If you haven’t heard the name Jayne Appel, then you haven’t tuned into ESPN or Sportscenter in the past month, because her name is everywhere. Appel, senior at Stanford University, has taken the college basketball world by storm over the past four years.

As an All-American athlete, Appel has led the Stanford Cardinal to the Women’s Final Four for the past two years. She has more basketball awards than one can count, was one of Glamour magazine’s 2009 Top 10 College Women, and was the number 5 draft pick of the WNBA, picked to play for the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Basketball has been her life, but basketball isn’t the only arena that Appel dominates. With her bleach-blonde hair, notorious neon pink painted fingernails, and constant carefree California attitude, Jayne Appel is just another girl ready to make her place in the world. And as a recently graduated senior (due to that whole WNBA draft thing), Appel has officially entered the real world. Okay, so maybe instead of a 9-5 desk job she’s playing a sport she loves, but she is just as scared about life post-college as the rest of us.

Since most girls our age haven’t seen their dreams become reality yet and don’t have their own Wikipedia page or Facebook fan site, I wanted to sit down with Appel to ask her some questions and pick her brain about life after college.

CC: What is your favorite thing about being a recent college graduate?
JA: Honestly? Being able to sleep more! And having so much free time and no stress from school!

CC: What will you must most about your college experience?
JA: My girlfriends. There are so many moments that have defined my college career, almost too many to name. But if I were to name one, it would just be the hard times when my friends were there for me. The whole community – my friends, teammates, and parents. I would not have made it without all of these people and feel so blessed to have had that type of support system in place during college.

CC: Do you have any regrets about your college experience?
JA: Zero regrets. I loved every minute of it. I’m sad I am missing my last quarter on campus but am so excited to start playing professionally!

CC: Most seniors are looking for jobs right now, you already have one. How do you feel about your new job?
JA: I am so excited about my opportunity to be a professional athlete. I am even more excited that it will be in San Antonio. I really liked the atmosphere there at the Final Four and am really excited about breaking in my cowboy boots, Texas style!

CC: What is the advice you would tell graduating seniors or upperclassmen about savoring their time left at college?
JA: Spend time with your friends as much as possible. Go out on that night that you usually would stay in. It is unreal how quickly these next few months are going to go, so savor them. Make a bucket list of things you desperately want to do before you graduate and have fun making the stories that you’ll want to retell later. Just enjoy it all!

CC: Speaking of enjoying it all. Do you have any love advice for college women out there?
JA: Relax. If it is meant to be, it will be. And whatever you do, stop over-analyzing! Too many of us women spend hours decoding a guy’s text or every other move, but we all need to just relax a little! I’ve been there, and it’s such a waste of time.

CC: What would you say your sense of style is? What wardrobe pieces are a must for you?
JA: When I do dress up out of sweats, I love to layer stuff. I feel that it’s a look that can work for almost everyone. I also love my Lululemon pants!.

CC: What saying or quote do you live by?
JA: “Try and fail but don’t fail to try” – Stephen Kaggwa

Follow Appel on Twitter at @jayneappel

"Dear Prof: I'm totes writing you in my undies."

Texting and chatting online has surely affected the way we communicate. If a friend doesn’t respond to a text within 10 minutes of me sending it, I immediately assume he/she has gone Amish. What did people do when there were no cellphones or AOL chat? Communicating must have been exhausting. You mean you had to wait at home to receive a phone call from your boyfriend in hopes your father wouldn’t answer?

Beyond waiting for the phone call, texting and chatting online has surely affected what we say. The term OMG wasn’t created from sending letters through the Pony Express; it was most likely created in the depths of an AOL chat room BSBLuvr who found it exceedingly difficult to express her love for ‘Shape of My Heart’ over and over again. Since then, abbreviating words (AKA ‘chatspeak’) has made communication easier for all of us. But apparently some people can’t seem to understand when this language is approp (in a drunk text to a friend) and it’s inapprop (in an email to a professor).

Yeah, it may seem totes obvi to you, but it seems that many students are taking their AIM lingo to class and their professors aren’t LOLing. In fact, they’re getting pretty pissed. And who wouldn’t when students are starting their emails off with, “Yo, teach”? (For realz.)

