Courtesy: Rob Grabowski/GrabowskiPhoto.com

No one screams “Girl Power!” more than Kelly Clarkson.

Monday night Hub51 and 101.9’s Eric and Kathy scored the original American Idol, who treated an exclusive crowd in Chicago to a five-song set.

I was one of the 150 invited, and I must admit I was more than a little excited to belt out the female anthems that the Grammy winner made famous.

Indie Rocker Landon Pigg (he’s the guy from the diamonds commercial that makes us melt with the lyrics: “I think that possibly maybe I’m falling for you…” ) kicked off the music and provided eye candy for the crowd of almost all ladies.

But the women that caught everyone’s attention were former Bachelorettes Jen Schefft Waterman and Jillian Harris who met for the first time. I witnessed the two totally cool girls hit it off instantly.

But all eyes, including Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler and his mystery blonde date, were on Kelly as she opened with “Walkin’ After Midnight”. Kelly was all smiles and playful with the crowd, urging a sing along and even taking a shot from a fan and saying “Whoo! My tongue’s numb after that! Guess I’m not singing ‘Sober’ after that one!”.

Kelly has a contagious energy and I found myself singing along with my less than stellar voice to “My Life Would Suck Without You”, and “Walk Away.” She didn’t sing my personal fav; “Since You’ve Been Gone”, explaining she wanted to save her voice for her show the following night.

Trust- the way that girl belts it out, I’m shocked she has any voice at all- but we are VERY lucky she does!

Yes I know- one of these girls is not like the other!

I got to live the dream and tag along with three Victoria’s Secret Supermodels Wednesday in Chicago.

Marisa Miller, Miranda Kerr and Doutzen Kroes were in the Windy City to open the new Victoria’s Secret store on Michigan Avenue- just in time for holiday shopping. Since we’re working on our Chase Present’s ABC’s Holiday of Stars show, it was a perfect fit to ask the girls about gifting for your loved ones.

Obviously these girls are stunning and I was intimidated to meet and work with them, but that was silly ‘cause they couldn’t have been any sweeter. I loved Marisa Miller the most, interviewing her is like chatting with a really cool girlfriend and she’s a total pro. Btw- her hair is INSANE- so beautiful (extensions- I had to ask!)

Later that night there was a huge party at the store with a “pink carpet” and Chicago celebs and athletes chatted with our crew about their holiday plans. White Sox second baseman Chris Getz and Chicago Bear Lance Briggs admitted that talking about Christmas is so much more fun than normal sports media questions. All three VS gals looked amazing, and pulled me in for a photo that reminded me that even in 4 inch heels- I’m vertically challenged!

The best part of the night was when Bachelorette Jillian Harris and her fiancé Ed stopped by for an interview and we broke the news to them that Jason Mesnick and Molly were engaged. They were both super shocked and excited for them- apparently they are all bffs.

Then I headed over to a dinner at Sunda to have dinner with the Angels, Lance, Ed and Jillian and some of my awesome Chicago media friends. I know what you’re dying to ask- yes the girls ate. Marisa loved the spicy tuna crunch, and had half a glass of red wine, and Jillian dug right into the lamb lollipops.

This is the kind of day, where I don’t mind getting up for work!

What happens when you take about 400 people, and put them in a room with Lou Malnati’s pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian Beef sandwiches and the hospitality of Chicagoans?

Strangers become friends, old acquaintances are re-united and business deals are made.

Monday, my friends Jerrod and RJ Melman hosted an event called “Windy City West” at their new restaurant in Santa Monica:“La Grande Orange”. The original WCW parties started back in the 1980’s by their father and “Lettuce Entertain You” creator Richard Melman. The purpose- to bring former Chicagoans, who now lived in LA together to bond and network.

I was lucky enough to mingle with celebs that turned out for the event like: Chris O’Donnell, actresses Nia Vardalos and Virginia Madsen, Richard Kind, Kevin Farley, director Harold Ramis, Dick Butkis, and my personal favorite Curb Your Enthusiasm star Jeff Garlin.

Jeff and I worked together when I was working for the NFL Network and Jeff was on our Celebrity Fantasy Football league. He’d always show up with pride in his Chicago Bears jersey and ask why a Midwestern gal like me hadn’t moved back to Chicago yet. I bumped into Jeff again on the red carpet of last year’s Emmy awards and proudly told him that I was an entertainment reporter now- living in the city of wind.

