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I've been reading the Harry Potter books to my daughter, Miss M.Ìý We're now obsessed, and spend most of our days roleplaying the characters.Ìý She's Hermione.Ìý Our latest party game is coming up with alternate anagrams for "Tom Marvolo Riddle"Ìý that would make him less intimidating than "I Am Lord Voldemort."Ìý We like "Dove Mold" to start with, but haven't found a great way to use the rest of the letters.Ìý Alternatively, we call him "Tommy," which also takes away his fear factor quite a bit.

That's all off-track though.Ìý I'm here to talk about holes.Ìý I'm in a place where I'm working on the outline for Book #2.Ìý It's not a Populazzi sequel, it's a new series with a new mythology, and a lot of the legwork in the planning stage is filling in holes.Ìý This is vitally important in this skeleton stage, because if there's a hole in a novel's infrastructure, it'll only get bigger as the story builds out from it.

Case in point, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

SPOILER ALERT â€� STOP READING HERE IF YOU'VE NEVER READ HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.Ìý Feel free to swing by the comments and we can chat Voldemort anagrams.Ìý But if you have read the book, by all means carry onâ€�

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, students can't enter the Triwizard Tournament unless they're 17.Ìý It's a major rule.Ìý Dumbledore even puts a spell around the Goblet of Fire, so it rejects anyone underage trying to enter.Ìý Those who use anti-aging spells to get around the rule are shot back from the Goblet wearing a beard â€� their Scarlet A for trying to sneak one by Dumbledore.

And yet, when Harry's name is pulled from the Goblet, and Harry says he never entered, Dumbledore asks if Harry had anyone else � someone of age � put in his name.

What?!

Dumbledore, the greatest wizard who ever lived, wants to make sure no one underage can enter the Tournament, goes so far as to account for aging spells, but neglects to make sure an older student couldn't slip in a younger one's name?Ìý The Goblet of Fire can be outsmarted by the same tactic young muggles have been using to buy beer for nearly a century?

I don't buy it.Ìý Everything we know about Dumbledore tells us he's waaaaaay smarter than this.Ìý Yet there it is, and the story builds out from there, all of it resting on the fact that someone else of-age could put Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire.

A hole like this could kill a lesser book, but this is Harry Potter, so it's part of a great story with rich characters and a mythological world of such texture that I'm willing to make the buy so I can stay on the ride.

But I think about it.Ìý And it bothers me.Ìý And if I weren't in the company of all the people I know and love at Hogwarts, I might put down the book.

A huge part of creating a great story is avoiding holes.Ìý It's something we need to do every step along the way, but at no point is it more important than when we're building the underlying plot structure.Ìý If that's flawed, no amount of clever dialogue or interesting characters will stop readers from stepping out of the story's reality and shaking their heads with a frustrated, "But that doesn't make sense!"

So that's where I am right now in the process â€� Hole-Filling Duty.Ìý It's an exciting place, because filling in the holes requires me to think more deeply about my world, and understand it better.

Soâ€� let's talk holes!Ìý Are there holes in books you love?Ìý Holes you forgive because you're enjoying the ride so much you're willing to shrug them off?Ìý Have you found holes in books that turned you off to the point you had to put them down?Ìý Have you ever gotten several drafts along in your own work, then noticed a hole that threatened to destroy everything?

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!Ìý (And your anagrams, if you jumped down to the end.)

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My TBR pile is always huge, but there's always room for more!Ìý I just finished fantastic Silver Linings Playbook.Ìý I've started the series â€� very curious about it.Ìý I ordered ' new Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants novel, still have yet to read the latest Ruby Oliver book by, definitely want to check out the latest â€� what else should I put on my list?

I'm not tied to any one genre when it comes to reading.Ìý Great characters and a compelling story, that's all I need.Ìý Give me YA, chick lit, non-fiction, horror, sci-fi, fantasyâ€� anything.Ìý If it's good I'll enjoy it, no matter it's classification.

Got suggestions?Ìý Bring 'em on!

And in the meantime, there's just TWO DAYS till we launch Populazzi.com � OMG!!!

If you have a Fab Find to share (anything super-cool you'd like to share with the world: books, places, websites, music, clothing, food, anything), please email it to [email protected] â€� I'd love to get it up on the site!!!

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Oh yeah, and I went to the Emmys too.Ìý I mean, that's where I met him, so that's where I was, and I was nominated and that's cool and all butâ€�

I MET OSCAR THE GROUCH!!!!!

I actually have a history with Oscar� or more specifically, with Caroll Spinney, who plays both Oscar and Big Bird, and has done so since the very beginning of Sesame Street. Caroll is the guy in the tux next to Oscar� the only one of the three of us not in green.

