It's probably not obvious to anybody that I love Gilmore Girls. In case that wasn't obvious, the previous statement is laden with sarcastic undertones. Gilmore Girls is one of those shows that is just so nostalgic for so many of us. Its one of those programs that became a bit of a tradition to watch, dissect and debate the various suitors for Lorelai and Rory. It probably did Pop Tarts a deal of good and introduced many of us to a plethora of iconic pop culture moments. The humour was always there and the fast talking put it in a league of its own. Even now in the days of endless distractions you have to be paying attention to watch it, lest you miss some crucial piece of dialogue. Whether that be one of Emily's not so subtle digs or Lorelai's love for sarcasm. 

Unless you've been living under a rock you'll know Netflix is blessing us with four, ninety minute specials in November. It's just under three weeks away actually. In honour of that I decided to create a Gilmore Girls tag. There could've been heaps of questions here but I decided to limit it to ten. This was so fun to put together too. So have a read, sit back, get your IV's of coffee and Red Vines, cake or Pop Tarts at the ready and enjoy...

-What was your first introduction to Gilmore Girls? I remember Gilmore Girls used to be on TV here on a Sunday afternoon and I know it became a ritualistic thing for a lot of people. I was not one of them but I do remember it being on in the background at home. Some of my extended family love it though and one Summer afternoon, my cousin and I binge-watched three or four episodes in a row. Perhaps it's because we watched partway through a season that I didn't really connect with it. I liked it but for some reason I didn't pursue watching it beyond that. Fast-forward to the Summer holidays in 2011 and I changed that. The rest is history. 

-Who is your favourite character and why? Lorelai freakin' Gilmore, the cool Mom. The one played by Lauren Graham. Side note: Why am I explaining this...She's armed with a whole arsenal of pop culture references, she talks fast, she's witty, she's stylish. She's just awesome. Yes she's a fictional character but if she were real I feel like we'd totally be friends IRL. Seriously.

-Are you on Team Jess, Dean or Logan? Why? My answer to this question changes all the time. I feel like all of Rory's potential suitors have strengths and distinct flaws. For now though I am fully on Team Jess. Yes he had a tendency to up and leave and wasn't the greatest at communicating but he seemed to care the most about Rory. He also loved reading just like Rory and when he wanted to be he had that whole quiet intellectual thing down. 

-How many of the books have you read from Rory's reading list? For reference, here is Rory's reading list. There's 339 books on here so it's rather mammoth. With this list in mind, I have read a grand total of...27 books. Dismal I know. Let me know in the comments if you've read more than me.

-Would you rather; only be allowed to drink coffee, or never be able to eat Pop Tarts again? This is easy for me, I'd rather never be allowed to eat Pop Tarts again. C'mon, imagine if coffee was your only beverage. That would get bad, fast! Also I kinda think Pop Tarts are disgusting, with the exception of the S'mores ones. 

-Who is your least favourite character? This might be an unpopular opinion but here goes, Taylor Doose is my least favourite character. I know he serves a greater purpose as town selectman but he's just so annoying. I can't think of a character, with the exception of Kirk, who he doesn't enrage for some reason or other. He's just awful, and despite claiming he has the town's best interests at heart he just seems selfish and power-hungry. Sorry Taylor, you're just a pain. 

-Are you on Team Luke, or Team Christopher? Team Luke, always. Who cares that Christopher was Rory's Dad? Luke was always, always on team Lorelai and Rory. Even when they both made mistakes of their own. He makes a good cup of coffee too and is a genuinely nice guy. Team Luke forevs. 

-If you went to Stars Hollow, where would you most like to visit? The Gilmore Girls house, The Dragonfly Inn for one of Sookie's next level meals, Luke's for coffee (duh), the bookstore (whose name escapes me), the lake where Luke pushed Jess in for nostalgic reasons, the black and white cinema. So many places. I'd have to pass by Hartford to visit Emily though, even though that'd be terrifying af. 

-What would you steal from the Gilmore Girls set? Lorelai Gilmore's pink coat. There's just something about it. I'd also steal some stationery from The Dragonfly, a coffee cup from Lukes and maybe some books from Rory's room. Sorry Rory. 

-Finally, what do you hope happens in the revival? This is totally random but I would love to see a Hillary Clinton cameo. It seems unlikely but I'd love it. On a more realistic level I just want to see Lorelai and Rory happy. Going off the trailer it seems like they both hit a bit of a roadblock but I hope they resolve it. What else...I want to see Lorelai and Luke married, please. I have also discussed the idea of Emily moving in with Lorelai after Richard's passing and the inevitable chaos that ensues, that'd be hilarious. 

*I hope you all enjoyed this tag. I had a lot of fun coming up with it. I'm gonna tag some of my fave Gilmore Girls lovers to do this: Britney, Tara and Ellen, Amy, Temi and everyone else who wants to do this. Have fun!

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As promised, here is part two of my two-part book haul from the last couple of months. This one's more novel-heavy, although there's also a cookbook and a memoir in there for good measure. You know I can't go long without mentioning a memoir right? Anyway, on with the books...

It's that time of the month again and I've got quite the favourites lineup here. There could have easily been about five or six more things included but I managed to edit it down to the true staples. Okay the music inclusion may be cheating a bit as I only acquired it five days ago but it deserves a mention. As well as music there's a book I'm recommending to everyone, some beauty+body bits and even a fashion item...

