Fabulous Tip Of The Day: The Perfect Denim Jacket

In Style UK's fabulous tips for this spring and summer fashion staple:

"1. The fabric: Look beyond classic denim and opt for interesting details. The painted texture of this number gives it a fresh twist. 

2. The fit: Stick to the easy vibe of summer and choose an oversize jacket. Turn up the cuffs for a 2014 update. 

3. The outfit: Pair with slim tailored trousers, a light knit, and a pair of pointy flats. Chic daytime dressing made easy!"

--Taken from In Style, UK edition, April 2014, page 89. 

Denim jackets are a lifesaver on these days when the weather keeps switching from cold to too hot to rainy to going inside with the air condition in set at arctic. It's also easy to throw on a denim jacket over a sundress for an easy work look.

Stay fabulous, readers!

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever Concludes

Thank you so much for sharing with me this fantastic day of Twilight love and blogging. It's been a great experience. I'm looking through my stats, and I've had so many page views, yay! I should do this again sometime. There are plenty of YA books with film adaptations, like The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Divergent, Warm Bodies, The Host, et cetera, and the Vampire Academy movie comes out on DVD in May. This'll be fun.



"...into our perfect piece of forever." 
Breaking Dawn final page.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Bella’s Strength

Another parallel to mention: Bella started out as the weakest physically, but now she is the strongest, even more so than Emmett, who was previously the strongest Cullen. Her shield is also the strongest of everyone’s powers, and see the importance here: wanting to protect the people she loves has always been her foremost characteristic, and now she can do so on a large scale in a way that is more powerful and potent than any offensive ability.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Garrett

Can I just say how utterly fantastic Lee Pace is as Garrett? Another excellent casting of a side character! Honestly, I wish he could have a solo movie because he does such an incredible job. His performance is part of why Breaking Dawn Part 2 is my favorite film of The Twilight Saga, and even for his small screen time he fits in among the Cullens and Denali coven as easily as if he had always been. And the way he looks at Kate – their romance is adorable.

Lee Pace is also wonderful as the elven king Thranduil in The Hobbit movies, and Thranduil was always my favorite character in The Hobbit, so Lee Pace is just all around awesome, I think.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Bella’s First Hunt

The scene of Bella hunting the deer is a direct parallel to the opening of the first film. Only this time, Bella is no longer the fragile deer. She is the strong and fierce mountain lion, which is why she chooses the latter as her prey instead.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Breaking Dawn Part 2

Thanks for watching the first part of Breaking Dawn with me! The second part begins at 7:00 pm. This final film is my favorite of The Twilight Saga. It truly is.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Keeping The Baby

Let’s take a moment to talk about Bella’s immense courage in choosing to keep this baby. The Volturi have set a deadline (emphasis on the dead part) by which she must be turned. This is her one and only chance to have a child, and to Bella, who thought she was giving up children, this miracle is a big deal to her. She feels an instant emotional connection to unborn Renesmee, and losing that would be far more painful than what she suffers having the baby. For Rosalie, this is also her only chance to have a baby, albeit vicariously. Together their alliance and newfound sisterhood prevail when others in the family want to sacrifice the baby to save Bella. This is also another example of Bella standing by her choices with conviction and refusing to be swayed.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Isle Esme

That’s right: Carlisle bought Esme her own private island as a gift. Is it just me, or do all vampires in The Twilight Saga feel love so deeply that it is intertwined with obsession? 

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Breaking Dawn Part 1

Thanks for watching Eclipse with me! Because of problems with my laptop and Blogger, I have not embedded all the videos I had in this blog and will be posting most of them to Twitter, but since I have my Twitter feed attached to this blog (look to the side and turn on scripts if you have them turned off like I usually do), you should still be able to get to them. Anyways, at 4:45 starts Breaking Dawn Part 1, and I'll be using the hashtag #BD1 for that. Because it's shorter. And I'm kinda lazy. Plus it takes up less character space.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: Rosalie’s Backstory

I’m glad they include the backstories for Rosalie and Jasper in the Eclipse movie, since it always disappointed me that they left out Alice and Carlisle’s backgrounds in the first movie. There is something important to note in Rosalie’s story, though – more important than developing her character.

Rosalie was raped, but she did not allow herself to become a victim.

