Nate is just getting funnier and funnier…

Original Veritas Fashion items from the “Chapter One” line are now 50% off including tanks and tunics from the “Becoming Line” and all Children’s clothing!  Yes, thats right you can now buy Boxer, Cops, Face and other Veritas shirts as seen on the cast of Gossip Girl for 50% off.  Visit the site and start your Christmas shopping, remember that 20% of all Veritas profit go to humanitarian efforts.  You can read about The Veritas Project and the efforts we support at THE VERITAS PROJECT.

Some Gossip Girl photos in Veritas

Click on the links below to go directly to the product pages:
WOMENS MENS CHILDRENS

Apparently, the Queen of Skank, Shauna Sand is claiming that she had a one year affair with Gossip Girl stud Chace Crawford in 2003.

“He was so incredibly beautiful — I immediately fell in love with him!”

Chace’s friends also confirm the secret affair that took place while he was 18 and she was the cougariffic age of 32.

I can picture family TV night on a Monday at the Sand household.

“Gee Mom that Nate Archibald is oh so cute. I’d love for him to give me a hug. Eeek!”

“Oh I’m sure I can arrange for him to come over a give us more than a hug sweetie.”

Insert perverted wink and smirk here_________.

He is HOT SEX of the day because he humped on a 32 yr old playmate when he was 18 and he has purty hair!

According to Watch with Kristen, Chuck is going to visit the grave of his father on the one year anniversary of his death.  It seems that Chuck will not be the only person going to visit the grave of his father though and two family members will make surprise returns this episode.

Any speculation?  Who could it possibly be?  Leave your guesses in the comments and we’ll do some analysis.

Als er iemand dol is op televisie series ben ik het wel. Ik heb elke avond wel een aantal series die ik gewoon moet zien. Is het een verslaving? Misschien wel een beetje, maar het is gelukkig nog niet zo erg dat ik helemaal ga flippen als ik een aflevering mis want we hebben thuis de meest geniale uitvinding ever: het upc recorder kastje. Ik kan alle progamma’s instellen die ik wil zien en die dan later bekijken. En mocht ik dit vergeten, dan is er altijd nog sidereel.com. Heel handig!

Wat zijn nu mijn favoriete tv series en waarom?

Ghost Whisperer

Ghost Whisperer is mijn alltime favoriet. De mensen die me volgen via Twitter kunnen regelmatig lezen dat ik weer eens Ghost Whisperer aan het kijken ben. Ik volg deze serie al vanaf seizoen 1 en ik kan er maar geen genoeg van krijgen. Het is ook al meedere keren voorgekomen dat het me niet lukt om even een traantje weg te pinken.

Criminal Minds

Ik hou van crime series en Criminal Minds staat bovenaan als mijn favoriet. Elke woensdag zit ik trouw om 20:30 voor de buis voor een vol uur criminal profiling. Ook vind ik Dr Spencer Reid best wel een schatje. Sst niet verder vertellen hoor!

Gossip Girl

Ik heb alle boeken al in mijn bezit en toen ik op internet las dat er een tv serie zou verschijnen werd ik even he-le-maal gek van enthousiasme. Mijn favoriete characters zijn Blair en Chuck. Ik kijk deze serie trouwens niet via de tv, ik kijk alle nieuwe afleveringen via Sidereel of ik pak op een layzie sunday mijn dvd boxen erbij!

Castle

Deze serie is nog niet zo lang te zien op de televisie maar ik moet toegeven dat ik geen aflevering kan en wil missen. Ik vind vooral de hoofdrolspeler Nathan Fillion ontzettend goed acteren en echt geweldig om naar te kijken. Castle is echt een must om te zien. Dit is btw ook weer een crime serie.

The Mentalist

Momenteel word The Mentalist hier in Nederland even niet uitgezonden op tv -ik volg ook deze serie weer via internet- maar is ook een must om te zien. The Mentalist is van dezelfde hand als Castle en is ook een steengoede serie. En het is ook helemaal niet erg om naar Simon Baker te kijken – al vond ik hem in The Devil Wears Prada helemaal niet zo leuk- want die ziet er niet alleen heerlijk uit maar acteert ook super! =)

Dit zijn momenteel even mijn favoriete series. Ik kijk trouwens ook nog weleens naar Numbers – alleen als het onderwerp me aanstaat-, naar Bones -ook al kan ik Emily Dechanel absoluut niet uitstaan- en naar Csi en Csi Miami.

Wat zijn jullie favoriete tv series?

Vineri nu prea aveam ce face, asa ca am intrat pe www.tvblog.ro si mi-am ales cateva seriale la care sa ma uit, care sunt la inceput de drum. Deja ma uitam la Gossip Girl, mi-am mai ales FlashForward, 10 Things I Hate About You si The Vampire Diaries. Si le recomand pe toate, din inima.

Sa incepem cu 10 Things I Hate About You, pentru ca despre GG si FF am vorbit.

Nu am sa vorbesc despre serial. Am sa spun cum mi se pare.

Cred ca este un serial.. relaxant. E cateodata amuzant, cateodata enervant. Din serialul acesta, cei mai speciali, mai observabili mi se par Pat si Kat, evident. Restul… de umplutura. Aceleasi lucruri ca in toate filmele/serialele cu adolescenti.

