I’m pretty sure most of us have made peace with this heartbreaking reality, and they really should too.

This month is Glamour’s 20th anniversary of their “Women of the Year” celebration, which you may think means a much heavier emphasis on the women who are setting the world on fire…and, yes, that’s true, if by “much heavier,” you mean “about 10 pages worth of footage.” Because heaven forbid we take a prolonged break from discussing the latest trends in red lipstick or the return of the side ponytail or trying to decipher the stupid signals dudes send us.

(Actually, I’m glad they didn’t, because then what would I write about?)

For an issue that is supposed to be inspiring women, I was feeling pretty dejected reading through it. Glamour made me feel skanky (by declaring leather leggings a “don’t, unless you’re Lindsay Lohan”), unhygienic (did you know you’re supposed to give fruit not just a water rinse-off, but a VINEGAR rinse too?), and sexually unadventurous (because I have no desire to try tantric sex).

And then I came across an article that was so absurd that I had no choice but to feel a lot better about myself because at least I’m not clueless enough to take this advice seriously.

“Five Sexy Texts You Won’t Regret in the Morning“

To the new guy you made out with for 27 minutes last night:
Glamour says:: “Invested in some lip balm. U need some? Happy to share.”
Jasmine says: My inner grammar-nerd is dying at the substitution of “u” for “you.” But besides that, if you only made out for a guy for less than half an hour (and you actually clocked it to the exact minute), then I’m thinking the make out wasn’t that great, and the last thing you need to do is encourage more chapped-lip inducing shenanigans.

To your boyfriend who’s at a work party.
Glamour says: “Have fun 2nite. Afterparty @ my place?”
Jasmine says: This text reads like such a douche-bro text. Like something any of the oh-so-charming guys from The Hills would send to LC and co. Not cute. What’s wrong with a classic, “Can’t wait to see you tonight [insert cutesy emoticon of your choice here]“?

To your guy whose football team just lost
Glamour says: “Sorry re: the game. U might score l8r 2nite tho…”
Jasmine says: If you’re old enough to be sexting, I think you’re also old enough to come up with something more clever than a played out sportsy metaphor for sex.

To the man who needs cheering up
Glamour says:: “Pictured u naked during mtg. Boss asked why u smiling.”
Jasmine says: Men actually have feelings that extend beyond sex. Maybe to cheer your boy up, compliment his character?

To the significant other who’s working late
Glamour says: “Getting in bath. Will u b home 2 towel me off or should I drip dry?”
Jasmine says: I’m all for late-night sexy times, but if you know your boo having a long day, why not cater to him first? Wait for him to get home to take a bath together and towel each other off? Or is that too considerate?

When I first started this internship, I had high expectations. I knew that it would be different than the other internship I had; I could tell from the interview alone that this one would be a little bit more exciting, a little bit more hands-on, and was definitely about a subject matter that I enjoy. And I have to say, I was pretty much right.

I think that my experience has been exactly what an interning experience should be: there have been highs and lows, exciting moments of feeling like an actual journalist and those back-to-earth moments of feeling like the lowest person on the office food-chain. There have been frustrating moments when I’ve felt like I just want to walk out and never come back (like a 12-hour day where there was absolutely NOTHING to do), and there have also been moments where I wouldn’t give up the job for the world (like when I got to interview Derek Jeter). I’ve had to deal with some rude people, but I’ve also gotten the chance to meet some really amazing people. And probably the best thing was seeing my name in a national publication several times, and knowing that my hard work in school was finally starting to pay off a little.

But now it’s almost the end of August, and as much as I’d like to stay at this magazine for the next few years, it doesn’t seem possible. Never mind the fact that I’ve been interning for close to 8 months and it’s starting to look a little pathetic, but I think this is the best time to move on and learn about other areas of the industry, meet new people, and get even more experience. So in a week I will be going to another publication, and yes, it’s another internship. I may not be getting paid for what I do, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had a big, bitter taste of the real world.

Here’s what I’ve learned from my all-you-can-eat buffet of real life:

1. Some people are not going to be that nice. You always hear people say, ‘in the real world, no one’s going to be nice to you.’ And while there are definitely some amazing people out there who WILL be nice to you, there are also the people who won’t be. And that’s fine. As long as you know it has nothing to do with you, the experience will only make you stronger. A little quicker to fire back.