She empowered herself, took back her body for herself, and made sure neither her assailants nor anyone else could ever hurt her again. And Rosalie has never needed a man to defend her.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Bella’s Family

It is a BIG deal for Bella to give up her family to become a vampire. She loves Charlie and Renee so much, and Renee’s gift of the quilt almost brings her to tears. At the same time, for both Charlie and Renee Bella was always the caretaker, the parent. Among the Cullens she is also part of the family, and even as a human she feels that she fits in better in her new family than her old one.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Meet Bree Tanner

“The newspaper headline glared at me from a little vending machine: SEATTLE UNDER SIEGE – DEATH TOLL RISES AGAIN. I hadn’t seen this one yet. Some paperboy must have just restocked the machine. Lucky for him, he was nowhere around now.

   The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer, page 1.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Defending Edward For Sabotaging Bella’s Truck

OK, not gonna lie, messing with her engine is a dick move. But let’s just look at this from Edward’s point of view for a moment. The werewolves are hot-tempered and prone to violence. Sam lost control of his temper and viciously clawed the face of the woman he loves – the woman on whom he’s imprinted. Not to mention that many of the wolves are already suspicious of Bella for her association with the Cold Ones. Add to that the fact that Edward can’t go over there to protect her, nor will he know if she’s in danger because Alice won’t see her with the wolves. All of that together equals a very worried Edward. He sincerely believes he’s doing the right thing to protect Bella.

Plus he doesn’t trust Jacob not to make a move on her.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Riley’s Devotion

Riley believes Victoria changed him because she loves him and is willing to do anything for her, including creating a vampire army. In a way, Riley serves as a foil for Edward; both are equally devoted and obsessed with the woman they love and essentially do anything she says (with the exception of changing Bella). However, Riley doesn’t have much control over his army and has no control or power in his relationship with Victoria. Edward, on the other hand, while physically stronger than Bella, is an equal partner in their relationship.

Only one of these couples gets their happily ever after.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: Chop And Change

Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times, Eclipse soundtrack, for introducing me to this great song! I love Chop and Change's classic rock feel to it. I also love how they flesh out Riley more in the film. Since the book is from Bella's point of view, she never really interacts with Riley, and it's great to see screen time for him.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: Fire And Ice

"Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice."
 -- Robert Frost

This is is epigraph for Eclipse, and Bella reads it at the beginning of the film. Obviously, the ice represents Edward and becoming a vampire, while the fire represents hot-blooded Jacob and staying warm and human. Both ice and fire are destructive, and she must choose one life or the other.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul. 

Picture belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Eclipse

Thanks for watching New Moon with me! Next up is Eclipse, starting at 2:35 pm!

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Pictures and video belong to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Meet Me On The Equinox

This song by Death Cab For Cutie is the second credits song and my favorite of the New Moon soundtrack.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: A White Demon Love Song

I love this kinda creepy song by the Killers. This is the first credits song, after the Alexandre Desplat score, that is.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: No Sound But The Wind

The last song before the credits:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Slow Life

This is the song when Bella is underwater, unsure whether to sink and stay with her hallucinations or to swim towards life, while Victoria watches.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: Laurent's Return

Another deleted scene:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Meet The Volturi

The Volturi are some of the excellently cast side characters in the Twilight Saga films, particularly Michael Sheen as Aro.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: I Belong To You

Another song by Muse, of course, and it also symbolizes how Edward and Bella still belong together, even though they're apart.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Victoria

I really wish they'd kept this scene. Victoria's such a badass and such a bitch at the same time. I love her.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Bike Crash

Ever the klutz, Bella crashes her bike in this deleted scene:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Possibility

I will never not cry when Edward leaves or when Bella sinks into her depression. Possibility by Lykke Li summarizes Bella's feelings here completely.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: The Violet Hour

The Violet Hour by Sea Wolf, an odd love ballad.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Monsters By Hurricane Bells

From the New Moon soundtrack:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: In The Woods

A deleted scene:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Birthday Presents

An extended scene at school:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Birthday Cake

An extended scene of Bella's birthday party:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Bella's Stitches

A deleted scene:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Life After Twilight

Another behind the scenes look, this one from the New Moon special features:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: New Moon's Score

Alexandre Desplat scored New Moon, and his music is breathtakingly beautiful. All the Twilight Saga films have lovely music, but New Moon's is by far the best and most haunting.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: New Moon's Original Epigraph

Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night;
Give me my Romeo; and, when I shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night...
—Romeo and Juliet Act III scene ii

According to Stephenie Meyer's website,  the passage above was the original epigraph for New Moon, but she changed it to one with far darker foreshadowing. Even so, the original was very romantic and dark and very fitting for Edward and Bella's love.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: New Moon

Thank you for watching Twilight with me! Next up in the marathon is New Moon, starting at 12:15 pm!

