School is officially out! Time to put away those books and pull out the swim suit, because June is here. And along with the beginning of summer comes a bunch of stuff to do in celebration of sun and fun.

1)    Happy Birthday, Donald Duck!

He debuted in the cartoon “The Little Wise Hen” on June 9th 1934, so it’s this beloved Disney character’s birthday month! Celebrate Donald Fauntleroy Duck’s birthday by playing Duck, Duck, Donald Duck (goose), rewatch some old Disney classics under a Wearable Towel (touted the “summertime Snuggie”), or sip on a Duck Cocktail.  Or just laugh at the resemblance to Miley Cyrus.

2)    MK&A’s Birthday

Not a b-day for a duck without pants this time, but for tiny twins, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. The only reason I mention them is because they’ve partnered with one of my favorite shoe designers, Steve Madden, to launch a new shoe line under their “Elizabeth and James” label. The shoes aren’t bad-looking, although a bit pricey ($200-$500), and some are strangely made from ostrich and pony hair (but we expect strange from the Olsen twins, of course).

3)    Father’s Day

Mark your calendars for June 21st when we honor our fathers and everything they’ve done for us. Get dad some floss that tastes like bacon, coffee, or waffles, or download the Hulu desktop application for him. If you’re nice enough, maybe he’ll buy you a kitten. Wings included. Read More »

I think I’ve found myself a new celeb girl-crush.

I’ve been a fan of the Olsen twins since Full House, and a closeted fan ever since their enrollment to my school, New York University, was met with open hostility and disdain. I couldn’t get enough of it—their grandma-chic outfits that look like they were put together by a casual stroll through a high-end Salvation Army, their oversized sunglasses that look like they weigh more than the both of the them combined, even their movies that I watched like I watched Lifetime movies, with secret delight.

But after reading Ashley Olsen’s interview in the September issue of Marie Claire, I think I may finally be ready to come out of the closet with my Olsen love. Because, well, it turns out Ashley is kind of…cool. Quirky, a bit strange, and maybe not exactly “the coolest girl in the world,” as Marie Claire dubs her in the title of the article, but surprisingly self-aware and likable.

My only brush with Ashley took place in an NYU bathroom, after which I promptly texted my friend, “Oh my god, I just peed next to Ashley Olsen.” But save for that, and scattered incidents of getting peeks of her crazy outfits on campus, she has remained an enigma to me. Until now. Some juicy facts that I learned about my favorite Hollywood waif: Read More »

On the heels of the release of clothing line “Bitten” from Sarah Jessica Parker and “Elizabeth and James” from MK and Ashley Olsen, an article recently appeared in The New York Times criticizing the extreme rise in the number of celebrity designers. Apparently, designer Phillip Lim is only one of many designers who is concerned by this phenomenon- and I don’t blame him.

At first there were a few labels by celebrities like Sean John by rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs and L.A.M.B. by singer Gwen Stefani. In these beginning stages the public could realistically believe that these few celebrity/designers had a genuine interest in contributing to the fashion world.

It wasn’t long before other celebrities smelled the money making, publicity friendly empire. Labels consisting of basic tanks, oddly shaped jeans, and tacky looking accessories were assembled and thrown into the market. Countless celebrity fashion lines later, it’s quite obvious that this is no longer about the clothes. Read More »