Becks and the City

Fabulous Fridays: 12 April 2013

A miniscule one week to go until our trip to London/ Paris/ Brussels/ Singapore! Here's some home-based frantic and fabulous in the meantime...

Ha! A bag for shopaholics in denial (and I count myself in that category).
For those writing days when it's just you, the keyboard and the cat.
Become fresh to death and keep those zombies at bay. Erm...
If you're like me and order your groceries in a Tetris-like grid on the supermarket checkout (while humming the theme song!), watch this.
And speaking of Tetris, here's a reason to play with your food.
Paris will look exactly like this when we visit, right?
Nana-nana-nana-nana-nana-nana-nana-nana, CAT CAVE! : )
Okay, I understand that many people suffered greatly under Maggie Thatcher's leadership, but a death party sounds unseemly.
Jelly flats!!! Love.
I want a hamburger bed so bad...
A blog about the outfits of style icon, Jessica Fletcher. Wait... what?

Becks

Fabulous Fridays: 5 April 2013

Mr Big and I are now deep into the countdown to our Europe trip (less than a fortnight!), so I've been distracting myself with...

This week we gasped at the demise of Madison. One of my faves for years. Say sayonara on Facebook to the team. : (
I'm not so hot on crunchy honeycomb, but I can't get enough in ice-cream form. Yum!
Ripley is one of my heroes, but the Alien movies are pretty rubbish after the second one. Here's what would have happened if William Gibson had written #3.
Like gelati on a string... Bellissimo!
The Happy Loves Rosie blog is gorgeous, and Happy's Pinterest is similarly chic and cheerful.
Is it me, or is this swimsuit scorching hot? Wouldn't want to jiggle yourself around in the pool much, though.
Avril's music is kind of the solo female equivalent of The Offspring -- simple melodies, but darn catchy. Like this one to push her perfume. Love.
For the flock fluttering down your hallway.
Weird, there seems to be a formula for writing blockbusters, at least for these three stories.
Happiness? Yep, sign me up for that. A handy how-to.
Oh HELL no! In their heyday, yes, but could do without a revival, thanks.

Wishing you a rip-roaring good time! xx

"Girlfriend" Query

I bought every issue of Girlfriend magazine (as well as Dolly) for several of my teenage years. And now I'm published in it! My article, '#Winning', is on page 44 of the April issue. Here's the email I sent to editor, Sarah Tarca, to make it happen (PS who are those long-haired louts on the cover?)...

Dear Ms Tarca (aka editor dude!),

I'm a freelance writer who's written for magazines including Women's Health & Fitness and Cosmo Bride. Samples of my work are available on my blog, Becks and the City.

Girlfriend is famous for (among other a-MAZ-ing things) giveaways like the Rimmel Model Search and Girlfriend of the Year. I'd like to write an article, "#Winning", helping readers win competitions like these and have one of those "ERMAHGERD, I've won!" moments.

As a competition addict, I've won everything from a trip to Japan to a year's supply of toilet paper, magazine subscriptions and $1,000 Westfield shopping spree. The article would include tips on how to find Twitter, Facebook, blog and website comps, opportunities to score freebies and mystery shopping gigs and how to compose those tricky "25 words or less" entries.

Coming to 800 words, the article would be delivered within two weeks of hearing you are interested.

Yours sincerely,

Rebecca Douglas

Fabulous Fridays: 29 March 2013

Happy chocolate bunny weekend! Have an ogle of these while you recover from your sugar coma...

Three tiny days to go until Game of Thrones season 3 begins. Winter is coming.
Prettiest floral photo EVER.
Mr Big and I are jetting off to London in exactly three weeks. These tweets have slightly harshed my buzz about it.
The Dior display in Harrods makes me feel decidedly better though.
Will there even be any department stores in Australia in a year's time? Here's why they're losing out to online.
Part retro, part tuxedo, all awesome. Want.
I'm so freaking hungry I could eat a whole one of these.
Papier mache your own giant food sculptures/haemorrhoid rings.
Not sure if I've mentioned it before, but whoever tweets as Leslie Chow from The Hangover is a total LOL-fest.
Is there really a Carrie Bradshaw effect?
I'll be watching Rush Hour tonight, a fave I'd forgotten about. Worth the purchase price for the blooper reel alone. Bahahaha, "show your ass!".
When I set foot in New York one day (hopefully soon), I'm SO wearing this. Eff yeah.

