A coupon "giveaway" :D

About a month ago I was one of the lucky recipients of a coupon for the Naketano onlineshop courtesy of Coco at http://daddysneatness.blogspot.com/. I haven't had the chance to use it mostly because I don't do much online shopping. So instead of it being wasted, I thought why not give it to someone who will surely be able to use it. :)

If you are interested, please leave your email address in a comment.

Comment until the end of July 4th. I will email the lucky recipient on July 5th. :)

I hope to host a bigger giveaway sometime soon. Thanks, everyone! And thanks to Coco who gave me this coupon! :D

Check out their online shop here.

Eclipse Review & A Giveaway

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a Twilight fan. And, yeah, the last time I had a "teen" in my age it was a couple of years ago, but I got totally sucked into the books and the "lion and lamb" love story. The movies? Frankly, I've thought they could have been better, but I had high hopes for the third installment, Eclipse. It was my favourite of the novels with the maximum of Edward and Jacob and all that love-triangle-angst. I promised my younger sister I would take her to see Eclipse on opening night and did one better by grabbing us, and my mom, some tickets to a midnight screening last night. Read on for my thoughts below, but beware of spoilers if you haven't read the book. If you skip the review make sure to head to the bottom of the post for a Twilight-inspired giveaway.

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Not sure if you'll agree, but I think Eclipse is the best yet in this movie series. The ladies in the theatre went wild every time they spotted a shirtless Jacob and they swooned over gallant Edward while I silently cheered that Kristen Stewart managed to dial back the annoying this time around (and I really like her hair longer). One of my favourite scenes in the book is the time spent in the tent the night before the big fight when Jacob has to act as Bella's space heater and I was happy to see it brought to life on film.

I thought in some ways this movie was darker than the others (especially the opening scene), but they did a good job of bringing Bella's dilemma to life. Knowing she will have to say good-bye to friends and family in order to be changed is a horrible reality and I found the scenes with Charlie to be both heartwarming and amusing. The pain and struggle of the love triangle was also felt more keenly in this movie. And although I still love the books more I'm looking forward to the next movie--especially the wedding!

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If you've seen Eclipse let me know what you think...if you haven't yet come back once you have so we can chat and compare notes!

So what's all this talk about a giveaway you ask? The lovely and talented Denise of Polka Dot Moon is a big Twilight fan, too, and to celebrate the release of Eclipse has kindly offered a pair of her moon-themed earrings to one lucky reader!

{The Prize: Polka Dot Moon Glass Pearl and Topaz Swarovski Crystal Earrings}

Denise has an array of Twilight-inspired jewellery items like this witty necklace...

...and these beautiful earrings, inspired by the greenery of Forks...

Polka Dot Moon also has several gorgeous items that aren't vamp-centric, any of which I would be happy to have in my collection. For the scrapbookers among you Denise also has another shop (Wild Moon Studio) with great supplies--you should check it out!

Fab, no? So here's what you need to know to win:

Giveaway is now closed -

Thank you to everyone who entered

How to Enter

This giveaway is open to followers of Sogni e Sorrisi (both new and old alike). Just take a trip over to Polka Dot Moon and let me know what your fave item is. In your comment also let me know what your favourite Twilight book is and whether you are Team Edward or Team Jacob (this will not effect how I choose the winner--promise!)

Extra Entries

1. Follow Sogni e Sorrisi on Twitter. If you already do just let me know.

2. Tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy you can tweet this:

Fab Twilight-inspired Polka Dot Moon jewellery #giveaway @SogniESorrisi http://tinyurl.com/2akk33z

3. Follow Polka Dot Moon's blog. 

4. Blog or Facebook about this giveaway. Leave the URL in your comment. {5 extra entries}

Contest open until July 3, 2010.

Winner will be chosen at random.

Good Luck!