OMG. WTF? Didn’t college learn you better than that?

It’s time for a chatspeak intervention, people. Below is a handy little guide to help you determine what is appropriate and inappropriate when it comes to professional correspondence. Professors, thank us later….with an A.

Inappropriate: Yo, teach
Appropriate: Dear Professor __________

Inappropriate: My comp. crashed and I lost my whole pape. FML.
Appropriate: Due to technological issues, I lost the entire rough draft of my essay. Would it be possible to get an extension?

Inappropriate: OMG my alarm didn’t go off this morning Can you fwd me the notes?
Appropriate: I was unable to make it to lecture this morning; is there any way I can get the class notes so I can catch up on what I missed?

Inappropriate: I will BRB from vaca nxt wk.
Appropriate: Although I understand the importance of attending lecture, I will be out of town next week with my family. I don’t want this obstacle to hinder me in this class and I was hoping you might be able to share the lecture slides with me in advance so I can stay on top of everything while I am away.

Inappropriate: Sup homie. Wut was the homework for 2day?
Appropriate: Good Evening. I was distracted at the end of class today and somehow missed the reading assignment for Wednesday. Can you please remind me what it is so I make sure not to fall behind?

Innappropriate: Where’s your office @?
Appropriate: I’d like to set up a time to speak with you during office hours. Please let me know where and when works best for you.

As a college student gearing up for a summer internship or office job, you might not have a very expansive work wardrobe. Maybe your parents footed the bill for a few new professional outfits, but after the first week of work you might start feeling like you’ve run out of things to wear.

One thing you most likely own is  a white blouse, like this one from Gap. This top is so basic, there are a million ways to wear it. The good news? You may already have a couple of the other items in your closet too! Here are three ways to wear a white blouse (Click on the pictures to get all the shopping info!):

1) With a vest – While it’s still chilly, put a sweater vest on over your white blouse. It can be basic (black or grey) if your office is conservative, or add a pop of color (like blue or pink) if you want. Cinch your waist with a skinny belt to make it a little more fashion forward. When it gets warmer (soon, I hope!), pick up a cropped vest and wear it open for a sophisticated, cool look.

2) Under a sheath dress – If you’re worried that a sleeveless dress might be inappropriate for the office, wear a white blouse underneath it!

3. Tucked in – Tucking a white blouse into a high-waisted skirt or pair of pants makes you look effortlessly chic and sophisticated. This is a great look for the weekend, too – pair it with a pair of trouser jeans to do casual without looking sloppy.

For more fashion tips, follow me on Twitter or read my blog!

You probably have a blazer.

Your mom made you buy it and now the only time you pull it out of your closet is for job interviews and funerals. Other than that, it just hangs there and takes up space that would be better suited for a new pair of sweats. But your basic black blazer (like the one pictured right, from Old Navy) can be very stylish and versatile!

Wear it during the day to your internship for a mature (but not “old”) look, or to dress up a pair of jeans on the weekend.

Here are three new ideas for rocking a black (or whatever color you might have) blazer.

1) Polished & Professional. At work, you want to look put together without dressing like you’re 30 years old. The blazer is perfect. Just pair it with a basic fitted shirt (like a tank) and pants that don’t match exactly (to avoid looking like Hilary Clinton in a pantsuit). Then style it with fun jewelry or a belt, a hot pair of heels and you’ve got a new, go-to work look! Click on the image to view shopping info:

2) Casual Chic. When you’re heading out for a day of shopping or errands, it’s easy to fall into the rut of jeans, t-shirt, flip flops (or Uggs, depending on the weather). By throwing on a blazer, it’s easy to look chic while stocking up on Chef Boyardee and Ramen. Wear it unbuttoned with rolled up skinny jeans, a white tee, and basic heels (OK, you can wear flats if you’re really feeling lazy). North Face fleeces and hooded sweatshirts – you’ve met you’re match!

3) Nighttime Glam. We’re in that weird season between summer and spring right now, where it’s too warm for sweaters but not quite warm enough for tank tops. This problem is easily solved with a black blazer – wearing one over your sparkly tank top or mini dress will make you look glamorous and stylish when you’re out on the town. And your boyfriend will be happy that he won’t have to give you his!

