Taking a PSY of Relief as American Idol Season 12 Wraps Up!

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie covering the American Idol Season 12 Finale for NYC and LA!It’s happening!!!! IT-SUH-HAPPENING!!! (Cue “Bridesmaids” humor) After months of campaigning on Good Day LA for an interview with Psy…I finally got the chance at the American Idol Season 12 finale (clip here!). The Korean superstar seemed a bit tired (after all he’s been going non-stop since his YouTube Gangnam Style meteoric rise)…but a “Gentleman” nonetheless. And I had the pleasure of meeting two very grounded, humble, power house vocals…Kree Harrison and new Idol winner Candice Glover. Honestly…they are such great role models. In this day of Teen Mom and other reality stars…it’s an honor to meet two rising stars who have overcome so many challenges. Kree is such a ray of sunshine…that you’d never think she lost both of her parents when she was just a teenager. And Candice…love her perseverance of trying out 3 times before winning! Say what you want to about American Idol…but truth be told, it’s the only talent show that pumps out album selling stars. I hope to hear these ladies on the radio soon! I had the pleasure (and serious sleep deprivation) of covering for both NYC and LA this year. Can I just say…THANK YOU for all the amazing feedback via Twitter/Facebook/Instagram?! I’m still blown away. To my loyal NYC peeps…my deepest gratitude! And to my relatively new LA peeps…so grateful for the warm welcome. Now many of you reached out to me regarding fashion deets, so here it goes, from left to right: David Meister dress, Zara Shoes, H&M earrings, Burberry Prorsum sequins cardigan, Abercrombie jeans (they’re 15 years old!), Vintage belt, Pour La Victoire shoes, Rag & Bone pink blazer, H&M cami, Asos leather skirt, Badichi custom belt (I made it in the store!), Christian Louboutin boots, Chanel earrings.

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Your’s Truly…Truly Julie!

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Truly Julie

It’s back…Truly Julie segments!!I first launched the Truly Julie franchise in New York at WPIX-CW 11, gosh, about 8 years ago! The morning show TV segments started off randomly. It would air once every few weeks. But with higher viewership/ratings, it eventually aired twice a week for about 3 years. From food, fashion, culture, travel, entertainment, human interest, etc., the goal of each Truly Julie segment was to showcase anything fun under the sun (with a strong touch of my wackiness). For example, I flew all the way to the tiny South Korean Island of Jeju to go deep sea diving with Haenyeos…I entered competitions for double-dutch jump roping and break dancing…I trained for the NYC marathon with the world’s fastest blind marathoner…I cooked with the finest chefs and ate the most exotic foods such as a giant scorpion and a live squid (with moving tentacles!) and the list goes on. When I switched jobs and moved over to WNYW, Fox 5 New York, I put Truly Julie on hiatus. But I tell you what, the viewers from those original “Changsta Gangsta” days have stayed with me! And if this is you: THANK YOU. It’s been about 5 years since I last aired a Truly Julie story in NYC and till this day, when I walk down the streets of the Big Apple, a few people will still yell, “Hey, it’s Truly Julie!”. I rarely hear folks call me Julie Chang…it’s almost always, “Truly Julie”. The success of Truly Julie and loyalty from so many viewers inspired the name of this blog! So with that..I felt it was only natural for me to bring Truly Julie back…but this time in LA!! If the goal is to feature things that are fun in the sun…um…where else is more fitting than Southern California??! I’m fortunate that the folks at Fox 11 LA share my vision. Slowly but surely we are getting Truly Julie back up and running. You can catch it/me every Sunday, around 10:30PM, somedays on Good Day LA & always online. Your’s Truly, Julie

Coachella…Coach-Hell-Yeah!

