Being the giant fan of summer that I am, Labor Day is always a little sad.

Even though it won’t get chilly for another few weeks, the mere promise of shorter days, schoolwork, and winter hats constantly ruining perfectly styled hair is enough to make me a little depressed…at least until fall fashions go on sale.

For many of us, Labor Day is a last hurrah; our last 24 hours to wear white pants (which perhaps some of us shouldn’t be wearing in the first place?), last day to barbeque without standing by the grill in a jacket, and last 3-day weekend for a while.

It’s also a party, whether we’re partying with friends or throwing our own personal celebration that consists of doing absolutely nothing—and enjoying the hell out of it.

In honor of Goodbye-To-Bathing-Suits weekend, I’ve found the perfect cocktail to commemorate a summer gone by. Read More »

So, everyone’s had (at least) one of those, knew him well enough to say I know him, hooked up with him one night while blackout, now terrified to run into him-type of guys.

So, what the hell do you do when you’re back on campus after a long peaceful summer miles away from the guy? Where you could run into him without warning at any moment? Lord knows you wanna look good, in case HE looks good.

You’re human, so obviously you want him to want more, basically so you can turn him down the second time around and prove you’re not the easy hoochie he might think you are.

Or maybe he rubbed you the right way and you want him for another romp-around, because (secretly) you want more. Or maybe, god forbid, it was horrendously bad, but you thought he was a pretty cool guy and hope you don’t have to spend the next few years avoiding him, and can instead laugh together over that blurry night and move on as friends.

How do you prepare for the dreaded run-in? Read More »

For those of you halfway through your first school week, relaxing with a cold one may not be the first thing on your mind. But why not? It’s Hump Day! Celebrate your first (half) week back with a little get together!

Everyone knows that a party is not complete without a decent mix of pump-up songs. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy chugging your beers to a bumpin’ beat? It’s important for every college lady to know the best tunes to guide you along the beautiful road to tipsy:

Fiddy & JT: She Wants It (Ayo Technology)

Justin’s always a no-fail, but make sure to resist the drunken lap dance. You’ll always manage to feel a lot hotter than you actually look, bumping and grinding and simultaneously knocking over your roommate’s laptop. (Oops.) Read More »

School is almost back in session. Time to pack your bags, kiss your parents goodbye and head back up to the land of beer, boys and late night dance parties with your friends. Oh yeah; and learning.

Before you hit the party scene in search of that take-home hottie – or after-a-few-beers hottie – let me impart a little advice. There is no reason anyone else should make the same mistakes I did.

1. Lock Your Door: After moving into our phat new pad my junior year, my 7 roommates and I decided to throw a Welcome Week fiesta. During the evening, I met a boy and invited him back to my room to check out my brand new bed. We ended up giving it a test drive; clothes were strewn around the room and things started getting heavy.

I was getting ready to go downtown when the lights switched on and my roommate was standing in my doorway with a few friends she was showing around our new house. If that wasn’t awkward enough, on the way out one of them yelled, “Lauren! Did you lose weight? You look really skinny!”

2. Get the Guy’s Name: After celebrating the end of exams I hit the bar (hard) and eyed a cute boy across the room. I took him home, had my fun and he ended up staying over until the morning. Being the nice girl that I am, I offered to drive him home. Being the drunken idiot that I am, I forgot his name. As he went to leave my car he asked for my number and offered to give me his.

I didn’t want to ask for his name so I told him I was too drunk to type in the number. “But you just drove me home.” Talk about an uncomfortable silence. He got out of the car and never called. Read More »

I love Gawker.

They find the strangest shit to talk about. The random pieces of the internet super highway; lost Youtube tapes, celebrities falling down steps, out of place fashion shows for Darfur…really anything and everything you could ever want to know about New York City and the universe.

Every so often, they will even post a random email from a random person. These random slices of life are my favorite part, because everyone knows truth is crazier than fiction. Case in point:

An NYU student recently sent an email in about her random encounter with Cuba Gooding Jr. You know, that guy who won an Oscar and then went on to make a movie about sled dogs?

