Last weekend I had a big celebration to attend and needed a party dress. I really hate buying party dresses; they are usually so one-dimensional! Most party dresses are too fancy to wear during the day and just end up collecting dust in my closet. I vowed that this time would be different – I needed to find a dress that is versatile and can go from day to night. Since I’m the author of this column, I figured I would share my find with you and hopefully help any of you who are looking for a great party dress that you can wear more than once!

gadogado apparel is a company created by Belinda Kazanci of Turkey. She has been fascinated by fashion and fabrics and founded gadogado after a life-changing trip to Bali. The fabrics used in making her garments are all still dyed in Bali and with her focus on recycling materials and creating minimal waste, Belinda is an eco-chic goddess as well! When I saw the Cross My Heart dress in Jade Paint Party, I knew it was the perfect choice for my celebration and could also be a great addition to my closet. Read More »

"I wish I had breasts. Waaaahhh"

Last week’s Dude’s List was all about why he likes to be a him rather than a her. However, I not so subtly hinted in that article that every advantage reflects a disadvantage, every strength hides a weakness, and so, this Dude’s List I turn the tables on the boys. This time I go over the top dozen reasons you’ve got it over us. That’s right, I actually went 1 further!

Show Emotion
Let’s get the cliché out of the way. Yes, men are encouraged still to be more emotionally repressed. We are incorrigible due to the idea of having to be stronger, not to allow vulnerability, programmed to withhold because to be taken care of is weak and a sign of failure. I tread the line of the double standard but the standard is still the standard. I only wish this imbalance could get leveled out at long f*cking last.

Live Longer
So this is me sorta, kinda, maybe, backtracking on one of the perks I talked about last time. The fact we’ve got shorter life expectancies is really a blessing AND a curse. Who the heck really wants to die? Immortality’s the vainest but most common dream there is. We want to see the iPad 3! We want to see the AIDS vaccine reach the market! We want to watch “Batman 100: The Dark Knight Never Dies!” Enjoy those extra years, ladies. Enjoy knowing what comes next.

Have Better Sex
Multiple. Orgasms. We fire them off one at a time. Then, in general (there is the occasional Kryptonian) we have to wait at LEAST 18 minutes before we’re ready to go again. But you gals can work yourselves up to being the Energizer Bunny and just keep going and going and going and going… All those thousands of extra nerve endings you possess can take you to places we’re not fit to travel to. I made a woman meow once. Know how many times I’ve meowed? A big, fat, doughnut hole, THAT’S HOW MANY!

Masturbate More Discreetly
Please argue this one the comments section below. Diagrams, visual aids, and philosophical citations are encouraged. Read More »

If only everyone came to the MTV Movie Awards in a digital outfit like Jim Carrey’s green-screen suit. Sure, the comedian decided to use the latest nanotechnology to display dogs humping on his chest, but maybe this technology could have at least made some of the red-carpet fashion actually interesting. I mean, seriously, did everyone get sundresses at H&M for this one? Did Chelsea Handler even brush her hair before going on stage? Now, don’t get me wrong, I know that the MTV Movie Awards are not all about floor-length gowns and up-dos, but really, blue jeans? I’d take dogs humping on a suit any day!

But since they didn’t all come up with the electronic suit idea, or even a plastic hamster ball, I am here to report the “fashion” from the red carpet to the stage. So here it is: The good, the bad, and the really, really, hideously ugly.

The Good

Animal Print: even though we were all sure that animal print trend was on its way to being extinct, stars like Transformer’s Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Snow White’s Lilly Collins, and the Generation Award actress, Reese Witherspoon, actually made this look seem sexy and fresh again. Each of these women rocked it out in D&G animal print minis and free-flowing hair. Even though there was a strong sense of déjà vu between the three of them, each actress looked extremely sexy in this fierce jungle-cat style.

