Alyson Hannigan gives birth to baby girl!

It's a girl – and she shares her birthday with her mom!

How I Met Your Mother star Alyson Hannigan and her husband, actor Alexis Denisof, who kept the gender of their baby a secret during pregnancy, have welcomed a daughter, her rep tells PEOPLE.

The girl is named Satyana Denisof and was born March 24 in Los Angeles, which also happens to be Hannigan's birthday. "They're very excited, and mom and baby are doing great," says the rep.

Hannigan, 35, who first announced she was expecting to PEOPLE last October, craved ginger ale during her pregnancy and revealed she felt absent minded. "I have pregnancy brain, which I never realized was a thing but it is," she said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "I sort of feel like a Koala bear where I'm slightly stoned all the time and say the wrong word."

This is the first child for Hannigan and Denisof, 43, who met on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer during the 1999-2000 season and were married at the Two Bunch Palms resort near Palm Springs, Calif., in 2003.

Source: People.com


Congratulations to the proud parents on their new arrival :).

ETA: You can find a pic of the little cutie at Celebrity Baby Blog

R.I.P. Andy Hallett

Andy Hallett, who starred as Lorne ("the Host") on the TV series Angel, died of heart failure last night at age 33, according to his longtime agent and friend Pat Brady. The actor passed away at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles after a five-year battle with heart disease, with his father Dave Hallett by his side.

Hallett, from the Cape Cod village of Osterville, Mass., appeared on more than 70 episodes of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff, Angel, between 2000 and 2004. The accomplished actor was also a musician and sang two songs ("Lady Marmalade" and "It's Not Easy Being Green") on the Angel: Live Fast, Die Never soundtrack, released in 2005.

The actor's character on Angel was Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan, or Lorne for short. Hallett's Lorne was a friendly demon, who, when not assisting Angel and his team in the investigation of various and sundry underworld mysteries, served as the host and headliner at a demon bar.

Back in 2001, Hallett told our own Jen Godwin that despite constant flirtation with David Boreanaz' character Angel, and the occasional sly Elton John reference, "We don't really know if he's gay. I don't really know. It's funny, because sometimes he's right in Angel's face, and that's when I feel it the most. And viewers would probably think, hmm, what's going on here? This guy's pretty curvy."

Hallett has spent his post-Angel years working on his music career, playing shows around the country. He had been admitted to the hospital three or four times in the past few years for his heart condition, according to Pat.

Another Angel castmember, Glenn Quinn, who played Doyle in season one, passed away in 2002.

A private funeral service will be held for family and close friends in Cape Cod, most likely over this weekend.

Source: Eonline

My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. Another great talent lost way before his time :(.

DWTS: Week 4 Argentine Tango & Lindy Hop

Well, as promised I'm back with a real re-cap of this weeks Dancing With the Stars.

Tonight the dance styles were as unfamiliar to the contestants as they were to the proffessional dancers. But of course because they're proffessionals you would never know it.

Kym & David Allen Grier started things off with their interpretation of the Lindy Hop. I thought it was really fun, but could have been a bit more energetic.

And though David did loose his rhythm half-way through (as Len pointed out). Overall it was a decent dance that earned him 22/30.

Derek & 'Lil Kim danced the Argentine Tango, and I gotta say I think I like it better then the regular one. Might have something to do with the few additional seductive leg moves. Derek remains the king of outstanding choreography.

His ability to learn new dances in a short span of time still amazes me. With a score of 27/30 'Lil Kim continues to be a real contender in the competition.

Julianne and Chuck though I thought he did a nice solid job on his Lindy Hop it was another case where it could have been a lot better. It was really fun, and he showed more of his personality once again.

But to me he looked like he was holding back, I expected him to cut loose a lot more. It would have been the perfect time for him to get ahead of the pack, but the hesitation with his moves cost him. Wasted opportunity there. Still 22/30 isn't too bad.

Edyta & Lawrence hit the floor next with their Argentine Tango. Parts of it were very enjoyable but as Carrie Anne commented lacked chemistry.

And at times it looked very one sided with Lawrence walking (instead of gliding) around the floor and Edyta doing all the work. The final score of 19/30 is a fair reflection of his performance.

Chelsie & Ty Lindy Hopped their way to a 25/30. And to think this guy could barely even move in week one!. He continues to forge ahead as the most improved of all the competitors.

