Plagued By the "Type"

I have a type. Yes, my friends, I tend to date the same type of guy over and over again. And what does that teach me? Apparently nothing the last two times. So now, I believe that means three strikes and you're out. That is the way it will be from now on. However, I think this same type haunts me. If you know me well you know what I'm talking about.

Let's take my plane ride home from California, for instance. I changed my seat upon checking in so I would be closer to the front of the plane and who ends up sitting next to me? None other than my type. Very nice guy, but my guard immediately went up. Why does the same boy continue to talk to me over and over? It's been happening since I'm 17 years old and quite frankly I'm sick of it!

It wasn't until said boy mentioned his girlfriend that I actually let my guard down... kinda. I didn't want to be overly-friendly, as that is what always gets me into trouble. But he so non-chalantly made reference to his girlfriend and her interest in fashion. How, you may ask, did he know I was interested in fashion if I wasn't letting out too much information? Well, I was reading Harper's Bazaar and of course I was looking quite fashionable myself... ha. Well maybe not the fashionable part, since I was on a plane with connecting flights all day long and was still jet lagged. But I was reading the fashion magazine and getting pretty into it.

So through all of this, I decided to raise my standards. I sat down and really thought about all the things I want out of a relationship. There are many things on my checklist now because a girl's gotta have some standards. I refuse to waste time! What is on my list, you ask? A girl can't give away all her secrets...

Battle of the Brands - GIVEAWAY!

I have been completely crazy with schoolwork and stuff. However, I just needed to take the time to tell all of you about the fabulousness that continues to be Shop It To Me.

I've blogged about them before and they have certainly made me -- or should I say my wallet -- the victim of some fantastic purchases. Their latest service? Battle of the Brands! Think of it as a Sweet 16 of College Basketball. Each week, some of your favorite brands will go head to head and compete to be the last brand standing. So what's in it for you?? Well when you vote, you'll be automatically entered to win Marc by Marc Jacobs accessories each week! I adore Marc by Marc Jacobs so I'm sure these will be fabulous prizes. Some of the round 1 competitors include BCBG, LAMB, DVF, and Rag and Bone -- oops, guess you know my faves already! So just head over to the Shop It To Me blog, vote for your faves, and you're automatically entered to win! You must be a member to vote. And if you're not already a member I definitely suggest you join. You'll find the best deals in your mailbox as often as you'd like. Go there now!

That's my fashion news for now, but stay tuned. Be back soon!

Elevator Etiquette

Living in an apartment building puts me in the elevator quite frequently. And I always find it awkward. Since moving it seems interesting when I get off an elevator. Who gets off first? Is it the last person who walked on or the first person to hustle? Do all guys really let the females off first? This seems to be trending in my short experience in a new town.

I also find that people are actually quite polite, wishing me a good day when I leave the elevator. This doesn't happen where I'm from. In fact where I'm from people tend to hit the close door button frantically just so they won't need to share an elevator with anyone at all. Sadly, I am guilty and have to admit that I've committed that crime once every so often. That's New York for you.

I learned in sociology class that it's common for people to stare at the floors and buttons when on an elevator. I do agree with this. Where else would I look? I don't want to stare at other people because that could do one of two things: it can cause a dirty look in NY or strike up a convo in DC.

But then again you never know where your next love will show up. Maybe we'll have an exchange in the elevator. This has happened before. My parents met in an elevator on a rainy day in Manhattan. My dad was the newbie and my mom had been there a while. Though they worked on different floors, they somehow struck up a conversation and a relationship all thanks to an elevator ride. So I guess anything is possible.

Maybe one day I'll learn the rules of elevator etiquette and maybe I'll finally be able to look someone (shyly) in the face...

Where's Simply Fabulous??

The shore. Miami. New York. DC. The big move. The career change.

These are just some of the things I've been up to over the past few months and I've totally neglected my blog! But do not worry, for I am always simply fabulous - and so are you for continuing to read! I am officially back in the swing of things this week and will be updating my blog more regularly. Bad blogger! Let me know if you have anything you'd like to see here :)

Thanks for staying with me!

A Summer Kind of Purse

I believe in investing in purses. As much as I love shoes - I eventually beat them up so badly that I have to part with them and this is very hard for me. However, a nice leather bag has no expiration date in my opinion. For instance, I've now had my Cole Haan bucket bag for two years and I break it out every summer. It's a nice shade of yellow - let's call it marigold.

