extraordinary something

Feels good to cross the finish line

2010-08-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

We've done it. No more voting... now it is just a waiting game. Last night at midnight the voting for the Face of Fox officially ended and eliminations have now begun. This morning, my friends Caleb and Debbie were eliminated. This is the part that I don't really like. As much as I can not wait to find out who is the next face, eliminations are so sad. I think that everyone in the top 10 has done an amazing job and are all wonderful. I hope that they continue to chase their dreams, regardless of the outcome of this contest! I will make sure to keep you updated on the progress of the competition and you can watch each morning at 8am on The Hampton Roads Show.

Have a wonderful day, all and don't forget... this is just the beginning.

Like a day at the spa...

2010-08-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of runners got down and dirty this morning for the Armed Services YMCA MUD RUN! Although I didn't participate in the event (an 8K is a little out of my realm of possibilities at this point) was able to attend and cheer on those who were participating! Talk about a great time. From what I was told, the track was a challenge with terrain that varied from sandy dunes to stumpy forest floors. It wasn't apparent to me though that any of these talented athletes struggled in the least when they crossed the finish line covered in mud with huge smiles on their faces. Even the little kids got involved with a shortened version of the race! I know one thing for sure, I'm going to have to start training today so I can do this race next year! Who doesn't like a good work out and a mud bath now and again?

Don't forget, you only have today and tomorrow to vote for the next FACE of FOX! Click here to watch my video and watch it as much as you can!

And the verdict is...

2010-08-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

Alright, I just got home from Step Up 3D and it was definitely an experience. I haven't watched a dance movie like this in quite some time but I really enjoyed this film. Although I don't think everyone is going to be the biggest fan, if you like dancing and can deal with a semi-corny plot, this movie is for you! The danc

e sequences were good and the lead actor is a total babe. The movie is released for everyone's viewing pleasure this Friday, August 6th. You'll have to let me know what your take on it is once you see it!

As for the event as a whole, it was awesome! Everyone had a lot of support from their families and friends and the crowd was really excited about the movie and meeting all of the contestants! Overall, I'm going to call this night a success.

Now, tomorrow is going to be a long day! It's Coast Guard Day and I will be passing out birthday cakes at Starboards Coffee Kiosk in Portsmouth starting at 8am! It should be a great

time, so if you're in need of coffee (or just want and excuse for some yummy cake) then come see me tomorrow morning! I'll make sure to save a piece for you.

See you then, and Happy Coast Guard Day!!

XOXO

STEP UP, 3D!

2010-08-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

The perks are already streaming in from FOX 43! Tonight, the top 10 contestants for the FACE of FOX (as well as 11 of our closest friends) get to see a pre-screening of the NEW movie STEP UP 3D!! (Do you think they are trying to tell us something?) I am so excited to see this film because the trailer looks so good. A lot of my friends who are coming are dancers so they are really interested in seeing the new moves that are added in this film. I think I'm going to have to try out some of these moves for myself... I was thinking about the head slide. Is that too much? I'll have to see how it's done and let you know! Check back soon for a review of the movie and don't forget that you can go see it this Friday, August 6th when it is released in theaters.

Until then, you know what to do! Keep on, keeping on and vote!

Media Day!

2010-08-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

This, my friends, has been one long, media packed day! Earlier this morning, I made my first appearance since my internship on The Hampton Roads Show! To say that I was home again is somewhat cliche, but I don't care! I love that show and everyone that is there! We were missing Cheryl and Kelly today but Kerry was as wonderful as always and Ahmeed did a great job filling in for the ladies. All five of us were pretty nervous before the show started but after we started rolling... it was smooth sailing! I even got to chat with some of my favorites in The Cox Buzz Center! If you want to check out how my interview went, click here!

Then, later in the afternoon, I headed over to the US 106 America's Country studio to talk to one of my favorite DJ's, Brandon O'Brien! He was a blast to talk with and he has really helped me a lot so far in my journey for the FACE of FOX! Everyone at Sinclair Communications has been so supportive and is really willing to do all that they can in order to help me in this mission! If you want to hear how that went, click here.

