Last night, the Vancouver Winter Olympics ended with a flourish–including comedy from William Shatner, performances by Avril Lavigne and Nickelback, and yes, giant inflatable beavers. With the Olympic flame extinguished, and dreams of Sochi 2014 barely blooming, let’s take a look at Vancouver’s biggest winners.

Canada
The Canadians accomplished their two most important goals in Vancouver: to bring home gold, and specifically to win the men’s hockey competition on home soil. Alexandre Bilodeau broke the Canadian gold-medal draught with his win in moguls skiing early in the Games. But perhaps the single most important event in Canadian history was their win in the gold-medal hockey game over arch-rival the United States. In a nail-biting sudden death overtime, the Canadians broke through with the win and fulfilled the dreams of everyone young and old  in the hockey-obsessed nation. (Editor’s Note: And their hockey team is pretty damn hot.) And as if that weren’t enough, Canada walks away with the most gold medals–14–ever won by a single nation in the Winter Olympics.

US Nordic Ski Team
Johnny Spillane and Billy Demong led a record-breaking US contingent in Nordic skiing, winning medals across four events. Nordic events, which include ski jumping, cross country skiing, and biathlon, are typically dominated by Scandinavians, but Americans came from out of nowhere to steal podium spots. Spillane grabbed three silvers while compatriot Billy Demong won the first-ever American gold medal in a Nordic event, the Large Hill/10k pursuit.

Red Mittens
Who knew these little babies, originally sold for about $10 a pair, would spark an international fashion craze? Simple, iconic, and adorned with the signature Canadian maple leaf, they were perhaps the most sought-after accessory in Vancouver besides an Olympic medal.

Kim Yu-Na
Critics have hailed Kim Yu-na’s performance in the ladies’ figure skating competition as one of the greatest of all time. She was nearly flawless in her free skate and demolished any doubts about her skating supremacy as a Bond girl in her short program. Journalists and skaters around the world had wondered if the pressure of $9 million in endorsements and the hopes of the entire nation of South Korea (which had never won an Winter Olympic medal of any color in any sport besides speed skating) would be too much for teenage Kim, but she now gets to revel in the hype and the fame that are all very much fit for figure skating’s new queen.

Bode Miller
He was the face of the 2006 Olympics, with his hard-partying ways and high expectations for a dynamic medal haul. But after a few spectacular crashes which left Americans disappointed and Miller ambivalent, four years of training and the birth of his first daughter, Bode came back to these Olympics recharged, refocused, and under everyone’s radar. Much to the suprise of fans around the world, Miller made the Vancouver Games a “mulligan” of Olympic proportions, winning a gold, silver, and bronze medal while leading the winningest American Alpine skiing team of any Olympiad. Redemption,  complete.

I’m sad to see February go (although quite happy to see Spring Break on the horizon!), especially considering the last action packed week filled with Olympic sports, a Tiger Woods apology, and absurd Chris Brown statements.

Did anyone else feel like it took especially long for this week to putter out?  I did, but maybe it had a little something with my sinuses (ew, I know).  Things are a whole lot different when you’re nursing a stuffy nose in college. Somehow, sick days just aren’t as fun as they used to be.

Luckily, with much sleep, tea and a serious Mad Men marathon, I’m feeling better already… and just in time for this weekend’s festivities. But before we get too excited to jump back into the world where sneezing is at a minimum (thank goodness) let’s focus on a week that was:

- (Sad face) Fashion Week has come to a runway strutting close.  We looked back on the five biggest trends that took over the catwalk.

- Although Fashion Week has ended, however, the Olympics (and my lack of production) has not.  Which has allowed us to ponder over a few ‘sports related’ arguments pertaining to The Games.  Namely, are those men on ice, sporting plunging neckline v-necks, really athletes?

- If you’ve had an embarrassing moment inserted into your agenda lately, you must read up on this.  I promise, it will make you feel better.

- Apartment hunting can be a shot in the dark sometimes; put some light on the subject.

- Speaking of hunting, where are all the good guys we’ve been searching for? They’re not in college and they’re definitely not in the real world.

