places to organize everything you need, from your cell phone to your keys.
Shoulder bags are available in many different styles, like the softly crescent-shaped hobo bag, the functional and necessary diaper bag and all manner of luxurious designer handbags.
With a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, closures and designs, there's sure to be a shoulder bag that you'll love to bring with you.

Where you'll be taking your shoulder bag

To the store, with your wallet, cell phone and keys tucked inside
To the movies with your friends (we won't tell if you sneak in your own candy!)
When you go out to eat at a casual restaurant or bar
To the office, but remember to choose a higher-quality material to maintain a professional look

Do's And Don'ts

Do: let your shoulder bag be a pop of color when you're wearing a neutral outfit.
Do: adjust the strap so your shoulder bag doesn't hang any lower than your hips.
Don't: wear your glamorous clothes with a shoulder bag unless it has a very delicate strap, like a chain; otherwise, the shoulder strap will interfere with the beauty of your eveningwear.

Satchels

Satchels are true handbags because the handles are short enough that you hold it in your hand. You'll want to use these luggage-inspired handbags because:

With their wide, flat interiors and double handles, satchels have a classic look that never looks inappropriate.
Available in a variety of sizes, satchels can be filled with most women's day-to-day necessities.
You can achieve the perfect laid-back cool look with jeans and a leather satchel.
When you need a hand, your satchel easily rests in the crook of your arm, or if you pull the straps over your shoulder, your satchel tucks into your underarm.

Where you'll be taking your satchel

On a date when you want a handbag with a ladylike look and plenty of storage
To a bar or club on girls' night out with your hottest party dress
To a party when you won't mind that all eyes will be on your handbag

Do's And Don'ts

Do: look for satchels with fun details like leather trim or fancy buckles on exterior pockets.
Do: choose brightly colored satchels in the spring and summer.
Don't: leave the detachable shoulder strap attached--if your satchel comes with one--when you plan to use the short handles; store it in a drawer for days when you want a change of pace.

Evening Bags

Evening bags, including clutch bags (which have no strap and you hold--or "clutch"--in your hand) and wristlets (which have a strap just long enough to hang over your wrist), are the handbags you'll want for a special night out because:

With lovely details like beads and sequins and fine fabrics like metallics and satins, evening bags will complement your evening wear perfectly.
You can choose between soft, leather evening bags or handbags with structured metal frames, depending on how formal your eveningwear is.
If your evening bag has a handle, you can tuck it inside to transform it into a clutch bag.
You can use a clutch bag as a wallet inside your larger handbag during the day, and then pull it out for evening.
Nothing says glamour and romance more than accessorizing with an evening bag.

Where you'll be taking your evening bag

To a holiday party when you're there to impress
To a fine restaurant when you're there with your special someone
To a wedding with a few tissues inside
To a cocktail party, where a cocktail ring-clad hand holding a clutch bag will be the perfect elegant look

Do's And Don'ts

Do: get dressed to the nines and take advantage of the style of evening bags.
Do: let a fun evening bag, clutch bag or wristlet take center stage when you're wearing a little black dress.
Don't: try to cram too much into your evening bag. Only bring along the essentials: cell phone, mints, a credit card, lipstick and cab fare.

Other Handbag Features

Closures

Think about the type of closures you would prefer as you are shopping for handbags. Do you need the security of a zipper or would you like an open top? Would snaps be a bother or are they just the right amount of closure? Do you prefer a flap with a magnet or would a drawstring be to your liking? Be sure to read the description of the closure and make sure it's one you'll like using.

Materials

From leather handbags to satin handbags, the materials available are seemingly endless. Evening bags work well in fine fabrics, but your everyday handbag should be made out of a more durable material. If you plan on using your new handbag often, be sure to notice if the fabric can handle the use, like leather, canvas twill or even a sturdy PVC material.

Function

Remember to consider how the shape of your handbag and the storage compartments will affect its functionality. Do you want easy access to your cell phone or a compartment just for your keys? Do you like to carry a north-south handbag (one that is tall and narrow) or an east-west handbag (one that is wide and short)? Be sure to read the handbag descriptions as you are online shopping so you'll love every detail when your handbag arrives.

Common Handbags Questions

How should I care for my handbags?

