Yay New Post!

So this is the first post in a really long time so sorry everyone! Well as most if not all of you know I did a free promo on Sunday and gave away a huge amount of books. (le sigh) Am glad that my writing is enjoyed but is everyone a cheapskate nowadays and nobody wants to pay for anything? Anyways...the other day I was browsing around at a TS and ran across the cutest most kitschy collection of dime store 1950's Made In Japan figurines ever! There was cats, dogs, fish, you name it it was there. Sadly they were beyond my price range in terms of my willingness to spend. Translation: quit bumping up the price on junk just b/c you think it looks old and valuable ppl. Case in point too I saw an old mothball smelling sad looking Teddy Rugsby a while back and it was going for $50. Really. Just finished a really good Jennifer Crusie novel. Now I've got Jackson Browne's 'Somebody's Baby' stuck on internal repeat. :) Had to snip of quite a bit of length from one of my favorite skirts b/c of a bad accidental rip. I'm now contemplating whether to sew another piece of material around the new hemline to extend it ala Pinterest project style. Am trying to overcome the urge to bake due to the want to lose lbs. Crescent rolls and choco chip cookies how I miss thee so! Have tried the newest craze and sipped coconut water. Found it meh. Still writing now and then. That is all.

Dear Diary...{Not Really}

Went shopping the other day and lusted over adorable sparkly Juicy Couture clip on charms at the jewelry counter. Had a weak moment where I contemplated buying a few. Did the sensible thing by ignoring the gems and went off to shop for clothes instead. Also I decided to swear off chocolate. Then a couple hours later bought a Mr. Goodbar and devoured it. And...I wanted to stop consuming caffeine. Then someone gave me a Starbucks giftcard. I promptly redeemed it and had a Grande Caramel Frapp.

Books!

So I've read some really good books lately. Here are a few: 'Acheron' by Sherrilyn Kenyon. It was freakin' epic and awesome. 'Bait' by Karen Robards was fantastic, the characters had excellent chemistry and the plot was very fast paced. I read a really cute Regency yet all of the sudden I can't recall the name of it, I'll post it when I remember it. I also read the first chapter excerpts on Susan Elizabeth Phillips two new books each centering on her characters Meg and Lucy. Now I really want to go and buy those books! Also still into the first half of 'Out Of Eden' by Beth Ciotta. And I discovered Jennifer Crusie's blog which is totally excellent. Ltr..

New Post!

Hi everyone! Does absence make the heart grow fonder? I went on hiatus for a bit, living life and such. Anyways, I'm back now. Not much to elaborate on except that I recently read what I would call a novel of epic proportions that was well crafted, delightful and six hundred plus pages long. I got it on a Sunday and finished it on a Tuesday night, reading it whenever and where ever I could, it was that good. Sometimes a good book is like a pint of ice cream, so awesome you just can't put it down. Speaking of ice cream, last year I had I think it was Thrifty's Ice Cream Savannah -erm I can't exactly recall the name and whew it was good! It tasted like a delicious slice of peach cobbler in ice cream form. More later...

Sunday!

Hello my legions of adoring fans...ha ha. Sorry I've been rather absentee lately. I've been caught up doing a bit of this and that IRL and being away from the internet for long amounts of time makes me realize there's life away from a screen. Also I've slacked off slightly on my writing a bit due to being a little under the weather and that left me feeling kind of meh. Anyways I got a second comment recently-it was rather nice. More to come later...

The best classic Hollywood noir films: 'Love With The Proper Stranger', 'North By Northwest', 'Rebel Without A Cause', 'Rear Window', 'Pillow Talk', 'The Grapes of Wrath', 'It's A Wonderful Life', 'Bell, Book & Candle'...

Happy Monday! I've had a somewhat busy weekend so hence the woeful lack of posting. Last Friday I was perusing the antiquated, cavernous confines of one of my favorite haunts and came across two absolutely delightful pieces of furniture and a lovely looking glass edged in gilt trim with a design of roses. I was discussing with one of the employees the furniture I was considering and she informed me that it had came from the estate of someone who had recently passed away and the person had been born in the 1800s, the late 19th century. As I wandered around more I came across a delightful array of fabulous hats obviously from the 30s, 40s, & 50s. I also noticed a pair of beaded clasp purses and various glass objects. They had all belonged to the same person. Anyways to end my long rambling story I found it quite sad that one's family would dump one's lifetime collection of things so callously. I also felt as if I had suddenly strolled into an episode of 'Antiques Roadshow.' And in other events I satisfied my thrifty, intellectual epicurean side by purchasing cookbooks that I will probably never use since they were on sale. And I'm thinking about changing the cover on 'Pistols, Whiskey & Corsets', I like the current one however my skills as a photog aren't as adroit as I wish they were.

Hello world Happy almost Tuesday! In random news I was out and about the other day and purchased a whole excellent box full of books for only $2! Not only that but the quality of the books were quite wonderful-Amanda Quick, Diana Palmer, and Lisa Kleypas. They most were of a romantic variety but there were a few other suspense slash action thrillers thrown in for good measure. In a rather unusually slow day I polished off a quirky, mystery novel set in the Thirties London by Rhys Bowen called 'Her Royal Spyness' and it was charming. I also partook of a friend's homemade seven layer dip- I can't wait to attempt this on my own however I fear it may not turn out all that smashing. I also spent too much time saturating my brain on Pinterest. In my haste I also threw on a blouse that I vaguely recollected later had a slight rip in the elbow area and was thusly the reason for elicitng slight stares. It is quite too bad that one is judged by one's clothing, alas. And I am falling for all things retro in the rockabilly subculture once more. Now I'm off to write...

New Book

Hello everyone, I have a new novella that I've written and uploaded on Amazon, it's called 'Pistols, Whiskey & Corsets' so check it out! It's a genre mashup of cowboy western, with a bit of romance, and vampires thrown in for some fun!

