You know I have to start with my girl, Taylor, looking absolutely gorgeous in her Elie Saab turquoise dress with pink shoes and pink clutch. Perfection!

One of Tay’s besties, Ed Sheeran, played a beautiful version of his song, “Thinking Out Loud” with John Mayer, Tay’s ex, on guitar. Did you catch all that? It was such a weird and wonderful pairing. I was giddy.

Hello, John Mayer’s guitar. Have you met Taylor’s shoes?

Or Ri Ri’s dress?

I can’t decide whether she looks uncomfortable and doll-like or it’s the most fabulous thing I’ve ever seen. Miranda Lambert walked the red carpet in a black gown with some sexy pink straps. LOVE!

And I seriously love her music too. She rocked her new single, “Little Red Wagon” last night and even earned some censors from CBS. Work it.

Sam Smith ran away with “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year” for his monster hit, “Stay with Me.” Beck won for “Album of the Year” which really annoyed Kanye West again. Sigh.

But then he made up with Taylor after he did the exact same thing to her at the VMAs back in 2009 when Pink performed that amazing high wire act. So we’ve come full circle. I wonder what song Taylor will write about this awkward moment. We’ll have to wait until next year’s Grammys to find out.

AWKWARD.

Yesterday was my birthday! There was also this little game on TV between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. The game was crazy! An interception by the Patriots in the last 20 seconds basically changed the whole thing. The Patriots won! Yay! I just wanted to see the cute family pics with QB Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Giselle.

Awww. Adorable. But the real reason I was roaring on the couch was thanks to Katy Perry and her fun halftime performance featuring dancing sharks! What a cool birthday treat! Thanks, Katy!

I asked my future singing star Annabel if she’d like to do that one day and she said she’d rather be the dancing beach ball.

Last night’s series finale of Parenthood had me snotting into my tissues for six minutes straight as I watched those flash forward scenes unfold. It was a glimpse into a future that I will never see play out. I felt the loss. I was angry these friends (brothers? sisters?) were leaving me. The cast and crew of Parenthood took me on an emotional, and sometimes painful, journey each and every week and made me wish I was a Braverman. That’s the power of television.

Ironically, it’s the one entertainment medium that I never worked in. (Well, not YET. My dream gig would be to write for one of these TV dramas. Okay, let’s be serious. I’d love to just bring them all coffee.) I worked in music and film, but never television. And, out of the three, television always makes me feel things the biggest. Television makes me invest in characters and stories and makes me vulnerable. And when a television show as magical as Parenthood ends, it hits me hard.

But here’s where I say thanks. Thanks to the writers for the stories. From autism and cancer to drug abuse and interracial coupling, the Parenthood writers were not afraid to go THERE. I felt Adam’s (Peter Krause) pain in the front seat of that car when his son Max talked about being bullied. I was in that junkyard when Zeek (Craig T. Nelson) told his granddaughter Amber that she was not to mess with his dream. I was weeping with Kristina (Monica Potter) when she was in the cancer battle of her life and making final videos for her children. The story lines were deep, raw, and honest.

Thank you to the incredibly talented actors. The love you shared on and off the sound stage was evident on my screen week after week. You WERE family. The mystifying Max Burkholder portrayed the central character of Max Braverman who I watched grow from a disconnected soul to a layered, emotional kid with a clear future. The brilliant Ray Romano as Hank made my heart ache as he tried to create the life he always wanted and deserved with Sarah (Lauren Graham.) I loved how the writers brilliantly weaved together Hank’s and Max’s Asperger’s story lines with photography. Capturing memories was their bond and the theme of the show. I watched the beautiful and complicated mother/daughter relationship between Sarah and Amber (Mae Whitman) unfold while always learning more about the power of forgiveness and unconditional love. By the way, I have a bone to pick with you, Lauren Graham. This is the SECOND TIME you’ve left me like this. (I still mourn you, Gilmore Girls.) Joel and Julia (Sam Jaeger and Erika Christensen) experienced real life struggles with infertility and then the long fight to repair their broken marriage. Crosby (Dax Shepard) grew from a hippie musician to a family man while always wearing his big heart on his sleeve. And then there’s our patriarch Zeek. He was the glue of the Braverman family and this last season was centered on his mortality and how it affected everyone. His quiet death at home at the end of the episode, followed by a baseball game in his honor, was achingly perfect. If Craig T. Nelson doesn’t win the Emmy, then something is wrong in the universe.