And, as always, I still need your votes! There is only ONE WEEK LEFT in the voting process so this is go time! Please watch the video as much as possible and tell everyone you know to as well. All this voting will be over soon and hopefully it will all be worth your time and effort!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

I hope you enjoy the clips from my media day as much as I did!

XOXO

When it rains, it pours.

2010-07-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the American Idol Live Tour meet and greet day for the top 10 contestants for the next FACE of FOX! Talk about a great time! At first, the event was very hot, but fellow contestant Stephanie and I decided that we were just going to tell everyone we got into a serious water balloon fight. That makes more sense, anyways. As the day progressed, the bad weather moved in. When the rain started, I have to admit, I was pretty excited because I was SOOOO hot but then a tornado warning was issued! The clouds were really dark and we were all soon rushed inside just to be safe. After the severe weather passed, we were allowed back outside to meet those who were brave enough to come see their favorite American Idol contestants. It was pouring rain the entire time! The majority of people were soaking wet and even with an umbrella, I got drenched. The show was really good - the idols are awesome! My favorite, I have to say was Crystal. She rocked! I thought that Stephanie Cooke was going to pass out when they started to sing a Bon Jovi song!! Needless to say, the concert was a great time! I only wish that we were able to meet more people. This just means that more events are going to have to be scheduled! Keep an eye out Hampton Roads, I'm coming for you!

As for now, I'm a little sickly due to the unfortunate weather of yesterday. I hope that all of you are having a wonderful Friday night and having a great time with this beautiful weather that we have today! Make sure to keep watching my video... only a little over a week left!

American Idol, LIVE

2010-07-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the big day people! American Idol Live in VA Beach! I am really excited not only for the concert but to meet people from all over Hampton Roads with the other Top 10 contestants for The FACE of FOX! We will be out at the concert for a fun meet and greet. If you already have tickets to the show, please look for me! I would love to meet you and hear your thoughts on the competition so far. There will also be fun goodies from FOX 43 there as well so make sure to come by, say hi, and pick up some fun stuff! If you don't have tickets, YOU NEED TO INVEST IN SOME! The show is at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater, it starts at 730p, and it is going to be awesome. Tickets are still available, so CLICK HERE if you'd like some! I really hope to see everyone, and their mom, there!

Also, keep watching my video for the FACE of FOX!!! I moved up to third place today!

JT as Simon's replacement on AI?

2010-07-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

SAY IT IS SO! To say that I am freaking out at this current moment is an understatement. I'm watching E! News right now and they are saying that Justin Timberlake may in fact be Simon's replacement on American Idol. If this is the case, I will be the happiest person in the world. I have been a Justin Timberlake fan since his Mickey Mouse Club days. In my opinion, he is the PERFECT replacement. Musically talented, funny but can be serious, and he's easy on the eyes? Also, I think Ellen and JT will mesh so well on the show. (She was such a great addition last season!) I WISH WE COULD VOTE FOR THIS BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN! If it happens, it's going to make me LOVE American Idol on FOX43 that much more! Say it is so, American Idol gods!

Merry Christmas... in July!

2010-07-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

It's Christmas in July on The Hampton Roads Show! How much fun is that? I know Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and with all of this hot weather, the idea of snow and chillier temps is really appealing to me. They are talking about all kinds of fun Christmas presents that you can buy now, ways to begin to prepare for the December holiday, and I'm pretty sure Kelly even carves and ice sculpture! What can't that girl do? It got me wondering... do people REALLY start shopping for Christmas presents in July? If so, kudos to you... that is what I call preparation. I wanna know, what is your favorite holiday? Although I love Christmas, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! TURKEY AND STUFFING... enoughhhh said! Let me know what you think!

Also, today I was number 4 out of the Top 10 in terms of votes! Please keep voting and watch as many times as you can! CLICK HERE to watch!

THE NEW VIDEO IS LAUNCHED

2010-07-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

I AM SO EXCITED! My new, second round FACE of FOX video is now launched! You HAVE to go watch it and let me know what you think. I even have a little bit of my skydiving video in there! (A little insider info... I'm terrified of heights!!) Remember that every time you watch the video, that counts as ONE vote! This is 25% of the final decision of who is the NEXT FACE OF FOX 43 so it's really important to vote A L O T!!!! I hope that you love it!

