My favorite holiday of the summer, the 4th of July, is just a few days away, which means a fun weekend full of spending time with friends and family and celebrating America’s Independence! And, since the 4th falls on a Monday, I’m also pretty excited about having an extra day off and the 3-day weekend!

Whether you’ll be spending your long weekend at the beach, a pool party, a family barbecue or partying with friends, I’ve got the perfect outfit for you! Show off your patriotic spirit in any of these cute outfits, all of which are less than $20!

The Fourth of July is a holiday deeply rooted in its traditions. You hang out with friends and family (sometimes in costume…), you cook big slabs of meat on the grill, you wash those slabs of meat down with an icy cold (alcoholic) beverage, and you sit on a blanket in the middle of a street to watch pretty bombs explode overhead.

Ooooo!
Ahhhhh!

But no matter how many times you do it, as you walk back to your car – scratching those damn mosquito bites until you bleed- you always find yourself wishing you had prepared for the festivities a little better.

So, this year, CollegeCandy is gonna help you out. We’ve done all the preparing so you don’t have to. Print this sucker out before you go and you will be ready for your 4th of July celebration (and possibly another Y2K situation…what can we say? We like to be prepared).   Read More »

American Pride Doesn't Have to Look Like This

Fourth of July is here! Commence drinking, hot dogs, drinking, and singing “Bye Bye Miss American Pie” and maybe burning your hand on sparklers (which I don’t care how old I get, they will always be so freakin’ cool).

I’ve already given you recipes for the bbq you’ll be hitting, and now we have one more thing to tackle: the Fourth of July ‘fit.

You need to look somewhat festive (i.e. I don’t suggest your skull tank or vintage “I love Canada” tee) but you don’t want to look like a walking advertisement for the US of A. I’ve got you covered: from red, white and blue festive to festive without being decked in the colors of our homeland, you will look like those American Girls that all those foreign boys (and the Counting Crows) talk about. And you will be ready to pull a Miley and Party in the USA. Woot woot. Read More »

It’s unfortunate that a glorious holiday that is supposed to be about laying out on the beach, getting burnt, and winning hot dog eating contests has turned into something so ugly and so misunderstood. Sure the Fourth of July is a day to celebrate our independence as well as our American pride, but that doesn’t mean that it’s an excuse to desecrate the colors red, white, and blue in such a horrible fashion.

So in a striking contrast to the phenomenal fireworks display you’re going to see this weekend, we present to you American patriotism gone horribly wrong.

[Click on the photos to see appropriate (and awesome) examples of patriotism.]

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Happy (almost) Independence Day, people! It’s time to bust out the sparklers and consume massive amounts of grilled meat, all in the name of this here country.

While there are many things about America that are less than lovable – Nascar, the current economy, the fact that Heidi Montag makes millions of dollars – we live in a pretty awesome country. And most of us don’t really appreciate all that we’ve got, like free education, freedom of speech… and Miley Cyrus.

So I thought it was about time for all of us to take a moment to reflect on what we love most about being Americans. Get your American Pride on in the comments below.

Katherine – University of Delaware: I love being an American because you can experience completely different lifesyles without ever leaving the country’s borders. Yet whether you’re from the south, the midwest, or the coasts, you still share a common bond.

Sara C – Fordham: What do I love about being American? Being able to be a woman who can speak her mind if she so desires. Being able to go for a run in a sports bra and compression shorts on a hot summer day. And Ben & Jerry’s. God bless Chunky Monkey.

Kari – Florida State: I love being an American most when I’m milling around a bar at Happy Hour and I can yell “F**K YEA, AMERICA!” Which will spark warm sentiments of agreement from other bar patrons. Not much more American than profanity and self-promotion!

Ricki – University of Michigan: The fact that I can wear whatever I want in the summer.  Can you imagine a country where women can’t wear shorts?  Read More »

The 4th of July is only a week away and the store mannequins have certainly arrived in their starred and striped bikinis to make sure we don’t forget it.

It’s an American holiday that takes barbecues, fireworks, and beach parties to a whole new level and with it coming up fast, it’s time to pledge our allegiance to our diets. These diet shape-ups will have you ready to don your nautical wear from the first notes of the Star-Spangled Banner and beyond.

Smoothie Sailing: If no one has let you in on the secret yet, let me be the first to inform of the word of the day: SMOOTH-IES. Smoothies can be counted as a meal substitute or an afternoon snack and they are absolutely delicious (provided that you put the right stuff in them). These 8-ounce concoctions will leave you feeling fuller longer and they are great for sitting by the pool. Simply add ¾ cup of milk, 1/2 cup of berries, whey powder and peanut butter and sip your way to slim! Read More »

Lady Liberty wouldn't be caught dead in a fanny pack

Patriotism is kicking into high gear as our Nation celebrates its big birthday today.  Suddenly, the crowds on the streets look like they got lost on their way to a (slightly chubby) reproduction of an American flag-themed musical.  With fanny packs…lots of fanny packs.

In contrast to the more traditional elements of American style (bedazzled jean jackets, tie dye and reverse fit denim), people are going all out to show their love and support for this great nation. In the form of sequins. But is an American flag parachute jacket really the way to show someone, especially our forefathers, you care?

I don’t know about you, but it’s things like this that make me question my pride in America. I know this is the land of the free, but shouldn’t we be free of fashion like this? Read More »

We have a lot of freedom here in the wonderful U.S.A. Freedom that people around the world would die for. Freedom that people around the world do die for. But do we appreciate that freedom? Not as much as we should. In fact, being that we’ve been raised to be independent and fearless females, there are a lot of freedoms we have that we don’t recognize often enough.

Tomorrow we celebrate Independence Day and in honor of that, I’m going to enjoy my freedom from my diet and eat 2 hot dogs I asked the ladies of CollegeCandy what freedom they appreciate most in their lives. Me? I love the chance to share my opinions with the world. And to eat ice cream for breakfast now that my parents aren’t watching me.

What about you? Read More »

I’ve always tried to be a good American. I’ve lived each and every day by the words of the good book: the Declaration of Independence. It guides the deeds I do, the words I write, the kicks I wear.

But every Fourth of July, I get stuck. I got parties to plan! Barbecues, decorations, fine beers, crap beers, fireworks, big cars, big cars full of beer. So much to think about! What do I do? The Declaration never mentioned how we should celebrate its own damn self.

But this year, things are different. Because this year, I found something really special. That’s right: The Declaration of Independence, Part Two. Read it and weep, beleaguered patriot partiers, and may tiny American flags spring up where your tears touch the soil. Read More »

When I’m buying beauty products the first thing I think about is how hot they will make me. Then I consider if they’ll make me break out and, finally, look at the cost.

What I don’t think about is where the product originated from. And, it seems, most of them are imported goods.

With Independence Day approaching and American Pride on the rise, I decided it was time to start buying more home-made goods. I don’t really need a car anytime soon, so I thought my makeup bag would be a good place to start. And what I found were tons of great companies – some you may recognize and some that could really use our support – right here in the U.S.of A.  So in honor of the fourth, stay true to the red white and blue and test out some products made in this land of the free (from imported makeup).

Lady Liberty would be proud. Read More »