One of the things I love about this show is that you get to see people gain confidence and really persovere as the weeks go on. I think this guy has no where to go but up.

Tom Bergeron said it best tonight had Ty's wife Jewel not pulled out he would have totally kicked her butt!.

Karina & Steve Wozniak my least favourite couple of the bunch (and I use the term loosely) danced the Tango . Ok, fine I give him slight (and I mean miniscule) credit for this one compared to the disaster that was last week.

Geeks may inherit the earth (as he so aptly put it), but they should definitely stay away from the dance floor!.

With a score of 12/30 the American audiance needs to do themselves a favor by getting a clue, and stop saving this guy from elimination.


Tony & Melissa I mentioned in a previous post this month that along with Mark and Shawn these two were my top fave contenders, and tonight they proved why.

Their Lindy Hop was chuck full of energy, fun and enthusiasm (something I thought had been lacking up to this point).

With a near perfect score of 29/30 (2nd only to Gill and Cheryl) these two are moving up!. I just wanna add how happy I am that Tony finally got a competent partner with whom he's got wonderful chemistry. About time!.


Demitri & Holly can't say I like these two, but I felt really sorry for her. No one ever wants to lose due to an injury.

Lacey & Steve-O I still feel real sympathy for this guy, and I want him to do well. But unfortunately his lack of practice due to his injuries really showed with his Lindy Hop attempt. The whole thing looked quite awkward and painful.

With a score of 15/30 he could be the one to go home. But at least he can take solace in the fact that he was leaps and bounds better then Steve Wozniak. Personally I'm hoping Steve-O gets another shot.

Cheryl & Gill were next with their Argentine Tango. And what a Tango it was!. Deeply sensual and full of emotion. Best dance of the night!. Earning them the first perfect score of the season. Very impressive.

Mark & Shawn as soon as I heard that they were going to do the Lindy Hop I knew it would be perfect for them. Especially with both Shawn and Mark being so athletic. And I wasn't disappointed, unfortunately the judges didn't seem to agree.

I guess there was a little too much pizzaz in the form of flips and tricks. Which I thought worked quite well, and give it a little something extra. So I was disappointed with their final score of 25/30. But I'm confident America will wanna see more of Shawn and vote her through to next week.

With the double elimination tomorrow night this has got to be the week for Steve Wozniak to go, or I swear I will seriously throw something at my t.v.!.

Two others that could be in danger of heading home would be Lawrence and most obviously Holly.

Happy Birthday to my favourite t.v. heroine

Ms. Lucy Lawless turns 41 today. Looking as good as ever!. Happy Birthday!.

And congrats on 11 successful years of marriage (March 28) to her and Mr. Rob Tapert. All the best.

Teen laziness explained

Finally researchers have come up with a reason other than pure laziness for why teenagers can't shower and brush their teeth or unload the dishwasher and wipe down the counter.

Blame it on "cognitive limitations." Their brains can't multitask as well as those of the taskmasters.

Trust, however, that they'll grow out of it.

The part of the brain responsible for multitasking continues to develop until late adolescence, with cells making connections even after some children are old enough to drive, according to a new study in the May/June issue of the journal Child Development.

The frontal cortex, which starts just behind the eyes and goes back almost to the ears, figures out (or doesn't) what to do when a person is asked to juggle multiple pieces of information. Imagine, then, how "make your bed and bring the laundry down" might befuddle a 13-year-old.

In one of the study's tests, subjects between ages 9 and 20 were given multiple pieces of information, then asked to re-order the information to formulate an accurate response to a question. In another of several tests, they were asked to find hidden items using a high degree of strategic thinking.

The ability to remember multiple bits of information developed through age 13 to 15, the study found. But strategic self-organized thinking, the type that demands a high level of multi-tasking skill, continues to develop until ages 16 to 17.

The notion is not entirely new. Brain imaging has suggested as much.

"Our findings lend behavioral support to that work and indicate that the frontal lobe is continuing to develop until late adolescence in a manner that depends upon the complexity of the task that is being demanded," said lead researcher Monica Luciana, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota.

Unfortunately the study did not reveal any solution to parents at their wits' end over the problem. But Luciana did offer this advice:

"We need to keep their cognitive limitations in mind, especially when adolescents are confronted with demanding situations in the classroom, at home, or in social gatherings."

Courtesy of livescience.com via neatorama.com

If only this information was available back when I was a teenager. Would have saved my parents and I many long arguments.