Este un film cu acelasi nume, pe care tot spun ca am sa-l vad. Il am deja pe calculator, dar nu prea am cand. Si nu din cauza temelor. M-am uitat in ultima vreme cam mult la seriale.

Deci cam asta e parerea mea. Mi-am luat toate episoadele, pana unde au ajuns, adica 10 si le-am vazut in doua zile . La fel ca si FF. Si-mi pare rau ca trebuie sa astept pana pe 3 decembrie pentru FF. A devenit serialul nr. 1 pe lista mea.

Sa trecem mai departe, The Vampire Diaries.

Sincer, imi place foarte mult acest serial, desi seamana putintel cu Twilight, pe care il urasc.

La inceput ziceam : “Nu, nu seamana deloc cu Twilight. Nici nu se poate compara”. Dar am inceput sa-mi dau seama ca are unele chestii comune. Si anume : evident, vampirii ; fata care se indragosteste de vampir si care nu afla pana la un moment dat ca e vampir ; faptul ca Stephen(Paul Wesley) nu se hraneste cu oameni, ca si Edward ; si cred ca mai sunt una,doua, acum nu-mi aduc aminte…

Oricum, imi plac foarte mult personajele si actorii/actritele care le interpreteaza. Asta e cel mai important. Cei alesi pentru roluri si-au intrat foarte bine in pielea personajelor, parerea mea. Imi place foarte mult de Damon(Ian Somerhalder), care e foarte rau. Deobicei urasc personajele negative, chiar daca sunt frumoase/frumosi. Dar Damon parca, nu stiu, are ceva aparte. Se vede ca dicolo de rautatea lui exista si o farama de bunatate, chiar daca el nu vrea sa se vada asta.

Iar actrita care o interpreteaza pe Elena, Nina Dobrev, mi se pare ca e foarte draguta. Si din nou, asta conteaza pentru mine. Pentru ca, motivul pentru care urasc Twilight, sunt actorii aia atat de prost alesi. Kristen Stewart mi se pare de-a dreptul enervanta, cu fata aia a ei de cere pumni.

Apropo de Twilight, nu mi se pare cine stie ce horror. Cand am vazut Interviu cu un vampir (cu Brad Pitt si Tom Cruise) muream de frica. Abia ma uitam, stateam cu mainile la ochi. Si chiar asa, nu l-am vazut pe tot. Doar nu era sa stau singura, la parter, dupa 12 noaptea, sa ma uit la cel mai horror film cu vampiri. Si acuma imi aduc aminte si am reflexe. )

Am tresarit de cateva ori si la The Vampire Diaries. Asa ca pot sa zic ca are un pic mai mult horror in el decat Twilight, care mi se pare ca nu are deloc. Bine, nu horror ca la Interviu cu un vampir, dar merge si asa.

A! Si vis-a-vis de actorul care il interpreteaza pe Damon, Ian Somerhalder, mi se pare ca seamana putin cu Chace Crawford din GG, voua nu? Defapt, are unele momente in care seamana cu Chace. Unele expresii ale fetei.

La The Vampire Diaries nu am vazut decat primele 4 episoade.Asa ca o iau mai usor pana la 10, unul pe zi, ca sa am timp sa ajung la episodul 11, ca altfel n-am rabdare. 

Va las.

Bisous!

Jag har kommit på att det är det jag gör här, jag ordbajsar. Skriver inte om något vettigt alls. Men det är därför jag behöver den här bloggen, för att kunna ordbajsa utan några som helst krav. Det är skönt.

Det vart till att vara hemma ännu en dag, jag blir ju aldrig bättre! Eller, jag har blivit bättre sedan det var som sämst… Men nu ligger sjukheten på ungefär samma nivå hela tiden. Jag är inte superdålig men jag är heller inte helt frisk. Och jag hostar en massa så fort jag lägger mig ner vilket gör det väldigt jobbigt att sova på nätterna.
Men idag ska bli min absolut sista “hemmadag” för den här gången! Jag tror att om jag går ut och är bland andra människor så lär min sista sjukhet gå bort av sig självt.

Imorgon är det tandläkaren som gäller också, jag önskar att jag kunde få det där påminnelse-smset som man får snart så jag vet om tiden är på morgonen eller eftermiddagen. Så jag kan kontakta skolan liksom. Men nej nej nej, folktandvården som annars brukar tycka om att störa mig med sms tidigt på morgonen på mina lediga dagar vägrar att höra av sig idag.

Vad ska man göra då?
Jag funderar på att bygga upp några hemsidor som hör till ett par projekt… och städa mitt rum. Ni skulle seriöst inte vilja se mitt rum nu, det är kaos. Jag som egentligen gillar kaoset vill inte ens vara i mitt rum nu, så illa är det.

Måste fixa hem det nyaste avsnittet av Grey’s Anatomy och Gossip Girl också…

RELEVANT QUESTIONS–DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW!!!

