So, I live in the Midwest and that means the onset of October is practically winter. I have only about two hoodies and sweaters that are anywhere near stylish, and I really want to do a complete fall wardrobe overhaul, but there’s just one tiny problem—I have about enough spare cash to buy a box of mints from the Old Navy checkout aisle, and that’s it.

Not even the Budget Stylista can help me out.

I can’t be the only one in this situation, right? Yeah, I thought not. Luckily, I came up with a solution that has seemed to triple my wardrobe and even saved me that extra money for some emergency Old Navy mints. Ready for it?

I reorganized my closet.

That’s right! I know it sounds like the opposite of groundbreaking, but roll with me here for a minute. It took me almost a whole day, but once I rearranged everything—and got rid of a bunch of old clothes along the way—it was like I had completely new stuff. My method was Color Organization, and it’s about what it sounds like—I took everything in my closet and sorted it by color. (Think Forever 21.) So if I had a purple formal dress and purple cut-off denim shorts, I put them next to each other. Yes, really.

You might think that all this created was a disorganized closet, but you’d be amazed by how many killer outfits I’ve put together since arranging things that way. Not only did I reassess everything I owned (most of which I had completely forgotten about!), but I was able to think of what I owned in a completely new way. I tend think in terms of color and what colors might look good together, so this has been revolutionary for me. It makes getting dressed in the morning soooo much easier (and more fun!); I just look at the colors and grab a few things that look good together. No thought, no fuss, no crawling under my bed to find that box of sweaters I put there last summer.

If you’re a color gal, too, give it a try. And if not, try one of these other organization systems on for size: Read More »

I am a HUGE fan of “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” (the book, not the movie) so when I found out that after 6 years, Audrey Niffenegger was releasing another novel, I knew I had to get my paws on it. Luckily, my anniversary with my boyfriend coincided beautifully with the release date, so, needless to say, I received it as a gift (good job, Tyler!).

Anyways, “Her Fearful Symmetry,” as you can imply from the title, focuses on pairs. In the novel, Elspeth Noblin has died from leukemia and left her flat in London and the majority of her belongings to her mirror-image twin nieces, Valentina and Julia, whom she has never met. They are the children of her twin sister, Edie, and right from the beginning you are made aware that they have not spoken to each other in 21 years. Niffenegger hints at the tension between the sisters and that it has something to do with Edie’s husband Jack, but doesn’t reveal the secret until much, much later.

Julia and Valentina are a bit lost living in the US with their parents; they continually enroll and then drop out of post-secondary institutions and have an extremely hard time being apart. They decide to move to London to live in their aunt Elspeth’s flat, but it comes with some conditions, including that they must live together in the flat for a year before they can sell it.

The twins move to London and soon meet the other characters in the novel, all of whom seem to function in pairs: Robert Fanshaw, Elspeth’s much younger lover and neighbor, Martin, who has severe OCD and his (literally) absent wife Marijke. Elspeth also continues to be a major player in the novel, only as a ghost. She is able to communicate with anyone in her flat and, eventually, Valentina starts to see Elspeth. Now, Valentina appears to have always struggled with her existence being tied to Julia; she wants to break free and finally do something on her own. She formulates a plan with Elspeth and Robert… and I think that’s all I’m going to say for plot….. Read More »

The never-ending search for ways to better your chances of finding a job post graduation does not stop once you are back in the classroom for the year. There is a lot of competition out there (just look at all those kids in your classes!), so getting some internships under your belt is important. And now, yes now, is the time to start looking for internships for the spring semester and even the summer.

The importance of internships cannot be overlooked. Not only are they resume boosters, but good ones also provide you with excellent experience in the field of your choice. That way when you show up to your first day of work, you aren’t lost in a sea of papers and Excel spreadsheets.

But where can you find these coveted positions? Every student and their over-zealous mother is searching sites such as Monster.com and fighting over the internships available there. But here are some other sites that not only offer amazing internship opportunities (that are actually useful and not just a place to surf Facebook all summer), but also other services and advice for the budding, young intern. Read More »

I’ve got a lot of questions on my mind today: Is it humanly possible to read four books and write two papers in the next 72 hours? How did it go from zero to winter in five days flat? When will it stop raining? Who is balloon boy and why should I care about him?

And I’m not the only one asking questions. Take a look at some of the burning queries that have been occupying CC writers for the past week:

- Can intercultural dating ever work out for the best?

- Is paying $89 to get a bump-free bikini line worth it?

- Will frat houses be able to survive the Great Swine Flu Freakout of ’09?

- Is it weird to have a huge crush on Aladdin?

- Can anyone afford post-college apartments?

- What’s worse: sexist iPhone apps or slutty costumes for 7^th graders?

- Where can I get an adult-sized Barbie jeep of my very own?

- Would anybody seriously buy a vagina mint?

- Should you resist the urge to go Facebook official?

- What’s keeping us from actually liking the nice guys?

- And finally: Does anyone want to get some Italian food and go sailing with me?  Columbus Day be damned—that just seems like a sweet way to start off the weekend, despite the frigid temperature.

Ha! I got you, bitch!

