Our Boy Troy: Questions about unfaithfulness and what’s with girls & jerks?

Me Days My Way

By Laura Blythe

Not having a significant other doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your youth—all you need are some of your friends and a little imagination! Here are some ideas to get you started:

Spa Night:

Find a friend with a good sized bathroom complete with a tub. Gather a bunch of girls, some make-up, and pampering supplies. Spend the evening doing each other’s nails, make-up and hair, and finish with a silly photo shoot. This type of night gets even better if you make and eat lots of goodies.

Dinner Party:

Grab some of your single guy friends and invite them over for dinner! Everyone can pitch in in the kitchen, whether they help cook or help clean. Afterward, settle in for some movie watching—let the boys pick one flick, and the girls can pick another.

Girl Power Movie Night:

Gather your girlfriends and settle in for an entire evening of movies featuring strong women. This might not be the night to watch endless love stories and romantic comedies, so it might be a good idea to stick to movies like Mulan, Charlie’s Angels, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

No Date? No Problem! Five ways to have fun being single!

By Christie Chu

Spring is in the air, but just because your friends are pairing off like bunnies, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun too! Take charge and plan a fabulous ME DAY for yourself! Grab your closest friends and make some memories you won’t have to toss out with dried flowers and old mixed CDs.

Make Some Money

Forget about the lovey-dovey stuff hoopla—get practical this year! Find your inner entrepreneur and put a little cash in your pocket.

Do you cook or play an instrument? Do you have a bike? Can you take care of noisy kids for a couple of hours? Spend this Spring being good to your bank account. Find a talent you can use to benefit someone else’s romantic evening, and capitalize on it by charging a fee for your performance or help.

Start by putting the word out early. Distribute fliers or alert your friends that you’re available to cook a gourmet meal, play some mood music during a romantic dinner at home, or let local parents know you’re willing to babysit. You can even offer to professionally wrap and deliver gifts.

Play Secret Cupid

Get a group together and make an ironclad no-date pact. Write each person’s name on a piece of paper, shuffle them up, and have everyone choose one. (You know how Secret Santa works!)

Then go all out in creating a fabulous day for the person whose name you’ve chosen. Give them little gifts, bake goodies and decorate their dorm room. Make it good—try to outdo all your other friends’ boyfriends! You don’t have to spend a lot of money, but your efforts should show your friend you put a lot of thought into making a day wonderful for her.

Encourage everyone to get creative! Let all participants know that halfhearted attempts will not be tolerated. Make a scrapbook of memories for your best friend or coupons for an afternoon of makeovers and soft pretzels at the mall. Present guy friends with more masculine or sports-themed gifts like cookies frosted to look like baseballs or soccer balls.

Make all those couples sigh over their clichéd gifts while you and your friends speculate excitedly about who your Secret Cupid is. At the end of the day, get together and have everyone describe their Secret Cupid gifts—then vote on whose Secret Cupid was the best. Have a prize for the Cupid who wins!

Create Your Own “v”Harmony

Ever thought that you would be a great matchmaker? This Spring is a great opportunity to launch your own blind-dating service!

Offer to set up a no-pressure date for the first five girls and five guys that sign up. (Hint: Keep the number of applications you accept small so you’ll be sure to fill the quota.) Have each person fill out applications about their hobbies, favorite movies, where they’re from and more. Then match up the pairs, putting those with similar interests together.

Decide in advance who will be paying—either the guys or the girls—and let that group know to bring along some money. Keep it a small amount, no more than $20, so it’ll be affordable. The location you choose for the date should be appropriate for the amount of money you ask them to bring. Let the second group know they’ll be treated to a fun evening out!

Have everyone meet at your house, dorm lobby, the local coffee shop or the ice cream place on campus and introduce each person to their date for the evening. Order pizza or grab dessert, then start up the group games so the couples won’t feel compelled to make hours of small talk.

Stick around to ensure the night goes smoothly and watch the sparks fly! If things work out, you’ll have happy couples indebted to you. If not, well, maybe you shouldn’t major in matchmaking!

Harness Your Passion

If you’re angry over an ex-boyfriend or bummed about an unrequited crush, channel that angst into productive, creative passion. Take advantage of the fact that distractions will be at a minimum with all the couples out to pricey dinners and mediocre movies.