While eating a hot dog and taking pictures with the fans that literally swarmed him for photos, Jeff confessed to me that while LA is great, he’d choose Chicago any day because of the fantastic people who live there.

Celebrity DJ’s Graham Funke, DJ Spider and DJ Morse Code all admitted that a room full of Chicagoans was a refreshing change from LA clubs. As Graham waited in line for a slice of authentic pizza, he pointed to Dick Butkis and remarked “Hey, that guy used to drive me to school.”

The party ran over about two hours, it seemed no one was in a rush to bolt (unheard of for a typical LA event!) As I watched the exchange of business cards, and hugs I couldn’t help but think that Chicago really is the newest trend in Hollywood.

Courtesy: darkroomdemons.com

Pouring rain, mud, 90 degree heat and a crowd of about 225, 000 people- it’s my favorite time of year: Lollapalooza.

The fun kicked off Friday at the Music Lounge at The Hard Rock Hotel. I was lucky enough to score a pass that allowed me, other media, members of the music industry and artists to enjoy three days and nights of air-conditioned fun.

The lucky few scored swag from Dickies, Blue Microphones, Ben Sherman and got free tattoos,  and the rest of us chatted while drinking Fuze Beverage and snacking on Café Bustelo and Berry Chill.

The City star Erin Lucas looked super cute in a black flowered dress while former NFL star Simeon Rice supported his sister, new artist, Yashi who brought down the house with her Music Lounge performance.

At night the Hard Rock Hotel turned into a party with performances by Santigold, Passion Pit and The Virgins who played for none other than miss Lindsay Lohan and her sister Ali.

My friends at C3 who put on the event snagged me an amazing wristband for the three day festival which allowed me to do surreal things like ride from stage to stage in golf carts, share a port-a-potty with Ed Westwick and Jessica Szhor (not at the same time!) and attend Perry Ferrell’s nightly bbq.

Friday after Kings Of Leon kicked off Lolla on a perfect note,  I stopped by Pete Wentz’s bar Angels and Kings.  AK hosted Samantha Ronson’s 32nd birthday party complete with black and white skull cupcakes.  Sam loves AK and brought her friends and family including Lindsay Lohan for fun that lasted till sunrise.  Saturday night Sam dj’ed and GZA of the Wu-Tang clan preformed a few of his mega hits for the small but lucky crowd that included Miss Lohan once again.

By Sunday I was wiped, but still made it back to the Music Lounge where Dickies hooked me up with some cool sunglasses that I sported backstage for Vampire Weekend. The heat index of 105 wasn’t enough to keep the massive crowd from dancing to some old school Snoop Dogg and a sunset performance by the Killers ended an incredibly memorable weekend.

Courtesy: Matthew Reeves, DarkRoom Demons

She may have a killer body, a hit show on Bravo and a cult following of both males and females- but Bethenny Frankel couldn’t be more grateful and humble if she tried.

I had a chance to do TV with “The Real Housewives of New York City” star a few months ago in New York, but I wasn’t certain she’d remember me since she meets so many people.

Did I forget who I was dealing with?

Bethenny instantly exclaimed “Hi Kelli Zink!” and gave me a huge hug. Her co-star and friend Jill Zarin says Bethenny’s memory is painfully sharp- and she is correct. The tiny housewife asked me if I missed my weekly trips to NYC, as I gushed over her hair, makeup and Herve Leger strapless dress.

I introduced myself to the tall man who accompanied Bethenny and was now waiting patiently as she took photos with excited fans who shelled out hard earned cash to get a glimpse of their idol at Chicago club, Enclave. It turned out that this hunk was none other than Jason Hoppy, her new boyfriend.

It’s almost impossible to “interview” this celebrity chef and NY Times Best Selling author, it’s more like having a really fun conversation that’s being recorded. Her book,“Naturally Thin,” has been on the NY Times Best Seller list for 17 weeks and shows no signs of slowing down. Bethenny’s eyes well up with gratitude knowing that she’s helped girls everywhere silence their “food noise” and stress over dieting. Even though she doesn’t have an ounce of fat on her frame, Bethenny eats what she wants- in moderation and says she’s never been happier.