As much as I cried,  I did love the season finale. It was beautiful. The family spreads Zeek’s ashes on a baseball diamond just as he wanted. It was sad to watch them play with Zeek absent, but it reminded me again why I loved show – it was about the constant movement of life, love, and family. Then, I got to see Camille (Bonnie Bedelia) finally visit France, Max graduate, Julia and Joel happy with FOUR kids (a nod to the original Braverman clan creator Jason Katims said), Crosby and a pregnant Jasmine (Joy Bryant) still at the Luncheonette, and Sarah and Hank at the head of their dinner table with their family, reminiscent of Zeek and Camille. A smiling Amber is with a new husband and baby while a cleaned-up Ryan (Matt Lauria) returns from a day out with the son they share. They kiss and hug and I have relief knowing they are all okay. That life goes on. But I wanted to shout into my TV and ask them all not to go. Not yet. But I guess I have to say goodbye. Farewell, Parenthood. I’ll never forget the amazing journey. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me a part of your family. And I’ll still follow you anywhere, Lauren Graham.

It’s been a tough month. I’ve been participating in this thing called “Sober January.” I first heard about it from Andy Cohen from Bravo TV.  (He’s the guy who created all those “Real Housewives.”) He wrote about “Sober January” in his Andy Cohen Diaries book. (You should pick it up. Or Kindle it. It’s yummy fun.) Hubby and I were already planning to do the Whole 30 detox diet, (more about THAT later), so we knew we’d have to give up alcohol for the month anyway. That meant NO sake with our sushi, NO wine on weekends, NO beer while watching football playoffs, NOTHING. Not even a celebratory toast when Pop Pop turned 70 last week. If you wanted to see a sad, sad scene, you should have been at the fancy steak house with us to see me sipping plain iced tea next to the glass wine cellar and dessert tray. Ugh.

Well, there are only 10 days left and I can’t believe I’ve made it this far. I tweeted to Andy last night and he tweeted me back! We are in this together! I was so excited! It was the exact mojo I needed to get me to the finish line. Thanks, Andy.

Has a celebrity ever tweeted you back? Share below!

Michael Scott is going to the Oscars. Who would have thought?

I have not seen Foxcatcher yet, but it’s on my list. I hear it’s good. The only nominated movie I HAVE seen is Boyhood. I thought it was…okay. I went in with high expectations. I was ready for some amazing movie making and character studies. I was ready for all the feels for Ethan Hawke. It was…okay. I bet it’s the kind of movie that gets better every time you watch it. It should win the Oscar if only for the groundbreaking way it was filmed over 12 years with the same actors.

So, there you go. I pick Boyhood for Best Picture. I’ve seen Gone Girl and Rosamund Pike is so incredibly good at being a creepy psycho that she should win. I have to believe she is just a sweet, lovely woman in real life, so she should win for that creative stretch. (Also, I’ve seen none of the other movies.) I saw The LEGO Movie (many, many, many times) and it should DEFINITELY win best animated feature except for the fact that it was NOT NOMINATED. Whaaat? Everything was AWESOME! (And who liked The Boxtrolls anyway?) Oh, well. Good luck to Boyhood and Rosamund. And all the other nominees. And, of course, we all hope Dick Poop wins.

Are you excited for the Oscars on February 22nd? Who do you want to win?

The MTV Video Music Awards were last night in Cali and my girl Taylor rocked the red carpet in this ’80s-inspired sparkly blue jumpsuit.

Work it, girlfriend. Some liked it. Some didn’t. But the “haters gonna hate” and she’s just gonna “Shake It Off!”

Katy Perry showed up with her rapper friend, Riff Raff, in a blue outfit that channeled Britney and Justin’s iconic 2001 denim and diamonds ensemble. Pretty amazing.

Beyonce ended the show with a killer performance. But the most memorable moment was when Blue and her Daddy, Jay-Z, present B with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. That’s Blue saying “Yay, Mommy!” Could you melt?

And so much for those rumors that Jay and Bey are on the rocks. Check out the smooch evidence below.

Congrats to all the winners!

Best Lyric Video (Pre-show award): 5 Seconds of Summer, “Don’t Stop”

Best Female Video: Katy Perry, “Dark Horse”

Best Male Video: Ed Sheeran, “Sing”

Best Pop Video: Ariane Grande ft. Iggy Azalea, “Problem”

Best Hip Hop Video: Drake Ft. Majid Jordan, “Hold On, We’re Going Home” 

Best Rock Video: Lorde, “Royals”

Artist to Watch: Fifth Harmony 

Video of the Year: Miley Cyrus, “Wrecking Ball” 

Man, I wish Taylor Swift was around when I was going through all my teen angst and insecurities in 1989. I would have rocked my side pony while I sang “Haters Gonna Hate!” into my hairbrush and danced around my tiny bedroom filled with oversized sweatshirts, acid wash jeans, and banana clips. Appropriately enough, Tay’s new album is called “1989” and will be available to everyone on October 27th. I know the cool, hip thing is to pre-order it, but my butt will be waltzing into Tarjay that Monday morning after school drop-off so I can pick it up myself. Just like when I was a teenager. In 1989. We didn’t pre-order anything. We didn’t download anything. We didn’t preview music videos or live chat. We went to the store and bought the record/cassette tape the day it came out. It was organic and exciting and real. Like Taylor.

