We get a TON of emails here at CC HQ to help with this project and talk about that campaign and promote some big weekend sale. While we mostly ignore them (especially the emails we received asking us to promote anti-wrinkle cream to college students), there is always  one that grabs our attention and inspires us to get involved. So with no further ado, let’s talk about a project that will hopefully make a difference in the lives of women.

Dreaming Tree Films teamed up with Mary Kay this year, “to create Mary Kay Inspiring Stories to empower & inspire women (ages 18-34) nationwide to take a stand against domestic violence, the #1 cause of injury to women. Today through June 30 Mary Kay Inspiring Stories is hosting a nationwide online search for women who want to apply for their chance to be flown to Hollywood, in August, where they’ll team up with female celebrities to make movies with a mission. The celebrities involved will be announced shortly, however all share a commitment to educating and preventing domestic abuse. Those women selected will have days to bring their documentary & the inspiring stories of women who’ve faced domestic violence to life. No experience is needed to apply or be selected (women will learn the ins and outs of moviemaking in Hollywood). After production wraps the films will premiere in late September, on the cusp of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Following the premiere and throughout the month of October, millions across America will have the chance to view, vote and support the documentaries online. A $20,000 shelter grant will be given out in the name of the film crew behind the documentary that receives most of America’s vote. “

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Question?! Answer: Ask TuffyLuv@collegecandy.com

Dear Tuffy Luv,

I’m a nineteen-year-old sophomore.  I have been seeing this guy R for almost a year.  He doesn’t go to my college but he did go to a tech school close to his hometown.  I really like him and he really likes me (he tells me all the time), but he is really insecure and is under is Dad’s thumb. For as long as R can remember his dad has been telling him he’ll never amount to anything.  On top of that, his dad is mentally, emotionally, verbally and physically abusive towards him, his siblings and his mom.

R tells me all the time that he will NEVER be like his father (and if he starts I’ll be LONG GONE).  R’s mom doesn’t really say much but I know she thinks that I’m good for him, but his Dad has a MAJOR problem with me.  I think it’s because I ‘empower’ R to stand up to his Dad, not only for himself but for his mom (he got in his Dad’s face one day when R’s dad started yelling at his mom).  And he has given his Dad a black eye when he started messing with me.  Soooo, I think because of this, R’s dad is trying to keep me away from him.  What in the world do I do about his dad?  I am very respectful and I do as I am told (my parents’ upbringing) and I know what to do on a farm.  What do I do?

Always yours,
What’s up with him? Read More »

One of the most important issues we are facing today is violence against women. Based on data available, 70 percent of women experience physical or sexual violence from men in their lifetime.  This staggering  number alone stresses the importance of heightened awareness, and increased action toward ending violence against women.

It happens everywhere – at home, at school, and on the streets.  An estimated 150 million girls under 18 suffered some form of sexual violence in 2002 alone, and rape and domestic violence are a higher risk for women aged 15 to 44 worldwide than cancer, traffic accidents or malaria.  Beyond happening too often and in sickening quantities, violence against women harms family and communities, and deserves a call for action to stop it in its destructive path.

Say NO – Unite to End Violence Against Women has taken a giant leap to halt the violence.  The organization was created in November 2009 to end violence between women and girls through social mobilization.  Say NO aims to spark action amongst individuals, government, and civil society partners. These actions can vary from reaching out to speak at schools,  volunteering at local shelters, or donating to women’s violence programs.

UNiTe calls on anyone and everyone to take action, join forces, and address the global issue that is violence against women.  UNiTe believes if we stand together as a whole we are better able to speak out and make a difference. Read More »

I’ll admit it: I’ve got a thing for relationship self-help books. When I’m working the floor at my local bookstore, I can’t help but skim through the latest additions to the section (though I pray no one sees me…) Maybe it’s the colorful covers or the catchy titles; I mean who can pass up a book with the word “bitch” right on the front? Since I’m somewhat of a connoisseur in the area, I decided to write about my favorite for all you gals out there!

“Why Men Love Bitches” is as sassy as the title suggests, and that is precisely what I love about it! Sherry is hard-hitting, honest and, most importantly, RIGHT.

Now the word “bitch” comes with all sorts of negative connotations: rude, stuck-up, conceited and all sorts of other nasty adjectives. But that’s not the kind of bitch Sherry is writing about. In “Why Men Love Bitches,” the bitch is confident, not cocky, knows her worth and is not willing to settle for any schmuck.