Matt in Montclair, Calif.: Is Southland really that good? Should I give it a shot on TNT?
We say yes, and so does Ben McKenzie: “People just need to watch it, and after 15 minutes, you’ll decide whether you like it or not. If you’re into a sort of grittier, darker cop show without the sheen that a lot of networks put on their shows, you’ll like it. It’s very character driven, it’s hard-hitting, there’s a lot of action, but there’s also some romance, so it’s a real show you can follow week to week.” And maybe if you start watching, TNT will take note and order up some more episodes (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

Monica in New Orleans: Anything good coming up on Gossip Girl?
Chuck is going to visit Bart’s grave on the anniversary of his death, and when he gets there, he won’t be the only one paying his respects. Any guesses on who’ll pop up? I’m hearing that not one but two family members could be making surprising returns.

Brianna: How about something on One Tree Hill? Anything juicy?
How’s this: A source tells me Haley and Quinn’s sister Taylor is going to come back to Tree Hill.

Cian33: 90210 is so much better this year! I hope you are watching. What can you dish?
Agreed! It is way better than season one, in case any of you are missing it. I’m told there’s a sex scandal in the works: Naomi is going to accuse a teacher of sexual harassment.

Irene in Newport News, Va.: I’m loving White Collar! Any scoop?
Ever since the White Collar pilot, we’ve found that the everyday eps of this USA series have been a smidgen flimsier than we’d like, but the midseason finale on Dec. 4 is the sharp and snappy standard we’d like to see from the show. What happens? Well, Neal (Matthew Bomer) is finally confronted with a criminal nemesis worthy of his talents, Elizabeth Burke’s (Tiffani Thiessen) presence on the show starts to make sense, and there is a huge (huge!) reveal about Agent Burke (Tim McKay) that involves something pretty important from Neal’s past.

Credit: E! Online

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Note: Bejamin McKenzie played Ryan on The O.C. and Tiffani Thiessen played Valerie on Beverly Hills 90210.

• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says 90210 is “succeeding.”
• TVGuideMagazine.com has 90210 casting spoilers.
• The New York Times has an article on the webseries trend, which mentions Jennie Garth (Kelly, Beverly Hills 90210) and The Broadroom.
• I watched Grey’s Anatomy for the first time last night and saw that James Pickens Jr. (Henry, Beverly Hills 90210) is in it.
• Beverly Hills 90210 on DVD made EW.com’s Holiday Gift Guide. (I heard Dawson’s Creek is in there, too, but I can’t find it.)
• Brian Austin Green (David, Beverly Hills 90210), Ed Westwick (Chuck, Gossip Girl) and Jessica Szohr (Vanessa, Gossip Girl) are all included in PEOPLE.com’s Couples Watch.
• PEOPLE.com has an interview with Szohr about her style compared to Vanessa’s.
• Blake Lively (Serena, Gossip Girl) will host Saturday Night Live on December 5.
• Kristen Bell (Gossip Girl, Gossip Girl) was a presenter at the American Music Awards.
• Examiner.com has more on the Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill) and Austin Nichols (Julian, One Tree Hill) appearance on a USO Tour.
• James Lafferty (Nathan, One Tree Hill), Robert Buckley (Clay, One Tree Hill) and Eric Balfour (Eddie, The O.C.) are all starring in The Legend of Hell’s Gate: An American Conspiracy.
• There’s an interesting reference to The O.C. in this Huffington Post piece.
• SoapNet will air the two O.C. specials–The O.C.: Obsess Completely and Welcome to The O.C.: A Day in the Life–Tuesday at 1 and 2pm.
• Joshua Jackson (Pacey, Dawson’s Creek) will star in UFO, a film based on a British television show.

Ughh GG rerun tonight. This is my sad face Well back to the beginning of the season, I loved how ladylike Ms. Blair looked in this regal red ensemble, but didn’t so much love the price on the Victoria Beckham dress… luckily I found a quite similar option!

Institutional Investor: Victoria Beckham Carmontelle Cashmere-blend Dress ($3,145)

Retail Investor: ABS Seamed Peplum Dress with Brooch ($216)

]]> http://fatiam.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/love-love-the-bitch-song-in-gossip-girl/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:28:26 +0000 stubborn http://fatiam.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/love-love-the-bitch-song-in-gossip-girl/

Since i heard it in Gossip Girl, its been eveyday that im thinking of it. Like singing B-I-T-C-H all over and over again. Thank God i have time today so i Googled my way to the Song. The title is Bitch by the Plasticines.

Click here for the Bands Myspace Account.

Hope you like it Bitch.

Cause I like Gossip Girl and I like her… – S x D

Source?? tfs i think sorry i forgot let me know if it’s yours… + youtube/Nylon magazine

Vanity Fair brings us OMG literary criticism.

A lo largo de la muy extensa historia de la televisión, ha habido series que han marcado un antes y un después en este noble oficio. Aunque sería imposible hacer un repaso de todas ellas, vamos a intentar echar la vista atrás y rememorar algunas de ellas.

Años 50

Historicamente, los años 50 se consideran como la época del nacimiento de las series tal y como las conocemos hoy. Fue en esta década cuando nació Guiding Light (1952, CBS), la serie de televisión más longueva de la historia (duró hasta 2009). Un año después de ella llegaría otro referente de la televisión, pero esta vez en formato papel, la TV Guide.

