New Year’s Eve is seriously THE most overrated holiday of the year. Valentine’s Day is the day that all lazy boyfriends have to get up off their asses and remind their girlfriends why they should stick around, and Halloween is the night to dress up like someone else and make out with someone whose face you don’t ever really want to see. So why celebrate NYE?

People say it’s the end of a year and the beginning of another. Well thanks, Captain Obvious, excuse me while I go “celebrate” the end of one minute and the beginning of the next sixty seconds of my life! That justification only works in a game of Power Hour, and besides, we all know that NYE isn’t actually about a night at all; it’s about a ten-second countdown and how you think you’ll feel afterwards. And unless you hit the lottery when the clock strikes midnight, absolutely nothing will change in your life after you spend an entire night getting drunk and flirting with the person you’ll make out with later on. Take it from those who do it regularly: it’s fun, but it’s definitely not life-altering or magical like Harry and Sally portray it to be.

I think all our ideas about an ideal NYE are actually rooted from the media anyway. How many times have we watched Bridget Jones’ Diary and that NYE episode of The OC as a child and awaited the days when we could cover ourselves in too many sequins and kiss the loves of our life’s during the first few seconds of the New Year? How hard did we wish to be those people freezing their faces off in Times Square as they watched a giant light bulb drop a few feet – live- while we sat warm in our pajamas and saw the entire thing at a much closer view through our televisions?

Well, I’d say that true definition of NYE can also be found in the media too, like on MTV’s super exciting television special and in Garry Marshall’s latest box office name dropper: it’s completely overrated. Often it’s overhyped and a waste of money, and in a few years, you really won’t remember it anyway. “The One Night Anything Is Possible” is the most inappropriate tag line for that movie…have you ever tried to drive across town on NYE? It’s the everyday tasks that are actually IMpossible on the last day of the year!

Here’s the fact that everyone seems to forget once December 31st rolls around: it doesn’t matter how you start the year or end the year; these things have no reflection on the value of the year altogether. You know what went down during the other 364 days: all the amazing things that happened that didn’t involve wearing a exclamatory greeting on your headband or a bunch of numbers over your eyes. Times that didn’t involve counting down to anything because you were having the time of your life in the moment already. Drinks that were cheaper, weather that was warmer, and dresses that fit better than after a week of indulging in holiday meals prepared by the best chefs in the family. Seriously, who’s idea was that?!

So what’s the best way to not have an overrated NYE? Don’t take it so seriously. Realize that NYE doesn’t necessarily require overpriced cover charges, overpriced alcohol, overpriced outfits or overpriced hotel rooms. Hang out with people you actually stand rather than joining groups of acquaintances who can’t hold their liquor. And if you find yourself with no comment-worthy Facebook photos to upload afterwards, let it go, it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it’s only the beginning, right?

Here’s to a Happy New Year, everyone!

What are your NYE plans? Do you think they’ll actually pan out the way you initially planned them to?!?

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

Lady Gaga has closed down the fifth floor of the Barneys New York Men’s Shop on Madison Avenue and, in EIGHT days, those doors will reopen to Gaga’s Workshop. She’s reported to sell “jewelry made entirely of rock candy; lipsticks in special Gaga red or pink hues; lip-shaped, hand-painted dark chocolate, and a Rubik’s Cube.” I’m guessing it’s not a normal Rubik’s Cube though—maybe it’s made out of latex or it sings “The Edge of Glory” once you’re super close to solving it. Something awesome like that, of course.

Part of the collection has already been released as part of a “12 Days of Gaga” teaser online: a light up yo-yo, a fashion magnet set, acrylic rings and a hand-decorated cookie of Gaga’s face from her “Telephone” music video. Yes, I DO need all of these things this year, and I need them stuffed in a stiletto stocking. Especially if it costs sixty-five dollars.

…okay, so the trinkets released so far are a little overpriced (a fifteen dollar cookie?!), but the fact that twenty-five percent of proceeds are being donated to Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation does supplement the shock to my wallet. The new charity was established with her mother and will focus on “youth empowerment and equality by addressing issues like self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring and career development and will utilize digital mobilization as one of the means to create positive change,” according to Barneys New York.

Plus, the fact that you’re shopping at Gaga’s Workshop is probably included somewhere in the prices, since it’s supposed to be a complete experience—it’s the biggest holiday project Barneys has ever had. The Workshop entrance will be an oversized Monster mouth that shoppers will all walk through. Inside, the store will be divided into eight mini-shops: Candy Shop, Toy Shop, Closet, Library, Gallery, Jewelry, Boudoir and Holiday. Each is set to be ornate, such as “a jewelry shop created out of an oversized Lady Gaga-turned-spider and a boudoir in the shape of a giant wig.” And once you buy me my stiletto stocking, all gifts will be bagged in special shopping bags and boxes that feature signature artwork from the Workshop.

