Clothing Swap!

My friend Thea invited me to a clothing swap on Saturday afternoon, and even though I just gave four big boxes to Salvation Army filled with clothes and had nothing to bring, I decided to go. My contribution? A bottle of wine and Sour Patch Kids. 

I get overwhelmed when I have too many choices, but I ended up finding some cute things! And yeah, wearing other people's clothes is a bit weird, but whateves, it's FREE.

I hooked Liza up with some beauty products since her side gig as a makeup artist is really taking off!

I snagged this gray fitted coat. It was a little snug, but I had layers on, so I can make it work. Plus, I loved the puffy collar.

I definitely didn't need this bag, but I took it anyway. It's not even quite my style, but I loved the colors—it would be handy on a vacation, in let's say...Jamaica, no? (Wink, wink)

Thea and I spent the majority of our time eating and drinking in the kitchen. I was a bit hungover from the night before, but she attacked the bevs like a champ. I soon realized she was tipsy when she gave me a speech that started, "Dude, you don't give yourself enough credit. You act like you're a four, but really you're like...a nine." It was funny. Thanks for the pep talk, The!

She scored a couple thin V-neck sweaters. I was kinda jeals because I need good basics like that! Ohh well, I didn't do much scouring, so I guess I can't complain.

The two words that best describe me these days: Hot.Mess. I picked these undies up as well. (Don't worry, they haven't been worn!)

All in all, it was a success. I met new people, picked up a few FREE goodies, and I didn't waste my Saturday on the couch watching The Real Housewives of Orange County reruns. Have you ever been to a clothing swap? And do you shop at consignment stores often? 

My Friday night: Wii baseball+vodka+spanakopita

Last night I went to Tiffany's new apartment in Fort Greene for a little housewarming party. There was promise of booze, yummy food and a Wii competition, all of which I was mucho excited about except the latter—I'm not exactly a gamer. 

Look at this delicious spread: Flatbread w/ mushroom and sausage, lemon hummus, shrimp cocktail and spanakopita. 

I'm Greek, and I've never even attempted to make spanakopita in my life. Thanks for showing me up, Tiff. 

We had an apple tarte for dessert—fancy schmancy! 

Topped with a scoop of Haagen Dazs brown sugar ice cream—yumm! The food was so good, but I didn't totally pig out, which was out of character for me. I put more focus on my bev consumption: a couple glasses of champers, one glass of vino and too many glasses of vodka/Crystal Lite.

Liza and Joyann were cracking me up. I caught them investigating each other's non-existent forehead wrinkles and discussing if and when they should get Botox.

Well, well, well, looks like someone else got their hair did yesterday, too. Lookin' hott, Rocks!

Look at his adorable doggie bed! But, um, why is it PINK?!

I love Tiff's taste—it's super-girlie without being obnoxious, which is hard to achieve.

I have a similar perfume/brush set. What's your favorite scent? I'm a Marc Jacobs gal.

Hello, Blondie! Isn't Jenn's new hair color AWESOME? I mean, seriously, J—only you could look that good going from black to blonde. Lord. Oh, and this is Cory. Fun fact: He plays the lead as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys. Well hello, Mr. Talented! 

Lacey kicked my ass in Wii baseball—it's so freakin' HARD! I swung either too soon or too late—how the heck do you get the timing down? I guess the booze didn't help my performance much.

So yeah, Wii, let's add that to my list of things I suck at. At least I looked good doing it ;)

I had a really fun night—it was like a sleepover without the prank calling, piles of candy and sleeping over part. What are you favorite sleepover memories? 

Hello, my name is Rachel Green

Today I went to the hair salon right down the street from my apartment because I couldn't be bothered to trek downtown in the snow to my usual place. And the experience was, well, exactly what I had anticipated. The hairdresser was pushy pushy pushy. "Do you want me to put a gloss in your hair? It really needs it—it's so dry. What about highlights? It will make your hair look so much fuller, and have you thought about..." I cut her off and told her for the third time that I just.need.a.trim. Got it?

If someone gave me a nickel every time I was told I needed highlights to make my hair appear thicker, six months out of the year I'd be lounging on a private island somewhere far away while a hard-bodied man name Raoul fed me grapes. Don't insult the costumers—that's rule number one, asshole.

