tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59541640096731505562024-03-05T15:26:18.796-08:00GEMMA BURGESSAuthor. Screenwriter.
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-12883589638666928462013-07-23T09:51:00.005-07:002013-07-23T09:51:59.387-07:00Dudes, my blog has moved house. Also, I'm knocked up. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
How adorable is this ultrasound? <div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUBBdd5eVFQS2LpUQifri9KQrk81TrdXPC431i5EMf-auH3eoa7Tq6sdnbWLvGMoLDkmCynbyq2gw41GwwzhVtACrein1patGvuW-YSQC7J-CAI_i2UD7YbX2-E8rZu9e3AfvEvWaEnM/s1600/Baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUBBdd5eVFQS2LpUQifri9KQrk81TrdXPC431i5EMf-auH3eoa7Tq6sdnbWLvGMoLDkmCynbyq2gw41GwwzhVtACrein1patGvuW-YSQC7J-CAI_i2UD7YbX2-E8rZu9e3AfvEvWaEnM/s320/Baby.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><div>
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Now, please bookmark this. www.gemmaburgess.com/blog - I moved about six months ago but have realized a lot of people are still coming here. So come on over to the real blog, my loves...</div>
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Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-69393600349455743782013-03-07T08:49:00.002-08:002013-03-07T14:54:57.692-08:00On... Antigua<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">We’re almost at the end of a lil two-week break in Antigua. I wasn’t going to say too much about it because firstly, we weren’t totally sure we’d be able to go because of worky stuff, and secondly, who the heck wants to hear about someone else’s blissful sunshiney beachtime if you’re not there with them? I don't. I suffer from severe vacation envy. (I know. I'm really not very emotionally mature.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">But then Fox and Errol and I were on the beach at dusk the other night, and it was so beautiful I wanted to share it with you guys.</span><br />
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<a href="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/point3.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #d55349; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="point3" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-386" height="480" src="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/point3-300x225.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dance-and-point.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #d55349; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="Dance and point" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-388" height="480" src="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dance-and-point-300x225.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dance.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #d55349; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="Dance" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-389" height="480" src="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dance-300x225.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Stare.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #d55349; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="Stare" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-390" height="480" src="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Stare-300x225.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/last-photo.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #d55349; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="last photo" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-387" height="480" src="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/last-photo-300x225.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">We point, and dance, and stare, and swim, then point and dance and stare some more... And then he naps and we read. Best book of the holiday so far: </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"></span><a data-mce-href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Paris-Wife-Paula-McLain/9781844086689" href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Paris-Wife-Paula-McLain/9781844086689" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">The Paris Wife by Paula McLean</a><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">. Best read in tandem with </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"></span><a data-mce-href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Moveable-Feast-Ernest-Hemingway/9780099909408" href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Moveable-Feast-Ernest-Hemingway/9780099909408" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway.</a><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Beautiful and heartbreaking. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Fox-Errol-Antigua.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #d55349; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="Fox Errol Antigua" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-395" height="480" src="http://gemmaburgess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Fox-Errol-Antigua-300x225.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">PS Fox and Errol.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">PPS This is my last post on blogger, so please oh do please visit gemmaburgess.com/blog from now on. xx</span></div>
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Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-53761457122281203032013-02-17T15:50:00.003-08:002013-02-17T16:39:32.624-08:00On... Pinterest <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I wasn't sure if I liked Pinterest at first. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It seemed to be a lot of girls screaming 'I LIKE STRIPES'. And I really <i>do</i> like stripes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">But then I started making boards, and following people like <a href="http://pinterest.com/joannagoddard/">Joanna Goddard </a>and <a href="http://pinterest.com/samhahn/">Samantha Hahn</a> and <a href="http://pinterest.com/lefashion/">Le Fashio</a>n and <a href="http://pinterest.com/annachloe/">Anna Hoffman</a>, people with immaculate taste who know what I'll like before I do, and realised that hey, Pinterest is interesting and effortless and fun and stimulating! I LOVE Pinterest! I know, I'm late to the Pinning party. I was late to the Twitter party. I was late to the blogging party. I left the Facebook party years ago. I guess I'm just not great at.... timing. (BOOM!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Back to the point: the lovely people at St Martins Press suggested I create special boards about my upcoming book series BROOKLYN GIRLS on Pinterest. (First in the series out July 2013! With Quercus in the UK! Random House in Germany! <span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Luitingh-Sijthoff in the Netherlands! </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Wydawnictwo PASCAL in Poland!)</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">But</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> something about making a book- or character-'themed' board doesn't feel right. I might do it for someone else's books, you know, like a board that makes me think of Anne Of Green Gables, or something - but not for my own. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So here's my little experiment. I selected a couple of quotes from the first book in the upcoming BROOKLYN GIRLS series. I've styled them up in two different themes, just to see which is more popular, and maybe if people like them and think they're funny / interesting they'll repin them, and maybe they'll reach new audiences who might like the cut of my jib and decide to read the books. If they don't repin, hey, c'est la oh well, as they say. What do you think, lovely people? Would you repin?</span><br />
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Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-10465172800110225682013-02-10T16:45:00.003-08:002013-02-10T16:46:10.332-08:00On.... The Lumineers <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is the song that Fox and I have been playing every morning during breakfast for the past few weeks. Errol dances - well, he rocks from side-to-side and wriggles his shoulders - and Fox and I sing along and I get the words wrong but like, totally on purpose.<br />
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Then I heard it in a cafe the other day, and I thought 'that's our song!'<br />
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Not Fox and my song (which is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTvhWVTwRnM">this</a>), but our family song. Errol and Fox and moi. It also makes me think of all my best friends, and everyone I love, in a sort of mildly nostalgic mental 'best of' montage. It's just a nice ol' hug of a song.<br />
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So anyway, press play and make your own mental 'best of' montage. Mwah. x<br />
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Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-37314120742158525532013-01-31T10:51:00.001-08:002013-01-31T10:51:39.601-08:00On... Love.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://youtu.be/aTLySbGoMX0">Lovely.</a></div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-44405497594463920212013-01-27T16:16:00.001-08:002013-01-27T16:26:11.663-08:00On... win a free print!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">My lovely lovely friend Lydia is running a competition on her blog for a free framed print from Art.co.uk - all you have to do is leave a comment on her blog with a link to the print that you want, and BOOM. It will be yours. (Probably. You know, if you win.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Just <a href="http://www.countryfille.com/?p=1978" target="_blank">click here to enter</a> and check out the amazing prints at Art.co.uk </span></div>
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Good luck...<br />
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PS I can't enter as I don't live in the UK, but if I could, I'd choose <a href="http://www.art.co.uk/products/p10300303-sa-i809278/joan-miro-bleu-ii.htm?sorig=cat&sorigid=0&dimvals=207227&ui=e66fdaaac6a7489f841c529102f2629c" target="_blank">this</a>.<br />
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<img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9KPNO0vBiu28HZKlxxA2T0ZhvFUROATyiS36PY5_NIJspnoBafyPetvMDhmE213XXdsYEw-DvMrp4wt3iByn0AEb_rp0tCSrt9_XKSziJ8R3fUj2G7cdm_jax8wOUxVlnIlK7LrtTIA/s640/joan-miro-bleu-ii_i-G-8-809-8KOI000Z.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.art.co.uk/products/p15293531-sa-i3652081/lillian-newman-s-dancers.htm?sorig=cat&sorigid=0&dimvals=23954&ui=e66fdaaac6a7489f841c529102f2629c" target="_blank">Or this.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqs0nJ4c49GI-kqDXKHt98xzaprdfx8kgrwU9AevbdVP_jEmPFBCEFhtttuIZafTU5-55kS7_UZ9hQwQJM_oGMxlebTvtOODrQMIRHcWZ2JySJz5cA2iw3pYtbyGqvtq0OFyM3QQgK84A/s1600/cropwm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqs0nJ4c49GI-kqDXKHt98xzaprdfx8kgrwU9AevbdVP_jEmPFBCEFhtttuIZafTU5-55kS7_UZ9hQwQJM_oGMxlebTvtOODrQMIRHcWZ2JySJz5cA2iw3pYtbyGqvtq0OFyM3QQgK84A/s640/cropwm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Or<a href="http://www.art.co.uk/products/p10110156-sb-i1465545/tamara-de-lempicka-jeune-fille-vert.htm?sorig=cat&sorigid=0&dimvals=24107&ui=e66fdaaac6a7489f841c529102f2629c" target="_blank"> this.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSM7NjravcF4mdHxHIfhOXFgpEbNaGjANNvo0AcdvCul-dB-2_HhZ_NoIzbenV4LRPaBsspjTHsRSrV06uLnM9lksqSkk4vjVuoQDVfSCnUUV4ziv6YDtJYcTI-a2sxjOxlb_rBEIzb4/s1600/cropwm-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSM7NjravcF4mdHxHIfhOXFgpEbNaGjANNvo0AcdvCul-dB-2_HhZ_NoIzbenV4LRPaBsspjTHsRSrV06uLnM9lksqSkk4vjVuoQDVfSCnUUV4ziv6YDtJYcTI-a2sxjOxlb_rBEIzb4/s640/cropwm-1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.art.co.uk/products/p10110156-sb-i1465545/tamara-de-lempicka-jeune-fille-vert.htm?sorig=cat&sorigid=0&dimvals=24107&ui=e66fdaaac6a7489f841c529102f2629c" target="_blank">Or this.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8m7DMIEVo7scKkFPuBvKjOt4mGkl_2-6v2ZO13PP_LTBq9zfYWOQOCCOitNaLMNc09Yzyt_fdE1Cqr8KcifuKqH24Css-sj9qhJZo3ds115La7tz0bQz8hOychhaVXP-QrFZnGwYmQ20/s1600/jackson-pollock-no-14-gray-_i-G-17-1704-WCM1D00Z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8m7DMIEVo7scKkFPuBvKjOt4mGkl_2-6v2ZO13PP_LTBq9zfYWOQOCCOitNaLMNc09Yzyt_fdE1Cqr8KcifuKqH24Css-sj9qhJZo3ds115La7tz0bQz8hOychhaVXP-QrFZnGwYmQ20/s640/jackson-pollock-no-14-gray-_i-G-17-1704-WCM1D00Z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.art.co.uk/products/p10426166359-sa-i5944421/michael-sowa-fowl-with-pearls.htm?sorig=cat&sorigid=0&dimvals=0&ui=e66fdaaac6a7489f841c529102f2629c&searchstring=fowl+pearls&ssk=fowl+pearls&sby=all" target="_blank">Or this.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-f0HSh5Bz8qSSZWectpRzl_xoOajvVWb-MXbwx-E76G_cd0DH82wScNj1ClXq9oML5YOFgCURbPbLxVJmMYjW6DQTof-60TpSS54iPU3SjQXBlKpVyN3ZPMf2EOe66voknVGCECnbDaM/s1600/michael-sowa-fowl-with-pearls_i-G-11-1170-QXHU000Z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-f0HSh5Bz8qSSZWectpRzl_xoOajvVWb-MXbwx-E76G_cd0DH82wScNj1ClXq9oML5YOFgCURbPbLxVJmMYjW6DQTof-60TpSS54iPU3SjQXBlKpVyN3ZPMf2EOe66voknVGCECnbDaM/s640/michael-sowa-fowl-with-pearls_i-G-11-1170-QXHU000Z.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-57627615139466762722013-01-18T09:48:00.002-08:002013-01-18T09:53:43.353-08:00On... Right This Second<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So, right this second I am lying on our bed, which makes me feel lazy but it's so lovely and relaxing I don't care. It's freezing in New York today, and the sun is shining and the sky is bright blue, so I've opened the doors to the balcony to give me some fresh air while I write. (Actually, it's just a fire escape that is no longer a 'working' fire escape, but you can walk out onto it, so fuck it, let's call it a balcony.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Yesterday I finished the copyedits to the second book in the BROOKLYN GIRLS series (the first is out this July! The second by Christmas!). For the next few weeks, I'll be tinkering with two other projects - one publishing, one TV. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Our lovely nanny isn't working today today, so Errol and I hung out all morning and went to <a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/washingtonmarketpark/" target="_blank">the big playground in Tribeca</a> and then played with his toys and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ9WiuJPnNA" target="_blank">sang and danced along to this</a>. Right now he's napping, so I'll do the aforementioned project-tinkering as soon as I finish this blog, and later on we'll go to storytime at <a href="http://www.mcnallyjackson.com/" target="_blank">McNally Jackson</a>. Errol is 16 months old, and will probably have at least one tantrum this afternoon, usually due to something like me not letting him suck the toothpaste straight from the tube. (I am such a bitch like that.) Errol's tantrums are so hilarious and adorable that I just crack up and take videos to send to my parents. This is probably the wrong reaction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What else can I tell you, hmm, let's see.... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This weekend I'm also finally, seriously now, no more fucking around, getting involved with <a href="https://pinterest.com/gemmakburgess/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. I'm feeling mildly smug about the fact that I escaped a hangover despite some extremely strong drinks last night - date night with Fox, and yeah, I say 'date night' without irony - at <a href="http://www.bourgeoispigny.com/about.php" target="_blank">The Bourgeois Pig</a>, <a href="http://empellon.com/cocina/" target="_blank">Empellon Cocina</a> and the bar next to <a href="http://momofuku.com/new-york/ssam-bar/" target="_blank">Momofuku Ssam</a>. We're planning a night in tonight, we're going to order from <a href="http://www.westvillenyc.com/" target="_blank">Westville</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lindt-Excellence-Chocolate-3-5-Ounce-Packages/dp/B002RBTXL2" target="_blank">eat this chocolate</a> and <a href="http://www.spike.com/shows/the-joe-schmo-show" target="_blank">watch this show</a>, which is insanely funny. And then I'll get into bed and read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bachelorette-Party-Karen-McCullah-Lutz/dp/0312326211" target="_blank">The Bachelorette Party by Karen McCullah Lutz</a>, which is also insanely funny. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">And that's about it. What about you? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYX15_i8vtot7BQ66IyL6itqR46uAUYyXr7Ptq8wKHMOwH9ATWFa2ucGvqrGMedkIozzEuSfXJdV9z0_ALTa-ci2Xs66To_OxfrbjtW7uJFnRsM8qsT1QpYhZw47u-MVS9PDjle3TX4w/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYX15_i8vtot7BQ66IyL6itqR46uAUYyXr7Ptq8wKHMOwH9ATWFa2ucGvqrGMedkIozzEuSfXJdV9z0_ALTa-ci2Xs66To_OxfrbjtW7uJFnRsM8qsT1QpYhZw47u-MVS9PDjle3TX4w/s640/photo.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-73252550284219240932013-01-15T07:47:00.001-08:002013-01-15T10:12:01.667-08:00On... BROOKLYN GIRLS the cover!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLz3yjxn7d7GJWlQZ70aCNktGOJ0Zh2Cx7jfyoj2qZAi2qf4RsvKa92zE21MdRVSi8nIXvZ6eU5oDLGN7TO_RdtmITv3rd8sTHPtQhf5OvAZat2f7B4xiIDf9kZQSzU9XLYC2Gdcq019M/s1600/Brooklyn+Girls-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLz3yjxn7d7GJWlQZ70aCNktGOJ0Zh2Cx7jfyoj2qZAi2qf4RsvKa92zE21MdRVSi8nIXvZ6eU5oDLGN7TO_RdtmITv3rd8sTHPtQhf5OvAZat2f7B4xiIDf9kZQSzU9XLYC2Gdcq019M/s640/Brooklyn+Girls-2.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Hello kittens</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This is the final cover for the first book in the BROOKLYN GIRLS series!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It's the same image that we've been toying with for a while. We loved the energy and composition of the image, but it was a little squeaky clean in its original format. So for the past six weeks, the brilliant cover people at St Martins Press have been playing with different filters and looks to 'rough' it up a little bit. We played with textures, shadows, blocks, frames, fonts, tints... You name it, we tried it. And this is the final choice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Isn't it awesome?! </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I absolutely love it. No lame cartoons and script fonts! No mushy hearts and stars! No fluffy pastels! Just cool girls in a big city with a sunny-yet-slightly-dirty edge. That's the kind of book I would pick up. When I look at it, I'm so happy, I feel like I'm shining a little bit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Anyway. What do you think? I hope you like it... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">PS It's out in July! You can pre-order on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-Girls-Gemma-Burgess/dp/1250000858" target="_blank">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Brooklyn-Girls-Gemma-Burgess/9781250000859" target="_blank">Book Depository</a> for free international delivery! And to everyone who requested an ARC about a year ago when we hadn't yet decided to delay release (so we could release the SECOND book in the series just a few months later!) - I have your details, my friends. I'll be in touch. x</span><br />
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Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-40293615622001920332013-01-02T07:59:00.001-08:002013-01-02T08:06:59.122-08:00On... good bad songs <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I have a long history of loving good bad songs. I'm not ashamed of it. I truly do love them. I learn all the lyrics. I put them to the top of my iPod playlists. I have special dancemoves for them that involve a lot of
miming and shimmying and frowning-head-bobbing. </span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The other day I began singing
this song, and all I can remember is that it’s from about 2002, the guy’s name
is Lemar, and I think he won some kind of talent show like Pop Idol. Fuck, I loved this song. This song is SO forgotten that there doesn't even seem to be a YouTube video for it. </span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">LEMAR, DANCE WITH YOU </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mWXtrP5ELvA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Note the extremely short use of a voice equalizer on ONE WORD.