Años 60

1963 General Hospital (ABC). El segundo drama más largo de la historia de la televisión, que aún está en emisión en el daytime, y que fue el germen de la también famosa Urgencias.
1966 Star Trek. Una de las primeras series en emitirse por sindicación, pionera en esto de la ciencia ficción y que dio grandes alegrías a las cadenas que la emitieron posteriormente.
1969 Sesame Street (PBS). ¿Quién no conoce esta serie? Un referente indiscutible de la televisión infantil.

Años 70

1976 Charlie’s Angels (ABC). Una de las primeras series en mostrar a las en un rol que normalmente desempeñaban los hombres. Uno de los primeros trabajos de Aaron Spelling.
1978 Dallas (CBS). La serie más vista de la historia a nivel mundial, distribuída a todos los contenientes. Hizo famoso a J.R. y a muchísimas caras conocidas de hoy en día. Si investigáis, igual os lleváis algunas sorpresas.

Años 80

1981 Hill Street Blues (NBC). Un antes y un después en las series policiales, tanto a nivel de argumento como de técnica. Duró sus 146 episodios, y por allí también pasaron muchas caras conocidas.
1985 Golden Girls (NBS). Otro hit de la NBC; que estaba en horas altas, y que por primera vez ponía delante de la cámara a cuatro mujeres de avanzada edad que no dependían de ningún hombre y a que hablaban de todo (casi) sin tapujos.
1987 Married with Children (FOX). En este año nacía la cuarta network, la FOX, y lo hacía con esta famosa comedia como carta de presentación. Sus 11 temporadas atestiguan que fue todo un acierto.
1989 The Simpsons (FOX). A punto de abandoner la década de los 80 nacían Los Simpson, la familia amarilla más famosa del mundo. Su éxito supuso un renacimiento de la animación para adultos.

Años 90

1990 Beverly Hills, 90210 (FOX). Tras atreverse con la animación, a la FOX le dio por los culebrones para adolescentes. De nuevo acertó, ‘Sensación de vivir’ abrió el camino a Melrose Place (1992) y The OC (2003), entre otros.
1993 The X Files (FOX). Y a la FOX ya sólo le quedaba colarse en la ciencia ficción. También fue un acierto que revitalizó un género que desde Star Trek había estado olvidado y que introdujo una de las parejas protagonistas más famosas de la televisión. Además, fue una de las primeras series en tener presencia en internet.
1994 Friends (NBC). La sitcom Americana por excelencia, emitida durante años en la noche del ‘Must See TV’ de los jueves junto a otras grandes comedias como Seinfield, Cheers, Will & Grace, o Fraiser. Su final en 2004 supuso el principio de la decadencia en la que está anclada la NBC.
1997 Stargate SG-1 (Showtime, SciFi) y Buffy the Vampire Slayer (The WB, UPN) siguieron la estela de ‘Expediente X’ y revitalizaron la ciencia ficción en dos canales minoritarios. Stargate tiene el honor de ser la serie de este género más larga de la historia de la televisión, y Buffy se ha convertido con el paso de los años en un referente de la ciencia ficción.
1998 Sex and the City (HBO). Más allá del éxito de audiencia de esta serie, ‘Sexo en NY’ supuso un gran empujón para los canales del cable americano. Por primera vez, cuatro mujeres hablaban sin tapujos de su vida sexual interpretando cuatro estereotipos mayoritariamente masculinos.

Años 2000

2000 CSI (CBS). Con la llegada del nuevo milenio, las networks empezaron una tendencia a la especialización. La CBS eligió los procedimentales y empezó con CSI, una serie que aún hoy continúa en emisión, un gran éxito de audiencia qu supuso un punto de inflexión en la cadena. después llegarían otros, como NCSI o Cold Case (2003).
2004 Con grandes estrenos como Lost (ABC), Desperate Housewives (ABC), House (FOX), The L Word (Showtime), o Veronica Mars (UPN, The CW); 2004 ya es recordado como el año dorado de las series. La gran mayoría de los estrenos de esta camada fueron un éxito, y algunos de ellos aún continúan en emisión.
2005 La influencia del año anterior se pudo notar aún en estrenos como Bones (FOX), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), How I Meet your Mother (CBS) o Brothers and Sisters (ABC).
2006 Los últimos coletazos de 2004 dieron como resultado el nacimiento de Medium (NBC, CBS), Heroes (NBC), Ugly Betty (ABC) y algunos más. Además, la fusión de The WB y UPN nos invitaba a ser libres, aunque la nueva The CW hiciera aguas desde el mismo día de su nacimiento.
2007 Fue el año en el que vimos nacer el único y relativo éxito de la cadena verde, Gossip Girl (The CW). también en este año tuvo lugar el acontecimiento televisivo más comentado de los últimos años: la huelga de guionistas de USA. Fue la estocada definitiva que destruyó el espíritu de 2004, y del que la industria televisiva americana aún no se ha recuperado.

