we're back now with more of "today" on friday morning. it's the 7th day of september, 2012. getting a little close out here, up into the 80s, mid-80s in new york city. a little humid. >> by sunday it will be fantastic. >> really? >> yes. >> coole >> close. >> a little gross. >> close. savannah guthrie and al roker, i'm matt lauer. katie holmes making headlines for something other than her breakup with tom cruise. she's just been named the new face of bobby brown cosmetics. bobby brown herself will join us in a little while to tell us how

the two teamed up. >> also ahead, a sneak peek at new york's fashion week coming up, of course. the next half hour giada de laurentiis will show us how to make meals ahead. >> your perfect friday night, a night on the town, hanging out with friends or family. >> this will get you out. now you want to think about this, right? >> tweet the hashtag. >> keep it clean. >> your ideal friday night. >> take a break, take a beat, now say natalie is not here today, tamron hall with the news today. tamron. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with the unemployment rate released by labor day, stands at 8.1% for the month of august down .2% from july but only because more people gave up looking for work. the economy added 96,000 jobs

last month. those job numbers coming out as president obama heads into the final two-month sprint of the election fresh off accepting the democratic nomination for a second term, the president campaigns today in new hampshire and iowa. so continue the argument he made last night that he knows there's a long road ahead but he needs more time to fix such a weak economy. the final night of the convention was a star-studded one with hollywood beauties lending their support and making speeches. among them scarlett johansson, kerry washington and eva longoria. a new study shows women possess genes that make them more susceptible to breast cancer have a higher risk of the disease if they have a mammogram at a young age. researchers found those women, chest radiation in their 20s had a 43% increased risk. a sweet story now of an eight-year-old boy who one $1,000 in a scavenger hunt and knew peak what he wanted to do

with the money. the third-grader gave his winnings to the family of his young neighbor, 2-year-old kara who is fighting leukemia. he asked his mom how much chemotherapy does $1,000 buy. his mother said she could not be more proud of his son and we're proud of him, too. britain's prince harry is back in afghanistan. his second deployment to the war zone. officials say he'll be back flying apache helicopters. a surprise to some, maybe an explanation for his partying ways we witnessed in las vegas last month. an ohio woman made a big splash in her community when she drove her minivan into the neighbor's swimming pool. she lost control last week and ended up plowing through two neighbors yards before plowing into the pool. thankfully no one was hurt. a tribute to "women who rock" opens in the nation's capital, women in the art

exhibit iconic costumes worn by women in music. everything from lady gaga's meat dress to madonna's cone break and tina turner's famous mini dress. a big night for another woman who rocked rihanna at the video music awards in los angeles. she took the honor video of the year. her boyfriend chris brown won best male video. it was the british boy band one direction that provided the night's most scream inducing performance. by wait they won three awards including best pop video and best new artist. four minutes past the hour. check in with new direction fan al roker. >> who doesn't like them, you're beautiful just the way you are. anyway, got our friends over here. who is this? >> joanna. >> how old? >> she is nine months. >> where are you guys from? >> dallas, texas. >> oh you startled her.

>> let's show you what we've got going on. we've got leslie, 415 miles south southeast of bermuda, 75-mile-an-hour wind. it's not moving. that's causing some problems with the rip current risk basically from miami all the way up into new england all weekend long. high surf advisories as well. risk of strong storm from columbus. one to three inches from little rock all the way to detroit. how is she doing? >> the people scared her. >> what do you mean the people scared her? you scared her. >> you all right, sweetie? it's okay. >> getting close. all right. th >> good morning.