Wow, that is some cheap-ass production values right there.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">PARIS HILTON, STARS ARE BLIND </span></span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/icpqB22c4G8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I loved this song too. I actually
loved the entire album.<br /> </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Loving Paris Hilton songs means having conversations like
this with Chris, my lovely then-art director who is truly into music and used
to be in a band and everything:</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Me: This is the best song.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Chris: No, it’s really not.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Me: Paris Hilton is really talented.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Chris: No, she isn't.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Me: Watch, I can do a Paris face. Don’t I look like Paris
when </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-weight: normal;">I do this face?</span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Chris: No, you don’t.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">(Chris and I found common ground with early 80s new wave
music, and this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xrZ61cuKLk" target="_blank">was our Friday song</a>, but it is a really genuinely good song and
thus has no place in this post.)</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-weight: normal;">Loving Paris Hilton songs also means bobbing around the DJ box using a
bendy straw as a Madonna microphone and trying to get the Djs attention to ask:</span><o:p style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-weight: normal;">Me: Hey, will you please please play Paris Hilton’s Stars
Are Blind?</span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">DJ: (incredulous pause) No.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Me: (shouting) WHY NOT?</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">ABZ, STOP SIGN</span></span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dW4WpS45Sy8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Yeah. That’s right. I mean Abz from 5ive. Stop laughing! This is a great fucking
song. I listened to it a lot when doing my early-20s elliptical trainer
workouts. God, those workouts were boring. And pointless. Back to the point:
turn it up and dorkdance your heart out. </span></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-82937418216867923212012-12-27T15:52:00.003-08:002012-12-27T15:52:54.033-08:00On... Right This Second<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What are you doing right this second?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Right this second I am on the sofa, half-watching a Saturday
Night Live marathon and half-writing a synopsis for a new project I’ve been
thinking about for a while. The baby is asleep and Fox is back in Ireland for a
fly-by family visit. He’s back in New York this weekend, and we am planning a couple of
dinners out. I want to go <a href="http://www.thelittleowlnyc.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. And <a href="http://seletgras.com/" target="_blank">her</a>e.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I am contemplating eating some toast
with Nutella, but it probably won’t happen, partly because I ate my way through
Christmas Day like a heartbroken cheerleader and should really step the fuck
away from the carbs, and mostly because I am too damn lazy to get up and make
it for myself. What else? During the commercial break just now, an ad came on for a tweeny
brand of shoes called ‘Daddy’s Money’. I thought was an SNL sketch as it’s so
bad. It’s not. It’s a real thing. What the fuck? It reminds me of the time my
friend Sarah and I made up pretend perfume names and straplines. Like
‘Patriarchy. Daddy knows best!’ and
‘Solipsism. It’s all about you.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Tomorrow I am having a seriously overdue PG
(Personal Grooming) afternoon. I’m going <a href="http://jsisters.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. You can figure out why. And <a href="http://www.ruggerinyc.com/" target="_blank">here</a> to get highlights. I like to pretend that getting my hair done really
doesn’t impact my writing schedule, as I always take my laptop with me and taptaptap
away. But I don’t think I can writing during a Brazilian. I am only human.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">And that’s the end of my blog. I am doing Right This Second
blogs regularly from now on, as it’s so more satisfying (I hope) than my usual crappy
Think Of A Theme And Take Three Weeks To Write And Edit A Blog About It. And if
you like it, please share your Right This Second stories in the comments. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-57699753783863383632012-12-24T17:33:00.001-08:002012-12-24T17:33:12.621-08:00On... Merry Christmas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Little Errol is sick with a cough for the first time in his 16 months of life, and as a result is very cuddly and quiet. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4oFLlJZ2LjUyeNrvcznGWLk94ZBgNFNprN5hoGFQmYjUnX7tejULTo25c3E_1W7ZKE4Yax8iRBdXA1RHXLm2C-yCl1zTG7LUvlOQ0SDov76Nwm-KwKHyGAq8cI8vfwAzp7fPoEGTaNA/s1600/20121224_134107+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4oFLlJZ2LjUyeNrvcznGWLk94ZBgNFNprN5hoGFQmYjUnX7tejULTo25c3E_1W7ZKE4Yax8iRBdXA1RHXLm2C-yCl1zTG7LUvlOQ0SDov76Nwm-KwKHyGAq8cI8vfwAzp7fPoEGTaNA/s640/20121224_134107+(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This is us on the sofa this afternoon watching In The Night Garden on YouTube. We had planned to take him to Central Park - but really, cuddling was way better. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">(By the way, In The Night Garden is the lamest baby show in the history of lame baby shows. My kingdom for a baby show that doesn't suck.) </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Now Errol is in bed, and Fox and I are giftwrapping with red wine and It's A Wonderful Life. We lost the wrapping tape somewhere and so now we are wrapping with thick brown duct tape, and we just realised we also forgot gifttags so tomorrow we're going to have to guess what belongs to who. (Whom.) (Who.) (Whatever.) </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Hic. Merry Christmas everyone. x</span></div>
</div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-85656918265741939442012-12-21T12:05:00.004-08:002012-12-21T12:05:40.847-08:00On... last minute stocking fillers <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;">Feeling bossy? Think your
bestfriend/boyfriend/husband/parents/Santa need a
little extra last minute shopping help this weekend? Then just forward them this.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rma_94NkQ-lZxxBpjM1eZUZrNVI0w0nJKtyCGDvOYNn99_lxn0kppHSR3niwBlIhJdMfF4JnCrJRuGqwvZB5nZIgXOF4-F1KrQ_Cudx5IiU83t9Cedi0L66z05QhGfSZXpDp9Lx3cZk/s1600/misery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rma_94NkQ-lZxxBpjM1eZUZrNVI0w0nJKtyCGDvOYNn99_lxn0kppHSR3niwBlIhJdMfF4JnCrJRuGqwvZB5nZIgXOF4-F1KrQ_Cudx5IiU83t9Cedi0L66z05QhGfSZXpDp9Lx3cZk/s320/misery.jpg" width="212" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Misery-Loves-Cabernet-Kim-Gruenenfelder/9780312348755" target="_blank">Misery Loves Cabernet</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;">I read A Total Waste Of Makeup, by Kim
Grunenfelder, earlier this year, and laughed out loud – and I am a brittle
ol’bitch, so that’s pretty rare. And now I’m reading the sequel and loving it
–and laughing - even more. This book will get you through that interminable stretch between Boxing Day and New Years Eve. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXQ6RQ-qUIPJxeWxDhyphenhyphenRiGPp2uy0X7Ybcemkt7Vn7h3lNRE92U8qpt5RZ4qsvqlBJnWS4dOpXB8yNlsuDpd6ltaYTWqEEzFNoEMR-bz-qAG0aUQPycWWJ4Yc8YSId02C7cdby2gjx2v8/s1600/Diptyque-mousse-190g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXQ6RQ-qUIPJxeWxDhyphenhyphenRiGPp2uy0X7Ybcemkt7Vn7h3lNRE92U8qpt5RZ4qsvqlBJnWS4dOpXB8yNlsuDpd6ltaYTWqEEzFNoEMR-bz-qAG0aUQPycWWJ4Yc8YSId02C7cdby2gjx2v8/s320/Diptyque-mousse-190g.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><a href="http://uk.spacenk.com/DIPTYQUE/Diptyque,en_GB,sc.html" target="_blank">Mousse candle by Diptyque<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;">I am a longterm Baies fan, but in the middle
of winter, the rose-blackcurrant sweetness of Baies is too thin and frivolous.
When it’s miserable outside, I want something comforting and earthy and foresty. Mousse is meant to smell like the moss that grows on trees in forests.
Obviously, I haven’t got a fucking clue what that smells like. But this is
lovely. And Diptyque candles are the perfect gift, as they're the wrong side of extravagant for one to buy for oneself. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkniz-MO4t94MW8ciSz95W68pQSgCJ1y0YTEy0bR-RajlbFVIsZ82oTUEY-gU_12koAyN8h5Zb1lLLBgRv_XtdWO68NcrhRaK_2VfH5I05P8t8Ody8Ca-E8iL9cl5Sd-X8CBoRpLNG0VU/s1600/icon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkniz-MO4t94MW8ciSz95W68pQSgCJ1y0YTEy0bR-RajlbFVIsZ82oTUEY-gU_12koAyN8h5Zb1lLLBgRv_XtdWO68NcrhRaK_2VfH5I05P8t8Ody8Ca-E8iL9cl5Sd-X8CBoRpLNG0VU/s1600/icon.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><a href="http://www.sephora.com/opaque-rouge-liquid-lipstick-P375384?om_mmc=Googlepla&_requestid=42976&cm_mmc=us_search-_-GG-_-pla-_-{keyword}&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=1439405" target="_blank">Hourglass Lipstick in Icon</a> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;">The
most extraordinarily perfect-for-winter dark red lipstick ever invented. I know, you think
you can’t wear red lipstick, but trust me, you can. I won't bore you with the marketing blurb, but it goes on like a gloss, seals like a lipstick, and lasts through three cocktails, tuna tartare and a steak, medium rare. If you want a lip pencil to
go with it, the best I’ve found is MAC Brick. Makes you feel like Veronica Lake
or [insert Old Hollywood film noir star of choice].</span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzse5D4zYIiB2o2KTkZnw6PMa148vdNBlFPiqx_KOR4TwQA0B9CljmRGlIrGmbXJ0mgjYTjmCpIwj3Mq5WK7pT6W8RbtHFofgZ2aoQp1LGxuqtEWofcSLoE2TCHQFn3A9ruNNJHLbRwSs/s1600/20121105-228664-cook-the-book-the-smitten-kitchen-cookbook-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzse5D4zYIiB2o2KTkZnw6PMa148vdNBlFPiqx_KOR4TwQA0B9CljmRGlIrGmbXJ0mgjYTjmCpIwj3Mq5WK7pT6W8RbtHFofgZ2aoQp1LGxuqtEWofcSLoE2TCHQFn3A9ruNNJHLbRwSs/s320/20121105-228664-cook-the-book-the-smitten-kitchen-cookbook-cover.jpg" width="280" /></a></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Smitten-Kitchen-Cookbook-Deb-Perelman/9780307595652" target="_blank">Smitten Kitchen recipe book<o:p></o:p></a></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE-CH;">This woman can do no
wrong. Her <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/11/blondies-for-a-blondie/" target="_blank">blondie</a> recipe is impossible for even me to fuck up, her <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/11/speckled-for-the-freckled/" target="_blank">banana bread</a> is moist and sweet even if you're a Nazi mother like me and cut the sugar down to almost nothing, and the
<a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/12/spicy-gingerbread-cookies/" target="_blank">gingerbread men</a> – okay, gingerbread penises, it's a Gemma Burgess tradition – that I made last week are so chewy
and spicy and sweet and good that I’m going to make some more for Christmas
Day. Plus, she seems funny, kind, cool and normal. </span><br />
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Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-81881921315364594922012-12-20T11:22:00.003-08:002012-12-20T11:26:48.699-08:00On... faking photogenia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A couple of
weeks ago, I wrote an article for the utterly divine magazine TATLER about the
art of being photogenic, or 'faking photogenia' as I called it to myself (nb, 'photogenia' is <em>not</em> a word). I found out how non-slebs like you and me can take a
great photo, do a great pose, and generally, be the sexiest thing on celluloid.
(Is it still celluloid? Probably not. Sexiest thing... on a digital screen. On
Facebook. Whatever.) </span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Perhaps because
I’m not a journalist, I just happen to write things now and again for
magazines, I take this shit <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i> seriously.
I spent hours – days! - researching and testing different products that Tatler
sent me from Tom Ford, Smashbox, MAC, Dior, Cover FX, Darphin, Stila, etc, and
researching photography make-up secrets, grilling my make-up artist friends,
searching for celebrity tips, and even asking the make-up pros that I always
make friends with (uh, stalk) at MAC Pro stores and Bobbi Brown counters to
give me makeovers that I’d then test under flash and natural lighting. No. I am
not kidding. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">But, in the
end, most of the detailed make-up tips had to be cut from the feature.