2. Celebrities are not as intimidating as I thought they would be. My first celeb interview was with Katharine McPhee, and I was terrified. I had never really had a conversation with a star before, and had no idea what to expect, visions of crazy, snobby celebs going through my head. But McPhee couldn’t have been nicer, and after a few months of meeting even bigger celebrities and interviewing them, I found out that they weren’t as intimidating to talk to as everyone thinks they will be (the worst part is standing in front of them seeing exactly just how beautiful they really are). Now I feel like if I could interview celebrities, I can interview (and be interviewed by…) anyone.

3. You should be nice to EVERYONE. One day when I first started my internship, I had a quick chat with someone who worked there – only to find out later that it was the editor-in-chief (I immediately panicked and went through the entire convo in my head about 50 times to make sure I didn’t say anything dumb). When you’re working within the industry of your choice, you might not know who everyone is and the best thing to do is just be nice to everyone, regardless of whether they deserve it or not. No one likes the snobby intern who thinks she’s better then everyone else. And, trust me on this one, people talk…a lot; whatever reputation you have will spread quickly.

4. Always do the tasks no one else wants to do. If I was asked to stay late, I stayed late. If they needed a volunteer to get a ridiculous amount of coffee for the entire office, I did it. And any other small and annoying task that had everyone rolling their eyes, I did those too. It’s a great way to stand out, because it made my editor see I wasn’t just there for the cool stuff, that I was there because I really wanted to get ahead.

5. What I really want to do is write. This internship has been amazing, but the only negative is the limited opportunity to write. At first I thought I could handle working at a magazine like that, but after a few months, I know that’s not true. I graduated with a degree in print journalism because I love writing, not because I wanted to stalk celebrities. No matter what else came out of my 8 months of interning, figuring out exactly what I want in life was definitely the most important.

Here’s hoping to getting a job soon and leaving interning behind!

[F or most college students, summer means one thing: an unpaid internship. We’ve been there and we feel your pain. Whether you’re making copies, making coffee runs, or just trying to make your mark on the industry of your dreams, it’s much easier to get through it all with a little help from your (CollegeCandy) friends. So come back every week to listen/sympathize with/vent with our anonymous intern as she does her thang at a big time magazine in New York City. Because, let’s be honest, what else do you have to do in that cubicle all day?]

It’s no secret that interning can be a dull job. In fact, sometimes internships get such a bad rep that we forgot that they can also have some pretty amazing perks. In the field of journalism and magazine writing, one of those perks is being given the opportunity to cover red carpet events. At my internship, it’s hands down everyone’s favorite thing to do and for obvious reasons. I mean, free alcohol, free finger foods, a chance to meet celebrities AND reporting credit? What could be better?

I’ve met tons of other over-eager interns out there while I’m working the carpet and while some of them try to act all cool and casual, when it comes down to it, we’re all super excited to have a chance to talk to some of our favorite celebs, especially when it’s someone we love. (When me and another intern met Ashley Olsen the other night, we were both squealing like 12-year-olds at a Justin Bieber concert).

So what’s my point? Most of the time that excitement turns into telling all of our friends, family and basically anyone who will listen to us (I slipped it into a convo with the guy serving me pizza the other day), gush about our red carpet moments. And most of the time that gushing pisses people off and makes them think that we’re name-dropping fools who can’t stop bragging about our awesome accomplishments.

Take this week, for example. It was like the holy grail for me. It began with a music event that included Jason Mraz and Trey Songz (both surprisingly very attractive and a little flirty in person); continued with a star-studded Yves Saint Laurent party where Ashley Olsen, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Alexis Bledel and Whitney Port were in attendance; and ended with an interview with Derek Jeter, one of my favorite celeb guys (GO YANKEES!). So you can only imagine how excited I was all week…. and yes, I admit to one too many Facebook status updates and to blowing up my friend’s Twitter pages with all my observations.

But I wasn’t trying to brag! Honest.

Here’s the thing: covering events is (usually) easily the best part of any magazine internship. We interns spend 10-12 hours a day in an office on a regular basis, sitting in front of a computer doing nothing more than developing a nice case of carpal tunnel, so when the time comes to get out and do some real journalistic stuff, it’s pretty exciting. All of those years of early morning college classes and hours of transcribing has finally paid off when I’m standing in front of some of my fave celebs, interviewing them. And given all of the hard and sometimes boring work we do all day (for zero pay), can’t a girl get some bragging rights?

I can’t speak for all interns, but I know for myself that these moments are so exciting I just can’t keep them in. I’m not trying to brag or name-drop or show off – I just want to share my excitement and enthusiasm (which has been pent up for days while sitting silently at a table waiting for an assignment) with anyone who will listen. And if that means spewing it all over Facebook, well, so be it! I’ve worked really hard to get these opportunities so I feel it is my right to be excited without my friends’ eye rolling bringing me down.

