The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver begin today, and athletes from around the globe are prepping for their fifteen minutes of fame. If you’re like me and will probably find yourself at an Olympics party this evening, check out this list of athletes who are sure to find their names in the headlines (or faces on a Wheaties box) in the near future.

Don’t know who to root for in speed skating? Not sure if you want to bet your roommate that Canada will win more golds than ever this Olympiad? You can find the answers to these questions (and trivia to impress all your friends) right here. Read More »

There is something about the date February 14^th that brings out the “crazy” in all of us single girls.

During any other time of the year, we may be loving single life and having a blast with our friends (or friends for the night…). But then something happens.  February rolls around and pink and red decorative hearts start appearing everywhere, sending us into a fit of hysteria. We feel a sense of urgency that suddenly it is not OK to be alone.  We consider settling for that weird dude on campus who wears shorts and sandals year round. We shovel down quarts of ice cream, crying to our friends about how no guy will ever love us, and that we may as well become nuns or lesbians.

On every other day we are completely content with our lives, but Valentine’s Day hits and we peg ourselves future cat ladies, destined for lives of misery and fur balls.

But hold on, ladies. No matter how single you are and crazy you feel right now, take solace in the fact that you’ll never stoop this low:

And if that doesn’t make you feel better, well, at least you’re not dating John Mayer.…

On Thursday morning, English fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen died at 40. An innovative designer, his fashion designs were just as much pieces of art as they were pieces of clothing. His designs were unconventional and controversial, while his shows employed shock tactics, earning him the nickname “l’enfant terrible.”

Considered to be shy, McQueen preferred to conduct interviews with his back to the camera. But that didn’t keep him from befriending celebrities, stylists and designers; it is obvious that in reading the responses from his peers, McQueen was held in high esteem in the fashion world. And that world was rocked when news of his death broke just as New York Fashion Week began.

McQueen started his trek to the fashion top right out of school, selling his final collection created at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design to Isabella Blow in 1992.  At age 27,  with only 8 collections under his kilt belt, McQueen became the Designer-in-Chief for Givenchy – replacing John Galliano.  He was eventually deemed too avant-garde for Givenchy and left to design under his own label, which has since seen tremendous success.

Throughout his career, McQueen won British Fashion Designer of the Year four times, named International Designer of the Year by the CFDA, honored as a Most Excellent Commander of the British Empire and named British Menswear Designer of the Year. Edgy, talented, inspirational and controversial, he was truly one of fashion’s greats.

In tribute to Alexander McQueen, here are some highlights from his career. Read More »

Though it’s hard to think about it now (because it’s hard to think of anything when you’re knee deep in snow), florals are huge for Spring. Shoes, jackets, bags, you name it- with the exception of a cute boy toting a bouquet at my front door, florals are popping up just about everywhere. That being said, it’s hard to look at a floral pattern and wonder if you will look more like your grandma chillin’ in Boca than the uber fashionista you want to portray. So here are some tips to help you out:

1. Keep the rest of the outfit simple. Choose ONE piece of jewelery or a simple belt so that the flowers are the main event.
2. Keep it fun. Aim to keep the look playful, youthful and appropriate for situations other than the 4pm early bird special.
3. Fit is important. Go for fitted dresses, shorter skirts and trendier cuts. Even if the pattern is reminiscent of the drapes at g-ma’s, these things will keep it youthful (and hot).

Here are two floral looks for you to try on for size. One, a bolder and brighter ensemble for those daring ladies, and the other, a softer, more feminine style. Read More »

Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio have been trying to warn us for years, but the message has never been more clear:  Global Warming is going to screw us.

So, Valentine’s Day is 2 days away. Those who are part of a steady relationship have at least been dwelling on what to do for the holiday for a little while now, but what if you’re one of the people who thought you’d be spending the holiday alone and then, miraculously, you met someone, hit it off, and now you suddenly have a last-minute Valentine?

Shopping for V-day gifts can always be hard, but when it’s a brand new situation, it’s even harder. You need something fun, simple, and cute, but nothing too much – or too little. You need to show you care and are thinking of that special someone, but don’t want to make them think things are moving too fast.

To help you out, here are some suggestions of gifts to give, and – as a bonus – gifts to avoid. Read More »

Is there anything sexier than a guy with a guitar (besides, of course, a guy with some drums)? We think not, which is why we’re currently swooning over the boys of Young & Divine. This Albany based pop-punk group is comprised of three awesome and totally talented dudes, Jake Mai, JP Clark and Joe Bortscheller.

This trio is as talented as they are adorable (and witty, sincere, humble, adorable…wait, I already said that one), being compared to music heavy hitters like The All American Rejects and Boys Like Girls. Their first self-titled album is set to debut this Spring, and after spending the last week dancing around (in my granny panties….I really need to do laundry) to their first single, Shake That Bubble, we can’t wait.

Lucky for us, the boys of Young & Divine took a little time out of their rock star schedules to sit down and talk to us. There were so many things we wanted to know (like why the Joe and JP were using MySpace to find a drummer), but with Valentine’s Day creepin’ up on us, we thought we’d pick these three hotties’ brains about love.

(Full disclosure: we just wanted to figure out how we could woo them for ourselves….) Read More »

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being loved. Not even fresh, hot chocolate chip cookies (with a little extra raw dough on the side) gives you the same warm, comforting feeling of knowing that someone out there really, really loves you.

And that someone can be anyone: a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a best friend, your dog. It just feels good to be loved.

I remember the first time my dad told me he loved me. We aren’t really one of those “I love you” families that shares feelings (unless making really sarcastic jokes at one another’s expense counts), so it wasn’t until I was off at college that I heard my dad say those words. At first I panicked, called my mom and asked if he was dying (true story). But when she told he was fine (“I’d tell you if he was dying, dear.”) and that he’d just been talking lately about how proud he was of me and how much he loved me, it just felt…good. Like I was warming up from the inside.

It bothers me that the focus of Valentine’s Day rests so heavily on “romantic love,” because there is just so much love out there that should be cherished. Whether or not you have someone to get naked with exchange chocolates with on Sunday, we all have a lot of love in our lives. And we can’t forget it. This week I asked the CollegeCandy writers to share one moment when they really felt loved. If these don’t melt your heart (like the gooey chocolate on a fresh-baked cookie), I don’t know what will. Read More »

10 easy ways to make your man weak in the knees

Are Jen and Gerard meant to be?

Ke$ha likes drag queens and other useful info.

Lady Gaga’s latest crazy look.

What’s wrong with President Clinton?

Valentine’s Day cards we wish existed.

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman (unless she happens to be charging at us with her fists raised), so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like gay marriage!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

OK I know what you’re thinking, ”ugh, another Valentine’s post.” You’re probably as sick of hearing about this lovey-dovey holiday as I am (seriously, they put up the Cupid decorations on New Year’s Day!) but I think it’s about time we really had it out on this one.

Valentine’s Day – do or don’t?

On the one hand, I know a lot of people (single and not) who would just as soon abolish the holiday. If you’re single, V-Day can be a real downer – all those movies and shows about love, everyone who’s not single walking around and cooing about how great their significant other is (or complaining that they weren’t romantic enough), plus, if you want any of the chocolate that’s freaking everywhere, you have to go and buy it for yourself which can be a definite blow to the ego. Read More »