Tragicallah. So here they are. I figure everyone needs to know how to take a
better photo, especially at Christmas when the world is full of parties,
hangovers and lurking iPhones just waiting to snap you unawares and tag you in
the morning. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Step one:
skin.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Firstly, a
warning: slapping on a thick mask of (insert name of thick pancake foundation
of choice HERE) is the No.1 mistake of cameraphobes. You might think it’s
giving you a more even complexion, but actually, it absorbs light, making your
face look like a whitewashed bungalow: broad, opaque, uninteresting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">You want
your skin to look luminous.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaPvvXXBOXhcarWCdbSgr1FxUIhRES73GvJW8EP-3909BKKk0DITeIOjSWqh3I681c6QmizkUu8zzzPgfSm5AZhcjMDn2nb-s-7NiUNKfh0Z8VTIv-hErZR_o-zkRkaXbiEj_4T82PFw/s1600/botticelli_birth_venus_211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaPvvXXBOXhcarWCdbSgr1FxUIhRES73GvJW8EP-3909BKKk0DITeIOjSWqh3I681c6QmizkUu8zzzPgfSm5AZhcjMDn2nb-s-7NiUNKfh0Z8VTIv-hErZR_o-zkRkaXbiEj_4T82PFw/s320/botticelli_birth_venus_211.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadIgCBHpUrYEP5YtbqicNSiCxEVUeRVqlPSqCxX7qe6IYX3RB0K9r0gvPj7qeNOeqkolkCU6vFpqdH3uicWyyK5vPqOo9iT9a1QmoMnp2tNJMI-HYsbwGoE16qM9aYPs5RxHpcWkyc_M/s1600/img-thing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Think
Botticelli's Venus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think organic
non-drinking vegan yoga instructor on a juice fast. Think post-coital, you
know, when the sex was really seriously good, and afterwards you go to the
bathroom and look in the mirror and think, 'God, I am gorgeous, I’d bang me if I
was him, too'. So put the Estee Lauder DoubleWear down, stat. </span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Not many of
us wake up with perfect skin, at least, not if we’re leading interesting and
socially-fulfilling (ie, sleepless and booze-filled) lives. But you can give
yourself a head start: if you have dry skin, cut down on wine and citrus
fruits, and take extra Vitamin E and Flaxseed Oil supplements. Darphin sent me
a bunch of lovely stuff, particularly the <a href="http://www.darphin.com/" target="_blank">Camomile Essential Oil Elixir</a>, which
leaves your skin smoothe, plump and happy, like a well-fed baby after a bath. </span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDe-eAHYflFJFlL1zTXVTlBgniL-Tj6ofsApAbh_2Wgq6XwZWkiql8WmyAKUhput3-lddeVmK_GBKjB8SX4ZdVTtE7wEx2mbGdZggunPZ_H5IfcYAQXrAxteK_1cd4dh6UdzjyBWfyxEw/s1600/Chamomile_Aromatic_Care_DF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDe-eAHYflFJFlL1zTXVTlBgniL-Tj6ofsApAbh_2Wgq6XwZWkiql8WmyAKUhput3-lddeVmK_GBKjB8SX4ZdVTtE7wEx2mbGdZggunPZ_H5IfcYAQXrAxteK_1cd4dh6UdzjyBWfyxEw/s1600/Chamomile_Aromatic_Care_DF.jpg" /></a><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If you
have oily or combination skin, one of my very good friends swears by her
<a href="http://www.clarisonic.com/" target="_blank">Clarisonic</a> and good old <a href="http://www.cetaphil.com/" target="_blank">Cetaphil</a>. And if you’re really hungover and your face
is just eating your makeup so no matter how much you put on, you still look
like shit, then try the <a href="http://www.renskincare.com/p/3036" target="_blank">REN Glycolactic Peel</a> followed by a nice facial massage
with <a href="http://www.trilogyproducts.com/" target="_blank">Trilogy Rosehip Oil</a>. Then have a little sit-down and a coffee and a nice
big wedge of buttery toast because, let’s face it, you’re probably exhausted
just having read this far.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOrHyItNRZm52PV3VU2FXTAeiJjtuXCeLZnlZsXnRrho4lXu0hGudtqKmt8A0yVjvhG1cNtv4YEBJENlrq33IrkCl060R97Lyv_khC4vCJbUB_wIUrup_y_IGjxNe1LhMFebLUSm9s1M/s1600/DIORSKIN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOrHyItNRZm52PV3VU2FXTAeiJjtuXCeLZnlZsXnRrho4lXu0hGudtqKmt8A0yVjvhG1cNtv4YEBJENlrq33IrkCl060R97Lyv_khC4vCJbUB_wIUrup_y_IGjxNe1LhMFebLUSm9s1M/s320/DIORSKIN.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.dior.com/beauty/usa/en/skin_care_by_christian_dior_face_care_body_care_su/vospreoccupations/hydration_protection/y0429330/py0429330-chydralifesblnn.html" target="_blank">DiorHydraSkin Pore Refining Perfecting Moisturiser</a> is AMAZING. I would never have
bought it, I've never really used Dior skincare products before, but Tatler sent it to me, so I gave it a churlish try and then my
make-up went on flawlessly that I almost wept. I also tried about eleventy
Smashbox primer products they sent over and couldn’t get anywhere with them,
and MAC Prep and Prime just seemed like a very sloppy gel moisturiser. But this
HydraSkin stuff is the shit. (I am sure Dior will be just dying to use that
line in their next press release. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This
HydraSkin stuff is the shit.”</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gemma
Burgess, not-very-well-known writer who dabbles in beauty just because she
can.)</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Next,
luminiser. </span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadIgCBHpUrYEP5YtbqicNSiCxEVUeRVqlPSqCxX7qe6IYX3RB0K9r0gvPj7qeNOeqkolkCU6vFpqdH3uicWyyK5vPqOo9iT9a1QmoMnp2tNJMI-HYsbwGoE16qM9aYPs5RxHpcWkyc_M/s1600/img-thing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadIgCBHpUrYEP5YtbqicNSiCxEVUeRVqlPSqCxX7qe6IYX3RB0K9r0gvPj7qeNOeqkolkCU6vFpqdH3uicWyyK5vPqOo9iT9a1QmoMnp2tNJMI-HYsbwGoE16qM9aYPs5RxHpcWkyc_M/s1600/img-thing.jpg" /></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dab a
pea-sized blob of <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/178/364/Strobe-Cream/index.tmpl" target="_blank">MAC Strobe Cream</a> (best for beginners and the tube
never runs out), <a href="http://www.makeupforever.com/products/uplight-4154.html" target="_blank">Make Up For Ever Gel Uplight in 12</a> (amazing but hard to get in the
UK so order it from the wonderful and not-dodgy-though-it-looks-it <a href="http://uk.strawberrynet.com/makeup/make-up-forever/" target="_blank">StrawberryNet</a>), <a href="http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/sun-beam" target="_blank">Benefit SunBeam</a> (small bottle, very very annoying design as you have to
use a q-tip to get the last third out), or <a href="http://www.shuuemura-usa.com/_us/_en/skincare/instant-results/stage-performer-instant-glow.htm" target="_blank">Shu Uemura Stage Performer Instant Glow</a> (divine, thick,
long-lasting,) in the middle of your palm. Using your index finger, smear your
product of choice on your face from the outside top of your eyebrows, down
around your temples, in over the top of your cheekbones towards – but not
touching – your nose. Do you taste my flavour? Sort of a ‘?’ shape. (Or reverse
‘?’) Then blend, blend, and blend some more. (When I write this stuff, I can hear my make-up artist friend's voice in my head, and she's Scottish. So I am writing with a slight accent. She was visiting NYC last week and we had a discussion about how to say 'our', which I say normlly (I think), and she says 'ooo-wer' and Fox, being Irish, says 'ARGH'. Anyway, back to makeup.)</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The right
luminiser makes you – duh - luminous, not sparkly, sweaty, shiny or sheeny.
There are so many new and wonderful luminisers to choose from now, so don’t
just slap on that chunky glittery one you bought for a New Years Eve party four
years ago because you will come out looking like you work at Cirque de fucking
Soleil. Those are my favourites, you may prefer others. Oh, and a heads-up: I
was sent Burberry Fresh Glow and RMS Living Luminizer to try, they are both
raved about by all these make-up blogs who are probably hoping to get more free stuff, but I found them both crappy: thin and quick to wear off. (I will never lie to you about make-up, kittenpants.)</span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Next, apply
a light coverage foundation like <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CF4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bobbibrowncosmetics.com%2Fproduct%2F2336%2F7637%2FMakeup%2FFace%2FFoundation%2Findex.tmpl&ei=FFPTUMGkJ8u-0QG8uoGgDg&usg=AFQjCNEHZk7Y8kbz-7k_GdwZLD2I3kgFiA&sig2=4LxgO9bHc192utySJoCgWw&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.dmQ" target="_blank">Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation</a> or <a href="http://www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com/luminous-silk-foundation/A041,default,pd.html" target="_blank">Giorgio Armani LuminousSilk</a> to your ruddiest areas. For most of us, that’s the chin and around the
nose. With a tiny lipbrush, dab <a href="http://www.spiritbeautylounge.com/rms-beauty-un-cover-up.html" target="_blank">RMS “Un” Cover-Up</a> or <a href="http://www.lauramercier.com/store/shop/FLAWLESS-extras_Undercover-Pot_prod220016" target="_blank">Laura Mercier Undercover Pot</a> over any pimples, dark spots or tiny broken blood vessels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By using very little foundation, and targeting
everything on a blotch-by-blotch basis, your skin will look flawless, not fake.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
L</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">astly,
lightly dust a translucent powder like <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/159/301/Blot-PowderPressed/index.tmpl" target="_blank">MAC Blot Powder</a> or <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/159/17325/Products/Face/Powder/Prep-Prime-Transparent-Finishing-PowderPressed/index.tmpl" target="_blank">MAC Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder</a> on the parts of your face you dont want to be too glowy / shiny - nose, forehead, chin - for a genuinely flawless airbrushed-yet-natural finish. Here, another
heads-up: I was sent Smashbox Photoset Finishing Powder, I found it very white
and unnatural. There's also a Make Up Forever HD Finishing Powder that has the result of making you look like this in photos.</span></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegggAQle4jmGd5MJwX4LnDNp3KPf7UAzfIgARdXh1lPAMCG_Gla4lLM4bxgLIOH5jK3Fxb26mnh8t2GxkqHvVvXaylQfCZaHEIQmgTL8n0IePwNuBZpphLQqah5sAZISRAlgEsneoUss/s1600/Celebrity-powder-mistakes1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegggAQle4jmGd5MJwX4LnDNp3KPf7UAzfIgARdXh1lPAMCG_Gla4lLM4bxgLIOH5jK3Fxb26mnh8t2GxkqHvVvXaylQfCZaHEIQmgTL8n0IePwNuBZpphLQqah5sAZISRAlgEsneoUss/s320/Celebrity-powder-mistakes1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: x-small;">Avoid. Who developed that powder? They look like they've been troughing cocaine, FFS.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(An aside:
if you’re absolutely convinced that you NEED a full face of thick foundation,
then nothing I say will stop you, I swear some people are psychologically
addicted to the shit, but who am I to talk? I don’t leave the house without
eyebrows. So when you’ve finished trowelling it on, please fluff a little
compact powder luminizer – like <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/159/782/Mineralize-Skinfinish/index.tmpl" target="_blank">MAC Soft & Gentle</a>, or <a href="http://www.beccacosmetics.com/us/store/multi-use/all/pressed-shimmer-powder/" target="_blank">BECCA Nymph</a> in the
aforementioned ‘?’ shape. The result won’t be as gleamingly perfect, but it’s
better than no luminiser at all.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">OKAY! Your
skin is now perfection.</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Step two:
contouring. </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I say
‘contouring’, you say ‘aging third-rate drag queen’. Or ‘Boy George’. But no!
We’re not reinventing your face, we’ll simply be accentuating your already
divine bone structure in three key areas: cheekbones, forehead, jawline.
Hurrah! </span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Look at
yourself straight-on in the mirror, preferably under a horrifyingly strong
overhead light, and suck in your cheeks. Take a moment to pretend you are
Marlene Dietrich. Take another moment to wonder why you have never actually
seen a Marlene Dietrich movie, because you probably should, and while you’re at
it, a Greta Garbo movie too, seriously, because that’s like, a grown-up thing
to do. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_VHstWnWmCOnuJxAE4joZjJhK23o_ijvJaVqynT-YBddP1KPgKS9MoR3A3lKbBr38KCnTta6Tg2B8iAqg2eMZnFjcAEBCwHaPfYxktRYcFoENIzK1ZJEoISjAVbSx5u3IMYGQpk8fCc/s1600/mac-138-tapered-face-brush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_VHstWnWmCOnuJxAE4joZjJhK23o_ijvJaVqynT-YBddP1KPgKS9MoR3A3lKbBr38KCnTta6Tg2B8iAqg2eMZnFjcAEBCwHaPfYxktRYcFoENIzK1ZJEoISjAVbSx5u3IMYGQpk8fCc/s320/mac-138-tapered-face-brush.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/146/1694/138-Tapered-Face-Brush/index.tmpl" target="_blank">MAC 138 brush</a>
is the absolute best brush for contouring and the 'official' contouring brush from MAC does not come close; the shape of the 138
makes it literally impossible to apply too much product and it blends as it applies.
Swirl the brush in a soft grey-brown-matte shade (with no orange, red or shimmer) like <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/156/329/Powder-Blush/index.tmpl" target="_blank">MAC Harmony</a> or <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/kevyn-aucoin-beauty-the-sculpting-powder/3268351?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_ite=kevyn_aucoin_beauty_'the_sculpting'_powder:528636&cm_pla=makeup:women:powder&cm_ven=Google_Product_Ads&mr:ad=25771536833&mr:adType=pla&mr:filter=26507093153&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:referralID=NA&mr:trackingCode=765EBCFC-DC46-E111-9E12-001517B1882A&origin=pla" target="_blank">Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder</a> or, if
you’re very pale like moi, the <a href="http://www.urbandecay.com/new-urban-decay-eyeshadows/328,default,pd.html?start=1&cgid=1_502" target="_blank">Urban Decay single eyeshadow in Naked</a>, and apply
in small, light strokes from the sucked-in hollow of your cheeks up towards the
middle of your ear. Remember, you’re accentuating a shadow, so it goes under
your cheekbones, not on them. Then sweep the brush up the side of your forehead
above your temples, then from behind your ear to your chin along the underside
of your jawline, blending down into your neck. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF28mtICToyCgVTKsl1s9M2f_p13928ctwSi7EqcgkO0QK8fiwZ6vDFh79BWA0pdYst433gE7hrhbVv6yxkiRRuT7RprAWiGI_dQDKTnLjRTLwxU6-akAMBH-5eHY-GpIlYa15y8StjrQ/s1600/tom-ford-shade-and-illuminate-profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF28mtICToyCgVTKsl1s9M2f_p13928ctwSi7EqcgkO0QK8fiwZ6vDFh79BWA0pdYst433gE7hrhbVv6yxkiRRuT7RprAWiGI_dQDKTnLjRTLwxU6-akAMBH-5eHY-GpIlYa15y8StjrQ/s320/tom-ford-shade-and-illuminate-profile.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Contouring
isn’t hard, but it will make you look draggy if you’re not very careful, and it
is a skill you need to practice to perfect. Keep checking with multiple mirrors
in different lights, and blend with extra translucent powder if you feel you’ve
gone too far. Feeling contour-confident? Check out the <a href="http://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/p/Tom-Ford-Beauty-Shade-Illuminate-Intensity-One/prod74520016/" target="_blank">Tom Ford Shade &Illuminate</a> palette. It’s a cream, not a powder, and takes a little more skill
to apply and blend, but it’s the Dom Perignon of contouring and illuminating
products. Once you’ve tried it, everything else is stale cava. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The rest of
your make-up should be subtle, not dramatic, so the camera sees you, not your
maquillage. A pinkish blush like Bobbi Brown Pale Pink, a neutral lip like
Chanel Avant Garde, Shu Uemura eyelash curler, lashings of Dior ShowLash mascara.