Sherry empowers women and made me realize that I should not being chasing desperately after any man. That strips me of my dignity and I am better than that; in fact, every women is! If a man is making you run after him, you should turn your heels and bolt in the other direction. This is a clear signal that you will never feel good enough for him. There is a fine line between effort and desperation and Sherry definitely helped me clarify that and all my expectations when pursuing a man. Read More »

Thank the lord this is for a new role.

Popcorn for the alcoholics in all of us.

Chris Brown charged with 2 felonies.

The real truth behind Ticket Master.

Is Michael Jackson going on tour?

STI results aren’t as clear as you might think.

Axe honors Brad Pitt with chocolate replica…of his face. And we didn’t think we could love chocolate any more.

Will The Hills go on without LC?

Forever 21 launching a plus size line!

Relationships make women sick.

Heroes is coming back for another season.

Students get involved in earth friendly competition.

Britney kicks off her world tour tonight!

Worried about those spring break hook ups? Check out these do’s and don’ts.

Did politics kill Meghan McCain’s libido?

Jesse McCartney is looking pretty hot in this just-released video.

Looks like mama Lohan is finally starting to worry.

What do you think, is Angelina a better blonde or brunette?

Sharon Osbourne is being sued for battery, negligence and infliction of emotional distress.

Nerds vs. Geeks: its all in the definition.

How far would you go for a Nintendo DS.

Danielle Lloyd talks domestic Violence.

Joaquin Phoenix, why are you so weird?

Make your own erotic novel? Best V-Day gift EVER.

I didn’t think it was possible, but David Beckham is gross. 

The most romantic fragrances.

Mandy Moore is getting hitched.

Nicolette Sheridan leaving Desperate?

Bedroom toys that will knock your socks off. That is, if you wear socks to bed, which is just weird.

Is it just me, or is Lily Allen’s dress a bit short?

Heidi Klum makes me feel even worse about myself…

Eat healthy for only $1 a day? No way.

Domestic violence can happen to anyone.

19-year-old Zachary Moir is being held on $1,500 bail and has been sitting in jail since Tuesday. His crime is a little surprising as he didn’t bring a gun to school, yell fire in a crowded movie theater, steal or drive drunk. Instead Zachary Moir has been charged with domestic violence battery after throwing a taco at his mother.

That’s right, a taco.

Dena Moir, Zachary’s mother, called Volusia County sheriff’s deputies to on Tuesday to report the incident. After several attempts to get him to come to dinner, she did what any frustrated mother would do: she went upstairs to her son’s room and disconnected his xBox. Well, Zachary wasn’t having that, so he called his mother a name and asked her to leave his room.

If only it ended there, Zachary Moir would just be another bratty teenager who wanted to play video games instead of join his mother for some delicious tacos. But, of course, Zachary got hungry. Maybe the smell of ground meat wafting up to his room were too much to handle, or perhaps he even felt a little guilty that his mother slaved over a hot stove. Either way, he went to the kitchen to nosh on some mouth-watering Mexican. Read More »

There was an award show last night? (Mmmm Christian Bale.)

Happy Birthday, Elvis!

All the teens in Mississippi are havin’ babies.

Tori Spelling is heading back to 90210. Maybe now we’ll watch.

New iPhone app turns it into a vibrator…

At least we aren’t the only ones who think Lisa Rinna looks freakish.

Drop the overpriced eyeliner, and get this. Now.

Would you give up 10 friends for a Whopper?

The top 10 men women fantasize about.

Is pollution bad for your skin?

Biggest Loser contestant gets mad, throws flour?

(Photo courtesy of Just Jared.)

When I was 15, I got my first boyfriend. We fell in love, had sex for about three months, and then broke up.

I was devastated. Like many young women, I had internalized the idea that a “good girl” only ever sleeps with one guy. In a society where sex before marriage is no longer taboo, sex in a relationship that doesn’t last forever is still frowned upon.

Perhaps the breakup wouldn’t have been as hard to bear if I had been able to better differentiate between sex and love. It took me many years — and many partners — to learn that sex doesn’t have to equal love in order to be good.

Unfortunately, I did learn that sex needs to be free of emotional baggage in order to be good. On the rebound from my first relationship, I f#cked my way through my grief. Nothing ever satisfied, and each breakup left me feeling even emptier.

I eventually screwed myself, figuratively at least. I got into an emotionally abusive relationship that ended with some tough lessons a year and a half later. Basically, after 18 months of possessiveness and jealous accusations, I slapped my boyfriend, and he promptly turned me in for domestic violence. A moment’s bad decision cost me $650 in fines and restitution, and nine months of therapy. Read More »