Tonight on Real Housewives of New Jersey

After bringing home bambino number 4 from the hospital, Teresa decides it’s finally time for Joe to get “snipped.” Imagine a world with no more Guidices! Meanwhile, Caroline invites the ladies over for a “girls night in” with cocktails and snacks where the conversation turns to Danielle’s invitation to Dina’s charity at the Brownstone –will tensions rise over the her potential appearance? And the road of good intentions gets bumpy for Danielle when she and her protective entourage prepare to attend the Brownstone. How will it all come to a head? And will things turn violent? Find out tonight, 5/31 @ 10/9c on BRAVO's Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Work of Art - Meet Abdi Farah

At the young age of 23, Abdi is making waves in the art world. A recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he was one of four students in the nation to be awarded the Scholastics Art and Writing Gold Portfolio and was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, granting him an audience with the President of the United States. In 2008, the Yale Norfolk Summer School of Art selected Abdi into their program, and the following year he spent time studying abroad in Southern France. Primarily a painter, he has a passion for sculpture and printmaking. With a supportive family behind him, an infectious smile, and the drive to succeed, Abdi’s career has only just begun.

Work of Art - Meet Amanda Williams

A Cornell University graduate, Amanda studied and practiced architecture for a number of years before committing to a fulltime pursuit of her true passion, painting. Since that time, she has quickly developed an artistic presence within the fine arts community. Amanda has cultivated a signature style combining color, space, text and fragments of conversations she’s overheard to create pieces that deal with identity and personal freedom. Her work is sold through several galleries across the country as well as from her own studios. Amanda has exhibited nationally including: the Studio Museum in Harlem, YBCA in San Francisco and DePaul University’s Art Museum in Chicago. She was the inaugural recipient of Hennessy Cognac’s, Emerging Artist Award, and 2008 winner of a public art commission from the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. Amanda also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology and the California College of the Arts.

Is Every Housewife an "Author" or "Singer?"

Real Housewives of New Jersey's Danielle Staub throws her hat into the ring by penning The Naked Truth.

According to the Amazon blurb:

Meet the Real Danielle…You’ve seen her on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, turning heads, raising eyebrows, and igniting feuds with her feisty suburban neighbors. Now, the always fascinating Danielle Staub gets real about her scandalous past in the year’s most explosive tell-all memoir. . . .When she signed on to appear in a reality TV show, Danielle had no idea what she was getting herself into. Hoping for a new lease on life after her recent divorce, the single mother of two became the target of vicious gossip, heated arguments, and endless controversy. When her housewife costars confronted her with the true crime book written about her ex-husband, the you-know-what hit the fan. Danielle knew she could no longer keep her checkered past a secret—and she had to set the record straight.This is the real Danielle Staub, in her own words, as you’ve never seen her before. The child of an unmarried Italian teenager, Danielle was born in Pennsylvania (under the name Beverly Merrill) after her mother was pressured by her well-to-do family to leave Italy and not return until after she’d put her baby up for adoption.After years of sexual abuse, she fled to Miami, where she became a model, living the kind of lifestyle she could only dream of as a child. She partied like a rock star and with them as well, but ended up marrying a deceitful man who held dangerous secrets of his own. Soon Danielle was caught up in a tangled web of lies, drugs, and abuse that landed her in the hospital more than once.

How she survived—leaving her husband, changing her name, and finally giving birth to two lovely daughters—is one shocking story you have to read to believe. If you thought The Real Housewives of New Jersey gave you the real story of Danielle Staub, you don’t know the half of it. Filled with glamour and grit, heartbreak and heroism, this brave, no-holds-barred memoir reveals the naked truth behind reality TV’s most talked-about star.

“You either love me or you hate me, there is no in between .” —Danielle Staub

For the first time ever, one of the stars of the hit television show The Real Housewives of New Jersey tells her side of the story, including . . .

• The truth behind Cop Without a Badge, the book that shocked the other housewives in the first season’s explosive finale.

• Her flashy, fast-paced life as a Miami model—and exotic dancer.

• Her controversial arrest and time spent in prison.

• Her wild hookups with famous celebrities, including an Olympian and a Miami Vice star.

• Her abusive childhood, rocky marriages, stormy divorces—and her triumphant rise as one of television’s most intriguing personalities.

It’s all here—and all real—in this straight-from-the-hip memoir from the Real Housewife who has all of New Jersey talking . . . and the whole world watching.

Will you buy it?