Most handbags can't go into the laundry, so prevent stains and dirt as much as possible, especially when you have designer handbags. Handle your handbags with clean hands, and think about using darker-colored handbags when you go places where there's food or other things that may stain your handbags. If you take your handbag to the movies or to a restaurant, place your handbag on a chair instead of on the floor. Keep items that could stain the interior--pens, makeup or snacks--zipped into another small bag that you put into your handbag.

Many handbags can be spot-cleaned with a soft, damp cloth. Use leather cleaner on your leather handbags, but be sure to do a test patch in an inconspicuous area to check for color-fastness. For tricky spots or delicate fabrics, take your handbags to the dry cleaner.

Store your designer handbag in the dust bag it came with, in a pillowcase or in bubble wrap--not tissue paper which may attract moths. If there is a chain handle, then store it inside the handbag where it can't scratch the exterior. Unbuckle any buckles and loosen any straps to prevent marks from the metal.

Does my handbag need to match my other accessories?

If you like the classic look of matching your shoes and handbag, then go for it! Matching your handbag, shoes and even your belt can be an easy way to look quite smart. Mismatched--but coordinated--accessories can look very modern, so if you like that style, then you can make it work. Many women find this look to be fresher and less fussy. When your accessories aren't matching, be sure to maintain a similar feeling; for example, try carrying a tote bag with casual shoes but use a clutch bag when you're wearing pretty pumps.

Which handbags do I need to have a good handbag wardrobe?

Make sure you have a handbag that will suit everything you do and everywhere you go. You wouldn't want to carry a big shopper when you're wearing an evening gown just as you wouldn't want to carry everything you need for work in a little clutch bag. The basics are a large handbag, a medium-sized everyday handbag and an evening bag. Then fill in your handbag wardrobe based on what you do, where you go and what you wear.

The Perfect Gift

When you're online shopping for a woman for a birthday, a holiday or even Mother's Day, you'll want to look for a Authentic Handbag Boutique handbag. Every woman needs a handbag! When you give handbags as gifts, choose a handbag that tells her you think she's special--like a unique handmade bag--or a special handbag that she wouldn't normally splurge on for herself--like a beautiful designer handbag.

Build An Accessories Wardrobe

Handbags aren't the only accessories that finish off an outfit. From the handbag you carry to the shoes on your feet, you'll have a style all your own, thanks to the details of your accessories.

My trip to Italy (Part 1)

tchan01 — Sat, 24 May 2008 20:00:36 -0700

Intro/Preface
Shi was kind of enough to suggest this group as a place to write/talk about my recent 8 day trip (not including flight travel days) to Italy with my boyfriend. We visited Rome, Florence and Venice. And we also visited Siena and a small town called Empoli while in Florence. Before too much time goes by (and before my memory fails me), I wanted to make sure I at least got started on this. So, I'm calling this Part 1 to help me feel better about the daunting task of trying to cover everything in just one blog. And so begins my story...

