Idina went on a hike/interview with the Wall Street Journal recently. Read on!

This is how we can tell that the actress and singer Idina Menzel has put at least a little bit of her New York roots behind her: “I live right up the street, and of course, I drove here,” Ms. Menzel said, stepping out of her sports-utility vehicle in workout clothes, in preparation for a hike near the house she shares with her husband, the actor Taye Diggs, and their 17-month-old son, Walker.

“I’m kind of a homebody,” she went on. “But having a baby gets me out of the house. At least I want him to be social. I want him to have a bright happy start in the morning.”

Read more at WSJ.com.

Also, just a note that February 11 is the last day to submit nominations for the Shorty Awards (nominations have been extended)!

To nominate the site, simply tweet the following:

I nominate @idina_here for a Shorty Award in #fansite because [your reason].

That’s it! Everyone who votes for us is eligible to win an autographed photo of Idina. You do not need to vote more than once, as votes are not counted multiple times by the Shorties, and thusly won’t be counted by us (though if you already have multiple Twitter accounts, feel free!). Nominations (and contest entries) are accepted through February 11, 2011. I’ll pick a winner at random from all tweeted nominations on February 12. If you voted for us prior to reading this, don’t worry, your vote still counts for the contest!

The Top 6 nominees become finalists, and from that point they are reviewed and voted on by the Real-Time Academy, and winners are chosen. If we happen to win (which would be awesome!), I’ll come up with an kickass prize to give away. Let’s see how we do!

The Association of Yale Alumni, the Yale Club of Los Angeles and Eli’s Mishpucha: Yale’s Jewish Alumni Group present…

The Yale Whiffenpoofs in Concert
Featuring Broadway, Recording, and TV Star Idina Menzel
with Actor Joshua Malina ’88 as Master of Ceremonies

A benefit for P.S. Arts – “Improving children’s lives through arts education.”

Also featuring the singing groups of the Crossroads, Marlborough, and Harvard-Westlake schools.

Broad Stage
1310 11th St, Santa Monica, CA, 90401
Friday, March 11, 2011
6:30 pm: Pre-event gala reception hosted by Santa Monica Mayor Bobby Shriver and Malissa Shriver
8:00 pm: Concert

Tickets:
Pre-event gala: $50
Concert: $100 and $125; (VIP Tickets available for $250)

Buy Tickets Here

Idina took some time to give some interviews recently, to promote her upcoming concerts in St. Louis and New York City. Here’s a quick list of links for you to read:

As it turns out, that three-page photo spread in More magazine is actually a six-page spread, and definitely worth picking up! So head out to your local bookseller/grocery store/shopping center and pick up the new February issue. There’s no interview, just Idina being a model in all shades of coral. I add the three additional images to the gallery, so check them out below!

Beginning at 10:00 am ET today (January 20), fans will have exclusive access to tickets for Idina’s March 31 performance with the North Carolina Symphony in Raleigh. To access this exclusive offer, click HERE and enter promo code: DEFYINGGRAVITY

Pre-sale will last until 11:59 pm ET tonight, so don’t delay!

Idina just popped up in the February issue More magazine (“for women of style and substance”)! I don’t know if there’s an accompanying interview, since this isn’t available digitally online, so keep an eye on news stands for this issue, likely out just this week. I know I’ll be hitting up Barnes & Noble this evening.

This is pretty much one of those annoying self-promotion posts. I apologize, but I’m competitive, so…

Nominations are currently open for the Shorty Awards, an award that honors the best in social media, aka Twitter. It’s an actual award “show,” judged by an academy after public nominations are complete. There’s even a ceremony in NYC and winners get a legit award and everything (acceptance speeches have to be 140 characters or less!).

So if you love this site, and think that we have effectively utilized Twitter to deliver top-notch, relevant, and breaking news about Idina, then I ask for your vote. And hey, there might be something in it for you, too!

To nominate the site, simply tweet the following:

I nominate @idina_here for a Shorty Award in #fansite because [your reason].

That’s it! Everyone who votes for us is eligible to win an autographed photo of Idina. You do not need to vote more than once, as votes are not counted multiple times by the Shorties, and thusly won’t be counted by us (though if you already have multiple Twitter accounts, feel free!). Nominations (and contest entries) are accepted through January 31, 2011. I’ll pick a winner at random from all tweeted nominations on February 1. If you voted for us prior to reading this, don’t worry, your vote still counts for the contest!

The Top 6 nominees become finalists, and from that point they are reviewed and voted on by the Real-Time Academy, and winners are chosen. If we happen to win (which would be awesome!), I’ll come up with an kickass prize to give away.

So, crossies!

It’s been revealed that Idina has even more concerts coming up! She’s added the following dates to her nation-trekking symphony tour:

July 30: Park City, UT – Utah Symphony
Oct 14: Houston, TX – Houston Symphony
Oct 15: Houston, TX – Houston Symphony
Oct 16: Houston, TX – Houston Symphony

More information, including pre-sales and public on sale dates will be announced soon!

(And see y’all in Houston!)