Talk to you soon!

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Pictures and video belong to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Decode

The third credits song, and my absolute favorite from the Twilight soundtrack:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Hayley Williams Loves Twilight

A little behind the scenes look at Paramore's work for Twilight:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Leave Out All The Rest

Linkin Park was another inspiration of Stephenie Meyer's. Bella even listens to a Linkin Park CD in the book given to her by her stepfather Phil. The song Leave Out All The Rest is the second credits song.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: Flightless Bird

Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron & Wine is the second song played at prom. Oh, how badly I wanted Edward to bite Bella during this scene in the book.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: Go All The Way

Go All The Way Into The Twilight by Perry Farrell is the first song from the prom scene.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: Stephenie Meyer's Muse

Stephenie Meyer has always listed Muse as one of her inspirations for Twilight:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Supermassive Black Hole

The music from the vampire baseball scene:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Vampire Baseball

To me, the vampire baseball scene is an important insight into the Cullen family. They cling to their humanity through being a family, and this is a perfect example of how they support each other as a family so that they can have the strength together to continue on in their difficult and challenging lifestyle.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Bella's Lullaby

Bella's Lullaby is such a beautiful and romantic piece of music that exemplifies Edward's devotion and infatuation.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: Bad Vamps

A deleted scene showing the coven of evil vampires: Laurent, James, and Victoria:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Esme & Carlisle

Another deleted scene, this one showing that Esme and Carlisle are truly the most adorable couple in Twilight:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Spotlight

From the Twilight soundtrack, Spotlight by Mutemath



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: The Meadow

"Edward in the sunlight was shocking. I couldn’t get used to it, though I’d been staring at him all afternoon. His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday’s hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface. He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare. His glistening, pale lavender lids were shut, though of course he didn't sleep. A perfect statue, carved in some unknown stone, smooth like marble, glittering like crystal."
-- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, page 260.

Everything is better with sparkles. Trust me on that one.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Pictures belong to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Your Number Was Up

Another deleted scene:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: She's Not One Of Us

This is a brief deleted scene from Twilight:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: The Vampires of Twilight

Another behind the scenes look:



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Video belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Irrevocably

“About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him – and I didn’t know how potent that part might be – that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”

n      Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, page 195.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: The Cullen Crest

The Cullen Crest

Each member of the Cullen family wears the crest in some way. The boys all have wristbands. Rosalie has a pendant, and Alice has a choker. According to Catherine Hardwicke in the Twilight Director’s Notebook, the hand at the top of the crest represents faith or sincerity (aka their faith in Carlisle and each other), and the three clovers at the bottom represent perpetuity or eternity (since they’re immortal). She says the lion is for strength and ferocity (vampiric nature), and of course it’s a reference to the famous line “And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…” (Twilight page 274).

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever: Stephenie Meyer's Dream

Here's a little behind the scenes look:





This video belongs to Summit.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever Definition of Twilight

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of the word twilight is as follows:

twi·light

[twahy-lahyt]

noun

1. the soft, diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, either from daybreak to sunrise or, more commonly, from sunset to nightfall.

2. the period in the morning or, more commonly, in the evening during which this light prevails.

3. a terminal period, especially after full development, success, etc.: the twilight of his life.

4. a state of uncertainty, vagueness, or gloom.

adjective

5. of, pertaining to, or resembling twilight; dim; obscure: in the twilight hours.

6. appearing or flying at twilight; crepuscular.

 

Picture belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever marathon all day!

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul 

#TwilightForever: My Name Is Edward Cullen

"'Hello,' said a quiet, musical voice.

I looked up, stunned that he was speaking to me. He was sitting as far away from me as the desk allowed, but his chair was angled toward me. His hair was dripping wet, disheveled -- even so, he looked like he'd just finished shooting a commercial for hair gel. His dazzling face was friendly, open, a slight smile on his flawless lips. But his eyes were careful.