Though I can usually throw together something appropriate for work or special events, about half of my clothing inventory consists of utterly ridiculous garments. It doesn’t help that I’m sentimental and can’t discard my prom dresses five years later, or that I’m waiting for certain trends to come back (though I’m pretty sure sparkly, sleeveless, turtleneck sweaters were never in style to begin with). And it definitely doesn’t help that I went through a goth/punk phase that a small part of the “professional” me desperately wants to revert back to.

As we all get ready for back to school, many of us will rummage through our closets and get rid of last season’s most shameful shirts, skirts, dresses, and pants in order to make room in our tiny dorm closets for upcoming styles (that we will undoubtedly regret in 2009 or 2010).

Here are some of my particularly embarrassing items.

1. Drawstring Khakis

I think that any pants that don’t have a numerical size should be left alone. So, why I bought these “Size L” drawstring pants with floral embroidery at the bottom is beyond me. They don’t go with any shoes, the trim is tacky, and they are so baggy that they make my ass look like a misshaped Volvo. I used to wear them to lounge around, because a lack of a waist obviously equals comfort; however, I made the mistake of wearing them out of the house one extremely hungover day. In public. With friends. My friend turned to me and said, “If you ever wear those pants again, I will cut them off your body.” Point taken.

Final Decision: Toss ‘em.

2. Early 2,000′s skirt from Wet Seal

In my high school yearbook, I was photographed for Amnesty International wearing a purple skirt from Wet Seal with a paisley-ish print and purple sequins along the bottom. I still own that skirt, and I still wear it. So, first of all, the skirt is practically vintage; second, I am far too old to shop at Wet Seal; third, it’s left over from freaking high school.

The strangest part? When I wear it, I get an avalanche of compliments. Everyone says I look pretty, they love my skirt, blah blah blah. Who knew?

Final Decision: It’s a keeper!

3. Girls’ Size 14 Hannah Montana Dress

Here’s a tip for all of you shopaholics out there: Don’t go shopping with a very strong buzz on. You might decide to buy a dress from the little girls’ department of Mervyn’s.

This monstrosity is a silver A-line dress with a black netting overlay, and Miley Cyrus’ face emblazoned on the front left side. In my drunken shopping stupor, it seemed like a great dress to own! Sadly, it’s already gotten worn twice this summer: once to a bar, where it actually got a lot of compliments, and once to a “Hot Tranny Mess” theme party.

Final Decision: I definitely won’t wear this to a job interview, but you never know when an opportunity to dress as “Post-Op Hannah MonTRANa” will arise. Keep it.

4. White and Green Floral Strapless Dress from David’s Bridal

I bought this dress for a wedding last summer. What’s so shameful about it? Well, in the last year, I lost enough weight that my chi chi’s can no longer hold the top up.

Furthermore, this pattern was apparently all the rage for bridal parties last year. So while the dress itself is simple and pretty, I’ve since seen many wedding albums on Facebook in which the bridesmaids are all wearing this dress. And knowing the way people talk about bridesmaid dress nightmares, owning the same dress (and picking it out myself!) is just shameful.

So basically, the thing doesn’t fit, it totally outs my “I’m not afraid to wear last season this season” mantra, and wherever I wear it, I run the risk of someone coming up to me and gushing about how they wore the same dress as a bridesmaid in a wedding.

Final Decision: Time to toss it.

5. My collection of FCUK t-shirts

Let me begin by mentioning that all of my French Connection tees were purchased IN the United Kingdom, and it drives me crazy to see “Too Busy to FCUK” t-shirts sold in the U.S. because that would make it FCUSA, wouldn’t it??

Anyway, during my stint in England a few years ago, the FCUK puns were at their peak. I have a “Guaranteed FCUK” shirt, a “Too Busy to FCUK” shirt, and a “Do I FCUK” shirt. I also have a “FCUK Down Under” shirt that a friend bought me in Australia, but again, if it wasn’t bought in the UK, it should really say “FCOZ” down under, or whatever you would call Australia. Whatever.

Not only are the shirts mildly inappropriate to wear in public (especially around grandmothers and children), but it’s really hard to find a good size. I’ve tried on Mediums and Larges, and they just don’t quite make the grade. I also have an extra-Large tank top that says, “Massive Hits…FCUK FM” straight across my massive tits, but I don’t even wear XL sizes anyway.