The official start of summer is almost here, is your house ready for it? Summer is more than just a change in your wardrobe, its a frame of mind. Its also a great season to mix up and air out your living space to reflect an easy, breezy new you. Whether you have a mansion or a modest dwelling like myself its easy to change a few things and spruce up for summer. The first change and one of the easiest you can do is put up new curtains. Muslin, cotton, and linen are some of the best material fabrics for summer. Choose light or soft bright colors and if you like prints use them but don't over do it-you don't want to blare you want to be more muted. Tie them back in the daytime to allow sunlight in. Switch some furniture pieces our and for example replace them with a rattan foot rest, or a white wicker loveseat. Put a fresh bouquet out every week- not something elaborate and expensive, just something simple like a mix of peonies and carnations. Put a few seashells out, maybe on a fireplace mantle, a table, or in the kitchen. When you have company put out a clear glass pitcher of pink lemonade mixed with ice and lemon slices. Use a different, simple set of dishes. More to come... :)

Summertime...

Hey everyone I'm back again! Twice in the same day-are you as shocked as me?! Anyways, just some news I wanted to impart. I was reading the L.A. Times online this weekend and read an interesting fashion related article. Apparently Quiksilver is opening a lady surfer geared boutique along the beach-yay! Also I was reading THR today and saw that WB bought a studio near London. I saw on TV the other day that the Twitter bird is getting a makeover. In other random news the trailers for the newest Batman movie, Skyfall {James Bond}, and Looper look great. Also am kind of disappointed there may not be another Batman movie...Christian Bale is an excellent Batman. I've also been reading about speculation as to a Justice League flick which would be totally awesome. I also learned via LAT that a certain major designer's newest pet is all the rage on Twitter. It's a fluffy kitten and its name is Choupette and its Twitter handle is ChoupettesDiary. And...that's all for now.

Happy Monday again y'all! I don't have that much to say except late last week I wrapped up a couple of new stories I was working on. Then after making sure everything looked okie doki I went to go and upload it and I got an error message. {headdesk} Now I'm having to wait until the computer place reopens so I can go try again. I really wish I could've gotten it done sooner in the year but it seems there's never enough time in the day for me to write. By the time I've done everything that needs doing and work etc it's usually late and I have to fight falling asleep at my computer with the aid of Dr. Pepper or McDonald's Sweet Tea to stay awake. And now I'm worried if the format'll look alright b/c I don't really have a way to check after I upload..ah well. More later when I have time.

Good Morning! Did anyone watch the MTV Movie Awards last night? It was awesome! Anyways I know this is an early post but who cares? I have some book recommendations today! Having spent every free moment this weekend consuming a decadent Regency by Galen Foley called 'Devil Takes A Bride' I must say it did not disappoint. In her usual fashion she weaves an exquiste tale of action, adventure, and love against the glittering backdrop of the Regency era. Even the cover on this is superb; it rather reminds me of a Nicholas Sparks movie poster yet slightly more daring and with beautifully costumed Regency people. I also unearthed a book I hadn't seen in quite some time, 'Ten Things I Love About You' by Julia Quinn. It's a light and fluffy confection of love during the Regency. I'm also wishing I had a new Lisa Kleypas novel or Eloisa James one to keep my voracious reading tendencies occupied. In the meanwhile I at least have a new Theresa Medeiros novel 'The Devil Wears Plaid' to busy me. I've adored Regency Romances forever and I am trying to write one but it is quite a feat and I've been plodding along at it off and on for a few years now. Garters, Gunslingers & Grace began in Oct. a couple years ago before I put it away for a year and then picked it up and finished writing it last year. Anyway I bid you adieu!

Happy Friday readers! I just want to give a shoutout to the anonymous person who left a comment the other day! I'm glad some people find the little anecdotes I write about entertaining and interesting! And in other news I really am trying to diet but find the afternoon munchies hard to beat especially when one is used to supplementing ones diet with Dr. Pepper and Cheetohs Puffs. Sigh. Today I watched some of GH and absolutely adored the Todd/Tea scenes. I spent some time browsing the KDP Board forums. Then I wandered over to Cheezburger and I think I was looking at the Party Fails section when I stumbled across the most awesome L.A. based manga-ka who makes the most kawaii, glomp worthy doujinshi (manga/anime) fan art ever! The site is omo-cat.com and it's so freakin` fantastic. I really like the Cowboy Bebop artwork. And I was surfing for makeup later and re discovered Shu Uemura. Good quality makeup but you have to be willing to spend a little bit too. And...I'm contemplating tweeting more actively. I created it back in like Jan. yet since then I haven't said a peep on there!

Happy Tuesday all! Wow I can't believe I haven't posted anything in like a week! I've been busy w/ RL misc. And I've been spending too much time on Pinterest my newest guilty pleasure. I now aspire to make Peach Cobbler Dump Cake in a dutch oven and create cute little artsy objects. People are so creative and crafty sometimes I look at their projects and think why haven't I thought of this before? And I've learned some cool new things in MS Excel like how to convert text to columns. That is like the coolest thing ever! At least it is if you're like me and work with that program a lot. And here I thought I knew it all about Excel ha ha. In other news I went to a few Memorial Day sales and such nothing much of interest except I did pick up some books and clothes half price. And I used some old Loreal Jet Set polish that I re-found and gave myself a manicure. Bye

Hello and Happy Tuesday! Not much to say except that I've been browsing some of my fave sites: Google News, Time, People, EW, THR & NatGeo. I think the most interesting place is NatGeo esp. the news section when they recover ancient artifacts or they show the awesome sketches of hypothesized animals, birds, etc whenever a new extinct species is discovered by its archeologists. Anyways I haven't read that much lately but I am in the early stages of reading a Lincoln Child thriller that promises to be totally awesome. Other than that I've been trying to write when I can usually at least a 1,000 words a day or at least every other day. And I've tried out one of Sally Hansen's cool new color block style nail colors 'Blue Me Away' which I now officially adore. Ciao for now. P.S. as always feel free to cross-post links to my blog here and don't forget Garters, Gunslingers & Grace!