I’m all for this. And I wish I were in NYC on November 21^st, when the store opens at 11:59pm. Shop to your heart’s desire until January 2nd…and if you won’t send me a stiletto stocking, at least take pictures and tweet them to me @cashleelee. Seriously. To the point that I feel I’m on a 360-degree tour. It’d be the best virtual Christmas gift ever—thanks in advance!

[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!

Tip #34 – Bus tours – not just for old people!

When you’re nursing your Ladies’ Night hangovers but not in the mood to waste the day in the city, get your girls signed up for the perfect way to spend the afternoon without exerting too much energy – a Sex and the City bus tour with On Location tours. I have to admit, before this tour, I totally thought bus tours were for old people and tourists with a camera strap permanently attached to back of their necks. When I got on the bus, however, it looked more like a sorority field trip than that of a nursing home. And the locations? Not geriatric at all. On Location really it hit on the nail with a hilarious (and definitely not cheesy) tour guide, special discounts at participating boutiques (including Fresh and Alexis Bittar) and free Magnolia Bakery cupcakes. Have a cosmo at the bar that went undercover as “Scout” for SATC and make a reservation with a free drink at the restaurant hotspot from the big engagement party scene in the first SATC film. Grab your three best friends for three and half hours and you’ll laugh and best of all, you wont have to track down these spots on your own…by foot.

Tip #35 – Welcome to NYC, land of the cheap mani/pedi combo.

The city is definitely one of the cheapest places to get your nails done up. On my block alone, three nail salons boast a $20 mani/pedi combo. Sure, the ambiance isn’t all that great and you can’t help but avert your eyes from the Good Luck Maneki Neko statues that you could swear at peering into your soul, but your toes will walk out looking better than they did when you came in. Since most of the magazines in these places are pretty outdated, your best asset is a girlfriend. Talk about the crazy things you couldn’t believe you did the night before, the drinks you wished hadn’t downed or plan out the rest of your day. Either way, you cant beat a cheap mani/pedi with a friend.

Get the first 32 tips for living it up in the city right here!

[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.]

There’s nothing quite as sweet as a summer love. Summer flings happen at the best time, on the cusp of classes ending when summer fearlessness sets in. Throw the city into that equation and the possibilities really are endless. So spend your free time this summer on dates that you’ll remember even if the guy was less than memorable.

Tip #29 – Reach new heights.

Can’t help but roll your eyes when you hear about how a girl got proposed to on the top of the Eiffel Tower? Believe me, I’m right there with you, and yet somehow a date at Top of the Rock just feels so right. It doesn’t have to be cheesy! Spend an unreasonable amount of time in the control room, where the neon lights are controlled by your body movement and challenge your date to a dance-off. I suggest you go at night when the city really comes alive, and see if you can find your apartment roofs hiding in between the thousands of twinkling lights from the top of Rockefeller Center. It doesn’t have to be cliché and romantic as long as you’re both having fun. After you visit the top, grab a drink at the bar in the plaza where the famous skating rink resides in the wintertime.

Tip #30 – Movies in the park at Bryant Park.

The Bryant Park summer film festival plays a new classic every Monday at sunset. Grab a soda pop and a bag of your favorite candy and sink into the lawn to relax after the workday. Best of all, the film fest is totally free. Leave the foldable chairs at home since they aren’t permitted and grab an old towel to sit on instead. As the sun goes down, snuggle up together because PDA doesn’t feel so public after dark.

Tip #31 – Spend your time and money on experiences, not dates.

Money is best spent on an experience as opposed to just another dinner date and since money is time in the city, be sure to spend it wisely. You can have a drink with your guy anywhere, so opt instead for tickets to a show you’ve been dying to see. Dinner dates come and go but an impromptu date to the Central Park Zoo is forever. I love an amazing meal as much as the next girl but nothing beats watching my date’s jaw drop when I’m making continuous strikes at the bowling alley at Chelsea Piers. Summer leaves more time for spending time with one another so make it worth it.

Tip #32 – When all else fails, date the city.

Follow the words of the beloved Carrie Bradshaw when your summer is fling-less and date the city instead. It may sound trite, but this city is literally teeming with things to do. Museums are the perfect alone-dates. With options like The Met and MoMA, you could spend hours getting lost in other people’s loves, like Degas’ love for painterly ballerinas or Alexander McQueen’s love for avant-garde fashion. There’s something so wonderful about leisurely wandering around the city, alone and calm. And best of all, you don’t have to put on those first-date shoes that leave your feet in blisters by the end of the night.

