One summer when I was away at camp I got into a fight with all ten girls in my bunk. For three days, no one would talk to me. Eventually my counselor called me into her cabin and sat me down for a talk. I tried to blame everyone else (“But she cut me in line for water skiing! And she kicked sand onto my towel!”), but Stacy just wasn’t having it.

“If the entire bunk is mad at you, could it be something that you’re doing?” She asked.

I started to cry. Not because she was right – those girls were being cruel to me, not the other way around – but because now even my counselor was being mean. My 11-year-old mind couldn’t wrap itself around her reasoning. I didn’t do anything wrong and she’s taking their side? Why not call the other girls over and tell them there was something wrong with them? I want my mom.

But now, a little older and a whole lot wiser, I wonder if Stacy’s argument holds true.

I’ve been single for three years now. Three long years. I’ve had my fair share of post-bar trysts, but nothing that hasn’t ended with a few awkward stares as I strolled back to my place in the outfit I wore the night before. I’ve also had a few dates here and there but, again, none of it ever panned out. I’d like to think it was all my choice – that there was something wrong with each and every one of the guys I’ve gotten naked/drinks with – but now I’m beginning to wonder if maybe the problem isn’t with all of them and is actually with me. Read More »

Lady Gaga joins the charge to help Haiti.

10 things every woman should have in her car.

Jennifer and Gerard get cozy at the Globes. What’s goin’ on??

Don’t get a boring manicure; get nail art!

Would you buy a Booty Pop?

OMG it’s really happening!

Because I spent kindergarten through 8^th grade at a single-sex school, I didn’t have too many interactions with guys until I was about 14. That means that for much of my life, most of the stuff I “knew” about people with Y-chromosomes came from poring over the pages of mags like Seventeen and Glamour.

Maybe that’s why for nearly a decade and a half, I was under the impression that boys were an entirely different species that thought and acted in ways totally opposite from those of women. I had no idea how to talk to dudes because I figured that I could have absolutely nothing in common with any of them. They were from Mars, and I was from Venus; they got mini-Hotmobiles in their Happy Meals while I had to make due with miniature Barbie dolls. As far as I knew, that was just the way the world worked.

Since then, of course, I’ve learned that guys and girls really aren’t that dissimilar. Sure, maybe they’re more likely to enjoy movies that feature explosions and we’re more likely to watch anything starring Meryl Streep, but real people prove that even such widely agreed-upon stereotypes have plenty of exceptions—especially since those old clichés also assume that all men and women are hetero.

But even though dudes and chicks can’t actually be separated into two conflicting groups, magazines still insist on bifurcating men and women into opposing sides. Hell, the entire women’s magazine industry is predicated on the assumption that all men behave the same way—and that women can only understand men if they read publications that promise to decode their mystifying manners. Read More »

OK, I’ve got one question and one question only…

Who the F is Ke$ha??

The girl wears glitter. A lot of it.
She totally ripped off my girl Uffie.
She has a dollar sign IN HER NAME.
She has one song out…and it’s about getting wasted.

But girlfriend is everywhere. She’s all over the internet, the radio plays her song religiously and she’s even found a spot on my workout playlist. And my getting ready to go out playlist. And my walk to class playlist…

Now, I know the stars of pop music have been a little ridiculous lately (Exhibit A), but this new-found obsession with Ke$ha has me a little worried; bad romance outfits are one thing, but brushing your teeth with a bottle of Jack? Come on now, girl.

I mean – really, Kesha? – you “wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy”? What does it feel like to be an angry, controlling, egotistical rap mogul with a Twitter obsession? Read More »

As someone with very dry skin in the winter and hands that are prone to breaking, cracking, bleeding, etc., I think I have probably tried every brand of hand cream in the nation.

Bad for me (my wallet and my cracking skin), but great for you; I’ve made all the unfortunate purchasing decisions so you don’t have to.

Just in time for the bitter cold, I’m going to share my knowledge with you so you know which creams to slather on and which to leave on the shelves.