Hello world! I just wanted to drop a line and say that I haven't read much lately however I did finally complete a darling rom-com chick lit book called 'Boy Meets Girl' by Meg Cabot. The book reads like a series of e-mails, chats, memos, menus, VMs, and diary entries primarily written by the quirky main character Kate and details her navigation of work-life balance IRT. Also despite its slightly higher cost I'm developing a yen for Greek yogurt. I would also like to make a cheesecake soon...and I'm still writing. I also just want to give a quick shout out slash reminder that the best way to show you like my blog here is to cross post the adress/link and spread the word! Ciao!

Saturday...

So many books...so little time. In the few short days that make up my time off and when I'm not doing boring responsible things like laundry, cooking {like to eat dislike to cook unless I'm feeling inclined to do so} and dusting {in my imaginary maid uniform} I've spent them wisely lolly-gagging about in my starving artist garret here and decadently...reading. Yesterday I went through 'Bad Boy' by Olivia Goldsmith. It was very true to life, cute and funny, and it also somehow reminded me of the manga 'Nana.' Today I've read a delightful tale by one of my favorite modern/comedy/romance writers Susan Elizabeth Phillips entitled 'Lady Be Good.' Her heroes are always totally awesome guys and you can imagine yourself in the heroine's shoes, not to mention that its enjoyable to see {read} the progress and the ups and downs of their relationships as they fall deep{er} in love. Also I polished off Janet Evanovich's 'Metro Girl' a book that has slipped from my fingers like quicksand until I was recently able to pick up a rather well used copy and consume it in the space of a few uninterrupted hours. I absolutely loved it. I felt some of the Stephanie Plum vibe except it was a bit more southern and beach-y yet it still had all the fun and fast action and crazy criminals and cool guys. Now I'm debating whether or not to start in on a retro Sandra Brown romance novel 'Demon Rumm.' I would also like to re-read my worn copy of Jennifer Crusie's 'The Cinderella Deal' which is totally one of my favorite light hearted modern day comedy romances I've come across. That or quit the books for tonight and laugh at random stuff posted on the failblog site. Lastly I'm chillaxing and listening to KRTH and hearing a string of great disco songs and wondering what happened to the hour of disco at noon that used to play on KOST or another station I can't remember? I got addicted to Donna Summer, The BeeGees, and KC & The Sunshine Band and countless others that way. Now I'm feeling in the mood for some classic rock but I don't feel like getting up and tuning the dial again. Also I'm missing my Foreigner greatest hits cd, and my AC/DC hits cassette tape. And after hearing Styx 'Mr. Roboto' the other day I now have an urge to look up 'Renegade' on YT. Oh and Katy Perry on vinyl is freakin' amazing. Just for that she deserves to win some kind of award for hipster coolness. Peace.

Monday Randomness

Happy Monday! I'm on a healthy kick and so I just devoured a cold orange for lunch although I'm really craving a slice of strawberry swirl cheesecake and a pastrami sandwich with slices avocado on top and a side order of chili cheese fries with sour cream for dip. Was that too much, lol? Really though IMO avocados FTW. They are good with everything, even in a Greek salad. Anyways last night I watched this really thought provoking segment on 60 minutes about sugar and I found it quite interesting. After watching I came to the conclusion that if people took like longer than a few seconds to think about what they were going to eat before they ate it then we would all be a lot healthier and thinner. Even though sometimes it's hard to resist the lure of deliciously created confections and sweet treats and will power doesn't always work...Le sigh. Oh and I'm curious about the big lottery winner. I had a weak moment of escapism where I dreamed of the ways my one dollar{s} could turn into a swimming pool full of them and then realized that it didn't happen lol. And then I read a funny/sad story on HuffPo about how some dude who got a ticket got struck by lightening. And then before that I listened to Bill Handel on KFI that afternoon about the huge responsibilities that go with all that. Also here is a list of things people should NOT microwave in close proximity to others esp. in the lunchroom: fish {gross smelling when hot}, broccoli {disgusting odor}, onions/garlic, and popcorn {You know you're going to burn it. Just stop before the rest of us have to suffer your Kitchen Nightmares culinary skills.}

Not Much...

Hey everyone, the blog bug hasn't been biting lately {lol} blogwise, so I really haven't felt too compelled to post anything. In other tidbits of randomness I'm still obsessing over the awesomeness of the failblog that I blogged about in an earlier post. I got a new pair of heels that I can't wait to wear. Have been on a book buying binge recently and am overflowing with new novels to read. Am over indulging in my two guilty pleasures: chocolates and iced coffees. Have been putting off tackling the Mt. Everest of laundry that needs doing. Am stoked by the newest American Pie movie trailer. Reading 'Details' {mens mag} my other guilty pleasure; glossy pictured and textualized insight between slick pages into the modern mind of the male species is acerbic, fascinating, and witty. Later.

Random Things

Cool things I came across this week: failblog.cheezburger.org = NSFW funny. Alex Clare's soul speaking song 'Too Close.' The music video for LMFAO feat. Lil Jon 'Drink' is freakin' hilarious. Pink highlights. Seeing on Rihanna and Katie Perry being BFFs on Access Hollywood. Villain's Tavern + One Eyed Gypsy = awesomness. Finding out on Google News that George Clooney was arrested. I heart you Google News & George Clooney. :P

Manic Monday...