H&M Bag-New Zealand, Auckland specifically acquired its first H&M store at the beginning of this month, as well as Zara. Finally. This was one of my buys as I wanted a smaller bag to take out and about that wasn't a tote. It's nothing fancy, just a black bag with gold zip detailing and some tassels. I love it though and it fits all the essentials; my wallet, keys, phone and a little makeup bag I carry around. 

Lush Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Scrub-The kings and queens of Christmas body+pamper gifts, Lush in other words, dropped their Christmas releases into stores at the beginning of this month and they are not disappointing. More on that some other time. Today though I have to mention this new lip scrub. It smells like The Comforter and jelly lollies. Delicious in other words. Aside from its scent blessing properties, it also does a good jobs of restoring my Winter damaged, read; dry, cracked and gross lips to tip-top condition. 

Joanne x Lady Gaga-It's possibly cheating a bit to include this as it was only released last week but I'm justifying it because I know it's just as likely to have been in November's favourites too. I have to confess, I wasn't a fan of ARTPOP, not in its entirety at least. This album however is like Gaga's revival. She's collaborated with producer Mark Ronson on many of the tracks, Ronson is famous for working with the late, great Amy Winehouse among other artists. It's a match made in music heaven basically. I'd say it has some country influences in the mix and also pop+rock vibes throughout. Oh and there's a track with Florence Welch and Lady Gaga which my eighteen year old self would have been crying tears of excitement over. Heck, my twenty-something self loves it. My favourite tracks right now are; John Wayne, Million Reasons, Hey Girl, Joanne and Grigio Girls. It's all fantastic though. Give it a listen.

Korres Santorini Vine Showergel-Whilst I was away housesitting earlier in the month this came with me and it's become my new favourite showergel. Move aside, The Comforter. It's kinda tropical, kinda fruity but not overpowering. It's a bit lighter than something like the shower creams from Lush but I like that about it, it's more suited to the Summer months. I'll definitely be investing in the full sized soon. I like it that much. 

Bobbi Brown Retouching Wand*-The unexpected favourite, without a doubt is this product. It has not left my bag(s) at all this month. The shade Light is perfect for me and doesn't contrast wildly with any other base product I might use. It's super easy to blend, with either a brush or fingers and is great for on the go touchups. It's going to get a lot of use come Summertime when makeup just seems to evaporate. 

Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson-If the fact this book has made its way into another blog post this month isn't stressing just how much I love it, I don't know what will. Perhaps the fact I read it twice this month further reiterates it. It's beautifully written and is the kind of book I can imagine myself returning to again and again. There's something special about it that I cannot quite articulate in words. Just go read it and let me know what you think about it.

Aesop Rejuvenate Intensive Body Balm-Super hydrating, super luxurious, super lush and vanilla+sandalwood-y. That sentence summarises this balm really. I lovelovelove it and will pray that Aesop never discontinue it. If you want to read less condensed ramblings about it, head here. 

Why hello and happy Wednesday. Academia is slowly eating my brain so today I have a list of experiences and digital things I have been loving lately. Netflix, creative women and fabulous drag queens, there's something for everybody...

The return of Lorelai and Rory-Advanced apologies if I become that person who gets far too overexcited about the four episodes of Gilmore Girls coming to Netflix. In fact, I know I will be that person because I am already excited. It's basically like a pre-Christmas for me and is going to soften the blow of Summer School. Anyway, naturally the pop culture hub that is Buzzfeed are excited too and compiled this list of the must-have foods we need to make our Netflix experience more Lorelai and Rory worthy. While some may be a bit harder to track down in the Southern Hemisphere, you can sure as heck bet I will be loading up on American snacks and coffee. 

Beauty adventures and free sample paradise-Rosalind Jana is fast becoming one of my favourite writers and I really enjoyed this piece she penned about makeup in her adolescence and the beauty bag of treasures she obtained from the magazines. It made me nostalgic and also made me smile as I reminisced about the similar habits I had back in the days. If you've grown up loving beauty and the tools that accompany it, you'll relate to this.

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert-Last week I was lucky enough to attend the first show of Priscilla's return season here in Auckland* and oh my goodness, it did not disappoint. It is safe to say Lucie and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, as did the rest of the audience. I have never seen an audience come alive like that during a show. It was something else. It's had a bit of a makeover this time around, I think it is closer to the Broadway adaptation than the original Australian production but I like that. It gives it new life and colour, especially with the updated soundtrack. It is just as hilarious, just as fun and just as amazing, especially in the costume stakes. If you want a fun night out, it's on until the 13th of November so go see it. You will not regret it. 

Haters Back Off-This is turning into a bit of a Netflix love letter unintentionally. Miranda Sings aka Colleen Ballinger's new series debuted at the end of last week and I am loving it. Honestly at first I thought it was going to be a bit of a letdown and I have only watched two episodes thus far but I am loving them. It's lighthearted, funny and just really cleverly done. Colleen and everyone else involved have done an awesome job. If you're a Mirfanda and there are a lot of them out there now, you need to see this. Do it. 

Mara Wilson in conversation with Emma Gannon-Mara Wilson's written what is easily one of my favourite books of the year and I loved Emma Gannon's too. What happens when you put two inspiring women like this together is all kinds of magic. Emma interviewed Mara ahead of her book's release and the conversation is well worth a listen. If you are not already subscribed to this podcast, I highly suggest you change that. 

-What have you been loving lately?

*Tickets provided c/o Auckland Live.