I found a new bag that I'm crushing on and really why not get a new bag each summer? This Michael Kors Wainscott Large Shoulder Bag is perfect. The word "large" could tend to throw someone off, but I really don't think the bag seems too big. I realize it's tough because it seems that you'd throw things in this bag where there is no end - things may die on the bottom of it. But it's so pretty! I love this shade of blue. And I know it is of a nice quality because it is Michael Kors!!

I'll probably have to wait around to see if it goes on sale somewhere - you know it will. If anyone sees a sale, let me know!

One Secret Remains to be Told... XOXO

What will Gossip Girl Season 3 hold for us? Well, let's recap the Gossip Girl Season 2 finale first.

We all know they show "Last time on…" on all shows to give the viewers a refresher so that they will know what's going on in the current episode. So they showed Georgina Sparks and really we had been waiting for two weeks to see what she had up her sleeve (as she didn't appear in last week's schizo flashback episode). Well 10 minutes left of the episode and we had no idea where G was! But let me tell you, it was definitely worth the wait. The "bitch" was definitely back and I cracked up when she said she was enrolling in Gallatin at NYU (Go Bobcats!). But when she requested Blair Waldorf as her roommate, I realized that indeed the bitch was back. She's going to make B's life a living hell. It's such a delicious storyline.

I love Chuck Bass. He's so hot. Just the fact that Ed Westwick has an accent makes Chuck even hotter! Of course they had to play it off as if Chuck didn't want to be with Blair. This is what this show does best - they tease you with potential hookups and breakups. But finally - in sort of a cliché way (he flew to Europe to pick up some presents for her?!) - Chuck and Blair are together. I bet something heinous will happen over the summer that will make them bicker as usual in the fall.

I hated the fact that we were supposed to actually believe that we would find out who Gossip Girl is. We clearly were not going to find that out - it's only season 2. And, it's one secret she'll never tell. Come on! But what was interesting was that she only chooses to blast certain gossip and holds on to others. I wonder how she decides. And yes, it is interesting to try and figure out who she is, but like the mother in How I Met Your Mother, we shouldn't find out until the last episode.

I also didn't like that everything was supposed to be all Serena's fault. I guess they had to point the finger at her somehow - her storyline was so boring and insignificant. Speaking of which, whatever happened to Poppy? That's a loose end that wasn't tied up. Weird. And Carter always just shows up unexpectedly. He's definitely more evil than anyone makes Chuck Bass out to be. But he's helping Serena find her dad? Confusion… And as a sidenote - did anyone else find the fact that Serena tied her tassel in her hair extremely annoying?! Where's your cap, S?

And Rufus and Lily are finally engaged, but I bet the fact that their presumed-to-be-dead illegitimate son will tear this "happy family" apart. I also assume the return of the bitchy Little J as the new Queen B could also have something to do with causing turmoil.

We shall see, but I'm very excited for Gossip Girl Season 3. I hate finales because I have to wait all summer for anything more to happen! But in the meantime, I'll probably re-watch Season 2. Through its slightly unrealistic plot, I will keep the characters alive and well. You know you love me…

P.S. I just realized I didn't mention Nate or Vanessa but honestly they weren't very interesting either. I started watching Season 1 again and Nate used to be far less dumb and far more important. Maybe there's room for them next season to develop…

Photo: CWTV.com

Ding Dong, Delivery

It was a lazy Sunday yesterday. So lazy in fact that we all slept late, napped throughout the day, and looked at each other in a panic when we decided that none of us wanted to cook dinner. Then I decided that we should just watch SNL from the night before and order takeout. Brilliant. But what occurred to me is that delivery guys must witness some interesting people during their travels.

Let me paint you a picture of my appearance: I was in bed all day and I was wearing Ang's clothes that she had given me at her house the night before so I could get more comfortable. A pair of Pink Victoria's Secret sweats kept me comfy, and her Manhattan College Jaspers shirt kept me cool. These were my pajamas from the night before but like I said - it was a lazy Sunday! My hair was disgusting and piled high on my head and being as my hair is short - half of it was hanging out the bottom. My face was completely white as not a speck of makeup could be found. I was clearly a hot mess.