As we chatted I noticed a theme- the word “boyfriend” kept finding its way into the conversation. She admitted that she and Jason had been shopping for rings and that she was in love and confident this was the man that she would spend the rest of her life with. Wow. In season one of The Real Housewives we saw glimpses of Bethenny’s relationship with her ex, who wasn’t a fan of the cameras. But Bethenny confirmed that while her new man is no “Speidi,” he will be a part of filming for Season 3.

“Yes of course he’ll be on the show because he’s in my life, but he’s not looking for the spotlight.”

Trust me ladies, this is one guy you’ll want to tune in for week after week.

What do you do when you’ve been so crushed by love that it’s consumed all your thoughts? If you’re Scott Caan, you spend two years of your life bouncing between Italy and Paris turning feelings into a film called Mercy.

I’ve interviewed countless celebs. Some are jerks- others are plastic giving cookie-cutter answers. Scott is a far cry from either.

I missed the red carpet interviews- running late with the breaking news of Michael Jackson’s death. The tardiness actually worked to my advantage- Scott agreed to sit down casually with me at the after party and answers a few questions.

Within minutes a “traditional” interview went out the window and we launched into an intense conversation about the film.

Scott grew up in Hollywood (dad was legendary director/actor James Caan who plays Scott’s father in Mercy) but he’s far from the Hollywood crowd you read about in the tabloids.

Scott prefers work- like spending countless hours crammed into a tiny edit bay with director Patrick Hoelck, over rubbing elbows with his famous friends. He could care less about clubs, the scene and atmosphere in general- admitting he often dines alone. What does he care about? His family, his health (he doesn’t drink or smoke), surfing, evolving and finding out what this crazy “love” thing really means.

Which brings us to Mercy- the story of a father and son who have both found and tragically lost the loves of their lives. Scott directed, produced and starred in the film that he based largely on his own experiences with relationships.

He says: “As twisted as it sounds, to me death would be easier than a break-up, losing a person forever is easier to handle than losing them to someone else.”

I’d recommend this film for anyone who’s loved and lost, it’s not a feel-good love story rather the kind that challenges you to question your own feelings about love long after you’ve left the theater.

“I’m not worthy!”

That’s was my first thought when GenArt asked me to sit on a panel as a juror for the 2009 GenArt Film Fest.

Sure, I’m an expert on all things sitcom, reality and pop-culture- but film critiquing? I leave to the pros like my friend Richard Roeper. So I accepted with the promise to myself and GenArt that I would view each film and give my opinion with my heart- based on how the films made me feel.

Five minutes into night one I knew I was in for a fantastic experience.

The Horribly Slow Murder with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon directed by Richard Gale was the short that served as the main film’s “previews”. Think Scream but the murder weapon is a spoon. Some short films take themselves way too seriously but this one had the audience in comfortable laughter within 30 seconds. I got to spend time with the lead actor and Gale after the film, and they revealed to me that the nearly the whole film was shot in an L.A. park that I used to live around the corner from even though some scenes featured the villain in the pyramids of Egypt. Ahh-the magic of chroma key.

The feature, (500) Days of Summer, directed by Marc Webb, was perfect to kick off the festival. It got great reviews this year at Sundance and it starred the recognizable faces of  Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The audience was immediately informed this was not a love story, and it wasn’t. Rather, a film that left the packed Music Box Theater asking ourselves this question: Is true love based on fate or coincidence?

During the Q and A director Marc Webb pointed out that the reason the audience was able to connect with the film largely had to do with the fact that we’ve all been “Summer”- the girl (or guy) who’s broken a heart, been pushed away by commitment and love only to become seriously involved with the next person who comes along. Or (like me) we’ve been Tom- the hopeless romantic who chases a love they think they’re meant to be with.

I loved the film, perhaps I’m biased by the fact that the characters were around my age and the language and cultural references were fresh and hip. Plus it had an amazing score (think Garden State). The chemistry between Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt is electric at times, and he admitted during the Q and A that not all the passion was “acting”. (schwing!)

This is the perfect movie to take the “honeymoon stage” date, or to see with the mom that keeps inquiring why you’re “still single”.

Day One: a success!

Courtesy: Facebook

You don’t have to live in NYC to appreciate the New York Post’s Page Six. Who doesn’t love a good “blind item”?

I got a chance to grab a cosmo with Paula Froelich who has logged nine and a half years as a true New York City “gossip girl”.