we're expecting a lot of sunshine. it will be another warm day. >> okay. i think everything is all right. savannah. >> all right, al. thank you. now exciting news for beauty editor bobby brown. she just announced a new partnership with katie holmes to become the first celebrity face of bobby's makeup brand. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> you caught kind of a big fish here, this is exciting. >> how did this come about? >> went out with mutual friends,

a tea together. we clicked, from the midwest. working moms. she's an actress, i'm not. we had a great time together. we talked about life and main things. we started talking about her fashion show. i told her i'd love to do the makeup. we collaborated there. organically it was like oh my god, would you consider, she said yes. >> this company, so successful, been around 21 years. >> 21 years. >> you've never had a celebrity spokesperson. why now and why katie? >> honestly, i'm not looking at this, i didn't hire a celebrity. i hired a woman who i think is really cool, who is down to earth, sparkles when she walks in a room and photographs really well. >> doesn't hurt she's beautiful. >> no, but she's beautiful. she's relatable. she's pretty powerful. i think she's really cool. >> i read she reminds you of somebody very inspirational to you. tell me about that? >> my beauty icon is ali mcgraw,

beautiful brunette, natural, outdoorsy. >> i see the resemblance. you too. is she into makeup. >> katie looks so good without makeup. she looks amazing without makeup. she looks great with makeup. i don't necessarily see her with red lips and smoky eyes but that's not my style. my style is natural, pretty, wearable. the perfect iconic face. >> katie is somebody who has been in the headlines a lot lately. fame, a little notoriety. i'm sure all of that factored into the decision-making process. how do you look at that, is that almost an opportunity? >> she has a lot of grace. i really admire how she's handling her life. i just think she's really cool. we spent the day this week. we had a wonderful day. she's like the perfect person because she looks onso beautiful in the picture. >> you mentioned a couple minutes ago that you're actually going to do the makeup -- she's

got a new fashion line. >> homes and yang. i'm excited, first presentation. i'll be leading the makeup. i'm excited, a fun collaboration. we're going to work on makeup products together. >> i can't believe i asked you this but i said, was that your first fashion show. you're like are you kidding me? >> fashion week, fashion night out, there's a lot going on. >> a late night for us. >> look how good you look for two hours sleep, for 90 minutes. >> right back at you. >> some bobbi brown concealer for these bags. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> coming up next, we're going behind the scenes of new york fashion week. the next half hour, how to do everything better. all right. after this. here's my morning routine. gotta start the day off right. wardrobe. cute. then new activia breakfast blend. a great way to help start the day. mmm... creamy lowfat yogurt with grains

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this morning on today's style, fashion week gets under way in new york city. cindy leavy, "glamour" magazines editor in chief went behind the scenes to check it out. >> good morning, "today" show, we're here at fall fashion show so we can figure out exactly what the hottest, most wearable trends will be. take a look. major trends for fall, fierce military look. aviator jackets. we saw this with victoria beckham, dark leather, suited up

military-style jackets, especially coats. this is a look that can feel intimidating if you've never worn it before. once you put it on, you feel invincible. girls, time to dress. for fall, there is a new black and it's maroon. this is a neutral popping up on hundreds of different designer runways. it's really beautiful paired with black. can you wear it with cream. i like it most of all if you want to take a fashion risk with bright red, orange, really chic, really sharp. designers are way into fall florals right now. we all know florals are easy to wear in the spring. now seeing them done in richer jewel tones for fall. popping up on designer runways everywhere. they look especially fresh when you wear them with darker colors. a very heavy knit, tweed jacket, something that makes it feel not so springy. they are everywhere. if you don't have them in your closet, they are a good

versatile piece to have. >> cindy shows us how to pull off those runway looks. good morning. since you gave us the list, the military look, how do we break into this one? >> it's got to be polished and professional, this is not about the old cargo pants we all have at the back of our closet. this is more work appropriate. >> she looks fantastic, everything under $100 from ann taylor and zara, a really youthful look, military inspired trench, ep let on the shoulder. one thing that makes it feel modern, wearing it with tough girl accessories there, black patent boots. >> those boots are sexy. >> this kind of an officer and general meets "50 shades of grey." >> it is, indeed.