Amy Sussman/WireImage

Playing Gossip Girl’s Brooklyn boho beauty, Vanessa Abrams, Jessica Szohr has learned a thing or two about accessorizing. “I actually don’t think [Vanessa] can breathe without 8 necklaces or earrings!” Jessica joked to PEOPLE when we caught up with her at a VOGUE Eyewear event in New York City. “My style is much more simple, Vanessa is very funk’defied,” she says about her character’s tendency to pile on the jewels. “Because my style is very simple, I like to wear accessories to add a little sparkle to the outfit.” And one accessory she can’t get enough of are sunglasses! The Gossip Girl star, who was on hand at Bloomingdale’s to help customers pick out the perfect shades, explains, “You can never really go wrong with sunglasses. I always get myself a couple of pairs every year. One pair that I have had and have managed not to lose is an old vintage pair I found in Venice Beach, California.” And when it comes to her perfect pair of shades, Jessica skips the trends and tries to stick to styles that suit her face and aren’t too big or too small. “They also have to be a little bit funky and fun at the same time,” she amends. Other than her growing collection of sunglasses, Jessica stocks up on beanies and statement rings — much like her Gossip Girl character, Vanessa. “I’m always wearing some kind of big ring,” she notes. And while Jessica has found ways to incorporate Vanessa’s love of accessories in her own wardrobe, there is one thing that they both agree on. “I don’t think people should wear sunglasses at night.” We agree!

Nobody knows. How amazing is that. In a world full of opinions no one really knows. Many educated guesses, but nobody knows. Thousands of years of mankind and not a soul has a clue. That blows my mind. The german artist and philosopher Michael Schmidt-Salomon says that the cornerstones of human existence are Art, Philosophy and Science. Holy Trinity? Anyway, he’s an amazing guy that you should look into. Sadly, none of his works have been translated to english yet, but I’ll keep you updated as soon as it happens.

I’m not much of a scientist, but I love art and philosophy. At the moment there isn’t so much action going on around the tattoo. I still want to write an in-depth post about the unbelievable ART experience I had in Lüneburg, but I’ll do that later. I’m watching ‘Gossip Girl’ right now while drinking and smoking green tea. I’m not a man of faith, but XOXO makes me think the Apocalypse is happily hopping in our direction.

I’m beginning to enjoy this blog thing. The virtual high-school diary I never had, now I’m in my 30’s doing what I despised for so many years… But there is amazing art out there and I’d like to use this medium to share the shit I love with you guys.

As I mentioned before, my back is a real herniated mess. I have my second operation coming up soon and since June I’m a highly medicated part-time invalid. Stephanie and Leni are in London and I’m alone most of the time. I miss them so much. What’s keeping me alive at the moment is the ‘Eagles of Death Metal‘. It is the finest, sexiest, shake your dick Rock N’ Roll out there. Jesse ‘Boots Electric’ Hughes and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) are the Tyler/Perry, Jagger/Richards and Plant/Page of today. EoDM have released three records to date. They’re all killer no filler. Period. You must spend thirteen days by yourself, listening to them on big ass head phones for 17 hours a day. You won’t find the answers to the big questions, but you’ll simply become happy. Like a true Rock N’ Roll flower. I’m in quite a bit of pain a lot of the time, but I have the boogie in my heart and feel invincible. If they were a painting, they’d make you smile, feel horny and be really expensive for an underground piece of art.

Eagles of Death Metal – Heart On – 2009

I’m getting tattooed by my brother Matt Powers tomorrow and I’m really excited. Gonna get a wicked piece. Two days ago I realized that I could legally have sex with girls that were not yet born when Guns N’ Roses released the ‘Use Your Illusion’ records. I feel old. I have so much respect for people who work in places where there’s never any sunlight. There’s so many of them.

That’s all for now. Wear earplugs at bass heavy parties. Going deaf sucks. XOXO – TIM

Hello-Hello and welcome to a Monday!

We begin with a tale about Tiffany; this time it is the story of the luxury retailer’s lawsuit against its landlord in Century City (California).  It seems the jeweler is making it ever-so-clear they do not want fast-fashion merchandiser H&M as a neighbor. (As in H&M that just did the wildly popular ‘Jimmy Choo for H&M’ line, described in this post.)

Apparently Tiffany believes having H&M as a neighbor would be just this side of apocalyptic; the LA Times has more:

“H&M is not a luxury or upscale retailer. H&M is at best characterized as a ‘popular-price’ mass merchandise clothing retailer.”

“The location of the H&M store will cause irreparable injury to Tiffany’s business reputation as a luxury retailer, a reputation that Tiffany has enjoyed and worked hard to maintain for more than a century and a half,” the lawsuit said.”

While understanding a brand’s desire to protect its caché, the story points out that in Pasadena the two stores are almost next door to each other. Other stories on the topic wonder about Tiffany’s efforts to embrace the ‘aspirational shopper,’ those coveting upscale brands while also shopping mass retailers like H&M.

Courtesy Tiffany

Many such consumers are precisely the same customers fond of merchandise displaying a retailer’s logo, something Tiffany has marketed strongly the last several years.

It will be interesting to see how this turns out. We do want to note this is not ‘new news,’ as we are wont to say; the original story broke in September and yours truly keeps forgetting to post it.