 'My name is Edward Cullen,' he continued. 'I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan.'"
-- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, page 43.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Pictures belong to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Meet The Cullens

"I stared because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful."
--Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, page 19.

"I felt a surge of pity, and relief. Pity because, as beautiful as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted. Relief that I wasn’t the only newcomer here, and certainly not the most interesting by any standard."

-- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, page 22.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

Picture belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Meet Jacob Black

Why did they feel the need to introduce Jacob so early? In the book, Bella remembered Billy, Jacob's father, from her childhood, but she didn't meet Jacob until the group outing to La Push. In the movie, however, the two are set up as old friends.

The answer, of course, is to give Jacob more screen time for the Team Jacob fans. Sigh. It makes sense from a filmmaker's point of view, especially since he is an important character for subsequent films, and it draws in more of the fans. It's just one of those details they changed that bothers me.

But then again, I'm biased because I am very Team Edward.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Picture belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Forks's Greenery

"It was beautiful, of course; I couldn't deny that. Everything was green: the trees. their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered with ferns. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves.

It was too green -- an alien planet."
-- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, page 8.

I've heard complaints from people about the green color palette used in the movie, but I feel it really fits well with Bella's own description of Forks. It's one of those details that helps immerse the reader into the book, and I feel it translated over well into the film.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Picture belongs to Summit.

#TwilightForever: Full Moon

The first song in the film from the Twilight soundtrack is Full Moon by the Black Ghosts. It has a lovely haunting sense to it, and its lyrics speak of going home after a journey. Traveling to Forks is Bella's journey, and it takes a lot of courage and maturity for her to take it.



XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

All pictures belong to Summit.

#TwilightForever Twilight: How I Would Die

"I'd never given much thought to how I would die -- though I'd had reason enough in the last few months -- but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

I stared without breathing across the long room, into the dark eyes of the hunter, and he looked pleasantly back at me.

Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something.

I knew that if I'd never gone to Forks, I wouldn't be facing death now. But, terrified as I was, I couldn't bring myself to regret the decision. When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.

The hunter smiled in a friendly way as he sauntered forward to kill me."
-- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, page 1.

This opening is so symbolic. The soft, fragile, feminine doe is running away from a bloodthirsty predator. The doe, of course, is Bella and her innocence, and the unseen predator is representative both of Edward and of James, after her blood.  Bella's monologue taken from the preface of the book, however, which is a preview  of how she will stand by the decisions she's made and is perfectly willing to protect the people she cares about with her life. In other, when push comes to shove, she will not run away like the deer. She stands firm to face the hunter. This conviction is one of the many things I admire about Bella, and it's something she shows repeatedly throughout the series.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

All pictures belong to Summit.

#TwilightForever Twilight Epigraph

The epigraph to Twilight:

"But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil,
thou shalt not eat of it:
for in the day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt surely die.
Genesis 2:17."

This quote mirrors the apple on the cover of the book. According to author Stephenie Meyer on her website, the apple "represents "forbidden fruit." I used the scripture from Genesis (located just after the table of contents) because I loved the phrase "the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil." Isn't this exactly what Bella ends up with? A working knowledge of what good is, and what evil is. The nice thing about the apple is it has so many symbolic roots. You've got the apple in Snow White, one bite and you're frozen forever in a state of not-quite-death... Then you have Paris and the golden apple in Greek mythology—look how much trouble that started. Apples are quite the versatile fruit. In the end, I love the beautiful simplicity of the picture. To me it says: choice." 

And Bella's choice in the first book/film, of course, is to be with Edward and risk all the danger that he himself poses and that he brings with him or to stay away from him and stay safe.

We'll see how her choice plays out through the course of this #TwilightForever marathon, won't we?

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

#TwilightForever: My Inspired Look

Hello, everyone! I hope you’re excited to join me for my all day #TwilightForever marathon. I’m certainly excited about it myself. Of course, for the occasion I’ve put together a look. First things first, I spritz myself with Twilight Woods Diamond Mist from Bath & Body Works. That’s right – a sparkly shimmer fragrance on the wrists, neck, and décolletage. It’s quite a lovely scent, too.