Spring is a great time to teach yourself to play the guitar or make good on your promise to build a fort with your little brother. You could start writing the great American novel or compose that hit song you’ve been thinking about for the past week.

Not feeling the creative vibe? Try organizing your room: Get the trash bags ready, turn on some Taylor Swift, then make a huge mess by pulling everything out of your drawers and closet. Make a pile of clothes for Goodwill, fill up those trash bags with old math assignments, and put everything back where you can find it. If you don’t use it, don’t keep it.

By the end of the night, you’ll be closer to your goals and have something to show for your evening.

Share the Love with Our Troops

Remember the troops who won’t be able to spend time with their loved ones. Take the time to put together care packages and cards for servicemen and women overseas. Our deployed soldiers won’t have any contact with their significant others aside from a short phone call or Skype conversation. Thank the troops for sacrificing their time with loved ones to fight for our country.

Host a party to make cards and purchase items for the care packages, such as: good coffee, tea, shampoo, magazines, lotion, books and prepackaged snack foods. Check out the USPS’s Military Mailing Restrictions site for a list of what not to send.

If you don’t know anyone currently serving overseas, log onto AnySoldier.com to find the name and address of a deployed soldier. Check out their “What to Send” and “Where to Send” pages. AnySoldier.com will provide you with requests deployed soldiers have made for things they need or want.

Follow the website’s instructions to choose a soldier or two; then, using the U.S. Postal Service’s flat-rate boxes, you can send care packages for around $10 and remind our soldiers what they’re fighting for.

Letters to the Fashion Fairy: Countering the Woes of Frump

By Christine Stoddard

Hey, Fashion Fairy,

I gotta problem. See, I dress too old. I mean, really old. When I look in the mirror, I see my grandma with younger skin. How can I counter the Woes of Frump?

Thanks a bunch.

-Clarissa

Dear Clarissa,

Let’s be nice to grandmothers, shall we? Some of them are remarkably classy and stylish. (Yes, I am referring to my own.) Just had to insert that P.C. statement so as not to offend our dear elderly. That being said, of course, most of us can picture exactly what you’re describing. Loose, ugly, awkwardly long skirts! Oversized sweaters with elastic waist pants! The terrors of socks with sandals! Where does it end?

Well, it ends now. Right this minute. Because you are too beautiful to suffer from…the Woes of Frump. God has given you some great features, even if you’re not always willing to see them. See them now and play them up. Analyze which colors and shapes suit you best. Many grandmas go for pastels because the color family is easy to coordinate and looks sweet. But do you really want to look like walking Easter basket all the time? Probably not, so put in a little bit more thought. What colors will bring out your eyes, hair, and skin tone? Personalize the dressing process with the right palettes. Then move onto shape.

The silhouette is one of the most important aspects of any outfit and certainly the most important in terms of flattering your figure. The right cut can make the most of an elegant neck, pretty arms, or shapely hips. The wrong cut can give you “bubble boobs,” chunky thighs, and cankles. Buyer beware? Definitely. That’s why shopping is an art you should never underestimate. Many grandmas go for loose clothes because they are comfortable. They also tend to be cheaper than well-tailored clothes. You don’t necessarily have to go a tailor. (Many high school and college gals would agree that a tailor’s out of their price range). Instead, search for clothes fit you properly! Jeans a size too big? Don’t be lazy and belt it up. Buy your size. You might still have a slight gap between your tummy and jeans but that’s an improvement over a gap several inches too wide. After you have purchased clothes that fit you correctly, it’s time to begin experimenting with outfits. Number one tip? Keep balance in mind. If you have on a looser top, modestly will allow you to wear tighter pants. With looser pants, you can go for a skimpier top. Don’t do all baggy or all clingy.

Lastly, switch up your shoes. Many grandmas have foot problems; at a young age, you probably don’t. That means no nurse shoes. Have fun! Throw on a pair of heels every once in a while. Just don’t become a stiletto addict, either. Satisfy yourself with cute flats and soft sandals, too.