Work of Art - Meet Erik Johnson

Erik, new to the fine art industry, plans on shocking and shaking up the art world with his unique perspective. He first found his passion for filmmaking while creating the short film “The Ghost of Christmas Presents,” which debuted at Cannes Film Festival in 2006. Though he has no formal training, Erik is excited about experimenting with all media. On his path to gain a broader depth of experience in the art world, he ultimately hopes to improve his cinematographic creations. As evidenced in his films and most recently, his paintings, Erik seeks to provoke thought with his unusual and often dark creations.

This Week, on Real Housewives of New York

BRAVO’s Real Housewives of New York City
Jill Crashes Paradise
Thursday, 5/27, @ 10/9c

After Kelly’s bizarre nervous breakdown last week, the ‘wives find themselves much-relieved to see her leave the vacation early! Now relaxed, Alex and Sonja throw Ramona and Bethenny a surprise bridal shower where much hilarity ensues! Back in NYC, Kelly fills Jill, LuAnn and Jennifer Gilbert in on her emotional trip – will they see her side? And when Jill follows through with her plan to surprise the group on the trip, how will each of the ladies react?

And it’s not too late to still join the conversation at the BRAVO Talk Bubble! Go to bravotalkbubble.com now to RSVP for the live weekly viewing party and all the hot gossip!

Work of Art - Meet Jaclyn Santos

Jaclyn graduated Cum Laude from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2007 where she received numerous scholarships and awards for her artistic achievements. After graduation, she moved to New York City and worked as a studio assistant to mix-media artist Jeff Koons for two years. Jaclyn currently has her own art studio in a professional artist community in Long Island City, NY, where she concentrates on oil on canvas, though she is also experienced working with video, photography and drawing. Jaclyn’s pieces deal with themes of sexuality and spirituality, and through her narrative paintings of women, she embraces and questions this supposed dichotomy. The work serves to chronicle her personal experiences while making relevant social commentary. Ambitious and focused, Jaclyn paints for the pure love of it, but seeks to further engage herself in the cultural dialogue of the contemporary art community.

Summer By Bravo

Work of Art - Meet Jaime Lynn Henderson

Jaime Lynn recently graduated from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago with an MFA in Painting and Drawing, and went to undergrad at the University of Oklahoma. With the support of her family behind her, Jaime Lynn’s dream of making a living off art is coming to fruition. She has been awarded “Best in Show” at the Skin Exhibition in Oklahoma City, OK (2007), as well as “Best New Artist Working on Paper” at the Around the Coyote exhibit in Chicago, IL (2009). She has shown at several galleries in the mid-west area and most recently began a studio residency at The Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Jaime Lynn spends most of her time painting with gouache, acrylics, and watercolors on oversized pieces of paper, illustrating the common theme in her work: delusions of grandeur. A self-proclaimed Army Brat and a devout Christian, she is inspired by her own struggle to embrace an existence of vapid glitz and fame, juxtaposed by her desire to lead a virtuous and humble life.

Tonight, on 9 By Design

Work of Art - Meet John Parot

John has been making art since he was five years old, began selling it in the 1980’s, and created his first gallery show in the 1990’s. Currently an art studio manager in Los Angeles, he has obtained commissions for T-shirt designs, gallery logos, record labels, and most notably, to create a piece of original artwork for the rooftop of a Mini Cooper to be auctioned off for charity. With a MFA from Maryland Institute College of Art and a post–graduate fellowship at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, John is proficient in several mediums, but focuses on painting and drawing. He has shown his work in over 40 group exhibitions and in 10 solo exhibitions, including a solo show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. John seeks to integrate the gay community as a theme in much of his work and experiments with the use of color and pattern through combinations of material. John is presently working on a solo show for the Western Exhibitions gallery in Chicago.

Work of Art - Meet Judith Braun

Judith began her formal art training in 1965 at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she studied illustration. The oldest contestant in the competition, Judith proves that with age comes wisdom and with experience comes the desire to keep learning. With four art related degrees, eight solo exhibitions, and numerous group exhibitions in far reaching locations such as Spain, Miami, and New York, Judith is showing no signs of slowing down. Throughout her career, she has traveled to give a slide lecture at the Art University of Berlin, participated in the “Bad Girls” exhibition at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, and obtained a front-page review in ArtNet Magazine. Judith’s artistic journey has encompassed the disciplines of realistic figure drawing and painting, photocopy and text, and most recently, graphite and charcoal. Based in New York City, she seeks to explore her creative expression within the constraints of abstraction, symmetry, and carbon based materials.

