If you haven’t caught on by now, it’s official: I’m smitten with all things military-inspired.  Despite the short summer season, by the time fall clothes begin to hit shelves, I’m already swooning over cardigans, boots and fall jackets.  After spending all summer trying to dress in ways to prevent heat exhaustion (and hide pit stains), I crave layers and structured clothing.

Sure I love cute summer dresses, strappy sandals and bright colors, but right now all I want is olive (and not just garnishing a martini).  Olive is technically a shade of chartreuse – meaning it’s partially between yellow and green. When it is closer to yellow, it’s referred to as ‘olive’ and when it’s closer to green it’s called ‘olive drab.’  (There, that’s your color lesson of the day!)  Olive drab was the standard color of fabric for American military uniforms in World War II – hence the association with the military trend.

This year there are many pieces, both military-inspired and otherwise, made in olive, meaning you have one more neutral to incorporate into your everyday life. One of the best things about this color is that since it’s quite similar to the color of dirt you can wear your olive goods one more time before you have to wash them. (Score!) And if the structured pieces with masculine details aren’t your choice of garnish, try an olive colored jersey top or maybe an accessory, because there are so many choices out there!

One mom approved must-have for both fall and college is a chic fall jacket.

The perfect fall jacket is neutral, goes with all your favorite clothes and fits just right.  Not to mention, it “keeps you warm on those walks to class. You don’t want to catch a cold!” (Thanks, ma.)

This year there are lots of options out there regardless of your style: denim, military, leather, oh my! With so much variety at so many price points, why choose a favorite?

A fall jacket will take you to the field to watch football, on a walk home from an evening class when the air starts to feel crisp, and even out at night.  Though if you’re going to a party, and don’t want to lose your coat, see if you can find a hot yet chivalrous boy to lend you his oversized jacket. If you’re wearing a feminine outfit underneath you’ll instantly achieve the “Cardellini effect” and have an excuse to find Mr. Hottie another day!

If you’ve grown a bit sea sick from all the nautical-inspired clothes you’ve been sporting this summer, why not return to dry land and go more utilitarian with the military-inspired pieces dominating stores?  These pieces have a harder look, with cargo pockets, neutral colors and grommet detailing.  Though many of these pieces are quite masculine, the neutral coloring means they can easily be softened with feminine pieces such as floral dresses.  Think combat boots with tights, a floral mini dress and cardigan.  So cute!

The best thing about this style? While military inspired pieces have been pretty trendy for a few seasons now, the utilitarian coats are a classic investment piece that can stay in your wardrobe for years to come. And they’ll come in handy if, you know, you ever need to go on an incognito stalking mission. What, just me?

This year’s fashion trends range from the ranch to the yacht, and stripes are one of the perfect ways to look seaworthy this summer.

The easiest way to incorporate nautical elements into your wardrobe is with stripes.  With so many super cute ways to wear stripes how can you not have something striped (or something striped for every day of the week!) in your wardrobe?  Summer items are starting to hit clearance racks, so you can pick something up to wear now with shorts, or later with jeans without breaking the bank.  While the longer sleeved breton-striped tops will keep you warm if you’re outside on a summer night, some of the striped dresses are perfect to toss over a bathing suit at the beach.

If you’re pinching pennies for a summer vacay, stripes are a recurring fashion trend (just look back to Coco Chanel and Audrey Hepburn!) so you may even luck out finding an adorable top at the thrift store.  Just don’t be afraid to check the men’s (or boys if you’re petite) departments as this unisex trend looks even cuter when it’s loose and laid back.

And nothing screams spring like an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini… or any polka dot bathing suit, really.

Polka dots are one of those prints that never really goes out of style.  Every year, retailers roll out a new set of items with this adorable print – and this year is no different.  Polka dots come in many sizes and arrangements, and on pretty much any type of clothing or accessory.  So whether you’re looking for something to wear in the sun, an accessory to liven up your pre-Spring wardrobe or a pair of boots to fight the slush, there’s something polka dotted – and totally adorable -  for you!