Check out more well dressed celebs right here

The Bad

Metallic and Sequins: after J-Lo wore that GORGEOUS Emilio Pucci mirrored mini to the 2011 Grammy Awards, I really thought everyone else would give up on metallic and sequins. However several actresses tried and failed this look at the MTV Movie Awards. Take for example, Brooklyn Decker’s grandmother of the bride’s No.21 dress. Watching her, you could never have guessed that this woman was only 24, not to mention, a model.  Other stars to who failed with sequins include Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester in a mirrored Balmain dress, (which she obviously stole from J Lo’s closet) and Holland Rodenin, who got lost on the way to the Oscars, in a floor length embellished gown.

Fashion Note: This look was done right by Twilight star Kristen Stewart in a red Bohemian mini. This multi-award winning actress took this overused glam look and made it edgy and new by exchanging the sparkles for safety pins.

The Really, Really Hideously Ugly

Bargain Bin Styles: former Gossip Girl star, Jessica Szohr obviously lost some kind of bet when she showed up in a black and white paisley-print pantsuit. Ladies, please don’t try this look a home… in the office… out on a date… or anywhere where people may see you. This was definitely one of the worst of the night. Also getting it very wrong was Amanda Bynes in way too tight Herve Leger nude dress and some Christian Louboutin aqua fringed shoes. There was more fabric on those ridiculous shoes than on that hideous dress! Take a lesson from Joan Rivers girl, just because it zips doesn’t mean it fits!

Check out more horribly dressed celebs right here

So there you have it my Fashionistas: The good, the bad, and the really, really hideously ugly. Let us all hope that the green-screen electronic suit catches on for next year. Maybe then the fashion won’t look like it was left behind Jim Carey’s humping dogs. In the meantime, let me know what you think in the comments.

Remember the good ol’ food pyramid?

The one that was NOT Atkins friendly with grains at the bottom and sweets at the top? The one we were taught in school that said we need 9-11 servings of grains a day- which I took to heart when ordering soup in a sourdough bread bowl and an EXTRA SOUR DOUGH ROLL on the side thinking it was healthy? Until I developed some (fat) rolls of my own and realized that maybe this pyramid was as ancient as the actual pyramids in Egypt as far as health accuracy goes?

Well apparently me and my bread bowl rolls were on to something because, on Friday, the food pyramid peaced out and “My Plate” was introduced by the USDA. Instead of a pyramid, My Plate breaks up the food groups onto a plate, stressing that HALF your plate should consist of fruits and veggies and about a 1/4 protein. As for our beloved grains? The USDA is suggesting that only about a quarter of your plate is filled with grains (about 6 one ounce servings total for the day for women our age)- and they’re taking the time to point out that we should be consuming WHOLE grains.

So long sourdough bread bowls, it’s been real.

While we all know a lot of this information already, it’s nice to see the food guidelines reflecting healthful choices in an era when so many Americans are drastically overweight. ChooseMyPlate.gov is a totally revamped version of the Food Pyramid guidelines, even going to far as to explain your daily allotment of “empty calories” (a.k.a. cals that add no nutritional value) and outlining how “oils” are their own separate group. They help you take note of the different kinds of good/essential oils (think olive, coconut, walnuts, etc.) and suggest, for women between 19-30, 6 teaspoons as a healthy serving. The website is a huge step towards providing great information for all of us no matter where we are in our healthful eating journey!

Here are some other basic suggestions from the USDA’s My Plate site. Some of this may be familiar, but with bikini season, well…here…it can’t hurt to refresh! For more information check out www.ChooseMyPlate.gov and click around!

● Enjoy your food, but eat less.
● Avoid over-sized portions.
● Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
● Make at least half your grains whole grains.
● Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
● Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
● Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

After months of eating wilted lettuce from the dining hall salad bar, there’s nothing like a homemade meal.  Whether you can cook like a pro or rely on others for their expertise, it’s a great way to have fun, eat well, and save some dough.  With summer season starting up, there’s no better way to spend time outside than in front of a meal you made yourself.  For those of you who can’t make a grilled cheese without burning down the place, help is on the way.