>> that keeps it from being stuffy or old-fashioned. you can look for gold buttons on a dress or coat, all about a great pea coat. >> leave those boots in my room. the huge trend of maroon, which is a lovely color. >> yes, it is. every season they say something is the new black. this the new black this season. >> look at ayala, your model. >> she looks fantastic. she's wearing it one of the ways i like best, monochromatic, maroon, burgundy, ox blood or calling it around the office chianti. looks slimming. >> she has a great figure, youthful. >> you could wear one piece, if you want to break into the look. this is really wearable if you doing it head to toe. if you want to add color i like it in a box-shaped clutch, a bright show, bright pink looks

fantastic, or orange or red. >> if you go on a job interview, you'll get that job. >> thank you so much. last but not least, floral. we always think summer but that's not the case. let's bring out nikki, showing us fall floral. >> the trick here is you want a floral on a darker background so on a black or brown background. i love nikki's dress here. this is only $55 from mod cloth. a slightly higher waist and fuller skirt, works on women of everybody type. you can wear it on its own with a sandal or put a dark turtleneck and it's a year-round look. >> we were just told turtle next are great as layer piece like this. >> the trick to making it feel wintry as opposed to summery, dark colors. this is not where you want to

pull out pastels. >> darker florals, even though they are rich colors. >> there's every permutation under the sun. i wouldn't be afraid of it. a short skirt, wear it with a tight. >> thank you for the glamour girls, really, they work there. absolutely. house hunting deals. what you can get at a great price all around the country but first these messages. ally bank. why they have a raise your rate cd. tonight our guest, thomas sargent. nobel laureate in economics, and one of the most cited economists in the world. professor sargent, can you tell me what cd rates will be in two years? no.

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>> a little earlier we asked you to tweet us about your ideal friday night. >> all right. >> here is mine. good movie, good bottle of wine, good pizza, good company. >> good grief. >> actually friday night is going to start around noon today. >> tamron. >> my ideal friday night, anything but staying in and washing my hair. the laverne and shirley sitcom, i'm staying in, when you didn't want to go out with a boy. you never heard a girl say that, which is why you didn't know. >> i never said that. mine is duller.

ideal fry night, dinner with deb and the kids, either a movie or killer game of uno at home, relax and recharge. >> now that you win are you the uno champion of the house. >> no, lula pretty fierce. >> good at words with friends on the ipad. >> martha says my ideal friday night is getting ready for my wedding day and spending time with family and friends. i was going to say that's one time though. >> my ideal friday night includes christian grey, a vodka collins and no sleep. >> okey doaky. >> what's in a vodka collins. >> a lot of booze? >> at least we know vodka. >> you don't know what a vodka collins is. >> i'm sorry, i do. it's vodka with tom collins mix. it's delicious. >> vodka collins. >> terry miller. tonight is going to be probably breakfast for dinner, watching the kings speech and bed before 10:00.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> we are going to see a lot more sun than yesterday. an isolated storms could pop up during the day. our forecast for today calls for a lot of sunshine, scattered clouds, and a very small chance of an isolated storms this afternoon or evening.

>> that is country music superstar blake shelton, a string of hit songs and "the voice." blind auditions for "the voice" start next monday night. blake will be here to give a sneak peek. >> giving c. lo and christina a hard time. >> chemistry on the show aka tension. gets a little rough with christina and finale. can't wait to see this year. good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie alongside al roker, tamron hall, jenna wolfe and lester, more about

them later. >> that's chemistry. >> i call it a dis. >> i can't ignore that they are here. >> i appreciate the fact she mentioned us. >> how humble he is. coming up, the hottest homes across the country for $250,000 or less. >> all right. how about this. how to do everything better. everything. from making the bed to cocktail parties to even how you eat fried chicken politely. everything. >> like your pinky is up. >> that's how we do it in the south. giada de laurentiis is here with simple dinners you can make now and toss in the oven tonight. >> did i mention jenna wolfe and lester holt are here and coming up this weekend. >> great buildup. >> so exciting. >> amazing. with the conventions behind us, much more on where the

