Whether it be the latest look of Betsey Johnson’s spring/summer collection, Lauren Conrad photographed glamming it up in Hoboken or seeing that trendy chick in your biology class rock something fresh, there is no denying that spring trends are taking over. Completely over my dry skin, frizzy hair and all this winter weather in general, I have no problem developing an unhealthy addiction to the latest looks. I will be celebrating the first official day of spring in one of my favorite new trends: High-waist, distressed denim shorts.

I discovered the trend in early January as I tried to drown out my winter blues by searching swim suit designers on Etsy.com. For those of you who don’t know about Etsy, it’s a fabulous site serving as a virtual boutique for up and coming designers that create unique, one of a kind crafts, clothes and accessories. Thrift store junkies-this is your haven! While searching wedges, tank tops and swim suit cover ups, I stumbled upon a collection called BajuesBest.

BajuesBest consisted of numerous pairs of denim shorts. Not simple blacks, whites or navy pairs, but gorgeous works of art. Each pair was personalized with ombre dyes, studs and vintage cuts. I immediately fell in love with the fit and fades of unnatural denim colors. I contacted the designer (or should I say artist) Julia, and received a pair of high-waist charcoal denim along with a faded, studded, pink vest that made me feel like a cleaner, more fashionable form of Ke$ha.

(SaboSkirt.com)

The shorts fit snugly against hips and right below the belly button. They are such a fabulous alternative to the classic t-shirt and jean shorts. Slip on a pair, tuck in your tee, add a pair of lace-ups, a bold necklace and you’ve turned your ensemble from June-casual to spring collection chic. SaboSkirt.com offers beautiful pairs for an average of $98.00, but if you’re a struggling college student budget-stylista like myself, go grab a fabulously fitting, great quality and one-of-a-kind pair of BajuesBest for $40.00. If you’ve stuck to your New Year’s resolution of cutting back on the Mickie D’s dollar menu, this is a great opportunity to show off your long limbs and tight back end, as well as your favorite statement wedges. Grab a pair, snap a pic and add your photo to the comments section; I’ll pick my favorite to be featured in an upcoming article of my favorite spring trends.

Let’s be real, the best part of spring break is looking fabulous & getting waisted.

All of the above from BajuesBest

When the grey clouds start becoming a regular appearance in my weather pattern, I always find it harder to get out of bed, harder to smile and harder to step away from the pint of ice cream and brownie sundae waiting in my freezer. It’s days like these when not even Starbucks can cheer me up. So, because I always think ahead, I bought a day-by-day calendar all about being assertive and basically saying “No, thank you” more (but without the ‘thank you’ part).

And by “assertive,” I mean it’s filled with hysterical quotes about how it’s okay to be super-bitchy, because we all have those day/moments/weeks/lifetimes…when we need to insert an extra NO! into one thing or another. Or because we just need an excuse to make fun of the people still wearing leggings as pants.

So to help you out of this grey funk we all are stuck in, here is a weekly dose of the daily bitch. If this can’t encourage you to get out of bed and  go make fun of someone…I’m not sure what will…

initiating the gallery...

The perfect book-buying solution.

Tips for studying abroad.

The girly girl’s sports talk survival guide.

An amazing quick and easy study break snack.

4 home exercise essentials — perfect for dorms!

Ways to stay safe online.

Do you date the frat guy or the bad boy?

What you need to know about the stock market.

Top 10 movies to get you motivated.

How to use a blog to apply for an internship.

The best benefits to being a member of NSCS.

Dear Tuffy Luv,

I hate my friends. What do I do?

Miserable in College

Dear Miserable,

Grow the floop up.

Okay, no, I mean the thing is, you didn’t give me enough information to give you a really personal answer. Which is totally why I chose your question. Because Tuffy likes it broad. Yeah, baby. Okay, look. Everyone gets annoyed by their friends. That’s super normal, so don’t get excited. I surmise from your name, Miserable in College, that you are in college. I’M SMART.

This probably means that you just need to make new friends! No big deal, right? Probably you started college and made friends right away with the most convenient people. Which is totally the right and easiest thing to do. The problem is, sometimes the most convenient people don’t end up being the people we like best. So, Miserable in College, if that’s the case, I suggest you continue to be polite to these shoops and begin to distance yourself. Join a club or make an effort to hang out with new people after class. You’ll meet new people and find friends you actually connect with.

If, however, you hate your friends because you’re in a bad place, then, giiiiiirl! You’ve got to wait it out. If things are hard and your friends are getting on your nerves just because they’re close by, then I suggest you hang tight. Improve your mood by doing things you like and/or trying to solve whatever’s bothering you, and then you’ll be happy to see your friends again.

And, you know, these people are your friends. You could try actually, oh, I don’t know, TALKING TO THEM?! Tell them what’s bothering you,  but rationally and without judgment. Maybe there’s some kind of misunderstanding. If they’re friends, they’ll want to work it out.

BUT!!! If your friends are mean girls (or guys) — DUMP THOSE ASHHOLES!!! Forget that. Don’t you EVER be friends with someone who doesn’t want to be friends with you. That is the dumbest thing in the whole flooping world.

