Jovana Tomin: December 2014

I have a feeling this blog post won't do the book any justice as I've watched 15 episodes of Friends today and I think most of my brain cells are dead. Anyway, I will do my best.

I've mentioned this book in my blog post on books I want to (re)read, and if I hadn't made a promise to myself not to read anything until I'm done with Under the Dome, I'd so be rereading Let it Snow right now. I got this book last spring and immediately read it, obviously, so I'd really love to read it again during the holidays. I might just break that promise, to be honest.

As you can tell from the picture, this book has not one, not two, but three authors. Crazy, right? There are three parts (three holiday romances) and each writer wrote one of the three. It has a very strong holiday/winter vibe to it because all three parts are based around Christmas.

In my opinion, the most interesting thing about this book is the fact that, as you read it, you start to realize that all of the parts are somewhat connected. Now, if that's not fun, I don't know what it. All of the authors did their job amazingly. There isn't a huge difference in their writing styles, so you don't feel like you're reading 3 separate books. Something that makes the book even more captivating is the fact that all authors have such a similar sense in humor, which is mostly based on irony and it helps bind these three parts even more.

The first part was written by Maureen Johnson and it goes by the name The Jubilee Express. Jubilee is the name of the girl who's the main character of the said part. The story is about her trip to her grandparents' home for Christmas and all the things that go wrong during the trip, but also a little something about romance.

The author of the second part is the wonderful John Green. He tells the story of A Cheertastic Miracle, and if I'm gonna be completely honest with you, this is my least favourite part. Not that it's bad, or anything, I just didn't find it as exciting as I was hoping to. Still great, though. It's about an adventure of these three best friends who also get in some trouble on Christmas Eve. Their misfortune is balanced out by a bit of romance once again.

Last but not least, we have Lauren Myracle (great last name, Lauren!), who ever so kindly wrote The Patron Saint of Pigs. I think this was my favourite part. Possibly because I got to see all the stories tie in together. This part follows Addie - a girl who is 'depressed' because of the break up with her boyfriend. And it's not as pathetic as it sounds, but I feel like it's very easy to give spoilers here so I'm trying my best to keep the info minimal.

As I said in the beginning, I'm pretty sure I didn't do the book justice, but here's what The Horn Book had to say about it:

''The Authors share an ironic, idiosyncratic sense of humor that helps bind their stories, each with a slightly different tone and take on love, into one interconnected volume brimming with ROMANCE." Couldn't have said it better myself!

So, if you're looking for a fun read over the holidays, I definitely recommend giving this baby a try. Trust me, it's worth it!

Enjoy reading it and I will talk to you tomorrow!

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It is time for me to start recommending you some bits. For Blogmas, I decided to split monthly recommendations into separate blog posts. First up - a TV show obviously!

A TV series I've been obsessed with this month and have finished watching way too quickly is Bates Motel. I have only one question regarding this TV show and it is WHERE HAS IT BEEN HIDING FOR SO LONG?

Right, if you haven't watched it, you probably think I'm crazy. Well, if you read my November recommendations, you will know I mentioned how Freddie Highmore was pretty cute. Yeah, well I did my research on him and found out that he's the lead in this TV series, so it was only right to download the whole season 1 and start watching it.

As soon as I watched the first episode, I was hooked. I already had so many questions and I was so confused and excited and a bit scared probably.

Basically, if you've watched the movie Psycho, you will sort of know the characters. The show is meant to introduce you to Norman's childhood. If, however, you haven't watched that movie, much like myself, I will explain a bit more in depth.

Genres are definitely drama and, if I do say so myself, thriller. There's only a hint of romance, but trust me, it would be better if there wasn't. Now, onto the plot. The main characters are Norman, a slightly damaged teenager, and his mother Norma. If you think it's strange how they basically have the same name, oh you just wait. It gets much stranger with time. There's a lot of family drama and problems taking place in the show - if you ever thought your family was messed up, it's not. It's full of mysteries and plot twists which makes it really hard to stop watching it. The best way for me to describe it without giving you any spoilers would be to say that each character is slowly developed which sometimes clears some things up, whereas sometimes it makes everything even more messed up. Norman's mood changes are very important for the development of his character, but Norma's might be even more significant. These two have a very special connection/relationship which has a huge impact not only on their characters, but on all the rest as well. In each episode, there is a meaningful detail revealed that makes you question your entire existence because it complicates everything. If you are like me and you get scared easily, I recommend having a safety blanket with you at all times. I really don't want to give anything away, so I'm trying to interest you in it by being extremely vague. Soz. If nothing else, it's worth watching to see Max Thieriot shirtless.

That's all I feel I should say. I hope I did the show justice, although I don't think it's possible to do so. If you decide to watch Bates Motel, I am proud! Talk to you tomorrow.

