Today is Elizabeth Olsen’s 23rd birthday! Elizabeth is the younger sister of teen billionaires, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. She recently starred in one of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2011 and has an amazing future ahead of her. While her sisters can be a little on the “hot mess” side, Elizabeth picks up the slack by being poised and graceful. You cannot help but love her.

So in honor of her 23rd year, I thought I would come up with a few reasons why Elizabeth Olsen is slowly becoming my favorite Olsen!

Sidenote: This change of heart was difficult for me because as a young girl, I used to pretend I was the long lost triplet of the Olsen Twins and watched It Takes Two on a daily basis. I still love them, obviously, but Elizabeth is taking the lead as the years go on.

initiating the gallery...

[Lead image via Featureflash/Shutterstock]

The holiday season, I’ve come to realize, is all about the traditions. Baking cookies. Listening to festive music. Wrapping presents. Eating way too much in a way too short amount of time. Shopping for days. Decorating. It wouldn’t be Christmas without all of it.

But really, probably my favorite Christmas tradition is the endless Christmas movies. It starts on Thanksgiving day with March of the Wooden Soldiers and continues through the New Year. The perfect excuse for movie marathons and munching on sweets, all I really want to do is grab some hot chocolate and those sugar cookies I bought baked, and settle down with one of my favorite Christmas movies.  Any of these will do.

Click on any movie to get started!

There are a lot of perks to experiencing Halloween as a college student, that’s a given. But remember Halloween as a little kid? When you looked forward to more than the drinking games and the slutty sexy costumes?

Sure, I loved the costumes, and the candy, and the pumpkin carvings, but for me it was really all about the movies. And not those crazy, creepy, scary ones either, but the fun ones. You know, the ones about friendly ghosts and clumsy witches and great pumpkins…
Allow me to refresh your memory…

10. Beetlejuice. Originally this one was going to be higher up on the list. But as I rediscovered the plot of this Halloween time horror, I realized it was actually kind of creepy. Way to get your big break though, Winona Ryder.

9. The Little Vampire. Think back, way back. Before Twilight. Before Edward Cullen. Before vampires were ever associated with glitter. Remember when you actually thought vampires were kind of scary? It made the idea of a little boy being BFFs with a vampire so much cooler.

8. Casper. The friendly ghost. The special effects may not seem as cool as they used to, but it’s still worth a re-watch. Upon looking this one up on IMDb I discovered there was actually a plot behind this movie. No, I’m not going to tell you what it was. Watch it; you won’t be disappointed.

7. Underwraps. A favorite in my household growing up. My brother was obsessed with it. And it didn’t help that the Disney channel aired it every other day that first year it came out. We watched it over and over (and over) until I knew the lines by heart. Never could quite get use to the fact that they named the mummy Harold, though.

6. The Nightmare Before Christmas. Come on. It’s Tim Burton. And a classic. And I don’t care what those brats are saying today, it will always be better than The Corpse Bride. End of discussion.

5. Double, Double Toil and Trouble. The Olsen twins have a movie for every occasion, and Halloween is no exception. Back in the day I couldn’t get enough of these two. But now I kind of wonder how Shakespeare would feel about Mary Kate and Ashley stealing his lines…

4. Halloweentown. Yes, another Disney channel original movie. But I can’t help myself. These people know how to do Halloween. After seeing this movie, I secretly hoped that one day I would “come of age,” and find out I had magical powers too. (Reading the Harry Potter books shortly after did nothing to help this notion disappear.)

3. The Worst Witch. My personal favorite. Poor Mildred Hubble, things never seemed to go right for her. But her life wasn’t all bad, I mean she had teachers named Miss Cackle, and Miss Spellbinder, and a cute little grey cat. And she had her own theme song…Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the worst witch of them all?

2. It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown, much like the Olsen twins, has a movie for every occasion, and unlike the Olsen twins, every one of his holiday specials is worth watching. Linus and Sally spend the night in a pumpkin patch. Charlie Brown gets rocks in his trick or treat bag, and Lucky is just plain mean. Business as usual.

1. Hocus Pocus. The best Halloween movie of all time. It’s a fact. The other night, one of my friends posted on Facebook that she was watching it. The status now has 28 comments, all with various versions of “best movie ever,” and “OMG I love that movie,” along with actual quotes from the movie. Plus, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one with a crush on Max, right?

