Archive for March, 2009

The CC Weekly Weigh In: St. Patrick’s Day Nightmares

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Kids have Christmas. Lovers have Valentine’s Day. Presidents have President’s day. What do we, the college students of the world, have?

St. Patrick’s day! Woooohooo!!

Only 4 more days until our favorite holiday of the year! Friends! Drinking Games! Kegs and eggs! A full day of debauchery! (Note: different from normal college weekends by the addition of green clothing.) The combination of costumes, Irish music, bar specials and friends makes this the best day of the year. And we won’t let anyone or anything take it away from us.

The CollegeCandy writers weighed in this week on their worst St. Patrick’s day nightmares, real or imagined. We tried to have them tell us their favorite memories, but most people can’t remember St. Patty’s Days of the past for some reason. Weird. Read More »


Candy Dish: Syracuse Beats UConn in an Historic Game

590beast_syracuse_connecticut_basketballsffembeddedprod_affiliate138.jpg6 overtimes!? Way to go, Syracuse!

Lily Allen attacks!

Not sure I believe Brad would choose the nanny over Angie.

Michael Phelps opens up about pot picture.

John Stewart vs. Jim Cramer. Go.

Is Mandy Moore preggers?

If You Seek Amy video.

Get ready for some more affordable birth control!

Is Chanel for real with this?!

A little behind the “scenes” gossip from The Hills!

New Balance for Nine West. So cute!

Jessica Biel wants to marry JT. Um, who doesn’t?!


The (Hyphen) Dress

Rachael BilsonI’ve been an avid fan of Rachael Bilson’s style since first seeing her in The Last Kiss. I mean, come on- the girl’s got killer style. Anyway, this post is not going to be about her. (Ha-ha! Fooled you with the picture, didn’t I?) This post is going to be about her outfit, namely: the (hyphen) dress.

In recent times, the fashion industry has been renaming things in a way that would make i-Apple proud. For years I’ve watched as designers attached a hyphen and the word ‘dress’ to the back of everything and well, called it a dress: the t-shirt-dress, the oxford button-up-dress, the polo-dress, the sweater-dress, the hoody-dress (?!-wtf, American Apparel)…

What really ticked me off was that the extra three inches or so of fabric they added to the bottom of the SHIRT always translated to three times the cost. Not cool.

Naturally, I was outraged. But when lower-end chains started picking up on the style (and as a result, dropping the prices to fit my recession friendly budget), my outrage turned into amusement, my amusement into curiosity, my curiosity into desire, and my desire into I-GOTTA-HAVE-IT-RIGHT-NOW!!

So even though I am completely sold by this perfect balance of casual and chic, I get that not everybody is swayed by the “–dress.” Note: First convo with the bf after my shirt-dress purchase…

BF: It’s a shirt

Me: NO, dummy! You obviously don’t know fashion- it’s a shirt-dress.

BF: Like I said… it’s a shirt

Sigh. Can’t win em all. But for those of you who are interested/see the gloriousness that is the “-dress,” here are some super cute options. Read More »


The Best Bars Out There (The Non Drinking Kind)

659×400seekbehindbar03.jpgSo you’re on your way to the beach to have the greatest spring break ever. You’ve worked hard to get that body bikini-ready all semester long, and now you’re ready to show it off.

You could pack chips, sandwiches and candy to get you through those grueling hours of sunbathing, but why not bring along some yummy nutrition bars that help your figure and make your taste buds happy?

Here are my recommended top 5:

Gnu Flavor and Fiber Bars

Does your mouth water every time you smell the cinnabons at the mall? Do you have a hard time not finishing the whole bag of raisins once you start? If either of those apply to you, then you’ll love the Cinnamon Raisin bar. It’s only 130 calories and gives you 12g of fiber, already half of what you need per day! It is definitely my favorite, with Chocolate Brownie coming in second. The Banana Walnut is good for all you nut-lovers out there, and the Peanut Butter is a great substitute for everyone’s favorite (and surprisingly high calorie) PB&J sandwich. Plus, your heart will be thanking you for the lack of added sugar and artificial ingredients. All-natural, all the way.

Pros: flavor, fiber, and filling!

Cons: The price. And the Orange Cranberry bar. It was very… citrusy. Read More »


College Candy’s St Patty’s Day Playlist!

shyte.jpgFor those of you who don’t know (and what college student doesn’t?), St. Patrick’s Day, AKA my all-time favorite holiday, is almost here! Next Tuesday, people all over the globe will wake up bright and early for kegs and eggs at their local pub to celebrate St. Patrick and all his glory.

So, to assist you in your 14+ hour drinking binge, this playlist features some of the best music the Emerald Isle has to offer (and alright, not all the artists are Irish – but they’re still fun to listen to while guzzling green beer, ya dig?).

I think it’s no coincidence that all these Irish tracks are also PERFECT springtime-is-almost-kinda-sorta-here-so-let’s-get-drunk-on-the-porch songs. That means even if you can’t skip class to hit the bar (and/or porch) early in the mornin’, you can save it for the next sunny day you have to waste away getting wasted.