- Remember those extremely massive, bulky, and leather infested shoes you used to wear (and always made you trip) in grade school? They’re back for round two.

- We wondered and (are still wondering) if the ‘I was drunk’ card can still be played to forgive and forget?

It is Friday, now time to sit down and relax and ad some quality (and guilt free) products to your bookmark tab.

Why you gotta hate on Johnny Weir, Canada?

Ryan Cabrera: your career is officially over.

J.R. Celski (and some other Olympians) shirtless!!

Looking for the perfect parka?

Lady Gaga’s greatest revenge.

What you didn’t know about The Bachelor’s Ali.

There’s no question that the spectacle of figure skating is enchanting, but given recent criticism of its methods– is it a sport?

A sport should require athleticism, of which figure skating has plenty.  Training for figure skating requires hours of strength training and conditioning. The skills executed in programs, from jumps to spins to spirals, are not easily acquired. Take away the glittery costumes and lilting music, and figure skating programs appear grittier and tougher.

But athleticism means nothing if there isn’t an objective and regimented manner to determine winners. At the moment, all competitions operated under the International Skating Union (including the Olympic Games) adhere to a scoring system that assigns points for the difficulty of skill and the quality of their execution.  But consider that in this year’s men’s singles division at the Olympics, Evan Lysacek captured the gold medal despite his failure to attempt any quadruple jumps (the most difficult skill to execute). Other skaters, including silver medalist Evgeny Plushenko, successfully landed quadruple jumps. Some argue that Lysacek’s win is fair, because artistry should be just as crucial to scoring as difficulty, while others believe the Olympic champion should be someone who performs to world-class standards, quad jumps and all.

Essentially, there are concerns about the validity of the scoring system for this very problem. The fact that a skater like Lysacek can go home with a gold medal without having performed the most technically difficult program sends a message to young skaters that you can train as hard as you can to be the most technically proficient as possible, but the subjective evaluations of the judges are the only key to gold.  The result is that figure skating rests precariously between sport (such as skiing) and art (such as ballet).  There is definitely a competitive and athletic component to figure skating, but it also has a subjective quality, one that emphasizes certain skaters at certain times for certain reasons.

Despite these concerns, figure skating is and will remain the marquee event of the Winter Olympics. There will always be something charming about girls who achieve celebrity and world-class validation before they are even old enough to drive. There are few among us who can’t relate to childhood dreams of becoming an Olympic (or Super Bowl, or World Series) champion, and the thrill of watching it happen in a visually pleasing manner is timeless. In the moment a young skater recieves her gold medal, the quarter-turns and point-deductions and quadruple jumps all melt away.

As such, figure skating may not be a sport–but does it matter?

Gosh, I’m tired. I guess that’s what happens when you stay up late watching Bode Miller/eating a tray of brownies and then you’re so wired from the excitement/insane amount of sugar you just ingested, you can’t fall asleep until 3am. And then you wake up and discover there’s still one brownie left so you eat it, feel great for about 30 minutes, and then completely crash.

Ugh, and there’s still two more days to go this week?

I’m going to need some major coffee just to get out of bed, and then a few 5 Hour Energy’s to get to the gym to work off the brownie binge. But before I go into a caffeine rage (similar to ‘roid rage, only with many more trips to the bathroom), let me take a moment to myself to consider the following disturbing scenario.

Would you rather walk in on your boyfriend trying on your underwear OR be forced to watch a one hour long video of your sibling/parent having sex?

Things to consider: your boyfriend in a lacy thong, your boyshorts getting stretched out, your parents having sex.

Vote and share your reasoning (if you can even think about this without getting physically ill) in the comments!

With the Winter Olympics in full swing, all of the world’s attention is focused on Canada. And in addition to figure skating and snowboarding and skeleton (?!) a new Olympic sport has arisen—one that we plebeians can play from our couches!

I like to call it “Canadian CelebSpotting.”

All of a sudden, celebrities are coming out of the woodwork to display their native Canadian pride, and they’re popping up in travel advertisements, Today Show interviews, and in the audience at Olympic events. In addition to well-known Canadians such as Nelly Furtado and Celine Dion, check out which other personalities (should) know all the words to “O Canada!”