Day 1: When in Rome...do as the tourists do!
My boyfriend and I boarded an Alitalia flight (non-stop) to Rome from NYC. We were on a 4pm flight and would be arriving in Rome at 6am local time. So needless to say, he and I had to get acclimated to the new time zone pretty much immediately. Neither of us really slept on the flight. When we arrived in the Rome airport we looked around trying to find the area where we could get a taxi. I immediately felt the comfort of the nice 70 degree weather (as NYC at the time was still in the 50's and most likely raining!) It was nice to feel the warmth as we got in a cab on our way to our hotel. I remember reading that this hotel did provide a shuffle bus into the Rome city center area so I felt pretty good about this place. The hotel looked like what would be a 3 star hotel in the US. But from what I read about hotels in Italy, ratings aren't standardized and in their terms I believe this place was a 4 star. In any case, since we arrived so early we couldn't check into our room. We were both hoping they'd somehow allow us to, but we didn't ask and they didn't make the suggestion. Note to myself: book a flight allowing me to arrive at my destination in the afternoon (especially on an international flight). The shuttle bus was outside and guests were waiting to board. So we got on the next bus available and immediately headed toward Rome. Keep in mind that Tae (my boyfriend) and I are jet lagged and could use some food and rest! The bus happens to drop all guests off near Vatican City. I remembered from reading the travel book I had on me that visiting Vatican City should be at least the day after arriving. But I think we were pretty incoherent and we just wanted to do SOMETHING! We walked around and noticed that there were 2 main entrances into Vatican City. One was for St. Peter's Basilica and the second was for the Vatican Museum (where the Sistine Chapel is). The Vatican Museum was highly recommended by the travel book (which ended up being our Bible on this trip!) so we waited in what seemed like the most enormous queue I have ever seen. But I don't think we really quite realized what we were getting into when we stepped onto that line. It's May and what is probably just the beginning of Rome's busy touristy season, but we never expected that waiting in that line would include: 1) Tae having to go to the bathroom and us both realizing that if anything happened we'd have no way of getting in touch, 2) the sun beating in our face as we stand tightly snug with other people, and 3) the line actually wrapping around approximately 4-5 walls. I wish we would have walked all the way to the front of the line to see where it actually ended. But when we realized (at hour #2) that this was going to be even longer of a wait, we decided that if we've waited this long, we might as well stay on it until we finally get in. Can you image waiting on a line with so many people standing so close to you, for 4 hours! I can't believe we did it. So when we finally are allowed to get in, we are literally ushered into all the rooms that lead to the Sistine Chapel. The throngs of other tourists are still closely standing near one another. I took quite a few pictures here, we both loved the detail in the murals on the walls and the tapestries (Tae really liked the ones of maps). But with so many visitors around us we didn't really get to take anything in. Once in the Sistine Chapel (i.e. the famous ceiling done by Michelangelo) we immediately looked for the part of the ceiling that has the fingers that aren't quite touching. You're not allowed to take pictures and the guards repeatedly tell everyone to be quiet (as it is still treated like a sanctuary) and to keep moving. With so many people in this room and it being a bit dark, my boyfriend and I were about ready to leave this place! After getting out of this room we went through a couple of less popular areas and then headed out. We were looking forward to finally getting something to eat! At this point we're so hungry and aren't familiar at all with our surroundings that we take a walk across the street and see a few restaurants. The places are obviously geared toward tourists. The first place we passed by had waiters outside trying to get people to sit, the second place we passed did the same, but we ended up sitting. This was among the bad meals we had in this city! And needless to say, we were highly disappointed because of either our bad luck or the fact that a lot of the places in Rome were just not that great. We head back to the hotel, tired and a bit down trodden. We both can't wait to get into bed and sleep!