Definitely something to keep in mind for future reference (if I ever have kids of my own).

Maura Tierney to star in new NBC adaptation

We'd heard that Dirty Sexy Money's Peter Krause was one of the most sought-after men this pilot season (and rightfully so), and he's finally chosen a project: NBC's adaptation of the 1989 film Parenthood. Krause will update the Steve Martin role, a married father with various neuroses. ER's Maura Tierney will play a version of Dianne Wiest's part, his single-mother sister with issues of her own. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Coach's Craig T. Nelson is in talks to play their dad (now a "Vietnam vet-turned-actor/hippie"), Let's Go to Prison's Dax Shepard is in negotiations to play their slacker younger brother, Mae Whitman (Diane Lane's daughter in Nights in Rodanthe) will costar as Tierney's wild teen, and Runaway's Sarah Ramos will be Krause's good little girl.

What are we thinking? Did Krause make the right choice? The show is from Friday Night Lights' Jason Katims, who will exec produce with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (director and producer of the film) -- so the talent is there behind the scenes. An attempt to bring the movie to the small screen failed in 1990, but as I said when the pilot was first announced, the timing could finally be right: The kids who loved the film are now parents, raising children of their own, and either embracing or fearing the rollercoaster of life.

With the casting of Krause and Tierney, who I trust to know smart comedy (Sports Night, NewsRadio) and good drama (Six Feet Under, ER), I'm in. At least for one episode. Then, it depends on whether Shepard annoys me (I always expect him to, but then he doesn't), and how "hippie" they make Nelson look (not very, I hope).

Source: EW.com

I knew it wouldn't take Maura too long to find a new gig. Though I'm surprised she opted for yet another t.v. series. I guess the movie scripts weren't that great.

Haven't seen the movie the series is based on, but could be interesting. I hope it gets picked up it'll be nice to see Maura on my t.v. on a weekly basis again.

Kim Clijsters making a full return to the WTA?

WASHINGTON (AP)—Former No. 1-ranked tennis player Kim Clijsters asked the U.S. Open about receiving a wild card for this year’s tournament as part of her comeback plans, The Associated Press learned Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Clijsters, who retired in 2007 and gave birth to a child last year, will hold a news conference Thursday in Belgium to announce her 2009 plans.

A spokeswoman for Clijsters, the 2005 U.S. Open champion, did not return phone calls.

But a person who works at the U.S. Tennis Association told the AP there have been conversations between a tournament official and representatives of Clijsters about her participating in the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 31 in New York. The USTA told Clijsters she would receive a U.S. Open wild card if she were formally to request one.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because Clijsters has yet to announce her comeback, the person also said Clijsters’ representatives told the U.S. Open official she would seek wild cards from events in Cincinnati and Toronto.

Those tournaments are both played in August and on hard courts, like the U.S. Open.

“At this time, Kim has not contacted the Tour regarding entry into Tour events,” WTA spokesman Andrew Walker wrote in an e-mail to the AP.

The Belgian never returned to play in the U.S. Open after earning her lone Grand Slam championship there. A left wrist injury prevented her from defending her title at Flushing Meadows in 2006, and she announced her retirement in May 2007.

Clijsters was only 23 when she walked away, but she already had dealt with a series of injuries, including to her hip and back. She was the runner-up at four major tournaments and won 34 singles titles, along with two major doubles titles.

Rising to the top at the same time as another Belgian who retired early, Justine Henin, Clijsters held the No. 1 singles ranking for 19 weeks.

Thursday’s news conference will be in Bree, Belgium, at the tennis facility where Clijsters has been practicing recently, sparking interest at home.

The Het Belang van Limburg regional newspaper reported she is set to enter top-level tournaments, while the VTM television network said she may target the U.S. Open as the highlight of her season.

Clijsters will join Graf, Andre Agassi and Tim Henman for a series of exhibition matches at Wimbledon on May 17 to test conditions under the new retractable roof on Centre Court.

She also is scheduled to play an exhibition June 14 against Michaella Krajicek in the Netherlands, along with two matches for the St. Louis Aces of World Team Tennis in July.

Source: Yahoo Sports

Well, what do you know?. Things on the women Tennis front are finally starting to look up!. I was beginning to think that would never happen.

A return of Clijsters to the WTA would give it the big boost it needs to bring interest and excitement back to the women's side of the sport.