As she snipped away, she tried to entice me with all the wonderful and oh-so-necessary treatments she could do to my "flat" hair next time. A little premature, eh? By the end, I had a Rachel Green bouffant minus the frosty tips. I'm trying to tame it as we speak. 

So, has anyone else dealt with pushy hairdressers? How did you deal?

Photo Shoot Friday: Tasti-D-Lite, I'm breaking up with you.

It's not you, it's me. My needs have changed. I've found something real and organic, that satisfies my taste buds like nothing else can. I'm moving on...

When the owner of The Lite Choice emailed me about coming in to do a "Taste The Difference" tour, I was all over it. Sampling yummy froyo—now that's something I'm good at! Actually, I learned that it's not froyo and it's not ice cream, which is why it's called soft serve. Why? Because it only contains 3 percent of fat, and ice cream has at least 10. And, TLC is all natural—it's not made with added sugars and artificial ingredients that's used in frozen yogurt. Pretty cool, huh?

I was greeted with a cup of hot chocolate—it was so rich and chocolaty. And, it only sets you back 130 calories and 99 cents!

You know when you walk into a yogurt store with your heart set on Cookies 'n' Cream, only to be let down when you see it's not being served that day? Well,  TLC makes a promise that you can have any of their 70 flavors at any time. Seems impossible, right? Everything can be made with vanilla or chocolate—flavored syrups and toppings are added to make the flavor of your choice.

One of my favorites was peanut butter. The peanuts are ground fresh, directly into your cup! It was so yummy, and the crunchy texture made it so I didn't even need a topping!

My absolute favorite was Chocolate Chip Mint. Pieces of mint candy bar were mixed in with chocolate—it was so so good. Seriously, it tasted like something you'd get at Cold Stone, without all the fat and calories. It's only 109 cals a serving! 

I was so busy sampling every flavor that was put before me—Raspberry, Butter Pecan, Coconut, Chocolate Fudge, Banana—that I didn't get any pics! But at least I snapped this hot fudge sundae before I devoured it. How many calories would you guess this is?

You know me, I'm always trying to find ways to be eat better. One thing I've been working on recently is cutting back my intake of processed foods and foods that contain a bijillion ingredients I can't pronounce—healthier dessert options is a start, right?!

TLC gave me a coupon to come in with six friends to get FREE soft serve, so to all my NYC readers out there, let me know when you want to go and we'll make it happen! I'd love to bond with you :)

Geeze, it's only 10am and I'm now dying for a treat! I'm off to the gym though for yoga and a kickass treadmill run. Tell me: What's your favorite froyo/ice cream/soft serve flavor? What about the toppings? Ohh I looove toppings! 

What's the most expensive thing in your closet?

I was looking for something to wear to an event last week when I started cursing quite loudly that I HAD NOTHING TO WEAR! Liza: "Keep it down, the neighbors will think you're crazy." I DON'T CARE—THIS SUCKS! And then...I stumbled upon this plaid cropped Anna Sui blazer.

Cute, right? I got it last year at Macy's marked down from $310 to $80, and I had a $20 gift card. Score! I never ever find good deals—it was a new feeling. I think this piece might be the most expensive thing I have in my closet (not including the discount, that is.) I used to impulse buy like crazy, but not anymore. If I'm not sure whether or not I really like something, I won't get it. I can't afford to shop much these days anyway, so it's really not hard to resist temptations.

And these Miu Miu wedges are probably the most expensive shoes I own, but I got them for FREE. Liza got them for me during one of her trips to Milan for Fashion Week. Life is tough, I know. 

Tell me: What's the most expensive thing in your closet? Also, what do you refuse to splurge on?

How important is it for your friends and family to like the guy you're dating?

Most everyone has probably dated someone that their fam and friends weren't particularly fond of. I have, and it sucks. You spend so much energy trying to show them that, "No, really, he's a great guy. When it's just the two of us, you should see the way he..." Stop. Right there. If you ever catch yourself saying this, break up with the dude—pronto!