XOXO

CLICK HERE!!

Just a little "pick-me-up"

2010-07-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

If you're ever having a stressful, horrible, amazingly annoying day... may I recommend StumbleUpon.com? Seriously, this website has a way of finding exactly what you need to turn the day around. Here are a few of the pictures the it led me to and I just can't help but smile.. ENJOY!

I'll meet you somewhere down the road, or over the rainbow.

DON'T FORGET THAT MY NEW VIDEO LAUNCHES AT 12AM TONIGHT!!!

"When you think Tim McGraw..."

2010-07-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

I JUST GOT CONFIRMATION THAT MY SECOND FACE OF FOX VIDEO HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY UPLOADED! Happy dance, woop woop, all that good stuff. I am so excited about my video and I can not wait for you to see it! My friend James did a great job doing some voice overs for me and I think the video looks really good. You'll have to let me know, tomorrow... get ready to vote people, it's go time.

Alright, now on to other Sunday Funday activities...

Today at The Virginia Beach Amphitheater, Tim McGraw will be performing. I know a lot of my friends are really excited about this concert because they are HUGE Tim fans. It should be a really good (and hot!) show. The Amphitheater does something that I think is really cool... if you have a lawn ticket, when you get to the show, if you want to "trade up", you just pay $10 and get an actual seat. Now, I personally am a fan of sitting in the lawn... BUT for some shows, I would like to sit in a seat so I might have to "trade up" one of these days. Speaking of concerts at the Amphitheater, who is going to The American Idol Live tour this upcoming Thursday? It's going to be a great show... so much talent AND all 10 of the Top 10 for The FACE of FOX 43 will be there, too! You have to come... I would love to meet you and tell you ALL about my ideas for the FACE of FOX. So, there you go... you have plans for this Thursday! Now, if you're going to Tim tonight, drink lots of water and have a great time!

Don't forget that TOMORROW my new FACE of FOX video launches. Don't worry, I'll make sure to share the link for you so you can vote thousands and thousands of times!

Will Dunder Mifflin survive without Michael Scott?

2010-07-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

My newest television obsession is NBC's The Office. I know I'm a little behind the times but I have recently purchased seasons 1-5 and I just can not get enough! Everything about the show is hilarious and I find it hard to decide on my favorite character (although I think it's a toss up between Kelly and Andy). Recently, one of the stars of the show, Steve Carell, announced that this would be his final season. "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" (Sorry, I couldn't help myself.) Anyways, this has sent me into deep reflection while considering if the show will soon be coming to an end without it's lead funny guy, Michael Scott. The conclusion that I have come to is NO, Dunder Mifflin will not fall. Of course Carell will be missed. Who is going to call random conference room meetings or plan charity events like "Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure"? There is going to have to be a new boss who will step in and keep things interesting. After all, The Office isn't The Office without little work being accomplished. I can only hope and pray that this next season will be hysterical due to Carell's soon departure and that another Michael Scott-like character will soon grace Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Hm, now that makes me wonder... who could they be trying to get to replace him? We will see my friends, we will see.

HOT, HOT, HOT

2010-07-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, the weather this week is no joke. It has been so hot that it makes doing much of anything outside a chore! Yesterday, the thermometer in my car said that it was 111 degrees! Add in the humidity and you have a recipe for trouble. I hope that everyone has been keeping cool and hydrated because we're on to another day of this heat wave.

I'm hoping that it is a little bit cooler by the beach today because I'm heading down to the oceanfront to check out some cool chalk art on the boardwalk between 16th and 18th Street. I have ALWAYS wanted to see people do this so I was excited when I found the event! It sounds like it's fun for the whole family and my littlest sister, Maggie, is an artist so I'm going to see if she wants to join in on the adventure I have planned for today. You should come, too!

The 2nd round video for The FACE of FOX 43 is due tomorrow by 3pm! I have a few more things to get covered... I hope you all will LOVE it! Keep a look out, get excited! I know I can't wait for you all to see this one. SOON, SOON, SOON.

Alright, out into the heat I go.

Good luck and God Speed.