Wow these Monday's roll around all quick right everyone?! I'm not feeling anything clever or particularly witty right now peeps. If you want something funny visit the peopleofwalmart.com website and prepare to laugh your socks off. In other news I'm thinking about releasing a new novella soon. The best words/verbs I could describe it with are: action, adventure, humor, romance, mythological, medieval, etc. It's around 24K+ words and ends with a cliffhanger but I plan on making it either a two or three part series. Also I think the newer version of Mona Lisa found recently that may or may not have been done by Da Vinci is major awesome...And just in case you didn't know SXSW is going on and so is Paley Fest... and I was watching the trailer last night on YT for both 'The Borne Legacy' & G.I. Joe 2. Number 1: Jeremy Renner looks a major freakin' bad@$$ lexicon of awesomness. Number 2: The Rock + Channing Tatum with a piece of Bruce Willis thrown in seems too cool for words. Peace out.

Hey everyone I was just doing some random browsing and i came across this: online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203960804577239852155894014.html. It's an interview with physicist Michio Kaku on the WSJ website. if you don't know who he is he's a pretty intelligent guy who has some really interesting theories on various things.

Also on a side note I saw on a couple of entertainment websites that Jack Kerouac's well lauded and long awaited adaptation of his novel 'On The Road' has finally hit the silver screen-in the form of a movie with big name stars- yet with an Indie feel. You can hop on Youtube and look up the trailer for it. I have a feeling it's gonna be a pretty awesome movie overall. Yet I wonder if it will eclipse the modest success of another recently made mid 20 century novel turned movie; Ayn Rands 'Atlas Shrugged' which was another buzzed about book that managed to survive a near half century struggle before it too went to the big screen. Lastly, I think it would be interesting to see Haruki Murakami's dystopian retro futuristic novel 'IQ84' tackled by Hollywood. Would it be mostly science fiction geared or would they play up the undercurrents of like and longing? Just something to think about...

TGIF

Today is a beautiful day here in So Cal. It's like a preview for summer with lows in the 70s and highs in the 80s plus it's a lovely, cloudless, and sunny sky. People are out in full force to take advantage and carpe diem! The weather is ideal for chillaxing at the beach in a bikini with a book in hand or backyard BBQ-ing. Meanwhile I just finished catching GH. I miss you OLTL. May you rise from the dead and appear on our TVs again in some other incarnation. RH as Todd and KDP as Blair rocked as usual and its interesting to see them out of their normal element and still working it good. And I think I would like to eventually see Starr x Michael. I see potential power couple material there. Also I {heart} Starbucks Vanilla and or Caramel Frapps + whipped cream. In other randomness I'm craving a Supreme Pizza with all the fixin's {ya feel me} but I'm trying to resist temptation. Curse you pre-summer dieting plan. Lastly, why hasn't a machine that washes and dries clothes been invented yet?! Smart people quit wasting time on creating apps and create the washdryer instead. Peace out peeps.

I {heart} L.A. Part I

Here are some of the things that I love about L.A. and if you live here I'm sure you like the same things as well: Exhibits and collections at LACMA. All of The Getty. The Santa Monica Pier. Walking and running and hiking Griffith Park. PinkBerry. All the flavors at Coldstone Creamery. Shopping/ window shopping Rodeo Dr. Spending an entire day at The Grove and still not seeing everything. Redondo Beach-keeping it real. Manhattan Beach. Venice Beach- a trip within a trip. The beautiful fish at Aquarium of The Pacific. Old school Raider love. Glossy and awesome looking Low Riders. All the animals at the L.A. Zoo-all so cute! Shopping at Kitson. Target-gotta love Target! AX at the LACC. Downtown L.A. UCLA! UCLA Bruins-word! The Staples Center. Lakers {yesterdays Kobe and Dwayne showdown-Epic!} Clippers! Stargazing. The Griffith Observatory. TBC...

A Case of The Mondays...

I know it's like totally super early for some of you still however as a person who regularly starts her day at five or four in the morning if I'm not up by six a.m. I feel like I'm running late for something. For those of you who get to sleep in... the green blob of jealousy is consuming me as we speak. Interestingly enough though I don't particularly care for caffeine to kick start me. Now some people I know can't survive without Starbucks. It's like they're complete zombies shuffling around aimlessly with a thirst for some Grande blended *fancy French/Italian cool name here* drink. Also, I can tolerate early morning TV yet I can't stand those morning talk radio shows. Unless it's after 8 am. Then I feel more awake and can understand and appreciate crass humor and extreme loudness. Later.

p.s. I wrote this like way earlier this morning and now I'm finally publishing it...enjoy!

Off The Racks...

Clothing. Check it out people! Alice + Olivia. Rag & Bone. Bisou Bisou. Hot Kiss. Miry. Stella McCartney. L.A.M.B. Jessica McClintock {Gunnie Sax.} Candies. Periscope. Dollhouse. Piper Blue. Passport. New York & Company. Nolita. Fang. Uru. Loco Lindo. Carole Little. Le Sport Sac bags. Love For Sale. Moi MeMe MoiTie. Armani Exchange. Karen Kane. Carol Anderson. Zoe.

The Union Jack & TopShop...

These are some of my fave English things in no particular order: Barbara Cartland's sweet romance novels. Beatrix Potter and her adorable Peter Rabbit crew. Phillipa Gregory's sensual and dramatic Wideacre series. Bridget Jones' quirky adventures{and the next movie that may be in the works}. The gothic romances penned by the Bronte sisters. Vivienne Westwood's gorgeous haute couture fashions. Wedgwood's Fairyland Luster chinaware. Princess Kate! Kate Winslet! Adele and her 21 album!!! Supermodel Kate Moss! Comedian Ricky Gervais. Christian Bale! Jason Statham! Fine china, tea time, and biscuits. Becks & Posh. Rimmel makeup! GWTW's Vivian Leigh. Downton Abby {both classic and modern.} Cadbury's caramel filled chocolate Easter eggs. Smexy James Bond and his Aston Martin{s.}

It's raining, it's pouring...