For bigger, brighter eyes, replace undereyeliner with a smudgy swoosh of taupe
eyeshadow, and smudge a baby-fingerprint of thick gleaming cream product like
MAC Pearl Cream Base or NARS The Multiple in Copacabana on the inside corner of your eye, just
below and above the arch of your eyebrow, and just above your top lip. I don’t know
why this makes you look better, it just does.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_VHstWnWmCOnuJxAE4joZjJhK23o_ijvJaVqynT-YBddP1KPgKS9MoR3A3lKbBr38KCnTta6Tg2B8iAqg2eMZnFjcAEBCwHaPfYxktRYcFoENIzK1ZJEoISjAVbSx5u3IMYGQpk8fCc/s1600/mac-138-tapered-face-brush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Warning:
watch the too-thin or too-dark or too-arched eyebrow, the too-heavy liquid
liner, and most of all, step away from the YSL Touche Eclat. It’s a highly
reflective highlighter pen, not an undereye concealer. In photographs it grabs
all the light, giving you a weird reverse-panda look, completely with tiny
beady panda eyes. Trust me on that.</span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Voila.
Everything I learned about faking photogenia, in one epic post. Now throw
on some make-up, get out there and take some fabulous photos, you little
scamps. If you want to read more tips about the perfect pose, and the
science behind what makes someone photogenic, then (gratuitous plug) pick up
Tatler in March. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Oh, and by the way. Google automatically gives me the US links now that I'm living here, but obviously you might live in the UK or Australia or India or Germany or Austria or you know, anywhere. So here are some links to sites that deliver LOTS of makeup brands for free internationally: </span><a href="http://www.feelunique.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">www.feelunique.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">, </span><a href="http://www.strawberrynet.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">www.strawberrynet.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">, w</span><a href="http://www.lookfantastic.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">ww.lookfantastic.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">. Strawberrynet will even wrap the products as gifts, so if you live in one of those annoying countries that taxes you for international deliveries, you can claim it was a gift. Nicely played, Strawberrynet.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-58645364976701328162012-12-10T13:59:00.003-08:002012-12-10T16:28:32.172-08:00On... Errol at breakfast this morning <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcSIKKbwJzTMtsxhyXdfcbI3K3gRJdmxC0tXx_NYT-8WDvC025vJ3Vhg7zKgQTm16fv4fTrnlOTxSEVucB8fosJOx_u9GkiT_VK35DDYz7txffJzvaggKbgPVkSPFVo_pJtAV9iD6D1E/s1600/Errol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcSIKKbwJzTMtsxhyXdfcbI3K3gRJdmxC0tXx_NYT-8WDvC025vJ3Vhg7zKgQTm16fv4fTrnlOTxSEVucB8fosJOx_u9GkiT_VK35DDYz7txffJzvaggKbgPVkSPFVo_pJtAV9iD6D1E/s320/Errol.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We just moved into a new apartment! To celebrate, here's a picture of
Errol, this morning, having breakfast at <a href="http://www.cuppingroomcafe.com/zgrid/proc/site/sitep.jsp" target="_blank">The Cupping Rooms</a>. </span></span></div>
</div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-87665192033076127702012-11-30T02:53:00.002-08:002012-11-30T02:53:36.644-08:00On.... BROOKLYN GIRLS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Kittens, I
have an announcement.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The
series-previously-known-as-UNION-STREET is now called BROOKLYN GIRLS. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPAHryezPmciqhkgp7xbR8OiC9NsbrqcF7Nawy5JAMuUDL7cqgq2eZ55bx9lG53M7o8iB3krbPYxQKvHrj2GTDE9gJ4VBmG90ey819K91XSJZTcplS2nh4Y-HFpgO4ksBhV2nmOQG9KE/s1600/517blcpztiL__SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPAHryezPmciqhkgp7xbR8OiC9NsbrqcF7Nawy5JAMuUDL7cqgq2eZ55bx9lG53M7o8iB3krbPYxQKvHrj2GTDE9gJ4VBmG90ey819K91XSJZTcplS2nh4Y-HFpgO4ksBhV2nmOQG9KE/s1600/517blcpztiL__SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Caveat! This isn’t the real cover. We’re still finalising the image and design, and it
will be something very similar to this. But this
cover is already on Amazon as a sort of placeholder, so I thought why the fuh
not throw it on the ol’ blog, hmm?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">BROOKLYN GIRLS. Doesn’t it just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reek</i>
bestseller? <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</span></div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-35604512282118366272012-11-23T16:19:00.001-08:002012-11-23T16:19:26.249-08:00On... a long overdue update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Kat just sent
me <a href="http://title2come.tumblr.com/post/35271906038/when-i-started-my-author-blog" target="_blank">this</a> to remind me that I am a shitty blogger. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was like dude I know, I’m sorry, I suck... </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I’ve said
this before, but whenever I think of something I might blog about, my next
thought is ‘why would anyone care what I think about that?’ so I don’t write it.
Let’s face it, my opinions are just not that damn interesting. And when I see
bloggers who are actually elevating blogging to an art, blogs that bubble and
fizz with ideas and new things and old things (even if it’s just about lipstick
and how to make the perfect pancake or 1930s advertisements for deodorant), I think, well, they’re doing it
the way it should be done, but that takes hours and hours and ultimately it's not what I do. Like <a href="http://cupofjoe.com/" target="_blank">Cup Of Joe</a>, Into The Gloss, AfterDRK, Le
Fashion, Refinery29, Retronaut, Sighs And Whispers, Smitten Kitchen and Humans
Of New York. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Well written, smart, interesting... </span>These are the crème de la
crème of blogs. Mine is not. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">So, now that I've given this blog post the most exciting intro ever ("my blog sucks, you'll probably hate it") what
should I tell you about, my loves? I’ve been pretty busy writing. The problem with writing is that it’s
totally internal, totally passive. I sit down, and I write. Then I stare into
space for a while, and I think. Then I write some more. If I think I've written something funny I high five myself. If I can't get something just how I want it, I get up and go for a walk. </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Every now and again I
have some Lindt dark chocolate with sea salt, or Finns Crisps with Barneys
Almond Butter, or blueberries, or this <a href="http://www.latisaniere.com/" target="_blank">French tea</a> that I love. Then I sit
back down and write some more. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">After a while, I have a book, or a screenplay,
or a TV show, and then I show it to some people who are much smarter than me,
and we talk about it and then I go and think and work on it some more. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I like writing. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">We have an amazing sitter called
Riikka who makes it possible for me to do all that thinking and writing, and the
rest of the time I hang out with Fox and lovely little Errol and our friends. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We go to the
playground to practice Errol’s walking (he walks like a small drunk man), and
to cafes, where he talks to everyone in gobbledygook and flirts with brunettes
(only ever the brunettes). The other day we went to <a href="http://www.murrayscheese.com/" target="_blank">Murrays Cheese</a>, where he
had his first gourmet grilled cheese sandwich. It had pumpkin béchamel and sage
and sunflower seeds. Insanely good. He has also started dancing whenever he
hears music - sort of a bobbing shuffle. It is the most adorable thing I have ever seen. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Inspired by
the marvellous Cup Of Joe's Friday Round-Up Posts, here’s what else I’ve been up to...</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Watching <a href="http://www.logotv.com/shows/rupauls_drag_race/season_1/series.jhtml" target="_blank">this</a>. (Actually, I've been watching the All Stars, but if you haven't seen it before, you need to start with season one.) </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Drinking wine
<a href="http://pierrelotiwinebar.com/chelsea/index.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.mondriansoho.com/en-us/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Going to
storytime <a href="http://www.mcnallyjackson.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Eating dinner
<a href="http://misslilysnyc.com/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://hudsonclearwater.com/" target="_blank">here</a> and brunch <a href="http://janerestaurant.com/" target="_blank">here</a> and by the way, just order the French toast when you go to Jane. I running late and just texted my sister what to order for me, I didn't even need to see a menu, because last time I ordered a salad or something boring like that and saw it going past and thought 'next time you are MINE, motherfucker'. And it was so. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGJciHb-lOId3NrXyoJMrMhdHEBAngLlDF6Ddyxy_lQeWiOmdA6KpcDOnxDnzKSLaa-nd3gpCicMZaH_YI-QEroOqWK2Ih7XJkZgygO3PpXtzEVUIG8QF6hMdW83-3dfQiPjtGwskzDc/s1600/frenchtoast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGJciHb-lOId3NrXyoJMrMhdHEBAngLlDF6Ddyxy_lQeWiOmdA6KpcDOnxDnzKSLaa-nd3gpCicMZaH_YI-QEroOqWK2Ih7XJkZgygO3PpXtzEVUIG8QF6hMdW83-3dfQiPjtGwskzDc/s1600/frenchtoast.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Courier New;">See? Best French toast ever. Right, back to the list.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Buying these
<a href="http://www.theoutnet.com/product/173218" target="_blank">jeans</a> for me and these <a href="http://www.polarnopyretusa.com/index/page/product/product_id/4174/product_name/FOX+TROT+TOP+%282-6+yrs%29" target="_blank">PJs</a> for Errol. (Little foxes!) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Helping with
<a href="http://www.bowerybabes.com/donate.html" target="_blank">this</a>. (Spread the word.)</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Taking the
baby to <a href="http://www.swaddlewaddle.com/" target="_blank">this</a>. (It’s awesome.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Reading
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heart-City-Stories-Serendipity-Streets/dp/B005DI7OLW" target="_blank">this</a>. (It's also awesome.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">And you know,
just thinking and writing. Above everything else I am always writing and
thinking and writing and thinking and writing. Thinking and writing is boring
to talk about, it’s boring to watch, but it’s wonderful to do. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">What about
you guys? </span></span><br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">x<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">PS Oh, and I’m
preparing some BIG announcements about the upcoming book series launch. But for
that, sugarnutses, you’ll have to wait a little teeny weeny bit longer... <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span></div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-59840116737406714412012-11-02T15:39:00.000-07:002012-11-02T15:58:29.161-07:00On... Hurricane Sandy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been a
hell of a week in Manhattan. Obviously. Fox was
away for work, so it was just Errol and I huddling together in the dark while
the storm raged... I'd been totally blase about it, too, and hadn't even bothered to charge my phone. I know. Every time I think about it, I hit myself on the forehead. Thtoopid.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But we were so lucky... We only had one night without power / phone
reception / water, we were never in any real danger, and while I write to you now warm and clean in an uptown
hotel room, with the baby asleep and Foxy landing at JFK in just a few hours and everything just hunkygoddamndory,</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> thousands and thousands of other people just like you
and me are still in their cold dark homes (</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">or temporary shelters as their homes
were blown away entirely), with no phones, no power, no showers, nothing...
Every time I think about the past week, I feel so lucky. So goddamn lucky.</span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway.