Wishing you bountiful chocolate supplies and a gay old time. xx

Fabulous Fridays: 22 March 2013

I'm feeling the girly, retro vibe on this Fabulous Friday. Let's kick-off the cute and quirky of the week...

After umming and ahhing for quite a while, I've finally bought a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with a sleek white case. How awesome is this one, though?
We saw the fifth Die Hard last night (not too shabby, just remember to switch your brain off). This sums it up neatly. : )
I don't like the sound of this "fake it 'til you make it" blogging tactic!
Marilyn Manson on being blamed for the corruption of children.
I've been playing Ice Cream Jump obsessively on the Note. So darn cute!
You're usually hard pressed to find me touching salad, but I reckon I'd eat this... with a pasty.
Miranda Kerr is no longer ambassador for department store David Jones after making too many demands. I though she was supposed to be so down-to-earth? *Cough* bollocks *cough*.
An eco-licious wedding bouquet made out of pastel maps.
I'm actually a traditionalist when it comes to hot cross buns. I'm not much for the new-fangled chocolate ones. Willing to make an exception for these, however. : )
This desktop background speaks the truth.
So, Aussie politics kinda imploded yesterday. Here's how. Not a good look.

Happy Friday, folks!

Fabulous Fridays: 15 March 2013

After having a not-so-dandy time last week (and therefore skipping Fabulous Friday), it's back! Welcome in the weekend with...

The Big Bang Theory flash mob. Too funny! : )
If you're like me and hoard old nail polishes from 1987, put them to good use.
For the food w*nker in all of us: My Darling Lemon Thyme.
For writers sick of all the knock backs, it's rejection letter bingo. I reckon I could fill just about the whole card already!
Bought this phablet, or rather, fablet, today. I'm in love!
I live in the great and powerful Aus, but keen to see the other version. They've created such a rich and beautiful world.
The lavender hair, pastel outfit, floral shoes... One of the best Aussie blogs out there: Esme and the Laneway.
So, ordinary movie-goers are financing movies these days. Not sure what to make of this.
Am trying to resist the evil temptation of these cute-as flats. I can't hold out much longer...
My newest pole dancing idol, Michelle Stanek. This bird is truly amazing.
Have you entered your little patch of the internet in the Best Australian Blogs Competition? I'll be entering for sure.
Awesome song, awesome movie ending... + Sarah Michelle Gellar. Win!

Now I'm off to try the aqua-eyes-and-pink-lips look! xx

Fabulous Fridays: 1 March 2013

Hope you've had a pop art end of February, full of colour and contrast (I'd love to rock that makeup above!). Here's what this week...

I've just signed up to receive free samples from PINCHme when the site launches. Sweet!
Love. This. Sweater.
Mamamia post recently: 'Choosing only 'quality' friends for your kid'. Um, excuse me?
Calling all Star Wars geeks: ZOMFG, remote-controlled inflatable R2D2!!!
My Mad, Fat Teenage Diary -- Bridget Jones for kids of the '80s. Wanna read this so bad -- it's apparently brilliant.
If Gala Darling were Japanese, she'd write this blog. Love.
Dido's back with a brand new album. Eeeeee!!! This older song of hers gets quite a few replays in my car.
Extreme blush: hot or not? I'm going with smokin'. I would over-blush myself in a heartbeat!
The new Peppermint magazine came out today, with my travel article in it! : )
Rainbow lollipop earrings. My life is complete!
Okay, so this was spooky -- I dreamt of this pole trick I've failed at for yonks, then nailed it that same night in my lesson. Bizarre!