So, to sum it up, you, Clarissa, must study the advantages of: color, silhouette, sizing, balance, and footwear. Save yourself money on a new wardrobe by going to a thrift shop or shopping with coupons. Farewell, Grandma!

A Mediterranean Meal

Place 4 bananas in aluminum foil, wrapped individually,place in oven for 500 degrees for 20 minutes or until skin is jet black. Place in serving plate in it’s own skin, split down middle sprinkle nutmeg or cinnamon and  top off with pecans, caramel and vanilla ice cream

Courtesy of Vincent Kenneth Lackey

After College, What’s Next (for the English Major)?

By Kaitlin Meilert

Ah, senior year of college…After two more semesters, you will finally be free of all those tests you crammed for, papers you pulled all-nighters to write, boring jobs you had to juggle with packed school schedules, and the constant stress you swore would never be relieved.  But you keep your head in the game because it’s not over yet.

Freedom begins to tug at you by the end of fall semester…as does adulthood and the pressure of real life waiting just around the corner.  But you put it out of your mind because senioritis is kicking in.

Then, your last semester spins by, and it hits you: You have an English degree…what now?

What are you going to do with your life?  Where are you going to work?  Should you go to grad school like all of the other English majors seem to do after graduating, even if it purely means buying more time before entering the real world?  Are you ready to jump straight from one exhaustive life to the next?  Why did you ever major in English Writing and Rhetoric?

The worst part is feeling like everyone around you knows exactly what they want to do.  But here’s the reality check: You’re not alone.  And you want to know what else?  It’s ok to feel lost.  It’s ok to want to take a short break after graduating to not only figure out what you want to do but to recharge your drained batteries.  I was recently reassured of this by someone whose advice I don’t take lightly: my dad.

His advice? Take the time to figure out what you really want to do before jumping into something you’re not sure about or feel too drained to successfully take on…or spending thousands of dollars on getting an MFA in an area you’re not positive you want to pursue.  He told me that it’s ok to take a break, relax, and pull myself together.

However, I did reassure my dad that I would use my time off wisely, which brings me to my advice to you.  From one soon to be graduating English major to another: Don’t worry if you’re feeling lost.  Take that time off to find your way.  But in the meantime, make that time useful:

Get an internship.

No, you probably won’t get paid.  But it’s a start and an opportunity; a chance to get some experience in the field of writing (not to mention it’s a great way to network and make connections.)  Find an internship with a publishing company, a magazine, or a newspaper.  Be their slave if you have to (filing, making phone calls, fact checking…you get the idea) and work your way up.  If you do well, your boss just might offer you a part or full time position when the internship is up.  I know, I know.  You’re still thinking about that “unpaid” part…

Get a job.

Hello!  You’ve graduated!  Imagine how much easier it will be to take on an internship AND a paying job without having to juggle them with school.  Trust me, you can do both.  Just think about how much time school alone takes up (exhausting just thinking about it, isn’t it?)  Work in retail, waitress, bar tend, house sit…I know it doesn’t sound too glamorous, but just think of it this way: it’s only temporary; it pays the bills; it gets you out of the house and interacting with other people.  And, at their worst, crappy jobs just might give you some material for that novel you’re working on.

Volunteer.

Perhaps your time off isn’t intentional.  It may be that you’re having trouble landing a writing-related job or internship.  Just keep sending out those resumes and writing samples, and in the meantime, volunteer in your community.  Find volunteer work that offers you experience in the writing, editing, publishing world.  Or at least find work that lets you put all that grammar and editing knowledge to use, such as volunteering to tutor high school students in English.  And if not for any of those reasons, simply volunteer to get out of the house and give back to the community, whether through your writing skills or not.  Helping out others also might snap you out of that self-pity you may be feeling.

Learn something new.

Take a peek around your community.  You’re bound to find a few writing classes and workshops (yes, professional writers offer workshops for a small fee…take advantage of their knowledge!)  Or maybe you want to enhance your computer skills.  As you’ll find out, or probably already know, a variety of jobs (even writing-related gigs) prefer, or require, that applicants have certain computer skills.  So find a workshop around town that will help you brush up on those skills or teach you how to use advanced software and applications, such as Dreamweaver or Photoshop (both are useful for publishing, by the way…)  Other ideas?  Cooking, photography, salsa dancing, kickboxing…ok, maybe you can’t put some of those on your writing resume, but at least you’ll be learning and doing something with your time (and yes, gathering more material for all the writing you’re going to have published some day.)