Omg its raining/hailing/snowing in So Cal today! Its time to break out the umbrellas, plastic slickers, snow chains, jackets, and a new pair of windshield wipers. I see on the news that the Grapevine is major clogged. It sucks to be one of those people stuck there, moving at less than the pace of a snail and wasting really expensive almost or over $5 a gallon gas and staring into a sea of blinking red tail lights. Then after a couple of hours you find out you've only moved about half a mile. Wait- thats like normal rush hour traffic... except when you factor in the rain etc. no one really knows how to drive! Additionally I'm going to throw in a brief rant here. Mean drivers suck. Don't roll down your window and throw out your trash/your fast food wrappers/your cigarettes, etc; that's just disgusting and uncool. Don't run the light. Don't cut others off. Don't pass on sharp curves. Don't keep your brights on at night-it can blind other drivers. Don't leave your pet in the car with the windows up. Don't wedge your d@mn oversize SUV/Truck/Van into a compact spot where you scrape other peoples' car doors or cars. Don't abuse the priviledge of another's handicap placard just to park close to an entrance. Don't abandon your shopping cart in a random parking spot-where it can roll off and hit someone elses car-or where someone has to get out and move it before they can park. If you/your car can't drive fast get outta the fast line. Lastly, don't cheat to use the carpool lane. That plastic doll in the passenger seat does not count as a second person. Bye.

Monday Monday...

Wow Monday again huh? Where do the days/weeks go? Watched bits and pieces of the Oscars last night. It was beautiful, kind of bizarre, and definitely not boring. I think the best parts were seeing 'The Artist' get so many wins. And Jean DuJardin mon dieu, oh la la you are tres bien magnifique! The accent, the looks...{fans self}...the everything. I don't really understand what you're saying French, but boy does it sound hot! Anyways... Moving on to another topic its Girl Scout cookie season again. All I have to say is Samoas are full of awesomeness and made of win! I could eat a whole box of them they're so good. And I found a really funny out to lunch sign through Google image search and posted it on my desk while I'm gone. I think I'm going to get a new battery for my mobile soon too; it dies way too much. Fun fact: I was watching the news the other day and they said people are developing addictions to their smart phones. I wonder if that can really be possible? I suppose so. I can understand that but I can't understand how people can be addicted to video games. Especially grown up, older people who are even way older than me. I know one guy and I'm like: Dude put the controller down. You'll have plenty of time to play that in senior living. Get out there and live some life. That is all...for now.

What do you like?

Hey party ppl Happy Friday night to everyone! I just wanted to give a shout out to y'all who have read my book and are reading my blog! Thanks for your continued support, you all rock! Secondly I have a question to ask eveyone... writing wise I have many irons in the fire so to speak, and I'm curious as to what genre appeals best to you! What type of writing project do you want to see me tackle next? A more traditional Western action adventure romance? A slightly complicated, slightly steamy Regency piece? A fun, fast paced spy styled comedy action dash of romance fic? A quirky modern set romance? A script styled parody tale in either a soap opera or anime genre? My inquiring mind wants to know...so please vote in the poll! Domo arigato peeps!

Regency Randomness

I've been truly passionate about the Regency Era and its fictional romance genre for years. Before I wrote Garters, Gunslingers & Grace I had started various Regency stories which I had placed on the backburner so to speak to pen my Vampire Steampunk Western. So tonight I decided to toss out some Regency Word Randomness. Enjoy! Slippers. Stockings. Garters. Petticoats. Corsets! Shawls. Cloaks. Morning gowns. Day gowns. Evening gowns. Walking gowns. Riding habits. Sidesaddles. The Serpentine. The Haberdashers. The Miliners. The Mantua Makers. The Modiste. Bond Street. Tea Time! Carriages. Phaetons. Coaches. Curricles. Highwaymen! The Cut Direct. Candles. Scandal sheets! Almacks. The Marriage Mart. Corinthians. Rakes! Gaming Hells. Four In Hand Club. Waterloo. Cyprians. Cits. Tigers. Valets. Tweenies. Ladies maids. Kitchen maids. Downstairs maids. Upstairs maids. Footmen. Cooks. Butlers. Housekeepers. Governesses! Tutors. Princess Esterhazy! Byron and Caro! Dandies. Mrs. Radcliffe. Rogues. Houses of Ill Repute. Vauxhall. Covent Garden!

Shuffle

If books could have soundtracks these would be a few songs on the playlist for Garters, Gunslingers & Grace: Two Gunslingers by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Head Games by Foreigner, Magic Man by Heart, Wanted: Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi, The Wayward Wind by Patsy Cline, We Found Love by Rihanna, Hells Bells by AC/DC, Another One Bites The Dust by Queen, The Wanderer by Donna Summer, Dynamite by Taio Cruz, Mr. Saxobeat by Alexandra Stan, Never by Tina Arena feat. ROC, Rescue Song by Mr. Little Jeans, Girl All The Bad Guys Want by Bowling For Soup, Sour Cherry by The Kills, No Air by Jordan Sparks, Riders On The Storm by The Doors, Fly Again by Kristine W, House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals, Move For Me by Kaskade...

Current Events...

Good Morning Everyone! I thought I would start today off with some online reading recommendations. So real quick here's a few of my fave newspapers: latimes.com {the Los Angeles Times} nytimes.com {New York Times} huffingtonpost.com {huffpo} thetimes.co.uk {English Newspaper} thegaurdian.co.uk {English newspaper; I believe I read a tidbit once that Charles Dickens worked for The Guardian newspaper during his lifetime and they published a weekly serialized novel of his too} & The Daily Yomiuri {Japanese newspaper viewable in English. Back to the grind now!