Hope that provided some welcome comic relief. xx

Are You Ass-kicking Your Goals in 2013?

The dust has well-and-truly settled since I kicked up my heels at New Year's, but how am I going with my goals for 2013? Completely forgotten, guilty memory, or notched up into achievements already? Let's take a look...

In my blog post, "Hello 2013!", I set my annual writing goals, including 10 magazines I'm fixing to write for:

In these first two months (in fact, by the end of January!), I'd written for two of these mags, Peppermint and Girlfriend. I've also attended a social media course in Melbourne (run by NET:101's Tim Martin) and am currently writing an article 'on spec' for The Big Issue.

I'm feeling like I'm making real progress. I attribute this to:

switching back to 3 days a week in my 9-5 mediator job and having more time to write
being more established as a writer so it's easier to get further writing gigs and, well...
luck.

Long may it continue!

I'll share my articles from Peppermint and Girlfriend as they're published (fingers crossed!), along with my latest query letters to editors, successful and not-so-much.

So, over to you. How are your goals going?

If they're of the writerly persuasion (dreaming of a career in magazines, writing, blogging or similar), I'm here to help!

Here's how:

Magazine Interns and Freelance Writers: I'd love to interview you on this-a-here blog (see examples here and here). And I'll link to your Twitter, Facebook, blog 'n' all as part of the deal. : )
Beginner Writers and Bloggers: Contact me with your best questions about writing and I'll do my darnedest to answer them on the blog, or if you're shy, by email back atcha!
Everyone: Happy to hear from you with any questions, comments, suggestions etc you may have or if there's anything you'd like me to blog about.

Just email me at beckemail@gmail.com or tweet right at me @becksandthecity. Easy!

Fabulous Fridays: 22 February 2013

Happy sunshine-y day (I hope)! Here's what's groovy and graceful this week...

Prime Minister or CLEO Bachelor of the Year? Tough choice! Congrats to Jessica Rudd on becoming a CLEO columnist though.
Want Becks and the City delivered straight to your inbox? There's a new email signup box under my picture to the right. Neat! : )
Love Everything Etsy and love the look of these Easter craft ideas.
A nerd shopper? That sounds exactly like me!
Itching to unleash my inner shopper on the cute workout tank in the Ruffles with Love Etsy store. : )
If you don't know what all The Hoopla is about, get onto it. I especially love this salute to teachers.
ZOMFG, Scrabble rug! Now how do you get the giant letter tiles to match?
I love it: the writer of Juno, Diablo Cody, was once a stripper and phone sex operator!
You may walk into a stobie pole, but hey, at least you'll do it in style. Pretty.
There's been a few changes around Becks and the City lately. Here's some top tips for sprucing up your author/creative website.
Fancy seeing oversized cowboy boots and a teapot petrol station in the US? Me too.

Enjoy! xx

Fabulous Fridays: 15 February 2013

Happy Friday! We'll have you clutching-and-heaving flowers out of your bosoms in no time...

These lipstick biscuits are seriously tempting.
I'm eyeing off this pink polka dot creation as my new pole dancing shorts. Love.
Wow, if only I had the $$ to buy this for a pole costume! Eye-exploding colours.
I definitely wore the Body Shop lip balm and, embarrassingly, Impulse in the '90s. How many do you recognise?
I want to be a giant pretzel!
We booked our trip to London and Paris on Valentine's Day. Hampton Court Palace, here we come!
And in other news, Canadians are awesome and zombie-ready.
What a happy little raincloud!
All I can say is "OWWWW!". These contortions are just insane.
If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, make sure you get your daily dose.

Have a floaty, floral, frivolous Friday! xx

Fabulous Fridays: 8 February 2013

Happy week-before-Valentine's! In the lead-up, you'll be loving these finds...

