It’s hard not to smile when you first see this now-notorious picture from last month’s Glamour. Whether fashion mags are just trying to cash in on a long-neglected market or they’re actually making a concentrated effort to diversify their glossy pages, it’s incredibly refreshing to see a “plus-sized” woman with a tiny paunch being portrayed as confident and sexy rather than dumpy and in need of an emergency juice fast.

And the lady on page 194 isn’t this week’s only bright spot—our posts since Monday have been full of pluses. For example:

- Something called the Amethyst Initiative wants to lower the drinking age, which should come in handy when your study group wants to start pounding shots. Drunk studying for midterms: CC tested, commenter approved.

- Dressing up for Halloween doesn’t necessarily mean looking like a hooker, unless, you know, you want to look like a hooker with a sense of humor.

- Getting ready for unscheduled boot-knocking is simple…

… as is buying fresh, healthy produce.

- And speaking of produce: it’s finally pumpkin season! Mmmmm, pie.

- There are bright-eyed, bushy-tailed freshmen out there who are somehow excited about writing papers. That’s just heartwarming.

- AskMen.com’s list of 2009’s most influential dudes is light on substance, but heavy on eye candy. As far as I’m concerned, Don Draper can top any list he wants.

Of course, this week wasn’t all sunshine and pumpkins—we had to deal with bad kissers, Spencer Pratt’s continued douchitude, and, er… how to deal when your guy wants to use the back door. But for now, let’s focus on the positive. Have a great weekend!

Halloween is here tomorrow! Break out the giant bowls of candy, the pumpkins and the fishnets that somehow go with every costume! It is time to get your Halloween Partayyy on. Whether you go Liq-or-Treating, to a Monster Bash, or just stay home and hand out candy to the kiddies, you gotta be dressed for the occassion.

We have been working on our costume all week long and it rocks. We can’t wait to show it off tomorrow night!

If you don’t have a costume yet, shame on you! But it’s not to late. Maybe CollegeCandy can help you out with some inspiration…

So, CollegeCandy readers, tell us (and the folks without any Halloween creativity) what you will be dressing up as tomorrow night. Leave your costume ideas in the comments section. We can’t wait to see what you came up with this year!

[Photo courtesy of Flickr]