PART of the Line outside the Vatican Museum
Ceiling in Vatican Museum

Rome Day 2: The Saving Grace Day
We slept in a bit after not getting rest the day before, but once we got ready to tackle Rome again we were only hoping for a day better than Day 1 (this ended up being one of our favorite days here!) The handy dandy book (although wrong at times!) did give us a good tip about waiting in the line for The Palatine Hill/Ancient Ruins/Roman Forum because that ticket line is shorter than the Colosseum and gets you into both here and the Colosseum. My co-worker also mentioned this tip to me, so we definitely wanted to make sure we heeded that advice. The Colosseum line wrapped around in what looked like at least a 2 hour wait. Our little tip was just a 45 minute wait (compared to what we had to endure the day before). The weather was nice again and the line we waited in was actually under some shade (trees overhead). Once in the Palatine Hill, although still surrounded by tourists we had the leisure to walk about pretty freely. We held hands as we took in the Anciet Ruins surrounding us. See pictures below:
Roman Forum
Roman Forum 2
After going through the Roman Forum we were ready to get some lunch. This time around we looked to the guide book for a recommendation. We headed to the place and we found that it was closed. This would not be the last time where the siesta hours end up interfering with our lunch or dinner plans! Every place including museums have their own schedule and it's quite frustrating as a tourist. Since we couldn't go to the first place we had to pick another place nearby and we were both getting cranky. And needless to say, we ended up with yet another dud. After lunch we headed to the Colosseum. With our ticket from the previous site, we skipped the line and went straight in. As shown in the picture below, what you see inside the Colosseum isn't really a surprise. What helps is to try to image what this place looked like back in the day. To see that such a place is pretty well preserved over the years, makes this a site to see. You can see the outline of where the tiers of seating sections would have been. And you can see what was underneath the stage – various trap doors brought animals onto the stage. Since we had just eatteb not too long ago and we didn’t want to head back to the hotel quite yet we decided to hit the area near the Spanish Steps (as it is Rome’s main shopping district). We took the Metro (i.e. subway) there as it was not really in walking distance of where we were. Side note: Rome’s subway system only has 2 lines and you’ll notice pretty much everywhere you go in Italy that there’s quite a bit of graffiti. We actually got in a train that had graffiti completely all over its exterior. Once we got off the Spanish Steps we walked around. We of course saw the really high end luxury brands, but we also found some nice men’s shops where Tae could actually buy button downs that would fit him pretty well. Since it was Sunday afternoon and most stores were already closing, we told ourselves that we’d come back tomorrow and do some shopping. We tried going to a restaurant that my co-worker recommended but it was closed so we got pizza at a takeaway place and brought it back with us to the hotel.
Colosseum - interior
Colosseum - exterior
Rome Day 3: Final Day in Rome
Looking back at this trip, we both felt like we could have used this extra day in Rome and attached it as an extra day in Florence or Venice. I think after day 2 we were sorta over Rome with the tremendous amount of tourists around, and the bad food experiences. We started Day 3 back at the Spanish Steps. My little man found a store called Piquadro, as a US brand comparison it’s an Italian version of Tumi but I think a bit more stylish. He’s pretty selective when it comes to buying things in general (as I guess most guys are) so I was surprised when he saw a stylish Men’s backpack that he liked and decided to buy pretty quickly. I believe this was the first thing he bought for himself and it impressed me with how confidently he made the decision to. Moving along, we went into a few stores where he ended up getting a few button down shirts. We also went into this cute little jewelry shop and bought a necklace for his niece. It wasn't super expensive, but it looked like such a cute little girl necklace and it made us think of her. We went into a Puma store and I got myself a pair of pink shoes that look almost ballet like. I have never seen that sytle in stores that sell Puma in the US, so I got it. Lunch time again! We had probably our work food experiences at a place called Autogrill for lunch. It’s basically a glorified deli, with an area to get hot food, an area to get pizza style fast food, and an area to buy paninis and sandwiches. The thing about this place is no one spoke English. In the heart of a touristy area, and where English is the universal language not only for English speaking people like ourselves but also for those who have to use English because they don’t speak Italian. We went to the area that had the sandwiches and the lady said something about paying at the main register area first. All of this is sorta implied by body language, mind you. We spend the next 10-15 minutes trying to figure out what is going on in this place and hating the fact that they won’t help anyone who doesn’t speak Italian! It’s also raining a bit outside at this point so we decide to go to the pizza fast food section and have probably one of the worst pizzas ever! Trying to put this food experience behind us, we head toward the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. The Trevi Fountain had way too many people in front of it, so I took a picture from a distance. We were quite impressed with the Pantheon as it was not only free admission, but it was pretty well preserved inside and out. We see the Vatican in the distance and we decide to just walk toward it and hopefully get to eat at the restaurant we tried to go to the night before. I knew since it came recommended I wanted to try to aim for at least one good food experience before leaving Rome and heading to Florence. We eventually get to the restaurant. We get there about 20 minutes before the dinner hours begin. We wait outside by the Gelato place around the corner (by the way Gelato and cappuccino ended up being the only things that were consistently good!) I don’t remember exactly what I had, I believe Tae got a pork dish. But we both loved it, and we were so happy to finally have a nice Italian meal in Italy!
Trevi FountainPantheon

Fun with Brad and George. (via EW.com)

LuciLu — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:57:27 -0700

By Daniel Fierman

Daniel Fierman is a staff writer for EWBeing one of the most famous men on earth comes with its share of problems. You can't take your kids to the playground. There are no romantic sunset walks on the beach. And that backyard barbecue? Forget about it. The simple pleasures just evaporate. Like, say, sneaking a smoke while waiting for your buddy George Clooney in a villa outside Cannes. ''Sorry about this,'' Brad Pitt says, contorting his body into a mess of angles and elbows to hide behind a low wall and light up. ''Actually, I'm less worried about the paparazzi catching me than someone, ahem, who doesn't know I still smoke once in a while.'' (Sorry if we blew your cover, dude...but Angie's a forgiving woman, right?) Welcome to life on Planet Celebrity, which today finds its capital at the Hôtel du Cap in the hills near Cannes. The 1870s estate - cash only, absurdly opulent, and set high above the Mediterranean Sea, where dozens of paparazzi boats prowl -is the temporary home to more than a dozen stars during the 2007 Cannes film festival. But the Big Two, the ones who really matter, are the man currently huddled in the corner like a wet lemur and the guy running late to the interview. So what do two men who so completely embody the modern American male ideal have to say? For the next hour, over club sandwiches and gazpacho, they will talk about their new movie (Ocean's Thirteen, in every theater near you on June 8th), their new lives (with family and without), the nature of stardom, and how to school youngsters in basketball. But for this one precious moment, Pitt just puffs away, extinguishing the cigarette only when Clooney -immaculate in a white linen shirt and khaki dress pants - dashes in, fuming at his friend.