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A few more retail notes today, including word on the next two accessories designers for Targèt; the Cynthia Vincent for Target collection will launch at Target stores nationwide and at Target.com from April 18, available through through July 1. Below, several styles from Ms. Vincent’s Fall 09 Collection.

Also, headwear from Eugenia Kim will debut next year, it is going to be the first hat launch in Target’s series of limited-time-only accessories. The Eugenia Kim for Target collection debuts April 18, running through June 20. Below, looks from the 2008 Eugenia Kim line.

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There is also news that Forever 21 has launched its love and beauty cosmetic line.

Courtesy Forever 21 via WWD

Everything in the new line is priced at $10 or less; it all appears to be available online.

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Before delving headfirst into our next topic it is time we are honest with our cherished readers; we do not participate in Black Friday.  It is really not our cup of tea; additionally, we are always blessed by a visit from The Queen Mother for Thanksgiving, precluding any chance to partake of the mayhem. Such a shame. (Cough-cough.)

We still desire to maintain contributions to the PPP (Pocketbook Protection Program), continuing efforts at providing a list of fiscally friendly locales for the upcoming frenzy.

To be fair, there are far too many special markdowns, discounts and promotions to accurately track; we are including those we believe to be of the most interest to our bloggy friends.

Here we go, beginning with Talbots, already offering 20% off merchandise and free shipping; use offer code 020556520 at checkout to receive the discounts.

Martin & Osa will discount all denim (regularly $89.50 – $120) and cashmere to $59 (regularly priced at $130 – $170).

• Brooks Brothers: November 27th and Saturday, November 28th until 12:00 noon each day. Shop Early and receive an additional 15% off your entire purchase; receive an additional 5% when using your MasterCard or your Brooks Brothers Platinum MasterCard

• J. Crew Outlet stores will take an additional 40% off Clearance merchandise before 8am Friday morning; clearly one should check with their local factory store for hours
  • Other discounts at Crew outlets  for the weekend include 30% – 50% off select holiday styles & 30 – 40% off select Crewcuts holiday styles

• Tommy Hilfiger Factory Stores: 40% off the entire store all day on Black Friday (the 27th)
  • There are additional discounts for specific days, including the Wednesday before Thanksgiving; to download coupons providing these markdowns, click here.

• Banana Republic Outlets: 40% Off Any Purchase

• Old Navy stores: Open 12 – 7pm on Thanksgiving Day, & 3am – midnight on Black Friday, too many discounts to list

• Henri Bendel 8-10am Friday:
  • Save 40% on all Cold Weather Knit Hats, Scarves & Gloves
  • Save 40% on Bath & Body Collection
  • Save 25% on Candle Collections, Home Fragrance, Sweet Treats
  • (After 10am these items remain on sale but at 25% off)

• continues its Thanksgiving sale with savings of 20% to 50%, ending 11/28.

• Lacoste: 30% off everything in the store

We are still seeking verifiable information on the following stores: Ann Taylor & Ann Taylor Loft, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Polo Ralph Lauren & Polo Ralph Lauren Factory stores, Brooks Brothers Factory stores.

NOTE: Please be sure to note if we are citing discounts at regular stores and factory stores or outlets.  Be sure to let us know if you have information to share on any preptastic shopping opportunities and we’ll pass it along.  If looking for other products, here are some general Black Friday sites:

• Black-Friday.net
• BlackFridayAds
• GottaDeal.com
• BlackFriday2009.com

Savvy shoppers may remember that after all the Black Friday comes Cyber Monday: the day when online retailers offer special deals.  That tradition is alive and well here at The Princess, in fact, we’ll have a little surprise for what we’re calling Pink & Green Monday.

Until next time, do let us know if you

*”The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.”*
Denis Watley

Setting goals is so critical to achieving and maintaining a successful life. Though some goals may, at times, seem unattainable, I believe that any ambition can be achieved with a set plan and drive to attain it. Sure, we all have had unrealistic goals and may even go chasing after them for a short while. I once had the dream of becoming a Broadway star belting out those high notes in Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” and one day becoming, as Mary Catherine Gallagher would say, “a SUPERSTAR!” But, in my heart I knew I never possessed enough talent or drive to make this dream a reality. However, I have set, reached, and surpassed many realistic dreams over my twenty-three years on this planet. As a nerdy student, I wanted to get the best grades possible in school. So, for many years I worked meticulously studying at night, asking for assistance from my teachers and peers when I needed it, and doing my schoolwork to the best of my ability. As a high school freshman, I wanted so badly to become a high school cheerleader, so I practiced for weeks before the first try-out attempting to have flawless Herkes and Russians and to perfect each cheer’s rhythm and hand motions. In college, I wanted to become a teacher so I spend four years at an institution mastering teaching pedagogy and preparing myself for the world of education. For each of these short-term goals, I crafted plans and constructed steps, much like the blueprints of a house, on how I would accomplish each goal. However, no strategy could have ever prepared me for the sweaty, giddy hormone-driven gossip factories that are my middle school students! But, I still love them anyway!