Get the first 28 tips for living it up in the city right here!

[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.]

A little over a month in the city and just when I feel like slowly but surely the things on my mental to-do-in-New-York list are being crossed off, I think of yet another “must-see” city sight.

Tip #19 – Make a list of the things you want to do before you leave the city. No, actually write it down.

Some of the things topping my list right now are visiting the top of the Empire State building, scoring tickets to Shakespeare In The Park and tracking down the famous Carrie Bradshaw walk-up apartment steps. Writing down my New York wish list (in pink gel pen) as cheesy as it feels really is the best way to ensure you experience everything you hoped to. I tucked my list in my wallet and when I had a few hours to kill a few days ago, I pulled it out and luckily a gelato place recommended by a friend was just a quick subway ride away. The last thing I want is head back home at the end of the summer and kick myself for not having done something so quintessentially New York as going to the Statue of Liberty. Sidebar: Most of the things of your list also make great first dates with a new guy you meet.

Tip #20 – At work, always hold the door open, you never know who could be behind you.

Something I learned in the elevators and revolving doors of my days interning at the Condé Nast building this summer is that you should always hold the door open. Not only is it common courtesy (a social rarity in New York) but you never know who’ll walk in behind you. My first week I held a door behind me to a rushing brunette and upon closer inspection, sure enough it was Emily Weiss, author of popular blog Into The Gloss and former Teen Vogue New York intern on The Hills. Of course, not every door you hold open will be for a celebrity and even if you do hold an elevator for the vice president of your company, you won’t get an automatic promotion, but on the off chance that you meet again and that person recognizes you, well, your courteous ways can only do good. Last week I literally rubbed elbows with Anna Wintour in the cafeteria and it was just a reminder that my internship, if anything, is giving me the chance of proximity to the biggest names in the industry I want to be a part of. Plus, common courtesy is infectious and full of good karma.

Tip #21 – Use visiting friends from home as a shipping service.

If you’ve got friends from home coming to visit you in your new place and they don’t mind carrying a little extra in their suitcase, one of the best ways to save yourself future stress is to send some of your stuff back home with them. Since I moved to the city on my own and will be flying back home alone, I’d prefer my luggage not to weigh more than I do. In the beginning of the summer, I had visiting friends from my hometown bring up extra clothes from my closet at home and as my summer in the city ends, I plan on having a friend visiting toward the end of my trip, take some of my clothing back home. As long as you’re sending a small amount, it’s not too big a favor to ask and it really cuts down on potential shipping and extra luggage weight fees, not to mention the stress of packing. I always offer to make up for it by buying their first drink when we hit the club the night they get in and offering to carry their suitcase from the airport to my apartment of course.

Get the first 18 tips for living it up in the city right here!

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I guess that whole “time flies when you’re having fun” thing really is true, because between the Justin Bieber concert and the 4th of July, this week flew on by. Let’s reflect:

- Remember that little kid from Sixth Sense? Or the boys from Boy Meets World? What the hell happened to them? We get the low-down on the cuties of the 90′s. Newsflash: they’re not such cuties anymore.

- Are you a Diet Coke fanatic? We are. Oh sweet nectar of the Gods.

- It seems like everyone has fallen in love with Bethenny Frankel from The Real Housewives of New York City. Yes, when we grow up, we all want to be Bethenny.

- Should you get implants? The Dude weighs in.

- Dating is tough, especially when you don’t want to come off as the clingy girl. So should you be channeling your inner G.I Joe? Helmets on, ladies.

- Trying to get by in the sweltering heat? CollegeCandy has the Dos and Don’ts for beating summer heat.

- When it comes to summer friends, there are 9 you should avoid at all costs, and 5 you NEED to keep around.

- Not sure if it’s time to take your friend home and put her to bed (with a bottle of water and a garbage can)? Here are 88 reasons why you should. Warning: it ain’t pretty.

- Summer = bikinis. Bikinis = Diet. Learn how to get off that weight loss plateau and lose weight the healthy way.

- The Boho looks back! Get 8 tips on how to look chic and relax for just under $20.

This morning I was dangerously close to missing my train into NYC for my internship. So late, in fact, that I had to sprint from my car, up the stairs, and onto the train platform to hurl myself through the train doors about a second before they closed behind me, leaving me panting and sweating in front of a group of polished businessmen. (Always a good way to start the day.) It wasn’t because I had pressed snooze one too many times, or because I had lost track of time. No, I was late because of something much more important:

I was searching for the perfect outfit.