Long overdue Polyvore :D

Happy Tuesday night, everyone! I am fully back now, yay! :D

Sorry for the lack of comments on your lovely blogs. I can't wait to check them all out. :)

I haven't made a Polyvore post in quite a while. I was looking through the ones I made a few months ago, and I found this. This outfit is something I would wear to a graduation. The dress is not too formal, but also not too casual. I would wear flats because most high school graduations here are held in football fields or lawns or some other venue of that nature. And it also helps to wear flats because I am sure you'd be walking around congratulating your family and/or friends. :D

Have you been to a graduation this past month? :D

Book of the Week: 13 to Life & An Author Interview

This week we're changing it up a bit. On hold is the usual Book of the Week review, in its place I'm very happy to feature an interview with Shannon Delany, the author of the new book 13 to Life, and a snippet of the novel for you to read. The cool thing about this novel--which is slated to become a series with the second and third books already on their way--is that it began life as a serial textnovel. The whole idea of the textnovel was intriguing to me as it seems to harken back to the serials written by authors like Dickens and Henry James. I was also very interested in the process Delany went through, transforming her serial into a full-length book. Here is a rundown of the plot from the publisher:

"Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…

When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.

The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early."

Intrigued? So was I. Read on to find out what else Shannon Delany has to say about her novel, her characters and her creative process:



I'm always interested in the inspiration of artists, where did the idea for 13 to Life come from?

It all started with the random phrase “thirteen to life” which was rolling around in my head for no good reason and the fact I was tired of seeing so many vampire novels (unlike my main character, Jess) and was wondering why there weren’t more werewolves. That was back in late 2008.


Did you find the process of converting your textnovel into a printed novel series difficult?

No, by the time I was done with the textnovel.com version, I knew where the characters wanted to go and had ideas about other characters and subplots to make it all work. The hardest part was just finding the time to get the full manuscript created.


What are some of the differences between writing a text novel and a traditional book?

A textnovel tends to have (in my opinion) a more sparse writing style or an “economy of language.” With every entry (and I did two “chapters” a day most days) you have to focus on making it very memorable and completely clear—people read an entry then go back to work for another six or eight hours before they can return for another brief section. It’s easy to forget what was going on if you’re reading a serial in a true textnovel serial format. I also had to remember to create a little cliffhanger for each “chapter” to encourage readers along. Writing that way makes you micromanage your words (especially if you’re naturally verbose, like me).


Does main character Jess Gillmansen have any similarities to you at that age?

Bless her heart, yes. She’s opinionated, a bit snarky, loves horses, edits the school newspaper and has been a competitive shooter.


How do you think 13 to Life sets itself apart from the vampire and werewolf novels that have risen in popularity lately?

I’m told pretty often that people like my new take on werewolves. Although I wrote the serial version very organically (it sort of grew on its own) I did a lot of research. I delved into science, “fringe science,” history, legends and lore. I don’t throw all that info out at readers at once (because I don’t like that in books I read) but let readers discover things as Jess discovers them. And much of the research we authors do never shows up in the books directly but just helps build the world. I think another difference is the way the series is told to readers. Jess has a distinct voice. She’s self-involved and self-critical and it takes her a while to pull her head out of her own troubles and see what’s going on with others. Although Jess is very involved in the action and drama, she’s a lens we view the action and drama through. Her opinion, her doubts and fears color everything she perceives (and everything we know and learn) in the story.


What can we expect from you next?

At this point, my 13 to Life trilogy (at least my part in writing the manuscripts) is nearly wrapped up. Book 2 will be released in February 2011 and Book 3 will follow about six months later. Now I’m playing with brand new characters, new settings and new trouble. Every day’s a new adventure when you’re creating worlds and the characters that populate them!


What would you like others to know about your novel?

13 to Life is designed to be read at different levels. Most readers can (and do) zip right through it in a day or two enjoying the tangled teen relationships, action and danger. Others read it and realize later they’re asking themselves the same (or very similar) questions about love, friendship and Shakespeare that Jess and Pietr are exploring. And others will get the importance of the names and start subconsciously lining things up for the second book. And any way you read it is fine—we all bring different things to our reading and we all should leave with a slightly different experience after reading.