As the doorbell rang, my beloved Maltese started barking like crazy and I answered the door. The guy, who was on his phone, told me the total, thanked me when I handed him the cash, and told me to have a good night. I suppose he wasn't interested in what was going on except in his own world but I just thought it interesting. Even UPS/FedEx/DHL deliverers see interesting people all the time - when I get a package I'm very excited to see said delivery person. Mail carriers, on the other hand, have the stereotypical difficulty of being bit by the dog. The point here is that delivery people (of food and packages) must encounter some strange birds throughout their work (I, not being one of the strange ones of course…).

The Closeted Staples

I've discovered a new site that has some great stuff! Celebutante Sisters has a great selection of celebs, fashion, beauty, and more! In fact, I saw this post the other day and just had to add my opinion because I loved the outfit so much...

Here, the girls refer to Hayden Panettiere, walking the streets of London. She's extremely casual, but I absolutely love her outfit! See, you can be simple, yet chic, at the same time. Although she's a little matchy-matchy, it works so well. Look at that bag and those boots! Everything screams sophisticated about this Neutrogena girl. While Hayden's energy drink may stand out the most in this pic, I really think she rocks it with the most common colors that should appear in your closet. Consider this the next time you are buying a cardigan or other article of clothing that may show up on you quite often. Check out the Celebutante Sisters' post here.

Tweet-alee Tweet-alee Twee

I was just working quietly one early summer afternoon when Dawn came up to me. She asked me, "Do you Twitter?" I looked at her, puzzled. "What is a Twitter?" I asked. She told me about the site and I began on my journey. The rest is history.

Twitter is a crazy phenomenon. I joined almost a year ago and have been tweeting ever since. I, like most others, didn't see the attraction to this site at first. In fact, I neglected Twitter for a while until I got the hang of it. I mean, I already blog so it only makes sense that I would microblog. And a few months later Twitter spread like wildfire.

Those who don't Twitter just don't understand it, but I think it's amazing. I've come to meet quite a few people who I regularly speak to and with whom I have similar interests; I've gotten article sources on here; I've come in contact with some PR gals who are quite fantastic. And it's a great way for me to get some blog exposure while I'm at it. It's actually a lot of fun, yet one of the many technological advances that help you waste time throughout the day. The first app I downloaded on my BlackBerry? Yep, you guessed it -- TwitterBerry!

I write this now as Twitter is down for an hour maintenance. I actually saw the warning, letting me know it would be going down, and thought to myself, "What?! Why can't they do this while I'm asleep?!" And when it went down, I wanted to Tweet about how upset I was, but then realized I could not… Now if that's not another addiction, then I don't know what is. I am now addicted to coffee and makeup and shoes and bags and Twittering (and probably a few other things), just in case you're keeping score. I'm a lost cause!

Come, follow me, and join the bajillion people who have already fallen victim to the craze!

Love, @simplyfabulous

Customer Service is Key

I was unintentionally rude last night to a sales associate at Banana Republic. But, in my defense, he wasn't very clear in what he was saying and then after I gave him an attitude, he gave me an attitude back! Well, not for nothing, but I worked in customer service once upon a time and isn't the customer always right? You can't be snippy with a customer. You're representing your place of work. Well, here's the scenario…

I ordered the fabulous yellow dress from my previous post and it was way too big on me. So I went to exchange it for a smaller size. I was very excited that they had the size I needed and went to the cashier to make my even exchange. I told him that I just needed to switch the sizes - it was clearly the same dress, same color. He said OK and took my receipt. All of a sudden he says a number and waits for me, as if to give him my credit card. I looked at him, puzzled, and said:

What do you mean I owe you money?
Well, you purchased the dress from the online store and the online store is different from our store. You can only process returns here.
Well, that's quite ridiculous! Forget it then! (I say this, kind of surprised and angrily, because why can't you just switch the size?!)

The whole problem here, by the way, was the fact that I had gotten the dress on sale and now the dress was back to full price. So when he said how much I owed, it seemed to add up to the full price of the dress. He responded to me:

I don't really understand what you think is ridiculous exactly? (He said this with attitude.)
Why would I pay you more money when I've already purchased the dress? Then I'm paying full price for it!
No, I'm taking the exact price you paid and charging you the same price. I have to return the dress and then have you re-buy it. (He said this as if this was understood and looked at me like I was an idiot!)
Well, you actually didn't say that to me. It makes sense now and that's fine then.

