Ladies, when we show up to a party or a bar, we want to bring our A game, right?

There’s nothing like strutting in looking and feeling great, and I think the best way to get in the zone is to have a few pre-game rituals to get you going. You know what I’m talkin about. Start the party at home.

#1 Play dress up: You and your roommates will go through 25 different outfits while you’re getting ready anyway. Why not have a fashion show in the process? Dress each other, shop in each other’s closets, just have fun!

#2 Make a Pump-You-Up playlist: Put together all of your favorite girl jams—anything that will get everyone dancing. I always love to throw in some hip-hop, hard rock, and 80’s. Do I smell hairbrush karaoke? Might want to take it for the ride to the party too.

#3 Collaborate: Switch off doing each other’s hair and make-up. You’ll always have fresh looks and new ideas for next weekend. And who doesn’t like getting their hair and make-up done for them??

#4 Crack the bottle: Let’s not get trashed before leaving the house, but it’s always great to meet and greet with the glow of a mini-buzz upon arrival. I like to pick out new drinks every weekend, but if that’s not your thing, a good cosmo never fails.

That’s how I pre-game, but I want some new ideas. How do you pop, lock, and drink it?

I don’t really exercise. Don’t care for it too much. My excuse being, I live in Manhattan and walk constantly, so shut up.

On the rare occasion that I am feeling spunky, however, I will work out and take it to the Elliptical, a.k.a the Poor Man’s Treadmill, just like this hottie. But I cannot and will not work out, if I don’t have good music to help me on my sweaty, fat-burning journey. And that music best suited for my JOURNEY? 80′s music. Journey. 80′s music.

The New York Times just featured an article on the effect that certain songs have on us while we exercise, and while it’s not all that exciting or earth-shattering to read that faster songs correspond to a faster heart rate (NO SH*T, really?) it is pretty interesting to see some of the suggestions of songs to add to our playlists, to help pump us up and keep us motivated.

Self.com is a website after my own heart, as the NYTimes article mentions they chose Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go as a workout playlist hit. There is nothing like a good Wham! classic to really get me going. Which got me thinking of one of my personal workout faves which is also from the 80′s, called Baby I’m a Star. It was originally sung by Prince, but in my opinion, The Lil’ Soul Man does it waaay better. Plus, his backup dancers are rocking those shoulder pads, and his wig is amazing. Read More »

Days as a Freshman: 71

Mood: Wanting to be blank

“Grace? Are you listening? I’ve been screaming your name for like 5 minutes.”

Stacey’s reflection stared at me from the mirror, her eyes heavy with pink glitter. Her whole body was heavy with pink glitter, actually. If I didn’t know any better, I would think my roommate was dressing up as one of those marshmallow birds that take over drugstores in the Spring. Peeps. That’s what they were called, and that’s exactly what Stacey looked like.

“Sorry, I was reading.” Pulling my scarf tighter around my neck, I leaned back in my chair and gave Stacey my full attention. She’d never shut up if I didn’t. “What are you supposed to be again?”

“I’m Jem. Isn’t it obvious? This hair is great, huh?” Straightening a short fuchsia wig on her head, Stacey looked back into her own eyes.

“Oh. Jem. 80’s cartoon. I get it.” I closed my history book and rubbed my face. The words had been jumbling together for the last 30 minutes. I couldn’t concentrate.

“Aren’t you coming out tonight?” Stacey popped her pink gum and applied more pink blush. “You can’t spend Halloween inside, Grace.”

“Rebecca and I might walk around for a little while later.”

“Rebecca?” Stacey’s expression went sour. “How can you stand to hang out with that girl? She’s so weird.”

“I don’t think she’s weird.” Read More »

Nerds and Sorority girls. They go together like a John Hughes movie and the 80′s.

Which is probably why Washington State’s Linux Users Group (the university’s largest computer club) has decided put out a memo to all the sororities on campus: “Make us over, and we’ll do your homework.”

In an effort to attract more women to the computer science program (and get a free haircut), the “nerds” of WSU’s Linux Club plan to host a “nerd auction”.

“You can buy a nerd and he’ll fix your computer”, their website explains, “help you with stats homework, or if you’re really adventurous, take you to dinner!”

But before the computer loving dudes go through with the auction, they’re looking for a few good sorority girls to make them more appealing.

“If anyone’s going to bid on us, we’ll need some spicing up. And who better to help with that than sorority girls who like nothing better than a makeover?”

While the whole “Beauty and the Greek” (sound familiar to anyone?) event is still in the planning stages, WSU’s computer program has garnered national attention because of it.

Will the idea bring more chicks into the lives of these self-described nerds? Of course!

Will the girls stick around? No f*cking way. Read More »

I remember watching The Lost Boys a few years after it came out. I was still young then, easily impressionable and scared of everything. Needless to say, the movie had me sleeping with the light on for weeks.

A few years ago I happened to catch it again. Although I’m still very easily terrified, the 80’s classic was no longer a nightmare waiting to happen—it was a dream come true. Big hair, dated special effects, comedy, Kiefer Sutherland before he was in that completely irrational and unreal Fox show…and best of all, the film introduced the world to what we now know as The Two Coreys.

Corey Haim and Corey Feldman were the Lindsay and Britney of the yuppie era, adorable, famous, and then drug addicted and ruined. Only a few years after they starred side-by-side in the vampire extravaganza, both men were strung out Hollywood garbage.

But guess what? They’re back!

Of course.What forgotten celebrity doesn’t have a TV show these days? The Two Coreys, debuting on A&E on July 29 at 10:00 / 9:00 central, is the comeback extravaganza for the now clean and sober BFFs. Read More »

Transformers. Yeah, I watched the cartoon. I was a child of the 80’s and I had a younger brother! We watched it all: Transformers, Thunder Cats (someday I’ll have to talk about how odd this show seems now…I mean, cat people? In spandex?), GI Joe. When I wasn’t playing with My Little Ponies, I was watching boy cartoons.

Which is why I’m slightly excited about Michael Bay’s giant Transformers movie. I can’t tell you if I’ll actually see it in the theaters, but its nostalgia. Nostalgia of the 80’s. Everyone loves them some good nostalgia.

Of course, being 24, there might be one more reason I’m interested in a movie about robots that turn into cars. And that reason might be Hollywood’s new It Kid, Shia LaBeouf.

The strangely adorable LaBeouf began his acting career on Even Stevens, a Disney show that was actually pretty funny, and soon graduated to bigger movies like Holes and this spring’s Disturbia (some of you indie flick lovers may also have seen him in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, a film that made me cry relentlessly for twenty minutes).

These days, Shia is making huge movies like Transformers and the newest installment of Indiana Jones, but no matter the film’s budget, always seems to carry with him a mature sense of character. He’s a great actor, and everyone seems to be noticing.

What about you, lovelies? Is Shia your new It Guy…or just some guy?