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie with one of her favorite “bandmates” Jacqui Rosshandler! (It all started here) screen-shot-2013-04-15-at-8-19-48-pm

When I commit to something…I’m in a 1000%. When I moved to LA from New York, I knew there were a few must-do’s to expedite my Angeleno status. Beach pad: check. California
driver’s license: check. Pink’s Hot Dogs: check. Cabo trip: check. Paddle boarding: check. Parking ticket: check. Tattoo: NO WAY (I’m too fickle with trends and I’m a scaredy cat)! And of course, I had to experience Coachella. Done! Don’t I look more LaLaLand after screen-shot-2013-04-15-at-8-25-47-pm this weekend??! It’s probably the prematurely aging ritual called tanning that I actively took part in at pre-Coachella pool parties this past weekend. Coachella is sort of like Disneyland for adults. Every corner is fun, fun, fun…but all of it is a bit forced and too well manicured for it to be a Woodstock-like festival. The fashion is crazy and wild, but you can tell folks have been planning these outfits for months. Everyone dances like they’re the biggest hobo free spirit, yet you know they spent at least $350 to get in, and even more $$$ for transportation, parking and to find housing near Indio. Much like Disney’s Space Mountain, the line for pricey drinks and food (the Kogi BBQ was life changing!) snakes around and around. Plus, the 30 check-points to just enter the venue truly tests one’s patience. And instead of Mickey and Minnie, at Coachella you spot celebrities everywhere! But the music (Violent Femmes were my fav!)… the perfect festival weather (sans the Sunday dust storm)…the supermodel looking party-goers at Neon Carnival…vibrant life everywhere…that’s why you do Coachella! Coach-hell-yeah!

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Thanks Los Angeles Magazine!

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Truly Julie

Screen shot 2013-03-28 at 2.40.49 PM Click here for the article! Yes, it’s true, I have a “When Harry Met Sally” moment at Trader Joe’s and at the farmers market:) I guess I’m becoming a Cali girl…fresh produce gets me all hot and bothered!

Thanks Snoop Dogg/Snoop Lion & Suga Free!

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Truly Julie

As odd as it might sound I’m quite flattered being called, “that new b*%$ch on Channel 11, Good Day LA“, when it’s coming from Snoop Dogg/Snoop Lion and Suga Free. Yesterday, the two hip hop figures ranted about which ladies they would like to…ah ham…get to know “better” (it’s around 5:09 on the clip timeline). And much to my surprise…Taylor Swift made the cut as well as your’s truly. They cite Taylor’s “barn yard” innocence as sexy. Cray! I grew up blasting Snoop in my little Honda Civic in high school. I can feel the bass rattling my speakers just thinking about it! “1 for the money, 2 for the bi@$ches, 3 to get ready…” you know how it goes! So needless to say, Snoop encapsulates a special time in my life. And who knew…Snoop thinks I’m special, too! He says so himself on the YouTube Channel GGN (The Double G News Network. It’s basically CNN for the hip hop community–smile). Catch the clip and holla at your homegirl on twitter: @JulieChang or Instagram: @TrulyJulieChang

Beautiful Gowns…Talented People…Stunning Stars…Kiss From George Clooney…Unicorns (got carried away with this part)…There Really is Only One Oscars.

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie at the 85th Annual Oscars It’s true what they say. The Oscars just feels more “special”. Maybe it’s because all the other award shows are basically just pillars of support for this original, grand ceremony…or maybe it’s that there is more talent under one roof than anyone can fathom…or maybe it’s the snipers perched on top of Dolby Theater! Yeah…it’s THAT high profile. Any who…glad I got through my first Oscars coverage without a hitch, all the while having quite the lucky fashion sitch! Thank you Carolina Herrera (and Lee Gonzalez and Marie Griffin!!!) for lending me this gorgeous green stunner. They made me feel like a princess by spending so much time and care custom fitting it for lil’ ol’ me. This Michigan girl has come a long way! And for you fashionistas out there, this lace gown is part of Ms. Herrera’s lifestyle brand CH by Carolina
Herrera…meaning, the price tag is friendlier to the non-celebrity (check out the new store
in New York…and LA folks, hang tight as CH for Carolina Herrera is set to open in Los Angeles this Spring). And you know what goes best with this dress? A George Clooney kiss! GASP!! Watch my Oscars red carpet high lights here!!

Truly Julie at Elton John’s post Oscars Party in West Hollywood.

Facebook: This Time with Feeling!

