In case you haven’t noticed, the Oscars are tonight. (Have you made your predictions yet? You only have a few hours left to enter!) If you’re anything like me, that means you’ll be perched on the couch, surrounded by friends, starting at 5pm to catch, and talk about, all the red carpet drama.

And at about 6pm, after you’ve discovered that Brad and Angie aren’t actually coming and your stomach is growling, you’ll be wishing you had something to munch on. And by “munch” I mean “devour.” But just like you can’t serve Natty Light at your Oscar bash, you really can’t chow down on Sun Chips and Swedish Fish for such a special occasion.

You need a snack fit for the evening and nothings says “Fit for a red carpet affair to impress your friends but still totally easy and OH MY GOD SO DELICIOUS” quite like baked brie. I swear, this recipe is easier than opening a bag of Tostitos and so. much. better. It only takes a few minutes, so run to that campus market, get the goods, and you’ll have plenty of time to whip this up somewhere between studying and settling in for the big night. Or, you know, any night of the week. Because it’s just that good. Read More »

I can’t believe that in less than 3 months I’ll be a college graduate.  I’ve tried avoiding it, but that failed. Somehow my mom wasn’t thrilled with the idea of me wanting to stay and party at the #1 party school no matter how much I tried to convince her that I wanted to open my mind to a new world of educational and enlightening wonders.

Yes, the thought of graduating still makes me nauseous (I’d prefer a tequila hangover any day) but these past few months have been a period of reflection for me; that amazing game-winning beer pong shot, the many “I did WHAT” stories, the intense study sessions for required classes that I’ll never need in my real life….

With the real world looming on the not-so-distant horizon, I realize that my time at Penn State has been legen…wait for it…DARY, but there’s still so much useful stuff I don’t know. So now I’m sitting here, up to my ears in job applications, wishing that maybe instead of forcing me to take Geology 101 (and spend major cashola on it), my school would have offered some more useful classes… Read More »

Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. Last month we followed Lauren from University of Michigan as she successfully went 100% sober. This month we’re following Norah on her quest to bring exercise into her life.

I am quite possibly the least athletic person you will ever meet.

When I was 12, my mother asked me not to run in public. “It’s embarrassing,” she said. “There’s something about the way you run that’s just…weird.”

Once I started college, my friends quickly diagnosed my problem: I run like a dinosaur.

Here’s why: When I was 4, I started taking Irish dancing lessons. Yes, like Riverdance. And in Irish dancing, you’re not allowed to move your arms—they have to stay straight at your sides. So when it came time to run, I didn’t know what to do with my arms. With no better ideas, I just pulled them up by my armpits and “took flight.”

Add in some exercise-induced asthma and a fear of flying sports equipment and it’s clear that I was never meant to be an athlete.

I’ve been accused of being lazy, of not really trying, of not being committed enough to get in shape. But I know that’s not it. In elementary school, when the rest of the class couldn’t play on the playground until the last person was done running the mile, I remember trying so hard to finish so my classmates wouldn’t hate me (fourth graders are fickle, fickle creatures). If the anger of my peers wasn’t enough to push me to physical fitness, I don’t know what is.

Read More »

Oh Facebook, how did we get along before you?

You help us stalk our crushes in order to see their likes, and if there are any skanks in their photos they’re available.
You help us avoid people (you know, the ones who tell you where they are at all times in their statuses and you think to yourself, “damn, I really wanted to eat lunch there, too”).
You keep us sane while studying for exams (or at least, our attempting to study while browsing the news feed).

Facebook has become central to our lives and, much like Google, is not only a noun, but a verb as well.

But at times, like when we’re trying to maintain a relationship, Facebook isn’t that great. In fact, it’s yet another outlet for really awkward situations. Read More »

Move over Rodarte sisters, Jean Paul Gaultier is taking over everyone’s favorite store and the wait is finally over. On Sunday, March 7^th, Gaultier’s collaboration with Target will be available in 250 stores nationwide.

But with rumors of the line not being confirmed until October of 2009, the buzz may have been bigger than the line itself.  Consisting of 20 looks, the line will only be available in a fraction of Target stores for about 5 weeks (until April 11^th).  If you don’t happen to live near a chosen location, don’t fret; thank God for the World Wide Web.

