Not as fun as it looks. Trust me.

I’m always broke in December.

Finals week requires huge amounts of energy drinks and junk food to calm down stress for efficient studying, all worth it after the semester’s grades are posted.

Christmas calls for countless purchases from overcrowded malls to slowly rid the stress of giving gifts to loved ones, all worth it when they open their presents and have that priceless smile on their faces.

New Years’ Eve, however, for some reason, is like some huge competition to see who outdoes themselves and their bank accounts the most for the best Morning After story or the craziest Facebook pictures. And the stress that causes is never worth it, no matter how good that kiss was as midnight. Is it really worth hundreds of dollars to be at a club in Vegas while Jay-Z or Jay Sean or B.o.B. or Beyonce perform for the last twenty minutes of 2010? Do I seriously need to stress out over plane tickets or hotel rooms or my friend’s cousin’s roommate who can’t handle their alcohol?

NYE isn’t Go Big or Go Home; it can definitely be Go Big AT Home with your best friends. So if you want to avoid the “OMG, I can’t believe I spent that much money on a night that totally sucked,” here are the only 5 things you need for a killer NYE.

Bangin’ beats.
It ain’t a party without some jams. But who needs to shell out $75 to go to some bar with a DJ when you’ve already got all the same beats on your iPod? Be your own DJ and put together a playlist of YOUR favorite music of the year. It’s way better than being forced to grind with a stranger to every Katy Perry song of all time.

Sweet sips.
Alcohol is alcohol, and just because it’s served in some fancy glasses doesn’t mean it tastes any better. Vodka makes you just as drunk and happy when you pour it from a handle yourself, people.

Fun friends.
No one likes high maintenance party people, and thank goodness you aren’t one of them tonight. So control your guest list and celebrate the end of an amazing year with those who made it that way.

“Happy New Year!” headgear.
So you’ll know what night it was when can’t remember and look back at pictures. Top hat or headband, take your pick!

Sparkles of some sort in your outfit.
Because it’s New Year’s Eve and it’s practically protocol.

Contrary to what everyone says, you don’t need all that (overpriced) glitz and glamour for a great New Year’s Eve. And if the way you start the year determines what the rest of the year is going to be like, partying with your best friends for the night is definitely the perfect way to start.

You don't need a New Year's lovaaah to have a good (good) night.

New Year’s Eve has always been one of my favorite holidays… in theory.  It’s so fun to anticipate New Year’s Eve – the magic of new beginnings, the parties, the glamor, and that impossible-to-ignore countdown to the New Year’s kiss.

To be honest, I have no idea who I’ll be smooching during the first second of 2010, and frankly I find the hype surrounding the whole thing kind of strange. And annoying.  NYE is so awesome in so many ways; the kiss shouldn’t make or break your night!   So, if you’re like me and you have no idea where your lips will be come 12:00 AM on January 1 (or if you know for a fact they’ll be firmly attached to a glass of bubbly), pump yourself up with the equally amazing or even better aspects of our final night of 2009.

1. Champagne.
Maybe I look like a crazy person (or a boozehound) for putting this first, but I LOVE champagne.  Champagne is and always has been my drink of choice, but at college parties it isn’t always as free flowing as other (inferior) forms of liquid courage.  A huge reason I love NYE so much is because everyone is ALL about the champagne. And what’s not to love? The bubbles, the nice stemware that isn’t red or plastic and the fun of opening it (or getting that cute guy to open it for you!) are all parts of the joy of NYE’s signature drink. Read More »

Bring in 2010 the right way.

This is not one of those weeks for me.

After a particularly excruciating weekend, I’ve come to realize a few things. First of all, Patron doesn’t sit well with an entire bottle of white wine. Secondly, if you go to an NHL hockey game on a Sunday, do not expect anything to get done that evening. Finally, and most relevantly, I need some serious guidelines when I go out.

Hence, this week I’m providing a survival kit for New Year’s Eve, the blurriest and biggest party night of the year. Here are 10 things everyone must have to ensure the biggest, baddest, awesomest, most memorable (with the help of that digital camera, of course) night.

10. Tacky 2010 glasses
I was mourning the end of these bad boys at the end of the year, but someone figured out how to make them for 2010. Score.

9. Champagne
This one is a given. Please upgrade your champagne choice from “the cheapest thing in the store.” Bad champagne = bad, bad hangover. I speak from experience. Trust. Read More »

A lot of my friends can’t believe that the day after Halloween all of the pumpkins and skeletons have instantly transformed into turkey posters and Christmas balls. But I absolutely love it.

There is nothing better than walking through the streets (or the sidewalk in front of your dorm) bundled up in a cashmere scarf past Christmas lights twinkling on railings and storefronts. After spotting wreaths hanging from lampposts in my ‘hood I spent my weekend sipping hot cocoa, flipping through the holiday edition of my favorite mags and watching Thanksgiving inspired recipes on the Food Network. It was my very own glorious holiday bubble.