And hopefully in the process help fill the big hole that was left personality and game wise when Martina Hingis left.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Update: At a press conference held in Bree, Belgium today Kim announced she is officially coming back to the tour!. That deserves a WOO-HOO!!. I can finally start watching the women's game again.

'Roseanne' 2.0 ?

Roseanne Barr is looking to return to primetime.

The star of ABC's long-running sitcom has teamed with one of the "Roseanne" producers, Caryn Mandabach, for a family comedy in which she would play the matriarch.

Jim Vallely ("Arrested Development") is attached to pen the script for the project, which has been pitched to Fox. He would executive produce with Mandabach, Maggie Rowe and Barr.

After her eponymous sitcom ended its nine-year run in 1997, Barr fronted a syndicated talk show and a reality series for ABC. Now she's returning to her scripted comedy roots.

Mandabach, who rose to partner at Carsey-Werner, the company behind "Roseanne," has focused for the past couple of years on producing for the BBC. In the U.S., she executive produces Showtime's upcoming series "Nurse Jackie," starring Edie Falco.

Source: THR.com

Seems like a good idea on paper, but that show was and still is one of a kind. I find it hard to believe she could capture lightning in a bottle twice.

Even if this new show works out to me nothing is as good as the brilliance of the original. But I've been wrong about such things before, so you never know.

We certainly could use more smart family oriented sit-coms on t.v. again.

Especially since they seem to be in such short supply these days.

Happy Birthday to my favourite geek!

I wanna wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Buffy alum Alyson Hannigan who turns 35 today.

She doesn't look a day over 20!.

DWTS: Week 3 Foxtrot and Samba

After skipping the re-cap of last year's competition. I decided to share my thoughts on this one.

I'll stick with overall observations and impressons only, and will try for a more detailed re-cap (with scores and judges comments) next week since those require note taking.

A couple of weeks ago when the competition first started I honestly didn't think I would have any opinions on the season, or its contasts because a lot of the celebs I was interested in dropped out (Charlie Sheen, Jewel, Nancy O'Dell, Billy Bush) due to injuries, and what I would guess to be personal reasons.

Thus forcing ABC to get some last minute replacements. But after watching tonight I've discovered some favourtes worth rooting for.

My absolute fave dancing pair at the moment is Olympic gymnist Shawn Johnston and Mark Ballas.

Those two couldn't be more of a perfect match. Both are driven perfectionists (but without the overbearing factor).

I was very surprised by how well she's been doing in the competition. She seems to posses an innate ability to perform all types of dances with extreme ease. So far she's definitely the one to watch out for.

Another big surprise is the batchelor cast-off (and last minute replacement) Melissa Rycroft. I'm sure her background in ballet helps quite a bit, but still very impressive.

What better way to bounce back from being dumped on national t.v. then by showing your hidden dancing talent. I say good for her!.

I also really like french actor Gilles Marini (who I'm not familiar with) & Cheryl Burke. Boy, tonight he certainly showed that he can shake his bon-bon better then Ricki Martin!.

And I'm sure Cheryl is very happy to finally get a decent partner, since she's been stuck with a lot of duds in the past.

Derek Hough also lucked out by getting Lil' Kim as his partner. They're both hard workers so that really works, and could get them very far in the competition.

And I do so enjoy watching that man shake his booty on the dance floor ;D.

The one contest I currently feel the most sympathy for is poor Jackass creator Steve-O. That man has had so many injuries already and we are bearly to the half-way point.

It's almost funny really considering the kinds of stunts he pulls on his show.

I give him huge credit for hanging in there and persovering despite all that. I'm rooting for him as the underdog.

I've also got a soft spot for rodeo athlete (and husband of Jewel) Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower (one of the two new proffesionals added this seasons).

Maybe it's that cowby charm. But you can really tell he's trying, and the effort payed off tonight. He's without a doubt the most improved non-proffesional thus far.

Then there's Football player Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska. Is it me, or does she always get the football players?. Huh.

I guess the producers figured since she's done such a good job with them in the past they might as well continue to give them all to her.

David Alen Grier I've never been a big fan of, but he did a good job with his dance this week. So he could be around for a while.

Julianne Hough is of course dancing with her real life boyfriend Chuck Wicks. They're an interesting pair.

I was glad to see him finally show some moves instead of allowing Julianne to do all the work. He's certainly easy on the eyes too.

Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy these two are the exact oppisate of Shawn and Mark. If there was ever a bad match-up in dancing these two would be it.

