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Sorry friends....

I LOVE MY HAIR

MEET MORE READERS

I am happy to introduce a couple more of my blog readers! Vicky and Vanessa both read my blog and chat with me often. I am happy to have so many awesome readers and stay tuned because I still have many more questions and a couple more readers profiles! Thanks for reading! Ooo… and don’t forget to follow me on twitter @ChudneyLRoss!

Reader Profile: Vicky Foulks

I am sorry this has taken my sometime to get to. I know Mark had this great idea a few months ago, in fact before your mother’s tour, which I was very fortunate to be able to attend the show at the Nokia in L.A. and the show at Humphrey's Jazz Concerts By The Sea in San Diego. It was so special and so much fun!!

One day, I was searching for Diana Ross concerts because I wanted to attend one in 2007 and I came across your blog. I read your posts and was quite impressed with what I read. You are such a wonderful writer and it got my attention. One thing about me… if I do not like what I read or it does not get my attention, I will not look for it again. I found you to be very open, honest, down to earth, and not spoiled… all the qualities I look for in a friend. I also admired your ability to work with young children and wanting to give back and help in the community.

I work in the criminal justice system in California as a probation officer. I work with all the at-risk children and all the cultures, which are unique in themselves. I have to teach classes that help people learn life skills. I have an outgoing personality and believe each and every one of us had a gift inside that we need to use to help others or reach out to others. My friends would describe me as assertive, professional, hard working and easy to talk to. I am also told I can be the life of the party. I think I have learned over the years to be able to talk to people and relate to all types of people as that it my job. I know I have helped a lot of people over the years and many contact me later to thank me for believing in them. I think happiness comes from having made a difference in people's lives and being productive. In other words having goals and accomplishing them. You have to always have goals and once you finish one you set more and keep on going.

If I won the lottery (of course you have to play to win) I would help all the people I know in my family and friends that need help in this economy. My proudest moment is when I became a runner and fitness buff and competed in body building contests. I was extremely fit and have continued working out 5 to 6 days a week. Of course, I am not in the fitness level I was 10 years ago. I now do what I like to do spinning 3 days a week, hiking in the canyons in California, and weight training.

My favorite Diana Ross song… Oh, there are so many. I grew up in Chicago over the lake from Detroit. Motown was a fabric of my life as I was about 10 years old when I watched The Supremes on the ED Sullivan Show. I love all the oldies, Baby Love, Where Did Our Love Go, Stop In The Name Of Love, Come See About Me. Then, I love The Boss and Ain't No Mountain High Enough. She is my all time favorite singer and I know where you got your down to earth personality. I think your mom is very warm, caring and genuine, which is the way my friends describe me. I think it is from the mid-west people in general are like that.

I love to travel so when life gets to crazy I go to Cabo San Lucas to my timeshare and just relax. Thank you Chudney for giving me the opportunity to meet you and I really appreciate all you do for the at-risk children and the charity work you do. We need all the help we can get. I work in the Inland Empire Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga. I look forward to reading the comments from other's and yourself.

Reader Profile: Vanessa Brockington

Chudney, you are a great inspiration to me and to us all. I was reading your blog’s for a while now. I came across your blog a few months ago surfing the net. You may not know it, but your words of wisdom are very encouraging to me, but I was too shy to respond to them. I think you remember me from twitter as vanessab28. I just love reading everyone else profiles they are all great. Here is mine…

My name is Vanessa and I was born July 18, which makes me a cancer. I’m from Florida. I love autumn, because it’s not so hot or cold. I grew up in a Christian home. I love God, but we were never crazy religious. That’s a very good thing, considering, my mother is the pastor. Lol. My proudest moments are the little things like…My mother raises me to love everybody. We would have every ethnicity of kids in the neighborhood hanging out in our home. No matter if they were Caucasian American, African American, Latin American, Purple, Blue or Green. We loved them and they loved us. My shyness always was the talk in school or with family members. I guess I got it from my mother because my father is a chatterbox. One thing good came out of my shyness is my friends say, I’m a good listener. They also talked about how skinny I was. It hurt because I couldn’t help the way I was built. The happiest moment in my life is… my writing and being with family. I’m inspiring writer, like my late grandmother, Author Ruth Chandler. As of right now, I have a couple different writing projects that I’ve started.