Hearts & Skulls,

Tuffy Luv

Question?! Answer: Ask Tuffy Luv.

With 2012 coming in strong, I can’t get over how weird TV keeps getting. Consistently bad reality TV, shows cancelled left and right… I can’t stand it.  That’s why I can’t help but be nostalgic for the early 2000′s and late 1990′s. As a TV addict, I’m always reminiscing about my old favorites. Now that we’re old enough to remember shows we loved from middle school, or even earlier, we can actually miss the good TV we used to watch.

Here’s a list of 20 shows that I wish were still airing new episodes. RIP favorite TV. We shall meet again in Netflix Heaven.

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The senior year of college is an emotional roller coaster that you can’t get off of until you cross the stage at graduation. (Then you enter another ride called life and I just haven’t been on that ride long enough to give you the appropriate theme park metaphor…my apologies.) As much as you love your friends and your school and your classes, you’re also freaking out about what you want to do after college and if what you want to do is right. And if you’re anything like me, you’re probably suffering from a killer case of the “what-ifs”.

What if I go to grad school?

What if I move to NYC without a job?

What if my boyfriend breaks up with me?

The what-ifs are never-ending and you’ll find them creeping up during class, while you’re at happy hour and  even while you’re hooking up. It’s a nasty sickness that’s hard to cure. Luckily CollegeFashion has a handy dandy guide to figuring it all out. Check it out here!

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner and we all know it’s the one night of the year when you can’t over-glitter and over-sparkle your outfit. In fact, if you haven’t already dipped your heels in glue and glitter, then you’re behind schedule. If you have already done that, you’re ready for the next step: finding the perfect glitter topcoat for the last night of 2011.

Thankfully CollegeFashion is on the ball (as always) and they’ve selected the top 5 glitter topcoats you should use. Check them out right here!

Neverending class work,  nonstop relationship (or lack thereof) shiz, grad school applications, a dwindling bank account…the day-to-day worries of our college years often weigh us down.  But too often, we stress about the big issues and totally forget about the little things that make our daily routines bearable…or even great!

1. A Cancelled Class
Your alarm goes off bright and early at 8 a.m. and you can barely open your eyes.  You angrily hit the snooze button, roll over in bed and start thinking about what to wear.  Then your mind runs through all the things you have to do today: 3 classes, gym, library, chapter meeting…ugh. You’d rather stay in bed. Then – BUZZ! – your phone vibrates and you wonder who the hell needs to talk to you this early. Lo and behold, it’s your study buddy letting you know that (gasp) CLASS IS CANCELLED! Your professor is sick/at a family function/whatever, and you can barely read the whole text before you reset your alarm, pull the covers back over your head and sleep for a few more (glorious!) hours.

2. Free Stuff!
Let’s face it, in this economy getting anything for free in college is right up there with Christmas and 21st birthdays. Free short stack day at IHOP, free condoms at Student Health, those Victoria’s Secret coupons for free panties that come in the mail, and (a personal favorite at my campus) free iced coffee day at Dunkin Donuts.  And then there’s all those campus club meetings and fundraisers where they give out free food, and sometimes on hot days, free water bottles! It may not seem like much, but it doesn’t get much better than a free, ice cold water bottle.

3. Dining Hall Specials
After a long and stressful day most people want to indulge in a quality meal, and well, that usually doesn’t happen at the d-hall.  But sometimes you’ll walk in to discover that they ARE offering something completely delish and suddenly the whole day gets better. At my school we have something called “Premium Dessert Night,” where we got to follow up our meager bowl of salad or mystery meat with a stunning array of desserts prepared by special chefs! Oreo cheesecake, tartufo ice cream….mmm! There was also one guy (Will) that made the most bangin’ omelets on Saturdays and Sundays.  These were the only two things that made me actually want to head to the dining hall rather than stay in my 2×4 excuse for a room eating peanut butter out of the jar.

4. Prime Spots at the Library
An open table near an outlet with 3 open seats for your friends? And it just so happens to be behind a giant wall of books that hide your snacking from the evil library staff?  Heaven.

5. No Wait Time for Laundry!
We head to the laundry room about once a week whenever we run out of underwear and usually find all the washers and dryers already in use.  Or the dryers have been off for 2 hours but no one has come down to claim their clothes and you’re forced to pull out some guys tighty-whiteys so you can put your stuff in. The college laundry experience is annoying at best, dangerous and violent at worst (my freshman year roommate has gotten in some serious altercations over moving someone else’s clothes!). But sometimes, (usually on a weekend morning when everyone else is hungover), you’ll enter the laundry room to find the machines available! And maybe, if you’re REALLY lucky, the machine will have a glitch and wash your stuff without eating your $2 worth of quarters.

6. Random Acts of Kindness
There’s nothing like waking up to find that my roommate has already brewed coffee and left extra for me.  Or coming home to a plate of freshly baked cookies. Having people compliment your outfit on the way to class, your roomie with the killer wardrobe letting you borrow her favorite dress, or finding out that the girl you sit next to in English signed you in on the attendance sheet that morning you were too hungover tired to make it to class.