Work of Art - Meet Mark Velasquez

Fry cook by day, photographer by night; Mark believes art is a lifestyle choice, not a career. With a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts focusing on drawing, sculpture and performance art, he taught himself photography by shooting model portfolios. Eventually, Mark recruited these women as a pool of talent to create his own theatrical concept shoots. Though he attended catholic school and served for years as an altar boy, his art is typically racy, and often infused with humor or sarcasm. Mark views his work as a constant commentary on society and he isn’t afraid to use sex to sell it. Though still living in his conservative hometown, he has worked as a traveling assistant to artist James Luna and has acquired a large online following for his unusual and provocative creations. Mark is currently editing his first photography book, which seeks to document his friendship with several of the small-town models he often shoots, capturing the personalities that lie behind the sensual images.

Work of Art - Meet Miles Mendenhall

Miles, a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota, is interested in exploring perception, persona, and control through his art. As the youngest artist ever to receive a Minnesota State Arts Board grant, Miles was able to land two solo shows by the time he graduated, as well as sell the entirety of the art in his senior show. Since graduation, he has capitalized on his talent by selling art both independently and through multiple exhibitions. Miles works part time as a studio assistant, and in his free time, enjoys skateboarding and good audio books.

Work of Art - Meet Nao Bustamante

Nao believes that the medium chooses her. Known widely as a performance artist, her work also encompasses video installation, visual art, filmmaking, and writing. She has presented in galleries, museums, universities and underground sites across the globe, most notably at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, the Museum of Modern Art, Sundance Film Festival in 2008 and 2010, and the Kiasma Museum of Helsinki. Nao’s work is aligned with feminist art, and often explores the intersections of race and cultural identity. A graduate of San Francisco Art Institute, Nao currently teaches New Media and Live Art at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York.

Work of Art - Meet Nicole Nadaeu

After four years at the Rochester Institute of Technology, two years at Parsons School of Design and a resulting Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design, Nicole was immediately recruited to join a design and architecture firm. Realizing her true calling was in more conceptual fabrication, she traded her stable income at the firm to independently establish connections between art and design. With an affinity for various alternative and industrial material, Nicole creates functional art-objects infused with poetry and sculptural style. Her pieces feature themes of connectivity and interaction, science and geometry, ritual and play. Nicole’s work has been featured at the Elemental Gallery at Art Basel Miami in 2008 and 2009, Felissimo Gallery, X-Initiative, as well as at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). Her internship with Olaf Breuning and a prosperous ongoing design partnership she co-founded, KNS design collective, keeps her busy and aesthetically flexible. Nicole is preparing for a group show “Breakable” with KNS at the Heller Gallery in May. Operating as a free-lance design consultant, Nicole is currently developing a collection for Ralph Lauren Home.

This Week on Real Housewives of New York

The all-girls weekend in the Caribbean continues as do the drama and catfights between the housewives! As the tension between Bethenny and Kelly reaches an all-time high, the two hash it out over a no-holds-barred dinner! Who will have the last word in this ongoing feud? And Kelly calls Jill to confide about her fight with Bethenny. But with Jill itching to patch things up with her once-BFF, will she take this as an opportunity to fly down and “surprise” the group?

And don’t forget to RSVP for this week’s BRAVO Talk Bubble! Go to bravotalkbubble.com for more info and to see who of the Housewives will be chatting LIVE this week!

Work of Art - Meet Ryan Schultz

Ryan exists by his motto “I live to create – I create to live.” Having taught himself to paint when he was young, Ryan’s skill secured him a full tuition fellowship to Northwestern University where he earned his MFA. Since high school, he has lived solely off his art through prize money, commissions and teaching private art lessons. To date Ryan has shown his work in over 60 juried art shows. His work deals primarily with youth culture and the “cult of excess,” depicting scenes of intoxication and drug use, alienation and cigarette exhalation. Ryan uses classical oil painting techniques to create modern day pieces capturing his generation. In this sense, his work is a marriage of the present and the past, a re-utilization of past techniques to make works that explore the romanticized views of self-destruction and masculinity so prevalent in our culture.