Poor Mike! He should have known better than to leave his Facebook profile open on someone else’s computer. Usually, I’m pretty unimpressed with jokes that hinge on dudes acting like there’s something inherently hilarious about homosexuality—unless they’re Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd—but this prank is pretty genius. (Side note: How on earth are there that many groups about loving cock??)

Changing around someone’s Facebook profile is the ultimate prank. We all spend way too much time worrying about presenting ourselves in the best light possible on Facebook: listing the right favorite movies and music, displaying a flattering profile pic, writing something funny and pithy in our “About Me” sections. When someone messes with your profile, then, they’re poking fun at your image-consciousness in an extremely public way—and they’re also making sure that an audience of hundreds can immediately see that you just got played.

So, since witnessing a Facebook prank at its finest, I’ve been thinking about other ways to subtly mess with my friends’ Facebook profiles, given the chance. And considering they stored their passwords and leave their bedroom doors unlocked, that chance is most definitely given.

Here’s what I’ve come up with so far: Read More »

There's more to us than what's popping out of our dresses, you know.

I just got back from the happiest place on earth. And no, I’m not talking about Disneyland. Although Vegas is a lot LIKE Disneyland, but instead of candy you have booze and instead of rides you have prostitutes. Which I guess can be considered rides…. If I had spent more than three days there, my entire body and life would have started decaying as quickly as my morals did (just kidding guys, no secret marriages here!).

But beyond all the slot machines, free booze and horny people everywhere, Las Vegas is like single life grown in a petri dish; it’s bigger and more rampant, and it lets you observe some things. A lot of the weekend involved putting on our hottest outfits, going to the hottest places, and (hopefully) flirting with the hottest guys.  But somewhere in between flirting with the bouncer to get to the head of the line (which probably only works for Lindsay Lohan) and making eyes at the cute guy across the dance floor, it hit me: the giant singles meat market that is Las Vegas is not too far off from the giant singles meat market that is my life in Chicago. Read More »

Oy vey.

Last week, AOL’s Parent Dish blog posted an interview with Jon Gosselin in which the revolting reality star revealed that he’s flirting with Judaism. His current girlfriend, Hailey Glassman, is a Member of the Tribe herself, and she’s apparently turned him on to the wonders of Jewish holidays and munchies: “I just went through Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur and learned about the new year and every Friday is the Shabbat dinner. I love challah bread. I’m learning about Jewish food, going to Zabar’s. I love that place. I’m learning about kosher and when not to order a bacon, egg and cheese and make an ass of myself,” he said.

The interviewer then asked Jon if he can see himself converting, and he replied by saying that he’s already spoken to Rabbi Shmuley, star of TLC’s Shalom in the Home and Michael Jackson’s former BFF.

Jon’s only the latest in a long line of public figures who have made headlines by dabbling in Judaism—Britney Spears was spotted wearing a Star of David this summer, fueling rumors that she was switching religious teams to get closer to once and current boyfriend Jason Trawick. Lindsay Lohan reportedly announced on Facebook that she was converting for Samantha Ronson, although it’s unclear whether she went through with it since she and Sam split up last spring. And don’t forget about Madonna, whose uber-Christian name makes her devotion to Kabbalah insanely ironic. Read More »

If my new obsession with Old Soul New Heart taught you anything, it’s that accessories can make an outfit.
And here’s another thing I’m about to teach you, so take note: if you want to stand out in a crowd wear a hat.

Every time I go out on a weekend in a beret EVERYONE comments. It’s unique, it’s different andit says you’ve got fashion balls.

Hello, risk-taker!

If, however, you find yourself in my shoes with a big case of LH (large head, and I mean that literally; not the ego kind), headbands are another great way to change up a look or keep up with a trend without going into serious debt. They also happen to be a great way to get by without washing your hair for “just one more day”- slick those bangaroos back and you look chick and clean! Cute while being lazy? Now that’s what I’m talking about!

Here are my favorite hats, headbands and hair accessories for fall. They give a whole new meaning to hat hair and for once, I don’t mind it! Read More »

Yes, that’s exactly what it looks like. If it looks like a sex toy, that is.
If one tongue (attached to one man) isn’t enough for you, now you can have lots and lots of tongues coming at your lady parts in rapid succession.

Without the awkwardness of all those dudes wrestling for room between your legs.

Personally, I’m more inclined to use this to finally get to the bottom of the age old “how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop” debate, but to each their own.

Take off your shirt, Penn. That will protect you!

I love a good edge-of-your-seat, will-I-or-will-I-not-pee-my-pants kind of thriller movie. Something about not knowing whether or not I’m going to scream or cry or lose control of my bladder really delights me. Which is why I’ve been counting down the minutes since I first saw the commercial for “The Stepfather” (and then saw it again 1,000 times) during Gossip Girl a few weeks back.

And it’s finally here! So, this weekend I am forgoing my usual drinking plans, grabbing a boy (a strong boy who can wrap his big, muscle-y arms around me when I’m crying) and scaring the crap out of myself at the movies.

In this remake of the 1987 version, “The Stepfather” is about a man who moves in with his fiance and her family, and then his sketch appears on America’s Most Wanted. For killing his former families. Talk about a buzz kill for that engagement.

But hey, brutal killers need love too, don’t they? Read More »