Did anyone see the episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians when Kourtney's baby daddy, Scott, gets wiggity-wasted and stuffs a $100 bill down a waiter's throat? Crazytown. I don't doubt that Scott is a royal asshole, but strangely, I kind of like him. He's funny. Now, would I want anyone I remotely care about to date him? Um, no. Just look at the suit he's wearing. And that slicked back hair. He even looks like a scumbag. I understand why the 'Dash clan isn't supportive of the relationship, but I'll always secretly be rooting for him.

So tell me: Have you ever dated a guy your loved ones didn't like? Is it important to have their approval?

What embarrassing words are in your repertoire?

The other day I was IMing with my friend Kasey:

Me: S'up?

Kase: Chillin', what u up 2?

Me: Chillin'/bloggin'/workin'. Shit! I just said S'up!

Kase: No worries, I say it too.

Me: You do? Cool...so...S'up?!

Sometimes words come out of my mouth, and I think, Wow, did I really just say that? Remember when saying, "S'up" was pretty much the coolest thing you could do in tenth grade? Combining two words together to make one was like...genius.

It reminds me of the scene in the movie, The Sweetest Thing, when Christina Applegate has the "What's Up?" conversation with a dude she meets at a bar. Don't know what I'm talking about? Rent the movie—it's awesome. It taught me the word bejigity. Well, there ya go, ANOTHER word I should strike from my vocabulary!

Speaking of vocabulary, remember when I got all bejigity over the word rubicund in this post?

Tell me: What embarrassing words are in your repertoire? And what are the most impressive?

Things I suck at

Yesterday at work I totally got schooled by a customer on how to gift wrap. Like, she reached over the counter, grabbed tissue paper and started wrapping her own purchase! I had hardly even gotten started, so I'm not sure what caused this outburst. (Perhaps it was my shaky hands or the look of terror on my face that gave me away?) So yep, that brings me to numero uno.

1. Gift wrapping. Cutting, folding, taping, making things look neat and pretty--it's just not my thing.

2. Skiing. I haven't done it since 1997. Everyone assured me I'd be good at it since I'm athletic. Nope. I'm the girl doing the "pizza wedge" all the way down the bunny slopes. I've even caused a chairlift pile-up a time or two due to my inability to gracefully stand up and ski away. I like to fall over and trip the people behind me with my skis.

3. Lying. I'm particularly bad at it when someone asks me if I like their outfit and I um, don't. So, if you have an inkling that what you're wearing might be fug, please do not ask for my opinion.

4. Karaoke. To be successful at karaoke, you either have to be: a.) A really great singer b.) A really terrible singer (think Cameron Diaz in My Best Friend's Wedding) or c.) Funny and entertaining. Naturally, I'm the funniest person you know, but I'm just not karaoke-funny. Whatever that is.

5. Massages. I know, I know, everyone is taking pity on my boyfriend and wondering what other things I might be bad at. It's just the massages, ok?

All this self-deprecation is wearing me out! Your turn: What do you suck at?

Cooking, clean-up: Who does what in your home?

My boyfriend's been on a cooking kick lately, and I've been loving every bite of it. Last week was chili (which we ate for three dinners in a row!), and this week it's anything-shrimp. He scored a free pound of it at Whole Foods, so we're throwing it into anything and everything.

Last night we had this delicious salad. My bf likes his food super-spicy (think Ben Stiller in Along Came Polly), so my mouth was on fire mid-way through, but my stomach was happy. The genuinely content feeling I usually have after a healthy, yummy meal quickly ended when I looked over at the sink. It was overflowing, and I was on dish duty. Fun times.

A load like this easily takes at least 30 minutes to clean. For the first time I realized what a luxury it is to have a dishwasher at my place. Hrm, I think it's time to invest in paper plates, hun! I got a little pouty about the task at hand when my boyfriend remarked, "Well, I don't have time to do it. You do." It's true, I have the time, but that's mainly because I MAKE the time. Just like I usually MAKE the time to go to the gym, even if it means waking up at 5am. But whateves, until I get the full-time job, I will always be the girl who has the time. To do everything. (Note: I worked ten hours yesterday, but I guess it doesn't count because I don't have a "real" job.) First, I was a laundry bitch in this post, and now I'm a dish bitch. My mom was a bean bitch in this post, so I guess it runs in the family.