So what do you think, ladies? Did I get all of your favorites? Which ones did I forget? There’s no limit on childhood memories. So dust off those VCRs, pull out those old VHS tapes, grab some candy corn and start reminiscing.

Time for a movie marathon!

Got a special place in your heart for Top 10 lists? We do and we’ve got some doozies.  Get ‘em all out right here.

Voting is closed for round 2. Check out round 3 to sound off on your favorites from the ’90s!

It might be 2010, but here at CollegeCandy we’re still stuck in the ’90s. All you have to do is say Chumbawhumba and we’re off and running on a ’90s nostalgia debate that lasts the entire day. We know we’re not the only people out there that still rock out to N’Sync and still remember the desperation you felt when you lost your favorite Pogs slammer. So instead of constantly arguing amongst the CollegeCandy team, we decided to throw the question out to our readers and choose, once and for all, what is the best thing to come from the ’90s (besides our many devoted readers, of course).

So, in the fashion of every guy’s wet dream, March Madness, we’ve created an “I Love the ’90s” bracket. Thursday we left it up to you to vote on the best recreational things and events from our favorite decade. While we weren’t surprised to see Pogs beat out Devil Sticks, we were mouths-on-the-floor shocked to see Monica Lewinsky beat O.J Simpson by a landslide. Guess presidential sex (or whatever Bill called it) outweighs murder these days.

But that’s the whole reason we’re doing this (sorry, Titanic!) and we’re excited to narrow it down even further today. On this momentous Monday, we’re looking at top 32 choices from all 4 sections. Will AOL Chatrooms beat out Super Nintendo? ‘Can Salute Your Shorts’ possibly win out over TGIF? (Things to consider: Donkey Lips vs. Uncle Joey.) We won’t know until you cast your vote.

So vote now and then come back every Monday and Thursday this month so you can keep letting us know what is the best thing to ever come from the 1990 and beyond.

Get a closer look at the competition: Entertainment. Trends. Recreation. Events.

Ready to vote? Pick your favorite from each match-up below. We’ll tally the scores and let you know who won when we gear up for the next round of votes on Thursday! And don’t forget to take a trip down memory lane and sound off in the comments!

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It might be 2010, but here at CollegeCandy we’re still stuck in the ’90s. All you have to do is say Chumbawhumba and we’re off and running on a ’90s nostalgia debate that lasts the entire day. We know we’re not the only people out there that still rock out to N’Sync and still remember the desperation you felt when you lost your favorite Pogs slammer. So instead of constantly arguing amongst the CollegeCandy team, we decided to throw the question out to our readers and choose, once and for all, what is the best thing to come from the ’90s (besides our many devoted readers, of course).

So, in the fashion of every guy’s wet dream, March Madness, we’ve created an “I Love the ’90s” bracket. Monday we left it up to you to vote on the best entertainment and trends from our favorite decade. In a move that shocked no one, ‘Salute Your Shorts’ creamed ‘Hey Dude!’ and the majority of you favored Mary-Kate and Ashley to Tia and Tamara. But we were surprised to see Fruit by the Foot breeze past Dunkaroos. What’s so special about 3 feet of chewy fruit? Dunkaroos are cookies…dipped in FROSTING.

But them’s the breaks (sorry ‘roos!) and it’s time to exercise your right to vote once again. In today’s polls we’re looking at the biggest events and favorite forms of recreation from the’90s. Will Mall Madness beat out Dream Phone? Is OJ Simpson bigger than Monica Lewinsky?

Cast your vote then come back Monday and Thursday this month so you can keep letting us know what is the best thing to ever come from the 1990 and beyond.

View the Events and Recreation of the ’90s.
And get a closer look at the big winners in Entertainment and Trends.

Ready to vote? Pick your favorite from each match-up below. We’ll tally the scores and let you know who won when we gear up for the next round of votes on Monday! And don’t forget to take a trip down memory lane and sound off in the comments!

Polls are closed on this portion of the bracket, but vote on Pastimes and Events right here.

It might be 2010, but here at CollegeCandy we’re still stuck in the ’90s. All you have to do is say Chumbawhumba and we’re off and running on a ’90s nostalgia debate that lasts the entire day. We know we’re not the only people out there that still rock out to N’Sync and still remember the desperation you felt when you lost your favorite Pogs slammer. So instead of constantly arguing amongst the CollegeCandy team, we decided to throw the question out to our readers and choose, once and for all, what is the best thing to come from the ’90s (besides our many devoted readers, of course).