Pamela Anderson
From: British Columbia
Famous for: Baywatch, being a babe, boobs
Canadian fun fact: Pam was famous from the day she was born! She was celebrated for being the first baby born in British Columbia on Canada’s Centennial Day back in 1967.

Justin Bieber
From: Ontario
Famous for: Being a YouTube singing sensation
Canadian fun fact: His debut album, “My World,” first went platinum in Canada before exploding in the United States.

Jay Manuel
From: Ontario
Famous for: Being the sassy, silver-coifed guide on America’s Next Top Model.
Canadian fun fact: If you can’t get enough of the fierce fashion on ANTM, catch Jay as the host of sister program Canada’s Next Top Model.

Rachel McAdams
From: Ontario
Famous for:  Mean Girls, The Notebook, Ryan Gosling
On being a famous Canadian: “When you live in a small town in the middle of Ontario, it would have been too big of a dream to say you want to go to Hollywood. But, secretly, I think I always knew. When I was young, I was a figure skater, and every year there was an ice carnival. I lived for the carnival.

Eric McCormack
From: Ontario
Famous for: Will & Grace
Canadian fun fact: Once sang both “Oh Canada” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a hockey game in Minnesota.

Ellen Page
From: Nova Scotia
Famous for: Juno, Whip It
On what she won’t do on film, but back home: I’m no prude and I love to skinny-dip. But you’re vulnerable when you’re in a movie, versus at a lake in Nova Scotia.

Kiefer Sutherland
From: Born in London to Canadian parents, but raised almost entirely in Ontario
Famous for: 24
Canadian fun fact: Grandfather Tommy Douglas is credited with bringing universal healthcare to Canada.

Seeing as the Olympics are being held on my home soil, I should be paying closer attention. But last week I was distracted by my real love: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Though I’m craving spring clothes more than anything else right now, NYFW kept me on the edge of my seat as I excitedly began planning next fall’s outfits.

As always, there were a lot of amazing collections during Fashion Week, but there were five designer gold medalists that really blew the rest away. Their designs were sexy, sleek and wearable…. and assuming I somehow make $1 million between now and September, I will be grabbing every last one of their pieces.

The Fashion Week All-Stars

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

I’ve been rooting for Christian Siriano since his victorious season on Project Runway. Though his collection this season was more streamlined than usual, I loved the ’60s inspired glamour.  The looks echoed a time when women got dressed up every day, a concept I appreciate in a world of sloppily dressed college girls.  The luxurious fabrics, figure-flattering silhouettes, and elegant colours put him on the top of my favourites this season.  I absolutely adored the ruffled shoes, and am hoping an affordable pair is created for his Payless line.  Though absolutely unnecessary, they are fierce.

DOO.RI

Many of Doo.Ri Chung’s looks emulated a trend that has stayed strong for many seasons: military.  My favourite of her looks, however, incorporated her signature draping and interesting embellishments. Doo.Ri knows how to dress a woman and make her look chic and beautiful, and this collection is definitely a celebration of that.  Though most of her looks were black and blue, the orange mini dress (my #1) added an element of surprise to the otherwise somber looks.  And while I’m generally not a huge fan of leggings, Doo.Ri’s juxtaposition of tight leggings and draped tunics definitely had me thinking twice about investing in a pair.

L.A.M.B.

I’ve had a huge girl crush on Gwen Stefani for as long as I can remember. She’s hot, she’s got style, she can sing and, damn, is she a good designer. Her line, L.A.M.B., echoes her personal style, incorporating vintage 1950s inspiration, as well as military and futuristic concepts. In layman’s terms: it’s awesome. Everything in this collection is sexy and painfully chic. There is no way a woman could wear this and not feel instantly cool. The moment I saw that leather jacket come down the runway, I knew I had to get my hands on it, and that was before I saw Gwen sporting the same one at the end of the show. Gwen has an insane personal style, which translates perfectly in this line.

NANETTE LEPORE

Bold colours, sequins and plaid were just some elements in Nanette Lepore’s fall collection.  This romantic collection was inspired by the Renaissance, with a bolder more modern color palette. The line is sweet yet edgy, feminine without being frilly and just plain beautiful. Nanette Lepore mixed tweed, wool, and velvet and used them all in unexpected ways, and then finished off the perfect looks with long lockets and gorgeous handbags. If I had this entire collection in my closet, I’d be set for life.