GEORGE CLOONEY: [To Pitt] You bastard!
BRAD PITT: What?
CLOONEY: I did all these interviews right after you. And all the reporters told me, ''Brad said you did the movie for the money''!
PITT: [Laughs] I did. Believe I said it was all for the cash.
CLOONEY: Brutal! [Laughs] How ya doin'?

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Good, thanks. So I've heard that you guys call this movie Ocean's Thirteen: The One We Should Have Made Last Time.
PITT: Credit where credit is due. That was [director] Steven Soderbergh's line.
CLOONEY: Steven actually wanted to bill it that way, but I don't think the studio was so thrilled with that. It f---s up the boxed set.

But it does get to a legitimate point, which was that people weren't so fond of Ocean's Twelve. Other than for money, why make another one?
CLOONEY: You know, more than anything we wanted another crack. We wanted to go out on a stronger note - and we felt like we had a great way to do it, which was revenge.
PITT: I thought you're a pacifist, George.
CLOONEY: Well, the movie really is a cry for peace.

Did you know the bad reviews were coming for Twelve?
CLOONEY: [Laughs] No! I thought we did good, and I'm living in my own...
PITT: ...world of delusions.
CLOONEY: That was the funniest part. All of a sudden we started getting bad reviews and we were like, ''Really?''
PITT: Totally surprised.
CLOONEY: I had the same thing happen on The Good German. I thought it was really good and we got slaughtered. It's the worst-reviewed movie that Steven or I have ever been involved in. Steven was like, ''I don't get it.''
PITT: That's why you have to do what I do. Don't read 'em. I know how I feel about the movies and that's good enough for me.

I notice you ditched Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones. You clearly thought the girls were the problem.
CLOONEY: Tell me about it. But the thing is, it's not just that they were a problem on screen. On set they were brutal. You know them, right?

Oh, sure. We hang out all the time.
CLOONEY: So you know why we got rid of them.

But you added Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino.
PITT: Well, Pacino just gave us a little respectability, you know? Something that we needed.
CLOONEY: And he learned a lot from us. He was there to learn. I felt that sometimes you'd look at him and he'd just look up at you with puppy-dog eyes, like, ''Thank you. Seriously.''
PITT: I remember him wandering around the set saying, ''God, thank you, George.'' [Laughter]
CLOONEY: Lord. We're going to hell.

You guys have been buddies for a while. When did you first meet?
CLOONEY: The baths.
PITT: On Pico Boulevard. That's right. I forgot about that.
CLOONEY: You wouldn't have recognized me with the leather hood on. [Laughs]
PITT: [Makes a disgusted face] I'm eating here.
CLOONEY: It was when Steven was getting ready for Eleven and we met over at the mixing stage, right? [Pitt nods.]

What was that like?
CLOONEY: It was really hard. A lot of ego.

So Brad was a problem?
CLOONEY: I was talking about Soderbergh. [Laughs]

Seriously, though, you guys are obviously friends.
PITT: It's true. We have good fun together. We all know each other pretty well now and know each other's families.
CLOONEY: It's the funniest thing, I have to say: Since Eleven, when we started, all the guys have gotten married, had kids, and have whole families. This time there were babies everywhere. We'd be on the set in L.A. and I just sit in the middle of the whole thing like an old man.
PITT: He looks like he's trying to decipher a foreign language.
CLOONEY: It's true! I'm like, What the hell are these little things?

PITT:''I'm actually a woman trapped in a man's body. We're going to be doing something about that soon.''

Do you ever look at each other and go, Hell, I wish I was in the Italian villa instead of changing diapers? Or: Man, I wish I had a couple of those rugrats?
PITT: No.
CLOONEY: No.
PITT: But I tell ya what, kids are a lot of hard work.
CLOONEY: It's one of those difficult things [when you're famous].