I didn't know how to respond to all this! I may be an avid shopper, but I'm not completely aware of all the technicalities of every single store. Had he explained to me that he needed to return it first and then have me re-purchase it, there would not have been a problem. However, he decided to go ahead and do this without informing me and assumed that I would just swipe my card. I felt that he was taking advantage of me at this point and that is why I got so upset.

As he completed these TWO transactions, I was slightly mortified. Jess was with me and she kind of started laughing. She had to walk away and I'm glad she did because had we made eye contact I would have lost it! I really hadn't meant to be a grouchy customer, but he was not very clear!! Next time, he should explain what he's about to do and not give me an attitude back. Clearly, this Banana Republic employee was not instructed on etiquette!

A Yellow Sale

I know I've spoken about yellow before and my inability to really pull off the color (not to mention my love of black), but I'm so attracted to so many yellow fashions this season! The one that really got me excited was this Banana Republic dress I woke up to in my email (and btw, BR is having an awesome dress sale where all of their dresses are $98 and under!).

Now, I know they have the dress in black (and by all means I love the color), but something is so inviting about this yellow dress. For accessories here, I suggest perhaps a black statement piece or something that will stand out. This is especially true for me due to the fact that my complexion is so light. I should be wearing the dress; the dress should not be wearing me.

5 Things About the Gym

I do my best thinking at the gym. I also am able to make some observations about what's happening around me. And I can't for the life of me understand the following:

1. Why do women wear makeup to the gym? Did you know that when you sweat and you wear makeup that your pores get nice and clogged? When this happens, you are more prone to acne and blackheads and really, who wants to give those little suckers any excuse to make a nice little home on your pretty little face?

2. Why would you wear a velour tracksuit to the gym? Don't you get hot with that long-sleeved winter ensemble on? Wearing your finest Juicy doesn't really scream gym-goer to me.

3. How could you have a really good workout when you're talking on the phone? The girl talking loudly on her Blackberry on the machine next to me would have been kind of irritating last night had it not been for my iPod. Through my peripheral vision I noticed her talk on three different calls in the span of my 45-minute workout on the arc trainer.

4. Don't you get hot when you wear your hair down at the gym? I don't know about you (and not to be TMI here), but I tend to sweat when I'm at the gym. If my hair were on my back (well, it's short now), I'd be disgusted and would probably get hotter!

5. I have found it's harder to have a workout buddy if you're just going to be doing machines. I like to go at my own pace. But I've seen lots of people in groups of four and five wandering around the gym, glued to each other. Are you sure you're getting the most out of your workout? Maybe you are - I just would feel overwhelmed having to keep tabs on so many other people.

Isn't the point of the gym to really get your adrenaline pumping and give you a few extra calories to play around with throughout the day? I think it is. That's what it is for me anyway. This isn't meant to be judgment at all (after all, I go to the 'Judgment Free Zone' and am just getting back on the gym train, myself), but these are just five things I saw last night as I watched the many people walking around.

Staying Alive in Season Five!

We've begun the book again and the rest remained written for the cast of The Hills last night. Situations could not be so awkward without a little bit of intervention by the MTV producers. But this is what keeps me (and millions of others) watching. And we are off and running on Season 5 - the alleged last season for Lauren. Here are some of my observations, in no particular order:

• Heidi was clearly dressed for New Year's Eve.
• Lauren's comment to Stephanie and Lo about who invited Heidi was deliciously devilish. It was equally hysterical when Lauren confronted Stephanie as she picked out fabric. Totally bitchslapped!
• Just because you're texting with your frienemy doesn't mean you should show up to her birthday. And clearly you guys can't be friends.
• Lauren cries in almost every episode.
• If you hate someone and make it known and then do something obviously dumb in front of them, do you not think that they are going to rat you out for it? Ahem, Spencer and Cameron. The fight made me laugh heartily.
• How could Stacie the bartender not know that Spencer had a girlfriend? Does she live under a rock? Those two are huge on publicity (not to mention the camera that was already in The Dime when Heidi walked in).
• Spencer is still in the mood to make Stephanie his "un-sister".
• Holly was at Lauren's party?? I only realized this when I saw the second show's "Last time on The Hills..." Do we not think there would have been some sort of confrontation between her and her estranged Barbie sister?
• The Crested Butte dinner with Heidi, her mom, her stepfather, and her (surprise!) ex-boyfriend Colby was so awkward that it was fabulous. I was seriously cringing.
• I love that Heidi's mom listened to her daughter when she told her that Spencer got into a fight and then used it against her when Heidi tried to make Spencer look good with his purple belt in Ju-Jitsu. Classic!
• Did anyone else feel like Spencer looked like a Ken doll gone wrong?
• Do people think that when they lie on this show, they aren't going to be caught when the truth is clearly on camera?

