Hard to believe that in only 2 days we’ll be ringing in the new year and it’ll have been a decade since all that Y2K mumbo jumbo.

I know; that whole “only 2 days” thing freaked me out, too. Not because I’m not ready for 2010, but because I’m not ready for NYE. I’ve been so busy unwrapping presents and relaxing in front of the TV that I have yet to secure a NYE-worthy ensemble for the big countdown.

But it’s OK. As usual, Forever 21 has come to the rescue with some pretty fantabulous frocks and smocks for under $20. So grab that wad of Christmas cash (don’t worry, you won’t need much of it here!), and head over to the mall. Here are some of the goodies our BFFs at F-21 have to offer for the big, bold and boozy night.

Bandage dresses are sexy, sassy and give your curves some major va va voom. This one comes in 3 different colors and, holler, it’s only $13.50. That means that even with all that holiday spending, you can look hot to trot on NYE…and have some extra cash leftover for that bottle of bubbly.  Pair it with some hot heels and sparkly jewelry and you’ll be set.

Looking for a little more sparkle?  This tube dress is sexified with some glam rocker thrown in.  You can doll it up with some stilettos or really rock it out with some knee high boots or booties.

And if that’s not enough bling and shimmer for this one special night, Forever’s got plenty more where that came from. On any other night a sequins dress or mini might be too much for you, but on New Year’s Eve there’s nothing wrong with shining like the Times Square ball. (And if you’re only spending $20 on a dress, who cares if you only wear it once??)

If sequins aren’t your thang, leather is perfect for you. What better way to scream sexpot than with a “leather” mini? It’s totally hot on its own (well, with a top, of course), or you can have tons o’ fun giving yourself a rock star alter-ego; heavy jewelry, over-the-knee boots or booties can make this look hot, hot, hot.

Too cold for minis or dresses?  Rock out a sequined, studded or jeweled top with a pair of skinny pants/jeans and a pair of sky high heels. You can’t go wrong with this tried and true look…

Now all you gotta do is do some sexy hair and make-up and get ready to break all your new year’s resolutions…

And Anthony Kiedis does not disappoint.

Anthony’s autobiography begins right at the beginning: his birth in 1962. He chronicles his experiences as a child that lead to his excessive party lifestyle as an adult, many of which are with his father, Blackie, a drug dealer. He discusses all of his relationships and diligently reports on the formation of the original Red Hot Chili Peppers.

At some points the book becomes slightly redundant: drug abuse, rehab, clean, repeat. But that was his life and although this repetitiveness takes away from the severity of the issue of drug abuse, the stories that go along with this vicious cycle are amazing and can only be those of a rock-star.

And they stay with you. Even though I read this about 5 years ago, certain anecdotes have never left me and I still find myself thinking of them.

If you are a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, then you must read “Scar Tissue.” The band’s formation and progress alone will reel you in. However, any music or biography fan will enjoy the rich detail and frank honesty. I finished this book and did not doubt any of Kiedis’ statements for a second, as often happens with biographies (Remember James Frey?!). It’s a bit of a long read (almost 500 pages), but goes by quickly, as you will not be able to put it down.

There are very few components to achieving the rocker chic makeup look, but a lot of effort into getting it right. Below, with the help of Carefair.com, some rockin’ beauty tips for the rock star look.

The Eye Shadow

Go for dark, dramatic eyes. Carefair suggests “deep shades of blue, gray, green or any color that draws attention” but I’m going to say stick with a muted metallic gray. It’s understated without being crazy. And the last thing you want are crazy eyes. We’ve all seen the girls with the crazy eye shadow. Don’t be that girl.

Make sure it’s a deep smudgy effect.

Since we’re poor and buying special cream eye shadow for a night out is not an option, put a little Vaseline on your lids and then apply your regular shadow with your fingers. Make sure you highlight your brow bone with a nude or white shadow and define your eyebrows.

If you want to go with an understated rock look, skip the dark eye shadow all together and concentrate on creating the look with just the eyeliner and red lips.

The Eyeliner

You want to do the cat eye for the rocker chic look. If you opted out of the deep gray shadow, stick it to the man with a dramatic cat eye. Otherwise a little upturn at the edges will do. For easiest application, use a gel liner, or if you have a steady hand go for the gold with the liquid. But I’m clumsy and usually already a bit tipsy when I get to the makeup application part of the pre-gaming/getting ready bit of the night.

For added drama, Carefair suggests using a pencil on the top and bottom and liquid on the top to get the cat eye effect. That seems like a lot of work, but hey, give it a shot or if you haven’t had too many shots.