Enough about me. Here’s <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/11/scenes-from-sandy-the-downtown-wreckage.html" target="_blank">some stuff about Sandy you might like.<o:p></o:p></a></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I just read
<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Lightning-Rods-Helen-DeWitt/9781908276117" target="_blank">Lightening Rods by Helen DeWitt</a> and loved it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And lastly,
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8OlGrTy7fA" target="_blank">Martin Short as Jiminy Glick interviewing Alec Baldwin</a> is the funniest thing I have seen in ages. I can't stop watching it. Enjoy. xx </span></span></div>
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Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-7788254544679319552012-10-27T08:27:00.001-07:002012-10-27T08:29:42.352-07:00On... extreme nail art <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the
first year of Errol’s life, I ignored my nails. I kept them very very short, bare
and buffed to a lovely shininess. Something was too fake and chemically about
nail polish to be around my tiny perfect baby. Ditto perfume. Ditto lipstick. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But he’s
one now. He’s a toddler. So bring on the fakey chemicals / scent / slap, my
friends. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wrote a
piece about nails for Tatler just before Errol was born. <a href="http://gemmaburgess.blogspot.com/2011/11/on-nail-files.html">(You can read ithere.)</a> In it, I came down with all the righteous fury I could muster on the
Marie Antoinette-ship-in-the-hair-like trend towards ricockulous nail art. Think about it: how idle
must we be if we can spend six hours a week getting tiny 3-D Hello Kitty dolls
mounted onto our nails? </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCuUB2s3T4JWCfxHx0AIFi197E0HhT2dsEYAWOpOw4ri-fiKawjULyDQS9jMOILRYqIFGG1MQJn1I_0NCrFM5XFNEOsZ_hEgSoMv809OjDw8Gpj7T_lfbQAaQNOMLWGuLGyKmJMog77A/s1600/hello-kitty-nail-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCuUB2s3T4JWCfxHx0AIFi197E0HhT2dsEYAWOpOw4ri-fiKawjULyDQS9jMOILRYqIFGG1MQJn1I_0NCrFM5XFNEOsZ_hEgSoMv809OjDw8Gpj7T_lfbQAaQNOMLWGuLGyKmJMog77A/s320/hello-kitty-nail-art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You thought I was kidding about the Hello Kitty thing, didn't you? Ha.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQJta70dIespR6PodTlLzztLlY7xWiY5bDlSpg8PXXrzWnoLJHa7uJ8NoDFV3snCq__mDDlrfEXTm5-el6VovgSF1npfSPFmR7q2JeBybxf-7xA5yPFRzentHwpWv1fp13-2PmE2QuXM/s1600/nails_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQJta70dIespR6PodTlLzztLlY7xWiY5bDlSpg8PXXrzWnoLJHa7uJ8NoDFV3snCq__mDDlrfEXTm5-el6VovgSF1npfSPFmR7q2JeBybxf-7xA5yPFRzentHwpWv1fp13-2PmE2QuXM/s320/nails_300.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I believe this is inspired by Japan's natural beauty. That's a heron. And that's a lady in a kimono taking a walk with a parasol.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNlgf7IwxjEIdOG8SBkdekmwIdkGlADc-_TSUwTwS88ayzTTjuNLtJM1kjei4ipIju3BU5NQgcwbgTZDwVpx75s7E6ModidLT_qtXjNqZUodA-Po-ovRpP2Rc0JXKgw7lc2_ExEoUXDE/s1600/nailmax14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNlgf7IwxjEIdOG8SBkdekmwIdkGlADc-_TSUwTwS88ayzTTjuNLtJM1kjei4ipIju3BU5NQgcwbgTZDwVpx75s7E6ModidLT_qtXjNqZUodA-Po-ovRpP2Rc0JXKgw7lc2_ExEoUXDE/s320/nailmax14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fuck's sake.</span></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxmytF9YY5frtojg5B3Ov8i7advDKphjfbLnsaZRHf9WKuJTuyqyLW-w2rf-GETxHIo1mqKHN8lu3VoWj9_khKV86o95wRqrHlC9P8AM6UxV0bmNMnI65NpkcH8Qjn9fGKbVq-S2Lrh8/s1600/marie-antoinette-ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxmytF9YY5frtojg5B3Ov8i7advDKphjfbLnsaZRHf9WKuJTuyqyLW-w2rf-GETxHIo1mqKHN8lu3VoWj9_khKV86o95wRqrHlC9P8AM6UxV0bmNMnI65NpkcH8Qjn9fGKbVq-S2Lrh8/s320/marie-antoinette-ship.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In case you haven't seen the ship-in-the-hair thing, this was Marie Antoinette's favourite coif. Shortly before the rest of France decided to kill her. And s<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ome day soon, some chick is going to wake up thinking ‘screw it, I’m gonna glue a fucking cruise ship to my pinky’. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even at the less extreme end of things, nail art is bizarre. Tiny charms, mirrors, bells, flowers... you name it, some one out there right now is sitting down with some superglue and way too much time on their hands. Literally.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I stand
firm on my stance on extreme nail art. It’s fucking
stupid. </span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But then last
week I was getting my nails done – fifteen minutes, a quick file and two coats
of pale-pink-nude Sugar Daddy, the most boring-sorry-I-mean-chic-yeah-chic shade
you can possibly get - and I saw this.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-p_T9H-4UK26EN4QqhyxOBe-DRYIwVpndAjJtTaTzi52C44Zr5qA_eaMdf_oqsRPbv_nMXI6Cjm-ExTrvkrfk4rStkXQK4KgMkKZKmz0PP6jVW6iBPRi7or7G8VwEzfJkO1-eV9cEv9s/s1600/essie+set+in+stones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-p_T9H-4UK26EN4QqhyxOBe-DRYIwVpndAjJtTaTzi52C44Zr5qA_eaMdf_oqsRPbv_nMXI6Cjm-ExTrvkrfk4rStkXQK4KgMkKZKmz0PP6jVW6iBPRi7or7G8VwEzfJkO1-eV9cEv9s/s1600/essie+set+in+stones.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ESSIE
Luxeffects in Set In Stones. Great gallumphing chunks of shiny silver sparkles.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I asked
the nice nail lady to paint it on the lower third of my nails over the Sugar
Daddy. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PRETTY!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every time
I looked at my nails I thought OH MY GOD MY HANDS ARE SO PRETTY. There’s
nothing subtle or understated about this glitter: it’s chunky and fat and
gorgeous and very-nearly-3D. Like Cinderella fairy godmother wish sparkles had drifted down and collected
at the bottom of my digits. Like Tinkerbell kisses. Like disco snowflakes. Like
Disney had taken a big poo on my hands, basically. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2QcVsCfMwTozkq6PBeuvjjdWW8Fee11qtPwZDI1j1i8GXn7WB6YsnzWMstWGg3dq0wSWjJSWKr8WRx06dte2u4Cd2MUrxL82KssYFufAWzfjO3W-OUAdtwdvB7OpxdmCmqClmBS3Zow/s1600/silvergradient.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2QcVsCfMwTozkq6PBeuvjjdWW8Fee11qtPwZDI1j1i8GXn7WB6YsnzWMstWGg3dq0wSWjJSWKr8WRx06dte2u4Cd2MUrxL82KssYFufAWzfjO3W-OUAdtwdvB7OpxdmCmqClmBS3Zow/s320/silvergradient.jpg" width="243" /></a></span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I didn’t
take a decent photo, but here’s one I found online of someone else doing the
same thing over a grey base shade. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week I
got my little mani with OPI Black Onyx. (I pretty much only wear nude or black
these days.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t have the
Luxeffects in this particular nail salon, so I went to the nearest big Duane Reade
and bought it myself, and when I get time today, I’m going to paint Essie Luxeffects
Set In Stones over the top. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, it’s
immature, and yeah, it’s probably one step down the short road towards full
ship-in-the-hair pointless vanity. I don’t care. I am PSYCHED.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PS You can
buy Essie Luxeffects online <a href="http://www.lookfantastic.com/essie-set-in-stones-nail-polish-15ml/10563839.html">here</a> with international free delivery. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-68421986909336292912012-09-25T22:13:00.001-07:002012-09-27T07:42:37.872-07:00On... naming<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I HATE
naming. Those of you who have known me a while already know this. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a name='more'></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I’m not very
good at it, and I tend to change my characters’ names constantly throughout the
writing process till I land on one that works. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Recently I realised that I’d
called a dude in one of my manuscripts Ali, without even thinking for a second
about the fact that one of my best friends from college, a girl, is called Ali,
and I had to go back and change it. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">S</span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">o I thought perhaps we could go through
the process of who I named and how I named them, if you’re interested in this
sort of thing.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Let’s start
with The Dating Detox.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">SASS. This
is another of my college friends. I only gave the character in The Dating Detox
a name at the eleventh hour and it’s just a fucking cool name, non? I asked permission,
and she didn’t mind, lucky for me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">JAKE. After
Jake Ryan. In Sixteen Candles. Obviouslah.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">RICK.
Originally he was called JJ, a similar name to a particular idiot I dated in my
mid-twenties. Then Leo, for a while (though thank God I didn’t stick with that
as my friend Sarah’s baby boy is called Leo and it’s a gorgeous name). Then
Rick, as that was the bastard ex of a friend.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">BLOOMIE. I wanted
a name that was an abbreviation of a surname, as my girlfriends and I call each
other by our surnames a lot. I think it makes us feel like marines or
something, I don’t know.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">KATE. This
is my middle name. I really love the names Kate and Katie. I have three
girlfriends called Kate too, and I just think it’s one of the prettiest names
in the history of names. It’s kind of my go-to name whenever I’m writing about
a girl I like, and I have to go back afterwards and think about it properly and
change it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">MITCH.
Actually, he was called John for a long long time. Then someone said it was too
similar to Jake and I realised, ah yes, a variety of names – the sound of them,
the length of them, the number of syllables, the hardness of the consonants and
the softness of the vowels - makes them easy to remember when you have a lot of
characters. Boom. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Some names
just plain work with whatever character you’re creating. Harriet is a good name
for a really sporty, competitive girl. I watched a bit of the London Marathon once
and they all have little labels on their vests, and I swear to God, all the
girls were called Harriet and Rachel and all the guys were called Tim and
Richard. I don’t understand the draw of doing shit like marathons at ALL by the
way. They should time people to read War And Peace instead, it’d be far better
for their brains and lives then running stupidly till their nipples bleed and
they spontaneously poo and they nearly die. But I digress. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">And now, A
Girl Like You.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">ABIGAIL.
Again, just one of my favourite girls names. No particular reason. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">PLUM. This
was a name suggested by the gorgeous @larawilliamson when I was asking Twitter
for help one night. Plum had previously been two characters that I’d decided to
amalgamate into one, and when you do something like that I find it helps to get
an entirely new name so you can give them a new personality in your head. This
also helps when you’re bored with where you’re taking a character, or not sure
what you’re doing with them. New name = new lease on life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">ROBERT. I
don’t know where this came from. It was just always his name. When I first met
Fox I thought his name was Bob, maybe it’s that. His name is actually Paul, but
it was a very loud bar, and when he said ‘Paul’ in an Irish accent I thought he
said Bob. I called him that for a quite a long time, and he’s still in my phone
as Bob. (Gosh! I am interesting, aren’t I?)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">SOPHIE Another
ridiculously pretty name that I basically chose because started with a letter
at the other end of the alphabet to Abigail and had a nice softness that the
name ‘Plum’ doesn’t. I’ve worked with some lovely girls called Sophie. My cousin
is called Sophie. It’s just sort of a win name for me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">LUKE. A
nice solid name, with a sort of spikiness to the consonants. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">DAVE. This
was the winner of the ‘name that bastard’ online campaign thingy I did. You
wouldn’t think it, but there are a LOT of bastards called Dave out there.
Before this, his name was Felix, which I was aware was kind of a cheat as it’s
just the sort of name that bastards in chicklit are always called. I quite like
the innocuous innocence of Dave. (By the way I have several friends called
Dave, I don’t think they read this blog anyway but just in case: dudes, you are
not bastards.) (Or ARE you?)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">VIX. I have
two friends called Victoria, and they are both very cool and funny. Neither of
them abbreviate their names to Vix, but I needed a really short spiky name.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">And for the
other characters... I just really like the names Charlotte, Bella and Henry, I
don’t think there was any reason why. Particularly Henry, actually. I was
gunning to call my baby Henry for a long time – Hank for short – but Fox
refused. And so we chose Errol. Every now and again I think to myself ‘Fuck me,
I called my kid Errol.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">My current
characters in BEGINNER’S LUCK and the subsequent novels in the UNION STREET
series are called:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">PIA. I went
to school with a girl called Pia in Hong Kong, though she spelled it Piya, and
it’s just a lovely name. Nice and short, too. I think it means ‘darling’. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">MADELEINE.
I needed a really long name that wasn’t flowery the way so many long names are.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">JULIA. A
sort of bossy, solid name. Another marathon runner’s name.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">ANGIE. Whenever
I hear the name Angie I think of angels. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">COCO. I
love this name, so cute and eclectic. It’s not after Coco Chanel, who everyone
should just stop fucking obsessing about, because she was a horrible old Nazi peasant
with an eating disorder.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">But for
more on those characters, you’ll have to wait just a leeeeetle while longer... </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">PS Love love loved <a href="http://www.momentaryreality.com/2012/09/a-girl-like-me.html">this</a> from Rinniez - and hell to the yes, I'm going to put her in a book. Sounds like just my kind of girl. x</span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span></div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-55464468640970767512012-09-21T05:06:00.002-07:002012-09-25T22:19:02.989-07:00On... a wish list<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1cgTGnNlvHCVYPoPQiBn_F1F8Ba4zmfq5cz84WwJtpMI93K5mgJPYBSQMHrZ7sZo7mqBHlb14MmSYcDhU-_M8uyxVPo_9vCvRUoSglJugBI5-zcOc3CDcDo6lKFDSuQkzLnNxcEDkCY/s1600/klaude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">My friend Caroline is
scared of velvet. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">No, really, I’m serious, she has a phobia. Even saying the
word ‘velvet’ makes her start hyperventilating and clutching at her neck. It’s
hilarious, obviously, but it honestly upsets her, so I’ve never even
entertained the idea of wearing the velvet shorts and blazers that have been
around the last year or two. </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1cgTGnNlvHCVYPoPQiBn_F1F8Ba4zmfq5cz84WwJtpMI93K5mgJPYBSQMHrZ7sZo7mqBHlb14MmSYcDhU-_M8uyxVPo_9vCvRUoSglJugBI5-zcOc3CDcDo6lKFDSuQkzLnNxcEDkCY/s1600/klaude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1cgTGnNlvHCVYPoPQiBn_F1F8Ba4zmfq5cz84WwJtpMI93K5mgJPYBSQMHrZ7sZo7mqBHlb14MmSYcDhU-_M8uyxVPo_9vCvRUoSglJugBI5-zcOc3CDcDo6lKFDSuQkzLnNxcEDkCY/s1600/klaude.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">However, since we live in different countries now,
I think I could get away with </span><a href="http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=6447509&langId=-1&categoryId=&searchTerm=slippers&pageSize=20"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">these</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Klaude Stud slippers from Topshop. (Caroline is going to FREAK OUT if she
reads this. Very Scottish accent: “I’m not going to come and see you in New
York if you get them Gemma!” Yes you are Caroline. Come for New Year’s Eve.