The point here is to do something.  Don’t sleep in until noon and laze around all day in your PJs, watching The Tyra Show, moping about how crappy your life is.  I’m sorry, you can’t produce any writing out of that (if you could, you’d probably have a bestseller out, and you wouldn’t be reading this.)  Listen up!  A career isn’t just going to fall into your lap.  You have to work toward it.  Send out your resume to any and every possibility you can find.  And in the meantime do something worthwhile, like writing, English major.  Better yet, at least submit your work to editors as a freelance writer.

So, my fellow graduating English majors who are at a loss about what to do after graduation, don’t worry.  You’re not alone.  Take a year off and figure out what you really want to do with your English degree.  But keep learning and embarking on new experiences.  And stay positive: all the answers (and the career) will come.  And last, but never least, keep writing!

Oh, and one more thing…Congratulations!  You’ve just spent four years working hard (and losing sleep) to earn your degree.  You deserve a short break.  And my graduation gift to you?  Reassurance.  Ignore all of the people who said, “Oh, you’re an English major?  What are you going to do with that?”  The writing, the jobs, and the bestsellers will come.  But for now, take a break (I know you need it.)

Creative (and fun) date ideas

By Emily Raush

Tired of the typical “dinner and a movie” type dates and wish you had creative, unique ideas? Here’s a list of 26 dates (one for every other week of the year) that will make great memories!

1. This “signature” date is not what you’d normally think of. Who says you have to live in Hollywood to have a t-shirt full of signatures? Have all of you and your guy’s friends sign your very own t-shirt so that in 20 years from now you can look back and reminisce about the “good old days!”

2. Enjoy a fast-food restaurant regressive-progressive dinner. Start with dessert at one place, then drive to another restaurant and order just fries, next have just a sandwich, and if you’re still hungry after that, go for a salad!

3. Rainy day? Make a pop-up book about the story of your relationship. Be sure to include how he asked you out, your favorite memories, and any inside jokes you have together.

4. Believe it or not, you’re not too old for a dance party! Search YouTube for “how to’s” on different styles like salsa or swing and have fun laughing at each other’s craziest moves.

5. All you need for this date is a quarter and a car with gas. It’s called the head-tails driving adventure. Start driving and, when you get to the first intersection, flip the coin. If it lands on heads, turn right. If it lands on tails, turn left. Continue doing this for each intersection and see where you end up! Okay, maybe you should bring a map too, in case you get lost.

6. Go ice skating. Even if you’re terrible, it gives you a good excuse to hold hands!

7. In the mood for something more athletic? Take iPods and run to a nearby store, where you can sit and talk for awhile before heading back. If you get tired, remember, working out will make both you and your guy look better for the upcoming swimsuit season!

8. Go on a Dollar Store raid and each of you commit to spending $5 on the other. Talk beforehand about whether to buy stuff you’ll actually like or something for a good laugh.

9. Don’t want to spend any money? Take a trip to your local zoo! There will be more than enough adventures for the two of you to enjoy there.

10.  If that’s not adventurous enough for you, try “letterboxing.” There are boxes hidden by people around the country with clues to find them. Google it for the official website!

11.  Buy an inexpensive tie-dying kit at a local craft store and tie-dye shirts to wear together.

12.  Make “the list” of your future date ideas (feel free to include these)! If you want to get more creative, you could even make a mini-scrapbook with pictures of these ideas. As you complete each date, make sure to check it off of your list. Keep adding more ideas!

13.  Make a list of your life goals! Research what you want on your “bucket list” and then hang it in your room to remind yourself and encourage each other to fulfill those dreams.

14.  Go hiking. Be sure to bring along a picnic lunch of you and your date’s favorite foods.

15.  Have a karaoke night competition to see which one of you is the worst singer.

16.  If you really don’t want to humiliate yourself singing, you could always have a song guessing competition. Put your iPod on shuffle, and the first to shout out the title wins!