I wish I could say this was the first time my fashion situation put me well behind schedule, but that wouldn’t even be close to true. It’s more like it happens about once a week, and on at least two occasions per month I actually DO miss my train. And this is because when it comes to my internship, almost nothing is more important than wearing something cute. Yes, I get more stressed about what I’m wearing than I do about the actual work and reporting I have to do.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m serious about doing a good job at work. But honestly, if I don’t like my outfit, I am a LOT less motivated to be at my internship. It may sound slightly pathetic to some people, but looking good really is extremely important when you work in one of the fashion capitals of the world, and that’s even more true when you work in the magazine industry. Magazines are usually more casual than your typical office, which is a nice perk, but also opens you up to endless wardrobe possibilities. My office is particularly casual, with editors wearing anything from tight dresses and sky-high heels to jeans and a sweatshirt. And while those options are nice to have, who really wants to wear a sweatshirt to work in NYC? I don’t, especially when practically every girl I see walk by me on Sixth Avenue looks like they’ve just stepped out of the pages of Vogue.

Every day on the train ride home, I have good intentions for the next day: get home, go through my closet, and pick out a cute outfit for a stress-free morning. But then I get home, and my bed looks so comfy, and I decide it can wait. So every morning, it’s the same thing: I wake up just a little bit too late and then spend at least 45 minutes frantically ripping through my drawers and closet, trying on about 20 different outfits and hating everything I put on. Should I wear jeans and flats with a cute shirt, or is it more of a sundress and sweater day? Do I go a little bit bohemian, or should I try looking more professional? Do I feel like attempting heels, or will flip-flops cut it? Not to mention the fact that despite the growing pile of wrinkled and discarded clothes on my floor, I. HAVE. NOTHING. TO. WEAR.

Don’t think the stress ends when I finally do choose an outfit. Once I have something I like, I have to find the right bag, the cutest jewelry, and the perfect shoes. And once I’m in the office, I still can’t relax, hoping I look okay and wondering if that editor is staring at me in disgust, or if she wants to know where I got my top. Am I too casual? Too dressed up? Does it look like I’m trying too hard?!

It’s consuming, stressful and somewhat ridiculous, but being a lowly intern, what else do I have to look forward to? If I’m going to be filing and fetching coffee all day, I might as well look good doing it. That is assuming I actually pick out my outfit and make it to work at all….

[Everyone’s got a morning after story (though I can say with absolute certainty that not everyone's includes a private plane and handcuffs) and we wanna hear yours! Send it over to us and we’ll post it – anonymously, of course – right here!]

Last weekend I went to my friend’s birthday at one of those exclusive NYC clubs where you can’t get in if you’re not on a list. My friends and I got decked out for a big night on the town, which meant I put on a really short dress, slipped on my big practically-unwalkable heels, and shaved my legs. At first everything at the club was really fun and really trendy and really vodka-y. I was dancing on the tables and shamelessly hitting on guys. But that’s what happens when you’re drinking for free.

You know what also happens when you’re drinking for free? People lose their inhibitions as well as their dignity. One couple went from grinding on the dancing floor to humping on a booth. And while they were humping another couple edged into our corner and started getting busy. It didn’t take long before both girls were straddling the guys with their dresses pulled up and their underwear pushed down. While I can’t say that I saw actual intercourse (hard to see things when you’re shielding your eyes), I did see fingers going places fingers do not belong when those fingers are in public. One of the tables began shaking so hard that a waiter came over.  However I wrongly assumed that the waiter would stop the couple. Instead he just removed the glasses off the table so that there would be not broken glass when they started going at it on the floor. It’s at this point I started asking myself what was going on and what was I doing there.

And then one girl took a break (most likely to get tested for STDs) and her new lover took this as a chance to pick me up in both of his arms and say excitedly, “your turn.” Suddenly this went to bizarre and funny to Lifetime Movie of the Month. When I made it clear I would not be hooking up with him, he flipped me upside down, which made my dress flip upside down too. Attractive AND classy!

At that point, when I was mooning the entire club and wondering how I ended up in some fetish swingers sexy club, he put me down. I took one look at my friends and we ran out of there. In the cab ride home there were a lot of “what the?” but no actual coherent sentences. It wasn’t until I was back in my apartment, comfortably sitting in sweats, with my chastity belt on and locked that I could actualy talk about what just happened. Needless to say I can check “watching live porn” off my bucket list.

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.