Since I’ll be lounging in bed all day while working on this blogging marathon, comfort is key to my clothing choices. Grey sweatpants are an easy neutral, and fuzzy black socks keep my feet warm, since my roommates keep blasting the air conditioning. I add a lacey black camisole topped with a black t-shirt with the words “Yes, I’m In Love With A Vampire.” A very fitting graphic tee, hmm?

I slept with my hair in braids, so I brush it out for soft waves and add a black headband like Bella wears in the first movie. Bella wears very natural makeup, so I apply a luminizing BB cream and blend concealer and powder over my blemishes. I sweep a shimmering champagne shadow across my eyelids, curl my lashes, and apply mascara. After sweeping a peachy-coral blush across my cheeks, I color my lips with Revlon Just Bitten Stain+Balm in Twilight.

Red heart earrings and my Cullen Crest necklace are my accessories, and I finish off the look with black nail polish, and dark red polish on the accent nails. For a top coat I apply sparkly Luxe And Lush from China Glaze’s Hunger Games collection.

Final touch? A blanket for extra comfort.

It’s going to be a good day.

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

#TwilightForever Movie Times

Hey, everyone! As I mentioned on Tuesday, this Saturday, April 26, is the #TwilightForever marathon! I'm really excited about it. Join me for a full day of live-tweeting and live-blogging! I think it's going to be a lot of fun. You can watch all five movies with me or pick and choose which ones you want to see. For clarification, I'm posting the start times of each movie below. Obviously I'm leaving a little bit of time in between each film to change discs, stretch legs, run to the bathroom, make more popcorn, etc. The whole thing should last from 10am-9pm. I've also included a teaser trailer and poster for each film.

1. Twilight: 10 am - 12:02 pm (122 mins). For this film I will be using the hashtags #TwilightForever #Twilight.

2. New Moon: 12:15 pm - 2:25 pm (130 mins). For this movie I'll be using #TwilightForever #NM.

3. Eclipse: 2:35 pm - 4:39 pm (124 mins). For this one I'll use #TwilightForever #Eclipse.

4. Breaking Dawn Part 1, Extended Edition: 4:45 pm - 6:49 pm (124 mins). For this film I'll be using #TwilightForever #BD1. Also, you don't have to watch the extended version if you don't have it, but that's the only version of BD1 that I own.

5. Breaking Dawn Part 2: 7:00 pm - 8:55 pm (115 mins). For this one I'll use #TwilightForever #BD2.



I look forward to sharing this marathon with you on Saturday!

Gif from Buzzfeed.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

All pictures belong to Summit and to Little Brown.

Twilight Forever Blogging Marathon This Saturday!

So. 

I realize it's been awhile since I've posted. I can give all the excuses I've said so many times before. Life never gets easier, and when sleep's sweet siren call seems more persuasive than motivation for writing, sometimes things get pushed aside. I get so many thousands of ideas in the morning as I start work, but twelve hours later when I get home, I'm too exhausted to remember any of them. Or many other excuses get in the way. 

So I've come up with an idea. I'm going to have a huge burst of blogging done in one day. I've been thinking about this for a while, but it was the misery I faced on Easter that made me realize how much I need this. 

This Saturday, April 26, starting at 10 am Eastern Standard Time, I am going to marathon all five of the Twilight Saga films, and I will be live-tweeting and live-blogging the entire time. There will be posts here, on my Facebook, on my lesser used Tumblr, and particularly on Twitter. Please feel free to join in with the hashtag #TwilightForever. An interactive approach to this will make it even better, and I'd love to have some comments and feedback. 

Spread the word: this Saturday is the #TwilightForever marathon! Watch any or all of the movies with me while is blog and tweet with a singular focus. 

I feel like this is the jump start I need. The first Twilight book back in 2005 inspired me to write in genres besides high fantasy -- particularly urban fantasy, which is now the category under which most of my writing falls. Hopefully watching all five of the movies together (although they are far inferior to the books, I'll emphasize) will have a similar impact of inspiration to this writing. 

Plus if a whole day of blogging and tweeting doesn't make up for this last hiatus, what will?

Talk to you Saturday!

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul. 

Fabulous Tip of The Day: Spring Blazer

Today's Fab Tip:

Now that the weather's getting warmer and (finally) springy, try brightening up your wardrobe as well.

