How to Survive Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, the holiday that brings families together and allows people to appreciate the things in their lives they should be thankful for. And our favorite Gossip Girl characters did just that. For once all the scheming and complicated love circles were put on the backburner so the Bass, Van der Woodsen, Waldorf, and Humphrey family could be brought together. But allow me to be a little frank here; how many of us have Thanksgivings that include dealing with the FBI, running away with your maid, or unlocking safes that contain gold bars, diamonds, and files on you and your sister? Uhhh….not my typical Thanksgiving. I do believe that most families’ holiday seasons involve gathering relatives into one household with the intentions of enjoying each other’s company only to erupt into sibling brawls and drunken arguments. (Or maybe this is just my family?). But what else is expected to happen? Take for example a college student. You have just spent five months living on your own. No parents nagging you to do things. No siblings invading your space. And now you have to come home to the insistent yelling of your parents, your dog chasing the cat around the house, and your little siblings whining at you to change the channel on the TV. But either way, the holidays for everyone is a little stressful because how much time can you really spend with your family? So to secure your sanity for this Thanksgiving I have given you a few tips that I have used through the years.

1. Before the eating time begins, get out of the house for at least 30 minutes. For the past three years my best friend and I have made it a ritual to meet at this certain park. We’ll sit and chit chat for 45 minutes to an hour just to get out of our house and when we return we’re reading for another a second dose of hell. But other ways to get out could be to go for a walk, offer to run to the grocery store, or make an excuse to run to a friend’s house. This little big of time allows you to clear your head and gives yourself some alone time to just breath and get away from the madness.

2. Offer to give a helping hand in the kitchen. Doing this can eliminate awkward or forced conversations with your lonely uncle or brother’s weird girlfriend.

3. Joke with everyone you talk with or be as awkward as possible. When they ask you how college is, respond with “Awesome, I never go to class and I’ve picked up the new habit of doing cocaine”. Doing this makes the other person feel more awkward than you and allows you to laugh secretly to yourself. (However I would save ludicrous comments like this for people who won’t think you are completely serious).

4. Right after the big feast take a good long nap on the couch. Don’t worry, its not rude it was just all the tryptophan in the turkey. And if you’re lucky, when you wake up all the relatives will have left the house!

5. If all else fails, just take a few shots of whiskey, rum, vodka. Just a little something to loosen up a little bit and make you not really about how absurd your family really is. Or if you aren’t the binge drinking type of person slip some Kahlua into your coffee, Jack Daniels in some Ginger ale, or some smooth vodka into your cranberry juice. Just keep everyone away from your drinks. Oh and in case you were wondering no, I am not promoting drinking, I am just trying to protect your sanity.


So maybe these will work maybe not? If you have some of your own personal tricks send me a comment and I’ll make sure to keep them in mind for the Christmas season. Or just tell me what you’re thankful for. Because I am surely thankful that I no longer live with my parents…

You know you love me,


xoxo
g.

"Even moms have boyfriends, and I don't"!

So first lets do a little recap of what happened this week…

Starting with troubled Jenny. Jenny’s guerilla fashion shoot at the Bass party may have proved to be a success, however capturing prospective business managers has not been as easy. Jenny and Agnus failed to agree on details for their design label. Then the feudal between the two was toped off when Agnus found out Jenny signed with manager without her knowledge. The discovery lead to Agnus setting Jenny’s beloved dresses on fire, while poor little J just sat by and watched them char. You may be able to design clothing but you aren’t very smart little girl. The outcome of this debacle was Jenny looking towards the emancipating herself.

Next in the Humprey Family is Daniel. This week the aspiring actor was offered an article with a New Yorker editor on an undercover story to exploit Bart Bass. Dan made some pursuit of the story and even dug up some dirt on the old man but like always he came to his consciousness and threw the story out. I guess he is just too good of a person to destroy the Bass and Van der Woodsen family.