Maybe fifteen years ago, I pitched a show to an exec at Jim Henson Productions.Ìý She loved the idea so much that she developed it with me and another show runner, then flew us out to New York to pitch it to the Nickelodeon peeps there.

The exec � who had become a friend during this process � knew how obsessed I am with the Muppets, so she did me two major solids:

1) She got me a tour of the Muppet workshop, where I got to hold Ernie!

2) She invited me to the Henson New York Christmas Party.

I had only one question when I heard #2â€� would there be Sesame Street actors there?Ìý Bob, maybe?Ìý Gordon?Ìý Or evenâ€� a Muppeteer????

My friend's answers were vague, but the minute I walked into the party I saw him.Ìý He was tall, with white hair and a white beardâ€� but to me he was all yellow and feathery.

He was Caroll Spinney, and I'm a big enough Muppet geek that I knew him by sight.

I orbited the edge of his conversation until I finally had a chance to jump in, then introduced myself with the very subtle, "Hi-my-name's-Elise-and-I've-wanted-to-meet-you-since-I-was-three!"

He backed away slightly, and asked me â€� in the friendliest way â€� what I was doing at the party.Ìý He relaxed when I explained why I'd been "flown out," and even asked me what my show was about.Ìý I gave Caroll Spinney my elevator pitch, at which point he said â€� in a speaking voice that sounds almost exactly like Big Bird's, "Wow, that sounds really great.Ìý I bet that's going to be a huge success."

Tears filled my eyes, and in utter earnest I said, "Well, if Big Bird says it'll be a success� then I guess it really will!"

Mr. Spinney didn't know how to respond to that one, and when I realized I had actually regressed to preschool, I excused myself and left the party.Ìý Instead I met my friend , and we retired to Sparks Steak House to take notes on mafia types for our mystery partiesâ€� but that's another story.Ìý I will advise this though â€� mafia types do NOT like when you take notes on them.

So back to the Emmys Friday night.Ìý We get there ("we" being myself, my co-nominee Joe Purdy, his fabulous wife Donna, and our super-amazing Dinosaur Train producer Sue Bea Montgomery), meet up with Dinosaur Train creator Craig Bartlett and his lovely wife Lisa, then mosey towards the red carpet (there really was an actual red carpet), when who do we see?

OSCAR THE GROUCH!!!!

He was just hanging out next to Caroll Spinney, chatting up some couple and getting his picture taken with themâ€� so I naturally stood about two feet away from them and bounced up and down until the couple went away and I could jump in.Ìý I did, and my wonderful friends took so many pictures they resembled the news corps more than nominees.Ìý Mr. Spinney was very gracious â€� even the Grouch was gracious, which is unusual for him.

Not surprisingly, I was rendered a blithering idiot by standing within a two foot radius of a Muppet, but Joe stepped in to help legitimize my fangirl madness.Ìý He told Mr. Spinney we were there as nominees with the Henson company, and we introduced him to Craig.Ìý It was all lovelyâ€� then I piped up and told him a quick version of the Christmas party story.

His response?

He did his Big Bird voice and said, "Gee, I'm real sorry I made you cry."

This, of course, made me start to cry again.Ìý And since I was wearing a considerable amount of eye makeup, I thought it best to excuse myself.

We didn't win.Ìý The Penguins of Madagascar took the award for best writing.Ìý But I'm exceedingly happy, because I may not have gotten an Emmyâ€� but I did score the Oscar.

P.S. For those of you wondering, Sven Giersman did not win for his work on the Rally to Restore Fear/Sanity.Ìý Highway robbery.

Apparently I'm a little slow on the uptake.Ìý I kept seeing that the Daytime Emmy Awards are "Live from Las Vegas Sunday, June 19th," and yet I knew I was going to the Emmys Friday, June 17th.

How could this be?Ìý Was the Vegas thing not really live?Ìý Was it some kind of soap opera fan event two days after the fact?

I'm guessing you're several steps ahead of me and already know where this is going.Ìý I swear I had no clue.Ìý It only hit me last night as I was talking about it with my husband.

You know how during the Oscars, they cut away to the movie star who says, "Last night, I had the honor of hosting an awards dinner for all the people whose names you wouldn't recognize in a million years"?Ìý And then they show snippets of all these people dressed up at a banquet and getting Oscars?

That's me!

Except, you know, no Oscars.Ìý And I think we get soap stars, not movie stars, but still!

I did a little research and yes, that's what's going on.Ìý Craig Bartlett, Joe Purdy, and I are indeed nominated for an Emmy for our Dinosaur Train work, but that Emmy is presented not at the Daytime Emmy Awards, but at the Creative Arts and Entertainment Daytime Emmy Awards.

Daytime Emmys = Fathers Day, Vegas, Soap Opera and I think Talk Show on-camera talent.