I love the color black. All my friends and I would always walk around in black shirts and jeans. I look great in black. I am a rocker. I grew up on artists like Tina Turner and Bon Jovi. I’m a sucker for a good western show, like The Big Valley. It’s family thing, again. I love Xena Warrior Princess (She kicks ass). I also love football. Go Colts! But, I also had some kind of imagination growing up. I thought the number on back there shirt was how much the football players weighed. I had a huge crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas. I wanted to marry Michael Jackson. I thought I was Tina Turner and Diana Ross and I wanted to fly with Christopher Reeve (Superman). Crazy huh? Yep, thank god I grew out of it. Lol

I really love traveling cruise style, which is something Chudney and I have in common. We must cruise together Chudney, kidding! Anyways, I’ve cruise to few different parts of the world. I love cruising. I try to cruise every year if I have the time to do it. I’ve been to Nassau, Bahamas, Cozumel, Mexico. So, Italy and London your next… If anything were possible? I would fly. I have a huge fear of flying in planes. I had this fear since I was little. To this day, I don’t fly. One day, I’ll get the courage and do it though.

Favorite Food: Baked Fish and Garden Salad.

Favorite Diana Ross song: Reach out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand), Amazing Grace (I‘ve heard so many people sang this song but, Diana sing’s it with such passion and feeling I cry every time she sing it.) And Chain Reaction (love the video)

If anybody wants to know where I am online, my twitter is… www.twitter.com/vanessab28

MORE OF YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Here are some more answers to your questions. I still have a lot to get to, but I will try to get to as many as I can! I hope you enjoy asking questions and getting to know me better this way. I think it has been a lot of fun. Thank you for all the great questions! Keep reading for more reader profiles and answers soon... and follow me on twitter if you don't already!

Questions from Terry Wilson from Seattle:

What do you consider to be your proudest accomplishment?

I would have to say my proudest accomplishment in my life so far was getting my book deal with Harper Collins. I sort of fell into writing and created this character that I loved and when other people loved her too, I was very proud. Now, that I have been stuck in re-write hell for so long I have lost some of that excitement and passion for my writing, but I am still proud of the accomplishment. I am also extremely proud to be making this business idea into reality. My friend and partner Mary and I had talked about it for a long time and I just decided to dig deep inside me and find the courage to go for it. Now, that it is coming together, I am really proud of myself. It is scary and at times overwhelming, but I’m going for it and I’m proud of that!

Questions from Mark Connolly:

What was it like growing up in New York City and then moving to Greenwich, CT? (If it isn’t too personal, I would love to hear a little bit about what it was like growing up at your family estate in CT. It sounds like a really cool place with a very rich history.)

I am very lucky and happy that my mother raised us on the East Coast. I love LA, but I think for celebrity children it is so important to grow up and build a foundation outside of Hollywood. We lived in NYC and Europe most of my youth and both are full of culture, which I feel fortunate to have been exposed to. I was able to experience the world at a young age and grow into an independent, strong woman with my own identity separate from being Diana Ross’s daughter. We moved around a lot when I was young, but eventually settled in Connecticut where I finished high school. The town is snooty and exactly what you would think about a gated community in an affluent community, but I was able to find my niche and I still keep in touch with those friends today. All of my greatest family memories are from that CT house, it was a great home to be a kid and perfect for family!

It has a big yard, tennis court, trampoline, pool and yes the rumors are true… a bowling alley in the basement. What was really so great about it though was it was safe and so we were able to have more freedom then we did in NYC and Europe. No security followed me to the movies with friends. I could just be me… and that was so important. I worry about celeb kids today with all the media attention. It’s almost impossible to avoid now and I just am not sure how these kids will be able to just have a normal upbringing when the paporazzi is standing outside their schools and following their every step, trip and fall. I wish they could all be so lucky to have grown up away from it all like me.

Have you ever vacationed on the Jersey Shore?

First of all, I am obsessed with Snookie, The Situation and the gang! The show is so fantastically terrible that I am so excited to watch on MTV every Thursday! Yes, I visited the Jersey Shore once during college, but no it was NOTHING like the show. I wonder if I was in the wrong part, but oh well :) My trip to the Jersey Shore was FABULOUS anyway even if there was no fist pumping or hair poofs!

Questions from Lena:

Do you have any plans to travel around when your books comes out to meet all types of children of this world? I ask this so you can learn the different life stories of these kids so you can write a book that can help them overcome any issue they might be having.

Yes, I do plan on traveling to read and do book signings when my book finally comes out. I think it would be great to be able to share my book with different kids from different areas because I think it will be relatable to kids from all walks of life. Once Books and Cookies is open, I do plan on getting back to focusing on writing, so stay tuned!

Do you have a copy of your aunt Rita's children album she came out with in 2000? If so when you go out to help children in your community have you played any of the songs for them to hear?

