Dear YouTube,

Happy Birthday!!!! You may only be 5 years old, but in your short lifespan, you have changed my life forever.  You have given regular people celebrity status, and for that, I am forever grateful.  You are there for me whenever I need you.  Whether I’m bored in class, can’t sleep, or need to be sidetracked from my homework, I can always count on you.

I don’t know where I would be without you today.  You were there for me the time Charlie bit my finger and there was blood everywhere.  I was so nervous for my first school dance, I thought it would be the end of ze world but you taught me the evolution of dance and I was able to shake that booty girl. I had so much fun dancing the night away to numa numa and it made me so hungry. Thank god it was peanut butter jelly time when we crashed at my house.

I will never forget the time we picked up david after his trip to the dentist and took him to the theme park with us.  There was a bit of a scare with that fat kid on the roller-coaster but otherwise we had so much fun, our hands were up and we were screaming weeee the whole time!! I cant wait to celebrate your birthday at the Korean karaoke bar tonight, it’s gonna be a blast!

So many more memories to come! BFFAEAE!

Loyal viewer and friend,
CollegeCandy

We all remember that scene in the first ‘Sex and the City’ movie. You know, the one where Miranda’s hair down there is doing a bit more than just peeking out of her suit. But if I’m being honest, when I first saw the movie I didn’t even pay attention to that extra “collection” south of the border. Not even a bit. For all I know, there could have been dread locks coming out of there because my eyes were glued to her amazing, fabulous, please-can-I-have-it-NOW Red swimsuit.

And every summer since then, I’ve spend many hours drooling all over Norma Kamali’s swim collection. Retro-inspired with real women in mind, her bathing suits make me want to put on some red lipstick and start dancing around to my favorite ’60s jams. Her prints are fun, her cuts clearly keep a woman’s body in mind, and there is really nothing bad I can say about ANY of these amazing swimsuits. Whether it’s her collection on eBay, department stores, in the magazines, every suit I see leaves me saying “I want. I want. I WANT.”

The only flaw is the upwards of $100 price tag that come along with looking so retro cool.
Until now.

Walmart’s Norma Kamali swim line is CHEAP – think $15-$30 for a swim suit – but still has the same look she’s known for. Here are three of my favorite looks: a bikini, a tankini and a one piece. All equally fabulous and all currently in my closet just waiting for a warm weekend to wear ‘em. Read More »

Oh, I see what’s happening here. Because fun little artwork is much cuter and classier than your giant crack hanging out of the top of your jeans. And it draws way less attention.

The fact that a product like this exists makes me question humanity. It’s the type of thing that would worry Tim Gunn and put Anna Wintour into a coma. Can’t we all just agree to nix the ill fitting jeans?

BREAKING NEWS. A study done at The University of Maryland shows that students are addicted to social media.

….Wait a second, we needed a study to prove this??

It is no secret that social media outlets run our lives.  Whether it Facebook, Twitter, or the variations trying to prove their worth (what up, MySpace?), we are constantly connected.  Even on the go, we can count on our trusty iPhones and Blackberrys to bring these outlets to us.

But back to the study. The participants were forced to go one entire day without media of any kind and then blog their feelings when the 24-hour period was up. (Seems a little counter-intuitive, no?) Those who made it through (not surprisingly, some did not) reported that although surrounded by people, they felt completely isolated.

“Texting and IM-ing my friends gives me a constant feeling of comfort,” wrote one student. “When I did not have those two luxuries, I felt quite alone and secluded from my life. Although I go to a school with thousands of students, the fact that I was not able to communicate with anyone via technology was almost unbearable.”

At first glance, that student seems rather pathetic. But think about it: most of us can easily relate to the feeling. Whenever something happens, many of us instantly turn to Facebook or Twitter to share it. That’s why sites like that, and others like TFLN, exist. We are constantly sharing with others and every time a new outlet pops us that allows us to do so, we hop on board. It’s gotten to the point that if some worthy (or even unworthy) news event is not on Facebook, it is as if it never happened. Read More »

After watching this video around 14 times over the course of the week, three things have crossed my mind.

1. Uh – yes! – I hate that cardboard sh*t on the DVDs, too.
2. So that’s the one person in the U.S. who purchased Sorority Row?
3. What sorts of things do I hate enough to rant about in a YouTube vid?