Work of Art - Meet Trong Nguyen

Born in Vietnam, artist and curator Trong now resides in Brooklyn, New York. He has exhibited his work extensively including solo shows at Galerie Quynh in Vietnam in 2009 and the Fruit & Flower Deli in New York in 2008. His group exhibitions include Satellites at the Freies Museum in Berlin, Sequences in Iceland, and Performa in New York. His projects have been reviewed in the New York Times, Time Out New York, Paper, Village Voice, and many other publications. Recently, Trong finished writing a "lost chapter" to The Da Vinci Code based on the secret love life of Marcel Duchamp. He is currently working on a "metaphysical GPS" application for the iPhone and his artist-as-company project, Humanitarians Not Heroes.

Kelly Bensimon at Wash Smart Give Smart

She just likes hanging around with partially-clad young men.

Work of Art - Meet Peregrine Honig

Peregrine made a name for herself when a set of her prints were purchased by the Whitney Museum of American Art, establishing her as the youngest living artist to be included in the permanent collection. Peregrine’s sculptures, imagery, and texts explore themes of sexual vulnerability, trends in disease, and social hierarchies. Peregrine resides in Kansas City, MO where she attended Kansas City Art Institute. She currently curates projects and annual events under the umbrella "Fahrenheit" and owns a lingerie boutique "Birdies". To date, her work is part of the permanent collections of the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and The Chicago Art Institute, among others. She has had solo exhibits in Santa Fe, Kansas City, and Chicago, and has shown in group exhibitions in New York and across the globe. Peregrine is a recipient of the Art Omi International Artists’ Residency, the Charlotte Street Fund, and an Inspiration Grant. She recently produced a magazine titled Widow, in collaboration with Landfall Press, that explores the relationship between fashion and art.

More from LuAnn

As if Money Can't Buy You Class wasn't enough....

Reco Chapple Swimsuit Fashion Show

The House of Chapple
presents
An All Male Swimsuit Fashion Show
May 15th @ 2115 Piedmont Luxury
Apartments, Poolside
Atl GA
Host By Reco Chapple
From Bravo's The Fashion Show Season 1
&
Dionne Walters
From ANTM Cycle 8

Special guest designer
Shaka King of New York

Show starts 7 PM

There will be open house
at the House of Chapple's Show Room
Free Drinks and Free Food

The Fashion Show - Season 2

BRAVO SEWS UP INTERNATIONAL SUPERMODEL AND FASHION ICON, IMAN, TO JOIN THE CAST OF

"THE FASHION SHOW"

Iman Signs On As Host, Alongside Internationally Acclaimed Designer, Isaac Mizrahi

NEW YORK – May 11, 2010 – Bravo announced today that international supermodel and fashion icon, Iman, has signed on as the host of the second season of “The Fashion Show.” Iman will join internationally acclaimed designer Isaac Mizrahi who, as previously announced, will be returning as host to the fashion competition series. The series is produced by Left/Right Productions and will air on Bravo later this year.

“We are happy to welcome Iman to the Bravo family,” stated Frances Berwick, General Manager and Executive Vice President, Bravo Media. “Breaking barriers in the fashion industry, Iman is a true pioneer and her unparalleled credibility will inspire the contestants and be a perfect match to the always exciting, Isaac Mizrahi."

Iman added, “I am so excited to be joining the Bravo team and to be working again with Isaac Mizrahi, my close friend of many, many years. I am also looking forward to all of the behind-the-scenes excitement and drama that is generated through the creative process of these undiscovered fashion designers. This will certainly be a show any follower of fashion will want to see.”

Iman began her career in 1975 as a model and has challenged the prevailing notions of beauty ever since. Her first modeling assignment was for Vogue in 1976. She was an instant success in the fashion world, and a muse for fashion designers including Yves. St. Laurent, Versace, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan. During her 14 years as a model, she worked with top photographers Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn and Annie Liebovitz. Currently, Iman is Founder and CEO of IMAN Cosmetics, Skincare and Fragrances, a beauty company that created the first cosmetics and skincare collection designed for all women with skin of color. In addition to running a global beauty company, Iman is actively involved in several charities, including The Children’s Defense Fund, For All Kids Foundation, and Action Against Hunger. In 2006 Iman became the Global Ambassador for KEEP A CHILD ALIVE: (WWW.KEEPACHILDALIVE.ORG). She has conceived and is spearheading a national campaign called I AM AFRICAN to help awareness and raise funds for the AIDS pandemic that is ravaging her homeland. She is also the author of two books, I AM IMAN (Universe, 2001), and THE BEAUTY OF COLOR, THE Ultimate Beauty Guide for Skin of Color (Putnam Penguin 2005) She’s revolutionized the way women with skin of color think about beauty.