Oh The Hills, how you continuously suck me in! Of course I'll be glued all season, waiting to see what kind of drama unfolds next. And I'm sure I'll share it with all of you too!

What were some of your observations last night?

Back to Black

I love adding a little color here and there, especially when spring comes around. But there's just something about black that intrigues me.

Black is a staple. I'm sure you've heard of the little black dress before. Now, why does every woman need a little black dress hanging around in her closet? Because in a pinch, no matter where you go, you can either dress said dress up or down with accessories. Say you're invited to an event at the last minute and need something to wear. Your little black dress is like old faithful - always there to serve you. You can dress up your black by adding a belt, a pair of red shoes, some costume jewelry, or perhaps a blazer.

When I wear a distinctive shirt, I love it. But when I think about it, there aren't many other places I can wear it. There are only so many times you can wear a distinctive shirt (yeah, I'm looking at you Bebe) with the same group of people, so these might need to be something that I spend a little less money on. But black is totally worth it. You can wear it so many different ways - not many people would realize you're re-wearing things.

Black is not just the color of funerals - it's necessary in your everyday wardrobe. And you wouldn't wear statement pieces to such an event, but can definitely outdo yourself when you're out on the town. And with all this black in my closet, I never seem to have anything to wear! Go figure!

Photo: Just a little example of a black dress and a statement necklace. Here, JCrew.com's Lorelei dress (on sale for $78) and Primrose necklace ($115).

Give Me Them Bright Lights, Long Nights...

"The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you that you love... well, that's just fabulous." - Carrie Bradshaw

Diane von Furstenberg attempted to be Carrie last night on the season finale of The City and it bugged me a little bit just because she sounded wise, but a die-hard SATC fan like myself knew that she "borrowed" this line. However, I did enjoy the little conversation Diane had with Whitney. It was endearing and it made the face behind the entire collection seem more real to me. But I guess that was the point. In any case, after faithfully sitting through the entire season of The City, my initial impressions of the characters are pretty much the same. And through my experience with this show and The Hills, I always watch the show thinking, "Did they force this situation to happen?"

I really don't like Alex because I think he's a player and he's very shady especially when it comes to Allie. And to go to Erin's place of employment and yell at her is quite uncalled for. What I don't understand is why someone would continually try to beg someone to stay with them when they just go behind their back and cheat on them anyway. Here's your out. Leave the girl alone and let her get on with her life. But no, they are back together.

Olivia sucks more than ever and really treats Whitney so poorly. At first I thought she was absolutely gorgeous but a bitch. Now I think she's just a bitch because that kind of behavior makes you so so ugly. I do think, however, that Whitney needed to stand up for herself more and defend her work. Just because you have cameras following you around all the time doesn't mean that you can't stand up for yourself. But in any case, Olivia only scored that London gig because she was sucking up - she clearly messed that meeting up last week, making up a work like "multipletude" - what is that?!

I never liked Jay. And all of a sudden here he is standing just outside Whitney's office. First of all, that's completely selfish because she is at a work function and needs to be there schmoozing with her colleagues. Second of all, do you really think that you can just come back and swoop in like nothing happened? Before, you needed to be alone. But now because you don't want to be alone and you realize you love Whitney you think you can just come back and win her over? Thank goodness Whitney said that she needed to focus on her career and kudos to Lauren for using her own experience with Jason and telling her that she needed to do what she came to New York to do, which was not to look for a boyfriend.

Let's see what happens, but I mean a lot of people are on these shows because they want publicity. It is rather convenient that Jay is a musician going on tour who happens to be on an MTV show dating the main character. Just saying…

But both Carrie and Diane have something in common - they believe in themselves and love themselves (and fashion) a whole lot!