And then I started my personal list of the things I hate. I hate when people that are under the age of 40 call me sweetie. I hate the way Old Navy clothes NEVER seem to fit me right. I hate Perez Hilton. I hate when I carve out a spot in an aerobics class at the gym and some bitch comes in late and stands right. in. front of me. I hate that, no matter how hard I try, I can’t sound nearly as fierce or fabulous as Kingsley (I think that’s this fabulous guy’s name?) when I list off all the things I hate.

And now it’s time for the CollegeCandy writers to open up and let it all out. So, what gets their blood boiling?

Carly – Grinnell: 1. The sound it makes when people itch their legs with long fingernails when they are wearing jeans. 2. Fake friendliness. 3. The fact that the guy I have a crush on keeps inviting me to do things one-on-one with him but NEVER accepts when I ask him to do the same stuff. WTF?!

Lauren – University of Michigan: I hate when people want to have full-blown convos via text. And then when I try to call them (because it will take less time), they don’t answer. HELLO, I KNOW YOU ARE THERE.

Meg – University of Delaware: improper grammar. I cannot stand people who cannot speak their first language properly. It makes you sound uneducated.

Emmy – Loyola University Chicago: I hate that kid in my honors class who will not shut up, even when the professor cuts him off… And awkward encounters with exes. And when there is no Peach Mangosteen Snapple left in the campus store for me! Read More »

Michelle McGee wants to talk to Sandra.

More dramz at casa de Lohan.

Alex Skarsgard and Kate Bosworth are heating up.

What jobs pay women the most?

PETA might have gone too far this time.

Welcome back, T.I.!

[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 tie dye! ) 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!]

Hello, my name is Lauren, and I have a problem. I’d like to lay the blame on my mother (it’s just so convenient!) or maybe her mother before her, but the truth is it’s probably a lot of factors going back who knows how far that have led me to this moment: I’m obsessed with looking young.

While most of my friends still need reminders to wear SPF everyday, I’ve been using anti-aging products since I graduated high school. When I turned 20 I discovered my first fine line across my forehead and have religiously applied product to it almost every day since. This obsession, irrational and vain though it may be, has led me to consider some extreme measures – and it turns out I’m not the only one. Botox injections for women under 30 have skyrocketed in the last few years, and I’m torn. Read More »

In an unexpected move, VH1 is scrapping the majority of its lineup and starting from scratch. The network recently revealed the most comprehensive slate of original programming in its history, and missing are the very franchises that helped transform the one-time purveyor of music videos into a (much-watched) three-ring circus of “celebreality” and sometimes crass dating shows.

“I think it was really just part of our evolution. We’re a pop culture network by definition, so we do always have to be molding and moving,” Jeff Olde, executive vice president of original programming and production at VH1, tells PopEater exclusively. “We’ve had such a great run, and really had a blast with all those shows, but it just felt like, ‘OK, what’s the next thing gonna be?’” Read More »

Last week, my boyfriend and I found this group of guys who boffer (it’s basically sword fighting role play) so that he could do a documentary about them. I went with because I was bored and figured I could help Matt out. I was expecting a group of stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons nerds; aka fat white boys who have no social lives. Well, we show up and there were, dare I say, really hot guys there!

Since I was just there to be Matt’s assistant, I sat on the porch while he filmed the guys doing their thing. I was just watching until one of the gents came over to the porch to get something. He noticed me just sitting there and kept trying to get me to join them. I kept telling him I’d have no idea what I’d be doing and I’d make a fool of myself, but he kept trying to get me to play along with them. He even offered to let me use the good weapons. (Ooo lala!) There was just no way that I was going to try to sword fight with these guys, so I stayed on the porch. Later this guy decided to keep tapping me on the shoulder from behind with his sword (his actual foam sword for those of you with dirty minds) and would pretend to be minding his own business when I turned around. Read More »

With the end (fingers crossed) of the rain and the new May flowers that follow, what better way to celebrate it finally feeling like spring than with a dress! This year, there are so many adorable spring dresses to choose from that’s it’s hard to pick! (I just bought three…I have a problem.) But really, why should you have to choose just one? With retailers slashing their prices, you’re sure to find a good deal on one or two (or three) to satisfy your every dress need.

Or desire. Because that’s what it really comes down to, yes?

There are so many styles of dress to choose from, meaning there is the perfect dress out there for everyone, as well as every occasion.  More modest dresses worn with blazers or cardigans are perfect for the summer job, while the fun, flirty, floral mini dresses are sure to be a hit for a girls night out on the town.  With a large range of patterns and colors available, it’s easy to choose the statement you want to make with your dress, or find one that suits shoes and sweaters you already own. Read More »