Screw Hogmanay.) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6c0PlQCPNiwVLGKuBWrL8wWNyREfJM5XiDVgL5E4u62hOfHRudb7Z9P3gvwZYpyPhimQtUE9qzSEUnkZiPiGLH1qHK6YbaqsnhQKqIXhNlH9JQYqjW16H_LuUW6KAetM15KvSmgT9kG4/s1600/NARS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6c0PlQCPNiwVLGKuBWrL8wWNyREfJM5XiDVgL5E4u62hOfHRudb7Z9P3gvwZYpyPhimQtUE9qzSEUnkZiPiGLH1qHK6YbaqsnhQKqIXhNlH9JQYqjW16H_LuUW6KAetM15KvSmgT9kG4/s320/NARS.jpg" width="320" /></a></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I
am dying to get </span><a href="http://www.narscosmetics.eu/gifts/artist-palettes/~/douceurs-de-paris-eyeshadow-palette"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">this eyeshadow palette</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> from NARS. No, I don’t need it. That
is not the point. (That is NEVER the point.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="background: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSgFqMlA0_BivcEpXPJGO-xtdzXzYYgzweikd2FMJclcn7bG6ulx_3oPmsEKJPRYXYJCQeLRrROVCOs-jCBtROnMWSBY1c4hGEnQipFEW_KeWJzhOjFTAyOs3t3P-CG01T5q1XiLS8b8/s1600/COS+Sweatshirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSgFqMlA0_BivcEpXPJGO-xtdzXzYYgzweikd2FMJclcn7bG6ulx_3oPmsEKJPRYXYJCQeLRrROVCOs-jCBtROnMWSBY1c4hGEnQipFEW_KeWJzhOjFTAyOs3t3P-CG01T5q1XiLS8b8/s320/COS+Sweatshirt.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I
love COS. It’s H&M’s big sister, but where H&M is increasingly hookertastic, COS is increasingly awesome, and everything that it stocks is just my
style. Lovelovelove. Anyway, they are not in NYC. I do not know why the hell
they are not in NYC, it’s goddamn ridiculous, but they are not. They are, however, all
over Europe and even in Hong Kong. So if I REALLY love something I get it
delivered to my mother in HK or girlfriends in London and Dublin. (Clothes
addiction combined with a touch of OCD makes you ingenious at this sort of
thing. I could source anything from anywhere. If this was 1942 I would be the
goddamn black market queen.) And this is </span><a href="http://www.cosstores.com/Store/Women/New/Sweatshirt_with_collar/365246-3658293.1#c-4388245"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">the perfect example of Cos perfection.</span></a></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGkpi2jowtmWiOIEMMBhDLkzRtxvBMxGPtGPoBH8V39qusnlTEP-o3b4DsrRpEIsBqxBsXJm_TsY_0Y0PTtVUvh4OeVXsFojSJtsBqInunCh3xl5s0JCqrti32UsnMB0YEQ6GaNsceNE/s1600/Mou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGkpi2jowtmWiOIEMMBhDLkzRtxvBMxGPtGPoBH8V39qusnlTEP-o3b4DsrRpEIsBqxBsXJm_TsY_0Y0PTtVUvh4OeVXsFojSJtsBqInunCh3xl5s0JCqrti32UsnMB0YEQ6GaNsceNE/s320/Mou.jpg" width="213" /></a></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I’ve
never worn Uggs-style boots. I think they’re, hmm, how can I put this...
fucking revolting. (And </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BDiDmSotqs"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">this</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> made me laugh so much , in case you missed it.) But I can’t decide if it would be acceptable to wear these </span><a href="http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/324673"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">boots from Mou</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">,
JUST INSIDE, I promise, because I get really cold feet in winter, and it would
be easier than keeping track of dozens of thermal socks. Thermal socks are also
the size of soccer balls when they’re folded, which takes up too much
room in the drawer, which really gets on my tits. They’re wayyy more than I’d usually
spend on, essentially, slippers, but when you consider that I’m a writer and at
home 23hrs a day, they make more sense, right? And these are a teeny bit more chic
than Uggs, aren’t they?</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
<div style="background: white; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgick36S83kSuEJWwiMCcy95ccPoohOI08Hbu0uwsH9dxKFZwAR-EH66xzoWlelTlADiFVKxHUptzySSKO34o2Quqiu78Try44Qbpuv7o-T4lLYBA0-1es4KWUkiPLqg60-L5fJfXdBhho/s1600/culte2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgick36S83kSuEJWwiMCcy95ccPoohOI08Hbu0uwsH9dxKFZwAR-EH66xzoWlelTlADiFVKxHUptzySSKO34o2Quqiu78Try44Qbpuv7o-T4lLYBA0-1es4KWUkiPLqg60-L5fJfXdBhho/s320/culte2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Confession:
I already bought this lipstick. </span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It’s </span><a href="http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragrance-beauty/Makeup-Lipstick-ROUGE-COCO-88973?sku=88978"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Chanel Culte</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, and it’s like no lipstick
shade I’ve ever seen – sort of super-sophisticated purply/browny/rose, ultra-moisturising but matte. It
makes your skin glowy and your eyes clear and boosts your brain power by 12.5
per cent. It reminds me of Linda Evangelista in the 90s, and early Bobbi Brown
and Kevyn Aucoin features in Allure magazine, and everything that made me love
make-up. Oh, and it’s just the perfect shade for the autumn / fall / whatever
you want to call it. I’m wearing it to a wedding in Ireland in a couple of
weeks. Will report back on how it performs. (Oh, of course I won’t, who am I
kidding, that is a big fat lie. This isn’t a beauty blog and you don’t care
that much, do you? But I will be wearing it. That much is true.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgDGsMn_5ptHjm2iXAg4xn_KW_hXhHMmygAx6bsjNYzPlHEWRT7FEZGGL1HQ-2RS1DcQ10VqrCfmETO-uOa2Ha5gOMuu698Y7tLQ9hUos9xhr5Rhh39KHvfkrh4ZpZGpxIkGixr9TIb4/s1600/exhibitA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgDGsMn_5ptHjm2iXAg4xn_KW_hXhHMmygAx6bsjNYzPlHEWRT7FEZGGL1HQ-2RS1DcQ10VqrCfmETO-uOa2Ha5gOMuu698Y7tLQ9hUos9xhr5Rhh39KHvfkrh4ZpZGpxIkGixr9TIb4/s320/exhibitA.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.narscosmetics.eu/color/cheeks/blush/~/blush"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">NARS Exhibit A</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> blush. <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">BEAR
WITH ME. I know. I know. It looks like a Kabuki drag queen’s idea of Sunday
best. And it is the most pigmented blush in the history of blushes. But this is
what you must do: take a big blush brush, a teeeeeeny tiny swish (one, no more
than one) of it, then swirl the brush on the back of your hand (to get rid of
excess) and then splodge it – GENTLY! – on your cheek. Once. Only once. Voila:
Snow White cheeks. I have (dramatic and incredibly superficial statement incoming)
never seen anything like it. Best blush ever.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgc5XwmWZfFQzG7Ef4h-av6ZseQ7lff6oLh4Hn5xlwNsnptVXPbQvCDz_VK6W42hX8QFBi1HpsJvsK1iBFZF76ckkDzGmp028fNJXszOiThvUkCUqyJ_BaOEI9WDCDEayCKVjI8ThuRA/s1600/superga-white-white-classic-pump-fabric-product-2_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgc5XwmWZfFQzG7Ef4h-av6ZseQ7lff6oLh4Hn5xlwNsnptVXPbQvCDz_VK6W42hX8QFBi1HpsJvsK1iBFZF76ckkDzGmp028fNJXszOiThvUkCUqyJ_BaOEI9WDCDEayCKVjI8ThuRA/s320/superga-white-white-classic-pump-fabric-product-2_full.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">And lastly. After decades of Converse dedication, I growned-up myself to </span><a href="http://www.shopbop.com/cotu-classic-laceup-sneaker-superga/vp/v=1/845524441911384.htm"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Superga</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> this summer. I
was pronouncing it SOOO-per-gah. Then yesterday my super-stylish friend Amy,
who works in fashion, told me that her young, cool colleagues told her it’s
pronounced ‘Sah-pur-GAAH’. I laughed my ass off. Can anyone confirm if this is
true? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: background1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgDGsMn_5ptHjm2iXAg4xn_KW_hXhHMmygAx6bsjNYzPlHEWRT7FEZGGL1HQ-2RS1DcQ10VqrCfmETO-uOa2Ha5gOMuu698Y7tLQ9hUos9xhr5Rhh39KHvfkrh4ZpZGpxIkGixr9TIb4/s1600/exhibitA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgick36S83kSuEJWwiMCcy95ccPoohOI08Hbu0uwsH9dxKFZwAR-EH66xzoWlelTlADiFVKxHUptzySSKO34o2Quqiu78Try44Qbpuv7o-T4lLYBA0-1es4KWUkiPLqg60-L5fJfXdBhho/s1600/culte2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGkpi2jowtmWiOIEMMBhDLkzRtxvBMxGPtGPoBH8V39qusnlTEP-o3b4DsrRpEIsBqxBsXJm_TsY_0Y0PTtVUvh4OeVXsFojSJtsBqInunCh3xl5s0JCqrti32UsnMB0YEQ6GaNsceNE/s1600/Mou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></a><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6c0PlQCPNiwVLGKuBWrL8wWNyREfJM5XiDVgL5E4u62hOfHRudb7Z9P3gvwZYpyPhimQtUE9qzSEUnkZiPiGLH1qHK6YbaqsnhQKqIXhNlH9JQYqjW16H_LuUW6KAetM15KvSmgT9kG4/s1600/NARS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1cgTGnNlvHCVYPoPQiBn_F1F8Ba4zmfq5cz84WwJtpMI93K5mgJPYBSQMHrZ7sZo7mqBHlb14MmSYcDhU-_M8uyxVPo_9vCvRUoSglJugBI5-zcOc3CDcDo6lKFDSuQkzLnNxcEDkCY/s1600/klaude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSgFqMlA0_BivcEpXPJGO-xtdzXzYYgzweikd2FMJclcn7bG6ulx_3oPmsEKJPRYXYJCQeLRrROVCOs-jCBtROnMWSBY1c4hGEnQipFEW_KeWJzhOjFTAyOs3t3P-CG01T5q1XiLS8b8/s1600/COS+Sweatshirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></a><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">
</span></div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-53605306714220471332012-09-17T05:02:00.002-07:002012-09-17T05:03:07.544-07:00On... SNL <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/h1MttieBpoY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
This makes me laugh so much. I have watched it twice a day for about four days. So it's high time I shared it with you.</div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-68739013790067404832012-09-16T00:39:00.000-07:002012-09-17T00:24:03.733-07:00On... James Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">About three months ago I was walking
on E1st and saw a baby boy of about two years old sitting on a stoop with his
grandfather. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<u2:p></u2:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">He
reminded me of my baby Errol, but he was tiny and frail, and had tubes coming
out of his nose attached to a pack a dolls pram that he was practising pushing
around. I started talking to them (I'm that kind of person) and found out that
they were locked out of their house and waiting for the keys, that the baby’s name
is James and that he has cancer. James was incredibly sweet, with these huge,
calm eyes, and soft wispy hair. I asked if he'd like to do a playdate with
Errol at Washington Square Park one day, but his grandfather said he couldn't
do playdates with other babies because chemo gives him such a compromised
immune system. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Naturally I cried for
about three hours afterwards. And have thought of him so often since then.
(Again, I'm that kind of person.) </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I recently found out more
about James. Shortly before he turned two this spring, he was diagnosed with a
rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. He’s undergoing intense chemo and
radiation therapy. His treatments are going well, but even with health insurance,
the cost of saving James life could put his parents into serious debt for many
years. The unfairness of this, on top of everything else they are going through
right now, blows me away.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The point of this whole
blog isn’t just to make you cry, my lovely friends, the point is: we can help. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<u2:p></u2:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">James’
friends and neighbours are holding a fundraising day to help pay for his
medical treatments. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<u2:p></u2:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It’s
called JAMES DAY and it’s being held concurrently with the Annual 1st Street
Block Fair this Saturday September 22<sup>nd</sup>.It's a family fun day, so
there will be games and prizes for kids, Hula Hoop and dance performances,
t-shirt decorating, face-painting, live music and a Silent Auction, and the
Brooklyn-based artist, <i>Bishop203</i>, has designed a special t-shirt.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="background: white;">
<u2:p></u2:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So
if you’re in NYC, please come down. If you know anyone in NY media, anyone who
can help publicise this day, please tweet and blog about it, and go to </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://firststreetgreenpark.org/blog/2012/09/15/james-day/"><span style="background: white; color: black;">this</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black;"> and Facebook.com/JamesDayNYC. If you have anything you’d
like to offer for Silent Auction, please email annasaar@earthlink.net. (I’ve
spent the past few weeks getting things together, and asking my friends and
agents and editors for help, and I can tell you that the Auction is going to
ROCK.) Thank you all so much... </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
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<span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<u1:p></u1:p></span></div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-14837562966796479742012-08-31T01:03:00.002-07:002012-09-17T00:19:29.606-07:00On... Errol <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Errol turned one last week.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUz9-SDB2z5J3JUmFuJCJv4W7u8Q0o0GXobWAWvIuwnIWjiAFRHkbTD7rS7KzWpqCw20u4gNnweDREduxeoyqE0vWlJdU_If_9_7dFNFcUqLIfXZNPlv3o3ckYcZAdD3J3r2H88R335s/s1600/P7245462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUz9-SDB2z5J3JUmFuJCJv4W7u8Q0o0GXobWAWvIuwnIWjiAFRHkbTD7rS7KzWpqCw20u4gNnweDREduxeoyqE0vWlJdU_If_9_7dFNFcUqLIfXZNPlv3o3ckYcZAdD3J3r2H88R335s/s320/P7245462.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mOfh7Eu25tgW6SiYKjhDdfQZnnMnKlM6JPOmV1HcwgCAkVf-LtnYgMqWgBDpwriMGwSSWPYetMzXYRuRmmVXgs1F7ms62WDPPUTfCqmyya5XCGV0VEli8VE7IFWEVNhocq25aP6_HYk/s1600/P7245463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mOfh7Eu25tgW6SiYKjhDdfQZnnMnKlM6JPOmV1HcwgCAkVf-LtnYgMqWgBDpwriMGwSSWPYetMzXYRuRmmVXgs1F7ms62WDPPUTfCqmyya5XCGV0VEli8VE7IFWEVNhocq25aP6_HYk/s320/P7245463.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
He's ace. <br />
<br />
PS: <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/0bf95f3c-f234-11e1-bba3-00144feabdc0.html#axzz25CdkRy4O">This is interesting.</a> I think having a baby should be life-changing, but not personality-changing. And the mother-mono-focus she talks about is something that's bugged me for a while.... I mean, I can talk about baby sleep techniques for hours, but I'd rather talk about books and shoes and movies and restaurants and travel and you know, everything else in the world.</div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-77563774071835324142012-08-29T01:58:00.001-07:002012-09-25T22:16:44.531-07:00On... an epic post about skin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I like
skincare. I like makeup. I like being a girl. (We’ve covered this in previous
sessions.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I sometimes wonder if enjoying this stuff so much makes me a shallow,
vain victim of our patriarchal society and / or <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the billion dollar marketing machine of the
beauty industry. B</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">ut then I think ‘fuck it, it’s FUN’. And so, in response to a lovely request from Elizabeth, here are my favourite skincare things.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a name='more'></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">For
reference, I have pale dry-ish skin. Have never had a zit. I realise that makes
me incredibly annoying. If it makes you feel any better, I am definitely
developing those little lines between my eyebrows, my lips are practically perma-chapped and my eyebrows suck. </span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Okay, let’s
get down to business.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">MORNING</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp6cG-sMTzxsgv6QyRP6df5vTME1L81oDB-Wf4WpDA8-U0N86WWkzIHJOxgJat2uConrB3LBnJpvjscLwDv1X9mRPscFXhlS_zp9UuvX7MW2zMiF1Z0_yj1gn3wbpXE3mqZwOW_KXPdo/s1600/soin-anthelios-xl-spf-50-creme-fondante-teintee-tres-haute-protection-visage-teintee-uva-ultra-ppd-39-creme-beige-la-roche-posay-884173884-190869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp6cG-sMTzxsgv6QyRP6df5vTME1L81oDB-Wf4WpDA8-U0N86WWkzIHJOxgJat2uConrB3LBnJpvjscLwDv1X9mRPscFXhlS_zp9UuvX7MW2zMiF1Z0_yj1gn3wbpXE3mqZwOW_KXPdo/s320/soin-anthelios-xl-spf-50-creme-fondante-teintee-tres-haute-protection-visage-teintee-uva-ultra-ppd-39-creme-beige-la-roche-posay-884173884-190869.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I put on a
huge glob of </span><a href="http://www.laroche-posay.com/products-treatments/Anthelios/Anthelios-XL-SPF-50-Extreme-Fluid-p6311.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF50</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> when I’m cleaning my teeth, and let
it soak and settle while I make coffee and breakfast for Errol and all that
stuff. I tried a </span><a href="http://www.sephora.com/product/productDetail.jsp?skuId=1406057" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Josie Maran Argan Oil SPF40</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> a few months ago, as Cup Of Joe
recommended it and if she said ‘jump’ I would say ‘Kris Kross’ll make ya’ and
then pogo myself around the room. Anyway, I liked it, but I’m emotionally
attached to Anthelios by now, so I went back. It’s very moisturising and gives