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You may or may not know this but I love reading books, but I also like rereading them if I particularly like them. I've gathered here some of the books I would like to (re)read this winter, so if you're interested, keep reading.

1) John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle - Let It Snow

I've got this book last spring, I think,so it's only right that I read it again during the holidays.

2) Stephen Chbosky - The Perks of Being a Wallflower

How can you not read your favourite book over and over again?

3) Stephen King - Under the Dome

I bought this book a few months ago and I've always had so many distractions and other things to do (and read), so it is my assignment to myself to read this baby 'till the end of winter break.

4) George Orwell - 1984

This book has been on my wishlist for the longest time. I still don't have it, but I think a PDF file will have to do.

5) Ernest Hemingway - The Old Man And the Sea

This one is also an old one on my wishlist and I wanna get crackin' on it.

6) George Orwell - Animal Farm

One can't read this only once.

7) Charles Dickens - Great Expectations

8) Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray

9) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

10) Diana Evans - 26a

I've had this book for the longest time, and I've tried reading it a few times but never really got around to finishing it. I absolutely need to read it asap.

11) Jostein Gaarder - Sophie's World

12) J. D. Salinger - Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters

After reading Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye and loving it, I found this book in my home library which is a clear sign I need to read it.

13) Markus Zusak - The Book Thief

14) Ned Vizzini - It's Kind of a Funny Story

15) F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby

You can tell I'm quite ambitious, and I would love it if I actually succeeded to read all of these during winter break, although it probably isn't possible. Damn you, Internet.

Alright, I'll talk to you tomorrow!

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I'm back with history, although this is the last part. I noticed that quite a few people liked this series, so if you have any other requests, feel free to let me know.

▸ Ancient Egypt

Those Egyptians, huh? As I've mentioned in the history of eyeshadow, they used to use kohl to colour their eyes, eyelashes and eyebrows for all sorts of reasons. Both men and women wore kohl to protect their eyes and the soul from evil spirits. Babylonian, Greek and Roman empires started using kohl under the influence of Egypt.

▸ Europe

In Europe kohl was used merely as a cosmetic, but they stopped using it after the fall of Roman Empire. However, it continued being used in the Middle East for religious reasons.

▸ Victorian Era

Makeup, and cosmetics in general, was considered inappropriate and vulgar until the Victorian Era. Suddenly, in Victorian Era, people's opinion changed and women in Western culture started using makeup regularly. In an attempt to make eyelashes appear longer, women applied a heated mixture of ash or lapmblack and elderberry juice.

▸ Modern Mascara

The mascara we know today started developing in the 19th century. Chemist Eugene Rimmel created a non-toxic cosmetic using petroleum jelly; the word rimmel is still translated as mascara in Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Greek and Persian language.

Around the same time, in 1913 all the way in America, Thomas Williams created something very similar to Rimmel's invention and named it after his sister - Maybel. A few years later, he starteda mail-order business, and named the developed company Maybelline.

As this mascara was incredibly messy, the one developed very soon was a much better choice. It was still messy, but it had a brush which was rubbed against a cake made from soap and black dye.

In 1957, Helena Rubinstein created a mascara much better that the previous ones. After seeing how popular mascara was in Paris, Americans wanted new products. With this opportunity, Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden both created new and improved mascara and it finally became big in America. Rubinsteins' formula was a lotion based cream packaged into a tube with a solid brush. It was still messy but closer to the mascara we use today. Soon after that, grooved rod was invented, and after that a brush easier to use which led to even more popularity.

In 2005, Procter and Gamble created a wand with bristles made from thermoplastic rather than nylon. The first mascara made with this wand was Max Factor's Lash Perfection.

That's all folks, hope you enjoyed this series and don't forget to let me know if you're interested in the history of anything else! Thanks for reading, talk to you tomorrow.

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Very sorry, but I was yet again too busy and I had to do loads of other things so I just couldn't do hours of research. Once again, settle for the tag, but tomorrow I'll be bringing the real stuff back.

○ Makeup:

Blush or bronzer?

▸Bronzer.

Lip gloss or lipstick?

▸Lipstick.

Eyeliner or mascara?

▸Eyeliner.

Foundation or concealer?

▸Foundation.

Neutral or colour eye shadow?

▸Neutral.

Pressed or loose eye shadows?

▸Pressed.

Brushes or sponges?

▸Brushes for eye makeup, sponge (beauty blender) for foundation.

○ Nails:

OPI or China Glaze?

▸China Glaze.

Long or short?

▸This depends majorly on my mood, but because I can never really grow them really long, I’m gonna say short nails.

Acrylic or natural?

▸Again, depends on my mood, but I rock neutrals more often.

Brights or darks?

▸As this depends on the season and it’s winter now - darks.

Flower or no flower?

▸No flower.