Then theres Miss Serena. This smitten kitten got quite twisted around Aaron Rose’s finger. We saw him sending her flirty text, photographing her, and even projecting her face on a billboard at Time Square –things that could make any girl weak at the ankles. But is this boy genuine or is he just playing his cards right? That question was answered when another girl showed up to Aaron’s house to model but then ending up “hanging out” with him. Aaron later confessed to Serena that he just likes to date multiple girls at once. Sounds like what we have here is an asshole who just knows how to get the girls. Oh but don’t worry, he said she could date other guys too (thanks Aaron just what a girl wants, an opportunity to date other boys when in reality she just wants to have a monogamous relationship with one!). Spell-bound by his charming good looks, Serena agreed to continue their open relationship. This decision was made against the will of Blair though.





Blair, although received no love action in this episode was surrounded by it –by her mother Eleanor and her new boo. Wallace Shawn who you may recognize from the movie Princess Bride and was the voice of Rex the Dinosaur in Toy Story played Eleanor’s love interest. If you read the books then you would find the characteristics between the fictional character and the character portrayed in the show very similar. Although his lack of good looks and frugal personality did not impress Blair, he was able to win her over by outwitting her in one of her schemes.





















Who didn’t make an appearance this episode though was Serena’s brother Eric and mother Lily. Nate and Vanessa were also absent. He must have been sleeping in Central Park and she must have been curled up in The Gallery. But besides all this action the next episode will definitely include everyone. It is a Thanksgiving episode. And you know when the Holiday’s come around so do the claws.


xoxo,
g.

Cruel Intentions

A rather eventful episode this week. Who knew these Upper East-Seders and Brooklyn babies were so absurd. But then again I guess you should never underestimate a New Yorker. So now that we have Nate and Jenny homeless, Chuck and Blair still yearning for each other, and Serena and Dan aimlessly searching for each other each character is on his or her own to make decisions. In this episode I saw the characters having to make decisions between right and wrong.



Nate had to choose between telling Dan and Rufus about Jenny’s fashion scheme or to run off with the 15-year old girl. Chuck surprisingly chose not to deflower a little freshman girl. Jenny flip flops between possibly ruining Bart and Lily Bass’ event for her own selfish reasons-not to mention defy her dad. And then we see Blair choose not to use blackmail against the freshman’s mother, a decision that could potentially limit her chances from getting into Yale.

In every situation you see the character’s internal hesitation; their mind maliciously turning trying to leverage how one choice out weighs the other. And in reality people operate the same way. You find yourself having to make a decision sometimes on your personal morality in seconds. Do I go to class or sleep in another hour? Should I submit a friend’s paper as my own? Do I hook up with this random person or not? Should I go out tonight and potentially get very drunk or stay in on a Thursday night to study?

These are decisions that as a college student you have to make quite frequently on your own. You no longer have mommy or daddy breathing down your neck to force you to make the right decision. So its up to your to figure out what is the right choice to make. Some decisions could affect you in the long term or just the short term so you have to figure out what your priorities are. And if you knowingly choose the wrong decision, you must be willing to accept the consequences.

So considering the decisions our favorite GG characters made, did they choose the right decision or did they accept the consequences to their wrong doings? I think Nate was acting on his emotions and thinking short term with running off with Jenny. But he does accept the that his decision was wrong by apologizing to Dan about kissing his sister and leaving the Humphrey house hold. Chuck and Blair surprisingly act on good intentions. And Jenny, she knowingly chooses to do defy her dad but with confidence that her actions will be beneficial to her.

So for next week I wonder if we’ll see the same virtuous path of these notorious characters. Tell me what you think. How do you make your decisions? Do you plan ahead for situations? Do you act irrationally and blame poor decisions on alcohol or on the influence of others?


xoxo,
g.

J, the New Queen Bee

Spotted: Little Jenny locking lips with the beautiful Nate Archibald in downtown Brooklyn. (Yes but let’s remember that this isn’t the first time these two have been caught in a make out session. Does anyone remember the masquerade ball from last season. Nate accidentally kissed Jenny thinking it was Serena. Perhaps he came back for seconds…) Opps! Look like shes dropped out of school, quit working for Eleanor Waldorf and is all grown up!

Yes Miss Jenny Humphrey is interesting and all but shall we talk about all the other love triangles.

Nate and Jenny last season at the Masquerade Ball.