And then, like that, it burst.

I opened my computer to find an email from my friend trying to figure out our plans for New Years Eve. Which is nearly 7 weeks away. SEVEN! New Years?! You mean the celebration that is on December 31st?! Is she for real?

First of all, there are two very important holidays between now and NYE. Neither of which I have planned, and both that I love more than any other. Why rush the most glorious time of year? When New Years Day rolls around you are only left with nothing but a massive hangover and memories of a holiday season passed. New Year’s marks the end of the holidays and sends you packing up your suitcase and heading back to school for a new semester of essays and homework and stress. The decorations vanish, the cheer disintegrates and you’re left with nothing but dread for the next holiday: Valentine’s Day. Read More »

This is it, ladies, 2008 is almost over! We can finally say au revoir to Britney’s mental illness (ha!), the Palin family, and $4 per gallon gas. Alright, who am I kidding? So, I figured since most things we want to disappear when the clock strikes midnight tonight won’t, why not spend one.more.night drinking to the tunes of 2008? Maybe tomorrow we’ll start to listen to something else. Or maybe we won’t.

Until then, party on, ladies. Happy New Year!

2008 Favorites

Ahh, New Year’s Eve. A celebration of endings and new beginnings. The last party night of the year, which means it’s also the biggest party night of the year. And that’s exactly why I always get the urge to lock myself in my room and hide under my bed until January 1st arrives.

The anticipation and build-up for the evening mean it’s never as good as you expect it to be. And no matter how much planning you do and how much money you spend, New Year’s Eve always fails to be an extraordinary night. Just because it’s the last night of the calendar year, doesn’t mean it’s going to be any more fun than any of the others. Trust me.

Reason #1 I Hate New Year’s Eve: First of all, it’s essential that you plan ahead. If you don’t make your plans well in advance, you’re risking having nothing to do. Parties get booked up, your friends make other plans, and you’re stuck watching the ball drop with your parents. I don’t like planning ahead. What if I’m forced into deciding to attend a party and then something better comes along? What if, in November, I don’t know what I’m going to be in the mood to do in December?

Reason #2 I Hate New Year’s Eve: Then there’s the expense. If you want to go out, you’re going to have to spend money, and probably a lot of it. Take last year, for example. A group of my friends made plans to go to a bar. We dished out the $75 that would allow us access to an open bar, bought fancy dresses, and got all decked out for the night of our lives. When we arrived, the bar was absolutely disgusting, the food nasty, and the people incredibly sketchy. It turned out we were only allowed to drink well liquor (when we could get near the bar). It also turned out that we could have paid $10 at the door and been allowed to attend the same party and order our own drinks. As if I would drink $65 in Grey Goose. The bottom line is that bars can charge whatever they please on New Year’s Eve and people will pay it. People like me. Read More »

New Year’s Eve is almost here and I can’t wait! Not because I want to get started on those resolutions (drinking responsibly, organizing my life, hitting the gym 3 times a week…blech), but because it’s hands down one of my favorite holidays. This is the one holiday when you can get totally tanked, and it’s totally cool! I mean, think about it: sure we sneak booze at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but for this one we can do it out in the open!

And who doesn’t love getting all dolled up party clothes and going out for a fabulous evening on the town? I love getting together with my girlfriends to celebrate all the fun times we’ve had in the past year, while forgetting all the sh*t times and vowing to start fresh (which doesn’t always happen, but whatever, we try!).

There’s something about starting a new year that gives me goosepimples. You are balancing between the old and the exciting, unknown and totally awesome new; it is exhilerating. Thinking about all the things that happened in the past year (like finally breaking up with that d-bag boyfriend) and looking forward to things that will happen next year (like, “Holy crap I’m graduating college! Now what?”).

Not to mention, I’ve always thought that getting a midnight kiss from your special someone is one of the most romantic things EVER! Or just making out with a random might be fun too. How can anyone not love this night?

(Left to right, Fall 2008 RTW, from style.com: Jill Stuart, Fendi, Fendi, 3.1 Philip Lim)

[Do you ever feel like you can’t pull something off? Have trendy pieces in your closet that you would never have the courage to actually wear out? Well take those pieces out, shake off the dust, and continue reading! In this series, I will choose a different piece that can be difficult to incorporate into an outfit and give you ideas on how to wear it. If there’s anything you would like to read about in the future, please leave a comment!]

Belts are your most useful accessories; they can hold up your pants, make your waist look small (even in the bulkiest of sweaters), and (literally) pull your outfit together.

Belts are a worthwhile investment because they are so versatile. Neutral colors like brown or black will work with most items in your wardrobe, and brighter colors can make a boring outfit unique. Read on for different ways to cinch your waist this winter. (Warning: anything that applies pressure to the stomach is probably not something you’re going to want to try out at Thanksgiving dinner.)

Read More »