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I was half-tempted to begin this post with, What the..., but decided against it.

Gossip Girl's favorite blonde, Blake Lively, was selected by Karl Lagerfeld to be the ambassador for Chanel's new Mademoiselle handbag line. The campaign ads, photographed by Lagerfeld, should make their rounds in April.

Now, of course, Lively would not be someone that I would've guessed to fill this role, but Lagerfeld does indeed always have a vision. He is quoted as saying of the actress, “She’s a kind of American dream girl...She’s full of life.”

Surprisingly enough, I am looking forward to peeping the ads when they're available. Lively is a different face than we've seen in the past, but for Chanel, who constantly tugs at this girl's heart strings, can I handle different?

What are your thoughts on Blake Lively as the face of Mademoiselle?

*Photo credit: Courtesy Photo

Unlike a lot of folks, I don't hate on Hilary Duff. In fact, out of all of the celebs I witnessed pre-catwalk prepping at the Red Dress Heart Truth Show during NYFW Fall 2009, I was most excited to see Hilary.

So, it goes without saying, that I'm actually kind of looking forwarded to the release of her collection for DKNY Jeans called Femme.

Sarah, from Style It, and I headed to Lorick, which I learned is the line used for Eleanor Waldorf's line on Gossip GirlNaturally, I thought I'd see cast members, in addition to a fabulous collection. FYI, I only spotted Amanda Setton who has a recurring role as Penelope.

The show itself was fun to watch, mostly because of the live accordion music. Sarah and I stood right by the speakers so we heard it loud and clear. We also had a killer location...right near the top of the runway!

The collection on the other hand was average. The colors were lovely, though better suited for a spring line.

Don't let me spoil it for you. Check out the collection for yourself:

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I haven't done a favorite things list in a while, so I figured that the close of 2008 deserved a list just as grandiose as the year itself. Below, are my choices of Beka's Besties of 2008.

Best New Show: Gossip Girl - The book series turned drama has millions of fans tuning in each week to find out what will become of our conniving Ms. Waldorf and her brooding, arrogant love interest, Chuck Bass. I've never read the books, but I'm loving the show. Especially the style!

Best Album: Kanye West, 808s & Heartbreak - Though I'm not typically a hip hop fan, I'm very much a Kanye fan, and each song on this album promises booty shakin' and finger tappin'. I have yet to find a song on this album that I don't like.

Best Movie: Dark Knight - C'mon, wouldn't you have been the least bit surprised if I didn't choose this movie? As the late Heath Ledger's last iconic film, Dark Knight proves to be the best of the Batman flicks. Even better than my personal fave, Batman Returns. If only I were convinced that hottie, Christian Bale, is well-suited for his role as Batman. (No pun intended).

Best Book: Tori Spelling, sTORI Telling - No, I can't believe it either, but I did actually enjoy this book. Perhaps it's because I love biographies, but Tori's tongue-in-cheek accounts of her past and present make for one interesting read. Plus, I might even appreciate her career a bit more. On second thought, maybe not.

beAUTY

Best Facial Scrub: St. Ive's Invigorating Apricot Scrub - Call me old fashioned, but I'll never stop loving St. Ive's scrubs. And this one is no different. Tough enough to give your skin the exfoliation it needs, but gentle enough to retain skin's moisture, this miracle scrub remains a #1 Best Seller for a reason--it works!

Best Facial Cleanser: The Body Shop's Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash - I started using this in 2008 after undergoing a constant struggle with facial cleansers. They were either too harsh or too gentle. Not this one. TBS finally hit the nail on the head with their Seaweed line, and this wash cleanses skin without over-drying leaving my face perfectly radiant. Love it!

Best Lipgloss: NARS Lip Gloss in Giza - I love nude lip glosses. This gloss by Nars, who in my opinion is the world leader in lip glosses, gives my pout just what it needs to feel soft and subtly colored. Unbelievably magical!

Best Mascara: Rimmel London's Lycra Lash Extender Mascara in Black - I have short lashes, that definitely need more than just an eyelash curler can give them. Enter, Rimmel's Lycra Lash Extender Mascara. This amazing little tube not only lengthens my lashes, but also curls them big time. The best part? It's pretty darn cheap, too!

faSHION

Best Accessory: Scarves - One of the biggest trends this year was the popularity of scarves. I have always enjoyed wearing them, and thanks to stores like Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 who created lightweight scarves, I was able to wear them year-round.