"Instead of a denim jacket, try a blazer in light-catching violet."
-- Taken from Lucky magazine, April 2014, page 127.

A violet blazer can work both in professional and casual settings, and it is definitely something to have fun with.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Fabulous Tip of the Day: Open Up Your Eyes

Today's Fab Tip:

"A subtle way to make your eyes look bigger is to apply a second coat of mascara only at the outer corners of your upper lashes."
-- Taken from Fast Beauty: 1000 Quick Fixes by Rona Berg, page 35.

Using a couple of individual false lashes on the outer corners will give the same effect, but mascara is faster. Curling your lashes before mascara also helps to open up your eyes and make them larger and doll-like.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Fabulous Tip of The Day: Tuxedo Jackets

Today's Fab Tip:

"Tuxedo blazers are the must-have new cover-up -- they show off your shape and add a luxe feel to even your most worn-in pair of skinnies. Leave your hair loose or in a messy pony to feminize the look."
-- Taken from Cosmopolitan magazine, December 2011, page 44.

Tuxedo jackets are still in and are a great way to try the menswear look without fully committing to it. It's also a great way to add another layer in this freezing cold weather. Just make sure to add a few feminine details to keep it chic.

Examples:

Pic from Nordstrom.com

Saint Laurent Tuxedo Blazer via Nordstrom

Pic from Nordstrom.com

Nicole Miller Tuxedo Blazer via Nordstrom

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

P.S.: Don't forget: Moonday tonight!

Fabulous Tip of the Day: Applying Pencil Eyeliner

Today's Fab Tip: an easy application tip for those like me who have such a hard time with getting pencil eyeliner even.

"For an even application, apply liner from the inner corner to the center and then to the outer corner to the center. The two lines will meet in the middle seamlessly."

-Taken from Life & Style magazine, February 3, 2014, page 54.

And if it's still uneven, take a smudge brush, qtip, or your finger, and smudge away!

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

P.S. This is my first post done from my new phone, and I must say, typing is way easier on a laptop. 💋 But I'm in a cafe sipping a latte and writing in both a beige trench and a nude moto, so I feel beyond fabulous right now.

Fabulous Tip of the Day: Shades of Pink

Today's Fab Tip:

"A pop of pink stands out, but you can work a tonal look by pairing it with one or two other shades of the color."
-- Taken from Life & Style magazine, January 20, 2014, page 53.

Wearing an outfit of one color but varying shades is a way to look put together without being too matchy-matchy. Work a few neutrals in there, and you don't have to worry about being completely monochromatic.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Fabulous Tip of the Day: Shoe Care

Today's Fab Tip: take care of your shoes! When you wear them, you sweat in them. It's part of life. Negate the sweat smell.

"Smelly flats? Fill a coffee filter with baking soda, tie it shut, then place it inside shoes."
-- Taken from Life & Style Weekly magazine, November 18, 2013, page 53.

An alternative is to spray the inside of your shoes with dry shampoo. It works the same way and soaks up the sweat residue, drawing out the stench.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

PS: Don't forget: Moonday tonight!

Fabulous Tip of the Day: Dress Up Your Jeans With Statement Pumps

Today's Fab Tip:

"The best way to glam up jeans? Make sure your shoes do the talking by hunting out statement heels with eye-catching details and fabrics. Team with skinny black denim and everyone will be too busy looking at your feet to notice you've broken the dress code."
-- Taken from In Style magazine, UK compact edition, January 2014, page 97.

There are times when you go out to a party or club and don't feel like wearing a dress, or you haven't done your laundry, and jeans are the only clean things left. (Is that just me? I can't be the only one.) A pair of glamorous heels, whether sparkly, in a shiny fabric, holographic, bejeweled, et cetera, will always dress up your outfit, even if it's a pair of skinny jeans and a button-down. Wear some sparkly earrings or necklace to balance out the look.

Be glamorous and fabulous tonight. I know I'll be while watching Downton Abbey and Sherlock on Masterpiece Theater. Join me on Twitter for live-tweeting at 9 pm EST.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Fabulous Tip of the Day: Simple and Luxe

Today's Fab Tip:

"Amp up your work look: Pair a bejeweled top with a pencil skirt."
-- Taken from Lucky magazine, December 2013/January 2014, page 54.