I do have a copy of my Aunt Rita’s children’s album and I LOVE it! Growing up, Aunt Rita used to always lead loud, rousing sing along sessions with my sisters, my cousins and I. All of the songs I cherish from my childhood are on that CD. I plan on having one on hand at Books and Cookies. Also Lena, what a great idea to share it with the kids I do charity work with. Those songs bring me great joy and I’m sure it would bring them happiness as well!

ONLINE SHOPPING

Right now, I’m obsessed with online shopping daily deals. I’ve never been a big online shopper, because you never really know what your gonna get or whether it’s gonna fit you like a glove, however this new invention of the daily deal has caught me and it won’t let go.

My passion for the daily deal started with an iphone application called Groupon (check it out at: www.groupon.com). Everyday when you clicked on the icon you got the secret in on a great deal (from 50% - 90% off) on great stuff in your area. I jumped right in and bought two Korean body scrubs for $30 each at the new Tikkun Holistic Spa in Santa Monica, which my friend Sam and I used for a ladies night out. Next, I bought two tickets for $15 each to Mulligan’s Family Fun Center in Torrance where Joshua and I rode go carts, played video games, hit ball in the batting cages and played mini-golf. Recently, I got wine tasting for two including a free bottle of wine at Malibu Wines (I love myself some wine) and $20 dinner for only $10 at Little Ethiopian Restaurant on Fairfax (and you know I love Ethiopian food)! I love that Groupon has introduced me to new spots in my area for discounted prices. Thanks for broadening my horizons, Groupon!

Another one to check out:

www.LivingSocial.com

I’ve seen a bunch of awesome deals, but I have yet to buy any here!

For fashion, there are lots of great daily deal sites, too. My favorite (and the only one I have made purchases from yet) is www.ideeli.com. They send you an email every morning with deals from different high-end fashion companies. You only have 24 hours to buy and they sell out so if you see something you like you have to jump on it and get it. My only issue with this way of shopping is that there are no returns, but you can’t go wrong with a tassle-y purse form Linea Pelle, which was my first purchase from ideeli. They also have great men’s and kid’s deals and recently, they’ve been doing some travel and hotel deals. This site is a MUST if you love to shop!

Other sites to check out:

www.hautecouture.com

Haute Couture allows returns and even wait lists on wanted items! It’s a little more expensive than ideeli, but awesome high-end designers that I would never be able to buy at full price!

www.Swirl.com

This site is the spawn of www.DailyCandy.com, which is one of my favorite websites! Daily Candy keeps you in the know of what to do, where to eat and where to shop in your area and Swirl has great daily deals!

www.renttherunway.com

This is an awesome idea! Just like celebs borrow designer duds you can too – well, for a fee. They have an amazing selection of dresses to borrow for your prom, special event, friend’s wedding or night on the town. It’s not that cheap, but these dresses are to die for and you know the rule of celebs – Never be photographed in an outfit twice!

Now, get out there and start shopping! Love it :)

PLAYING WITH THE MOON

My friend Casey sent me this in an email. I thought it was so beautiful, so I wanted to share it with you. Sending you blessings....

May you always have work for your hands to do.

May your pockets hold always a coin or two.

May the sun shine bright on your window pane.

May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near you.

And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

- Irish Blessing

MEET MORE READERS

Meet Rebecca Reed:

I have been reading your blog for quite some time, but never submitted any comments until recently. I initially stumbled upon it when I saw pictures of you at a fashion show and became interested in what you were up to. Like many readers, I have been a lifelong fan of your mom (I turned 39 this year) and have seen you and your family in the spotlight for as long as I can remember. I come back to your blog each week simply to have a few precious moments of "me time." It is nice to read a light, yet upbeat and meaningful blog.

I am a pediatrician in private practice in New Jersey. I love my job. I cannot imagine doing anything else with my life. I have wanted to be a physician since I was in the third grade. I never changed my mind and never looked back. My friends would describe me as loyal, hardworking, FUN, and okay, at times stubborn. I am an Aquarian who LOVES to travel. I have been fortunate to have traveled to many places but still have yet to go to Africa, which I plan on doing someday. I spend a lot of time in NYC as it is just a short train ride away. If money was no object I would love to open a clinic in nearby Camden, NJ and provide free healthcare to children in need. For now, I continue to volunteer my services whenever possible. I *love* Italian food and warm weather!! Heatwave?? Bring it on! It doesn't take much to make me happy. Honestly a quiet Sunday afternoon with some good take-out food and a movie on Lifetime TV and I am perfectly content. My favorite color is green.