Because of the endless scrutiny?
CLOONEY: Yeah. No one wants to hear you complain, because it sounds like you're whining. But I think he and Angie have a tougher time living their lives, just going out to see the city with the kids. I mean, look out there, all the boats with the cameras. I was walking around on the beach yesterday and I just thought to myself, Where's Brad? And all of a sudden you see the cameras all go WHOOOOSSSHH and I was like, Oh, here he comes! I watch that and think, Wow. I know it's not all that fun for me, and it seems exponentially harder for him. [To Pitt] I was looking at this shot of the two of you on the motorcycle. I don't know where you were - some Third World country [laughs] - and it just felt like you were really surrounded by people.
PITT: Oh, that was Vietnam. We were surrounded by people. It was on a moped. Sure.
CLOONEY: And it was a great image, because you could see you were trying to get away.
PITT: But we did get one day there. One solid day going around by ourselves.

How did you manage that?
PITT: Well, you go out early enough before anyone catches up with you. That picture? That was the moment they caught up with us.
CLOONEY: That's why we ride motorcycles all the time.
PITT: He's right.
CLOONEY: Motorcycles are the great equalizer. You put on a helmet and they can't see you.

Okay, since I plan to be world-famous, continue to school me.
PITT: Just keep moving. That's the key.
CLOONEY: You stop, you die. Lobbies of hotels and places like that are the worst. You have to just keep moving to the elevator, because you have to get the elevator door to close. [Mimes pressing a button] C'mon! C'mon!
PITT: And you can hear 'em comin'.
CLOONEY: It's like a stampede. [He pounds the table to simulate the footfalls of photographers and fans.] There's usually a two- or three-second delay before somebody says...
TOGETHER: ''Hey! That looks like...''
CLOONEY: And you go Eeep! And run for the elevator.

I'm curious what you think of the state of the male movie star in Hollywood right now.
PITT: I'm actually a woman trapped in a man's body. We're going to be doing something about that soon.

Is Angelina aware of this?
PITT: Yeah, she's all for it. Kinda into it, actually.

NEXT PAGE: ''Wow, here's a way to take this insatiable appetite and say, 'If you're going to take these photographs and follow us around, fair enough. But you're also going to have to go where it will provoke some thought about what else is going on in the world.'''

It strikes me that both of you have managed to keep a certain level of mystery about yourselves despite all the scrutiny. I mean, Brad, you were just down there smoking a cigarette hunched behind a barrier.
PITT: [Picks up tape recorder and speaks directly into it] No, he wasn't! He wasn't smoking! Um... Honey! Honey, that was George! [Laughs]

But how do you manage that? How does it not ruin your day-to-day lives?
CLOONEY: You adjust your life, certainly. There are certain things you don't do, there are certain places you don't go, but then at some point you have to go out. You have to live, you know?
PITT: So you will see George laid out on the rocks in a Speedo later.
CLOONEY: I don't want to see anyone in a Speedo. Especially 70-year-old men. [Gestures to the beach, which is full of 70-year-old men in Speedos] You learn a lot about the aging process watching that. [Laughs]

Clearly the obsession with celebrity is a little out of control. From where I sit, it looks like you're the meat being thrown to the lions.
CLOONEY: Right. Well, we are always going to be that society that slows down to look at the car wreck on the side of the road. I think we're just in one of those places right now, and it seems to be focused on younger kids. Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan and people like that. They'll get through it, but I wouldn't want to be growing up around that. If I were as famous as some of those kids who are on the magazines right now at 21 years old, I'd be shooting crack under my eyeball.
PITT: But being that it is our nature, you have to focus on other, more important issues too, because those [car wreck] tendencies can be very disruptive and aren't a good guide on how to live your life.
CLOONEY: No, it's a terrible guide.

So how do you get people to focus on the issues that matter to you - and manage to make a difference -without just distracting from the cause?
CLOONEY: It's interesting. Brad did it first and best - he went to Africa. Was it the Diane Sawyer show?
PITT: It was.
CLOONEY: You made this really interesting decision where you said, ''The cameras are going to follow me, so I'm going to go here. And wherever the cameras follow me they're going to see this.'' It was really smart. And I thought, Wow, here's a way to take this insatiable appetite and say, ''If you're going to take these photographs and follow us around, fair enough. But you're also going to have to go where it will provoke some thought about what else is going on in the world.'' It was a really smart play. And all of us have been taking a cue from that.
PITT: The idea was: We can't get out of the spotlight and they can't get in the spotlight, so let's equal that out a little bit.