I know I'm being unfair. A free, home-cooked meal certainly warrants dish duty, but you know how much I love bitching. I'm just so gosh darn good at it!

Tell me: Who does the cooking and clean-up in your home?

There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like...

home. Yesterday, I had my Wizard of Oz shoes on, only they didn't have the magical powers of transporting me home to Kentucky with a click, click, click of the heels. (Actually, they are Liza's Miu Miu flats from Milan, but whateves. Dorothy would totally rock them.)

Ahh, Kentucky. Rolling hills, smiling neighbors, no one's a stranger, horses. Damnit, I take those horses for granted. It is so green there--it's beautiful. The closest resemblance of home I have in New York is Central Park, and man, that really just doesn't cut it most of the time.

I miss driving, and old friends and chain restaurants and $6 movie tickets, and yes, even the 'burbs. And have you ever tried beer cheese? Or Graeter's ice cream? Or a Kentucky Hot Brown? Yummm. I usually gain a few lbs. when I'm home, but it's always worth it. There really is no place like home.

Tell me: Where are you from? Do you ever miss home, too?

Mayor Bloomberg gave me career advice. No biggie.

When I was at the Job Hunt press conference the other week, I asked Mayor Bloomberg his thoughts on whether or not it's okay to be selective with your job search, even if you're muy desperado like me. Turns out, not only is it OK, he encourages it! Check his response below, right from the Mayor's mouth!

It's funny, I'm pretty sure he assumed I was a recent college grad, but hey, I'm not complaining. Unfortunately, I was a hot ass mess back then, and now...six years later. Yikes. But, I'm not alone--it's crazy to think that even the mayor of New York struggled to pay rent at one time! I'm pretty sure every successful person has faced adversity at one time or another. Even Diddy.

So what do you think of the Mayor's advice? What's the best career advice you've ever received? And who's going to be tuning in to Job Hunt tomorrow night?!

Things That Should Be Illegal

It's Monday. I'm feeling blah (don't worry, not as blah as last week!), and lazy. And I'm in a list-making mood. Here it goes:

1. To visit NYC and spend more than 10 percent of your time in Times Square.
2. Owning a pair of Crocs. I don't care if you're five or 65 years-old.

3. For guys or girls to use the c and p-word. Ever. Gross.

4. To change your FB profile pic more than once a month.

5. To stick your tongue out between your fingers for a photo op.

6. For Michelle Duggars to reproduce...again.
7. For Speidi to reproduce...ever.
8. Heidi Klum's post-baby bod.

9. For Channing Tatum, Matt Damon and (insert your fave male celeb here) to be married.

10. Snooki. Period.

11. Holly Madison's wardrobe: Ed Hardy tees, knee socks, trucker hats, ick.

12. To say "cheers" or "mate" on the regular...if you um, aren't English.

13. For 13 year-0lds who are already funnier and cooler than me to sit front row at Paris and New York Fashion Week. (Yes, Tavi, I'm talking about YOU.)
14. For someone with a BMI over 26 to be a fitness instructor.
15. To leave a shitty tip, unless it is completely and utterly deserved.
16. For a bag of chips to be filled 50 percent with air.
17. For couples to swap spit on the subway. Or any public place, for that matter.
18. For the UPS dude to leave a final notice even though he NEVER rang your buzzer once.
19. To take the elevator at the gym.
20. Kristen Stewart's hair.

Friends, what do you think of my list? What did I leave off?

Hate Sex—apparently you need to try it

I overheard a girl on the subway the other day telling a friend about the fantastic "hate sex" she's having with her ex-boyfriend. Hate sex eh? I kept listening. From what I gathered, it's hard and fast. Cuddling is not involved. Tension=desire. He gets what he wants, she gets what she wants, and bing, bang, boom it's over. Check your feelings at the door.

The girl was so nonchalant about it, she might as well have been talking about what she had for breakfast. It was so Samantha from Sex and the City—I was amazed. Is it ridiculous to admit that I thought she kinda sounded cool? Like, hate sex, no biggie. It reminded me of eighth grade when all the popular girls were smoking cigs and getting felt up, while I just listened to their stories in awe.

