[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

When you walk up and down Wall Street, it’s easy to believe that men clad in Thomas Pink attached to their Blackberries run this city. But take a note from Beyoncé and paint the town red (or pink) because girls? Yeah, we run the world and the town.

Tip #33 – Ladies’ Night really does exist. And it’s fabulous.

I was surprised to find out that a good number or bars and restaurants in the city still have ladies’ night drink specials. Sure, the feminist in me felt a little offended but the college girl on a budget (and unpaid internship) couldn’t help but be ecstatic. Ladies’ night isn’t exactly the best place to meet guys seeing as how there really aren’t many around so embrace it and grab your best girls to gossip or vent about work, your boyfriends, your mothers. A simple search on Yelp for “ladies’ night” will yield enough options to try out or check out the guide on Murphguide.com for specials listed by day. Just remember, just because the drinks are cheap doesn’t mean you need to attempt to drink all the liquor they have. Keep it classy ladies…well not too classy! Read More »

[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

It’s safe to say that coming from the land of Thirsty Thursday nights, where $5 liquor pitchers and $1 beers reign, to the land of $12 mixed well drinks has been an adjustment. It’s enough to wonder whether the experience from my unpaid internship is worth as I dish out more cash in one night than I do in a month at the bars from my university town. Of course I love my internship, but my drinking habit is hard to maintain in the city.

Tip #22 – Scope out bars by the universities around town.

Lately my friends and I have been spending our weekends (and some of our weeknights) at the bars around St. Marks Place because, whether the atmosphere is pleasant or not, the drinks are cheap. At The Continental $10 buys you five shots of anything and when you’re living on next to nothing, you cant be picky about minor details like the douchebag drenched in Cool Water pressed up against your back. We passed the NYU flags draped on buildings as we made our way to the street of bars. Though the ambiance doesn’t fit the hipster NYU stereotype- opting for more of a frat-tastic vibe instead- we were perfectly happy doing the stanky leg with our $4 drinks in hand…regardless of the fact that every guy was wearing the same Polo, just in different colors. Overall, you get what you pay for and most of the time, the value (judging by our BAC levels by the end of the night) is worth it. Read More »

If it’s one thing we’ve learned here at CC, it’s that all people are fascinating (Yes, even your econ professor). Let’s face it – people love to glimpse into the lives of other people. Disagree? Then please explain why you’re currently looking at your friend’s brother’s girlfriend’s cousin’s photos on Facebook. Or reading about the latest Chris Brown/Rihanna dramz in this weeks’ tabloids. Yeah we thought so.

Fact is we connect to others by learning about them. And everyone has something to share (even if it a story about a particularly embarassing fall…in a dress). So to give you yet another reason to procrastinate, we started ‘The Five Questions We Ask Everyone’ (and five just for that one person) because we know whether we’re schmoozing with an A- list celeb or your local bartender, you’ll be equally entertained.

Style expert and entrepreneur Ashley Thompson, 29, enjoys a life immersed in the international fashion scene as both a forecasting fashionista as well as the owner of New York City’s well-known shopping hotspot, Owl’s Lab.  Some of those sporting her goods include industry icons such as Mary-Kate Olsen, Jessica Alba, Paris Hilton, Mariah Carey, Maggie Gyllenhaal and more.

Owl’s Lab has been featured on TLC’s “What Not To Wear” and in publications such as Vogue, Teen Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, Lucky, US Weekly, In Touch Weekly, New York Post, New York Daily News, E! Online and Daily Candy.  It also holds the title of one of the Top 100 Boutiques in New York City (Lucky Magazine, August 2007) and is listed as one of NYC’s five “Best Bets” boutiques alongside Phillip Lim and other notable women’s fashion destinations.

Ashley knows fashion, so we wanted to get to know Ashley. Read More »

Love fashion magazines but hate the fact that you can never afford anything in them on that college budget? We feel ya, sister. The CollegeCandy office is filled to the brim with stacks and stacks of magazines that we can’t get enough of…even if they are as close as we will ever get to the Diane Von Furstenberg dresses we covet.

Lucky for all of us, Lucky magazine, only the best magazine for shopping (or drooling if you are anything like us), heard our cries. And you are going to L-O-V-E this.

With the help of dozens and dozens of fashion icons, Lucky is hosting their annual Lucky Shops event on November 7th and 8th. No more flipping through hundreds of pages thinking, “OMG! I wish I could afford that!” Now you can.

Entrance to the event is for ticketed ladies only, but Lucky is giving two very lucky (pun intended) CollegeCandy readers tickets for FREE.

First prize winner will receive 1 pair of tickets to the first day of the event November 7th (value $130). Second prize winner will receive 1 pair of tickets to the second day of the event, November 8th (value $40).

Hell yeah.

How do you become one of those readers? All you have to do is head over to the Lucky Shops site, answer the following questions correctly and you will be heading to shopping heaven.

Submit your answers to Lauren@CollegeCandy.com by October 1st. We’ll let you know if you win by October 15th. Simple as that. Read More »

Jackets already? No thanks.

(Photo courtesy of Urban Outfitters)

It’s hot today in New York. Really. Hot. Even in the air conditioning, I am sweating (ew). Last week, in preparation for some 4th of July swimming, I set off on a mission to find myself a swimsuit. I was looking for a kind of cute, retro one-piece, so I headed to my old standby: Urban Outfitters. When I entered the store, however, I was in shock. Everywhere I looked there were sweaters, long-sleeve plaid shirts and…is that a coat with a wool collar?!

WTF Urban Outfitters?! It’s JULY. I decided to try another store down the street, but was struck with the same thing. Again and again as I made my way down Broadway, I saw Fall clothing up in every window. Yesterday the latest issue of Lucky magazine arrived in my mailbox, chock full of…you guessed it…Fall fashions. I leafed through it while sitting on my bed half-naked trying to cool down in front of my fan. The pages and pages of models in tights and sweaters were not helping. Read More »