Ever feel like everyone around you is suddenly coupling up and you’re the only single person left? Well, that’s how Demi Moore and Katy Perry must feel around Hollywood right about now, because waaaay too many people got engagement rings for Christmas this past year. Was there some kind of amazing sale on diamonds or something? Did everyone just completely blank out on original gift ideas and just decided to go for the gift that keeps on giving—as in once you give someone that particular piece of jewelry, you also have to give them a wedding, a honeymoon, and the rest of your life?!?

Here are all the celebrities who got engaged over the holiday season. In other words, people who seriously thought the world would end once 2012 began, wanted to make some amazing love before their last days on earth, and knew that popping the question to their significant other would seal the deal. And now they have to follow through and actually get married.

initiating the gallery...

What’d you get for Christmas that’s better than an engagement ring?? I’m more than happy with my iPad, thanks.

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

While every college girl shares many of the same college experiences (selling books, sexiled, one shot too many), she also carves her own path and has her own unique adventure. Have you ever wondered what it’s like for other girls? What it’s like to go to an all-girls school? To go to fashion school? To double major? Well wonder no more. Our one-of-a-kind CollegeCandy writers (and readers!) are sharing their unique experiences and opening our eyes to different college worlds.

Are you doing something spectacular/different/interesting that you want to share? Send your ideas over and perhaps you could be telling your story right here.

I guess I haven’t had what most people would call a normal college career.  I’ve definitely had my share of the normal college experience – dumb freshmen antics, frat parties, enough beer pong to last a lifetime, all-nighters, roommate drama, last minute papers, and really great friends – but there is one thing that makes me different.

On July 10th, 2010, a few months before my senior year, I will be a wife.

Yeah, check that. Read it over once more.  I expect more than a few WTF’s on that one.  I certainly received them when I casually went over wedding details with friends last spring in several of my classes.  For the people that know me really well, it didn’t come as much as a surprise.  I’ve had my wedding planned since I was about eight years old, wanted to be a mom when I grew up with the aspiration to pop out about twelve kids.  But after I entered college never-been-kissed and jumped into a world of man trouble that led me to some severe man-hating, I didn’t think it was going to happen.  So on New Year’s 2008, when I had firmly resolved to swear off men all together to foster greater focus and better grades, God or fate or whatever decided that it was time I meet “the one.”

I guess you can say Paul’s one of those people I should have known but never really did.  We had countless connections and had indeed met a couple times, like, seven years ago when I was an awkward fourteen-year-old who thought he was honest to God the sexiest beast to ever walk the earth, and he was a sex-pot twenty-year-old who was living his life to its fullest.  But it wasn’t until that fateful New Year’s eve when a friend called to see if I could go grab a bite to eat spur of the moment before we all split off for our evening festivities, that Paul really came into my life. He and I hit it off (despite the fact that he had grown a ridiculous fu manchu and kind of looked like one of the village people) and I expressed to my friend that I would totally date him if he shaved off that God awful mustache.  Five days later he was at my door for our first date, clean shaven and charming as ever.  The rest is kind of history.  We had our share of road bumps, but by November we knew that we wanted more than a relationship; we wanted a forever.

The plan was to wait until after I graduated before tying the knot, as that seemed the practical response.  Winter passed and spring break came, and while most of my contemporaries were getting black-out drunk and taking off their bathing suits for cameras or drunk randoms in hotel rooms, I was in Utah picking out my engagement ring.  He told me I had to wait until the right time and we figured on a long engagement.  Naturally I already had the whole wedding planned by then, and Paul and I couldn’t have been more excited for the year to pass and bring new beginnings of all sorts for the both of us.  But after spending an afternoon talking about how we wished we were married RIGHT NOW and no longer wanting our goodnights to mean goodbye, we decided that instead of waiting a whole year and a half before we were husband and wife we were going to do it this summer.   There were a few naysayers in the lot, people who wanted to make sure I was graduated and situated and all that jazz, but ultimately everyone has supported me in my decision to get married.

A few weeks later Paul proposed on my favorite beach at sunset, which honestly came as a complete surprise due to a lot of well planned sneakiness on his part. He traced significant events in a our relationship, beginning with when we were acquaintances, then dating, then official, then best friends, then in love, then knowing we wanted marriage, and now (dun dun dun) officially engaged.