Aveeno “Intense Relief” Hand Cream
Let’s start with the worst of the worst, shall we? This cream is basically just a lie in every way. The Aveeno website claims that the cream forms “a protective glove against the elements.” If “protective glove” means “greasy paws,” then I’d say the claim is accurate. Seriously, you’re probably better off lathering up with a can of WD-40; at least that stuff is cheap. I can’t touch anything for at least 15 minutes after I put this lotion on because I’ll leave grease stains all over it. Also, if you care about moisturizing your hands and sealing up cracks, avoid this stuff like the H1N1 virus. It provides temporary relief, but that’s about it.
My advice: NOT recommended. Read More »

Every year as schoolchildren, we studied the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  By now we all know the story: Dr. King was a preacher, a family man, an activist who fought for freedom, standing against the fire hoses and then gunned down in his prime.  He was a good man, practically a saint, and he wanted us all to be friends.

But as we got older, many of us learned that the story of Martin Luther King, Jr.was a bit more complicated than that. The FBI harassment and King’s infidelity to his wife, the tragically beautiful Coretta Scott King, tarnished the image we’d all held onto since elementary school. America’s original icon for change was actually a complex person with concrete fears, anxieties, and, yes, flaws.

And now that Steven Spielberg has finally gotten the green light from the King children to produce and possibly direct a biopic about MLK, Jr., how much light will this ambitious project really shed on such a familiar man and icon? Read More »

College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Everyone needs a little guidance now and then (or always) so we’ve pulled together a variety of perspectives (the does-it-all girl, the party girl and Ms. Study Lounge) to weigh in on your life conundrums and give you the best advice we can.

Every week they’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers to keggers before classes, they’ll do their best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom. Got questions? Unsure of a decision? Need to save some dough? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics?

Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”!

Question:
I’m just about to transfer to a much larger school for the spring semester, after commuting to school for two and a half years (I’m a junior now) and I’m REALLY scared about making friends. I’ve always had some difficulty with making them, since I’m pretty shy and socially awkward. Having friends isn’t impossible, but now that I’m going away to a huge school of 44,000 students, it’s a bit intimidating. Do you have any advice on making new friends mid-year? I’m sorta freaking out. Read More »

Those of us east coasters lugging our duffels and a month’s worth of mom’s cooking back to school have the added joy of doing it in below freezing temperatures. I’ve feared losing some toes to frostbite one too many times in the past couple of weeks and it has left me scolding my Uggs for not being able to keep out the frigid air.

When I underestimated the size of a puddle and then spent the rest of the afternoon squishing through my errands last week, I reached my breaking point.

As much as I love my cozy Uggs during the cold winter months, the truth is, they just aren’t doing the trick during this extremely harsh visit from Mother Nature. That being said, I have added a new item to my wish list (and I am kicking myself over the fact that I couldn’t have come to this realization a month ago when I could have added it to my Christmas list instead).

I’ve seen a ton of people wearing them around campus and I too need to get myself a pair of Sorel Caribous boots.

They are warm, they are comfortable, and best of all they are waterproof, AKA no more freakin’ puddles and mounds of slush leaving me soaked down to my socks. Read More »

While the Golden Globes were pretty entertaining last night (what’s funnier than watching celebs make fun of each other and take serious jabs at NBC), the true magic of the show began a few hours before Ricky Gervais (be still my heart) took the stage. And that magic is better known as the Red Carpet.

When it came to the fashion choices last night, the celebs pulled out all the stops…and hairspray, as they had to brave the showers to make an appearance on the red carpet.  Of course, despite the rain, they all (well, almost all) looked amazing (I’m looking at you Mariah Carey!). And the fact that they could look so beautiful while showing support for Haiti just made the couture dresses all the more fabulous in my little eyes.

There was a whole lot of awesome on the Red Carpet. From Jane Krakowski’s gorgeous purple frock to Courtney Cox workin’ it in basic black, it really was hard to find a dress I didn’t like. But, as always, the beauty is really in the details, and there were some really breathtaking details on display. Below are a few of my favorite bits and pieces from the Golden Globes Red Carpet. Click on the picture to see the deets at work in the overall look! Read More »

"I'm running for the pizza. I'm running for the pizza!"

Ever wonder why those treacherous treadmill sessions haven’t turned you into the next Gisele?
Are you one of those people who thinks that you can eat a slice of pizza after leaving the gym because the body is supposed to burn more fat on days that you exercise?

Well, step away from the pizza, woman.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, the commonly held belief that you continue to burn calories for hours after exercising (commonly known as “afterburn” — you know, the idea that you get a “free meal” that day because you burned 400 calories on the elliptical) is actually a myth! Read More »