PROENZA SCHOULER

If anyone can work a pattern it’s Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough. Their graphic, scribble motif made its way across their entire collection, punching up everything from trapeze  dresses to high waisted skirts. They proved that bold can work… and work really well. And their new P.S. 11 bag (a more structured version of the P.S. 1 saddlebag), well, it’s just the cherry on top.

In this new series we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer for a month as she takes on a personal challenge. This month we’re following Lauren from University of Michigan. She’s going sober for the month of February and will be sharing her ups and downs with us each Saturday. Last week she tackled the bar scene sober. Let’s see how she handled week numero 3.

Another week.
Another drinkless week.

And it almost wasn’t that way. On Monday my friend’s parents were in town and took us out to a nice dinner. I was looking at the menu deciding between steak and fish (these decisions are incredibly difficult when all you’ve eaten for the past 3 weeks is Easy Mac and Chili) when the waiter began pouring wine around the table.

I was so excited at the prospect of free alcohol that I completely forgot about Sober February. It wasn’t until the cup of wine was at my lips that I woke up and realized what I was doing. Quickly, I put it down, apologized to my friend’s parents for wasting wine and explained my situation.

They, like everyone else I’ve encountered in the past three weeks, applauded my decision. Even bartenders and waitresses don’t give me crap for going sober. In fact, I’ve inspired four of my friends and the hot bartender I met last weekend to follow suit next month!

And it really hasn’t been that hard. Besides that near miss on Monday, I haven’t even really craved a drink, let alone a sloppy, drunken night. And trust me, that shocks me. Whereas I normally spend my Thursdays counting down the minutes until I can let loose and drink away all that stress (because college is stressful…right?), I’ve actually enjoyed spending this week entirely in.

While my friends went out and partied their faces off last night, I stayed home, cooked myself a deeeelicious stir fry dinner, did some laundry, cheered on my fellow Wolverine Ice Dancers (go blue!) then watched a movie (17 Again…I got it for free On Demand – don’t judge!). I caught up on the stack of magazines sitting on my floor and, obviously, spent a little time perusing Facebook photo albums of the weirdos I knew in high school. It was just the de-stresser I needed, only without the copious amounts of alcohol I usually depend on.

And unlike that first weekend where I felt like I was missing out on whatever was happening in my favorite sweaty basement bar, I didn’t even want to be out. Let’s be honest – all of those drunken nights are the same anyway, so I don’t really need to take part in all of them. That is a revelation I never would have come to had I not completely removed myself from the situation, but one I am so, so, so glad I had. It’s not that my friends pressure me in to doing anything – it’s that I always pressure myself and I end up running my body into the ground. Now that I know I can skip out on a few of the “epic party nights” and be OK with it, well, maybe I’ll spend some more time doing “me” things in the future.

Today I’m gonna take my well-rested self on a much needed Target run. It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to drag myself out of bed on a Saturday and engage in some serious retail therapy. (Normally I get there, feel hungover and leave with a Propel.) And with all this money I’ve saved (at least $30 per week!) by not drinking, I am most definitely going to let loose.

Wooo sobriety! It feels so good I almost don’t want it to end.

Is it April yet?
OK, it was only just Mardi Gras this week. Clearly I’m getting too ahead of myself.

In the meantime, here are some interesting points to chew on:

- While Spring Break is inching closer and you are hitting the tanning beds for that ideal bikini base-tan (hello, beer in Mexico!) you may want to keep this in mind.

- Men let their penis insecurities get in the way of safety and birth control. True story.

- Oh Cosmopolitan, you say some pretty ridiculous things sometimes; it’s amazing some of us can still rope in a man.

- Is smiling a required accessory?

- It is time to spice up your accessories, and who knew it could be so easy and cheap!

- Does college really determine the Political Views tab on your Facebook profile?

- Rpatz is allergic to vaginas? Well, we’re allergic to bulls**t and Mr. Pattinson is making our throats a little itchy…

- We’ve all had our share of  traveling down D-bag Avenue, but this list will make you feel like it was a two way street.

