Dear Rebound Guy,

I would like to take this time to 1) say thank you, and 2) apologize for using you at my own discretion.

You see, there comes a time in every girl’s life when she gets dumped. Dumped so hard she can only listen to Bon Iver, curl up in a ball in her bed and turn off all the lights. Oh yes, and sob, did I mention that? But there also comes a time when it’s Friday night and her best friends drag her out of bed, put her in a killer push-up bra, a mini-skirt and take her to the most populated bar in town. And that, my friend, is where you came in.

To begin, I’d like to thank you for approaching me…or rather the alcohol induced, suddenly-confident-yet-secretly-broken version of me. Right now you think I’m this great girl who you were so lucky to stumble upon and, sure, I may seem completely level-headed and down-for-whatever, but you have no idea what you’ve just gotten yourself into. So, after a few sloppy dances and sweaty hugs, my friends finally find me and let me know you are, in fact, not as attractive as I had thought, and I depart. Without you. (Tease move number one). But not before you whip out your iPhone4 and I shout my number over the music. And that’s how it always begins. Read More »

[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap, where our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities (like child-star turned fashion designer, Ashley Olsen) are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you don’t have to.]

After disappearing for a hot second post-High School Musical, Ashley Tisdale reappeared this fall on the (completely underrated, totes hysterical) CW show Hellcats. Of course, she fills the role of a catty, ferocious, ambitious performer with ease (would you expect anything different the girl who brought Sharpay to life so perfectly?) Her personal style, however, is a lot more laidback, playful, and reflects a bubbly, adventurous personality.

And after seeing her don this look that is what I like to call hobo-chic, I wasted no time finding a cheaper alternative for myself. Read More »

When I was twelve, all I wanted was to be a cheerleader.  Okay, so this didn’t really set me apart from any of my peers; becoming cheerleader is right up there with “actress” and “ballerina” in terms of typical pipe dreams for young girls.  But for me, the quest to become one the few, the proud, the peppy had very little to do with the cute uniforms or notions of sisterly bonding.  I wanted to cheer because I was actually an accomplished gymnast with a penchant for performing in front of a crowd.  I still think that this combination would have made me a great cheerleader – but I never got the chance to find out for sure.  Why?  Because I made the mistake of watching Bring It On with my mom before I entered high school.My mom took one look at the girls in the movie: their perpetually exposed midriffs, love of sabotaging one another, and less than intelligent vernacular, and told me in no unclear terms that I was never allowed to cheer.

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This week might be the most random mix of reviews ever. Seriously, ever. I even surprised myself a bit.

I was ready to love who I already loved and hate who I wanted to hate, but that’s not at all what happened. The one album I was most excited for fell flat. And the one I barely even wanted to listen to (and would rather throw out my window) I kinda liked. A little too much. To the point where I had to force myself to turn it off.

I’m going to warn you right now: don’t listen to Ashley Tisdale if you aren’t into Disney pop music. Because you’ll probably end up enjoying it. And then feeling pretty embarrassed. Especially when you can’t get enough and want to blast it from your car and the people who pull up next to you can hear it…and judge you. Read More »

[Every week our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you don’t have to. All you have to do is click on the goods and - boom - you can buy the entire ensemble. Yes, we know; there is a spot for her in heaven.]

Tie Dye was cool when my mom was my age. Then it was cool again in 7th grade. And let me tell you I tore that trend up. I was just yay shy of deciding that my bat-mitzvah give away should be a tie dyed t-shirt. I LIVED for the days at camp when we would make our own tie-dye. And even though my color palette never turned out quite right (more like murkey brown poo) I still thought I was destined to be a hippie. I rocked tie dye so bright that my eyes hurt just thinking about it.

So when I saw that tie dye was making its 19th comeback, I cringed, I avoided, and I said to myself I wouldn’t wear it.

But then I saw the dresses like the ones on our friends over here, and I saw some really cute ones at Bloomingdales, and Nordstrom and Forever 21 and Urban and, oy, the list goes on. As much as I wanted to fight – kicking and screaming – against the return of tie dye (what’s next? Hypercolor?!) I couldn’t deny the fact that they would look so cute with some woven sandals or high wedges.

The whole tie dye look gives off that “I look cute without even trying” vibe that we all want to convey. And the more I see it, the more I can’t look away. Just like those pictures of Britney’s Britney. (You know what I’m talkin’ about.)