The first season of “The Fashion Show” averaged more than one million viewers. Left/Right Productions will produce the second season for Bravo with Banks Tarver and Ken Druckerman as executive producers.

Bravo is currently holding open calls for fashion designers interested in competing in the second season of “The Fashion Show.” Additional casting information for "The Fashion Show" is available at WWW.BRAVOTV.COM/CASTING. Upcoming cities include:

NEW YORK CITY

Date: Sunday, May 16, 2010

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m
Location: MILK STUDIOS

450 W. 15th St.
NY, NY 10011
Formula Studio A and B

CHICAGO

Date: Saturday May 22, 2010

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m

Location: Columbia College
The Conway Bldg.
1104 S. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, 60605

Real Housewives of New Jersey - Tonight!

While family is the most important thing to these Jersey ‘wives, it’s also the cause of lots of drama: Jacqueline and her daughter Ashley continue to butt heads over Ashley’s bad girl behavior. Meanwhile when Danielle’s daughter is invited to model in NYC Fashion Week, Danielle extends an olive branch to Dina and Jacqueline to celebrate Christine’s success in an effort to move forward. But when neither shows up to Danielle’s luncheon, will her bruised ego inspire her to take revengeful action? Find out tonight, 5/10, @ 10/9c on BRAVO’s Real Housewives of New Jersey!

This Week on Real Housewives of New York

BRAVO’s Real Housewives of New York City - Tragic News Hits the Housewives - Tonight, 5/6, @ 10/9c

When the ladies join LuAnn for a relaxing spa and yoga day, they all open up to each other and divulge on the hardships of their past divorces. Meanwhile, Jill’s party planner Jennifer Gilbert invites the ‘wives over for a cocktail party to get to know her better, but the night turns sour when Ramona brings the tragic news that Bethenny’s father has suddenly passed away and Jill gets upset that Ramona didn’t fill her in earlier. Will she attempt to reach out to Bethenny with her support?

Don’t forget that the Bravo Talk Bubble continues! Set your calendar and check in to Bravo's weekly viewing party to see which Housewives are dishing the dirt LIVE this week! And remember to Tweet #realhousewives to try and get your Tweet on-air! Go to BravoTalkBubble.com for all the info.

Real Housewives of New Jersey Season Two Premiere Party

Our own Trish O'Shea attended the Real Housewives of New Jersey premiere party and sends us this report. Our sincere thanks go out to Trish, to Kristen, Ryan and Andy at Bravo and to the very generous Manzo family for your gracious invitation.


“Let me tell you something about Caroline!”

That’s how Bravo’s Andy Cohen introduced “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Caroline Manzo at the fabulous Season 2 premiere party she and her family hosted Monday night at the Brownstone House (where else?)

I think what he wanted to tell us about her was that the woman knows how to throw a party!



I arrived at the Brownstone at around 7 p.m. (a short 15 minute ride from my house!) and felt like a VIP until I left! I was given a Bravo credential, which allowed me access to the upstairs area earlier than some of the other guests. I ran into Valerie Brown from Bravo (it’s always a pleasure to see her!) Andy Cohen arrived shortly thereafter and he stopped to chat and take pictures (he gave a special shoutout to Laura K, The Minx, and everyone at Blogging Bravo!)

Click here to continue.

9 By Design - Tonight

A demanding and anonymous client sends the Novogratz’s out East to a summer home in the Hamptons, but when the Sixx Design crew arrives, they discover that the entire house is in need of a re-design. Will they be able to complete the job before the season starts? Meanwhile, with the arrival of their seventh child, Bob and Cortney realize they need a nanny to help hold down the fort. When they interview candidate Rainbow Star (the ‘Star’ is silent), they question if they will ever find help. Will they find someone who can handle all 7 kids? Find out tonight 5/4 @ 10/9c on BRAVO’s 9 by Design.

Real Housewives of New Jersey are BACK!

The ladies of the Garden State are returning to the only show where the hair is as big as the drama! Join the Real Housewives of New Jersey as they take on a brand new night - Monday. That same night, Bravo’s very own Andy Cohen brings us back to where we left with the housewives at an exclusive premiere party and gives us a little taste of what’s to come. As if they weren’t social enough, Bravo invites you to join the party on a live stream and interact with the Bravolebrities via Twitter and Facebook all night long. The event will be streaming at http://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey/premiere-party