My friends spent the next few months studying for finals and writing papers and partying. I spent them trying on dresses and ordering linens and tasting cake, preparing for a life with my best friend in the whole wide world.  It’s been one of those crazy awesome experiences that I wouldn’t trade for anything.  A lot of people think I’m too young, too naïve, too inexperienced to leap into a life changing decision that could ultimately lead to another divorce statistic, but I know me and I know Paul, and there is nothing I want more then to wake up every morning to his scruffy smiling face.

And, yes, maybe I am missing out – my college career has been very different from what most would expect, especially here in beautiful San Diego – but it doesn’t feel that way to me. I’ve been waiting for him my whole life, and to call upon the wisdom of Billy Crystal, “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”  And that’s what I’m doing.  It means instead of parties and bars I’ll be spending my evenings cuddled up on the couch with my hubby, probably either beasting Ultimate Alliance 2 for the third time, watching a movie, or finishing homework.  It means instead of calling mommy and daddy and asking them for money (which I don’t do anyway), we’ll be working our asses off making ends meet and saving for a house.  It means instead of panicking about where I’ll be after college I’ll know that no matter what I’ll be right by Paul’s side, where I belong.

[A special thanks to reader Megan for sharing her story with all of us!]

Question for Tuffski?! Email her at TuffyLuv@collegecandy.com and perhaps get an answerino.

Dear Tuffy Luv,
My best friend got engaged on Valentine’s Day. I want to be excited for her big moment, but I can’t help but feel like she’s making a gigantic mistake. She’s only known him since November (he was a mutual friend of the guy she was sleeping with at the time) and has a long history of rushing into relationships with really sketchy guys. Every relationship she gets into, she seems to fall head-over-heels for the guy and turns a blind eye to all of his problems until after he breaks up with her, at which point she realizes what a jerk he was for cheating/abusing her/lying/etc.

Her fiance has never abused or cheated on her, but a couple of months ago they had a pregnancy scare and he threatened to kill himself. I don’t think either of them are mature enough to get married, and if they do, I think it will end in divorce. They plan to get married in Summer 2013 after she gets her bachelor’s degree, so there’s time for her to realize it won’t work on her own, but I don’t think she will. Should I raise the issue with her? I love her and just want her to be happy, but she’s so ecstatic about the engagement and the guy that I’m afraid speaking up could end our friendship.

–Friendo

Dear Friendo,

Wow, that IS fast.

Okay, well, all is not lost here, Friendo. Tuffy agrees with you–this sounds like a phenomenally bad idea. However, 2013 is a long way off. All signs point to maybe, possibly okay.

Here’s what you do. Take her out for dinner (you pay). Have a nice time, girls’ night kind of deal, whatever, and then say you need to talk about something serious. Tell her that you’re really, really happy for her and really excited about her wedding, but you love her and you just want to voice your concerns now before things get any farther along.

Don’t mention her horrible ex-boyfriends. Don’t tell her you think she’s too immature. Don’t mention the fiance threatening to kill himself.

Just tell her that you think it’s fast. Say that you want to make sure she really gets to know him in a meaningful way before she decides to spend the rest of her life with him. Tell her that you believe they love each other (even if you don’t), but that it really is just impossible to know someone well enough to make an informed decision about marriage after just a few months. Ask her not to break up with him or end the engagement, but just to try to get to know him much, much better before 2013 and to be open-minded and see him for who he is and not for who she wants him to be.

Of course, inevitably, she will think you’re jealous. But that’s a small price to pay if it gets her thinking about this decision.

Say all of this once and then never again. After you’ve said your piece, let her make her own decisions.

Good luck to your friend–may she not marry an asshoop.

Hearts & Skulls,
Tuffy Luv

Ah, breaking up. America’s favorite pastime. Whether your relationship ended abruptly, amicably or was “complicated” or “well we’re not together, but we’re still together” for way too long (cough EIGHT MONTHS cough) before it ended on horrible terms (totally hypothetical situation – definitely didn’t happen to me this weekend) breaking up fully blows.

But what if you could get back everything you gave? Well, monetarily at least.

Thanks to OutOfYourLife.com, women suffering from breaking-off-the-engagement can send back their rings when the douchebag peaces out and get back some serious cashola. Is there any better way to get over a breakup than to get a giant check in the mail? I think not.