The Top 5 Red Carpet Winners

I loved parts of the Oscars the other night. Others were kind of a snooze, but that always will happen. I really loved that past winners came out to present the nominees with a little speech. It was personal and gave the audience members who may not have seen their respective roles an idea of why they were nominated for their characters. And I really enjoyed Hugh Jackman's opening number. Sure, it was a little Broadway-like but hey he's been in a show before and it was certainly entertaining (not to mention the little number with Anne Hathaway!).

However, my fave part of the night? The fashion, but of course. Below I recount to you my top five picks.

5. Penelope Cruz



I used to hate Penelope. I think it was during the Tom Cruise days - remember those? Yet, through the years she really has grown on me. Maybe it's because she's made so many good films with Pedro Almodovar (hey, I took a film class when I studied in Spain). Penelope's makeup looks flawless and her hair is perfectly swept up to go with her dress. But look at this white dress. It's gorgeous - the way it falls and its cut. And I love the sweetheart neckline. The dress was vintage Balmain - 60 years old! Penelope bought the dress eight years ago but never wore it because she wanted to save it for a special occasion. This was definitely it, as she was the one to take home the Best Supporting Actress award!

4. Natalie Portman



I've always loved Natalie. She's so classy and a very versatile actress. Although she was not up for an award, she was still a presenter and certainly brought her A-game to the red carpet. In her beautiful fuchsia Rodarte dress she was glowing. This dress says "Party!" to me for sure. Another sweetheart neckline further sells me on Natalie's gown. I probably wouldn't have picked that hairstyle, but I don't personally like to put all of my hair up like that. All in all, she's my number four girl.

3. Anne Hathaway



Who knew Anne had such a great voice?! And she has fantastic taste. She was just radiant in her white, strapless Armani Prive gown. It shines and sparkles just like the actress. And even though it seems to have a lot of detail, it doesn't seem as if it was that heavy, giving the Rachel Getting Married-nominated actress room to move down the red carpet.

2. Jennifer Aniston



In a similar shiny gown, with a bit more detail was Jennifer. I've always loved Jen since the days of Friends and despite all the negative press she's been getting, she really was able to shine. She was so classy in her metallic Valentino. If she was trying to outshine Angelina, well she definitely did. Jen's hair looked great (I love wavy looks) and she was able to show off her great body in that dress. She looked absolutely flawless. Team Jennifer!

1. Taraji P. Henson



I had never heard of Taraji until the night of the Oscars, but she deserves the top award from Simply Fabulous because, well, she looked simply fabulous! Her hair is what I aspire to have my hair look like - the swept bang, the angled bob. It was just perfect! I also was in love with her jewels. They were so different and are definitely going to be in style this season. And her dress was Roberto Cavalli perfection. The material flowed nicely, the train was just long enough, and the ruffles were oh-so-chic. I am obsessing over the complete package that is Taraji. I will definitely try to emulate her hair the next time I go to see my hairdresser!

Sidenote: I really don't like Angelina Jolie - I still don't know what people see in her "beauty". But I will say that I loved her green earrings. Gotta give credit where credit is due…

I can't wait until the next carpet!

Photos: Wireimage

The Exception or the Rule?

We decided a few weeks ago that we were going to have a girls' night out to the movies. Janine thought it would be cute for us to go see He's Just Not That Into You with Ang. So we planned a date and we went last night. Here is my review.

I had heard so many negative things about this movie - the storyline wasn't good; the ending was terrible; the plot was confusing; and people left terribly depressed after seeing it. In fact, I read one review that had one of the commenters going home, questioning her current relationship, and crying herself to sleep. OK, now, I may be in a relationship too, but I'm not going to take a movie that seriously. To go home and cry yourself to sleep is rather ridiculous. I mean, did you go home watching your back at night for the Vampire Zombies that attacked Will Smith in I Am Legend? No, I think you did not. Movies are supposed to be a method of escaping or just having a story told to you. They don't necessarily need to represent reality all the time.

In any case, I felt that the movie was exactly what it advertised itself to be. It's kind of like when I watched The Break-Up. I was so disappointed at the ending of the movie, yet I failed to keep in mind what the actual title of the movie was. Did I not realize that some sort of break-up would take place? When you're going into a movie that is based on a novel that essentially tells you to not take guys seriously, what do you think the movie is going to be about?

I thought the plot was funny and it really explored the "six degrees" theory, as well. Everyone was somehow connected and I enjoyed the characters a lot. It's like I got to know them in some way over the two hours of which I sat there. What happened in the end may have been predictable or disappointing for some, but I think that it was the way it was supposed to be for all those characters. I was quite pleased.