presidential race goes from here. then with "america's got talent" finale days away, i sit down with howie mandel and howard stern. howard made a pretty big announcement about his future on the show. we'll tell you what that's about. >> recently lester and i took a very special trip to the island of jamaica. not so much a chance to blow off steam on nbc's dime, although we did some of that but we both have very deep roots there, one has deeper roots than the other one of us. for example, one of us was born there and the other knows someone that lives in jamaica. that was me down there. all that and more coming up this weekend on "today." it's going to be fun. >> good. chemistry. >> such deep chemistry. >> and our deep jamaica roots. >> stop saying that. >> looking forward to that. >> guys, thank you. al, how about a check of the weather. >> my mom is from jamaica. >> i know someone from jamaica, jenna. >> i partied in jamaica. >> i used to live in jamaica, queens. let's show you what we've got as

far as your forecast for the weekend. tomorrow some afternoon storms from the northeast into new england, mid-atlantic states, sunny and hot out west, showers in the southeast. beautiful weather from the plains state, plenty of sunshine and seasonal conditions. then for sunday -- sunday! -- we've got morning showers -- evening showers in the pacific northwest, morning showers new england area, ear >> good morning. we are waking up to mostly clear skies. it will be another one day. that's your latest weather.

of course you know it's officially fall when we get to say for the first time, it's sunday night, football night in america. this is a good one, kids. we're talking steelers flying into sports authority field, mile high stadium, clear and mild mid-70s, upper 70s, peyton manning's first regular season game as a bronco. you want to catch this one. it's on sunday night, football night in america. >> sylvester and tweety style. >> at least brings enthusiasm to that. >> just a little. doesn't enjoy his job at all, does he? >> last night nine more acts sent home on "america's got talent" as the show gears up for finals. singer songwriter tim hockenberry is one of the performers that didn't make the cut. >> good morning. >> you got a standing ovation from howard stern, one of the toughest judges. >> and he's quite tall, so

really is a big standing ovation. >> how did you feel about the experience? >> you know, it changed my whole trajectory more than anything in the music business so far. i'm 50 years old so i've had plenty of opportunities but this was definitely big. >> fantastic. you've got a lot -- >> i look 48. >> no, younger than that. >> so open about the personal life and some struggles getting here. 50 years old, a lot of road covered. >> yeah, took a while to stay alive this long. >> you talked about your substance abuse and everything. >> i'm no stranger to addiction. it's a big part of my story for the show but it is a big part of my life. being on the other side of it is a good thing. >> each week seemed like your voice got compared to different singers, joe cocker, van morrison. do you think that hurt you? >> didn't hurt my feelings. may have hurt my chances on the show. but you know, i was just glad i

didn't sound like 300 other singers. >> who were pretty -- >> shot shabby, let me tell you. >> jim hockenberry, thank you for being here. good luck to you. we'll be looking out for you. appreciate it. >> thanks for having me. >> six finalists on "america's got talent," 9:00, 8:00 central. >> by the way, your baby. >> can we bring her in? her mom is pretty cute, too. >> mom is cute as well. >> she's a cute baby. >> come here, baby. >> sonia ray after ray charles. >> she's eating katherine cook's id. >> i love her pants. >> so beautiful. >> if you need a babysitter, ideal friday night, baby-sitting baby. >> she has an older sister more beautiful, as beautiful, i shouldn't say more. she's 12 years old named lola. >> dad said what on the "today"

show when i was a baby. >> real estate reality check, what you can get. oliv e garden's never ending pasta bowl is back! endless combinations of pasta and sauce for just $9.95. plus, never ending sausage and meatballs for just $2.95 more. the pasta never ends but the offer does. only at olive garden. mommy! i went potty! that's great, honey....

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oh, it's so good! if this image robbed you of the great taste of untopped triscuit, claim your free box online. goat cheese? come on! this is america! [ male announcer ] 100% whole grain woven for an untoppable taste. [ crunch ] this morning on today's real estate, under $260,000. "today" real estate expert has us covered coast-to-coast. good to see you again, barbara. >> i missed you a long summer