I'm tossing up whether to buy this funky-but-classic Country Road silver skirt. What do ya reckon, should I pull the trigger?
Rainbow heart ring.
Bruce Willis, I'm a huge fan, but what the hell? How about you stick to yelling yippie-ki-yay on-screen?
How to earn more as a freelance writer. Yes, thanks.
For those feeling like a nice serve of porridge, have a naughty night at a prison hotel.
Vigorous defence of your client or shaming and accusing a rape victim? Such a sad story.
I searched for "weird baby hat" on Etsy for a baby shower present. I found this. EEP!!!
Saw Les Miserables last weekend with Mr Big. Gonna call it: Samantha Barks as Eponine was even better than Anne Hathaway!
I'm on the lookout for a fabulously bizarre pie recipe. How about apple bacon?
New York, PHEW York, a scratch-n-sniff adventure. Wicked!
If you wanna swap random stuff in the mail with other people, join Swap-bot. Cute!

Have an fanciful, mysterious and mystical week, all. xx

Fabulous Fridays: 1 February 2013

It's that time again! Here's a few sites and sounds I've lusted over on the web this week...

I have a long-held fascination with icecream vans, so you can see how I might like the soft serve here.
How to paint strawberry nails. Cute! : )
Okay, I'm kinda in love with this OMG Fact -- Stevie Wonder found music because of a mouse.
Food fanciers' wet dream: Bake It in a Cake.
Speaking of cake, I'm intrigued by cheesecake you can enjoy absolutely anywhere, but suspect it may taste like a**hole.
For your viewing pleasure: the path to hotness of Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter. HAWT.
Step 1: play this on your iPod or phone. Step 2: sleep. : )
Apple sandwiches. YES!
Brings a whole new meaning to 'getting dolled up'.
A slightly clingy Valentine's Day present for your resident LEGO-lover.
Fleur Ferris's tips on how to find an agent. This is next on my writer wish list, so I found Fleur's insights incredibly helpful.
And to take us into the weekend, I'm feeling a little retro...

Hope you love them as much as I do. 'Til next time! xx

Hello 2013!

January's almost over, but I've got big plans for 2013...

Overall writing goals:

Write more magazine articles.
Finish my zine.
Pitch my non-fiction book to agents and publishers, hopefully resulting in a book deal. : )

On the magazine front, I'd like to improve my portfolio by writing for more big-name women's fashion and lifestyle titles, including some international publications. My ultimate goal is a commission from Vogue.

I'll continue writing generally on lifestyle, health, weddings etc, but also develop a niche in fashion writing/shopping (especially online -- eBay, Etsy, buying and selling etc)/social media/winning competitions/consumer issues.

With the above in mind, I'll be pitching to:

Online, I'd like to write posts for:

The Punch
ABC The Drum

We'll see how all this pans out! What are your goals (writerly or otherwise) for this year?

Fabulous Fridays: 25 January 2013

A very hooded, rosy-cheeked weekend to ya! Here's what's up in my world this week...

Just ignore how many 1/2 sticks of butter are in this recipe and focus on the fact you're eating your vegetables.
Are writers prone to being depressed? Probably, because other people are prone to being a**holes!
Hungry for a block burger?
This song: pretty much the best thing Grey's Anatomy had going for it.
A green piece of shower art/candidate for Regretsy.
I'm so totally digging this Aussie cruelty-free beauty company lately. Bought their shampoo today.
If Sheldon and co stuffing up doesn't make you LOLZ, you are dead inside, I tells ya.
There's some sort of pianist/penis joke in this dress. Wow.
Grand matron of magazines, Ita Buttrose, has been named Aussie of the year. Yay Ita!
For the morning show host who made offensive comments about breastfeeding this week: a boob beanie. Brilliant!
Weird Al was doing parodies before memes were even a thing, so eat it.

Now if you excuse me I'm gonna go find a drawstring rucksack to dress myself in. G'night!

The Melbourne Trip

You may have noticed last week's Fabulous Friday post went by the wayside. Mr Big and I travelled to Melbourne for a few days' R & R. Can you guess what we got up to? Here's a quiz...

