One of the reasons Glee has been such a huge hit is not because of the A-List guest stars that have been frequenting the set too much lately, but because of its stellar ensemble cast.  Ryan Murphy really got it right when he decided to go with virtually unknown triple threats; the entire crew brings a freshness and an enthusiasm to the show.  Much like the New Directions themselves, the cast lacks experience and professionalism, but that just seems to work so well for the nature of the show.  Most of the stars will almost entirely obscure before being snatched up by TV’s hottest show, but just because we didn’t really know ‘em doesn’t mean they came out of nowhere.

Let’s take a look back at these talented peeps before they wowed us on TV’s biggest phenomenon. Read More »

Nothing makes me happier than seeing Leighton Meester’s (unbelievably beautiful) face on the cover of a magazine.   I mean, she’s not only one of the best-looking and most stylish (minus that whole weird, lacy jumpsuit debacle) people in Hollywood, she’s also one of the most underrated.  Homegirl was born in jail!  And if that wasn’t interesting enough, she plays one of the most fabulous characters on television right now, and any actress who can fill Blair Waldorf’s Louboutins so perfectly obviously deserves attention.

So I was pretty excited to see her on the cover of this month’s Seventeen – even though I knew that the article would spare us all the juicy, scandalous Gossip Girl-eque deets.  Unfortunately, it talked more about how Leighton loves baking cookies and less about where she finds the inspiration required to play such a crazy bitch so well….but I’ll take what I can get.

Luckily, the Seventeen editors saved the juice for other articles.  They actually talked about (gasp) SEX in this issue!  And STDs!  In case you didn’t know, in the land of Seventeen magazine, these two things go hand-in-hand, because if you have sex you WILL get an STD.  And die.

Also, if you ever drugs, you WILL become and addict (and die), a point that was reinforced again and again in an article about a girl who developed a crystal meth addiction thanks to a toxic roommate.

But, as usual, Seventeen also took a ride on the line between scandal and sweetness.  Just another article that touches on a risqué topic, presenting it in a way that will scare the sh!t out of especially naïve readers and by doing this, mold them into virtuous young ladies.  (Basically, if a typical Seventeen article was a TV show, it would be less 90210 and more Secret Life Of The American Teenager.) It was called “Guys’ Sexy Secrets Revealed” and it was definitely the best article of the month.

FYI – you should probably replace the word “best” with one of these choices: “hilarious” “absurd” or “ridiculous.” Read More »

The lazy gal’s make-up kit

Gwyneth spills on what it’s like to sleep with a rock star

Well this couple came out of nowhere

Win this awesome pair of sneakers

How to write a better resume

Long chains go a long ways

Should he take his cheating ex back?

Some resolutions for our fave celebs

Well this makes me feel better about myself

So did you hear?  Brad Womack’s been doing a bit of soul searching.  And if you tuned in to last night’s Bachelor season premiere, you definitely got the message…about a thousand times.  When Chris Harrison and Brad himself weren’t rejoicing over such a changed man, his therapist even gave a testament to how much effort has been put into this redemption project. (They’re really trying to hold onto those viewers this season…)

Amid cheesy shots of a pensive Brad (complete with rain effects) and gratuitous peeks of his soaped up body, we heard the same message over and over and over again: this season is going to be different because this man is different.  Now, do we buy it?  Eh, I’m reserving judgment until we’re a few more episodes into the season.

I will tell you, however, that I had no trouble cutting through this batch of ragtag women.  From the endearing to the straight up bizarre, Brad’s surely got quite a variety of personalities from which to select his one-and-only.  Here’s my pick for this season’s fabulous frontrunners and, well, slightly questionable contestants: Read More »

Can you make your friends choose between you and your ex

Find out why these nursing students got expelled

20 naughty new year’s resolutions

How to get out of the dating rut

These guys are both too cute!

Think you know everything about 2010 music…take the quiz

10 ways to be stronger emotionally

About time he got himself to rehab

This is why you don’t date Justin Bieber

When it came time to pick a college, most of the guidance counselors at my high school pointed students in the direction of the local community college. Like most of my friends, however, I ignored that lady with the mustache and took my pretty little butt to a big, 4-year university. No offense, but I just felt that a four-year program would prove better for me in the long run; I’d get a better education, I’d have more resources, and I’d be more prepared for the job market come graduation.

Plus, well, college campuses are fun and I wanted two extra years of the fun.

But I’m starting to learn that I might have made the wrong choice. At least in terms of the whole “better job” thing. (Yeah, no matter what, there’s nothing more fun than a college campus.) According to some recent studies, community colleges are taking the lead when it comes to a cost, education and future earnings.

Below, a list of surprising facts about community colleges. Warning: you might not want to show this to the parental units paying for your education…. Read More »

You had good intentions. Sitting in your childhood bedroom for the 19th consecutive day, eating homemade cookies courtesy of your mom, with nothing stressing you out or occupying your time, you started thinking ahead to 2011. It’s a new year, you tell yourself, a new decade. There’s no better time to make some changes and improve upon yourself.

So you lick the gooey chocolate off of your forearm (how did that even get there?), open up a Word document and start your list of resolutions.

I will complete all of my reading assignments.
…and I will not wait until the last minute to do my reading assignments.
I will not party on weeknights (when I have a class the next day).
I will not eat after 10 pm.
I will make healthier snack choices.
I will workout 6 5 days a week.
I will not hook up with randos…or anyone that I’m not in a relationship with.
I will not wear sweats out of the house anymore.
I will experience the culture of my college town on the weekends instead of watching TV marathons all day long.

Satisfied with the realistically attainable yet positive goals, you save the document, down a few more cookies and go about your day.