you a lovely glow.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVCDAR8xS_i051N55jCGCqlKXXjAnbL9c1NC-TqslR7goOQArv_7Cc0nkP9E5SjS4ZsH9Py8-r2Y2hVHWct8IDWw2wXJB9RCOBpUQe1scIm_-2qfGsh1dbcDMf6_v_P2l9AAM_Yu8jAc/s320/1739_BobbiB_skin_foundation.jpg" width="235" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Then I
usually wear a little foundation around my chin and nose, because that seems to
make me look better. Either </span><a href="http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/product/5878/7637/Best-Sellers/Best-Sellers-Face/Skin-Foundation-SPF-15/index.tmpl" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in Porcelain</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, if I am
feeling super-pale, or Giorgio </span><a href="http://www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com/luminous-silk-foundation/A041,default,pd.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Armani Luminous Silk in 4.5</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> if I am feeling a
little less pale or have been – ahem – fake tanning. Everyone needs a little
foundation, just to even out their skin tone. Whenever someone says ‘I never wear foundation!’ I always think
‘oh, darling, you really should’. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">How much
make-up I put on after that depends on how pale and washed-out I’m looking, whether
I’m going out that day, and, frankly, whether I’m procrastinating, because when I
have something I’m in a sticky patch with, it’s impossible to get through it
with unmascaraed-eyelashes. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Favourites: <a href="http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/product/5876/8061/Best-Sellers/Best-Sellers-Cheeks/Blush/index.tmpl" target="_blank">Bobbi Brown Pale Pink</a>, <a href="http://www.shuuemura-usa.com/_us/_en/makeup/brows/hard-formula.htm" target="_blank">Shu Uemura HardPencil in Seal Brown</a>, <a href="http://www.dior.com/beauty/int/en/makeup/eyes/mascaras/y0697020/py0697020-cmascaras.html" target="_blank">Dior Showlash mascara</a>, <a href="http://www.urbandecay.com/naked-palette-eyeshadow/245,default,pd.html" target="_blank">Urban Decay Naked</a> palette. Pretty
predictable stuff. I don’t wear lipstick during the day. I used to, but I like
kissing Errol too much. Now I just wear lipbalm. <a href="http://www.dermophilindien-lab.com/" target="_blank">This</a> (which I think Fox picked up skiing one year and every now and again I find it and think 'this rocks!' then lose it again), <a href="http://gemmaburgess.blogspot.ch/2011/11/on-new-lip-balm.html" target="_blank">this</a>, <a href="http://www.boiron.fr/Nos-produits/Medicaments-homeopathiques/Medication-familiale/Dermatologie/Homeoplasmine" target="_blank">this</a> or <a href="http://www.niveausa.com/products/lip-care/Kiss-of-Flavor/A-Kiss-of-Flavor-Cherry-Tinted-Lip-Care" target="_blank">this</a> – whichever
I can find first.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">(By the
way, for male readers of this blog, all three of you, if I haven’t already lost
you... dudes, I’m sorry. And for people wondering who the heck I am to talk about skin and make-up, you're totally right, I'm a writer, and we are one teeny missing link from mole people. I can however boast a lifelong devotion to this shit, experience copywriting for beauty brands, an occasional gig writing about beauty for Tatler, and a best friend who is a make up artist, if that gives me any gravitas at all. No? Never mind then. Let's move on.)</span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">NIGHT</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXavy-rnyf6bgR1ji_XYCpJCobQRQwrxUmt1bnqRfYxr-xisLPuzE-lxCXKa5LdjZ4ZZ33yzIoMfapktwgbxVGrA9yTttC1WyHss2GFKFyvlyqO14NBPaBYNT3tGAT4ghW9ygLMwR2F4/s1600/2035_lancome_bi_facil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXavy-rnyf6bgR1ji_XYCpJCobQRQwrxUmt1bnqRfYxr-xisLPuzE-lxCXKa5LdjZ4ZZ33yzIoMfapktwgbxVGrA9yTttC1WyHss2GFKFyvlyqO14NBPaBYNT3tGAT4ghW9ygLMwR2F4/s1600/2035_lancome_bi_facil.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">To remove
eyemakeup, </span><a href="http://www.lancome-usa.com/Bi-Facil/602581,default,pd.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Lancome Bifacils</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. I have tried other removers occasionally, they are
all terrible. </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">To remove
the rest of my makeup, I use </span><a href="http://www.leguidesante.co.uk/279/purchase/crealine-cleansing-solution-perfume-free/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Bioderma Crealine H2O</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiw30UDKwrCdmGa7KAD1vVVcdcl3BidUp76e7iFBGI_3xKKdkE1FI2TevpSAAO9h-sePDwW4-_FjVo07F5inB1MeffCQjH2k9PsaHEc7i6HKCF23VbdN-NT7rKGseW8PXIGqnQuaqY3PA/s1600/cetaphil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiw30UDKwrCdmGa7KAD1vVVcdcl3BidUp76e7iFBGI_3xKKdkE1FI2TevpSAAO9h-sePDwW4-_FjVo07F5inB1MeffCQjH2k9PsaHEc7i6HKCF23VbdN-NT7rKGseW8PXIGqnQuaqY3PA/s1600/cetaphil.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Then I
cleanse with </span><a href="http://www.cetaphil.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Cetaphil</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> and water. I’ve used other more high-end cleansers over
the years –from Lancome to Eve Lom to REN to oh, everything. But Cetaphil just
works and if I leave a little smidge on my skin, it’s moisturising just by itself,
which makes weekends away much easier.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qbMhSfNLEic9b2_7ICUgZ1uHMX8x0_hHVbQeNw5z9ew9qnoaOY1whyHfpicZyVxu0X7LGMMwFHyZ9BDLy0UGHJ8-Ladvd68HRxkYLr6umYEn0fkTPmcdrnZOtmUSvZzv9Vbq5LDDpQI/s1600/clarisonic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qbMhSfNLEic9b2_7ICUgZ1uHMX8x0_hHVbQeNw5z9ew9qnoaOY1whyHfpicZyVxu0X7LGMMwFHyZ9BDLy0UGHJ8-Ladvd68HRxkYLr6umYEn0fkTPmcdrnZOtmUSvZzv9Vbq5LDDpQI/s320/clarisonic.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Every day
or so I use the Cetaphil with the </span><a href="http://www.clarisonic.com/shop/sonic_skin_cleansing_systems/sonic_skin_cleansing_system_mia2/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Clarisonic Mia 2</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. Yes, it really does make
your skin feel tingly and amazing. But it’s not the second coming of Christ so
everyone should calm down about it a bit. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Then I have
a bunch of different moisturisers, because I am a total hydration whore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NGZCKUQ4U9R_wjiolPoZcZUCbD1uWIZ8-1_b1y_0aKdR2vvAE8c_-CseTNfMt2lUrZnMfTWLZleMtRIrpeW5mOMu3SZPaT_RKPrHx9jvbqTyX96vMtu5nYz0LmMf5o9tpMjslie9dKw/s1600/trilogy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NGZCKUQ4U9R_wjiolPoZcZUCbD1uWIZ8-1_b1y_0aKdR2vvAE8c_-CseTNfMt2lUrZnMfTWLZleMtRIrpeW5mOMu3SZPaT_RKPrHx9jvbqTyX96vMtu5nYz0LmMf5o9tpMjslie9dKw/s320/trilogy.png" width="305" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://www.trilogyproducts.com/product-info/clinical-studies/rosehip-oil-clinical-studies" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Trilogy Rosehip Oil</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. Very nice if your skin is feeling tired. Great to do a </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gauG17GqOuo" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">littlefacial massage</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> too, if you can be bothered. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://www.aveneusa.com/eulage-cream/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Avene Eluage</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. Allegedly an anti-aging moisturiser. Is it working? I’ll tell you in
twenty years. I keep threatening to get Botox for the above-mentioned eyebrow
wrinkles, and Fox has a predictable husbandy shitfit about it. My lovely friend
</span><a href="http://www.countryfille.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Country Fille</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> told me that facial acupuncture was just as good as Botox, so I
gave it a bash at </span><a href="http://shlclinic.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">SHL Acupuncture</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, which is where I go for my deeply tedious
back problems. I think I looked a bit better – more awake or something - for a
while. But who knows? Let’s get back to products.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42sd6RTV8PvTwlr2ThD42tnQLqr68znxoPubg7NN3IjZTjYCzMw1kOiOSoywa1AvmJMm9YWoizHD81dYG9Q5AOLFYeHMYbZsWyqUK7_3IxF-s0sU3knolagRG_PfWR1siacwm_OreWjU/s1600/sos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42sd6RTV8PvTwlr2ThD42tnQLqr68znxoPubg7NN3IjZTjYCzMw1kOiOSoywa1AvmJMm9YWoizHD81dYG9Q5AOLFYeHMYbZsWyqUK7_3IxF-s0sU3knolagRG_PfWR1siacwm_OreWjU/s1600/sos.jpg" /></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://www.barefoot-botanicals.com/Browse-Products/b/Sos--Face-Body-Rescue-Cream.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Barefoot Botanicals SOS Cream</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> is the best for if your skin is feeling totally dried-out
and oversensitive. I used to get excema sometimes, and this was the only cream
that worked. (Steroid creams are not a long-term solution, if you're using them, try this. It is
wonderful. Very very gentle and calming and healing.)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I reach for <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://www.leguidesante.co.uk/2DBF/purchase/bebebiafine-baume-hydratant-protecteur-100ml/" target="_blank">Biofine</a> and
Environ <a href="http://www.environ.co.za/products/avst-hydrating-lotion" target="_blank">AVST Hydrating Water</a>
now and again, when I feel like shaking things up (woo!). I see from trying to order more that Environ has changed
their AVST range, which is annoying, as I love that water. It sort of tingles and makes your skin all sticky and plump. (Like a donut.) (A SEXY donut.) I need to find an Environ place in NYC. I
used to get it at <a href="http://www.pacificadayspa.co.uk/" target="_blank">Pacifica</a> - which, by the way, is the best beauty salon in Notting Hill. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I'm a morning shower person, but for nighttime baths, I might use </span><a href="http://www.renskincare.com/p/3036" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">REN Glycolactic Peel</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> or </span><a href="http://www.environ.co.za/products/avst-hydrating-exfoliant-masque" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Environ AVST Hydrating ExfoliantMasque</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. I put </span><a href="http://www.laroche-posay.com/products-treatments/Lipikar/Dry-to-very-dry-skin-r34.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">La Roche Posay Lipikar Bath Oil</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> in the bath, it's like </span><a href="http://www.boots.com/en/E45-Emollient-Bath-Oil-250ml_1640/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">E45 Oil</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, which is available everywhere in the UK and practically nowhere goddamn else. After the bath I put on </span><a href="http://www.leguidesante.co.uk/2B38/purchase/ictyane-cream-light-normaldry-skin-50ml/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Ducray AHA Body Moisturiser</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWssifu1nWkG4X_3VQKd8oRFYsV1am6XI2Aix97tqDRqKHtQmiSm7N5bDHU4N78S6mH5IV7vPuVmEw4yZ1h-iZdYckCD-Q8M_EkBqo1uSa0weEZWL_oajb4zppVOZtZDBAaD5nnobU0xI/s1600/estee-lauder-soft-matte-bronzer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></a><br /></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Back to make-up
for a second, a few skin-related things: that you might be interested in: If I’m going out for the night, I’ll
also wear </span><a href="https://www.perfektbeauty.com/skin-perfection-gel" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Per-fekt Skin Perfection Gel in Luminous</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">,
just a smidge, before foundation, as it gives you a crazily perfect airbrushed
look, and I might go over my skin with a lipbrush and </span><a href="http://www.lauramercier.com/store/shop/Concealers_Secret-Camouflage_prod220004" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Laura Mercier SecretCamouflage</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> and get all the little dots and splodges – dark freckles and this
little broken blood vessel I have in the middle of one cheek. It takes forever,
but </span><a href="http://www.lisaeldridge.com/video/1669/concealer/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Lisa Eldridge</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> says you have to do it to get a truly flawless look, and I am,
above all other things, obedient.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And if you want
to look all candlelit and angelic, like you’re not wearing any makeup but have
simply been sleeping 14 hours a night and eating organic everything for the
past decade rather than often drinking last week’s wine and eating leftovers
standing up next to the fridge, then you need some luminous highlighting
products. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9xeVWv83EYvTRK6HusKc2h4vwECf4Kgvekr9I_WfYYoqZReL4iVQFnrmChZK5HLDJno4NhjexfylAm8KdL82OL1hn57wQW5foqJk2RN4hOoVAxOmiJleU5X6I0y23ZFcp-fcq-bQtSY/s1600/makeup-forever-lumizer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9xeVWv83EYvTRK6HusKc2h4vwECf4Kgvekr9I_WfYYoqZReL4iVQFnrmChZK5HLDJno4NhjexfylAm8KdL82OL1hn57wQW5foqJk2RN4hOoVAxOmiJleU5X6I0y23ZFcp-fcq-bQtSY/s320/makeup-forever-lumizer.png" width="266" /></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">My
favourites are </span><a href="http://www.sephora.com/uplight-face-luminizer-gel-P284708" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Make Up For Ever Uplight Face Luminizer in 12</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> (a gel), </span><a href="http://www.narscosmetics.eu/color/cheeks/the-multiple?d=true" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">NARS the Multiple inCopacabana</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> (a stick), </span><a href="http://www.beccacosmetics.com/us/store/multi-use/all/pressed-shimmer-powder/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">BECCA in Nymph</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> (a powder) or </span><a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/178/364/Strobe-Cream/index.tmpl" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">MAC Strobe</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> (a cream). You only need to use one,
obviously, so the one I choose depends on what else I'm doing with my make up (they range in glowiness from golden to silvery to sunlighty) and, erm, my mood. Sometimes I mix them
with the foundation, sometimes I dab them on my very upper cheekbones and above
my eyebrows, sometimes I even dab them on that bit just above my top lip. I
know! I’m so unpredictable. It’s crazy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Remember, the goal is to look flushed and lit from within like a post-coitus Botticelli angel,</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> not glittery like a 70s gangbanger. Choose your products carefully - anything too pale or too dark for your skin will look weird - and blend the shit out of them. (Technical makeup term.) </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Oh, I don’t
tan. Ever. I never have. If I fake tan, I like </span><a href="http://brazilbronze.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Brazil Bronze</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> (the women are epic bitches but they do a great job) and </span><a href="http://www.gothamglow.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Gotham Glow</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> in
NYC. I never found a decent spray tanner in London. Sometimes Fox does </span><a href="http://www.escentual.com/vichy/vichysuncare07_05/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Vichy Capital Soleil</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> for me. (I </span><a href="http://gemmaburgess.blogspot.ch/2011/08/on-boytician.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">wrote about that experience</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> for Tatler.) For my face,
only </span><a href="http://www.lancome.co.uk/_en/_gb/skincare/suncare/self-tanners/flash-bronzer-075133.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Lancome Flash Bronzer Self-Tanning Face Gel</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWssifu1nWkG4X_3VQKd8oRFYsV1am6XI2Aix97tqDRqKHtQmiSm7N5bDHU4N78S6mH5IV7vPuVmEw4yZ1h-iZdYckCD-Q8M_EkBqo1uSa0weEZWL_oajb4zppVOZtZDBAaD5nnobU0xI/s1600/estee-lauder-soft-matte-bronzer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWssifu1nWkG4X_3VQKd8oRFYsV1am6XI2Aix97tqDRqKHtQmiSm7N5bDHU4N78S6mH5IV7vPuVmEw4yZ1h-iZdYckCD-Q8M_EkBqo1uSa0weEZWL_oajb4zppVOZtZDBAaD5nnobU0xI/s320/estee-lauder-soft-matte-bronzer.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">If I’m fake tanning I will usually put some bronzer on my
face. I was obsessed with </span><a href="http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/product/2324/8166/Makeup/Cheeks/Bronzers/Bronzing-Powder/index.tmpl" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Bobbi Brown Natural Light </span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">for years, but the fuckers kept
breaking on me, so I did a bunch of research – yes, I am the kind of person who
researches bronzers – and got </span><a href="http://www.esteelauder.com/product/640/1831/Product-Catalog/Makeup/Face/Bronzers/Bronze-Goddess/Soft-Matte-Bronzer/index.tmpl" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">.