1 We trekked to Melbourne for
a) the Australian Open
b) a LEGO convention
c) a blogging convention
d) Fashion Week
correct answer: b (but the other options sound all kinds of rad too!)

2 While there, a 10-year-old told me I look like
a) Miranda Kerr
b) Miley Cyrus
c) someone's mum
correct answer: flatteringly, c : (

3 Happily, I was also complimented by a stranger on my
a) Banana-yellow skinny jeans
b) Mandarin-orange shorts
c) Grape-purple peep-toe ankle boots
correct answer: a (although I do own b and c)

4 My favourite LEGO exhibit was
a) a gigantic pink-frosted doughnut
b) The Love Boat
c) styrofoam LEGO men the size of Cabbage Patch dolls
correct answer: a (b and c were there too)

5 We met up with
a) our long-lost identical twins
b) a celebrity I was interviewing for a top glossy
c) friends who've moved to Melbourne and Mr Big's online friend from an action figure forum
correct answer: c

Up for another quiz? See how I feel about the ol' day job in Workin' 9 to 5.

Fabulous Fridays: 11 January 2012

Hey, if you were wearing that much tulle, you'd look pretty constipated too. Unwind with this assortment...

Okay, so my New Year's fitness resolution is to learn how to do the worm and I'm not even joking.
Graeme Simsion sent me a copy of his novel, The Rosie Project, this week. I'm imagining the main character is like a cross between Bones and Sherlock Holmes and expecting brilliant things.
And then Sportsgirl released this jumper and made my life complete...
I find gardening pretty boring. Unless, of course, you do something wicked like this.
Clever marketing idea of the week: Monopoly asks you to save one token and vote in another. I saved the Scottie dog and voted in the robot.
Fascinating read if you feel like indulging your inner Chicken Little.
This is the cutest fracking thing EVER: woman makes tiny teddies for her pet mouse.
I WILL kick the ass of whoever gets in the way of me watching the fifth Die Hard movie.
The place where my love of dance and '80s computer games meet. Heart it so much.
A couple of great Aussie magazine writers to follow on Facebook: Gabrielle Tozer and Sarah Ayoub.
Would somebody please pack this in my lunchbox next week? Too cute. : )

Happy Friday, fuzz balls!

Fabulous Fridays: 4 January 2013

Yay, time to tap into that weekend vibe with a few well-earned diversions...

I'm keen to get my mitts on Flow magazine. For paper lovers and hip people all over!
The power of parody: I saw a TV show last night showing American school students protesting their paltry cafeteria lunches with "We Are Hungry". And it worked!
My latest acquisition arrived yesterday in the post: a delightful pink Bloch onesie. Adore.
Some may dismiss a giant rubber duck in Sydney Harbour as silly and tacky. To me it's the best. Thing. Ever.
My new theme song, thanks to frequent viewings of Snooki and JWOWW (despite being, ahem, a year or two away from being a '90s bitch).
This dude's blog intrigues me. Bookmark for when you need ideas for that dystopian novel you're planning.
#DepressingChildrensBooks. Ha!
Would you date an unemployed guy? It's sad that we're so keen to jump to conclusions.
Unfortunately my brilliant idea for a cookbook this week was already taken. Fortunately, it rocks! Want.
This is what it's like to experience New Year's Eve in Times Square. Next year, I'll be standing there for real, I hope!
Anyone who pins Bambi tattoos must be befriended: my latest Pinterest buddy, Tea Cake Make.

Welcome to the weekend! xx

Goodbye 2012

Beck's year 2012...