- Speaking of D-bag Avenue, do you miss the man living on it, or the the relationship it entailed?

- And when things ended, did you find yourself struggling with returning his things?

- Recently, John Mayer decided to dispose some pretty personal info between him and J. Simpson’s sexy time. I know of some other things that do not need to be shared with the class.

And that’s a wrap (up).
It’s Friday, and that calls for Happy Hour with the girlfriends and a little Olympics Drinking Game action. Have a great weekend!

Too bad we’re not good at anything. Well, anything that matters, anyway. It’s not like they’re going to be adding beer pong to the Summer Games anytime soon, or giving out golds for walking through the snow in heels. Both of which would surely earn us a medal and maybe even a Wheaties box.

And that got us thinking. If we were Olympians, what would we medal in? After all, if Curling can be considered a sport (isn’t that just Swiffering?), why not these:

Rachael – University of Miami: Definitely klutziness, socializing, and anything relating to rhetoric/debate. Clearly, athletics is not my strong point. . . .

Lauren H – The New School: My guy always says I’d take the gold in sleeping – I can nap anywhere, anytime, and I don’t drool or snore! Bring it on!

Jessica – Hofstra: I would get a gold medal for whining until I get my way, procrastinating, and shopping.

Sarabeth – University of Texas: I’d get a gold medal in baking. Not gonna lie, my low fat cheesecake is pretty much the shiz.

Melanie – Northeastern University: I’d take the gold in exaggerating and pounding Starbucks ice cream.

Megan – Penn State: What Michael Phelps is to swimming, I am to losing my phone.

Brittany – University of Saint Thomas: I would receive a gold metal in complaining about Minnesota weather, raising the roof, and a cereal (Cinnamon Toast Crunch, please) eating contest.

Jackelyn – San Francisco State University: Unfortunately, I’d get a gold medal in procrastination. It’s unbelievable how good I am at it!

Kari – Florida State: I’d go for the gold in saying incredibly awkward things and being productive while hungover.

Sara C – Fordham: If they were handing out medals for memorizing Seinfeld quotes, I’d have the gold all wrapped up!

Emmy-Loyola University Chicago: If being late were a sport, I would for sure be the world champion!

Cristina – Michigan State University: Sleeping hours past my alarm clock and being the only person I know who doesn’t gag when they smell straight vodka.

Kim – University of Delaware: Tripping/falling/waking up with bruises and having no idea where they came from.

Meg – University of Delaware: If I were an olympian, I’d definitely get gold in list making (with a sliver in checking things off), a gold in driving (too) fast and a gold in eating more than I should.

Kim – Stanford: I’d win a gold medal in kicking ass and taking names.

Carly – Grinnell: I often brag about how I would totally bag a gold for carrying groceries. I get a little carried away at the store and find myself walking home while balancing four huge paper bags and simultaneously fishing for my keys and unlocking the apartment door. YES! She nails it!!

Norah – Drake University: I’d take the gold in procrastination, snacking and knowing way too much about the Winter Olympics. I only care about sports for two weeks every four years, so I want to make it count! (Shameless self-promotion: check out my Olympics blog.)

Alex – Lakehead University: Going for the gold in wasting time. I can literally do nothing for an entire day.

Maddie – Tufts: I’d win a gold medal in painting nails… I always say it’s my fallback option for next year if I don’t get a job.

Jessica – FIT: I would have a gold medal in the art of tequila.

Brithny – Duke: If shopping were a sport, I’d be the Michael Phelps of SoHo.

Jessica – Delaware: I’d definitely get a gold medal in sarcasm and one-liners

Kelly – University of Iowa: Losing things. Honestly, if I’m carrying it in my hand I will lose it. Since college started I’ve lost my debit card 5 times, my credit card twice, and my student ID 4 times. And each are $20 to replace.

Julia – UC Berkeley: Text messaging.  I can craft any text for anybody in record time.

Hannah- Assumption College: I would score a gold medal in grocery shopping on a budget and rapping to Lil’ Wayne songs. Sometimes at the same time.