It’s easy to get bogged down with all the BS that comes with college life, but there’s so much to appreciate! So appreciate it! Make sure to recognize the small victories that come your way and take advantage of ‘em. From what I hear, things only get worse in the real world… and the free stuff isn’t nearly as abundant.

[This post was originally written by Jessica - Delaware]

A brunch recap sesh is the perfect only way to end an epic weekend.  It’s absolutely essential to make sure all parties are aware of the ridiculous things that happened Thursday through Sunday. After four years of recapping embarrassing, hilarious and truly epic weekends, I think I’ve nailed down a few key elements to make sure that you experience the ultimate brunch recap session every single Sunday.

1. Location, location, location. I mean, duh. Don’t share your crazy details in the hearing range of professors/exboyfriends/ex-bffs. You don’t want to have to deal with embarrassing apologies and awkward backtracking when you’re already nursing a hangover.

2. Speaking of hangovers… food is a must. Whether it’s an order-in morning, a corner table in the dining hall, or some noble soul who scrounges up the energy (and spare change) to get everyone Starbucks, you need something to curb that hangover. A venti coffee and  scone sound just about perfect. But then again, so does a bacon egg and cheese and quad latte… or maybe a mimosa. The possibilities are endless. Just get some food in that belly!

3. The friend who doesn’t black out. Usually, this is me in my group of friends. I’m the one who reminds my friends that they went home with their TA or tried to steal a lamp from main street or got in a fight with the wall. You know, typical college. But everybody needs that someone who actually remembers how you got home. Or that you finished three pizzas. Or that you tipped the delivery man in beer. Those precious, nearly gone forever details can make or break the hilarity of the morning after.

4. The friend with the camera. Plug that shiz in. Before you make a Facebook album with a dumb quote from the weekend that only your besties will understand and everyone else just thinks is weird, take a quick gander at what really went on. I mean, if your friend with the camera did their job and really played paparazzi, you’ve got a potential profile pictures somewhere in the bunch, or even better, blackmail.

5. Tissues. They can help clean up any mess. Whether its last-night’s make-up or laughing ’til you cry ( or maybe just plain crying if tequila was involved…), you’re gonna need some help after last night’s stories come to light.

What are your tips for the perfect morning after recap? Share your thoughts below!

Enter, the Wingwoman.

Wingwomen are the future.  Whereas most women are hip to the movements of wingmen, wingwomen are the stealth operation of the “game,” and the key to successful mingling between the sexes. And not just for the guy we might be wingin’ for; for ourselves, too!

For all of you skeptics out there, I have here for you, the five reasons that wingwomen rock:

1)   We are better with the grenades. So let’s say that this skanky girl is chasing your guy friend around the bar and he can’t seem to shake her loose.  Trying to pawn her off on one of his bros has proved futile, either because she only has eyes for him or because even they won’t take that hit.  What’s a bro to do?  With the wingwoman in their arsenal they need not do anything at all. She just stands near him performs a simple neck stroke or arm-around-the-waist maneuver and that hippo knows this guy is not for the taking.

2)   We know the enemy. We are girls, you know.  So for ladies who have a general mistrust for the opposite sex, it always helps to have someone with a foot in both camps.  A guy who says, “trust me, he’s such a cool guy” definitely has an ulterior motive behind the movement, while a girl who says “no, believe me, he’s the nicest guy” is way more trustworthy.  We tend to believe it when girls say it, since we believe them to actually have our interests at heart.  And if a girl says it, it also tends to be true.  There are very few wingwomen out there vouching for guys who are total scum.

3)   We have girlfriends. If a guy already hangs out with us, he knows that we’re awesome. And since birds of a feather flock together, well, he knows our flock is pretty awesome too. And that goes both ways, meaning our girlfriends and our guy friends now all have some new (totally rad) people to mingle with.

4)   Their bros will be impressed. Girls who hang out with groups of guys are able to tap into a whole different side of the game, shocking guys everywhere.  Guys love finding out that girls are into sports and outdoorsy activities while being hot at the same time, and what better way to show your Giants love (I still love them even though they were miserable failures this season. Sore subject) than by hanging out with your guy friends and talking about the grief that you now feel following the G-Men’s heinous showing this year?  Their bros will be crazy impressed that your guy friend has such a cool girl friend, which ultimately raises your status as well.  You’re welcome.

5)   We are cool people.  Guys wouldn’t hang out with us in the first place if we didn’t rock, so not only are we extremely useful in the battle that is modern day dating, but we are also sweet people to hang out with in general.  Having a girl who is a friend seems lame in theory to most guys, but in practice we are the bomb.  We know the game and are a wealth of information about the opposite sex, as well as hold many interests that they had know idea we shared.  We are also the people guys come to to share guilty pleasures (perhaps your SECRET Lady Gaga love?  I know your game…) and talk to about things they can’t talk to with their bros. Guys need us!

See? Flying as a wingwoman for the evening really is the best way to go. For everyone involved.

[This post was originally written by Sammie-Fordham]