17.  Set aside a day to choose each other’s outfit and give suggestions on how to do their hair.

18.  Go on a hunt to find random objects that are shaped like letters of the alphabet. Take pictures of these things and then edit them into collages that spell out your names!

19.  Love pictures? Have an exclusive photoshoot! For pose ideas, look on store websites.

20.  Invite your friends to join you in a scavenger hunt around your town. Each couple can be in their own car and have a list of clues they have to complete. Some of these activities can include getting a brochure from a certain store or taking a picture of a landmark.

21.  Walk somewhere together. The catch is, though, you can only turn left. Right is not right. Crazy? Yes, but you’ll be sure to laugh!

22.  Play mini golf blindfolded. Have your guy help you line the golf club up and tell you in which direction to hit it.

23.  Make jello. But don’t eat it right away. Have a jello fight first!

24.  Videotape yourselves starring in your very own music video.

25.  If your guy wants to do something more “manly,” go paint balling! If you don’t like the idea of getting pelted with paint, tennis or ping pong are other fun (and cheap!) options.

26.  Add a spin on making dinner together by taking a cookbook and flipping to a random page. Decide that whatever you turn to, you’re going to cook, whether you like it or not!

Hopefully these tips will keep you occupied for awhile! Feel free to post a comment if you have any creative ideas of your own or want to share your thoughts about these ideas. Enjoy them!

I love Parisian

By Lucie Rutter

2010 has arrived, and with a new year comes new fashion trends, new styles and an excuse to get yourself a new wardrobe!

Working at one of the UK’s leading fashion brands has given me an insight in to all the up and coming trends and styles and one of my favourites has a collection of clothes that everyone can wear, no matter what shape or size.

The ‘Parisian’ trend is huge this season; it is cute and feminine whilst also being stylish and classy. The trend involves polka dots, stripes, ditsy prints and pearls. Pattern is huge this season and this wonderful trend explores all the ways you can mix pattern without looking like you got dressed in the dark.

Taking classic Chanel inspired elements and mixing them with modern, fresh new styles makes this trend unique and will certainly make you stand out in a crowd. You now have the chance to dig out your old stripe t-shirts and mix them with bright, floaty skirts and ballet pumps.

Navy is a huge colour this season, navy nails, navy bags and most importantly navy clothes! A plain navy skirt goes wonderfully with a polka dot top and a knitted cardigan. The whole trend is about mix and match, so you can just throw things together, take something you haven’t worn for years and pair it with a new piece.

Girlie girls can relish in the fact that the new trend, currently taking over every store and catwalk, is filled with beautiful dresses, cute skirts and pretty shirts and the more laid back girls can enjoy the idea that the trend mixes lace, ruffles and floral with strong shouldered pieces, slouchy shorts and chunky boots.

A key piece in your spring wardrobe has got to be a white dress, accessorize with a belt, leather jacket, trophy jacket or a bright cardigan to complete the look!

Haute Couture

By Arriel Ginter

Couture is a term that has been thrown loosely around in the fashion industry almost since its creation. Short for Haute Couture, the French phrase describes clothing or pieces that are custom, detailed, and hand sewn for clientele. Little known, Haute Couture is actually a legal status held exclusively by the members of Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris.

Hand crafted designs take a lot of time and financing. The recession has resonated throughout all of the business worlds, especially in the fashion industry. Haute Couture is no exception. One of the most famous Fashion Houses, Christian Lacroix, took a serious hit in 2009; the designer himself had to finance his last line.

In January, the Spring 2010 Couture lines made their debut in Paris. Ten designers showed their collection, to say that I was not impressed is an understatement. Don’t get me wrong, I love fashion for what it is. I believe it is a personal statement and branch of creativity. But these collections, except for the special few, seemed to lack innovation and a je ne sais quoi. One show in particular, Valentino, left me extremely disappointed. The collection to me was not a proper interpretation of the brand or the reputation it had built in the world of style. The new creative directors may have been trying to entice a younger consumer group, but I felt cheated.

Past the negative thoughts, there were three shows in particular I loved. Chanel, Elie Saab, and Christian Dior lived up to my expectations of the artistry of Haute Couture.