I mean, come on, after months of getting coffee, getting yelled at and being totally ignored by (some of) my superiors, let me have my moment of glory, will you? Sometimes it’s the only thing keeping me going.

A little bit of work and a whole lot of Facebook creepin'.

For most college students, summer means one thing: an unpaid internship. We’ve been there and we feel your pain. Whether you’re making copies, making coffee runs, or just trying to make your mark on the industry of your dreams, it’s much easier to get through it all with a little help from your (CollegeCandy) friends. So come back every week to listen/sympathize with/vent with our anonymous intern as she does her thang at a big time magazine in New York City. Because let’s be honest, what else do you have to do in that cubicle all day?

Ah, the joys of working nine hour days for free, of basically being known as the office bitch, and of never knowing if your dedicated hard work will ever actually turn into the job of your dreams.

These are the joys of being an intern.

And I, being the lucky girl that I am, have been experiencing these joys for the last 5 months, and will continue to through the end of the summer. As the editorial intern for a very popular celebrity gossip magazine in the heart of Manhattan, I go through most of the stereotypical hardships you hear about when you think of the word ‘intern’. However, there are definitely some perks too. (Come on, I wouldn’t be here this long if there weren’t.) Not only do I get to attend VIP events throughout the city, and sometimes get the thrill of seeing my name in print in this well-known publication, but I also get to meet and interview celebs – and as a huge Hollywood junkie, that is a big deal for me.

When I first started at the magazine, I was excited and ready to learn about everything. Even though I graduated college last May and had expected to find a paying job already, I still felt lucky to have scored an internship at such a popular magazine. I assumed I would be busy all the time and quickly outshine the other interns, thus securing myself a full-time position.

And things have turned out a bit differently…

Sometimes, interning means sitting around and doing a whole lot of nothing – which obviously translates to spending hours on Facebook and memorizing the social lives of every person you’ve ever known. At least I was relieved in knowing I didn’t have to deal with any ‘Devil Wears Prada’ type editors – just one cranky one, only a few who thought they were better then everyone, and some brown nosing fellow interns.

I quickly got used to the way things went around the office – the interns were to sit quietly at our computers and wait to be told what to do. We got lunch for the senior editors on a daily basis a few blocks away, and had to eat our own lunch at our desks. We had to be there by 9:30 in the morning and had to stay until at least 6:30 – and on Mondays, we had to stay even later to do a Starbucks run, meaning our day could easily last for 12 hours. Not to mention we had to deal with our editor/coordinator, who picked favorites and gave them all of the good stuff.

But, there were also some pretty awesome moments during those cold, wintery months. Like the time Justin Bieber came in for one of the staff luncheons and he sang to us (Bieber fever, anyone?); when I got to go to New York Fashion Week and sit directly behind Brooke Shields (I might have been more focused on the back of her head then the beautiful clothes); or the time that Shawn White came in and said hi to me (I still think about it to this day). And the fact that all of those long hours together turned into intern happy hours.

This summer, I’m the intern who has been there the longest. I don’t know whether to feel proud or embarrassed about this, but hey, whatever. At least I can rest assured with the knowledge that I will continue to know not only all of the juicy details of Hollywood, but also everything about my friends’ Facebooks and Twitters.

It’s gift giving time and that means one thing: you’re finally gonna get that iPhone you’ve got a lot of wrapping to do. And if you’re anything like me, you’re way too cheap to spend money on holiday wrapping paper. Plus, is it really fair to our lovely planet to waste a tree on something that just gets thrown away? I don’t think so.

I realize some of you probably fold up your wrapping paper and reuse it, and more power to you. But for the rest of us, mostly those of us who tear through our presents without mercy, here’s a way to make your own unique, personal and beautiful wrapping paper without harming the planet or breaking the bank. (It also happens to be really, really pretty!)

What You Need:
- Newspaper sheets, brown paper bags (from the last time you went to the grocery store), or a roll of brown paper
- Catalogs, magazines or Sunday supplements
- Scissors, glitter, paint, fun shaped sponges, glue and ribbon (all optional)

What You Do:

First, you should decide what kind of design you want on your wrapping paper. If you enjoy looking at photos rather than creating art yourself, you can go for a collage-type style of wrapping. If you’d rather get down and dirty with the paint, grab yourself some brown paper and those colorful little cups of poster paint.