Creative Arts and Entertainment Emmy Awards = June 17th, Downtown L.A., Behind-the-Scenes Soap People, and Kids' TV People

At least, I think I have that right.Ìý Not entirely sure.Ìý I think maybe the kids' TV actors are at the Las Vegas ceremonyâ€� but I'm not positive.Ìý I keep trying to ferret out on the web which awards are which day, but I'm having trouble.Ìý This could be because it's hard information to findâ€� or because it's after midnight and I'm tired.

Either way, it's all good.Ìý I do better in smaller environments with more people I know, so this will be terrific â€� lots of people I've met over the years from working in kids' TV: people I haven't seen in ages, people I won't recognize because we'll actually be dressed up and not schlubbing around the way we do at work.

Plus with fewer awards, there's less time between when we sit down at 6pm, and when they feed us after the ceremony.

I still think I should bring snacks.Ìý And the awesome Populazzi business cards my husband made.Ìý GORGEOUS!

Okay, need to rest.Ìý Gotta go to bed so I'm awake for tomorrow.Ìý Can't wait to tell you all about it!

I've got big plans tomorrow.Ìý Huge.

Nope, not the Daytime Emmys.Ìý That's Friday.

Tomorrow is quite the festivus at my grandmother's assisted living complex.Ìý It's a family pasta night, complete with a magician for the kids, a fancy schmancy dinner (at 4:30 in the afternoon â€� love it), and all of it followed by the crooning of The Best Darn Frank Sinatra Impersonator In The Business, or as I like to call himâ€� Schmank Schminatra.

I am seriously looking forward to this.

I'll do my best to snap some good pictures.Ìý Might have to record some audio too.

Confession â€� this is not my first "The So-And-So Experience" concert.Ìý I've been to several others, including (The Abba Experience) and (The Neil Diamond Experience) at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip.Ìý My friend and I used to follow a Beatles cover band; and she and I once hired an 80′s cover band (Schmuran Schmuran â€� not their real nameâ€� but it should have been) to play one of our mystery parties.

Deeper confession â€� I thoroughly enjoyed myself at every one of those Experiences.Ìý Jumping, dancing, screaming along with the lyricsâ€� yeah, that was me.Ìý I think I might make a spectacle of myself if I do the same over Schmank tomorrow, but you never know.

Have you ever gone to see a cover band?Ìý Did you love it, or was it just too cheesy for you?

Coo-Coo, baby!Ìý Or should I say, Schmoo-Schmoo!

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Tough to tell from the late night Photo Booth pic, but we're Preening for the Emmys!

(yet still eating late at night for the Emmys� clearly I still have some kind of self-thwarting mechanism going�)

Today I went to a place called in Burbank.Ìý Tiny hole-in-the-wall, decked out in 1950′s Pink Lady kitsch with a skulls-and-roses edge, and AWESOME.Ìý I found the place on , where the raves are gorgeously overwhelming.

Tuesdays are slow there; Miss M and I were the only ones in the shop.Ìý I've had my hair cut recently, so Jules just did my base color and highlights, while Miss M got to sit in a chair right next to me and watch several episodes of Phineas and Ferb on the iPad.

Jules was amazing â€� took the time to talk to me and figure out exactly what I wanted, and gave great advice.Ìý She mixed the perfect colors, and the whole process of applying them, letting them soak in, then washing and drying everything out took about an hour and fifteen minutes.Ìý When it was doneâ€� fabulous base color and caramel highlights!

L.A. peeps take note: the whole thing only cost around $70!Ìý It was $90, but you get 20% off when you mention Yelp â€� such a bargain!

Tomorrow I listen to everyone's advice and pick up the green dress, then go to a tailor and beg her to make any needed adjustments in the bodice before Friday.

I think tomorrow is also brow waxing day, which begs the question� are you a waxer, a plucker, or au naturale?

Also, check out the for the Emmys.Ìý I am so not above geeking out on people, and I'm going through the list to see who might bring out the not-so-hidden dorky fan in me.Ìý Today I'm thinking about Martin Short, nominated for his work on The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That. I'm thinking I want to ask him if he has a plethora of pinatas, which refers to one of my favorite lines from Three Amigos one of the best dumb movies ever.

I'm open to other geek-out suggestions.Ìý See anyone else I need to find and make an idiot of myself over?Ìý Let me know â€� I'm on it!

So the Daytime Emmys are Friday, and I'm a primping and preening dervish.Ìý I got my hair cut last week, I'm getting highlights tomorrow, brows waxed on Thursday, maybe a mani/pedi Friday morningâ€� but I'm still left with one burning question.

What in the world am I going to wear?

My ugly dilemma is that I have two GORGEOUS dresses I bought two years agoâ€� but I was far-too-many-than-I-care-to-admit pounds lighter thenÌý I kvetched about this on the blog, and though many of you out there reminded me â€� quite correctly â€� that the number on the scale isn't everything, it does mean I can't fit into those dresses, which is a major bummer.

