Are you on Pinterest? Follow me – username GemStGem – and let’s share awesome things.

Pioneered by, well, everyone from Madonna to Scousers to Lady Gaga to Bobby Brown… Have a look at the Scousebrow Tumblr and get yourself an eyebrow pencil and some scouse beauty nouse. Currently photoshopping amazing eyebrows into all of my scousebrow-less photos with a marker pen. In a way*.

*In every way.

George McDonald

And we weren’t scared. Not tonight.

Not of the amazing flood of colour into the white sky this evening.

I didn’t take a picture, I just wanted to remember how it looked forever. People in the office drawn to the window; for once not by a noise or a skirmish, but instead drawn to the amazing arcs of discotheque neon pink and bonfire-night orange and dusky, dusty leather-bound book cover red – bleeding openly, profusely; into the swirling, spreading ink blot of night that flooded across the paper white page of the sky, writing another evening’s story.

A lava lamp over LS5.

Kirkstall Brewery silhouetted like a cut-out velvet dress pattern against molten gold.

As soon as the sunset arrived, it departed; leaving trails of sunset fingers dipping into the violet black of a January night.

I didn’t have a camera to hand to capture it, but I wanted to remember how shocked I was at how shocked I could be by something that has happened every day since forever ago and will continue to do so forever again.

Twitter exploded into its own sunset of sunsets shortly after night fell. Some people had caught it in part, but almost everyone said that no photograph could do it justice. Here are some of my favourites:

Magical.

All photos via Twitter.

The Measure in the Guardian remains to be convinced, but I reckon this hue definitely has legs. Not quite subdued enough to be one of spring’s hot pastels yet not bright enough to scream summer holidays, it’s an unassuming, subtle hue that is already finding its way into graphic design, interiors and fashion.

Tangerine Tango reminds me of something that Mailchimp would use on their website (which, for the record, I adore) and a pair of jeans in this colour would be the perfect item to add a bit of lift to my winter wardrobe.

ASOS call these jeans ‘peach red’, but they’ll do for now until I find the pair I want. The ones I love are currently available from Dylan George but just not online.

I’m on board.

Granted, it’s not the most eloquent thing I’ve ever tweeted but it felt good to have it included in a blog that I look to when I want an interesting or an inspiring read.

Did you watch Charlie Brooker’s (well, Jesse Armstrong’s…) Black Mirror? What did you think to it?

Success and nothing less indeed. Bring it, 2012.

This is my second post for Madam Rage with lots more to come. If you like it, leave a comment on the Madam Rage blog!

I’ve really enjoyed the project and have met some amazing bloggers through it. Whilst I know it’s not going to carry on with the same momentum, I hope people keep blogging, especially Ian (moaner. Funny moaner), Pete (one a day poppa), Nick (one sentence film reviews) and Ben (awesome, awesome drawings); all of whom keep awesome blogs in very different ways.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 17,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

I don’t really go in for resolutions, but I definitely resolve to write more for pleasure this year. Will you carry on blogging in 2012?

Having scoured most of the shops online and in Leeds, I was feeling a bit stuck for inspiration. Lucikly, I had one of those ‘OMG moments’ recently, when I went on a night out and saw my friend wearing one of her gorgeous dresses from Warehouse. So, I thought I’d get my fash-sleuth on and see if I could track down any similar gems for my own wardrobe from the dresses that they had to offer.

Warehouse have got so many amazing party dresses, I was pretty spoilt for choice. The good thing about shopping now is the fact that a lot of parties are done and dusted and so the sales have started, meaning you can grab a bargain to wear on Christmas eve or New Year’s Eve, and spend your savings on cocktails…

The ultimate Christmas Eve outfit

Regular readers of my blog will know that I’ve got more than a small obsession with glitter. If you can’t get the glitz out on Christmas eve, when can you? This stunning gold cutout sequin dress is perfect, with more than its fair share of sparkle to make you really stand out at your Christmas eve party. Bare legs (if you dare brave the December cold) and skyscraper platform heels will let the dress do the talking – keep accessories to a minimum when you’re wearing this many sequins!

My perfect Christmas Day dress

Christmas day is all about family, fun and indulgence. This cute green skater-style dress with its lace bodice would look fab with opaque tights and maybe a string of pearls to give it a bit of a vintage feel. The pleated skirt is bang on trend, too. Plus, the colour is festive without making you look like an extra from Elf…

New Year’s Eve glamour

If Christmas eve is all about sparkle, then New Year’s Eve is about sizzle. It’s the last blast before those new year’s resolutions kick in, so dress for misbehaviour! This 1920s style drop-waist embellished dress from Warehouse is absolutely drenched in luxury. Intricate beading on the top gives way to one of this season’s hottest pieces: the sequin skirt. This item is from the Warehouse Luxe range, and it’s easy to see why. Teamed with a sequin headband and a faux-fur stole, I’ll be rocking 1920s glamour as I see in 2012:

Fash-sleuth success! I’ve got my dresses sorted for the next few parties and they’re sure to stand me in good stead for any soirees that crop up in 2012. With a bit of clever styling I can tone down the festive feel of these dresses, turning them from one-wear party dresses into investment pieces.

I can already imagine wearing the green lace skater dress in January with chunky, shearling-lined boots and a duffle coat for a trip to the outdoor ice rink in Leeds, before hitting the January sales…

And this is their new single:

Expecting big tingz!