Cheeks

Contour your cheeks with a bit of matte bronzer but don’t go overboard by using blush. The rest of your makeup is standout and a rosy cheek isn’t needed in this situation.

Lips

Red lips are sexy and fun and totally rock star. If you’re going for bold, red lips try these tips on for size:

-To start, soften the lips using a lip balm. If you find that your lips are extremely dry, use a soft toothbrush and brush your lips gently to remove any flakiness.

-Using a red lip liner, line the lips and extend the lip just outside of the natural lip line to give your lips a pouty look.

-Next, fill the lips with a matching shade of lip color and blot with a tissue.

-If you would like the color to last longer, you can dab a bit of translucent powder to your lips and then reapply the lip color.

-For a little added shine, dab a bit of clear gloss to the center of the lips.

Or if you’re going to be drinking all night, spend the cash on a good deep red lip stain. You don’t want to leave lip marks all over the glasses or end up with lipstick on your teeth. It’s more drunk rock star than fab rock star, so opt for a fool proof stain and gloss if a frat party is in your future.

Rock On!

By now, it’s become more than blatantly obvious that many of the shows are scripted with characters who all fit the same few personality descriptions. The process of watching these bimbos battle it out for some hairy neandrathal has become tired and frankly, boring.

So, why have I seen every episode of VH1′s new Bachelor-esque reality TV show Rock of Love? I’ve been trying to answer this question myself. I could care less about the star of the show, Bret Michaels, the lead singer of the 80′s hair band Poison.

He’s not particularly attractive, his band is forgettable, and he seems kind of lame for a rock star. The show seems to depict him as boring- he has no defining characteristics. He’s nice enough to the girls he’s “dating”, but doesn’t show any signs that he may be able to handle an actual relationship.

Every time he appears on the show, he’s either participating in show-sponsered dates, or walking around with a beer in his hand and an uninspired look on his face.

I’ve seen no wild parties, questionable behavior, or daring antics that don’t seem to have been forced on good old Bret. He calls himself a rock star? Maybe Bret should have taken a few lessons from Ozzy Osbourne before he started the show. The man is middle aged, with a wife and kids and at least manages to act completely out of his mind.

Next, the girls picked to compete on Rock of Love are a strange mix. You have a few of the necessary blonde stripper bimbos who play their parts well by exposing themselves, squealing, and instigating catfights within the house.

On the other hand, there are a few characters that I am unable to wrap my mind around. First, there’s Magdalena, whose sole significance is the fact that she is from Poland. She had never heard of Poison or Bret Michaels before appearing on the show.

Next, there is Rodeo- an older (compared to the 20 year old average of the rest of the contestants) southern woman who is generally likeable. She seems to have a backbone and a brain. It seems more realistic for her to haul out and knock Bret unconcious for not picking her right away than for her to be placidly standing by, watching him serial date.

Lastly, there are a number of heavily tattooed/pierced girls. One of these girls is Samantha, a cute blonde girl with so many tattoos, she’s lost count. She connects with Bret, but seems extremely hurt when she comes to the realization that he is dating all of her friends that live in the house. She seems like a sweet girl, but she must have completely missed the point of the show. She also seems to lack the understanding of the nature of a rock star. They like women- lots of women. Even if she wins Rock of Love, it doesn’t mean that Bret Michaels will remain forever faithful.

Besides, it’s a VH1 Celebreality show. If New York and Flava Flav didn’t make it, you probably won’t either.

Through all of this discussion, I still cannot figure out exactly what about Rock of Love compels me to waste hours at a time in front of the television screen. Perhaps, like Flavor of Love, it’s invisible low culture appeal is just plain irresistable.

Whatever the case may be, I’ll be watching to see which girl gets to be Bret’s “Rock of Love” when the painfully dramatic finale inevitably rolls around.

Wannabe’s of all different ages and music genres will compete in a battle of the bands week after week. Ten semi-finalists will perform in front of a live audience and much to the tune of American Idol, each week will feature a new musical theme. Garage bands will have to scat some jazz, while jazz bands will have to rock-out. The show will end in a head-to-head finale of the top three bands. A competition of bands seems much more exciting to me. More drama between the bands and let us not forget, more sexy guys playing guitars.

So this is your chance to put down your hairbrush and air guitars and try out for the real thing. For more info on how to audition click here.

And hey, if you aren’t musically talented (ahem, it took me a few years after I realized I can’t sing to let go of my wannabe pop star dream) but still want to try out, you can always end up as the next William Hung. Fame is fame right?