without you. >> it has been. let's get started, start in the pacific northwest. kent washington. >> a suburb in seattle, 60 parks, all about the kids here. this is a pretty contemporary home, lush backyard that backs up to a designated green belt, which you'll see in a moment. your neighbors will mow it and you get to play in it for free. a living room with soaring ceilings, open staircase, a bank of high windows and open doors that look out to the big backyard. the kitchen has wood floors, maim cabinets, a breakfast nook. beautiful floors there, friendly kitchen, looks like a little dollhouse. dining room, gleaming floors and tons of natural light for $215,000. beautiful starter home. >> let's go to glen shaw, pennsylvania. the brick colonial you say is a

bargain. >> i say everything is a bargain but i mean it again and again. the market in glen shaw, pittsburgh, remarkably stable, stayed low but the same, makes this a bargain, a deck out back for drilling and entertaining, nice little add ochblt the formal living room is way too cluttered, twice as much furniture as it should have, couches and whatever, should be cleaned up, light wood floors, crown molding, oversized windows, if you take the drapes down a better chance of seeing them. family room has a second fireplace, exposed brick, kitchen needs a little updating, tile floors, nice backsplash. >> austin, texas, kind of different, a lot of feel to it. >> vastly different. wait until you see from the outside, ultramodern home, new community, hip and trendy area called east austin. lots of artists in there.

it's called a glow house because those green panels glow at night when lights are on inside. kind of weird. >> cinder block. >> beautiful inside, looks like a lot of. sleek and open with cinder block, plenty of windows, kitchen has double sinks, frosted cabinets, breakfast bar joins the dining room and living room, extra tall ceilings and glass doors that lead to the backyard. second floor has a seating area with glow lamp in the corner. your house is glowing, easy for your friends. bedroom continues the sleek modern look throughout, very neat this house and refreshingingly different. >> very cool. i don't think we've gone to boise i had , idaho. >> just the way you picture it, one of the friendliest places in america. you can make friends with the governor readily, get to know the shop keepers. everybody is friendly there.

i don't think they are faking it. a custom smart home, very new, up to the minute kitchen, tile backsplash, granite topped island. dining room partially open to the kitchen, beads board, wainscotting, hand textured walls, a little odd, not everybody's taste. the curtains are too low, high ceilings, they make them look short. the master bedroom, high cathedral ceilings, big bay windows, the curtains make it look like you have to peek through it. perfect seating for a lovely view. what do you have there, a big bedroom. i'd take down those curtains one more time. did i say that enough? >> not often enough. >> my pleasure, al. still ahead, how to do everything better. tips for you right after these messages.

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it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way, right? lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one. do you have things in your life you'd like to do better? that's a good question. kimberly, the editor-at-large of southern living. here to rundown the list. probably do a lot of things better in life. >> good morning. >> i love the first thing on the list, how to make a perfect bed. why did you put this out? >> experts say people who make their bed are happier. we all want to be happier. let's make our bed. add luxury to our lives. >> what are your tips? >> from mrs. howard, a beautiful column in our magazine. >> i'll help you. >> come on over. experts say people who make the

bed together with two people are even happier. how about that. >> what do we do. >> fold the top sheet down a little bit. feels like a hotel, luxurious, don't have too many pillows, three rows is enough. >> classic linens. >> they are great. if you buy linen or cotton they will be easier to maintain. a simple sham to sleep on, euros for decoration and two simple decorative shams. you don't want the pillows all the way out. >> you say iron your sheets, makes me feel 1950s. >> feels so much nicer when you get in. i love to fold the duvet into a z pattern so you can unfold. >> shining silver. >> take tarnished silver and put it in the sink. put tin foil on the bottom, sprinkle baking soda on top. if you pour boiling water, you

won't believe it. it literally takes the tarnish off completely. >> does it work with silver jewelry, not watches and things. >> i don't know. it's incredible how quickly it works and how easy it is. >> leave it. >> even better when you use your silver, brings out the patina. also when you store it, a simple, easy trick. put a piece of chalk inside the cabinet you store silver in, that will absorb chemicals that will make it tarnish. >> this beats rubbing that cloth. >> so hard. >> perfect cocktail party. >> we love hosting parties if we keep them simple, that's trick. i love a bar cart. i love this, it's on wheels, move strategically to any area of the house not crowded. i recommend using your best things, use them all the time even if it's just you and your partner having a drink. i love the idea of a signature cocktail. this is a watermelon bell ini, if you're going to choose one,