As discussed in my previous post, “Giving Thanks”, some people go their entire lives never finding something that they are truly passionate about. They get up each day with a chip on their shoulder, return to jobs they loath, lead lives they hate, and are never truly happy. They never set goals for themselves for fear of failure or because they are unsure as to what their purpose in life really is. They may have desires and hopes in life but never have enough drive or know how to go about making those dreams a reality. These people attend their nine-to-five jobs, do what is expected of them (never more and never less), and usually never pursue anything of great meaning to them. I could imagine leading a life without passion or purpose would be very unrewarding and unfulfilling. I never want to be a person who gets stuck in the day-to-day grind never reaching for something more. There is so much more to life than a steady paycheck and a mundane life full of fruitless routine.

I truly believe that if you want something bad enough and if you work with all of your heart and soul, never giving up, that you can make any distant dream you have an existing reality.

I am a firm believer in the notion that we create our own destiny. No one is going to make your dreams come true but Y-O-U. Too often people go about their daily lives waiting for the right time to make their dreams come true. They believe when they get that promotion at work, or when the kids are in high school, or when they have enough money that then they can start really living the lives they want to lead. These people go on to realize (as much of their life has already passed them by) that there is no perfect time when all the stars will align for them to begin following their real dreams and passions in life. The time is now. Life is too short to wait for a perfect time that will likely never come. Like Matthew McConaughey says, ‘Just Keep Livin’. If you do, I promise your life will feel so much more fulfilling.

I feel so fortunate to have found my true passions in life at such a young age. For as long as I can remember I have always had three life goals (as well as other smaller goals that I set on a more short-term level) and know that once I have these things and have accomplished my life goals that my life will be complete. One is already beginning to come true while the other three feel as far away as the Milky Way (and no, I am not talking about the chocolately-nougaty goodness wrapped inside the brown and green packaging). Though that would be a nice reward. Reach a goal, get chocolate! Dear God, please make mine peanut butter m&ms!

Life Goal 1- Become a Tenured Language Arts Teacher: Since I was seventeen years old (and maybe even earlier as I played teacher as a child during each summer vacation) I knew I wanted to become an English teacher and share my love of literature and learning with children. With the guidance of my main inspiration, my very own high school English teacher Mrs. Tutt, I embarked on the journey of becoming a teacher. I spent four years reading, researching, and studying teacher practices. I spent numerous hours in clinical placements observing and instructing in different classroom settings. I spent nine weeks in a student teaching placement taking the driver’s seat as a full-time teacher. I prepared my own lessons, taught my own classes, graded millions upon billions of assignments (or so it seems) and assimilated into the teaching world. All of this prepared me for my life as a future educator. I loved every minute of student teaching from teaching content, getting to know my students, and even to those dreaded parent phone calls. I knew within the first few weeks, that this was what I was meant to do in life. I have been blessed to be able to make my dream of becoming an educator a reality the past few years. After graduating from Minnesota State University, Mankato in the fall of 2008, I was immediately offered a teaching job at the high school in which I student taught. It was truly a dream come true. I’ve never been happier then the first day I stepped through Hopkins High School’s doors as a licensed educator. I love being a teacher and inspiring, helping, and being a part of my student’s lives. I look forward to going to work everyday, hearing “Hi, Ms. Topp” in the hallways, and teaching my students. I think all of this is so very important. Since we spend a significant amount of our adult lives working to support our needs and wants in life, I think having a job you love and look forward to going to is so essential. I couldn’t imagine going to a job I detest day-in and day-out. I feel so lucky to have found a career that gives me so much joy and fulfillment.

Though I have now found “My Place In This World”, my journey is just beginning. Being a relatively new and young teacher in this economy has already been very difficult. At the end of the last school year, I was let go from my teaching position due to budget cuts. I was devastated. I searched and searched for a new job that never came. I applied to hundreds of school and interviewed for very few positions. I began this school year as a substitute teacher. Thankfully, about two weeks into my substitute positions I was offered a job (or a series of jobs strung together to equal a full time job) back at Hopkins. It felt so good to be back at the school that I loved so much and never wanted to leave. I felt valued and appreciated as I spoke with other educators who recommended me for the positions being offered. I felt worthy. Through this experience I have expanded my first life goal. I began the 2009-2010 school year working with English Language Learners. Initially, the idea freaked me out! All of these children not only speak different languages but some of them know very little to no English… How would I ever reach or teach them? I wasn’t sure I was cut out to work with ELL students but I gave it a try. Any job is better than no job, right? Especially in my dream district! It was a lot easier than I anticipated and I now have found another passion in life. I want to return to school not only for my Master’s Degree but also to get a second licensure in ESL/ELL. I guess my goals associated with my career have and will continue to grow and change as I am exposed to more of the joys of teaching.  Now, after two years of teaching, my first life goal has become three-fold: a-become a tenured Language Arts teacher, b- obtain my ESL/ELL licensure, and c- go back to school to acquire my Master’s Degree in Education. Eventually, I want to get my Doctorate Degree, too, but that goal hasn’t come to the forefront of my mind just yet.

