Friday Loves: Fashion and Full Skirts

I am definitely no fashionista, but I appreciate fashion. I follow it. One of my favorite magazines to read is People StyleWatch because it's user friendly. It's not a highbrow mag for sure, but I love the way it's laid out and a lot of what it features is affordable to the regular gal like me. 

When I say I'm not a fashionista, it's because I'm not a trendsetter. I've always worn what I feel good and comfortable in, and sometimes that's jeans and a tee, and sometimes it's a dress with heels. The reason I read magazines like Stylewatch is that I need the ideas. I need to see how outfits are put together- I usually can't visualize that kind of stuff on my own. Fashion is like cooking for me- I need the recipe to make it turn out right. Sometimes I can wing it, but usually I stick to what's proven.

Lately I've started feeling more comfortable going a little outside the box, or my box maybe. I've gotten a little more daring about trying different things. (I remember the days when skinny jeans were tapered 80s jeans and no one in their right mind would wear them, including me. I've definitely changed my tune on that.)  I like to try different things and I care way less what people think of me, these days. I've read time and time again that great style is having confidence in what you're wearing, and I definitely buy into that.

One of the "looks" I'm really into right now is the 50s full skirt. I think they are so classy and beautiful that I'm wearing one to my husband's Christmas party tonight like I did last year. (This might be a faux pas but I don't care. Besides, it's a completely different outfit.) This is the look I'm going for:

This is sort of the look I'm going for, just darker, less pastel. Pic taken from the Lace and Locks blog.

Are you into fashion? What looks are you really loving these days?

Wednesday Writes: A Flat Stanley Road Trip

I haven't done one word of writing so far in December. Yikes. I need to get outlining my new WIP, but I haven't done that either. Double yikes.

It's been a busy December so far, though. I've been rereading Harry Potter, organizing a blog tour and other stuff for SWAY's release at the end of the month, and taking part in marketing for the short story anthology THEN COMES WINTER.

Speaking of that, the authors and editor in the anthology are doing a sort of Flat Stanley like thing with the book. It started with the editor in Washington State, went to an author in Vancouver, and then on to me. We each sign the book, take pictures with the book somewhere interesting, put a little gift in the package, and then mail it on. I received it last Friday and took the book downtown Calgary on Saturday for some pictures. It was a chilly day, and my poor 8-year-old who wanted to come with me wasn't wearing a proper coat (she'd decided to dress up like a cowgirl that day so only had on a jean jacket). We both shivered and took some pics as fast as we could so we wouldn't freeze. Another bummer was that even though it was cold, there was barely any snow on the ground, which made Calgary look a bit brown and drab. Boo. It would've been fun if it was snowing to take a picture with the book while doing a snow angel or something. Very THEN COMES WINTER-ish. But no dice. The third bummer was that I wanted to take some pics inside the Stampede grounds, but it cost $15 just to drive in there and park and that wasn't happening. (FYI- the Calgary Stampede is a very famous rodeo that happens every summer.) So instead we took a quick snap outside the grounds in front of a decorative chuckwagon.

I sent the book- with a real Canadian toque and one of my SWAY cards- on to the next author in Ontario. If you want to check out the road trip so far, go to the Meryton Press website, or see my pics below.

Downtown Calgary skyline, the Saddledome where the Calgary Flames play hockey is on the left

Me, the book, and a chuckwagon advertising next year's Stampede

I don't know why this pic isn't facing the right way, but it's my signature over my story, a toque, and a SWAY card

Monday Reads: More Harry Potter!

So I took an unplanned hiatus from my blog last week. I didn't really mean to, I just couldn't get my act in gear for some reason. Also, I didn't feel like I had much to say. Ever have one of those weeks? I've had many. Or, at least I might have something to say, but I don't find it all that interesting.

Anyway, in the past couple of weeks I've almost finished the Harry Potter series. I read HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, and HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE.

There isn't much for me to say about these books. I've already gushed about how awesome they are, which everyone already knows (and if you don't know that, GO READ THEM NOW. Seriously. It still surprises me that there are people in this world who haven't read them). ORDER OF THE PHOENIX is a bit long, and I feel a little less tension filled, but I enjoyed every second of it. And I LOVE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. I read a review somewhere after I'd finished it this time how someone didn't like all the teenage angst and hormones, but I think it made it real. The book isn't just about Voldemort, or the Horcruxes, or the wizard war. We're still dealing with sixteen-year-olds here, so of course there's going to be relationship drama. I love it. And I especially love the moment in the movie when Harry has taken Felix Felicis. One of my favorite parts, for sure.

I'm currently about halfway through DEATHLY HALLOWS and, again, loving it just as much as I did the first time. We watched Part 1 the movie last night and I love the part where Harry and Hermione dance. It's so lovely (and not in a Rita Skeeter sounding way). Frankly, I'm going to be sad when I'm done this reread because that means another few years until I enter the Harry Potter world again.

Friday Loves: HARRY POTTER

Well, it's obvious this was coming. I'm rereading the Harry Potter series, rewatching the movies... so OF COURSE I have to use it for a Friday Loves post. And instead of gushing on and on about it, because everyone already knows it's awesome, I'm going to show my love with GIFS!

Wednesday Writes: The Start of Book 3

Well, I still haven't done any writing. But I don't feel like a slacker, not at all. Last week, I took part in a week-long Facebook event for the launch of THEN COMES WINTER (an Austenesque holiday anthology in which I have a short story). I only hosted for an hour but I tried to take part as much as I could during the week. It was the first time I've done anything like that and I had a lot of fun, so I'm so glad I got to be a part of it all.

Facebook Party Time

I've also decided on ROMANCE BOOK #3. Book #1 is of course, SWAY, which comes out in just over a month! Book #2 is COLLIDE, which is currently with my CPs. I'd like to make it a round three books, but I had no clue what classic I wanted to retell this time. But I found it!

I'm going to keep it on the DL for now because I feel like if I blab, I'll jinx something. But for now, I'm planning on just how to write it, how I'm going to tie-in both SWAY and COLLIDE, the format of the book (because I want to do something a little different than the last two), and then I'm going to get outlining. I'm super excited about this... I think it's gonna be good!
 

Monday Reads: GOBLET OF FIRE and DUMPLIN'

Another great reading week, but I'm reading HARRY POTTER so what do you expect?

I loved GOBLET OF FIRE, of course. It's where the books start to get a little more grown-up. As always, JK Rowling does a fantabulous twist, and even though I knew what it was, it's still exciting to read to that big reveal!

After I finished GOBLET, my daughter was still on ORDER OF THE PHOENIX and I had a reserve come in at the library, so I took a brief break from HP to read DUMPLIN' by Julie Murphy.

I loved this book, like so much. The only thing that disappointed me was the end. I wanted more. It ended way too abruptly, IMO. Otherwise, EXCELLENT book, and one I want all my daughters to read when they get older. The things Willowdean thinks about her body are so spot on- there were times when I was like, YES. SHE GETS IT. I think all women, no matter their size, would be able to relate. A definite must read.

Friday Loves: The Hunger Games

Since the last Mockingjay movie is coming out, I kinda wanted to reread the series, but decided to pass, mainly because I'm doing a Harry Potter reread right now and have no time. But I decided to do a rewatch of the movies in prep for when I see Mockingjay Part 2 this weekend.

I gotta say, as far as books-to-movies go, the Hunger Games movies are some of the best. In fact, I almost prefer the movies to the books (don't tell anyone I said that), although there are some really great lines in the books, mostly said by Peeta.

The actors are all phenomenal, and I can't wait to see the series wrap up on the big screen.

Are you looking forward to Mockingjay Part 2?