It’s a huge compact and very good indeed. If you get it, make sure you get the
Matte one. The woman in Bloomingdales Downtown was too distracted by Errol flirting
with her and almost gave me one with shimmer. Yah. Seriouslah. Tha humaniteh.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The links I've been using, by the way, are normally the brand product page, or the nearest thing I could find. If you don't live somewhere that has a Selfridges or a Sephora or whatever, then I highly recommend </span><a href="http://www.strawberrynet.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">www.strawberrynet.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> and </span><a href="http://www.leguidesante.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">www.leguidesante.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> and </span><a href="http://www.newlondonpharmacy.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">www.newlondonpharmacy.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> - other sites that deliver for free, or nearly free, internationally: </span><a href="http://www.feelunique.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">www.feelunique.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, </span><a href="http://www.lookfantastic.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">www.lookfantastic.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, </span><a href="http://www.iherb.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">www.iherb.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There you
have it. An epic post about skin. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
</div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5954164009673150556.post-78160674061781979622012-08-24T08:48:00.002-07:002012-09-06T12:30:40.494-07:00On... a New Author Survival Guide<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was
emailing with a newish author (well, newer than me, and I’ve only been a little
teeny tiny author for about three years, so whatevs, as people born in the 90s
say) the other day and she said how there’s very little on the internet for new
authors. Loads of support for would-be authors, forums and tips galore, apparently,
but nothing for published authors. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I
thought I’d write my own little New Author Survival Guide. </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(The ubiquitous Gemma Burgess caveat: I don’t know what it’s like for anyone else, I only know what it’s
like for me. Maybe all other new authors disagree, and
I’m just dancing to my own little song in the corner of the party. That’s okay.
It’s happened before, and it will happen again.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s get
down to it, shall we?<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Don’t Google yourself or read any
reviews. Ever.</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The vast majority will be great, but if you see even one negative one,
it’ll upset you more than you can imagine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About two months ago, I was looking for something
I wrote on my blog last year, and couldn’t remember where it was. So I googled
myself plus some keyword from the blog post. Up came a review that I stupidly
clicked on – it was positive, but referenced something a negative review said
about the characters all being alike. Cue; immediate misery, unable to write
all day, lots of dejected sighing and staring out the window. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can’t really learn
anything from reviews, because other people’s opinions are just that –
opinions. They're valid, of course, but they're really only valid for the person whose opinion it is. I have oh, so many valid and important opinions, and will argue at length about why [insert acclaimed book title HERE] was a badly edited / self-indulgent / overly verbose / derivative piece of shit, etc, but it's just my opinion. Not fact. Someone else might adore what I hate. (Some of my best friends read stuff I think is weird and/or rubbish. Fox likes to read sci-fantasy called shit like Dragonsword: Dogs Of War and Darkthunder: The Throne Rises. I wish I was kidding.) So as an author, you can’t pander to everyone else's opinion. You have to write
what you want to write or you won’t be passionate about it (and it won’t be
good). If all books took into account all critics then there would only be one
book in the entire world, and it would be about Kim Kardashian’s ass.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, of course you need to take into account <em>some</em> opinions, but that's pre-publishing. You'll have a few readers that you really trust, including your agents and editors. Their job is to help a manuscript become the best it can possibly be, and they do. They see things from a different angle, they offer a highly intelligent gut reaction, they're smart and sensible and generally goddamn awesome. But like I say, that's <em>pre</em>-publishing. Once your book is cooked, let people eat it, and don't ask them about their digestion. You can't cook it again.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(An aside: the worst thing about someone saying something mean about my
writing is that I will immediately agree with that person and can explain why.
Of course all my characters are fun-loving urban professional yuppie-hipster
hybrids. That’s what I am. Duh. I’m not going to write books about a one-legged
war hero spy who becomes a butcher, it’s just not going to fucking happen. And
of course my characters drink and swear (apparently this is the other frequent criticism
of my books) that’s what professional women in big cities do, that’s how we
talk. I’m not going to pretend that the average 20-something in New York or
London goes to salsa lessons and then hangs out in a cupcake shop talking about
cats and poetry because they fucking don’t. They go to work and then they go to
bars and they worry about guys and money and their career, and in between time
they read magazines on the elliptical trainer at the gym and fuck
up their fake tan and spend way too long crafting a text to that dude they met
last week. But I digress. As usual. The point is, never Google yourself.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> <strong> </strong></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Don’t watch your sales figures</strong>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ask your agent to tell you if it’s amazing, otherwise, just ask for a
general update when 12 months have passed. Until then, it’s too upsetting – you’ll
never sell as much as you think you should, and you’ll start worrying about
being out of print before the ink is dry. You’ll walk into a bookstore or a
library, realise there are a million books that people might choose to read
before yours, fall to the floor and start hyperventilating. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The whole sales figures thing is especially agonising when you realise
you make about 5 per cent of the book price. My first two books have sold
pretty well, but I haven’t even made as much from them as I did in my first year
salary as a junior copywriter in advertising. Taste my flavour? The odds of becoming
JK Rowling are somewhere between ‘zero’ and ‘fuck all’. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh, and keep your old job, or get another, ideally one that’s flexible
and involves words. I was a copywriter before I was an author (I never particularly
wanted to be an author; I wrote the opening chapters to The Dating Detox on a
whim, got an agent and then had to finish the darn thing, and realised I LOVED writing books), and continued to be
a copywriter while writing the first two books. When I got the book series deal
with St Martins Press and found out I was knocked up (in the same week! Good
timing, GemGem) I scaled back on the copywriting, just writing for a few
favourite clients. I also write for magazines and I’ve started screenwriting. (More about that another time.)</span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Take responsibility for your own
publicity, but don’t worry about it too much.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I got some publicity for The Dating Detox via the publisher, but between
you and me, reviews in those weekly magazines are basically bought. If no one will buy
one for you, just do your own thing. I made a <a href="http://thedatingdetoxtrailer.com/" target="_blank">trailer for The Dating Detox</a> with
a gang of friends the weekend before I got married (about four months after The
Dating Detox was published). The publisher Harper Collins wasn’t involved at
all, I just did it because I thought it would be fun. I created postcards, I
did a silly Name That Bastard campaign online. I started writing for Tatler,
and got a gig writing a column for a London magazine called The Grove. All this
stuff was good publicity, I hope, but more importantly it was fun, so if it didn’t
pay off I didn’t really mind. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It's easy to get a bit obsessed with publicity (or blogging, or
Twitter, or Facebook, or any other book-related activity that can suck up all
your time). But focusing on your next book, or your next article,
or your next screenplay, or whatever you’re passionate about writing next is much
more important - and more satisfying.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Final word on publicity: the best publicity for
books is word of mouth, and we can’t control that. I remember hearing about Eat
Pray Love, Shopaholic and Bridget Jones Diary from friends, don’t you? They took
about 18 months to become bestsellers, mostly through word of mouth. So you just
need to hope that people will talk about your books. (And tell their friends to
buy it, not borrow it. Ha.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here's The Dating Detox trailer. In case you feel like watching it. The strapline for the trailer is 'Finally, a book trailer that doesn't suck'. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/aEqFZxpMD1w?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I didn't make a trailer for A Girl Like You. I was going to - it was going to be a mash-up of two dozen girls doing different walks of shame. You know, because it's funny, and because of the whole one night stand chapter, and to represent that it's a novel about every girl, ie, A Girl Like You, blahdiblah. But it was just too hard to film in Jan/Feb last year, as it was winter and dark and freezing - I made about five clips but I needed many more. And I was really goddamn sick with pregnancy and had so much writing to do for the new series, and, excuses excuses excuses. Hey ho. Strangely enough, Harvey Nichols ended up using the EXACT idea - but at the end of 2011. Someone is clearly stealing from my brain. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So if you want to see what the A Girl Like You would have been like, it would have been something like this. But with better music. And classier girls.</span><br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kwxTf7NGVXg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Your friends will all react
differently.</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know from experience that it’s profoundly strange to read your friend’s
work, as you can only hear your friend’s voice talking to you through the
manuscript. There is no suspension of disbelief, and it’s kind of tiring. So I don’t
expect my best friends to read my books, in fact, I’m almost happier when I
think they haven’t. I have made a lot of new friends in the past year, and
I don’t expect them to read my books, either. When they say things like ‘I
should read your books!’ I get all awkward and ‘ah, yeah, no, don’t, seriously,
don’t worry about it, I suck,’ etc. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some friends will pretend to have read your
books, but you can always tell when they haven’t. Some really
will love it, and you can always tell that too, and that’s lovely. Some will be convinced you were writing about them. (I promise, I wasn't. Ever. Trust me, you guys aren't that interesting.) (Kidding.) (Mostly.) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think the best way is that no one feels obliged, so I never ask anyone to read it, or give them copies. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every now and again someone will be a real bitch about your books, which
is also kind of fun. A friend of a friend said ‘I read your book! I can’t
BELIEVE you got published!’ with a huge shit-eating smile on her face. Someone
else flippantly referred to them as ‘fluffy’, which to me is basically a
synonym for ‘stupid and trivial'. I actually flinched, and called Fox and
cried on my way home (lame!), as I thought everything I write and stand for is
the antithesis of fluffy. (Remember kids, just because a story is about a woman
figuring out what she wants in life and love doesn’t make it trivial – in fact,
what could be more important? And if something is easy to read, and trippytrips along at a page-turning pace, it doesn’t
mean it’s stupid. Nathanial Hawthorne said easy reading is damn hard writing. And
so on. Sorry, would you help me down from my soapbox? Thank you.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>You’ll probably stop telling new
people you’re an author.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or you’ll put off telling them till the second or third meeting or until
you’re sure you’re going to be friends, as the reaction can be so agonising. They
form opinions about you right in front of your eyes. Oh, and taxi drivers all
have six novels in their glove compartment and will ask you to help them get
published. Actually, a lot of people will want you to help them get published.
Some will ask you to edit their novels for them. Idiots will say ‘they say
everyone’s got a novel in them,’ and expect you to agree. The worst is people
who say ‘Are you a bestseller? No? Why not? I’ve never heard of you. What kind
of novel? Romantic comedy? Oh, chicklit. I don’t read that sort of thing. I
have a degree in English Literature, you see, it’s terribly hard for me to read
lowbrow.’ Suck my lowbrow. (Where the fuck is my soapbox?)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Nothing changes.</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is SO strange. One day, you’re not published, the next day, you
walk into a bookstore and boom, there’s your book. With your name
on it. Right there. On the shelf. (Next to Candace Bushnell, in my case, which
makes it extra surreal.) But in every other way, life is exactly the same. You
are a normal person doing normal things with a normal past. You’re the same person that spent most of her 25<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
year crying in the bathrooms at work. The same person who is genuinely unable to remember a number longer than two digits, that hasn't driven since she was 21 and doesn't really see the point, and still, really, can't work out what to do with her goddamn eyebrows. You wear the same clothes and go to the
same restaurants and have the same friends, you worry about the same things and
feel the same about everything. You’re still you. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Everything changes. <o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Life becomes richer and better and more interesting in a lot of tiny
unexpected ways, simply because somewhere out there, in the world, at any moment,
someone might be reading your book. The same book you wrote, all alone, tapping
away feverishly into the darkness, agonising over plot twists and characters
and dialogue, hoping it felt real and might make someone laugh one day. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes those people will email you. This is the absolute best part
about being an author. I got my first email from a reader a week after The
Dating Detox was published, and I nearly fell off the sofa in delighted shock. Every
single email that I have received since then has had, more or less, the same
reaction. Sometimes people email you that you’re just like them (which I love),
that you cheered them up after a bad breakup or tough period, or made them
think differently about life. Sometimes you’ll make friends with readers, and
meet up in person, and realise that there are more kindred spirits (with a nod
to Anne of Green Gables) out there than you thought possible. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes people will read more into your novels than you ever
consciously thought about. A woman is doing a PhD on new feminist chicklit with
a focus on my books, which is amazing and strange and wonderful. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Don’t worry too much about any of it.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The pressure of finally being published - after writing, and getting an agent, and getting a publisher, and editing, and copyediting - is insane. And most of it is
pressure that you put on yourself – the expectation of being a bestseller, the
expectation of your existence suddenly changing, when really, it won’t. So just
enjoy what you can, and ignore what you can’t. (That’s pretty much my life
philosophy.) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whenever you’re really stressed out, take a deep breath, and
remember: you’ve written something that your great-great-grandchildren will be
able to read. They’ll never meet you, but they’ll know you through that little
book. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And that’s kind of amazing, isn’t it? </span></span></div>
</div>
Gemma Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256428715992867628noreply@blogger.com3