So here is this weeks Celebrity Chic on the Cheap: Color Me Tie Dye Read More »

We’re all well aware of the honeymoon playing out between our new Commander in Chief and every media outlet save FOX. I mean, when the new president can inspire debate over whether or not he’ll be funny on late night talk shows, rather than any role he should or should not play in this debacle, the rose colored glasses are on.

Cosmo, not one to miss out on a trend, also felt the need in their April edition to give the new prez some props—in their own special way. Hence, we were treated to a wonderful dissection by the great Dr. Ian Kerner, whose recent box office success apparently qualifies him to comment on the First Relationship…and its sex life.

Yes, my loves, Cosmo says this month: “Why the Obama’s Love is So Sexy”!

On Physicality
Cosmo says: “Seeing them hold hands and kiss reminds me of how important touch is outside the bedroom. Hugs can take you where words can’t.”

Kari says: I’m either going to needlepoint that hugs quote onto a pillow or make it my Facebook status. I guess I can see why people touching each other is sexy, but this headline led me to believe that there would be more witticisms like “let’s just say they danced together at the inaugural balls in a way that implied the real fun would begin later.” Quite frankly I’m disappointed that more justice was not done to the phrase “inaugural balls,” so bring on the juicy stuff, Cosmo. Read More »

Have you met our new BFFs over at What’s Haute? We love popping over there to do some “window shopping” of all the designer bags and accessories that we would have to work for life and beyond to afford. Still, we can’t stop. To see more couture goodness, visit What’s Haute.

Apparently the name of one of the new favorite ‘It bag’ brands of the stars doesn’t begin with an F, G or LV. And it’s not plastered with logos either. What it is covered in is fringe, this year’s throwback trend made current and oh-so-haute! And the brand is J.J. Winters!

Celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens, Haylie Duff, Paris Hilton and Ashley Tisdale have been flocking to the brand’s bohemian-style bags. In particular they love the J.J Winters Suede Fringe Bag in shades of Camel, Grey and Purple. But if the $400+ price tag isn’t your thing, shop these just-as-cute but way less-expensive fringed options: Read More »

[Do you ever feel like you can’t pull something off? Have trendy pieces in your closet that you would never have the courage to actually wear out? Well take those pieces out, shake off the dust, and continue reading! In this series, I will choose a different piece that can be difficult to incorporate into an outfit and give you ideas on how to wear it. If there’s anything you would like to read about in the future, please leave a comment!]

Headbands of all kinds are really in right now, thanks to Leighton Meester’s character Blair Waldorf on “Gossip Girl.” Headbands are simple accessories which can make you look instantly 10x cuter. Plus, they can hide those greasy roots you have from living in the library this week sans showers.

Headbands with bows are really girly and youthful. While they can look a little childish, worn with the right things they can make your outfit look polished. Blair Waldorf (above), for example, pairs her headband with a sophisticated blazer and collared shirt. This is definitely not something a little girl would wear. Usually something simple, like a sweater or solid color dress, would also work well. Read More »

Was Ashley Tisdale even alive when this stuff was in fashion?!

It’s always Halloween at Michael Jackson’s house.

Cheating could kill you. Really.

False eyelashes are fabulous (and not as difficult as you think!).

Gwen Stefani and baby Zuma. So. cute.

The Humane Society should have something to say about this, right?

Linda Hogan is creepy.

How to use Wikipedia intelligently.

Learn what you are really craving.

Croc bags that even you can afford.

Budget friendly (dorm) decorating!

Bill Clinton supports Barack Obama.

[Every week our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you don’t have to.

All you have to do is click on the goods and - boom - you can buy the entire ensemble. Yes, we know; there is a spot for her in heaven.]

So it’s getting to be cold. Which sucks because there is nothing worse than freezing on your walk to class only to start horribly sweating once you get inside. But at the same time, cute boots, hats and comfy cardigans woo me every season.

And even though Ashley Tisdale lives in Hollywood (and is Jewish so never mind her sitting in Santa’s Chair), she’s clearly a fan of the winter look too.

So this week, in the spirit of High School Musical 3 (I know you are probably reading this on your Google phone/iPhone/Blackberry as you’ve been in line since midnight last night), I thought, why not bring you this perfect look which is great for class, for brunch, and, let us not forget, the perfect look to meet Santa in.

Celebrity Chic on The Cheap: High School Musical Moves to the North Pole. Read More »