Life Goals 2/3- Become a Wife and Mother: My second and third life goals go hand-in-hand, quite literally through marriage. When I picture my future I have always seen myself as a mother waiting in the kitchen of my cute little house with the pink picket fence waiting for little Susie and Sammy to get home from school. We’d talk about their day as I make dinner waiting for the love of my life to return home from his day at the office. We’d eat dinner together as a family, end the night watching a movie, and live the fairy tale life. Okay, so maybe my dreams are really not that Stepford Wife-ish but you get the picture. I want to be the supportive, caring wife and loving mother. I want a family. Growing up, I always enjoyed babysitting and caring for the younger children in my neighborhood. I remember summer days scraping together money from my piggy bank or the bin of change in my parent’s closet so I could ride my bike up to the convenience store a few blocks from my home to buy kool-aid, mac and cheese, and candy for my sisters and other kids who happened to be at our house that day. Being the oldest child of three girls, I always felt like a second mother to my sisters growing up. I felt responsible for their happiness and well-being. In many ways, even though they are now grown women, I still do. Maybe that is one of the reasons I became a teacher. I like the thought of someone needing or depending on me- even if it is just for a grade, help with homework, or someone to talk to about the latest GLEE or Gossip Girl episode. I can’t wait to be married and have someone to come home to at the end of the day and start a family with. I look forward to the day when I say, “I do” in a beautiful white gown and commit myself to my husband. I know the feminists of the world may gasp at the thought of needing another person to feel fulfilled but I truly believe that through marriage a person becomes absolute. I know that one person is not able to make you fulfilled 100% of the time but through marriage you make a partnership to love and cherish one person for the rest of your life despite your or their shortcomings. What can be more fulfilling than that? Even if your hubby does leave the toilet seat up, watches sports all Sunday afternoon, and works until late evening most nights? I’d trade in singledom for a sports-watching workaholic any day of the week!

I also can’t wait to start a family. I have loved being an older sister (not only to my sisters but also to their friends). There is nothing better than holding a baby in your arms as they sleep, or when a kid looks up and smiles at you, or being told that a child that admires you loves you. I can imagine that these feelings would be even better if they were your own children. I can’t wait to play Barbies with my daughter or go to my son’s sporting events and cuddle up reading a fairy tale or some superhero book at the end of the night. I have the mom gene (no, I won’t be wearing “Mom Jeans” ick!) and I look forward to holding my own miracle in my arms someday. I’m not sure I have met the man I am going to marry yet (and if I have, I certainly don’t know it’s him), but I know God will lead us to each other when the time is right. In all honesty, I think I’ve always been ready for these two life goals and long for them more than the others. I may not be ready for children this year or the next but I know once I find my future husband that these life goals will all fall right into place like Cinderella’s glass slipper.

Life Goal 4- Change The World: I just recently realized my fourth, and final, life goal. I want to change the world. I know this seems like a grandiose idea and an utterly impossible notion but I think I can do it. I don’t mean that I am going to be the next Mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi, but who knows? All I do know is that I want to leave this world a better place simply by being in it. I don’t think this world, other people, or God owe me (or anyone else for that matter) anything. It is quite the opposite actually. I know some people feel a sense of entitlement or that the world owes them something if they have gone through some sort of hardship or their lives don’t work out the way they had initially planned. But, I don’t feel that way. I’ll be perfectly honest in saying that my life hasn’t always gone according to plan, but then again, whose has? If it were up to me I’d be married with children (no, NOT Al and Peg Bundy Style), a stay at home mom or famous, and would give back to the world as much as I can. I have none of these things- no husband, no child, no celebrity… but, I still have a desire to make this world a better place. After recently facing some major life issues, some that have haunted me since childhood, I began to wonder what I could do with all that life had thrown my way. How can I turn my suffering into something beautiful and possibly healing for someone else? What do I have to offer to the world? And how can I make a difference? I know by being a teacher I am crafting minds and changing hearts but I want to do more… I think the way I want to change the world is through some sort of public speech. I don’t know why, but lately I’ve been having dreams about this very thing. I would love to travel the country or world speaking to children and adults, Christians and non-believers, at schools and at churches about this very thing: YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. I want to speak to others about shifting from a victim mentality to that of a survivor. I want to talk about overcoming adversity and hardships. I want to show people that it is perfectly okay to grieve, feel sorry for yourself, to be hurt and be angry when something horrible happens in your life but that there is so much healing in getting help and forgiving people who have wronged you. I guess, I just feel I have a lot to say. I don’t pretend to think my life or hardships are any more severe or drastic than others, I just think I have a story to tell and my hope is that I can help others by sharing it. So, even though I have no idea how to go about making this fourth goal or dream happen a huge part of my heart is pulling me in the direction of speaking out about such things and changing the world one student, person, youth group, school, or arena at a time.

I’m not the only one who can change the world. You can too… The world is your oyster; don’t be a clam! You can do and achieve anything you set out to do in life, if you just believe in yourself. You have the opportunity to make any dream a reality. So, set goals, plan, and shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars. We all falter but we all have the ability to get back up and succeed. So, as Ryan Shupe sings, “when you dream, dream big… as big as the ocean blue. ‘Cause when you dream it might come true. When you dream, dream big!”

As you know, there is no episode this week. Our Thanksgiving will be bleak indeed without you, but even Gossip Girl herself has a family.

Hope your week is filled with lots of delicious pie, and the perfect ratio of cinnamon to nutmeg.

xoxo,
J & X