Oh La La!

Let's dive right in! Today I had such a busy day with work, shopping, chores, and various other things I'm surprised I found the energy to post this! I think I'm still running from the fuel I had yesterday. I had Mickey D's Sweet Tea in the morning, Dr. Pepper with lunch, and SoBe Green Tea with my Chinese takeout. Sugar + caffeine = yum!

Ok so where was I earlier...fragrances! Starting off I would recommend: Princess by Vera Wang. Starlight by Shania Twain. Happy by Clinique. Burberry. Miracle by Lancome. Romance by Ralph Lauren. Dune by Dior. Guerlain. No. 22 by Chanel. Miss Dior Cherie by Dior. White Diamonds by Liz Taylor. Poppy by Coach. A few of the more higher end scents I have't had the pleasure of owning/wearing myself but have sampled/smelled them and they are simply divine! Adieu!

Yay! It's...Monday.

I have such a case of the Monday's! Lol anyways I'm gonna try to get this post done on my lunch break, so here goes! Mostly it's just gonna be recommendations for stuff. First off, St. Ives Mineral Therapy lotion. So far the best body lotion I've had the pleasure of discovering. It feels great, and leaves you feeling refreshed and clean. Second up is Love Spell by Victoria's Secret. Honestly the best way I can describe it is to say that its heavenly scent makes you feel like one of those sexy chicks on the cover of a romance novel. Its fruity and floral. The best of both worlds! Lastly there's Sweet Pea by Bath and Body works. I think this one works best when used as an after shower/bath and before bed lotion. It's not too heavy and smells sugary without being overly sweet. Watch out for my next post on parfums/ perfumes/ fragrances.

Clothes Horse!

Here are some of my fave clothing labels in no particular order. Roxy. Quiksilver. Volcom. Fox Riding Co. Hurley. Split. Skin Industries. Rampage. Free People. Papillion. Fang. Angie. Ralph Lauren. Dereon. Forever 21. Charlotte Russe. Betsey Johnson. Gap. Levi. Ann Taylor. American Apparel. Cheetah. Newport News. Turtle Fur {hats}! Liz Claiborne. Petite Sophisticate. H&M. Jones NY. DKNY. Diesel. Miss Sixty. Rock & Republic.

In The Pursuit Of...

Maybelline Baby Lips! It's the hottest trend in lipwear on the cosmetics aisle...everywhere. The lipbalm with a dash of color is so popular right now that I can't seem to find it anywhere. I went to two Wal-Mart stores. Sold out. Went to Target. Sold out. Tried going to my fave online retailers...and it was sold out there too! I think the flood of catchy commericals that played repeatedly on TV had finally hypnotically {brainwashed} convinced me to try it out. That and their spalshy ad campaign in the glossy mags. Now I'm so totally bummed that I can't get my hands on it. I mean, retailers should totally stock more than like ten or twelve tubes of it. Come on, get with the program. This is a *fairly* big city. Argh. End rant. Now I'm proceeding to wait patiently until the next shipment comes in at one of them. Then I I'm gonna stockpile me some lipstick. :)

Psuedo Goth Stuff

Cool kinda gothic-y stuff. Sweetypuss post cards. Emily The Strange gear. Lenore The Cute Little Dead Girl comics. Any Mitsukazu Mihara manga. Evanescense circa 2002. Bunnicula. Count Chocula. Masterpiece Theater. Clue. The Adams Family. The Munsters. Tales from the Crypt. Ghost Hunters. Ghost Facers. Phantom Of The Opera. Magic Eight Balls. Don't Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult. SPN! Urban Legends. Constantine. Folklore. Christine Feehan novels. Kresley Cole Novels. Gina Showalter novels. Clamp manga. TBC...later.

My Fave Celebs on the Twitter-verse!

Actor Efren Ramirez; 'Pedro' from Napoleon Dynamite: twitter.com/efrenramirez

Actor Shane West; 'Michael'
from Nikita/ER/AWTR: twitter.com/shanewest_1

Actress Maggie Q;
Die
Hard IV & 'Nikita' from Nikita: twitter.com/MaggieQ

Actor John Cho; 'Harold' from Harold &
Kumar:
twitter.com/JohnTheCho

Actor/Comedian Joel McHale; 'Jeff' on Community & himself on The Soup: twitter.com/JoelMcHale

Actor Jared Padalecki; 'Sam' from Supernatural: twitter.com/jarpad

Actress Jane Levy; 'Tessa' from Suburgatory:
twitter.com/_janelevy

Actor Eugenio Siller; From Maid In Manhattan telenovela:
twitter.com/eugenio_siller

Actor/Comedian Chris D'elia; From Whitney: twitter.com/chrisdelia

Journalist/News Anchor David Muir; From ABC News: twitter.com/DavidMuirABC

Actor Devon Sawa; 'Owen' from Nikita: twitter.com/DevonESawa

Actor Misha Collins; 'Castiel' from Supernatural: twitter.com/mishacollins

Actor JGL: twitter.com/hitrecordjoe

Actress Kassie De Paiva; 'Blair' from OLTL: twitter.com/kassiedepaiva

Radio Peronality Bill Handel; himself on Handel on The News/Law: twitter.com/billhandelshow