My favorite Diana Ross song is "Do You Know" from Mahogany. When I travel to Italy I like to envision the part of the movie when your mom travels to Rome and that song plays in the back. I love the words and play it frequently. Of course, there are many others that I love as well. Your mom's music has gotten me through many endless nights in medical school and during residency when we were still working 36 hour shifts I would often pop in a CD in the middle of the night if I knew sleep was not an option. Her music always kept me going. I have told you before that being able to dance with your mom on stage when I was 19 was one of the greatest days in my life. Not many are able to say they got to dance with their childhood idol. Would you believe I even wrote my term paper on your mom in the 9th grade??? It got an A!!

Well, I'm signing off now. I am glad to have read so many profiles. Keep them, and the blog, coming!!

Meet Ruth:

I see you've come towards the end of your reader profiles. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some of your regular readers and have to say your blog room is a wonderful meeting place for what I consider to be a real nice bunch of folk :) All down to your creative blogs! By now, I'm sure you realize just how special every blog is and how much appreciated each one is.

I first stumbled across your blog just at the time you were changing your writing style. Similar to Sharon I was disgusted with some of the negative comments you were receiving and took it upon myself to become involved in offering more supportive comments. I was particularly drawn to your warm, fun, intelligent and diverse topics. I love your travel blogs. My line of work is with the airlines and I have been flying on the long haul routes worldwide for twenty years now. So any travel related topics always catch my eye.

I live in the west coast of Scotland in a small tourist area, which I adore. It means a long working day however as I am based in London and therefore have quite a commute to and from work. An average working day will have me on the go 28 to 32 hours. Tiring indeed. So, whether it's 9am at home with my morning coffee, or 10pm local time in Washington en route to bed, or 3pm in Starbucks coffee shop in Singapore getting out of the heat, I'm reading your blogs and your reader's comments. It's my little "home from home" comfort meeting place and I encourage everyone to stop by more often :) At the moment a little health hiccup is keeping me off my work so I'm certainly catching up on a "normal" routine in life. Something rather alien to me. I've now been off flying duties for a month and am getting quite restless I have to say.... so perhaps you can help out Chudney with any travel blogs?!

What's important in my life? My friends and family. What would anything mean without our loved ones. I come from quite a large family and my friends have been with me throughout... I consider myself very lucky to have such good people around me. Spending time outdoors.... walking, cycling, sailing when I'm lucky to get the chance. Because of my job and constantly living out of a suitcase I also appreciate time indoors at home.... even if it's doing chores! Being at HOME is never taken for granted. Cooking/baking.... good movies and wine.... and time with Wesley {my significant other half :) }... all fit the bill.

I have to give a shout out too to those friends I have made both via your mum Chudney, and also through your from this blog spot. There's lots of good people here.

TWITTER

I am totally over myspace and so I am moving onward and upward to TWITTER!

Please follow me @ChudneyLRoss

I’m still getting the hang of it, but I think it’s pretty cool.

Stay tuned….

INTRODUCING BOOKS AND COOKIES

Sorry for the delay in posts. Lots of exciting things have been going on with the business that I have been working diligently on. Introducing BOOKS AND COOKIES!

BOOKS AND COOKIES is a new Children’s Bookstore / Bakery due to begin operations in October 2010 in Santa Monica, California.

BOOKS AND COOKIES is an enchanting blend of literature, learning activities and sweet treats. We will sell a wonderful selection of books for children of all ages as well as a delicious array of freshly baked cookies, snacks, milk, juices and water. For grownups, we will also serve organic coffees and teas.

BOOKS AND COOKIES is a safe and relaxing environment for kids and families with the desire to bring the wonder and excitement back to reading and away from television and video games. The space is completely kid friendly with plenty of comfortable areas to sprawl out and get lost in the pages of a book. Story-time and other reading, musical and baking activities will foster learning and family interaction.

BOOKS AND COOKIES will offer a great space for children’s birthday parties. From baking and storytelling to music and ballet parties, BOOKS AND COOKIES will offer full service party planning.

Gift baskets and specialty products, such as branded t-shirts, mugs, aprons and bookmarks will sold at the retail location as well as online at www.booksandcookiesLA.com.

There is currently no other retail space such as BOOKS AND COOKIES that is dedicated to creating a safe environment for children while promoting literacy and family interaction. Our goal is to fill that void starting in Santa Monica, CA and in the future, nationwide.

By teaming up with charities such as Children Mending Hearts and Ready to Learn, BOOKS AND COOKIES pledges to be a positive force in giving back to the community.