I’m pretty sure I don’t have OCD, but sometimes I really convince myself that I do.  And by “sometimes” I mean “every time I watch Obsessed on A&E.” Although my habits don’t come nearly as close to those of the people on that show who have to touch the fridge 46 times before they can get some milk, I do have some quirks that make me go hmm…

I know a lot of people have weird things with numbers, but my thing with numbers is just wacky.  For example, when I’m on the treadmill planning on going for a run, I make sure I walk for exactly half a mile before.  The treadmill must say exactly .50 before I can start running.  .49 is not okay, and, to be honest, I’m not sure what I would do if it went to .51 and I wasn’t running yet, but I guess I don’t have to worry about that because I won’t let that happen.

Now, is that just routine or a blatant obsession?

Also, when I play tennis, sometimes I’ll flip the racket in the air and catch it.  And once I do it once, I make myself do it 3 times in a row before I can keep playing.  If I don’t catch it, I have to start over.  WTF?

I don’t know how or why I developed these odd OCD tendencies. I know they aren’t dangerous or cause me social problems (unless I meet someone who can’t handle my racket-flipping), but it’s just….weird. Why do I have to shower in the same order (face, body, hair, conditioner) every morning, or set my alarm clock to a time that ends in 3? And why aren’t I obsessed with something useful like cleanliness or staying organized? Or avoiding cake/chocolate/all things fried?

And am I the only one with a mild case of OCD? What sort of weird OCD habits do you have? Share ‘em here so we can all feel a bit better about ours!

Now that I’m back in school and broke thanks to a few trips to the bookstore, saving money is more essential than ever. But so is a brand new fall wardrobe!

Luckily, American Eagle is a great stop for super comfy weekend/gym/off-to-class clothes on the cheap. There are always awesome deals to be had, and here are just a few of my favorite things.

I love the look of this preppy, college-y sweater. It just makes me want to grab a book and some coffee and spend the afternoon studying in the quad.  But more realistically, it’s perfect for those fall days, especially with a pair of skinny jeans and flats, Keds or Chuck Taylors.

I’m a fan of oversized sunglasses (and use them year round), and I especially love ‘em when they’re under $20. These are on clearance for $14.95, which means it’s not the end of the world if you smush them under a pile of books in your haste to get out of lecture.

Sweatpants are normally not acceptable daytime attire for anyone, but there are exceptions to that rule and these pants are definitely an exception. Not only are they fitted, but the detail around the ankle dresses them up a bit and sets them apart from those torn up boys’ sweats you wear around the dorm.

This skirt is adorable and goes perfectly with a simple tee, some flats or even tights & boots when it gets a little cooler.

Wear it under a cardigan, a boyfriend blazer or on its own – this simple tee is cute, comfy and a great way to make a statement.

Polos are another cute, comfy and easy option and I am diggin’ the rugby stripes (and color selection) of this one.

I find boy shorts to be some of the most comfy and flattering style of undies out there; you can be wedgie free but still totally sexy. And with the $4.95 price tag, you can easily afford a few pairs.

This tote is big and roomie and perfect to carry around campus or to the gym. If you’re not feelin’ the green, they have a couple other colors to choose from.

“Hey. I can get you into the Bon Jovi concert at Madison Square Garden tonight if you can get down here in 20 minutes.”

I sat on my futon, Cheerios on my knees, hair tied into a messy bun, body exhausted from a typically exhausting Monday, and considered this offer. Am I a big Bon Jovi fan? Not really. But tickets for this thing were going for thousands of dollars, it’s Madison f*cking Square Garden, and breaking up my nightly pattern of Reality TV watching and cereal eating wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Plus, where else could I wear my acid-washed cutoff mom jeans? (Note: this last sentence is not true.)

After putting on my make-up as fast as I could (and hoping the lights would be in full “80′s glow mode” to keep the rest of my post-work face at bay), I slapped on some clothes and tried to tease my hair as high as it would go (Note: this may not be true). I then pushed past the milieu of yuppies on my block and jumped into a cab.