So, in the fashion of every guy’s wet dream, March Madness, we’ve created an “I Love the ’90s” bracket. Today we’re voting on the best of entertainment and trends from our favorite decade, and on Thursday we’ll narrow down our ’90s pastimes and events. Keep checking back every Monday and Thursday this month so you can keep letting us know what is the best thing to ever come from the 1990 and beyond.

P.S. We know, we know – we’re missing a lot. It was a hard decision narrowing it down to 64 awesome things and we’re still upset that there’s no face-off between Britney and Christina. Did we miss something major? Let us know in the comments.

Get an up-close and personal look at Entertainment and Trends.
And take a little sneak peek at what you’ll be voting on (Recreation and Events) Thursday.

Ready to vote? Pick your favorite from each match-up below. We’ll tally the scores and let you know who won when we gear up for the next round of votes on Thursday! And don’t forget to take a trip down memory lane and sound off in the comments!

[While everyone is fabulous in their own right, we thought we should celebrate the campus fashionistas of the world for their continued excellence in not looking like a hot mess for class. So, we started stalking those girls on campus (like Ashley from Lakehead!) to get a few pics and get some tips on their personal style.

And maybe a restraining order or two.

But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in. You think you've got some major style? Know someone else who's always looking ferosh? Think the world needs to see what she can do?  Send us an email with some photos and she could be the next fashionista celebrated right here.]

Allow me to introduce you to Tatomme, probably the only girl I’ve ever met who can truly pull off a chambray jumper. And by “pull off” I mean “work it like she’s got Rachael Zoe dressing her and she’s walkin’ down a runway.” I just met her this semester, and I was instantly impressed with her style.  We are in a few classes together right now – including being on a team in TV -  and I look forward to seeing what interesting and unique outfits she comes up with each day. She incorporates so many things that I could never pull off, and some I might even wonder why she ever thought to even try it on, but I always admire what she is wearing… and the creative mind that thought to put it all together.

I mean, those shoes and the jumper and that jacket? How did she ever know it would all work together? But it does. Flawlessly.

My favorite thing about Tatomme’s look, though, is that signature bag, which she casually slings across her body as we lug camera equipment across campus.  When I asked her about it, I learned that this Liz Claiborne bag originally belonged to Tatomme’s mom, who wore it when she was about our age.

Vintage, cute and sentimental…. I just love it.

Name: Tatomme Flanagan
Year: 2012
Major: Journalism

1) Describe your personal style
I shop in vintage stores.  I like older, funky looking clothing but with pieces from newer shops that I can add my own flair to.  I dress things up with accessories.  I love jewelry.

2) Complete this sentence: I can’t leave home without ____
As we’re just getting out of the winter season, my scarf, but also my purse and sunglasses.

3) What is your favorite store to shop in?
Vintage stores on Ossington Ave. in Toronto or H&M and Forever 21 for plain shirts.

4) What/who is your biggest style influence?
Sienna Miller – she is a trendsetter but doesn’t follow mainstream fashion.

5) What is your favorite trend, past or present?
High-waisted pants and skirts, baggy sweaters and Mary Kate & Ashely Olsen’s “homeless” look.

On Tatomme:
Jumper – American Apparel
Cardigan – Winner’s
Sneakers – Urban Outfitters
Bag – Mom’s closet

Oh Mary Kate and Ashley; you do fashion so well!

Whether it’s a good idea or not, celebrities love to have a hand in every possible arena. From recording contracts to fragrance deals to hair extension lines, if they have the opportunity to further their status, they will do so without question.

Unfortunately, because of this, many celebrity crossover lines and products are sub par. On the other hand, however, there are some celebrities who have done it right. Intrigued? Keep reading for our five favorite celebrity clothing lines.

Elizabeth & James by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Self described as embodying an “eclectic lifestyle by blending uptown and downtown elements with casual and traditional style,” Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s Elizabeth and James collection is “trend conscious, yet timeless.”

Named after the twins’ brother and sister and launched in 2007, Elizabeth and James features clothing, shoes, accessories and a newly added menswear branch. As the Olsen’s third venture into fashion, Elizabeth and James is a pseudo-luxury brand, priced lower than their high-end collection The Row, and priced higher than their Mary-Kate and Ashley line for discount stores. Popular with the celebrity set, Elizabeth and James designs have been seen on Dakota Fanning, Kristin Cavallari, and Jessica Simpson, just to name a few.