Thank you Shannon for taking the time to talk with me and sharing your experiences in writing 13 to Life.  Additional Links: 13 to Life Blog, Where to Buy.

In anticipation of the debut release of 13 to Life, Shannon Delany has created a unique blog tour she calls Start Your Day with Serial. Each day of the tour a new blog will feature an excerpt from the novel and today is my turn. Visit the link below if you would like to get caught up on the previous installments before reading today's snippet located below.

Welcome to Shannon Delany's Start Your Day with Serial Tour! Shannon's debut novel (and first in her YA paranormal series) 13 to Life started as a winning cell phone novel written in serial segments. During the tour you can read bits of the book in order. Miss a day? Hop to Shannon's blog http://13toLife.us/blog and check the link to the blog tour calendar in her sidebar.

{Start Your Day with Serial}

13 to Life: Chapter 4, Part H (used with the author’s permission)

He wrote: Fearing the Forest. “Man has always tried to tame the wilderness. We timber ancient forests, we strip mine… We have an instinctual fear of wild places and wild beasts, so we have historically tamed them so we feel more in control. This primitive fear impacts how we live and how we react in strange situations.”





Shannon's debut novel, 13 to Life, hit stores just 7 short days ago and is the beginning of a new YA paranormal series from St. Martin's Press. Find out more about Shannon and her series at http://ShannonDelany.com and http://13toLife.us/blog or follow Shannon on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Shannon_Delany.

Hot kissing scene between Sonam and Imran?

A steamy kissing scene between Sonam Kapoor and Imran Khan in ‘I Hate Luv Storys’ has been much talked recently.

However the actress denies that she has done such a scene. She does however admit that there as some intense scenes between the two.

 

“I have never kissed him. We have done a song Ho Sakta which is sensual. We were quite comfortable doing that as it is a part of the job,” tells Sonam.

 

While Imran is comfortable holding only his fiancee Avantika hand, Sonam on the other hand would not like to do anything which she can’t sit and watch with her family.

 

Well, this proves that there was no kiss between the two.

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Hrithik's Cine Magic With Ash

The nasty jibes over 'Kites' have been in no deficit. Hrithik Roshan, though, is not moaning over the low flying opus. Rather, he's moved on valiantly. Zoya Akhtar's flick will have him scooting off to Spain.

 

Presently, though, he's gearing up with grace for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Guzaarish' which showcases him as an obese paraplegic.

 

Declares Hrithik in a media quote, "I feel like Bhansali's favourite child. He gave me everything. I even came up with some new dialogues."

 

Roshan Jr. has express praise for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, his co actor in 'Dhoom 2' and 'Jodhaa Akbar'. "We're similar actors who have honed our craft," he states, "We juiced out our craft for 'Dhoom 2', followed our hearts and did 'Jodhaa Akbar' and with 'Guzaarish', we've done a film for the love of art."

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Katrina Kaif Clean The Loo In Village

Since she is the current reigning Bollywood princess, everyone has only nice things to say about her. But this little story is still worth telling. Apparently, Katrina Kaif who travelled to some small time village a couple of months ago for her charity work surprised the locals when she was most non fussy about the toilet she used.

It seems the locals were embarrassed with their modest facilities and though that a superstar like Katrina Kaif would hesitate to use their loo. But the actress just cleaned the loo on her own and used it without a fuss. She even remembered to thank the village folk for letting her use their toilet. Nice to know Katrina still has a reality check going.

 

We know of one Bengali siren who actually threw a fit in some far out location and had her producer pulling his own hair out in sheer frustration because of her unreasonable demands.

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Sonam wants sleek figure like Deepika

Sonam Kapoor might have a sleek figure herself, but the actress wishes to have a body like Deepika Padukone’s.

 

‘Deepika has a great body and I wish I could have a body like her,’ Sonam told reporters here Monday at DT Cinemas in DLF Promenade in Vasant Kunj, where she was with her ‘I Hate Luv Storys’ co-star Imran Khan and director Punit Malhotra, to to promote her new film.

