Fabulous Fridays: 24 December 2010

I've finally done it. As of NOW, I'm officially a full-time writer for a year. Well, a brief holiday first and then knuckling down on 1 January 2011, promise. : )


It's been an eventful week. My interview with Today Tonight about Internet shopping was aired on Monday evening (although I hear my on-screen presence lasted for about .02 seconds). This adds to my TV appearance on The Morning Show and interview in Money magazine earlier this year. It's kinda fun, but primarily pimping myself out to various media outlets is with the aim of jacking up my credibility for my book proposal. Priority number one for 2011 or The Year of Beck Writing, as it shall now be known. One interview's a fluke, two's a coincidence and three's a pattern. Yummy patterny goodness. Book deal now please?

For now, we'll be decking our halls for a few select guests and some truly hideous holiday DVDs for our traditional Crap Movie Christmas Eve event. First up, Deck the Halls with Danny Devito and Sarah Jessica Parker's hubby, Matthew Broderick. Then, Superbad. PS, did you know John Corbett, actor playing Sex and the City's Aidan, is in real life Tarzan to Bo Derek's Jane? Yep, they're a couple. I would've thought her old enough to be his mum, but they're only 4.5 years apart. Wow.

Latest loves...

Reading: I'm eyeing off the Harry Potter series, but am scared it will spoil the final movie for me. Decisions, decisions...

Listening: Cranking the Christmas tunes, which in our house means David Hasselhoff and Mariah Carey. Terribly unfashionable, but cheery!

Tasting: Adam's spaghetti bolognese, pavlova (Best. Dessert. Ever!), umpteen scrumptious things at the all-day grazing table at work today.

Loving: Karaoke carols with Consumer Affairs colleagues -- nothing says festive fun like Wham's "Last Christmas" and vodka Cruisers, learning how to peel prawns, winning a gift bag full of Dior makeup from Myer, catching up with old friends this week, being a free(lancing) agent for 12 months as of NOW!!!

Awaiting: Yuletide snow in Australia (it could happen, right?), Santa Claus leaving a Tiffany toy under the tree for me, post-Christmas sales, fireworks and holographic false eyelashes at New Year's.


Merry Christmas from Becks and the City. May it be filled with fun, food, friends, family and Fendi!

Fabulous Fridays: 17 December 2010

Happy Fabulous Friday!!! While Adam and I are drinking and dancing up a storm at a wedding, sit back, relax and browse through these gems the Internet has brought us this week...

• This story has fascinated me -- Keli Lane, the water polo player who killed her baby. Or did she?
• Chicks showing off their shopping hauls on Youtube. I love shopping and all, but this seems like consumer overload to me. Here's an Australian version. It's apparently mandatory to describe all your buys as "super cute" and "adorable".
• Our bogan cricket star, Warnie, and Liz Hurley? Really? Punching above his weight much?
• Aussie radio dude Andy Lee and model, Megan Gale, have split. Nooooooooooooooo!
• Though I usually only read them for a laugh, today's horoscope is scarily accurate:

Libra: The difficult lunar connections only serve to keep yesterday's difficulties alive and so you should be sure to keep this in mind as you move through what may be a day very similar to yesterday. Though today it seems to come from or via your partner who may have been given a hard time by someone they work with or for. Try to break the cycle in some pleasing way tonight together.

• One of my favourite numbers in a musical ever. Pity about the narcissistic main character. "Practically perfect in every way"? Ha -- more like practically up herself.
• Here's my article for Onya Magazine, Fashion and the Australian Blogs.
• Have You Ever Dreamed of Being a Travel Intern? Why yes, yes I have!
• New Zealand TV show, Outrageous Fortune. Gloriously skanky, with Kiwi accents. Love.

Hello, Lover!

DKNY suede sandals from Net-A-Porter

Next week... the special Christmas eve edition. See you then. : )

Fabulous Fridays: 10 December 2010

Once again, Fabulous Fridays has earned detention for its tardiness. I have a very good reason, I promise!


In news this week, it looks like my work will approve my 12 months' leave starting 1 January next year -- touch wood.  What else is new and stimulating (or old and outstanding)?

• Onya Magazine has agreed to publish an article I've written about fashion blogs (hence I've added their logo to "I've Written For" on my sidebar). Still waiting for it to be posted, but should be any day now. : )
• Marie Claire magazine recently did a story on the One Laptop Per Child campaign. This brilliant program sends inexpensive, durable laptops to developing regions including remote Aboriginal communities as an educational aid. Check it out and if you wanna help, text the word LAPTOP to 0447 877 678 by 15 December 2010 (standard SMS charges apply).
• Flashback: this chant featured heavily in my early working years. I had to time customers and award free food if they recited it in under four seconds. I yearned to punch them in the face.
• I heard a rumour Heath Ledger based his voice as The Joker in Batman on Liberace. Strange, but believable. You be the judge.