Now Paula is juggling her column with promoting her new book “Mercury in Retrograde.” The novel is about three young women; a journalist, a lawyer and a socialite. Paula admitted that while the book is fiction, many of the stories and characters are based on real people.

About an hour before I sat down with Paula the news of Billy Joel’s divorce from wife Katie Lee Joel officially broke, and I had to ask Paula her opinion on the topic. She openly let me know exactly how she felt about the young Katie Lee marrying the older famous singer- and led on that she knew the spilt was coming for some time.

It was refreshing to be around a female who is not only a seasoned pro, but is so open to chatting freely and without a hint of attitude with a female she just met. Paula also admitted she wasn’t afraid to enjoy a cocktail while “working” and that she only reported a tiny percent of what she actually sees go down at parties and events.

Now that’s the book I want to read…

Dr. Ian Smith may play a no-nonsense diet expert on VH-1’s Celebrity Fit Club, but in person he couldn’t be a more approachable and nicer guy.  On Wednesday, I visited Dr. Ian on the set of his commercial for State Farm’s 50 Million Pound Challenge.

The challenge was launched in April of 2007 to help Americans fight obesity, and the campaign has already inspired a 4.3 million-lb. weight loss. Dr. Ian told me that he understands losing weight is a mental and financial challenge for many people, so he started the free on-line campaign so no one would have an excuse not to get fit.

The campaign includes tools like a weight tracker, 30-day meal plan, activity tracker, journal and a blog community for support — all for free.

Dr. Ian has helped lots of celebs get in shape and with summer less then a week away, I asked him for some tips to help us “real people” get bikini-ready.

Here are some of Dr. Ian’s tips:

Good planning is key. If you’re traveling for work or even just a day at the beach, bring healthy meals so you’re not tempted to splurge on the mini-bar or vending machines.

Switch up your meals to avoid “food boredom.” In his book “The 4 Day Diet,” Dr. Ian recommends switching up what you eat every four days to avoid frustration and help stay on track with healthy eating.

Stay accountable. Keep a food journal and a record of your workouts; this will help you see your progress and stay on track.

Mentally prepare. Dr. Ian urges people to “get their mind right” and mentally prepare for the change before starting any diet program.

It’s ok to have a “cheat day.” Dr. Ian recommends eating healthy for three days then splurging for one.

Now that’s some diet advice I can get behind!

Why are soccer stars so sexy? David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo are not only two of richest guys in the game — they’re two of the buffest.

Have you seen those new Armani underwear ads? Whew! Becks scored a sweet $36 million paycheck for that three-year deal.

Ronaldo just inked a $126 million contract of his own and he’s also has been spotted locking lips with none other than Paris Hilton (but I won’t hold that against him!).

The guys’ nutritionist, Patricia Teixeria, shared some tips with me this morning about how Becks and Ronaldo keep their super-human bods. (We met for breakfast; she ordered fruit but didn’t end up eating anything.)

This Brazilian beauty manages the nutritional plans for a bunch of international athletes including these soccer studs.

Patricia has teamed up with the Park Hyatt hotels to design a “Healthy Living” travel experience that includes relaxation baths, room-service spa menus and nutritional boosters for smoothies and juices that clients’ diets.

Here are the three juices: De-Tox (navel oranges, green grapes, watermelon and mint leaves), Immune Juice (orange, pineapple, red apple, ginger) and Digestion (kiwi, green apple, grapes and pineapple). All three offer benefits like beating the bloat, digesting a heavy meal and stopping a cold dead in its tracks. Sounds good to me.

Patricia meets with each client and analyzes their blood to see the amount of enzymes they have, and then custom-designs a plan to add nutrients.

Patricia advises her clients to avoid fried foods completely, but allows sweets in moderation- ideally after lunch. She recommends fruits first thing in the a.m. especially; mangos, pineapple and “red fruits.” She advises clients to follow the fruit with a protein like yogurt or a white cheese, and then a healthy carb like whole grains or granola.

Lunch should be a big salad with lots of colored veggies, and a lean protein. Dinner should be eaten within three hours of bed time and include of steamed veggies, and a lean protein.

In case Posh and Becks want to cut loose…Patricia gives her OK for red wine, since it has anti-oxidants that are good for hair and skin.

It’s nice to know that even these guys have to work hard at keepin’ it sexy!