How bout gettin’ yer drink on here, aye?


Twit or Tweet: To Twitter Or Not To Twitter?

twitter.jpgLet’s talk about Twitter: To have a Twitter, or not to have one? To use it, or not to use it? And most importantly, how do you use a Twitter?

It seems like everyone’s all atwitter about, well, Twitter these days.  Started in 2006, Twitter is a “micro-blogging” service where users post status updates (called Tweets) that are limited to 140 characters, which answer the question, “What are you doing?” You can also add friends on Twitter by “following” their feeds.

But while you may be thinking, “only status updates? Just 140 characters? Why would people care what I’m doing 400 times a day? I already have a Facebook, thanks,” don’t dismiss Twitter just yet.  As a matter of fact, its beauty is in its simplicity.

People use Twitter for everything from updating their friends about their whereabouts (“at the airport- Spring Break Cancun here I come!”) to sharing breaking news and reactions to important events.  It’s actually become quite a phenomenon among journalists and media-types. Many will post links to fresh news stories or recent articles they’ve written. It’s easy because you can update Twitter from your cell phone (via text message) or instant messanger, so you can post when you’re on the go. Read More »


Guilt-Free Potato Chips! No, I’m Not Effing With You.

popchips2.JPGIf you’re a bit calorie-conscious like me and won’t go near any form of full-fat, greasy potato chips, here’s a great alternative to satisfy those pesky salty/crunchy/carb-loaded cravings.

I can’t believe we’ve never talked about them before on CC. Because Popchips are off. the. chain!

I had heard a lot about Popchips, but was a bit skeptical the first time I brought them home. That lasted about 2 seconds.

When I opened the bag, I could smell the deliciousness of the BBQ-flavored chips just waiting for me to devour them. And so I did. And they were awesome, down to the last finger-licking crumb. I found them to be light and airy, kind of like popcorn, but a lot more flavorful and crispy.

The best part is that they’re completely guilt-free! Since they’re not fried in oil, but rather “popped”  using heat and pressure (don’t worry, I don’t get it either) the chips have half the fat of a typical potato chip with no trans fat, no saturated fats, no cholesterol and no preservatives. Read More »


Girl Crush: Maggie Gyllenhaal

tn2_maggie_gyllenhaal_1.jpgWhile I must admit that I crushed on her brother (damn you, Reese Witherspoon) long before discovering my love for her, I am currently in a serious Maggie Gyllenhaal phase.

Like our previous girl crush, Natalie Portman, Maggie really does seem to have it all: beauty, brains, an impressive list of roles and award nominations, and a totally cute daughter named Ramona who took no toll on her model-like, 5 foot 9 inch body.

Whenever I’m discussing my female loves with friends, she always comes up as the “cool, retro looking” actress, and you gotta love an alternative to all the Paris Hiltons out there (no Paris, I do not want to be your new BFF). Her unconventional beauty reminds me of the Hollywood starlets of the past, and this paired with her immense talent qualifies her as my girl crush of the week.

Other reasons why we love her?

She has managed to avoid a negative rep and is never caught by the paparazzi looking cracked out or overexposed, which is more than some Hollywood moms can say for themselves. (Britney… Britney’s private parts…). She has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and is very politically active, having spoken out against the Iraq war a number of times and campaigned on behalf of a number of political organizations. Read More »


I Went and Got Tested

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After reading about one CollegeCandy writer’s scary STD experience, I realized that I had not been tested in over 4 years. Before I was having actual sex. It’s not like I never thought about it; it’s just that I never considered myself someone who needed to be tested. Doesn’t make much sense when I say it out loud, but in my head I kept thinking of my former, not sexually active, self, and never thought that I was at risk.

But last week I called my doctor and made an appointment. And every day for the past 7, I have picked up the phone to call my doctor back and cancel. What if I have something? What if I have something serious? What do I do? Do I call all of my previous partners? I mean, it’s been 4 years! Who knows where I got something from and who I passed it onto. And, as embarassing as this is to say, there is one partner in particular in there whose name I do not even know…

But I did not cancel. I acted like the adult that I am and I went to my gyno to get tested. Read More »


Love It or Hate It: Leopard (Rarrr)

jessica_alba400.jpgSo I was in Forever 21 yesterday (because, let’s face it, I’m there weekly) and I noticed something happening. Something scary. Something….leopard.

My fight or flight instincts began to kick in and I found myself making my way towards the door. The leopard was everywhere and I was overwhelmed. Leopard scarves (fine), dresses (meh), pants (oy), and bra-tops (WTF?!).

I would not win. I’d have to make a run for it.

But while Forever was going a little leopard overboard, I noticed that familiar print popping up all over the mall. Yes, even in Nordstrom.

So now I am hiding in my house, hoping that the Peggy Bundy print doesn’t come near me. Clearly I’m alone on this one – I mean, someone must be buying this shiz. Tell me: is that someone you!?

Leopard Print is back. Love it or hate it?