Category Archives: Entertainment

Do you ever wonder where the child stars from your youth are now?

What are Mary-Kate and Ashley doing right now? Is Lindsay Lohan even acting anymore? What happened to Amanda Bynes after she was released from treatment? If you’re feeling a tad nostalgic, check out what happened to your old favorite celebs.

Hilary Duff

Our generation’s ‘it-girl,’ Hilary Duff, used to be everywhere. She released four albums, was on our televisions as Lizzie McGuire for four years, and starred in a whole bunch of movies (“Cheaper by the Dozen”, “Agent Cody Banks”, “A Cinderella Story”, “Raise Your Voice” and “Material Girls”). Following “Material Girls” in 2006, Hilary seemed to disappear from public. During this time she wrote a novel trilogy, starred in some random films, got married and had a child. Her son, Luca, is now two.  Continue reading →

We are the millennial generation. We jammed out with our CD players, strapped Hit Clips to our belts and waited in line for the very first iPod. But we also saw the evolution of some pretty great musicians. So, for all you people out there still stuck in the 90s and early 2000s, here’s a playlist for when you’re feeling a little bit nostalgic.

“What Dreams Are Made Of”- Hilary Duff

Of course I had to start off with a Lizzie McGuire throw back. This was not only the best song out of the entire movie, but it might just be Hilary Duff’s best song. ever. This is great song to jam out to when you remember that Disney Channel Movies just aren’t as good anymore. Plus who doesn’t love that little shimmy Lizzie does at the end of the song.

“Where is the Love”- Black Eyed Peas

This brings you back to the day when Fergie and Will.I.Am were still a part of the Black Eyed Peas. If you’re in the mood for a slow rap and some political justice this is the song to listen to.

“Cry Me a River” – Justin Timberlake

Justin, you had us the moment you got rid of your crazy macaroni hair. This is a great throwback to the days when JT was single and still available. (Sigh)

“Complicated” – Avril Lavigne

Avril just knew how complicated our preteen lives really were. But let’s be honest, this song is still pretty applicable to our lives now, even though it’s been a good decade since it came out.

“Lip Gloss” – Lil Mama

This song made you want to go out to Claire’s and buy every scented lip gloss possible. It was the Hip Hop anthem for every sassy middle school girl. Plus the music video about a magical lip gloss necklace was pretty cool.

“Smack That”- Akon

Ah yes, Akon ruled the middle school dance floors. While none of us probably knew more than the chorus of “Smack that”, it was still a great song that came with a simple dance: the “smack the imaginary butt” move.

“Crank That”- Soulja Boy

Speaking of dance moves, this was the song that everyone secretly practiced in their spare time. Soulja Boy’s Crank That is perfect for those days when you’re just in the mood to bust out some good ol’ fashioned dance moves.

“Shake Ya Tail Feather” – Nelly, P. Diddy, Murphy Lee

This came out after P. Diddy had name ADD, and changed his name a bunch of times. It’s classic hip hop song that had everyone up on their feet. This is the song to listen to get you pumped on a Friday night. Plus who doesn’t love a great Nelly throwback.

“Genie in a Bottle”- Christina Aguilera

If you’re in the mood to just chill this is the perfect throwback. Christina sultry voice will take you back to the days when life was a little less stressful.

“Girlfriend”- Avril Lavigne ft. Lil Mama

The amount of times I’ve had “Little Mama and Avril Lavigne, REMIX!” stuck in my head is uncountable. It’s a great song for those days when your relationship drama is just getting out of hand.

For more TBT songs check out Songza.com for their entire selection of 90s and 2000s playlists.

Photo credit: wikipedia.org, amazon.com

Jewelry trends come and go, but the attention they get while they’re around is amazing. We all remember the choker necklaces, power beads and of course, charm bracelets. This week, Valley is taking its readers back to the early 2000s to reminiscence about Italian charm bracelets.

If you’re unfamiliar with Italian charm bracelets, they are silver modular links hooked together to form a stretchy bracelet. Typically, a bracelet is 18 links in length. To start your own, you buy a completely blank bracelet and then purchase individual charm faces (letters, designs, etc.) to switch out for the plain ones. So, until a bracelet is complete, there will be blank and charm faces mixed together.

This trend, obviously started by Italians, got attention from American tourists as early as the 1990s, but a majority of the country didn’t join the craze until the early 2000s. Many of us ladies can remember seeing these charms in Limited Too and in several department stores.  Continue reading →