So tell me: Who's had this crazy thing called hate sex? Is it really as good as it sounds? C'mon, don't be shy. I won't judge.

Fat talk & Cold pizza

"I have to return some video tapes. Christie, you're not drinking your wine." Christian Bale is one creepy dude in American Psycho! So rewind. Last night I went out with the usual suspects (Jenn, Tiff, Liza), and consumed quite a few beverages.

It all started with a harmless glass of wine, and then the shots began. Actually, I think it was the only shot of the night, but it was enough to put me over the edge.

I forced Jenn in front of the cam a million times, but this is the only one where both of us don't have our eyes closed--taking a good drunk pic is quite challenging. It's far from our best, but J's ruby pucker looks pretty and my serious face is on point, so it's not a complete failure.

At the end of the night, Jenn came back to my bf's apartment with me to watch American Psycho and drink more vino. I passed out 15 minutes in, but perked up just as the pizza arrived. Coincidence? I think not. Jenn bounced without grabbing a slice, but I had two. I need to remember this moment the next time I complain about my "slow metabolism."

I didn't exactly feel fresh as a daisy this am, but I forced myself out of bed to grab some oatmeal so I could kick my day off with a healthy start and put last night's "snack" behind me. I've been quite lazy today, which is a shame because the sun is shining and it's not ridiculously cold out. I just finished the rest of the movie and had a cold piece of pizza for lunch. Did I need it? Hell no. Am I feeling guilty? Umm, yeah.

I'm now berating myself about my lack of self-control. Apparently, this is called "fat talk." I know I need to forget about the pizza and move on, but I can't. When will I learn? And just say no? Why is it so hard? I think I need to stop drinking. But what fun would that be? Ughhh.

Tell me: Are you guilty of "fat talk?" And how do you let go of the guilt after indulging too much? I know, I know. I'm supposed to realize that I AM in control. One meal doesn't matter; I can be healthier at my next opportunity. Blah blah. That doesn't make me feel better. Right, time to see about a treadmill...

All the women who are independent, throw your hands up at me...

Oh how I miss Destiny's Child. What? You thought I was going to address Tiger's pathetic public apology today? Um, no. Right, back to Destiny's Child. I wish my life resembled their song, Independent Women, but instead I'm living more in Survivor mode these days. 

I've always thought of myself as independent, but the other night it struck me that other people might not see me in the same light. I was out with my boyfriend and some of his friends, and as we all started parting ways, he slipped me a $20 to get a cab home. I had planned on taking the subway, but I'm not one to deny myself a free cab ride—especially when I'm wearing heels! A few of his friends saw the transaction go down, and I don't know why, but I was a little embarrassed. I used to roll my eyes at girls who always let guys pick up the tab, and now I'm one of them—whether I want to be or not. It's not a nice feeling, but it's my reality right now. After bills, rent and groceries are taken care of, next to nothing is left over. And if there is, I'm buying a skim latte. I know, I'm terrible. 

One day I'll be fabulous and independent just like Michelle, Kelly and B—with my own Rottweiler. Named Peaches. Until then, I'll continue to steal borrow quarters out of my bf's coin jar to help pay for my bus rides home.

Tell me: Are you independent? What Destiny's Child song fits you best? 

Photo Shoot Friday: Heineken+Stretch Escalades+The dude from Entourage

Wednesday night I went to a party at 230 Fifth bar for a UEFA Championship party. Now, I don't even know what that stands for, but I know it has something to do with soccer, so I went in hopes of spotting some long-haired hotties. 

The crowd was kind of random. There were a lot of young gals and old dudes there—I guess they both were there for the soccer players. I snuck a balding 50-something year-old into the party and he couldn't stop thanking me. Hey, I do what I can. 

I grabbed a Diet Pepsi to prove to myself that I can have fun without drinking. Nope, I can't. I headed to the bar shortly after for a Heineken. 

We went to the rooftop to see the view. These red robes were offered to keep warm. I wish I could just throw a robe on for every party I went to—that would save me a lot of stress!

