Characters Reading: Carrie Bradshaw and John James Preston

In the first Sex and the City movie, Carrie Bradshaw was trying to find inspiration to write for her latest book. And a book she was using for research as well as reading was Love Letters of Great Men, volume one that she had checked out from the library. Meanwhile her boyfriend, John James Preston (a.k.a Mr. Big) was reading the newspaper as he listened to her read some of the love letters. And later in the movie, John would use the letters to win her back after they broke up on the day of their wedding.

I still find it so fascinating that there was so much fan interest in the prop book that Carrie was reading that a real book was published. You can not only buy Love Letters of Great Mean, volume one but there's a volume two as well. There's also another book titled Love Letters of Great Men: The Collection of Love Letters Drawn from by Carrie Bradshaw in "Sex in the City".

(Sex and the City: The Movie)

Quote: Carrie Bradshaw

In New York, they say you're always looking for a job, a boyfriend, or an apartment. So, let's say you have two out of three, and they're fabulous. Why do we let the one thing we don't have affect how we feel about all the things we do have? Why does one minus a plus one feel like it adds up to zero?

~ Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City season 5 episode 5: Plus One Is the Loneliest Number

(Sex and the City season 5 episode 5: Plus One Is the Loneliest Number)

Fashion Meets Star Style: Daisy Ridley

I love how the stylist put Daisy Ridley in a Star Wars t-shirt and paired it with a pastel orange layered voluminous ruffled skirt. It's really eye-catching. Anyone else think this outfit looks like something that Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw would have worn on the show if she was perhaps going to a Star Wars movie red carpet premiere.

Photography: Mark Seliger for Elle UK (December 2015)

Fashion Meets Fandom: Miranda Hobbes and Carrie Bradshaw's Summer Outfits

One of the joys of summer is effortless style and Sex and the City's Miranda Hobbes and Carrie Bradshaw are wearing easy throw-on-and-go summer essentials: tank top, lightweight pants and a flowy dress.

Both outfits have a cool and casual vibe that would be perfect for either working from home or for the weekend. I really like this easy-chic look Miranda and Carrie had and it inspired me to create similar looks for Fashion Meets Fandom.

Fandom Friday: Please Stop Writing "How Did Carrie Bradshaw Afford Her Lifestyle?" Articles

It's been 20 years since Sex and the City first aired on June 6, 1998 on HBO and yet the articles and posts on how Carrie Bradshaw was able to afford her lifestyle never ever seem to stop. I wrote something about it a couple of years ago, in my post Sex and the City, Still Worth Watching!.

I sometimes wonder if all the writers putting together these articles and posts truly paid attention to the series because they did show that Carrie had some financial issues. In the episode "The Power of Female Sex" (season 1 episode 5), Carrie was shopping for shoes and when she went to pay, the sales person was instructed to cut up her credit card because it was maxed out. That's truly an embarrassing situation and she was saved from further embarrassment by her friend Amalita showing up at the register offering to pay for Carrie's shoes.

In the episode "Just Say Yes" (season 4 episode 12), Carrie found out that her apartment building was going co-op which meant she either had to buy her apartment or move. Her then boyfriend Aidan Shaw, asked her why doesn't she just buy her apartment and she counters with I just charged tomatoes. Carrie has absolutely no savings because by the episode "Ring a Ding Ding" (season 4 episode 16), her engagement to Aidan had ended but since he had bought her apartment (and the one next to it) that now left Carrie back where she started needing to either buy her apartment from Aidan or move.

This was the episode where she had the shocking realization that she has spent $40,000 if not more on shoes. This was a wake-up call for sure because she had a closet full of clothes and shoes but no money to buy her apartment. In that same episode Carrie got offered help from two different people, first was her ex-boyfriend Mr. Big (a.k.a. John James Preston) who gave her a check (as a loan) for the down payment but after hearing what her good friends Miranda Hobbes (who was against it) and Samantha Jones (who was for it) had to say about the money, she decided not to use it. The second to help, was her good friend Charlotte York, who after a little bit of soul searching (in regards to money) offered to help Carrie by loaning her the money (via her engagement ring).