For more information, check us out online.

www.BooksandCookiesLA.com

On Twitter @BooksandCookies and on Facebook

A QUOTE FOR TODAY

“Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are the Lion or the Gazelle… when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”

- Unknown

MORE QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Question from Dick Ketler:

Who are some of the people that have inspired you and for what reasons?

Your Mom does not count on this one.

I’m inspired by people who are passionate… People who work hard and follow their dreams. Yes, my mom falls into this category, but lots of people do. I am inspired by Martin Luther King, John F Kennedy and President Obama for fighting for change even when it seemed (seems) impossible. I am inspired by the empire Oprah has created. I am inspired by my friend and business partner Mary Giuliani who has created a thriving company from just a good idea and some passion. I inspired by my brothers’ and sisters’ talent and perseverance. I am inspired by my nephew who is amazing and the smartest baby I have ever met. Every day, I am inspired by people who work hard and follow their dreams be them big or small and that is what keeps me going even when I’m feeling defeated or down.

Question from Ruth:

You spent most of your growing up years on the East Coast. You've spent the last several years living on the West Coast. Where do you consider home to be? What do you miss when you're away from New York? And (funnily) what do you miss when you spend time away from LA?

Growing up we lived in New York City, Connecticut and all over Europe, but I’ve always considered myself a California Girl at heart. I was actually born here in Los Angeles. My mom moved us to NYC while shooting the Wiz (I was about 2), but we would spend every summer here and I fell in love with the beach and the weather. As an adult, I also appreciate how you can go from glitzy Hollywood diva to laid-back beach girl all in one day. But, that being said… I still consider both home. The West Coast is my grown up home and when I’m away I miss my beautiful house, the weather and my dogs (who I rarely travel with). The East Coast is my childhood home and when I’m away I miss my childhood friends, the safety and comfort of sleeping in the bedroom I grew up in and the change of seasons. I love both LA and NYC and I am lucky to be able to be able to spend time in both amazing cities.

Question from Ellen in Chicago:

I never see you mention your father. Just wondering how he's doing & how often you see him? I know I've always taken a special interest in your dad, being Jewish myself & of course your dad being Jewish as well. Has Judaism had much influence in your life?

I was raised mostly by my mother, but I have always had a close relationship with my father as well. My dad is a kind, funny, charismatic man and I think I definitely got my humor from him… oh and I also got bad eyes and weird toes from him, too. He and my mother have always kept a close friendship and so it was easy to spend time together. Growing up, we would spend weekends at his house and he always shared holidays and even vacations with the family. He lives on the East Coast now, so as an adult I don’t see him as often, but we stay in touch by phone and email. Both Tracee and I have done some research into Judaism to try to embrace that side of our heritage, but my father doesn’t really practice anymore and so it was never a large part of our lives. I have participated in a Passover Seder, more than one Barmitsfa and I know the Hanukah prayer and how to spin a dreidel.

More questions from JACE CARTER:

What are some of things you would like to accomplish while you are still here on earth, besides the publication of your books?

My writing is just one very small part of who I am. I’m in the process of starting a business called Books and Cookies (more information coming soon), which I am very excited about. I look forward to running a successful business hopefully on both coasts (locations in NYC and LA). I also definitely want to have a family with multiple children, both my own and adopted. I truly think I was put on this planet to make babies. Of course, I also want to continue my charity work and leave a positive legacy when I leave this earth.

Are you spiritual?

Yes, I’m very spiritual and I truly believe in a higher power. I am not religious though. My family never practiced organized religion, but in college (I went to Georgetown, which is a Jesuit institution) it was mandatory to take a class called, The Problem of God. This class helped me to explore many different ways of thinking, which opened my eyes to the beauty of spirituality. Even though I don’t subscribe to one religion, I definitely have found my own way to embrace spirituality and prayer.

What is your favorite Diana Ross song? Why?

I don’t think I have one favorite. I know and love all of my mom’s songs, but some that stick out are Ease on Down (which always lifts me up), Muscles (because the lyrics and video are hysterical), Love Hangover (because I have fond memories of mom on The Muppet Show), Family Tree (which I remember my mom singing in Central Park), Last Time I saw Him (my go to Karaoke song) and Amazing Grace (always seems to make me cry).

What is your favorite color? Why?

I don’t think I really have a favorite color, but I love pink and green and black. I think I look good in green. It’s a cool bright color without being too loud or too much. I like Pink because I’m a girly girl, but I rarely wear anything pink. I always just wear black. It is flattering and I feel comfortable accessorizing when I’m in black. Today, I am wearing all black with florescent pink nails!

I am so happy to have received some more reader profiles and questions so…

THANKS FOR READING IN AND STAY TUNED!