Anyway, this college student not only snuck herself into a top-secret celebrity party, but she also managed to find herself being drunkenly perused by Mr. Show-Me-The-Money himself. Who is married. With three kids.

“Cuba and I bonded over our love for Justin Timberlake” the mystery student writes, “and he’s dancing all up on me. Legit, Cuba’s crouch is up against me and he is grinding like it’s nobody’s business.” Read More »

In case you’ve been left out of the loop, Going.com is a website dedicated to the sheer pleasure of being young in the city- any city! They cover New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago–even San Fran. For those who feel slightly skeptical of enjoying an unplanned night, this site is gold.

Going.com is the place to find out what’s going on, who’s going, and how it’s gonna go. With an expansive event calendar, private e-vite system, and a substantial list of parties, concerts, and shows, this website will feel just as lifesaving as the first second your lips hit that Cosmo. Read More »

Facebook has killed etiquette.Remember when you used to get phone calls on your birthday, handwritten invitations to housewarmings, and thank-you cards in the mail? Me neither.

We’re a generation raised on internet communication, and I’m not sure that we’re better off. I started thinking about this a few weeks ago after sending invites to my 21st birthday via Facebook.

I’m not much of a birthday celebrator, so the last time that I actually made a big shin-ding out of it was years ago—back before the majority of my friends had emails and screen names, when I called each of them from my phone home and they jotted down the event specifics on a big Spice Girls or kitten calendar. You would get a phone call from each guest by a specified date, letting you know if they were coming so that you knew how many goody-bags full of Jacks, Silly Putty, and friendship bracelets to buy. Read More »

My best friend recently asked me for advice on facing something we’ve all faced at one point or another, with varying degrees of gracefulness—the first bump-in with the ex. Luckily for her, this bump-in would be happening at her friend’s party that she found out he was going to as well, so she was already starting off better than those of us whose first bump-in occurred during a Slurpee run, hair unwashed and legs unshaved.

Having had my share of even premeditated bump-ins that I’d like to do over, I gave her the following advice:

1. Be VERY careful about drinking. Seriously. If you do get trashed, leave ASAP. No crying, vomiting, or “sexy” dancing while drunk (think about it—have you ever seen a wasted girl trying to dance sexy and thought that she looked good? Didn’t think so). And especially no hooking up with another guy or leaving with another guy unless you’re somewhat sober and/or your ex is nowhere in sight. What looks hot when you’re wasted will likely frighten you in the morning. Read More »

The 4th of July. No work, no worries, and a full day dedicated to barbequing and relaxing. I can think of no better way to celebrate independence from our current best ally than sitting on a back porch (or fire escape, whichever suits your needs) and drinking a nice cool glass of something alcoholic.

Have I got the perfect girly cocktail for those 4th of July needs. It’s chilled, fruity, and when served with blueberries and a hint of whipped cream, it’s patriotic.

Watermelon Mellow

• 8 cups diced watermelon (about 1/2 of a small watermelon, plus slices for garnish)

• 8 ounces lemon vodka (make sure it’s chilled)

• 7 ounces simple syrup*

• 1 can coconut juice

• 1 lemon

Put your diced watermelon in the freezer for 30 minutes. Afterwards, put all the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Read More »

Nobody likes to wait.

Waiting in line at the grocery store when you have a Snickers bar and a head of lettuce, while the person in front of you is eighty-five-years-old and has five weeks worth of food, sucks. Waiting in the doctor’s office for three hours, and sitting on that crinkly, white paper, so the doctor can come in, check your vitals and charge you $300, sucks. Waiting for a star to fall, sucks. No really, it does – just check out the video.

But no other form of waiting sucks as bad as waiting for a guy to make his first phone call to you. Hands down, it’s the worst kind of waiting there is, because it takes you on quite an unexpected, emotional rollercoaster. Read More »