Both of you guys are extremely political, and you're not afraid to open your mouths about what's going on. But in your position, that has to be really well thought-out, right?
CLOONEY: Right. Whatever your [political] inclination is, first and foremost, if you're going to jump into it, you gotta be ready to take a hit - because that's going to happen. And you have to be incredibly well-informed. So if you're going to go and talk about poverty or AIDS in Africa or Darfur, you better know your s---. And you better know it better than any of the jackasses that are going to try and somehow make what you're trying to do [look] bad. There's another problem when you try and do too many of these causes. Things start to get...
PITT: ...muddled...
CLOONEY: ...muddled, right. So you have to pick your fights and go after them, and then it seems like you can help get things done, like the $9 million we're raising [for Darfur refugees] tonight. [Pitt waves to someone, who turns out to be Angelina Jolie with their 5-year-old son, Maddox. Pitt smiles. Clooney waves and gets no response.] Niiice. Very nice. What am I? No wave for me?

You both seem to project some kind of Zen calm.
CLOONEY: [Feigning hostility] What the f--- do you mean by that?!
PITT: Yeah, motherf---er! [Laughter]

I guess what I'm asking is, can I get the number of your pharmacist?
CLOONEY: 1-800-V-I-C-O-D-I-N. [Laughter]
PITT: You adjust. You keep your sanity. You find your moments alone.
CLOONEY: I'll say, too, we've been doing this for a while now. I was in no shape at 21 to be dealing with fame.
PITT: It is discombobulating at first, but the younger breed seems to be groomed for it and accept it in a way.
CLOONEY: Right, because now fame is more an [end in and of itself rather] than working, necessarily.

You're talking about the difference between ''celebrity'' and ''stardom.''
CLOONEY: Exactly. Celebrity. You don't see a lot of kids coming out of theater programs these days.

Who do you like from that younger generation?
CLOONEY: I'll tell ya, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are both really good actors. Both have great range and can do all kinds of stuff.
PITT: I think Heath Ledger is really strong, as well.

Hey, as long as we're on the subject of working with the young folk, what's going on with your football movie, Leatherheads?
CLOONEY: I wrapped Friday.
PITT: You're kidding me.
CLOONEY: No. I've been in North Carolina for the last four and a half months playing football with a bunch of 21-year-olds. I'll never do that again. [Laughs]
PITT: [In a mock mothering tone] It's okay. You don't have to.

That John Krasinski guy doesn't look that tough.
CLOONEY: You know, he's a good kid. I love him, but the fun part is that he talked s---. [To Pitt] I've got this kid John Krasinski in my movie. He's on The Office - really good actor. The first day on the set he's like, ''I play basketball'' and I was like, ''I play a little too.'' And he looks at me and goes, ''I'll kick your ass.'' And I was like, All right, whatever. And he's like, ''Okay, let's make it $1,000 then.'' So for the entire shoot we've been talking about this bet. We haven't played. The whole shoot. And Friday we played.
PITT: Oh, boy.
CLOONEY: And I beat him 11-8! [Laughter] I was wiping my forehead with $100 bills going, ''Whooo, is it hot in here?'' Certain things just bring you joy.
PITT: And one is staving off old age.
CLOONEY: Oh, man, you are right.

You guys are costarring in a Coen brothers movie next, right?
CLOONEY: Yep. I was actually last here [in Cannes] with the Coens for O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and it tanked!
PITT: Get out!

What happened?
CLOONEY: You could just feel it in the room. Joel and Ethan and I were all sitting there in the Palais and Joel was like, ''Let's get out of here! We're done.''

So when do you start shooting?
PITT: In August or September.
CLOONEY: Burn After Reading is the name of it. It's just one of their nutty comedies - it makes me howl when I read it.
PITT: It's a real stretch. George and I each play a loser in our own minds. [Laughs]

They do love to make Clooney look like a buffoon.
PITT: They might top it with Pitt.
CLOONEY: They might. This one might end two careers in one shot.
PITT: [Laughs] I said to them, ''I don't know how to play this, I mean, he's such an idiot.'' And there was a pause and then Joel goes...
TOGETHER: You'll be fine! [Laughter]

Okay, last question: For the good of the universe, do you guys swear that you're done with the Ocean's movies?
CLOONEY: I think we're done.
PITT: Don Cheadle had a nice idea. He thought we ought to work backwards and start picking each other off as the numbers got lower. A last-man-standing thing.
CLOONEY: Like Survivor.

Or Ten Little Indians.
PITT: That was Don's pitch!
CLOONEY: We didn't want to say it to him, but that's what Fourteen is. And he's definitely the first to go.