Well, the David Beckham look-alikes were nowhere in sight, but Adrian Grenier was there! He actually looked super-cute in person, I was a bit surprised. I didn't see a drink in his hand the entire night, which I guess doesn't necessarily mean he didn't have one. There was a string of groupie hoes trying to get near him—one kept saying, "I don't know, I don't think he'll remember me. Well...maybe he will." No, honey, he won't. Give up. She finally did.

As I dragged my boyfriend over to take a pic of me and the Entourage star, he got a little distracted by the burgers and chicken fingers. They did look yummy, so I can't really blame him, but geeze, Adrian was gone by the time we made our way over! 

I really didn't care too much about the trophy, but I thought I might as well get a pic with it. I'm sure I'll be glad to have it one day!

On our way out, one of the guys in our group hopped into this stretch Escalade with a girl on each arm. Play on player! 

I don't have HBO, so I don't watch Entourage often, but I love it every time I happen to catch it. Johnny Drama is my fave. Is anyone a fan? I think that might be next on my DVD list after I finish Mad Men! Anywho, what's everyone up to this weekend? I'm gonna be partying it up tonight, but I'll probably take it easy Saturday since I have to work on Sunday. Have a good one!

There's no crying in baseball

Crying. I'm becoming quite good at it. I'm doing it as we speak. The waterworks are coming and I don't know why. That's not true, I know why. I'm broke, my career is disappearing, I have a headache, I'm tired, I'm tired of being tired, emotional eating is at a record high, I have writer's block, I'm more unmotivated today than ever, I suck. Fuck, I suck. I'm sad. And depressed. If I want to drop the F-bomb and start rhyming, I will. I just did.  No one wants me. Or my ideas. Damnit, my ideas are good. My forehead is breaking out. I haven't had zits in over a decade. What do I do? Put some cream on it? My hair is flat. And greasy. Split ends are taking over.  I've bitten my nails down to the nubs. Hot. Sexy. You know you want this. My groove is gone. I need it back. If Stella can do it, so can I. Right? Nothing's right. Everything's wrong. No zip. No zest. Just blah. Lodi Dodi, I need to party. Beer. Vodka. Strike that, give me chocolate. And ice cream. And Pringles while you're at it. Cry cry cry. Sob sob sob. 

Thank God I don't play baseball. 

Whew, I needed that. Thanks for listening. When's the last time you really cried?

Guys spill: What to wear on a first date

Even though I had my last first date about four years ago, I know a lot of girls stress about this. First impressions are important, and sometimes it's hard to know what look to go for: sexy, casual, trendy, cute? So, I tapped my guy buds for advice and turned to Alexa Chung to illustrate what I would wear for the occasion. (In my dreams, that is. I love her style). 

"You can't go wrong with jeans and a nice top, like one you'd go out on the town in. It's my personal favorite, and most likely the overwhelming consensus for dudes everywhere." 

—Ryan, Washington, D.C.

The perfect "let's grab drinks" outfit. 

"I like when they don't wear anything at all." —Drew, Athens, GA (Geeze, thanks for the insight, Drew!)

"For winter, jeans and boots with a fun sweater or jacket is the way to go. It's important that she looks cute and takes pride in how she presents herself." —Jason, Indianapolis, IN

Keep it cool 'n' casual for a coffee date.

"A first date should be casual—any type of formality takes away from getting to know the person. Jeans and a T-shirt is hot." —Mark, NYC 

Totally cute for a movies+dinner date.

"Women should wear a smile." —Michael, Toronto, ON 

"I like girls to keep it casual. Anything super-dressy on a first date would scream high-maintenance!" —Bull, Lexington, KY

Laid back with an edge—perfect for lunching! 

"I like it when they wear flannel and Red Wing boots with a five-inch heel and pick me up on a motorcycle!" —Skooly, Lexington, KY 

"I've always been a fan of the natural look. I don't like a lot of makeup. I want her to be put together, but not look like she spent four hours getting ready. I mean, if we're going bowling and she shows up in an evening gown, that'd probably be a deal breaker for me. I can't tell a Manolo from a Fendi, and Mrs. Prada herself could walk up to me and slap me in the face and I'd have no clue who she was!" —Michael, Washington, D.C.

Ok, so some answers were more helpful than others, but what did we learn here? Guys are pretty easy to please. What do you typically wear on a first date? Is this something that stresses you out?