But what about for the rest of us gals who didn’t bag a diamond? I made a hypothetical projected return rate on what most college girls get out of their exes if they’d been dating them for six months.  Let me know if I forgot anything…

Crappy tee shirt that you borrowed and never returned: $5

DVDs or CDs he’s left behind, given or lent you. Like I’d even want to watch “Four Brothers.” When was that cool? However, Tyrese is pretty delish.: $20

Gifts he considered “Birthday or Holiday worthy” (stuffed animals, non precious jewelry, trashy lingerie, etc…): $50

One smelly sock found jammed under your bed: $.05

Bill for therapy: -$300

6 months worth of birth control: -$180

One projected future year of gym membership bought to lose weight gained from said birth control: -$240

Any and all purchases made “for” him. Trashy lingerie. Outfits. You know, bedroom things. Ugh, I knew that seventy dollar lacy corset was a big mistake: -$300

Anytime he “forgot his wallet” or “didn’t have any cash” or “how about you just put this on your dad’s credit card?”: -$400

Reimbursement for wasting time: sports center, video games, etc… set your price at $10 an hour: -$2000

Relocation fees if you moved to get away from his sorry ass: -$1500

Costs of buying multiple pairs of flats because you couldn’t wear heels because he was an inch shorter than you. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it just adds up: -$100

Cost of gallons of ice cream, sappy DVD rentals and Kleenex for a week: $15.73

Cost of your bar tab for the first weekend he broke up with you. Bottles to the face might be able to be written off as a subset of “therapy” for some: -$198.50 (WHAT? Don’t judge me).

So, if my calculations are correct (I’m no finance major), I’d get about -$5,159.18 back from this website. Awesome.

I get dumped by a d-bag and I end up $6k in the hole? Looks like the recession hasn’t affected breakups…

Melanie currently interning in NYC, taking full advantage of all margarita specials and those blonde summer boys. Stalk her on Twitter: @tinkermellie

I can just imagine the scene now…Kevin Jonas walks up to the front door of his girlfriend’s house, tells his body guards to get back in the limo and drive around the corner, and knocks on the door.  She answers, he gets down on one knee, pulls out a ring, and then the music starts…because his brothers are obviously strategically placed in his girlfriend’s house to add back-up vocals.

I can’t get your smile out of my mind
(I can’t get you out of my mind)
I think about your eyes all the time
You’re beautiful but you don’t even try
(You don’t even, don’t even try)
Modesty is just so hard to find

Now I’m speechless
Over the edge, I’m just breathless
I never thought that I’d catch this love bug again
Hopeless, head over heels in the moment
I never thought that I’d get hit by this love bug again

I’m getting misty just thinking about it…except not really.  It’s kind of geeky, once you think about it (everyone is going crazy over a 21 year old virgin getting married).  But anyway, kudos to Kevin Jonas!  He’s finally gonna get laid and be happy in love and blah blah blah.  I wonder what this means for future Jonas Brothers albums…not so innocent anymore, perhaps?

Got a question for the Tuffster? Email her at TuffyLuv@collegecandy.com and get that shiz answered!

Dear Tuffy Luv,

I’ve been with my boyfriend – let’s call him P – for three and a half years. We graduated college together and have been dating since senior year. We moved in together right away – our college was in a town that neither of our families live too near – and we both have decent jobs with salaries. My question is, I really want to get married soon, or at least get engaged, but he doesn’t seem like he has any plan to do that. I don’t want to ask him to marry me so please don’t suggest that, because I want it to be traditional and because HE wants to! What should Ido?

Clare

Dear Clare,

Well…

Okay, I’m just gonna say it. TALK. TO. HIM.

I know, I know. It seems like such an easy answer, and I know you don’t wanna do it. But, honey, there’s no other way to know. Does he know you want to get married? I mean, let’s face it, men are not exactly the most perceptive of beings. (No offense, menzos, but let’s face facts.) Maybe the thought genuinely honestly has not crossed his mind. Gently, maybe over dinner or something equally neutral and nice, be all, “Hey, babe, you ever give any thought to getting married? Not right now–but, like, what’s your time line?”

And, of course, he’ll freak out. BUT! At least you’ll have opened the door. My advice to you, girl, is that on this particular occasion when you first bring it up, do NOT press the issue. Let him think about it, say whatever freaked out thing he’s gonna say, and then drop it completely. Then you can bring it back up maybe a couple of weeks later, again in a very nonchalant way. If you make this at all stressful, you’ll have ruined the whole thing for yourself for at least a year. The way to do this is gently and little by little.