Final Decision: I should toss them, but they remind me of fun times in Picadilly Circus. So I will fold them, store them, and promise to never wear them. As an even trade-off, I will get rid of my “Hooters: Off-Campus” t-shirt and matching Hooters gym shorts. Is that fair?

As I grew older, I expanded my professional resume with retail positions, internships and jobs geared towards my career interests. I came out of college and now have a full-time job (and this super fun writing gig to keep me sane on the side) and am working towards getting the things I want for myself in life.

I consider myself – and many women just like me – to be a part of something new: the New Generation of 20-Something Women. No more relying on a man to determine financial status, stability or success; we are independent and have our own individual goals. Our own plans. Our fate in our hands.

Growing up, I learned that if you want something, you need to rely on yourself to get it and not someone else. I am taking that theory into account and notice that more females these days are too. Years ago, women were expected to find a man, get married, have children and keep the household. Rather than growing up and looking for our Mrs., 20-something women today are looking for a job, life experiences, travel and, most importantly, a life for themselves.

It’s not only the man now-a-days that needs a woman to sign a pre-nup when they get married. Meaning, more women are creating their own success as individuals, before solidifying their life with a man. These women are more realistic to the facts that 50% of marriages end in divorce and, if you want to enjoy your life, you have to rely on yourself first and foremost. Are you with me ladies?

More and more women are coming out of college and getting great jobs (albeit, men are doing the same, not trying to bash you boys, just pointing out our pattern), rather than heading straight to getting a great man. If you can have both, like my lucky self, then you’ve got two great ends of the spectrum. But my point here is that women can have both. And women are starting to realize it and put their own wants and needs first. And I quite like that.

Are you one of these success-driven females? What’s your driving force behind your goals?

[Photo courtesy of LogoKey]

Unlike freshman year in the dorms, the real world doesn’t provide you with a place filled with hundreds of people just like you looking for new people to drink (and hook up) with. Well, I guess that might happen if you move to Murray Hill in New York City, but for the rest of us that just isn’t a reality.

It seems that most of us make our new real-life friends at work. Which makes sense; we spend so much time at the office (and, oftentimes, need a few drinks afterwards) that it is only natural to get close with the people alongside us. For the most part this is a good thing; there are many times when the only thing motivating you to get to the office is the opportunity to see your buds.

But what happens when things go a bit too far?

Last week I mentioned a friend of mine who explained to me his love for morning sex. Well, that friend also happens to work with me. Actually, I work for him; he’s my boss. Now, this isn’t as creepy as it sounds; he is only 29 and we do hang out socially. But, as I work here longer we get closer and closer the line between personal and professional continues to blur.

At first I didn’t mind that much, but now as we share more and more “after 5” stories, I am beginning to worry about our working relationship. I mean, how can he take me seriously in a business meeting when he saw me puke at the bar? And how can I heed his constructive criticism when all I can think about is the crazy sex he had the night before? Or when I wake up and find him on my couch with my friend visiting from out of town?

I don’t want to stop hanging out with him – mostly because he’s one of the closest friends I have right now! – but I worry that we may make our way down a very awkward road. One that may make working together slightly weird. Or totally impossible.

I want to be taken professionally at my job, but how can I do that when I am partying with the very person who reviews my performance?

And, working 60 hours a week, where else am I going to find friends?!

I really love pretty little things with a purpose. So imagine my glee when I happened upon the adorably named Moo.com, a website dedicated to “printing things from your stuff”.

Although the crafty folks at Moo will make lots of cute stuff from your uploaded pictures, my favorite product of theirs are the MiniCards.

For $20 you get 100 colorful mini cards (about half the size of a normal calling card) packed in a reusable plastic box. They can make the cards look nice for you, or you can pretty them up yourself with up to 100 different images. With six lines of available text on the back, these adorable little information holders are my new must haves.

No more stuffy eggshell on white, you’re an individual! Nothing says, “I’m successful and cool” like bright, professional looking cards.

Besides, anything that makes working and/or looking for jobs more fun is pretty much a necessary purchase in my book.

MiniCards and chocolate. That’s what I say.