So Serena has a crush on Aaron the artist. If you read the books then you would know Aaron was actually Serena’s weed-smoking hippy stepbrother. (Bizarre how they switch the storyline around.) Well Johny Depp look-a-like asked her out on a date but of course beauty queen Serena rejected him because she secretly loves none other than Dan Humprey… and Dan Humprey will always love her. But something tells me that her nostalgic love connection to him might make this mystery boy reappear.

Sad-faced Aaron the artist wishes Serena goodbye.

Blair and Chuck also had their own little soiree. Blair devastated by Chuck’s games and temptation was seen directionless and in need for some good TLC. I might add that the first 15 second clip I found to be incredibly funny. Especially after the maid mentioned to Blair that “God was always watching”, In hope to cure her sexual urges Serena pointed her to the direction of Dan. Dan being the sweetheart he is assisted her in seducing Chuck. Dan’s magic almost even convinced Blair to tell Chuck those three irresistible words, “I love you”. But turns out Blair and Chuck are even too conniving for each other. Neither one could admit their feelings and accused the other of playing games. I guess we’ll be seeing some more games coming from those two.





But for next week get ready to see more drama. J has found her new enemy-Eleanor Waldorf. And I sense some rivalry occurring. But not just with Eleanor. Now that J has a new boy, a pretty lady by the name of S might get a little jealous. So until then throw on those Burberry scarves and leaver gloves because it’s cold outside. Or if clothes aren’t your cup of tea just grab a warm body and snuggle up to them.

You know you love me,
xoxo
g.

Dream Sequence

May I say first that I am so happy I am in college and do not have to go through the tedious process of college applications again! (At least not till grad school.) Ugh...thinking about the essays, SATs, and the waiting makes me cringe in my new Michael Kors boots. My college selection process didn't involve meetings with the Dean of Admissions or intense interviews but if it did I probably could not have handled the situations with as much grace as Miss Serena Van Der Woodsen

But how was it that you chose your perfect school? Was it school reputation, focus on academics, party scene? Although Brown, Yale, and Harvard were not on my list of To-Do applications other local schools were. But while going through applications I noticed that no matter where I got in my heart was set on UNC. And look at me a now, I'm a full -fledged Carolina Girl. UNC has pleasantly fulfilled all of my expectations and I can say I have been very pleased with my decision. It's still the beautiful campus I was attracted to. It has lived up to the rigorous academic classes that I heard about. And it's party scene...woooo is still the most notorious in North Carolina. However, college is more than late night cram sessions and 8:00 am hangovers, it's about personal growth. In college you learn about history and literature, about people, and about yourself. Adults informed me that college was the time of their lives, and I believed them but didn't understand them. Now that I'm here, I'm beginning to comprehend the level of awesomeness that they were speaking about. You have freedom and virtually no responsibilities other than your school work and perhaps a job. But beyond the studying and partying, college gives you the opportunity to accomplish your dreams or get closer to the dream-accomplished finish line. Your dreams may be to be a more outgoing person, to be apart of a sports team, or become a successful entrepreneur. Whatever they may be college is the place to accomplish those dreams and UNC has the resources for you to do so.

My dream was once to get into UNC, and now I'm here. Now it is my job to partake in my dream -to become a career woman. It takes work. It takes inner confidence, self-determination, and focus to accomplish the goals that you set for yourself. College is a great place to be but figure out what you want, set your mind, and in return you will get what you want.

Don't wait on your dreams. Act on them.

xoxo
g.

DTH over NYT?

This week, as most of you probably noticed, there was no Gossip Girl. Heartbreaking and devastating to my Monday routine….I know. And I noticed that the public was equally upset. While talking with girls in my class at friends in my sorority every person felt as if they were deprived of some right to have their weekly dosage of trashy television. As devastating as it is to wait another week to find out what scandals B and S are up to, it is also upsetting to see how not having a weekly TV show stirs up emotions.

What I mean by this is that you will not hear the same moans and groans about missing the 2008 Presidential debates or the 5-o’clock CNN news. Why, because youth are still not paying adherent attention to present day national and global issue. I do admit that UNC’s campus is much more up-to-par on current events than the students were at my high school in Raleigh, NC, but I still do not see any urgency within students to hear the daily headlines.