Author Janet Evanovich; 'Stephanie Plum' Series: twitter.com/janetevanovich

Setting A Romantic Country Dinner

I know its post Valentine's Day, however my inner decorator simply can't help but dish advice. Let's talk about how to set a romantic looking table. First of all the table should be fairly small and intimate and not the type used to seat multiple people for a banquet style meal. A rounded table is more welcoming than a sqaure one as it blurs the lines of formality in terms of how close one is to another. Now for the tablecloth. For the first layer that is directly on the table I would recommend a solid yet sheer color, like pink for example with no patterns or styles whatsoever. It can be made of fine linen or a more silken type material such as a gauzy type of rayon. Make sure its ironed with no creases. Atop that you would then layer a cotton battenburg lace design top tablecloth. I personally like the ones with a type of starburst design in the middle and a continuation of the lace around the edging. This way the color below peeks through and makes the battenburg lace stand out as a nice contrast. Then for a floral centerpiece a mixture of wildflowers such as Queen Anne's Lace, baby's breath, eucalyptus, and carnations. A handful of peonies also work well. Or, if you prefer something more fragrant then a snip of Gardenia, a stem of Jasmine, and a few multicolored fresh roses can work to make the air more subtly fragrant. Faux flowers with petals spritzed very faintly with a light perfume can pass too. The arrangement can be put in either a Milk Glass vase {using this type of glass sets a very vintage tone}, or a wide mouthed crystal brandy decanter, or you can even recycle a glass milk jug and tie a bow around it. If you can add some type of beads or stones to the vase and they're visible it looks even better. Then comes the candles. Nowadays with the wonderful advancements of technology you can purchase battey powered votive candles that produce the tiny flickering flames of yore without the danger of fire. Now for the flatware. I would recommend Oneida 1881 silverware as its rose design is quite antique looking. For the dishes I would use an older Mikasa set as they tend to be more prettily floral patterned than their modern dishware. Or you could use Limoges, especially vintage Limoges. Wedgwood also has very fine china too. Of course, nearly all English made antique bone china is of fine and delicate quality. I have also recently came across an old Eastern European type of dishware called Victoria Chezch Slovakia. The dishes are absolutely stunning. Get what I like to call Chintz edged patterns with pink roses on a blue background. Quilted style placemats are charming to use. As for napkins I used to say linen worked well however if you are making a meal and not creating a showpiece than you should use disposable ones, preferably the thick kind with fancy trim such as those by Vanity. No matter what type of beverage you partake of a pair of crystal or pewtered champagne flutes can help to make it a more intimate and special. Lastly to set the tone have a dessert baking in the oven to add warmth and aroma to the atmosphere. Voila you have an excellent and romantic country dinnertable!

Crafty Corner

Happy Friday night everyone! Tonight I want to talk about that oft used phrase 'One man's trash is another man's treasure.' Never were there truer words spoken by an anonymous person than these. Despite your best efforts to go green you may be unwittingly disposing of things that could help you be more savvy and save money. I'm going to just briefly throw a few tips out there. Random tip: dont throw away left over jars from the kitchen such as glass spaghetti sauce jars or plastic mayo jars. Wash them and you can reuse them for storing tiny things outside the kitchen such as push pins, paperclips, beads, coins, etc. Tip 2: An empty tackle box can make a great jewelry box with all its seperate compartments. Tip 3: Save the fortunes from your fortune cookies and scrapbook them. Or make a Tumblr or meme out of them. Tip 4: Make a memory quilt out of important scrap materials that you can no longer use. Tip 5: Make a decorative vase out of an empty wine bottle by pouring tiny glass beads inside it and placing one or two long stemmed flowers within. More to come...

Randomness

Wow I can not believe I haven't posted anything in such a long time, yikes! I've been busy with a lot of stuff in RL i.e. shopping, working, hausfrau duties, dreaming up new story ideas, etc. Plus I like totally ate so much Valentine's day candy I think I may barf up a velvet and ribbon covered box of chocolates. I'm just joking, LOL. So what to talk about...well, I recently picked up a cute new slash used top at the Salvation Army by Lauren Conrad which I'm totally gonna wear this summer. Ever since I moved last year I completely misplaced my fave CDs like my Heart Greatest Hits {Magic Man FTW!}, my AC/DC hits cassette tape, and my Foreigner hits as well so I've been stuck with the radio now for a while. Thank goodness for KLOS. I really don't like a lot of the dumb morning radio shows that are out there-a lot of them are shallow and stupid-my two faves are Mark and Brian on KLOS and Bill Handel on KFI. Let's see what else...The Grammys were awesome. Very sad about Whitney and I loved their tribute to her it was very touching. Also Adele and her performance and wins were just freakin' amazing. Saw the 60 minutes interview that aired b4 the show and squeed over the segment with her and Anderson Cooper. Also last month I saw this vid that was going viral on YT where this extremely talented South Korean teen girl sang Rolling In The Deep. Don't know her name but she should totally get signed ASAP. Watched KTLA morning show today and saw Frank Buckley talking about a really cool burger joint in L.A. called Fuku Burger. Even though it was really kinda early for a burger they looked unfreakingbelievably de-lish! Move over In-N-Out! Saw lead in lipstick news sounds scary. Then switched over to Fox GDLA and Mar Yvette was doing a seg and they had The Fat Dog eatery's food on display. Talk about yummy looking sinfully good chic and cultured diner food with a hipster vibe! BTW I love how mainstream things become Indie and Hipster in L.A. Oh Silverlake how I miss you so! If this was Twitter I would so hashtag eveything I just said. Ohh and I discovered Pinterest. This. Full of win. That is all. G2G...

Monday...

Well....its Monday, I survived work and the Super Bowl was totally freakin' awesome last night! I'm kinda bummed out that its all over for now but the next things I'm looking forward to are: All Star Weekend, The Finals, The World Series, and of course the Playoffs again! I really want to see where Blake's going take the Clippers though; despite being a loyal Lakers fan I'm making a space somewhere in my soul for the Clippers now too! :P Ciao for now...