On the other hand, he may have given it thought and realized (a) he’s just not ready, or (b) you’re ultimately not, for whatever reason, the girl he sees himself ending up with. If this is the case, it is going to suck ass for you. But better to know now, right? Especially if you want to get married soon. If he doesn’t see himself with you, like, ever-ever, then it’s time to let it go.

Hopefully this ain’t the case. Let me know, girl!

Hearts & Skulls,

Tuffy Luv

Upon meeting Heidi’s dad on last night’s episode of The Hills, I expected a little more from MTV. For instance, I expected a scene out of some sort of Western movie where Mr. Montag walks through swinging saloon doors, gives Spencer a look and then does some fancy moves with the gun in his holster as a tumbleweed blows by.

Instead I got some BS brunch at a Hollywood eatery where Spencer tripped over his words as he attempted to impress the Cowboy. Words that Heidi’s dad most definitely did not understand. So, Cowboy Montag, if you are reading this right now, I’d like to take this opportunity to translate that mumbo jumbo that came out of Pretty Boy Pratt’s mouth so maybe you can stop this wedding before it happens. Oh wait…. Well, at least you’ll know what he was talking about.

What Spencer Said: “So I say to this guy, ‘you’d really do this?’ and he gets in my face and he’s like, ‘yeah, you know, what are you gonna do?’ and that’s when I, you know, massaged his face a little bit… lightly.”

What That Means: “I punched someone for telling Heidi I was doing something wrong. And I’m an a$$hole. Please don’t shoot me.”

But the Cowboy doesn’t shoot him (aw shucks!); instead, he gives him permission to marry Heidi. Could it be that he actually likes Spencer (yeah right), or is it more likely that he wants Heidi to stop tarnishing the pure “Montag” name and start ruining someone else’s legacy?

Spencer doesn’t want anyone to change their minds so he off and runs to get Heidi a ring. A giant ring.
A ring that weighs more than the girl (even with that giant weave and those duck lips). A ring that he could obviously afford with that great job of his. Oh, he doesn’t have a job? So Heidi’s engaged/married to MTV? Sounds about right.

Not that I saw the engagement coming. I mean, I had no idea those two even got married! I wish they covered this couple a bit more. It’s just hard when they hate the media so much.  When Spencer took Heidi to the top of the ferris wheel I was kinda hoping for a double dive into the cement below.
Especially after Heidi called him SPENCEY.

Too bad all I got was a marriage proposal.

Oh yeah, other things happened this episode, too. Lauren fired Steph from her job, and while she looked like she was upset (or trying really hard to seem that way), Steph was far more concerned with the guy from the White Tie Affair to really focus on anything job-related. And good job MTV for the smooth band placement in the episode. Is this the next hot band we’re supposed to fall in love with?

Perhaps they’ll be playing at the Speidi wedding. How romantic.

Life in prison for this fashionable felon.

President-Elect Obama loves YouTube!

Paula might be leaving American Idol.

Is Kim Kardashian really engaged?

Hulk Hogan & Co. are a bunch of douches.

Anderson Cooper watches Real Housewives of Atlanta.

ESPN is stereotyping your school.

Makeup trends for the holiday season.

It’s a hard-knock life for your RA.

The idiot’s guide to networking.

At least that’s what she told Star Magazine.

This kid is so cute, we maybe, kinda (not for a long, long time) want kids.

Do lip plumpers really work?

Nicole Richie heads back to work.

The Halloween Costume Generator (for the ladies).

Nominate your school for the next Victoria’s Secret collection!

Does anyone use the phone anymore!?

Yes! We can finally get Zac Efron to sleep with us!

Britney set to perform live on Dec. 2! Trainwreck? We hope so!

Michigan grad to be on Vh1′s “The Pickup Artist”

The perfect Halloween accessories.

Ms. Hudson is about to become Mrs. Jennifer Hudson Otunga! (She’s engaged, for everyone who missed that.)

There is nothing quite like being in love, so we are so happy for our pal, Jennifer. Her husband-to-be, David Otunga is hot, smart (a Harvard Law School grad) and has some fine taste in engagement rings. His previous taste in women is a tad questionable (I Love New York? Really?!), but he has clearly learned from his mistakes and traded up to the beautiful, talented Jennifer Hudson.

This woman proves that you can really have it all: looks, talent, a successful career and a worthwhile relationship (even if guy happened to be on one of the worst reality shows…ever).

You go girl.