○ Body:

Perfume or body splash?

▸Perfume.

Lotion or body butter?

▸Lotion.

Body wash or soap?

▸Body wash.

Lush or other bath company?

▸Lush.

○ Fashion:

Jeans or sweat pants?

▸If I’m going out – jeans, if I’m chilling at home – sweat pants.

Long sleeve or short?

▸Short.

Dresses or skirts?

▸Dresses.

Stripes or plaid?

▸Plaid.

Flip flops or sandals?

▸Sandals.

Scarves or hats?

▸Hats.

Studs or dangly earrings?

▸Studs.

Necklaces or bracelets?

▸WHAT ABOUT RINGS?

All right, necklaces.

Heels or flats?

▸Flats.

Cowboy boots or riding boots?

▸Riding boots.

Jacket or hoodie?

▸Jacket.

○ Hair:

Curly or straight?

▸Straight.

Bun or ponytail?

▸Bun.

Bobby pins or butterfly clips?

▸Bobby pins.

Hair spray or gel?

▸Who uses gel?

Long or short?

▸On myself I prefer long hair.

Light or dark?

▸Light.

Side sweep bangs or full bangs?

▸Full bangs.

Up or down?

▸Down as long as it doesn’t start annoying the crap out of me.

○ Random:

Rain or sunshine?

▸Sunshine.

Summer or winter?

▸Summer.

Autumn or spring?

▸Autumn.

Chocolate or vanilla?

▸Hardest question ever. I think currently it’s vanilla.

East coast or west coast?

West coast all the way!

Talk to you tomorrow.

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Putting the Short History series on pause for the day as I've got way too many things to do and cannot find the time to do research. I'm afraid you'll have to settle for this tag. Enjoy!

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

It's fairly straight, but sometimes there’s a few waves going on.

2. What is your natural hair colour?

Light brown

3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

Neither.

4. How often do you wash your hair?

About three times a week.

5. Do you wear the same style every day or change it?

I don’t have a particular style, I like to mix and match and just wear what I like. I do, however have some style rolemodels whom I get ideas from. Also, street style is something I find very cool and try to incorporate some things into my everyday wear.

6. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I do my own.

7. How often to you change your nail polish?

Too often.

8. Do you polish your toes in the winter, too or just in the summer?

I don’t ever really polish them, I don’t like showing my feet so it’s not a priority of mine.

9. How long does it take to put on your makeup?

Depends. If I’m getting ready for school and have very limited time I can be done in 5 – 20 minutes, if I’m going out I like to take my time so it can take up to an hour.

10. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Face.

11. Do you "collect" makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I buy what I need, but when I go to the drugstore it just so happens that I need everything, so. I think I might be a collector, after all.

12. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Nevah.

13. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?

Hell no. I wear a full face of makeup only when I’m going out. For school I like to keep it really simple, and when I’m just chilling around I embrace my bare face.

14. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone (or with family)?

Nope.

15. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Yes, of course.

16. How many high end products do you have?

1 - Clarins Mousse Foundation.

17. How often do you wash your makeup brushes?

I try to do it weekly.

18. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?

For school I plan it the night before so that I don’t have to think about it in the morning. For everything else I do in on the spot.

19. How often do you change your handbag?

I don’t really use them too often…

20. What time do you get up & go to sleep?

On school days I get up around 7am and go to sleep around 11pm. On the weekends I go to sleep around 2am and wake up at about 10am.

21. How often & when do you workout?

I hate working out! It’s so annoying because I really should do it, but I hate it so much I cannot stay consistent.

22. Left-handed or right-handed?

Right-handed.

23. How tall are you?

161cm.

24. Do you speak a foreign language?

English is foreign to me, I also speak a bit of Italian and just a bit of Spanish. I also understand some French, not enough though.

25. How many pets do you have?

Unfortunately, none.

26. How often are you on Blogger?

Nearly every day.

27. Do you read the comments posted blogs?

Always, yes.

28. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

Only mental notes.

29. How did you come up with your blog name?

I made a Soundtrack account ‘xoxojo’ and thought it sounded cute. Since it wasn’t available for blogger, I opted for one more ‘xo’.

30. What kind of camera do you use for photographs?

Either my phone (Sony Xperia M2 and I use the VSCO Camera App or the Google Camera App) or my Fujifilm Finepix 2500 HD.

31. How often do you clean your house? (Daily, weekly, other)

I live with my parents so I only clean my room and I do it when I cannot stand it anymore. Every other day, I’d say.

32. What is your favourite colour?

Grey and burgundy.

33. What is your favorite beauty/fashion magazine?

The Best Shop (Dunno if they sell it in countries other than Serbia)

34. Do you swear?

Yas.

35. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

I’m planning on catching up on some reading before going to the theatre.

Talk to you tomorrow!

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