Once en-route, I chatted with the strangely friendly cabbie about where I was going, and he immediately offered $2,000 for my ticket. After telling him I did not indeed have the ticket on my person, he said he would “pull over at the Garden, park the cab, and get my ticket” with me, and then hand over the cash. I doubted he had $2,000 on him, and I can’t imagine how my friend would have reacted to have seen an old cabbie wearing a drug rug in my seat instead of me, so I politely thanked him, tipped him well, and ran inside.

This story could get mighty long if I continued to narrate the entire adventure, so let’s just list some of things I learned / saw once I was surrounded by Jovi mania:

1) Cutoff jeans are the official Bon Jovi fan summer accessory. Shirts with the arms ripped off are also fashion forward for a Jovi fan, as is platinum blond hair with crazy obvious roots.

2) Being a ticket-taker at the Garden during Jovi mania, and denying a few bedazzled teenagers access to the audience will get you a smackdown that sounds like this, “Whatever! We’ll just do whatever! You probably just want to have sex in your ticket booth or whatever! We’re gonna kick the window in! My dad is a lawyer and if he wasn’t vacationing at the Jersey Shore right now he’d kick your ass! F*ck you, you hate Bon Jovi!!“

3) If you stand in front of a woman with radical blonde highlights who is singing / screaming off-tune with John Bon throughout his entire set, your ears will sting real bad the next morning.

4) A guy who dances and moves his arms around exactly like Bon Jovi is weird, and will reveal his weirdness slowly throughout the night, staring at you with increasing intensity.

5) Jovi, as expected, will wear not only a black leather vest with no shirt underneath, but also a flowing red shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest for his signature song “Bed of Roses” (a song which has the very earnest line, “With an ironclad fist I wake up and French kiss the morning“)

6) There will be people from all walks of life at this concert, but mostly, there will be people who somehow buried themselves in a time capsule dated “1986″ and left it for the sole purpose of seeing Jovi at Madison Square Garden

7) No matter how cool you think you are, it’s impossible not to throw your arms up and scream the chorus of “Living on a Prayer”

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.

Dubed as a “scripted reality show” (uh-oh), The Two Coreys documents Haim’s house crashing of Feldman and his wife—both of whom have just quit smoking and no longer eat meat. Haim still wants to party, Feldman is subdued and married. Hilarity (hopefully) ensues.

Just can’t wait to watch a clip of your two favorite Coreys “being” upset at not being considered for the sequel to Lost Boys? Click here.

…I’m hoping the acting gets better.

In a surprise move, the one-piece has become the rarer breed of swim apparel. The bikini gets all the attention. I mean, why shouldn’t it? It’s smaller, newer, and used to be a symbol of youthful rebellion. Not that I’m advocating some sort of return to traditional moral values (this is what my boyfriend thought when I told him I was writing about one-pieces). I just think the tank has a freshness about it. It invokes sultry women like Marilyn Monroe, Raquel Welch, and timeless hottie, Sophia Loren.

Plus, it’s completely unexpected. I don’t even remember the last time I wore a one-piece, but I’m fairly sure I was still in elementary school. Don’t you remember when your mom finally lifted the ban on bikinis? It was a big deal to trot down to your local mall and pick out the swimsuit that was sure to completely tranform your life and make that cute guy with the bowl cut and Airwalks fall in love with you.

But now we’re older, maybe a little wiser when we haven’t been drinking, and we know that sometimes it’s more exciting to show a little less skin. Make people use their imagination. If you still want to be overtly sexy, apparently a lot of guys have a big thing for a women in white swimwear…which isn’t surprising given the popularity of Cancun based wet t-shirt contests. If you’re into that sort of thing, check out the DKNY suit pictured below.

With the joys of the one-piece in mind, here are my top 7 favorite one-pieces (in no particular order).

Gingham BandeauTank, J.Crew $70               

                                         Black Swimsuit, Stella McCartney for Adidas $100

                                     Nylon Tricot Cut-Out Swimsuit, American Apparel $20

Damsel Solid One-Piece, Urban Outfitters $88

Ruched One-Piece, DKNY $96

Dot One Piece Bandeau, American Eagle $40

Monaco, Asha Couture $136