This is an easy way to upgrade a simple outfit and look more sophisticated, chic, and luxe, while still work-appropriate. Throw a bejeweled sweater over a button down with the pencil skirt, a pair of black opaque tights, and black pumps, and you've got more layers to keep you warm during these cold January days. Just don't pair with a necklace or statement earrings; you don't want too much bedazzlement. Keep it simple and elegant.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Join Me Tonight For Moonday

In case you haven't noticed from my Twitter feed, a new episode of Teen Wolf is tonight, and I will be live-tweeting, although I may reach tweet limit before Wolf Watch, the aftershow. This week's Wolf Watch involves the twins, so I've got my fingers crossed there will be talk of upcoming Dethan plans.

On Sunday I will be live-tweeting Downton Abbey, and I have a strong suspicion Anna is going to become pregnant, so I'm dying to see if that development plays out.

Immediately following that episode is the US release of the new series of Sherlock. The much-anticipated, long-awaited new series. Obviously I will be live-tweeting that.

Please join me online for gushing and fangirling and general awesomeness.

All gifs from Tumblr.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Fabulous Tip of the Day: Cobalt Accent

Today's Fab Tip:

"On-trend cobalt blue pumps add a fun pop of color to chic jackets, blazers, and skinnies."
-- Taken from People Style Watch magazine, September 2013, page 92.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Fabulous Tip of the Day: Vamp Lips

Today's Fab Tip: a very glamorous and sexy dark lip.

"Vampy pout: Dark gloss makes a fierce statement! One swipe of deep berry is all you need to make your look ready to rock all night long."
-- Taken from Seventeen magazine, February 2014, page 50.

Glossy dark lips keeps this look flirty and casual. Go for a matte vamp lip for a more sophisticated look. Remember to smile mysteriously for extra sexiness.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Hey, everyone. I know this post is a little late in coming. More than a little late. More like months overdue.

2013 is over. A lot happened that year. I started blogging. I went on hiatus multiple times. I discovered the wonder that is Teen Wolf. I wept when Castiel lost his trench coat. I became very firmly Team Damon. I rediscovered how much I love Johanna Mason, since she previously had always paled in comparison to my love for Finnick Odair. I slept on the street to escape the FBRs and then moved into a new place with much nicer roommates. My laptop screen broke, and my best friend gave me her old laptop. I was finally able to use Netflix for the first time in my life. Helen Fielding released a new Bridget Jones book, and it was heartbreaking! I made the difficult decision to give up a third of my income and quit my second job, which still worries me for the future, but it was the right decision to do. Sometimes I still wake up and laugh happily that I never have to go there again and then immediately freak out because how will I be able to afford living?

Naturally, a lot of my New Year's Resolutions involve finances. I have to cut way back, after all.

So for 2014 I resolve to do the following (so Bridget Jones, every year):

• Limit myself to buying only one makeup or beauty item per month, with an exception being granted to conditioner and deodorant, even if I've already bought something else, because those are essentials one can't live without. I go through so, so much conditioner too.
• Limit myself to buying only one fun clothing item or accessory per month. This month is already allotted to this fabulous bag I saw hanging in the window of Plato's Closet. Boring things like socks and leggings to wear under my jeans to stay warm at the freezer I work at are different because a) those are essential work expenses without with I would be shivering for an entire twelve hours and b) no-one will see them anyway, so how can they count as fun?
• Keep track of finances better instead of getting surprised right before the end of the month when I find I've run out of money.
• Hand-wash clothes more often, instead of letting them build up into a huge pile.
• Actually, that goes for all laundry.
• Clean the bathroom before it gets to the really bad point.
• Cut my bangs more frequently so that they don't get so long I can barely see from under them and have to keep parting them and brushing them from my eyes.
• Actually finish a manuscript and get it ready for publishing instead of bouncing to another project and then another.
• Of course, the prerequisite: lose several pounds. No, I will not reveal my weight. Mainly because I hate weighing myself and don't own a scale. I just want to lose some of the bulging rolls of fat that hang off me.
• Do my taxes early instead of waiting until just before the deadline.
• Look more put together on an everyday basis.
• Post more!

Me in 2014. gif from Tumblr.

 So there you have it: my plan for a new, improved me. Isn't a little makeover something we all want? What are your resolutions? Tell me in the comments below!

Looking forward to a great 2014.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.