For a collage, lay out a big sheet of newsprint and cut out especially eye-catching and beautiful photos and words from your magazines. Place them approximately where you’d like them on the newspaper, then apply a thin layer of glue to their backs with a glue stick, and stick ‘em on. Your object is to cover the whole sheet of newsprint, so you might have to cut out a few smaller pics to fill in the blank spaces. This makes a really gorgeous sheet of wrapping, especially if you don’t go overboard on the glue. When you’re done, let it dry, and wrap that gift!

You can do painted paper one of several ways. Start with a base of brown from a long sheet of packaging paper or a paper bag that you’ve cut apart at the seams. You can use a template or stencil you make yourself to paint a design on the paper with a sponge, or create a potato stamp and use it to apply a pattern. If you’re really ambitious, you can actually draw pictures and do art on the paper, which is obviously the most special option… but also the most time-consuming. For my personal favorite alternative, dip those fingers into the paint and go crazy. Finger-painted wrapping looks really fancy and everyone will love it!

For times like those, magazines are the way to go (plus, who doesn’t like perfume samples and grocery coupons?). But you don’t want to waste your money on just any magazine; you want the one that will give you the most (gossip) bang for your buck.

So which ones are best? I scoured the grocery store check-out aisles for candy bars the top dogs in gossip magazines and here are my rankings:

People

This is definitely the cream of the crop, in terms of the amount of coverage, story quality, and reliability. It seems to actually like the people it talks about, showing amazing weight loss stories more than gains, and cute bikini pictures more than cellulite. Since it’s the most popular one and the most sympathetic towards its subjects, the stars are more willing to give interviews and send exclusive baby pictures that aren’t found elsewhere. The writers only print what they can back up with hard facts and legitimate sources, and always have a few pages of deeper articles, like “Real Heroes Among Us.” Sometimes, though, the articles are a bit too long for relaxed beach-reading material, and sometimes are a little depressing compared to the more fun and trashy mags.
Overall Score: 9

Us Weekly

If People is king, then Us Weekly is his lovely queen. I love the features like, “Stars- They’re Just Like Us!” or the snarky comments in the “Fashion Police.” Even though the articles are pretty shallow and not particularly well-written, they’re always fun and entertaining (meaning no deaths or disasters). And just like People, they’re pretty high in reliability and have the latest photos in the business.
Overall Score: 8

Star

This ugly duckling has transformed from a dirt-grubbing tabloid (National Enquirer, anyone?) to a certified glossy. Although it lacks the reliability of the top performers, Star is always a fun read that’s filled with attention-grabbing headliners, always accentuated with exclamation points. Titles like “Scariest Hollywood Makeovers!” and varying back-page features like “Public Displays of Consumption” (huh?) offer a wide breadth of topics, but don’t exactly have the most flattering pictures or correct information. Details…
Overall Score: 6

In Touch

Basically the poor man’s version of Us Weekly, and not even close in terms of credence and quality. The stories are kind of bland, tend to be more inaccurate, and the picture quality isn’t even very good. The only time you would want to buy this is if you only had $2 to spend, or if all the other magazines were sold out and you were about to get on a really long plane ride and had absolutely nothing else to do. Even then, though, I’d rather spend my money on Sour Patch Kids and read the back of the box.
Overall Score: 3

Do you have any favorites on the shelves? Or do you prefer to read juicy celebrity gossip online? Lemme know!

Take that, bookstores!

So, despite my general love of books in the book form (there is nothing more satisfying than the sound of a book being cracked for the first time), I have begun to let my eyes wonder over to the E-Reader realm. It’s a bit cheaper when you add up the cost of all those books you’re buying, it’s good for the trees of the world, and since there has been talk of loading text books onto them, they are definitely something to look into.

And if not, I could still carry my ENTIRE library around with me without the aid of a large, burly moving man.

Yes, some are totally out of anyone’s price range and some are really crappy, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one out there for you. There are two really good options for e-readers out there today and I know that one of them will work for you. Trust me.

The Kindle

Everyone is pretty familiar with this device, thanks to Oprah. It’s pretty much awesome. It holds 1,500 standard size books, has a battery life that lasts for days if using the 3G network (or weeks if you’re not), and the newer version sports 16 shades of gray (which, admittedly, doesn’t sound that exciting but, keep in mind, it’s basically in black and white and grayscale adds depth).

The Kindle comes with a built-in dictionary that allows you to look up any word you come across that you don’t know simply by tapping it. And reading off of a Kindle is not like reading from a computer, so it doesn’t hurt your eyes as much as sitting online and Facebook stalking all night would.

The best part, though? The 3G network is completely free, allowing you to download new books, newspapers and magazines virtually anywhere. In the world. Without having you wait in line at Barnes and Noble.