choose one with four or even better three ingredients. >> i have a camtini. how to write the perfect thank you card. >> they are important. cherished when all we get in the mailbox are bills. >> means a lot. >> think in threes. send in three days of receiving your gift, only needs to be three lines long. the first will be an acknowledgement of the gift. thank you for the book. the second one would be how you're going to use it. i'm going to read it on my trip next week. the third one would be acknowledgement of a future meeting or greeting. i look forward to seeing you at the holiday party. >> classy, southern. last but not least. the perfect way to eat chicken. >> pick up a napkin. pick your favorite piece. wrap the end in the napkin like this and take little bites. the most important thing is you don't do this when you're talking, move your hands.

>> also important. >> sit it down. >> also important not to talk with your mouthful, so i won't take a bite. thank you very much. continuing food up next. giada's favorite make ahead dish. this is "today" on nbc. hmmm, i don't think i took my pill today. there's birth control you don't have to think about taking every day or even every year. i'm painting my arms. i want another child, but not for a while. it's mirena, a small intrauterine contraceptive that's over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy for as long as you want, for up to five years. then again, i'm not sure i want to wait. don't use mirena if you have a pelvic infection, get infections easily or have certain cancers. less than 1% of users get a serious infection called pelvic inflammatory disease. if you have persistent pelvic or stomach pain, or if mirena comes out, tell your healthcare provider. if it comes out, use back-up birth control. mirena may attach to or go through the uterine wall and cause other problems. although uncommon, pregnancy while using mirena

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this morning on cooking with giada, make ahead recipes, "today's" contributor giada de laurentiis. make them in the morning, throw in the oven. good to see you. first is tomato and bread pudding. >> this time of year people have a lot of tomatoes. something to do with a ton of tomatoes and something to do with them. start by making a custard. >> what do i do. >> break up eggs, salt and pepper. >> i'm going to add tomatoes. if you use bigger tomatoes, cook it a little longer to get the water out, otherwise it ends up being watery.

kind of cook these -- wow, put some pepper in there, al. >> you know, some spice. >> salt and pepper in this. you've got to cook these down a little bit. >> all right. >> now let these cook for a couple of minutes just to soften them. i add it to my pan where i have multi-grain bread. use any kind of bread you want, quite frankly. whatever bread you want. bake in the oven, stale or fresh. i like to add multi-grain, makes it a little tastier. pour the custard on top. also sprinkle with basil for color just like that. then we top it with parmesan cheese, bake 375 for 30 minutes and voila. >> this is italian, though. >> are you going to try it? >> yes. >> do it in the morning, day before, sit in the refrigerator and bake it off before dinner.

>> next. >> manicotti, sausage and cheese. you're going to make an italian sauce, a mixture of a little milk, cream, heat that up, add one and a half cups of parmesan. a cheese sauce. >> italian. >> add a little basil. want the parmesan cheese to melt. i have sausage took out of the casings, glaze with garlic, wine. frozen peas. >> good color. >> i'm all about color. i like it. mix the ricotta, cheese, sausage. mix together like this. take some of that. this is a giada pour, not al. delicate and just a little bit. just a little more. a little bit more. that's good. okay. perfect. >> what did you just say? >> stop, stop, stop.

mix this all together and you have a filling. take that. >> hi, tamron. >> hi, how are you? >> good. you're going to go over there. right here. perfect. so guys you take the manicotti you can cook a day or two in advance. take the filling. let it chill so it's not too hot so you can handle it and stuff it. do you want to try stuff it. >> my director told me that this morning. >> stuff it? >> yeah. >> anyhow, tough it just like this all the way through and land it right on top of the marinara. you top it with a little more marinara, then the sauce and cheese. >> bake this? >> at 350 for 30 minutes and this is what you end up with. >> a little desert. >> have to have desert. an italian ice cream custard with nutella in it and crust. >> this obviously can sit forever, make in the morning.

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