Max is too much of a perfectionist and Denise is too much of a thinker. If she doesn't learn to relax and stop overanalyzing and obssesing over her steps I'm afraid she won't get very far.

As for who should get the boot this week for once I am in complete agreement with Carrie Ann. The Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has got to go.

To quote her "the novelty has worn off". I still can't believe Belinda Carlisle got the boot before him!.

Song of the Moment: Duffy-Serious

I can't seem to get enough of Duffy lately. Anyone know when her next album is coming out?.

Adorable bird antics part 2

Nothing better then a cute bird doing tricks to cheer you up, and get you through the rest of the work week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'm not actually Irish, but I have many friends that are so to all of them I wanna say:



St. Patrick's Day Glitter Graphics

Busy

Ok, so I've been a bad blogger again, but unlike all those other times of luckluster updates this time I actually have good reasons.

My mom and I are getting ready to go back home to Poland for the summer in mid-June.

We've been running around like crazy getting our passports ready, getting our tickets, and all the other good stuff one needs to consider when travelling.

I can happily report, that we are now about half-way there. We received our passports last week (my first Canadian Passport after 14 years yay! *lol*).

I was actually surprised by how well the picture turned out usually I look absolutely atrocious on all my goverment documents. Hats off to the photographer.

The week prior we found a great air travel deal. So we are all set. Well, almost now we just need to find some really good luggage.

This year for the first time ever we'll be flying on our national (Polish) airline so that will be interesting. I hear the food is really good (or as good as airplane food could be I guess).

I was debating on whether to go or not because I'm not a good traveller, and I'm really not fond of planes. But after much soul-searching and deliberation I decided the pros outweigh the cons.

I must admit that just the thought of going home after 12 years is quite unsettling.

I think I'm most afraid of that outsider feeling that will undboutedly surface (despite being among family and friends).

Which is ironic because the last time I felt like this was the first time I stepped foot in Canada.

Aside from that apprehension though I am really looking forward to seeing my whole family again. Especially my grandmother.

I miss that feeling of closeness that we always had when I was growing up. And I miss that big family atmosphere that you can only get when you're around one another.

I'm looking forward to seeing my childhood friends again as well.

Although I am also extremely disappointed that the one friend I really wanted to reunite with will not be able to make it.

Actually I don't think disappointed is a strong enough word. Crushed might be more accurate.

The disadvantages of living in different countries really suck sometimes. Guess it's just another reason for me to head over to England one of these days.

And although I will miss many things here at home (my cockatiel, my dad and most importantly the comfort of my own bed).

I'm really looking forward to a month of humid-free, worry-free vacation.

Where can I get me one of those?

"From Polish product designer Maja Ganszyniec comes a boon for late workers: "Pillows for working late." The three-piece set includes a tie, sleeve and and collar, so matter how you fall asleep at your desk you're covered. On top of that, it also doesn't look too different from what you may normally wear to the office (though Popeye-style forearms would make you less conspicuous), so you may even be able to sneak it by the boss".

Courtesy of dvice.com via geekologie.com (my new favourite site).

A pillow made attire for my desk?. Yes please!!. And a Polish designer too, cool!.

Song of the Moment: Hanson-Never Been to Spain

This is fast becoming one of my all-time favourite covers.

Roger Federer to become a daddy!

Roger Federer announced today on his website, rogerfederer.com, that he and longtime girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec will be expecting their first child together in the coming months.

“Mirka and I are excited to let you know that we will be parents this summer!” Federer wrote on his website. “Mirka is pregnant and we are so happy to be starting a family together. This is a dream come true for us.”

The couple has been dating since meeting at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The 30-year-old Vavrinec competed on the WTA tour briefly before a foot injury sidelined her career.

Source

All I can say to that is FINALLY!! *lol*. Congratulations to the soon-to-be parents I'm sure they'll both be great.

Perhaps now there will be a wedding in the works as well, and we'll finally be able to stop calling Mirka Roger's longtime girlfriend ;).

Song of the Moment: Duffy-Delayed Devotion

I heard about Duffy a lot last year, but have never payed much attention until I started hearing her songs in my favourite t.v. shows.

So I decided to check out her album "Rockferry" and, boy am I glad I did!. I absolutely love it. I find her sound so refreshing.

This song is one of my top faves. I'll definitely be on the look out for her new album.

Fun food creations