I really don't want to give anything away to all those who have yet to get to the movies, but I think He's Just Not That Into You was quite entertaining and fun. Please don't take it seriously. I doubt the writers were trying to personally attack you with the plot. So please take it at face value and don't try to interpret too much into this. After all, every single relationship has different circumstances and I really don't believe that you can ever compare two relationships. There may be a lot of people who were just not into this movie, but as for me, I guess my review is the exception to the negative review rule.

Experiencing Summer in Winter

I had a winter wonderland-like experience last night as I drove home from work. And when coming back to work this morning I drove through the same atmosphere. The scene was quite picturesque: lots of trees blanketed in snow, icicles decorating the branches, and a pretty clear path down the road. It was like being in a snow globe. But then I realized something. This would all turn into a slushy mess as the hours passed and I was not thrilled to deal with that.

I just came back from being away and I had such a great time. The only problem is that I was in 85 degree weather in the Caribbean, sunning myself on the top deck of a cruise ship. I came back and have been confronted with snowfall and quite chilly temperatures when I wake up each morning (this morning it was 18). I know what you're probably thinking: "Well you just had this gorgeous week in paradise, Amanda, so you really shouldn't complain." Well, you are right. But I miss being away in the pretend world! It was a lot of fun.

It was also strange because I was really disconnected from the world. I checked my email just twice and left my cell phone home. This comes from a girl who is a completely compulsive email-checker and keeps her cell phone on at all times. When I think about it, though, I kind of liked it. The pace of my life was a lot slower and calmer and I really didn't stress so much. I really needed that vacay so I can't complain. But I really can't wait for my next period of rest and relaxation!

Shades of Yellow

I love accenting the common colors of each season. It was an absolute delight to use a deep, rich purple in my wardrobe this Fall, as I paired it with some earthtones, blacks, and grays. As a new year dawns, so too does a rich palette of colors. And this Spring it's all about the yellows.

I've never been one to wear yellow. In fact, my grandma used to say that I looked like a fried egg in yellow because I'm so fair-skinned and often look like I'm washed out with the color yellow. Maybe a nice little tan will help that. As I glance through my closet, I don't see much yellow at all, except for one J.Crew cardigan Santa brought me for Christmas. What ever will I do this season to stay up on the trend?

Well, I can think of a few things. Accessorizing is always fun and with solid colors it's so easy to do. Why not find a yellow belt or a nice pair of yellow pumps that will really pop your outfit even more? If it's a belt, I think the best choice would be something in the brown or navy blue family over black -- black and yellow remind me of a bumblebee! But if you're wearing black on top and a nice pair of yellow heels, you can certainly belong to the trendy fashionista crowd. And a yellow accessory can really funk-up an outfit so don't be afraid to take risks.

Additionally, I have a yellow Cole Haan bag that I've had for a few seasons now and I'm still obsessed with it. I'm very excited that it will be the in-color, for I tend to wear it a lot during the Spring and Summer months regardless of the fashion trend!

For those of us who may not like to wear yellow, we can accessorize or try to vary the type of yellow. There's mustard, lemon, banana, saffron, gold, and the list goes on. Perhaps you will find a piece with some yellow accents on it. No matter what your yellow taste, there's sure to be some sort of item out there that will help you fit this fashion trend. But in the meantime, maybe you should get a tan on the beach first with the yellow sun… :)

Photo: Salina patent leather flats from J.Crew

Sometimes You Don't Realize It

I woke up in colonial times this morning. The power was out! And my first thought? How am I going to dry my hair?!

It's so funny to think about how much we actually rely on electricity. In the morning I:

Need light in the bathroom to take a shower
Dry my hair with a blow dryer
Need light to put on my makeup
Need to sometimes plug in my laptop
Sometimes leave the house through the electric garage
Like to get things from the fridge

I'm sure the list goes on and on, but I was very concerned about my almost-ragged appearance to work this morning. I considered scrunching my short bob somehow, but I know how that always turns out -- and it's never good. The power did end up coming on when I was in the shower so all was fine, but could you imagine what a bad start to the day that would have been?

As I left the house, I was confident. It was sunny out and I could finally leave the house with my sunglasses on. And then on my way to work, it started snowing. A strange morning, indeed!

Photo: oregoncandleco.com