Latest loves...

Reading: Marie Claire after a bit of a hiatus. I forgot how good it is!

Listening: "Dear Mr President" by Pink -- not so relevant now George Bush is no longer head honcho in America, but a brilliant song.

Tasting: Sausage and egg McMuffin, green tea icecream (good!), and loquats (best fruit ever!).

Loving: Recent gal pal trip to Melbourne to see U2, the hilarious Due Date movie, my Alannah Hill and Stella McCartney for Adidas bargains from Melbs, the Shu Uemura false eyelashes I bought that look like I've mugged a drag queen and gardening with Adam (even though plants become suicidal around me).

Awaiting: Full-time freelancing, seeing the DVD of my dance performance last night, Cirque Du Soleil returning to Australia, Christmas carols and corny TV -- A Muppet Christmas Carol and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.


Thanks for celebrating Friday (Saturday) once again. By the way, the reason for this week's lateness posting Fabulous Friday? I did a TV interview yesterday about Internet shopping. More about this next week. (I love a cliffhanger!)

Magazine Guide #8: Marie Claire

Publication: Marie Claire
How Often Does It Come Out: Monthly
Distribution: National

Contributors vs Staff Writers:
Seems predominantly freelancers doing the writing, but many features are commissioned from overseas, says The Australian Writer's Marketplace. However, Marie Claire "maintains a healthy local content".

Target Audience:
Age: 18-45, according to The Australian Writer's Marketplace. I'd say around 25-50.
Gender: Female
Interests: Fashion, women's issues, current affairs, beauty, lifestyle, wellness, relationships and celebrity.

Topics and Themes:
Articles in this issue I'm reading are about sex trafficking, an interview with Elle McPherson, an excerpt from Portia de Rossi's autobiography, HIV/AIDS, behind the scenes of the fashion industry, an acting summer camp that breeds future stars, what life will be like in 10 years' time, a real-life story of a woman who left her husband for his brother and the 33 people trapped in a Chilean mine.

Length of Features:
Up to and frequently at 2,500 words.

Tone and Style of Writing:
Authoritative and direct. It is friendly, but leave puns, clever wordplay and slang terms at home.

Breakout boxes and subheadings are occasionally used, but large blocks of text are certainly acceptable. The order of the day is simply to write an article, without bells and whistles. Subjects tend to tell their stories firsthand.

About How Many Features:
Twenty.

Fabulous Fridays: 3 December 2010

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth! I've been in Melbourne stalking designer bargains and making musical memories at the U2 concert, so this week's Fabulous Friday is slightly belated. Let's kick it off without any more hesitation...


On the luscious link front, Style Sample magazine has a very instructive article, How to: Create Your Writing Portfolio. This is my current focus, so I was stoked to find it.

For those breathlessly awaiting it, my work gossip from last week was the promotion essentially promised to me never eventuated (even though there were actually two of these jobs to be filled). Not happy, Jan. Have decided to address this career crisis by taking a year's leave without pay and concentrate on writing (hooray!). Planning to wear my most ruthlessly kick-ass outfit tomorrow to boost confidence when negotiating.

On a lighter note, December's Shop Til You Drop did an "All My Stuff" interview with Tahyna Tozzi (page 190). I decided to prepare my answers to these questions ready for when I hit the big time. Here's a few of my favourite fashionable things...


Fashion
Underwear: Bonds.
Jeans: Sportsgirl.
T-shirt: Witchery.
Shoes: Wittner.
Watch: Guess.
Sunglasses: Portmans.
Swimsuit: Jets by Jessika Allen.
Dress: Vintage and Veronika Maine.
Bags: Chanel (in my dreams).
Designer: Alannah Hill and Stella McCartney.
Hobby: Pole dancing.

Beauty
Lips: Revlon.
Bronzer: Revlon (won in a competition on their web site!).
Shampoo: PPS Hot Chocolate.
Hair Product: ghd hair straighteners are unbeatable.
Body Wash: The Body Shop strawberry shower gel.
Moistureiser: Nivea.
Perfume: DKNY Be Delicious.
Nail Polish Shade: American Apparel's Butter.
Latest Discovery: Christian Dior Diorshow mascara.

Lifestyle
Sheets: Marie Claire.
Candle: Yeurch, none thanks.
Flower: Peonies and tulips.
Stationery: Typo.
Kitchen Tool: Phone for ordering takeaway.
Luggage: For when I strike it rich, Vuitton of course.
Gadget: iPhone.
Car: Honda Jazz.
Snack: Bananas and cream.
Drink: Japanese Calpico soda in grape flavour.
Book: Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden.
CD: Ministry of Sound Chillout Sessions.

See you next Friday!