Although she made a living as a writer for the newspaper, The New York Star, she was living beyond her means through the use of credit cards. On rare occasions she received help from her friends (Amalita, Charlotte, Aidan and Big) but mostly she was coasting by on a wave of credit card debt. It wasn't until Carrie started freelance writing for Vogue magazine in season 4 episode 17 "A "Vogue" Idea" and later on in season 5 where she published her book were she truly able to afford the lifestyle she had been living.

It goes to show you that Carrie was not actually able to afford her fabulous lifestyle and if those writers had paid attention to the series there would be no need to continue with all these articles and post about how she was able to afford her lifestyle.

Nesting: Carrie Bradshaw's Apartments and Bookcases

I know many articles and posts have been written about Carrie Bradshaw's wardrobe and her magnificent closet but can we talk about her bookcase.

Sex and the City

On the TV series her bookcase was one of the most impressive and eye catching items in her apartment. Although she mostly filled it with magazines, there is easily enough space to store a large number of books. Watching the series, I noticed she stored a great number of books around her apartment such as in the small alcove off her kitchen and in various spots in her living room and bedroom.

A Challenge To Calm My Book Buying Frenzy

I can't believe it, my mother just compared me to Carrie Bradshaw. But not in the way I had hoped such as her love of fashion or looking stylish but in comparison to Carrie's tendency to be a shopaholic. Well in my case, a bookaholic. She made the comment while I was in the process of ordering a few books (okay nine).

Nine books probably doesn't seem like a big order, however, I also ordered a total of 20 additional books over the past few weeks. And not to mention the odd few I've bought from time to time lately. What can I say, I've found some really good deals.

After I placed my order, I took a moment and decided that I'm going to go on one of my book buying breaks (for real this time) until October. And if I succeed my reward will be the Black Widow: Forever Red book which will be out in October. But I do have three exceptions: Storm vol #2, Red One vol #1 (both are out near the end of the month) and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl vol #1 (it's out in August). My challenge will officially begin tomorrow, Sunday July 12th.

In general, I don't normally buy that many books but lately I have and factor that in with my weekly comic books that's quite a lot. My comics are not included in the book buying break but I am going to cut back on those as well. Carrie once said in the sixth season 1st episode "I like my money where I can see it - hanging in my closet". I do not want my money to be found sitting on all my bookshelves, I have no desire to end up how Carrie did in the 4th season episode "Ring a Ding Ding" where she didn't have enough money to buy her apartment due to the fact that she had a closet full of designer clothes, shoes and accessories.

Which is why I am going to do my very best to stick with my goal. This break shouldn't be too hard for me since I have more than enough books sitting on my shelves that I haven't read. And not to mention I can borrow books from the library if there is something "new" I would like to read.

In the end, I think this break should be a good thing. It will give me a chance to save a little money and take a book shopping breather.

"I've spent $40,000 on shoes and I have no place to live? I will literally be the old woman who lived in her shoes!" ~ quote from Sex and the City season 4 episode 16, "Ring a Ding Ding"

Quote: Carrie Bradshaw

Carrie Bradshaw: Why Fashion Doesn't Need To Be Taken So Seriously

I love fashion just as much as I love books however there is no one who loves fashion more than Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City). What I love is that she didn't take fashion so seriously, she was creative in what she wore. The character was shown wearing just about any and everything and made it work because she had fun with fashion.

Which is why I also love watching The Carrie Diaries (despite it being cancelled) because although she was younger she still had that whimsical way of dressing. Carrie was still in the process of finding herself yet you could see the start of her foray into fashion. She was experimenting with different looks and trying new things, some worked but some didn't.

The Carrie Diaries got a lot flack from fans for not staying true to Sex and the City but I saw it for what it was. It was based on the books by Candace Bushnell of the same name instead of the hit HBO series which is also based on the book Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell.

Everyone has their own sense of fashion and I have noticed that you can tell the difference between someone who is confident in their own style and someone who is trying to emulate others. The latter is trying too hard to be like someone else instead of being themselves and it shows.

What I take away from Carrie is just to have fun with fashion and don't be afraid to try something different. But most importantly is to be yourself.

Art of the Day: Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City)

Artwork: Sex and the City by Anderson Mahanski

Art of the day: Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City)

Artwork: Sex And The City by iYazawa