Jamey Johnson Concert TONIGHT

2010-07-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

For all of you with a free Friday night, I highly recommend that you head over to Fort Eustis in Newport News for the Jamey Johnson concert! As part of the of the Military Concert Series hosted by the USO of Hampton Roads, the concert tonight is FREE and it is sure to be a wonderful time. Gates open at 5pm and the show begins around 7pm. Also, did I mention that the show is FREE? Does it get any better? I don't think so! A big thanks goes out to the USO for setting up such a great event and if YOU would like to be in my upcoming FACE of FOX 43 video, I will be at this concert, getting the scoop.

I really hope to see you there!

TOP 10 ENTOURAGE

2010-07-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

Consider this, your formal introduction.

Hello world,

Boy, do I have fun news for you! Today, I got to meet the other 9 of the top 10 contestants for the next FACE of FOX 43! These people were so great! We were able to do a photo shoot, shoot a commercial, and my favorite, fill out loads of paper work. It was so much fun to finally meet everyone in person. I am very excited to see where this journey will go next. At the meeting, we also found out what was required for our next video... and it's due on Sunday! It's time to hit the ground running and get this baby into production. Hopefully you all will love every second of the next installment of "Katie Harden for the Next FACE of FOX!" I also just made a mini commercial featuring some of the Norfolk Tides. Those guys are great and I love going to their games. I hope that you all enjoy that clip. As for tomorrow, it's a full day. Jamey Johnson is playing a free military concert so I will be looking for people to be in my video there! Time to get your game faces on people, I'm coming for you. GET EXCITED!

Alright, that's it for today... this lady is sleepy.

See you in my dreams, Hampton Roads.

XOXO

2010-06-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

This picture made me so happy when I saw it!

Hopefully it brightens up your day too, little duck.

XOXO

BUCKLE UP.... Here we go!

2010-04-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

Why hello there dear friends. Thanks for checking out the first of many blog posts by yours truly. My name is Katie Harden and I will be your tour guide through this extraordinary something. Hold on tight, who knows what we might find.

First up, ELEPHANTS!

A crucial fact about me is that I am obsessed with elephants... I have been since I was little. I think it has something to do with the repeated viewing of Dumbo. Anyways, this past week, I was

lucky enough to see an elephant in real life! I take that back, I was lucky enough to TOUCH an elephant! I was squealing like a little girl. Although I thought they would be squishy and cuddly (I have no idea why I thought that) they were very rough and prickly. The elephant named Karyn let me kiss her

trunk and gave me some love back! Little to say, this experience was a dream come true. If anyone else ever has the chance to see an elephant in person, TAKE IT! You will be in awe of the

grander of this animal. It's beauty is

astounding.

NEXT... watch your hat, I mean "helmet!"

I got to play dress up on Friday at the International Children's Festival in Hampton. This event is so neat because it exposes kids to cultures that they may have never heard of. In fact, if I'm honest, I hadn't heard of some of the things that I learned after talking with some of the people at the festival. I think it is really important to learn as much as you can from whoever you can especially when it comes to other cultures and ideologies.

It was a great time, although I did look a little silly in the helmet and costume.

I hope that all of the families that were abl

e to go on Saturday had a blast! Thanks to Ryan LaFata for setting everything up and letting me be apart of such a great event.

Now, it's fun to stay that the Y-M-C-A

Okay, so I didn't technically "stay" at the YMCA, or work out for that matter, but I did go to a really cool children's event that was held at the Indian River YMCA in Virginia Beach.

The families were invited to come to this location and visit different booths that were set up all around the facility. The kids seemed to have had a great time and the parents were excited to make it to the gym I think! I really like when organizations do things to involve the entire family. This just makes everything easier! I hope to do some more things (maybe a package) with the volunteers at the YMCA very soon!

Speaking of Volunteers... April 19th kicks of National Volunteer Appreciation Week! My favorite place to volunteer is the Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters. The people that work there are wonderful and the children that are fighting for their life are inspiring.

I wanna know what you think! What's your favorite animal? Where do you like to volunteer your time? Did you think I looked silly in the viking costume? Whatever you'd like to share, I'd love to hear! Stay tuned for more posts feature a little extraordinary something.