For locations on where to buy Elizabeth and James, check out their website, or shop online at ShopBop.

Why We Love It

Ever since I first heard the words, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…Actually it was bedtime,” I have been a Mary-Kate and Ashley devotee. In the 90s, MK&A were the girls who felt like your best friends. I grew up watching the girls first on “Full House,” then “Two of a Kind,” and finally, “So Little Time.” Beyond their enviable acting careers, however, the girls have grown into fashionistas in their own right, making headlines with their unique hippie-grunge-bohemian style.

Naturally, when I heard that the twins were teaming up to create their own high-fashion line, I was intrigued. Today, I can almost always look to Elizabeth and James for some fashion inspiration. Ruffled dresses? Oxfords? Boyfriend blazers? They’ve got it all, and their pieces are always styled in a way that looks both effortless and chic.

Mary-Kate and Ashley’s collection of smart, modified-basics is totally crave-worthy, and always on my radar… though their pieces are not so college-budget friendly. So how to get it? Whether you save for months, score a super-marked-down piece on ShopBop or opt for the Forever 21 knock-offs, if you want it, there’s a way to posses a little bit of MK&A style.

Who else made this list? And what’s so great about them? Read the rest at CollegeFashion.net!

You know how I know it’s gonna be a great day? Because the first thing I saw on the Internet this morning was a big, fat picture of the uterus of Stephanie Tanner, a.k.a Jodie Sweetin.

Didn’t you know uteruses of old T.G.I.F stars are good luck? It’s true.

Stephanie Tanner, who spent 9 unforgettable years causing shenanigans and making me jealous on Full House, (Tommy Page is so dreamy) with the same expression on her face, is now preggers! Not only that, but she sent her ultrasound pics to TMZ for what I can only guess is some hopeful media attention. Man, what some people will do….rather unnecessary if you ask me, but this is much better attention than her addiction to meth! Wee-hoo!

But Stephanie isn’t the only one with new developments (and in her case, developments also means “boob job”). Some updates on the fam:

Danny Tanner, a.k.a Bob Saget, recently had an HBO comedy special. Too bad it sucked. If you’re gonna do a whole bit on animal sex and incessantly curse, make it funny.

Uncle Jesse, a.k.a John Stamos, has been going on television programs wasted and/or stoned out of his mind. I wanna party with Uncle Jesse!

And silly Uncle Joey, a.k.a Dave Coulier has been going around to college campuses and telling jokes. Sucks for you, University of Wisconsin Fox Valley! As for the other Tanner daughters, the older one is a married mom with an awesome Myspace page and the younger one is actually a set of twins who grew up to become more successful than the entire Tanner family combined.

But back to the Tanner at hand. One look that the over-emotional and awkward video montage tells an important tale.

No one said it was easy growing up Tanner. You try living next door to Kimmy Gibler.

At first there were a few labels by celebrities like Sean John by rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs and L.A.M.B. by singer Gwen Stefani. In these beginning stages the public could realistically believe that these few celebrity/designers had a genuine interest in contributing to the fashion world.

It wasn’t long before other celebrities smelled the money making, publicity friendly empire. Labels consisting of basic tanks, oddly shaped jeans, and tacky looking accessories were assembled and thrown into the market. Countless celebrity fashion lines later, it’s quite obvious that this is no longer about the clothes.

As the consumer, we can easily dodge crappy labels and opt to spend our money elsewhere. However, the consumer is not the victim in this story. Those who suffer from the carelessly assembled celebrity fashion labels are young up-and-coming fashion designers. These kids who have wasted thousands of dollars at design school and slaved away for hours in front of sewing machines only to discover their work doesn’t mean a thing. Sadly, an overpriced t-shirt made from cheap material “designed” by a celebrity is generally going to sell quicker than an interesting piece by a breakthrough designer.

Of course there are still a number of individuals around who appreciate decent style and give a handful of young designers the chance to succeed. It’s not impossible for a nobody to break through and become recognized for their extraordinary designs, but this obstacle makes the process a hell of a lot harder.

Personally, I think that most of these celebrities should just stick to what they’re good at- singing, acting, whatever it may be. Of course their clothes will sell, but no respectable woman will ever view a J-Lo velour jumpsuit as the height of fashion. Give the designers a break and if you must, invade a new industry.