Survived taste-testing a century egg and enjoyed our friends' wedding in Malaysia.
Visited a psychic for the first time.
Freelanced full-time for three months, dayjobbed (a verb, yes?) for nine months and decided to revert to part-time to make way for more writing.
Endured a real low point when our cat Jemma went missing and never returned, despite months of searching.
Regained custody of my two cats, Mew-Two and Jaffa, after they'd lived with my ex for three years.
Dabbled in being a redhead and decided I like life on the flame-haired side.
Dipped my toe into the wonderful world of fish foot spas.
Voted on firemen calendar wannabes at a selection night and won the raffle prize of attending the photo shoot and oiling down the "talent". Phew, it was tough work!
Won, in addition to the firemen raffle, a magazine subscription and social media course. Hooray! : )
Learned to make cheese with my friend Karen.
Wrote for magazines, Dog's Life and Diabetic Living, and online for Mamamia (Megan Gale even tweeted about my article!).
Tried (and got heart palpitations from) shooting a gun.
Managed not to go completely round the twist renovating our bathroom.
Saw The Hunger Games at the cinema, became enthralled, and then proceeded to buy the books and read them repeatedly.
Modelled myself on Lady Gaga for my pole dancing competition performance to Just Dance.
Saw one of my ultra-idols, James Marsters aka Spike from Buffy, at a pop culture convention.
Enjoyed my first ever flight for (and paid for by) work, staying in a beautiful Melbourne hotel with a TV in the bath!
Learned to make sparkly, magpie-pleasing jewellery at a dichroic glass course with gal pal, Cathy.
Embarked on a road trip with Mr Big's family to the lovely seaside town of Port Fairy and had a ball pretending to be a pioneer at Sovereign Hill.
Saw my favourite band from back when I was a kid in concert. Roxette definitely still rox!

Wanna see my 2011 list? Here it is.

I Tried... Shooting a Gun!

A voucher for my birthday, a firing range and popping balloons...

Firstly, let me get one thing straight: I don't advocate guns or killing for sport. I'm not even that keen on killing for food. I just wanted to try shooting a gun, you know, for the coming zombocalypse. Best to be prepared, right?

Shooting a gun at a firing range has been on my bucket list for some time and, recognising this, my in-laws decided to give me a taste of being an outlaw for my birthday. So off to the firing range Mr Big and I toddled.

If you've never fired a gun and you'd like to try it, first let me pose you a question: Are you afraid of popping balloons? Because I am. I hadn't connected these two concepts until I stood in my stall next to the other shooters and squealed and had a mini-heart attack every time someone fired at their target.

We tried four types of guns, each more powerful than the last, two automatic then two revolvers. I preferred the smallest automatic for its weaker kickback and (relatively) quiet bang. By the time we got to the revolvers, I was seriously considering quitting and waiting for Mr Big in the lounge area with a nice cup of tea.

But with nine other men in my group of shooters and zero women, I loathed the thought of being such a stereotypical girl. In the end, I'm glad I pushed through. I gave it a go, I'm actually not a bad shot, and I can now say I've tried firing a gun.

So, on to my next bucket list pursuit... Should I try skinny dipping or picking locks?

Have you tried firing a gun? Did it scare the living @#/%$ out of you?

Fabulous Fridays: 28 December 2012

It's the final countdown until 2013 and I've got a few parting gifts for you...

I've always fancied myself quite the moonwalker, when really I suck. I've found what I'll be wasting my time on these holidays.
My Mr Big is a massive comic book addict, so super-shoes would be his and my obsessions combined!
How to choose a wallpaper for my new MacBook? Create a Pinterest board. I chose this clever little number in the end.
Word.
Twenty + years since Days of Thunder and I still can't get over Show Me Heaven... and it'd make an excellent pole dancing song, no?
The media and politicians both need a reality check, but who's gonna bring it? So agree with this.
I hate salad, but even I couldn't go past these colours.
And speaking of the pole-ished look, if you're gonna go skanky you've gotta commit, right?
Devastated. This silver sequinned onesie was sold out in my size in Zara. : (
One of my fave Christmas presents: Secret Lives of Great Authors. So many kooky, brilliant buggers!
So you've noticed I like So You Think You Can Dance, especially the incredible auditions. Duh, have we met?

See you on the flip side! xx