Chanel. Amazing like always, Karl Lagerfeld produced a flawless production holding up to the standards Ms. Coco established.  I loved the amazing variety from the signature short suit to the over top wedding gown. What always astounds me is the exquisite attention to detail. The embellishments may be hard to see from a distance, but are breath taking. Remembering that they are hand crafted makes them even more precious.

Elie Saab is famous for his ability to craft gowns that make beautiful women like Halle Berry absolutely glow. To be able to wear one of his gowns on the red carpet is an honor for any actress. This season though, he seemed to take a break from the high glamour Hollywood look and stepped into the feel of the season. I felt like Rachel Zoe, viewing the clothing and picturing which star would look fabulous in what for the upcoming award shows. A muted color pallet was my only complaint. I would have loved to see something more dramatic and less beige. All in all though, he stayed true to his talent and created gorgeous gowns with a natural feminine feel.

Christian Dior stole my Haute Couture heart this season. The show began with horses in the background streaming into Sade’s “Soldier of Love”, setting the perfect mood for the equestrian inspired clothing.  The fabrics chosen with the styling exuded finesse. The jackets, full skirts, cocktail dresses, and ball gowns allured with their tailored, cinched, and superb construction. I fell in love with the ball gowns each more dramatic than the last. The models, mix of music and clothing provided the most stimulating show, each piece left me wanting more Dior!

Images: Style.com

Spring Break Must-Reads

By Courtney Miller

Whether you plan to hit the beach or chill at home for your upcoming vacation, here are three light, fun and feminine reads you might want to pick up.  Smart chick lit at its best, these books offer strong leads grappling with very real situations.

Emily Giffin’s “Something Borrowed”

“Something Borrowed” is the tale of do-gooder Rachel, who is always pushing her own desires aside and letting best friend Darcy take the reins.  Rachel is a hardworking, single lawyer who hates that she’s stuck day after day doing paperwork but can’t consider quitting.  On the other hand, Darcy lucked out with a fabulous Manhattan PR job, airbrushed body and handsome fiancé Dex to boot.  Rachel is the perfect friend, but when she and Dex sleep together on the eve of her 30^th birthday, Rachel finds herself weighing her interests against Darcy’s and desperately trying to be a good friend while following her heart.

Giffin’s writing is superb, and Rachel may be the most relatable protagonist to emerge in a sea of the wannabe-models and Prada-wearing assistants that give chick lit a bad name.

Meg Cabot’s “Every Boy’s Got One”

Even if you haven’t read Meg Cabot before (The Princess Diaries, Avalon High), “Every Boy’s Got One” will show you why she’s cornered the teen girls market: she understands the way both women and men think.  “Every Boy’s Got One” is laugh out loud funny and at times frustrating.  Jane Harris heads to Italy to witness her best friend’s elopement only to get caught in some love-hate sparring with the best man.  The relationships between Jane, Cal and soon-to-be-wedded Holly and Mark are revealed through diary entries, emails, tickets and more.  Throw in a few mothers, an Italian housekeeper and the non-responsive boy Jane asked to watch her cat and it’s a rollicking trip from airport to Italian villa.

An easy read, “Every Boy’s Got One” is Cabot at her simplistic best.  The magic lies not in the writing but in the arrangement; here, a receipt from the airport store releases giggles.

Hester Browne’s “The Little Lady Agency”

Melissa Romney-Jones is at her wit’s end.  She loses her secretarial job, her father constantly holds the money he lent her over her head, and she unknowingly becomes an escort for her old etiquette teacher’s business.  Once she discovers her error, Melissa decides to create what she thought she was signing up for in the first place: an etiquette-teaching, man-shaping business catering solely to the social needs of London’s not-quite-so eligible men.  To do so, she dons a blonde wig and ups her self-confidence.  But soon she realizes keeping bombshell “Honey” separate from Melissa isn’t as easy as shimmying into one of Honey’s cocktail dresses.

Browne’s breakout novel is a breakthrough success.  Melissa is a creative entrepreneur ready to show her family and her ex-employers that her organization, wits and charm will get her where she wants to go.

If you’re hungry for more of the same characters, Giffin has written “Something Blue” as a follow-up with a twist and Browne has written two more books featuring Melissa.

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