Ahh, YouTube. You make being bored fun. I just wanted to share some randomly awesome stuff I've discovered during my surfing adventures that you can check out at your perusing leisure!
Between Lolcatz vids and random ppl singing bad cover songs of the newest pop tracks I've been checking out the 'not leaked/leaked' cool commericals that are gonna get screen time during Superbowl Sunday, and I think my fave so far is the new FBDO. So then I started checking out some other totally rad eighties things. Like BananaRama's Cruel Summer, Hall & Oates Maneater, & Billie Jean by the King of Pop.
Among other things I recalled a music video I had seen a while ago on MTV; a remake of the Stevie Nicks eighties classic Stand Back except this one was by Linus Love. Seeing it again in its full glory on YT was kick@$$, and it helped me stumble across the Ultra Records channel; a place full of win! They have the most uber hot new house/techo/pop/hiphop/eurobeat/club etc music anywhere! Check it out, and bookmark their page like I've done!

Friday Friday...

So besides the fact that I'm stoked its Superbowl weekend {party hardy W00t!} it's also rather boring Friday night and I'm chilling watching Nikita {MichaelxNikitaxOwen FTW!} I realized that I've totally neglected posting anything for like a week!
Picking up from where I left off here's my fave picks for make-up so far:
Eyes: For Eye Shadow I'm using Almay Intense i-color shimmer-i kit in Hazel. This new color palette featuring three color pods of swiss coffee beige, smoky gray, and shimmering mermaid green is beautiful when blended or worn individually and is best when shaded in with the skin and applied with a small amount of water.
For eyeliner check out Rimmel London's Soft Kohl Eye Liner Pencil in Jet Black. This pencil is worn at its best slightly smudged or smoothed out.
When it comes to Mascara right now I'm keen on Rimmel London's hot pink flourescent like tube of The Max Volume Flash Mascara. A couple of coats work quite well.
For the face my fave right now is Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in a small rounded jar; the makeup has a definite mousse feel and submerges with the skin wonderfully. Also Maybelline FIT in a skinny more traditional stand up vial works excellent as well.
The blush thats been working for me lately is one that I've bought a little while ago. It's Soft Color Blush in Blushing Mocha by Neutrogena. A few brush strokes on the cheekbones work great.
Lastly, the Lipstick I'm taken with is NYC's English Rose. A shimmery pale pink color it works good as a pre Spring shade.
And there you have it, a new look to banish the humdrum tones of those wintery styles!

Boudoir Musings

Anyone who is a fan of the English Regency and Victorian eras is well acquainted with concept of a boudoir, a somewhat strictly personal internal refuge of a lady's home wherein (at least in certain Regency romances) hastened gentlemen make daring escapes over balconies, ladies plot and plan {amongst other things} and maids curl hair with hot tongs and put away vast Bond St. creations into lavender sached wardrobes. Today, like so many other things of the past the boudoir is becoming in many ways extinct due to the sharing of sleeping quarters, lack of space, and the slow erradication of ways of yore due to the passing of time.
However, if you simply thumb through the pages of such monthly periodicals as Victoria, Architectural Digest, or Cottage Style you still see the much coveted romanticized look of that era brought out into other now less formalized aspects of the home. From Aubusson carpets in the living room to peasant style rag rugs in the bath, the delicate unfurling of cabbage roses painted across a wall, and various vintage tchotcke this particular fashion has also finally reached suburban domestication in recent years via Target's 'Shabby Chic' home decor line.
The style has been one of the few decorating rages from the past couple of centuries that's become more than a passing trend.
Although we may be beyond the stifling social restrictions and prim repression we can still luckily enjoy the beauty in battenberg lace, yet we aren't obliged to drape our pianofortes with it! {For anyone unfamiliar with Victorian customs it was their preference to cover furniture lest it cause improper thoughts.} One must inevitably think that the modern world would cause the Victorians a fit of the vapors at least; the Regency folks with their dampened petticoats, (and pre and post French revolution decadence) perhaps not so much. :)

Reminiscing

Hey there! Hopefully everyone's having an awesome Friday night! Tonight while I was being a hybrid cross of couch potato, channel surfer, and unkept hausfrau during blaring boring infomercials I picked out a couple of back issues of one of my favorite magazines that I had picked up from a five and dime type of thrift shop at the stunningly cheap price of a quarter an issue. Before you shout out Cosmo, Vogue, stop! The magazine I'm actually talking about is Reminisce. Just like the title implies reading this magazine is part time capsule, part time warp, and part time machine. Through its vintage snapshots as well as reader submitted anecdotes its focus is primarily on what life was like during the beginning to mid 20th century and it's definitely a must read for anyone who's interested in social and suburban styled history.

Relics of The West

Even though we live in the 21st century remnants of the 19th century still remain. For example in Barstow California a Harvey house still stands today. In the past Harvey houses served as stopping places along the rough route of train traveling where you could briefly wash up and eat a hot meal before rushing off to the depot again and boarding your next train. Ghost towns are also another awesome example of surviving history such as the one in Calico California and various others throughout the western states. Spanish missions from the bygone era still dot the California coastline today some still resplendent in faded religious grandeur. Trading posts still flourish today in their modern forms of pawn shops. Gold rush fever gripped the 49ers and those seeking fast fortunes back in the day and gold remains a hot commodity today evidenced by hot trend of gold buying and selling.

Hello and Welcome! Thanks for taking the time to stop by my digital parlor and if you have either an old fashioned Kindle, fancy newfangled Kindle Fire, or handy Kindle app for your mobile or computer check out my new novel "Garters, Gunslingers & Grace" for sale in the Kindle store! Meanwhile be sure to bookmark, favorite, and frequently check back on my blog here for like a sensational 19th century high society scandal sheet or tawdry supermarket tabloid it will be full of interesting and delicious tips, tidbits, and relevantly random electronic ephemera!