 

Sonam also dispelled rumours of any supposed cold war between her and Deepika, after she was linked with Deepika’s then boyfriend and actor Ranbir Kapoor during the shooting of ‘Saawariya’.

 

‘I don’t know Deepika. Then how would I have a cold war with her?’ she asked.

 

Sonam, also denied that she refused to work with Deepika in Rahul Dholakia’s ‘Desi Boys’, starring John Abraham and Akshay Kumar.

 

‘The role that Deepika is doing was offered to me before. I would have loved to do it but because I was busy with ‘Mausam’ and ‘Thank You’ I could not take it. It later went to Deepika and I am sure she will do a great job,’ she said.

 

Imran and Sonam were greeted with much fanfare at the mall. They joyfully interacted with their fans and they even shook a leg together at the title song of ‘I Hate Luv Storys’ for the audiences. The film is set for release July 2.

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Lush: New! Solid Shampoo

This isn't our newest shampoo bar, we call it New because it's full of stimulating essential oils to encourage healthy hair growth. We put in refreshing peppermint and cinnamon infusions for a healthy scalp and stimulating rosemary and nettle absolutes for shine. If you're losing your mane because of hormones or age, you could go out and buy a new toupee, but first try New shampoo and see if it doesn't do the trick. Use it with The Hair Doctor for a major scalp stimulating experience. ($9.95)

*description, price, and image from http://www.lushusa.com/*

I've always had some issues with my hair. I have super straight hair (something my friends always said they'd kill for). It takes sooooo looooong to grow, and I shed more hair than is normal. Thankfully, these past few years, my hair and I have become better and better friends. I learned to just ignore the over shedding, and began to love my hair.

My sister (who is a Lush lover) bought me the New! solid shampoo. She said it would make my hair grow faster. At first I was like, "Are you sure? How do you use this? Will it produce lather like normal shampoo does?". She said just try it and so I did.

The first thing I noticed is that it does produce lather - more than you would expect from a solid shampoo. The cinnamon and peppermint smell will fill your bathroom and stay there for quite a while. So, if you love the smell of cinnamon and peppermint, you might like this. :)

How do you use it?: You just scrub/swipe it against your hair, and when you get enough lather, you knead/scrub your hair like normal. (I'm not sure about the correct words to use. Sorry!)

After a few weeks, I did start to feel new hair growing. It's a bit weird at first because you'd go and touch your scalp and you'd feel baby hair growing. Haha. But it goes to show that it really does make new hair grow. Just a word of caution, be careful when you scrub it against your hair/scalp. The first few times I did, I forgot there were cinnamon sticks within the shampoo, and mine were sticking out... I scratched my scalp with those sticks. So yeah, be careful. :D

Have you tried it? What did you think of it?

Hope you all have a wonderful week ahead of you! We are approaching the 4th of July weekend here! I'm so excited because it's also my 20th birthday on Sunday! :D

A Great Pizza and a Glimpse into the Future...?

Last week while chilling at a street festival on College Street--after eating a really great tomato-and-mozzarella pizza at Vivoli (I've been many times, mainly for the rooftop patio, and I think this is the best dish I've had there, much better than the food I've sampled in the past)--we happened on a psychic/tarot card reader set up on the street. For some reason I was inspired and decided to get a reading despite M teasing me mercilessly.

I'm not entirely sure if I believe in these kinds of things. Truthfully, I think there probably are people with these types of gifts (I've heard of cases when psychics have been spot on and specific) and many who are fakes, mostly just gifted at generalizing and reading people. I have no idea if the woman who read my cards was the real deal, although considering what she told me I certainly hope she was (hearing what she said even had M changing his tune!)

I didn't actually ask any questions as I figure that's a way to tip your hand and made it easier to falsify a reading. I mean, you should tell me if there's anything important coming up--right? Anyway, a few books I've read lately have also included psychics and they just seem to be popping up here and there so I thought I'd ask the question:

Do you believe in psychics and/or mediums? Have you ever had someone predict something that ended up coming true?