NYE comes and goes in a blurry, late-night-pizza filled haze (“THIS IS MY LAST LATE NIGHT PIZZA EVERRRR”) and when you finally wake up sometime near dusk on January 1st, you set your plan in motion. First you hit the gym, then you put on jeans and a sweater to run errands with your mom, including a Staples run to stock up on all the supplies you’ll need for a successful semester. “This isn’t so hard,” you think as you give yourself a mental high five. Read More »

After three long weeks of reading books, working out and learning how to knit (er….OK, so I was watching RHOBH reruns…), quality TV is BACK. And not only are we getting our old faves back this week (Modern Family, Community, RHOBH), we’re getting some major premieres, too.

Yes, THE BACHELOR IS BACK!

The holidays are over and it’s time to start awkwardly tearing up whenever the old new bachelor, Brad ‘famewhore’ Womack pricks his fingers on a few roses and hands them to the ladies of his choice. And I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t be more excited. I mean, come on, tell me you didn’t pinch out a fear tears last season.  I never knew a combination of rose pedals, cheesy love quotes, and a cluster of overly-emotional females could get me so choked up. Especially when baby-faced Jake picked horsey-faced VIENNA. Read More »

[When moving into either a dorm or an off-campus apartment, your wardrobe will face two major challenges: 1. A major lack of funding (to add more to it), and 2. A major lack of storage space (for all the crap you've got). For these two reasons, maximizing what you already own becomes essential. That's why you need to learn to Shop Your Closet. Each week, I’ll show you how to wear 1 item 3 ways – with the stuff you most likely already own! – to get the most out of your purchases.]

If you made a New Year’s Resolution to wear sweatpants less, it’s time to start finding alternatives that are just as easy to wear and comfortable. Not possible, you say? Well listen up, woman! That cozy, warm, comfy feeling you get with sweats can be mimicked with a warm sweater, such as a shawl-collared pullover. It’s versatile, soft, warm, but still looks cute. And if you know how to make it work in advance, putting together a cute look with a sweater and various other wardrobe staples can be even easier than throwing on a pair of oversized sweats. Yes, it’s true.

Outfit 1:

Deets: Sweater, Jeans, Boots, Hat, Jacket.

A simple alternative to wearing sloppy sweats is skinny jeans and a shawl-collar sweater. Adding your go-to boots (I’m talking leather boots, NOT sloppy winter boots) keeps the look warm and toasty for winter, while still looking sleek. (And if it’s extra cold you can always add super-thick socks underneath!) If you’re trekking in the snow, a jacket and a hat are the finishing touches to brave the cold in a “I can keep this stuff on and still look cute” sorta way… and maybe live up to New Year’s Resolution 2: Go to class.

Outfit 2:

Deets: Sweater, Skirt, Tights, Boots, Ring.

True story: putting on sweats is just. so. easy. Truer story: so is slipping on a casual skirt with some tights. And we all know that looks wayyyy cuter. A shawl-collared sweater (or any pullover sweater, for that matter) goes nicely with this cord mini-skirt – though if you only own a denim skirt or pencil skirt, those will work as well. Depending on how much room remains in your skirt after your holiday overindulgence, you might be able to tuck your sweater in. Add tights and boots (keeping them in the same family makes your legs look ultra long, as opposed to the unflattering shape of a sweatpant) and a simple ring to accessorize this outfit, then out you go lookin’ all warm and fabulous.

Outfit 3:

Deets: Sweater, Skirt, Tights, Scarf, Booties.

If you are looking for a way to extend the wear of a summer floral skirt – or if you’ve already started scoping out next spring’s items – you can winterize the skirt with tights and a sweater. A pair of boots ground the look, while a colourful scarf adds another burst of colour to the look. If your toes get cold easily, you can also add a thick pair of socks into this style of boot – it looks cute even if they poke out the top just enough.

Find out other ways to re-work what you’ve already got stuffed in that closet of yours.

One of the not so great things about the holiday season is the lack of good TV. Their logic is (or at least I think this is what it is) that we’ll all be too busy singing Christmas carols, buying presents, and getting too drunk to even think about our favorite shows. So they just play reruns. But they couldn’t have been more wrong, and that’s why I’m extra excited about Greek’s winter premiere tonight. Finally some good TV! And not only any show, but Greek, a show about college!

Granted, I doubt it’s an accurate portrayal of Greek life, but hey, it’s a start.

Or rather, it’s an end, because you see, this will be Greek’s final season. And I’m particularly sentimental about the ending of this show because just like the seniors of CRU are graduating and moving on with their lives, so am I. (Or at least I hope so.)  This show started the summer before my freshman year, and now, four years later, it’s ending, right when I’m about to graduate, so you’ll excuse me if I seem a bit too emotionally invested in these characters, but we’ve been journeying together for quite some time now.

Before we get into the details, let’s get the basics straight. This show centers around Greek life at a fictional college, Cyprus-Rhodes, focusing on one sorority, Zeta Beta Zeta, and two fraternities, Kappa-Tau, and Omega-Chi. Oh, and the two fraternities hate each other. (Most of the time.)

Ashleigh is the president of Zeta Beta Zeta, and her best friend and roommate, Casey is also a member of ZBZ. They’re seniors. Rebecca, a frenemey, is a sophomore at ZBZ. She’s dating Evan, a senior, and the president of Omega Chi. Evan used to date Casey, but not before she dated his former friend, Cappie, president of Kappa Tau and Casey’s on and off again boyfriend. This past season they’ve been decidedly on. Also a member of Kappa Tau is Casey’s little brother and Cappie’s “little brother,” Rusty. He’s a bit of a nerd, who tries to balance his Greek life with his heavy course load. His religious, anti-fraternity BFF Dale helps keep him in check, as does Calvin, Rusty’s other BFF, a member of Omega Chi.

You confused yet? Read More »