From the creators of biggirlssmallkitchen.com, comes IN THE SMALL KITCHEN: 100 Recipes From Our Year of Cooking in the Real World, a voice-driven, full-color cookbook filled with delicious and resourceful recipes for daily cooking and entertaining on a budget. This essential cookbook is organized by need — cooking for one, for brunch, for dates, or for friends and family — and chock-full of advice on everything from how to stock your pantry and penny-wise shopping tips to BYOB etiquette and date night do’s and don’ts.

And now…the part you’ve all been waiting for…how to enter to win your very own copy of In the Small Kitchen!

1. Go to our Intro to Cooking and pick your favorite recipe.  Leave it in the comments below for your chance to win.  That’s it.  Oh, and make sure to use your real e-mail address so we can contact you if you win.

2. Contest closes at 11:59 PM on June 9, 2011

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US and Canadian residents. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.

The Brady Bunch horror film?!

Diddy doesn’t like bad manners

Who thought it was a good idea to take 8th graders to Hooters?

Who wears the pants in your relationship?

8 Ways to minimize your online shopping obsession

The new blog to add to your bookmarks

How to dress for work this summer

How dressing well shows self-respect

Get dramatic lashes

When trying to figure out what to write about for this week’s weekly ten I was a little bit stumped. So I decided to go back to the basics. And this is college after all, so it’s no surprise that drinks soon followed. But I didn’t want to go with the most common drinks or the weirdest drinks, or the ways to drink those drinks. So instead I thought I’d do something a little bit different. The drinks with the best, the sexiest, the craziest cocktail names out there.

Fair warning though, this week, instead of my usual witty commentary I’m going to take a back seat and let these drinks speak for themselves. All recipes taken from drinkmixers.com.

10. Sex on the Beach. 1 ½ oz vodka. ½ peach schnapps. 2 oz cranberry juice. 2 oz orange juice.

9. Between the Sheets. 1 oz brandy. 1/2 oz light rum. 1/2 oz triple sec. sweet and sour mix.

8. Mountain Dew Me. 2 oz midori melon liqueur. 1 oz triple sec. 4 oz pineapple juice. 1 splash7-Up soda.

7. Bend Over Shirley. 1 ½  oz raspberry vodka. 4 oz sprite soda. 3/4 oz rose’s grenadine syrup.

Read More »

You didn’t leave all your work until Sunday night did you? What!?! You did. That’s okay. No stress. You’ll get it all done. We’re so sure that you’ll get it all done that we’re giving you a few more excuses to procrastinate. This week we’re going to watch children far more talented than us. Meet (or re-meet) PS 22.

You’re welcome.

Read More »

There’s an app for that.

For what? Well, just about everything these days. From finding the perfect shirt to getting directions to that restaurant you’ve only ever been to once to planning your wedding. There’s an app for it.

And most of the time, I think that’s a good thing. I pride myself on welcoming new technology, embracing these changes and seeing them as good technological advancements, rather than unnecessary complications. But today I just might have to make an exception. Because after spending some time in the app store I’ve made some discoveries that have led me to question not only my love of technology, but my love of humanity.

Have you seen what’s out there? It’s okay if you haven’t. Because I’ve brought it here for you. Partly to inform you, but also so you can commiserate with me. These are the apps our guys are downloading? No wonder they screw up so often!

1. Breastimate. An app that can tell you the bra size of every women in the room. You can either upload a picture, if you’re really curious about an old flame, or take a photo right there on the spot. Just point and click and there you have it. A “breastimated” bra size.

Read More »

How to keep your mind sharp this summer

Write the perfect thank-you note for all your interviewers

The hidden costs of college

Getting your groove on around campus

Five easy ways to save money in college

Break the stereotype of the “needy millennial”

The secret they don’t tell you in school

Rocking out in college

The guide to the best summer beers

Best books to bring to the beach

How to tell people you’ll have an awesome summer, no matter what