So perhaps you are saying to yourself, “No that’s not me”, I know what’s going on in the world, I read the Daily Tarheel. The Daily Tarheel, or the DTH as it is commonly referred to around campus, is the daily campus newspaper that is written and edited by UNC students. If this is you, well then you my friend are thinking ill. Although it is a great resource for hearing about campus events, what Chancellor Thorp has to say about space issue, or who slapped the Pit Preacher it fails to provide substantial news. The DTH is a local newspaper that reports news in the community. Although it has some blurbs on national and global news, the paper has the assumption that its readers are already familiar with national news. For example, last week Justin Bailey wrote an article reassuring students that Wachovia-sponsored One Cards would continue to work even as the fate of the giant banks were in the air. When writing his article, Bailey had the idea that the audience already knew that Wells Fargo bought out Wachovia and was simply calming fears.

You may argue that local news affects you as a citizen of the U.S. and student at UNC Chapel Hill; National news is a way for you as a student to connect your studies to real life. Economics, global issues and your English and composition classes all can connect to what is written or televised in the news. Real life issues puts the rhetoric your learn into practice. Reading about real life situations might even help you understand a topic in class.

These are the front pages to the The Daily Tarheel and New York Times of Wednesday, October 8. Please note the very different headlines.(The Congress in the DTH refers to the Student Congress.)

The politics of high school socialites may be more interesting than what Ben Bernanke is doing to the Federal Funds rate. But as the next generation we must educate ourselves on global and national issues so that we can lead our nation better than the generation before us.
So I give you this piece of advice. Pick up a New York Times or Washington Post and on your way to class in the morning. Throughout the day when you have 5 or 10 minutes here and there read an article. Or if you prefer electronic sources, read those yahoo or google newsfeeds. But if this is too much to do then just read the headlines- you’ll at least get the gist of things.

xoxo

g.

Little Diddy, bout Blair and Chuck

Fashion Week! A week of beautiful clothes, glamorous people, oh and did I mention fabulous parties. But only the most privileged and beautiful actually get tickets. but even more rare is being part of the show. So of course S would get such an amazing experience.

But Fashion Week was fabulous for everyone just ask Blair, Chuck, or Dan….

This episode was the epitome of bad karma for Blair but it serves B right. One wrong doing after another by Blair did nothing but make other people look better than her. First, Blair got rid of all the models. Jenny combated this by using the socialites from the audience including Serena as the models for the show. Second Blair put not one of Eleanor’s dresses but Jenny’s handmade dress on Serena for the finale. Blair thought she had won the battle until Eleanor was told that everyone loved the dress. So rather than Jenny looking like an incompetent intern, she saved the show and made it a huge success for Eleanor. Aw, but Blair was just trying to make others look bad so her mom will like her. Sorry Blair, but bitches don’t always win.

And what about Chuck and lonely boy? Or is Chuck the new lonely boy? Dan was trying to write a short story but needed inspiration for something more edgy. Who else to resort to but Chuck Bass or as Dan named him Charles Trout (clever). After going out drinking with Chuck on two occasions he lost his shoes and walked home barefoot, punched a guy in the face and ended up in jail; Edgy enough for you Dan? Dangerous and good quality for a story but the Dan discovered through he adventures that he did not want to exploit Chuck’s life. (Dan, that’s probably because you know you’re life would be a living hell if you did.) What we found out about Chuck was that his father hates him because his mother died while giving birth to him, or did she die in a plane crash when Chuck was 3? Make up your mind Charles Trout! Either way, Dan chose not to use such a tragic life experience as a storyline. At least someone has morals in this show.

But Chuck and Dan got out of jail. S is continuing her friendship with the socialite Poppy, and Jenny might quit school to start a fashion career. My oh my!! And what’s in store for B? Can she still seize her power from S? I guess we’ll see next week…

You know you love me,

Xoxo

g.

Wakey wakey eggs and bakey East siders

It’s the first week of school at Constance Billard and there’s new projects to tweak, victims to sabotage, and looks like we even have a new Queen Bee. If you decided that studying was more important you guessed wrong, because this is one storyline that was borderline soap opera.