My go-to daily outfit is my favorite pair of capri jeans, which I bought about eight years ago from Mervyns, a T-shirt featuring some form of licensed merchandise, and a hoodie.Ìý If it's hot out I like sundresses, and I don't own a single one that cost more than $25.Ìý A clothes horse I'm not, and nothing in my go-to wardrobe will do for the Emmys.

However, on those rare occasions that I do have a black-tie affair, I like to buy from BCBGMaxAzria.Ìý The gorgeously small dresses in my closet are from there, as is another formal dress I wore to two weddings and is lovely, but it has a noticeable flaw on the bodice that makes me bonkers.

So today I went to BCBG while Miss M had a three-hour stint at camp.Ìý I went in quite enamored of this dress from the website:

Then I tried it on.Ìý I looked like how I imagine Buckbeak the hippogriff.Ìý Maybe crossed with Big Bird.Ìý Wasn't happening.

I tried on several others with little luck, but then I tried on this:

Keep in mind I DO NOT look like the model when I wear it, but the cut was very flattering.Ìý My big issue is that my top half and bottom half don't even remotely match, so while the dress fits beautifully from the waist down, it's a little, um, roomy from the waist up.

I kind of like the color, too.Ìý It's much bolder than the kind of thing I'd usually wear.

I put it on 24 hour hold, and I'll go back tomorrow with an undergarment to, shall we say, "assist" my top half.Ìý That way I can see if it'll work.Ìý But first I'd love your opinion.Ìý What do you think of the dress?Ìý Should I give it a try, despite the bathing suit tan lines striping my shoulders?

By the way, I just completely thwarted the whole slim-down-for-the-Emmys with a massive late night snack.Ìý I think I'm trying to tell myself I'm tired and should really just go to bed, soâ€�

Goodnight!Ìý I look forward to your thoughts!

Hellooooo!

So all this week, we've been chatting about Populazzi.com, which is now a shambles, but will soon, soon, ever-so-soon be a lifestyle destination of epic proportions!

Okay, maybe the proportions will be normal sized, but still, the site's going to be great, and I'm really excited about it.Ìý So excited that I'm previewing many of its sections, including today's featured segmentâ€�

THE CELEB STYLE WITH KAREN AND DALLAS

A funny thing happened on the way to making Populazzi.com�

Some of you might remember that I ran a contest recently, when the came out.Ìý During that contest, I had the extreme pleasure of getting to know and .Ìý I can't rave enough about the two of them.Ìý They're both wonderful, kind-hearted, intelligent people, and extremely passionate about the things they love.

One of the things they love is Populazzi, and for that I'm honored.

Another thing they love?Ìý Celebrities.Ìý Heck, it's right there in Karen's Twitter name.

Karen and Dallas have a long list of celebrities they love, and they're experts when it comes to what makes their favorite celebs so fabulous.Ìý This is why they're perfect to pen The Celeb Style.Ìý The column is all about inspiring people to embrace what makes them unique, by showcasing celebrities who successfully do the same.Ìý Karen and Dallas are both extremely pumped about the column, and I can't wait to see what they have to say!

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Thursday sounds like a good day to preview�

Tower Tips

Tower Tips is yet another feature on the upcoming Populazzi.com, a site that is now a shambles of construction, but will soon launch as a fabulous lifestyle website, dedicated to helping people live out loud and let their own unique personalities shine through.

Tower Tips brings you a world of experts, who will share their knowledge in a weekly blog. Professionals in the fields of fashion, beauty, fitness, and organization will pop by to offer their thoughts on a wide range of topics â€� everything from the best way to organize your end-of-school-year clutter, to the best summer hairstyles, to a thirty-minute workout that'll energize your day.Ìý The topics are endless, and our contributors are excited to provide the latest and greatest information to help you get the most out of your body, your mind, and your world.

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Hi, everyone!Ìý It's another preview of Populazzi.com, which is a disastrous mess of construction right now, but will be a super-fab lifestyle site dedicated to helping each person fearlessly make the most of their unique selves.

Today I'll preview a segment called�

Life Beyond the Ladder

The concept is simple.Ìý I interview amazing people with incredible careers, and they share how their high school experiences helped make them who they are today.Ìý I have all kinds of terrific subjects lined up, many in the entertainment field, since that's my home base.

Our first up will be a spectacular writer/actor/producer/director who also plays a mean game of backgammon (but not as mean as he thinks), .Ìý Hayter wrote such huge hits as X-Men, X-2, and Watchmen, and also plays the role of Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid game series.Ìý Want to find out how high school made him who he is?Ìý In just a week or so Populazzi.com will give you the answers you seek!