Best Trend Comeback...It's a tie!: Animal prints - I'm so glad animal prints returned in 2008 (and might stick around in 2009!) From leopard to zebra, these wild patterns made their mark on everything from shoes to accessories, and even handbags.
Welcome back! Also returning this year, Leggings - They never really left stores, but their flame did die down for a bit. The reawakening of leggings in the fall took the guess work out of outfits for me, and kept my summer looks hanging on a few months longer.

Best Figure-flatterer: High-waist - Whether you're a size 0 or a size 20, I've seen high-waist looks dazzle every figure. Although I never could quite find a decent pair of high-waisted pants, I did fancy a couple of black high-waist skirts. When coupled with a belt, it was a match made in fashion heaven

Best T-shirt: V-neck - No, I didn't identify a particular brand with this one, (although thumbs up to my gray American Apparel v-neck I wear just about every other day...ask my bf!), these babies made their appearance in stores and on celebs. And they always look great. I don't care if you're packing A-cups or DD-cups, v-necks seem to look pretty good on most everyone. I snagged them from every store I saw them, and you know what? I was never disappointed! I hope this trend sticks around!

inTERNET

Best Web Addiction: Twitter - If you're not using Twitter, why not? Easier to update than any other social networking site, Twitter has become THE site to use in 2008. Hailed by social media gurus as one of the best ways to expand your brand online, Twitter keeps your followers in the know with what you're doing every second of the day. Like when you're eating a sandwich with pickles and lettuce, or you just broke a nail, or your dog just peed on the carpet, or when you're cell phone rings, or...

Best Fashion & Beauty Blog(s): OK, so I can't quite pick just one so I'm going to give the five blogs I felt were the most innovative in 2008. Ready?

• I am Fashion - Whether it's their eye for beautiful editorial photos or their ability to track down the latest trends, these three prove they ARE fashion.
• StyleIt - Sarah know beauty. Sarah shares her secrets. Sarah's blog was and is a must-read blog.
• Dapper Kid - One part educational, and two parts fashionable, the UK's Dapper Kid knows good writing, and what to do with it!
• Dressed Up Like a Lady - I am always and forever inspired by the sheer style and adorableness that this Cammila embodies.
• Sea of Shoes - With an innate and other-worldly understanding of fashion, this young lady's already got more style street cred than those twice her age.

Best Fashion Website: The brilliant Jennine from, The Coveted not only owns and maintains one of my favorite blogs, but also started up one of the fastest-growing fashion blogging sites on the web, Independent Fashion Bloggers. You can sign up to be a part of the forum, or even get your blog featured as one of the best of the week. I have highly enjoyed this site this year, and I'm lucky to have been featured as a contributing writer on the site. (Look for more in 2009!)

otHER hoNORABLE meNTIONS:

• Swedish Fish (always!)
• Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
• New York City
• Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man
• Kiss Products
• Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
• Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
• President-Elect Barack Obama
• Britney Spears' return
• My iPhone
• Iron Man
• The Tales of Beetle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
• Wordpress

And finally...
• My economic stimulus check

Blair Waldorf is more than just the bad girl of CW's Gossip Girl. In fact, Leighton Meester's prep school alter ego is becoming somewhat of a style icon for an up and coming generation. (Seriously, Google 'Blair Waldorf.' It's insane!) Her classic look infused with whimsical touches is what makes Ms. Waldorf the show's trendsetter.

So, what is her look really made of? It's polished and poised, for one thing.

Headband, flats, add tights. Combine with cute babydoll dress and a long coat. Voila! Here's a guide to getting the look a la Waldorf on the cheap.

STEP ONE: Dress

STEP TWO: Headband

STEP THREE: Tights

STEP FOUR: Shoes

STEP FIVE: Coat

And in doing my research, I stumbled upon these fabulous posts from fashionable fans of Blair Waldorf:
Patty Pat Me gives a step-by-step plan for dressing like Blair.

Chic and Charming posts about the stylist behind Ms. Waldorf's look.