{Photos via weheartit.com}

Happy Weekend & Five Questions

Hello lovelies, I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend. Remember to enter the Dr. Perricone giveaway if you haven't had a chance to yet. I was tagged by Melissa of Oh, My Darling to answer the following five questions:

1. What's for dinner tonight? I think we are heading to Enoteca Sociale for dinner tonight.

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2. What movie star would you choose to play you in a film of your life? See here.

3. What's your biggest fashion faux pas? I love flip flops and some of my pants are too long when I wear flats.

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4. Which song always puts you in a happy mood? There are many but the first that comes to mind is "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

5. How crafty are you, and what has been your best project? I wish I was much more crafty than I am. I haven't actually attempted too many DIY projects. I did make my own wedding programs, which I thought turned out okay.

I'd like to tag anyone who wants to answer these questions!

 

 

 

"Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless." ~ Bill Watterson

 

 

 

Travel Destination: Las Vegas

Hi, my dear blogger friends! I am so sorry I have been away from the blogging world for tooooo looooong. My last post was a week ago: crazy! Haha. But anyways, I have just been quite busy with so many things like errands, catching up with friends, and actually trying to work out (haha). I also have to take a test tomorrow. Booo. But I promise to really catch up with all of your blogs next week. I actually miss you all!

Here are some pictures from my last Las Vegas trip with my family:

the Venetian hotel where we stayed

the Wynn where we ate dinner (really yummy buffet!)

Serendipity 3

Paris hotel

Bellagio

dancing fountain at the Bellagio

I hope everyone had a fantastic week! :D


*photo editing done by my sister*

P.S. If you are new to my blog, I hope you like it. Please don't hesitate to follow and leave your link. I will definitely check out your blog and follow it too. :D

Super Femininity

Natalia, Karen and Christy for LV Fall 2010: Perfection.

These ladies--in their 20s, 30s and 40s--were photographed by Steven Meisel and styled by Karl Templer.

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I just wanted to add an arrivederci to the Italian national team who crashed and burned yesterday at the World Cup. I'll always be an Azzurri fan (no matter how terribly they play), but I unfortunately never had much faith in this particular team. Frankly the whole thing is embarrassing. I think when it comes down to it we were missing a good playmaker (with Pirlo being injured and having no one to replace him), were lacking in goal (not sure that would have been fixed even if Buffon hadn't been hurt) and were, well, arrogant. I'm looking forward to some great games coming up and I know next time will be better, because, really, how can it be any worse?

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A clear "WTF just happened?!!?" face

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Come Visit Me at Style Obsession

Just wanted to let you know that I'm guesting on Style Obsession today, filling in for a bit while Jessica enjoys her California getaway. Come on over and check it out!

Getaways Guest Blog Series: Alaina at Live Creating Yourself

This week I'm happy to be hosting the super sweet Alaina from the lovely Live Creating Yourself, who has been kind enough to share her vacation essentials. Alaina not only has a great eye for design (you should check out what she's done to her beautiful apartment), but she's a very talented graphic designer as well. After checking out her blog why not hop over to the LCY Graphics Etsy store -- several of her chic prints are travel related!

Yay, Connie, for hosting a vacation series! Traveling is my favorite thing to do. I plan my life around my trips and usually have the year's worth of vacations planned out before the ball drops at midnight on New Year's Eve! So far in 2010, I've visited Mexico, New Orleans, and DC, and have Thailand and Martha's Vineyard to look forward to this summer. (Needless to say I'll spend the fall months paying off my credit card that covered my many airline tickets.) C'est la vie!

Favourite Vacation Spot

Fly me away to any European city and I'll be peachy-keen. Thus far I've spent time in London, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Venice, Florence, the Italian Riviera, Prague, Krakow, and Munich, and loved each and every one. I like that there are so many things to do in a city, and if I am going to spend a lot of money and use up my precious vacation days from work, I'd like to get the most bang for my buck; so cities are my preference over beach or countryside vacays.