I guess it’s a little sad to call Taylor Swift an “old soul” simply because she is kind to everyone and loves what she does. (And because she’s a bit obsessed with Polaroid pictures.) But that’s how I feel about her. Yesterday evening she hosted a worldwide Yahoo! livestream to announce the new album and its first catchy single, “Shake It Off.” But she didn’t just sit there and press play. She got up and danced with everyone while the “sick beats” took over. She looked genuinely giddy and overwhelmed with the idea that we all could finally hear the music she’s been working on for two years. She’s always been a “pop” star to me, but now it’s official: there will be no country tunes on “1989.” Some might be surprised, or a little angry, but she’s ready. She told GMA that “Shake It Off” means “you have to not only live your life in spite of people who don’t understand you, you have to have more fun than they do.” Yes!

Following the livestream, Taylor invited a bunch of her loyal fans to her apartment for a pizza party and hangout session.FOR REAL. TO HER REAL APARTMENT. And it “smells like Anthropologie,” someone said. OF COURSE IT DOES. Here are some of the fun tweets from her ridiculously lucky fans. (I’ll admit I’m a bit jealous. I would have loved to see her fabulous apartment with its perfect furniture placement and vintage accessories. It would be my HGTV-obssessed heaven.)

Taylor literally had a giant party in her apartment with all her fans

— ???? ? (@lissyypop) August 19, 2014

Me: “your apartment smells like anthropologie” @Taylorswift13: “that’s because I have more candles than a seance”

— Anna Rose Brennan (@annarosebrennan) August 19, 2014

So I looked at the DVDs she had in her TV room. Friends with benefits, Bambi, frozen, law and order SVU…

— ???? ? (@lissyypop) August 19, 2014

Taylor’s apartment smelled like Christmas and anthropologie and the Grammys were SO heavy haha

— Hayley Williams (@HayleyWi11iams) August 19, 2014

Taylor has a room filled with polaroids of her and her friends all over the walls

— Taylor’s A Team (@MyChoiceIsTay13) August 19, 2014

taylor had a birdcage with books in it on her floor

— ???? ? (@lissyypop) August 19, 2014

The fact that Taylor danced with all 89 of us in her kitchen when her song came on the radio >>>

— Megan (@megannryann) August 19, 2014

In Taylor’s apartment there’s a giant picture of ed sheeran giving the middle finger

— ???? ? (@lissyypop) August 19, 2014

I was also lucky enough to meet Taylor a couple times and she even gave me a concert shout-out (!) I’m ready for her new pop album and for a new tour to hopefully follow. The countdown is officially on for us to party like it’s 1989. I CAN’T WAIT.

I wrote this tweet on Sunday evening after watching the Oprah Prime interview with Pharrell on OWN.

Pharrell blew me away with his honesty and sincerity when he talked about his journey from a young boy in the projects of Virginia Beach to his launch into super stardom after writing hit after hit for major musicians and, eventually, himself. In case you forget, 2013 was the “Year of Pharrell.” He penned the summer anthem “Lucky” with Daft Punk and also joined Robin Thicke on the equally infectious “Blurred Lines.” And then there was “Happy.” The one thing missing from this Oprah interview? Pharrell’s megastar ego. It was a joy to witness. He also got seriously choked up after watching a video montage of people from around the world singing and dancing to his “Happy” song. Check it out below.

“I so now get why it’s so infectious because it came from such a clear space. That the energy was absolutely uninterrupted by anything other than allowing it to flow from heart to heart. And that’s what happens when you see it.”

YES, OPRAH!

It’s the truth about everything, isn’t it? If it comes from a place of sincerity and goodness it will enter the universe and take over. That’s how you become a success. In business. In relationships. In life. It has to be your truth.

I love that Pharrell’s ego left the building and it was all about the music. The music which has now become bigger than Pharrell. His gift of music became a little piece of happiness for so many people. There’s nothing cooler than that.  Thanks, Pharrell. Thanks for the Happy.

Wow. I found this little gem on Facebook yesterday and I’ve already watched it TWICE. It’s over an hour long, so give yourself some extra time to cozy up on the couch with your laptop and a glass of wine.

“Someday I’ll Fly” is a fan-made documentary that uses John’s past interviews, podcasts, Internet clips, and DVD footage to chronicle his life as a recording artist and musician. It starts from his early beginnings as a teenager picking up the guitar for the very first time and goes all the way to his 2013 tour.  It’s so well done and entirely from John’s perspective. The editing is amazing. Super kudos to you, Eastwood Allen! Check it out below.

John Mayer: Someday I’ll Fly from Eastwood Allen on Vimeo.

And you can read more about my love for JM here, here, and here.