Last week, American fashionistas rejoiced as the ever-popular British chain, Top Shop, crossed the pond and opened it’s first U.S. outlet in the SoHo neighborhood of NYC.  Known for it’s trendy but affordable styles and featuring lines by designers like Jonathan Saunders and Kate Moss, Top Shop has been a go-to for Europeans and visitors alike.  And now we Americans can grab up these fantastic styles without having to book a Trans-Atlantic flight. (Don’t worry if you don’t live in NY – you can order this shiz in the American dollar online!)

Can I get a cha-ching?!

In honor of this exciting news, I decided to base this week’s Night Styler on Top Shop style.  It’s a little more expensive than many of my NS looks are, but if you love clothes as much as I do, you’ll agree that they’re worth it. Read More »

Ok, tonight’s episode of The City was….good. Really good. Chock full of the drama that I have come to expect from the MTV not-so-reality shows. It was so good, in fact, that it actually made me excited to watch next week. And if you’ve been following my recaps you will know that is saying a lot.

What made it so good? Well, for one, JR. He’s not so cute when he smiles, but he does seem to be the only real person on the show. And by “real” I mean “someone who leaves SoHo/Grammercy once in awhile and has a real job.” He’s totally smitten with Erin and her I-totally-just-smoked-a-ton-of-pot vibe and wines and dines her in attempts to woo her back.

Meanwhile Erin is telling anyone who will listen (even in the middle of a concert) that she is falling for him and even goes as far as telling the girl with the nose (Samantha?) that she just can’t make the whole long distance thing with her Canadian lover work. Read More »

Now that I’ve been in New York City for two weeks, I’ve had a chance to begin exploring this incredible place, but I’ve also taken quite a hard hit on my bank account. Being a broke college student, I have a very tight budget when it comes to personal luxuries, but I still want to enjoy what the city has to offer, from exotic dining to cultural sites.

As far as eating out goes, I’ll have to tighten my belt a little; I’ve already eaten in a few great places, but I’m keeping my eye on cheap places. Here are a few tips I’ve learned so far about living affordably in ANY city for the summer:

• Always look for a student rate at museums. The Met and other major museums will always have student rates, so bring your college ID; you’ll be able to enjoy a taste of culture at about half price.

• Cook for yourself. It’s great to try new places to eat, but you can’t eat out every day. Restaurants will be a serious blow to your finances, so if you have access to a kitchen, use it! Find your closest grocery store and stock up on easy-to-prepare foods like pasta. Liven up your meals by getting a recipe book and stocking up on fresh vegetables. Read More »

Walking around Soho on a Saturday afternoon is generally a trying experience. As I struggled my way through thousands of shoppers and tourists heading down towards Canal Street, I looked up to see the newest billboard for Svedka vodka and stopped dead in my tracks. “90% of New York socialites prefer Svedka over eating.” Pan to my jaw dropping.

The ads use a female robot promoting what life and drinking might be like in the year 2033. The robot is, not surprisingly, large breasted and big assed. Using the female form to sell alcohol is not a new concept. According to Svedka however “The Future of Adult Entertainment” seems to also involve stereotyping homosexuals, and encouraging starvation. The taglines bring a new low to the world of booze peddling. The advertising agents have gone so far as to say “people are intrigued because we all secretly want to have sex with a robot.” Really? Robot sex is never something that titillated me, but who knows what I’ll be into in 10 years.

As much as I find most of these ads totally deplorable, there is one billboard that makes me smile every time. It says, “18 Billion Scientologists can’t be wrong.” Making fun of scientologists is always funny. Read More »