Gaultier is following in the footsteps of several designers including the late Alexander McQueen and Anna Sui.  The series of designer collaborations has inspired a cheap-chic movement, allowing the average American woman to feel of a higher status without breaking the bank.  Each designer has been inspired by a certain fashion icon or muse to distinguish their lines from the rest. Read More »

Spring Break is fast approaching and besides a margarita permanently placed in my grasp, there is something else I’m looking forward to accompanying me on the beach.  And it is a good book.  There is really nothing like the feeling of placing your lounge chair up to the waves to tickle your feet, and slamming through drink after drink book after book.  Life gets pretty difficult when you mix hot sun with alcohol, and this is a fair remedy for a relaxing beach activity.

So here is a short list of books you can shove in your carry on, before you hit your fabulous beachy destination of choice this year.  And if you’re anything like a book-nerd like me, you will get through (almost) every single one of them. Read More »

[The following post is courtesy of our most fashionable friends over at CollegeFashion.net.]

Usually I feature items that I consider timeless; things that you can wear again and again no matter the season. For the very last edition of the Fashion Essentials series, I’ve decided to highlight something that a lot of people either skip entirely or go overboard on: seasonal trends.

I consider trendy items essentials in a college girl’s wardrobe. Adding a trendy item to an outfit full of classics is a fun way to experiment with fashion, and proves you know “what’s in”. However, having a closet full of last season’s hottest trends isn’t realistic or smart: trendy items should be simply for fun, and not investment pieces or long-lasting essentials. Because no one wants to spend big money on short-term items, I’m going to focus on spring trend essentials for under $50. Read More »

I don’t know if Mother Nature is just playing with me, but it seriously feels like Spring is right around the corner.  Is anyone else ready to lay in the quad while dodging frisbees, and catching up on reading assignments with the girls? I know that I sure am.

Even if this nice weather subsides, Spring Break is right around the corner.  Unfortunately before any sun bathing begins, I’m trying to find that special internship (it couldn’t come along soon enough)! But luckily, the super stressful, super long, super annoying week has come to an end.

Also come to an end; Jake’s search for undeniable love on The Bachelor.

Thanks to Jake, I feel as if the entire U.S. was up in arms about his (not so brilliant) choice for love. Yep, it’s been a long week dealing with our broken hearts for Tenley; we all need a break.  But before we dive into our weekend, here is the week that was:

- We talked to the boys of The Buried Life. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be seriously sad when these boys park Penelope and stop crossing things off their Bucket Lists.

- We tried out Chatroulette. And learned it is absolutely nuts. Read More »

Who ever thought the phrase “It’s time to breast feed” could become the world’s greatest pick-up line and make you the most popular girl around? Possibly the best invention since the World Wide Web, a new drinking device may just make this true.  We introduce you to your new best friend:

The Wine Rack.

Yeah, the product name is great, but the actual product is even better.

This handy bra can hold up to 3.5 bottles of wine, 64 shots of your favorite poison, or nearly 7 beers. And with the attached straw, you can sip, sip, sip to your heart’s content.

Holding liquor in your bra? WHY have I never thought of this?  The brilliance!  This bra kills about 27 birds with one stone.  A couple of dead birds: Read More »

I was studying for my Calc midterm with one of my sorority sisters last night, and like good students (hey, we were studying on a Thursday night, cut us some slack) we were soon off the topic of derivatives and onto to the topic of boys. Anna and I were trying to figure out the strange tapestry of relationships that make up our lives, venting that life would be a hell of a lot easier if there were less gray areas in relationships and more “Okay, we are officially exclusively dating” talks.

You know, your typical late night girl talk.

When I finally packed up my books and left the library, the conversation stuck with me. Anna, who is currently single and never really dated anyone in high school, was telling me about how she had never understood all of the things that some girls put up with to be in a relationship.  “I just don’t understand why such amazing girls settle for some losers. There is nothing scary about being single until the right person comes along.”

Now, obviously, there are lots of great guys out there that she was not referring to. And, obviously, a lot of girls out there are single and enjoying it. Yet, Anna really made me think, and I realized that when I first got out of my crazy long-term relationship, it took months before I would let people call me single. Months! I was so scared of the term, of what it implied and of actually being single. Now I realize that Anna is right – that there is nothing bad about being single and nothing missing, either. Read More »