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Truly Julie

Holla at your girl on www.facebook.com/juliechangfox11So after someone stole my identity on Facebook last year…I got a little spooked and vouched to steer clear of the social networking site. But now I’m back! It seems Facebook has beefed up security…plus, I missed having a space where YOU get the most say on my content. On TrulyJulieChang.com, I blog about what I want to…travel, food, fashion, family, friends, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “reckless stardown”, etc. On twitter: @JulieChang, I tweet about my 140 character thoughts. On Instagram and pinterest: @TrulyJulieChang, I photograph what I find intriguing or beautiful. So…I thought the least I could do is to have one place: www.facebook.com/juliechangfox11, where you can tell me your input on what kind of posts you want to see (PLEASE NO PERVY REQUESTS). Or just share a comment, thought, picture or story about YOU or what you find interesting. I want it to be a healthy forum where it’s fun and friendly. You wanna hear about the trip that changed my life…or what I whipped up for dinner…or what volunteer organizations pique my interests…or what color lipgloss I was wearing on-air, etc…we can have that dialogue here. I just launched the page, so I need your help on getting some more “likes”. I hope you stop by soon!

SAG Awards 2013: A Smiling Red Carpet

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie donning a Plein Sud gown and Oscar de la Renta earrings.The Screen Actors Guild Awards is sort of like your high school yearbook contest where your own peers vote you as the most popular…or best dressed…most athletic, etc. This is when actors judge their fellow actors and because of that…it’s a bit more intimiate and chill than, say, the Golden Globes. Some observations of the night. Sally Field is amaze balls. She’s just as afable as you’d imagine. If that’s what 66 looks like, sign me up. Also, the cast of Homeland pretty hilarious. Navid Negahban, who plays the notorious terrorist Abu Nazir told me a really funny story about going through airport security. Hugh Jackman (insert love sigh) always stops for me…and his utmost respect for his wife is commendable. And for you fellas…I make Jordan Sparks do a full spin for our camera. She’s lost 55 pounds and radiates confidence. You can catch all of my moments
with the aforementioned, plus the SAG fashion breakdown here (scroll down to middle of page and click on the 3rd clip). **My entire look was rented so that I’m not left sucking my thumb by the end of awards season:) You can, too, on RentTheRunway.com. And the reason for the title of this post? My sister’s remarks on my crimson dress blending into the red carpet: “Um, is that you in the picture…or is that a red carpet with a face?”.

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70th Annual Golden Globes: I came, I saw, I conquered…a Date!

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Truly Julie

Truly Julie covering her first Golden Globe Awards! Dress: Matthew Williamson (borrow it on RentTheRunway) Shoes: Lanvin
I locked eyes with Steven Spielberg and he gave me one of the few interviews of the night. Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston tried to tip me a $100. And Homeland star, Diego Klattenhoff (AKA “Mike”) gave me a wink and asked to meet up later. So many golden moments at the Golden Globes…including plenty of blazing red carpet fashion. Catch it all right here!

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Truly Julie on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno! Wait, Let’s “Clean Up” this Backstory:)

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Truly Julie

I’ve never laughed so hard on-air in my life! And judging from the tweets below…many of you found my cameo during Jay Leno’s monologue just as funny. As Steve Edwards often says, the best moments on TV are candid….when people don’t think the camera is rolling. So, this Thursday I showed you a clip of my sit down with Arnold Schwarzenegger. We talk about his movie “The Last Stand”..yada yada yada….but our producer, Jay Kumar’s favorite part of the interview was when I was just beginning to take my seat. The former governor gives me what we’ve now dubbed as the “Schwarzenegger Stare Down.” For what seems like 2 minutes he doesn’t blink. I never thought it was a moment worth talking about on-air but Jay kept saying that we must! So we did and it lead to Jay Leno having a field day with it on The Tonight Show!

**Disclaimer: I don’t think Arnold was checking me out!! I think the Terminator worthy glare was simply him sizing me up as a reporter. Glad I could, pun intended, clean up the back story to this funny moment. Hit me up @JulieChang and let me know what YOU think. The link to Jay Leno’s entire Jan 17th monologue: http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/monologue-part-2/n31720