But all that awesomeness comes with a hefty price tag. This Amazon exclusive is about $360, which is not cheap for the struggling college set. However, you can get a slightly older (or gently used) one and save a few dollars. And if you read a lot, the discounted price of $9.99 for downloaded books could end up saving you money in the long run.

If all else fails, ask for this for graduation. It’s perfect for long subway rides to that new office job, or for saving you some extra space in that tiny city apartment.

Sony – Reader Digital Book

This is the second best option. It’s cheaper… and it’s evident why. Whereas the new Kindle is full of flash and extra features (and a much cooler name!), this older Sony is basically, well, basic. It’s exactly what you need to function and nothing really extra. It handles all the same files and formats, but has only half the grayscale WAY less room for data on it.

It also doesn’t have connectivity that the Kindle carries, meaning you’ll have to download from your own home computer. Which, while not as awesome as the Kindle, really isn’t that bad. I mean, how often do you really need to download a new book when you are on your way to class or sitting in a restaurant?

The Sony Reader is functional and will do for most people’s daily needs. With a price tag that’s $100 less than the much flashier Kindle, and a pretty steady track record of, you know, working, it’s worth looking into.

There are some other e-readers out there but they’re really not worth it. None of the them come close to touching either products above. As more people turn away from traditional print media (which they shouldn’t do, print media is awesome…and you can’t get those fun perfume samples from an E-Reader) either one will earn back their price tag.

And you can put the $50 you got for selling back your $400 worth of text books towards it.
Think of it as a really lame rebate.

[Ever see something you want but don’t have the money to buy? Ever get sick of studying/watching TV and have the urge to get crafty and make things on your own? We know! Us too! We just don’t know where to start, which is why we got some of CollegeCandy’s craftiest writers to share their favorite DIY projects with everyone. So get to your nearest craft store for the essentials and let’s make some fun sh*t.]

Okay, maybe “new” is not technically true. But hear me out.We all have that old once-loved pair of perfectly worn-in shoes that are still perfectly functional but are (a) out of fashion, (b) scratched up, or (c) both. Such shoes can often be found at the back of the closet, in hopes that their exteriors will suddenly heal and they will rise, phoenix-like, from the ashes of their fashion faux pas.

But there’s a solution! You can revamp them!

“That’s retarded,” you say. “I mean, yeah, I can take them to a tailor to get them revamped–if I want to spend $80.”

“Listen,” I reply, “for you are the one who is retarded–you can fix them up yourself!”

How? Two words: spray paint.

I ain’t freakin, I ain’t fakin’ it: spray paint works great on leather shoes. Plus, metallics and neons, both of which are very in right now, are two very available spray paint colors. So grab a can of spray paint (or two, if you’re feeling really creative!) and follow these instructions for your new pair of shoes! Well, new for all intents and purposes.

(1) Find the right place to create your masterpiece. You should set up next to an open window (you don’t want to asphyxiate, right? the fumes are pretty toxic). Spread out some newspaper or old magazines so you don’t stain the floor. And, I mean, REALLY spread ‘em out–don’t underestimate the distance spray paint can spray.

(2) Double-check that the window is open.

(3) Shake your spray paint in the can for about 2 minutes to really loosen up the paint.

(4) Stuff more old newspaper inside your shoes. This helps it keep the shape and also keeps paint from getting on the interior.

(5) Take your sad old shoes and spray the heck out of them. Try to keep the coats of paint steady and consistent. Spray quickly to keep the paint from dripping.

(6) Let it dry for a half hour.

(7) Repeat step 5. Cover that muthaflippa!

(8) Put your shoes outside (if you can’t, put them right next to an open door or window). Let them dry for about four hours, give or take an hour. You want to make sure that they’re dry enough that, when you touch them, no paint comes off on your fingers.

(9) Once they’re completely dry and you’ve brought them back inside, you can remove the newspaper from inside the shoes.

(10) Wear those puppies! Await compliments on your new shoes!

[Image courtesy of http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2392/]

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Is fashion week <shudder> cancelled?

Even though we don’t want to, sometimes it’s hard not to compare ourselves to other girls. Yes, we may be able to look smoking hot when we try, but then we go out and see someone skinnier than us, or prettier than us, or with a better ass. And, without trying, we immediately give up on nabbing a man because he isn’t going to want us anyway. Not with those girls around.

And that is not OK (and neither are the self-loathing results of today’s daily poll!), especially when you realize what guys really want. Newsflash: it’s not what we have always thought. Ok, so yes, guys do dream about hot girls with big boobs, but that is not what they go for in the real world. According to one guy, what they do want is you. Who knew?