Where to Stay

Some place cheap and centrally located. I try to be in my hotel as little as possible - only for primping and snoozing - so I am not picky about the bathroom amenities and pillowcase thread count. I much prefer to spend my money on good food, historical tours, and shopping. In other words, I'm a big believer in Holiday Inns.

Where to Eat

I normally find this out one of three ways: ask friends and acquaintances who have already visited for recommendations, ask the concierge at the hotel for local favorites or wander around the streets and choose a restaurant based on whether I like their storefront. I also try to hunt out dishes the city is best known for and give them a try. After all, where else will you get better pierogies than Krakow? Or better onion soup au gratin than Paris? The answer is nowhere, my friends. Nowhere.

What to Do

My favorite thing to do on vacation is grab a map and wander around (usually only using the map to find my way back). I love to sit outside at cafes and people watch. I love popping in and out of pretty stores, occasionally buying something for my home as a memento. And my must-see spot in any city is the waterfront - whether that's along a river, lake, sea, or ocean. I love water and this almost always provides a great place to walk, sit and relax, write in my journal, or enjoy a picnic. I like museums in theory, but I'd rather be out and about on the city streets than looking at artifacts behind glass.

Five Vacation Essentials

5) Extra space in my suitcase - because inevitably, I will shop

4) Shoes for various occasions - at least one pair of heels and one pair of flats

3) Pepto Bismol - big heart, weak stomach when it comes to local cuisine

2) Camera - to show off my journey on Facebook

1) Journal - I started keeping a travel journal when I visited Italy with my Nana five years ago. I wrote in it every night at my mother's recommendation and have kept one on all of my trips since. A picture reminds you what you saw, a journal reminds you how you felt when you saw it. Plus it is so fun to read years later and recall the funny things people said along the way, the misadventures you tried to forget, and it's great to use as a reference for the next time you go back.


What I Pack
*Packing Tip* Wear your bulkiest outfit on the plane to save room. For example, when I want to bring my favorite tall leather boots on a trip, they are always on my feet when I travel because they'd take up way too much room in my suitcase. Other than that, here's a standard list:

1. One pair of stretchy dark jeans that can be dressed up. I usually live in those for most of my trip.

2. My black Minnie's from J.Crew because they're cute, versatile, and take up hardly any room in the suitcase.
3. My navy Tory Burch blazer is another must-have, which I also wear on the plane because it's bulkier than tops and other light-weight items.

4. A selection of cute tops - I usually pack too many

5. A dress to feel fancy.

6. Cute skinny belts to snazz up any outfit, and obviously, to keep my pants up.

7. Two purses: my big messenger bag for the day and a cute clutch for nights.
8. An array of shoes, but almost always a pair of heels, flats, and my brown leather boots (for fall/winter traveling).

9. And most of my jewelry collection! I'm not fully dressed unless I have my earrings and bracelets on. I have the best jewelry travel case from J.Crew that makes packing my bangles and dangly earrings a breeze!

AND a cardigan for finicky weather (not pictured)

What I Bring for the Journey...
iPod, sunglasses to help me sleep, snacks (usually Goldfish crackers or Trail Mix), eye-drops for overseas flights and a book that I've already started and know will keep my interest.


Favorite Travelling Companion

Oooh tough question - I'd say either my boyfriend or my sister. I've travelled extensively with both (him throughout Europe and the California coast, her throughout England and China), and they're both the best. The most important thing I look for in a travel companion is someone who is laid-back, adventurous, and likes to eat!

The Next Spot I'd Like to Visit...

I cannot choose just one! This is my current "I want to go there" list:

Five European cities I'd like to see: Granada, Spain; Marseilles, France; Nice, France; Greek Islands and Moscow, Russia.

Five Non-European countries I want to visit: India, Egypt, Peru (Machu Picchu), South Africa and New Zealand.

All photos courtesy of Live Creating Yourself