Dan and Serena awkwardly encountered each other for the first time after their break-up. A new girl at school, Amanda, a pug-faced look-a-like ran into Dan and fancied him. She fancied him so much that they went on a date, well two to be exacted. Too bad for Dan, but not really, she was just a deploy hired by Chuck just to make Serena jealous, which it did. Amanda’s character didn’t last very long but her effects did. Looks like Serena is finally gaining her throne back and shunning Dan from her Kingdom.

As far as the Nate, Vanessa, and Dutchess love triangle…that also lacks a fairytale ending. Nate, confused by Vanessa’s ambiguous feelings towards him, found her walking to class but was spied on by Catherine who was not very pleased to see the two together. As the elite do best she bribed Vanessa with a $5,000 check to stay away from her man. Such an offer did not work on Vanessa and made an attempt to return it back to her at her home. While in the Dutchess’ home she encountered an interesting yet disturbing situation – Lord Marcus and Duchess Catherine locking lips in what was more than just a mother son kiss. Looks like the Oedipus complex is making a comeback.

With such rare and scandalous blackmail Vanessa resorted to the person who would know what to do with it –Blair.

Blair, the conniving person that she is, confronted both Lord Marcus and the Dutchess on their disgusting affair and promised not to tell a soul unless they left town, bailed the Archibalds out of their debt, and promised to not say anything about the location of Mr. Archibald. All was agreed and perfect until Vanessa decided that things were not moving at her speed, and so she confronted the Duke with the news. Her action ruined everything including her chances with Nate. Blair may be a liar and a back-stabber, but supply her with a juicy piece of blackmail and you will be guaranteed to see wonders.

So Dan and Serena are separated, Nate and Vanessa are no more, and Blair is no longer attached to a man. Does anyone sense some new raunchy hook ups? I do! Serena is climbing the social ladder to become the new Queen Bee, so does that put Blair at the bottom of the totem pole?Can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow night…8 o’clock. This time skip the biology studying, it’s worth it.

You know you love me,
Xoxo
g.

Monogamy just isn’t enough

Every person’s Achilles heal is the tender touch and sweet whisper of someone you know you can’t have. This error in someone can often cause an otherwise monogamous person to a distrustful being. In a world where cheating is omnipresent, society says, “Throw away your integrity and fall into temptation”, but does that necessarily mean it is okay? Has society made cheating on a significant other a cliché, a normal behavior that should be forgiven? This question was tested in this week’s episode of Gossip Girl.

Catherine Mason continued to cheat on her husband with 17-year-old Nate. And Lord Marcus caught Blair in a steamy lip lock session with old boy toy Chuck Bass. In these two scenarios you see two women being depicted as the weak Eve, reluctant to temptation and sin. Catherine chose to cheat on her spouse because Nate gives her a feeling of youthfulness. Blair cheated on the man of her dreams not because she loves or even wants to be with Chuck, but because she was not sexually satisfied by Lord Marcus. These two women were willing to jeopardize wonderful relationships for personal wants and portray an alternative behavior to what is normally seen in men in real life.

The best examples of seditious men are politicians. (Do not think that I am denoucing the Democratic party, I am simply using these men as examples to prove a point). Time and time again politicians such as Bill Clinton, New York Mayor Eliot Spitzer, and most recently NC Senator John Edwards have been caught by the media cheating on their spouses with other women. However, the reaction for their sneaky schemes did not result in a divorce or even separation but a mere slap on the wrist. Through each sex scandal each politician’s wife stood by her spouse’s side. This reaction, through observation tends to be mutual among women. I have noticed from experience that most girls/women tend to stay with their counter parts, which only tells the wrongdoer that such behavior is acceptable. Not to mention it also radiates of vibe of insecurity within a woman.

These juxtaposed situations both show women as weak and commend rather than condemn the act of cheating. The urge to cheat may feel biological but such forces can be restrained by virtues. Yes a sassy cheating scandal makes for great storylines and news articles but it does not make the behavior any more right. A monogamous relationship should be respected and not jeopardized by a sleazy, emotionless temptation. So save the one-night stands for when you are driving solo.

Gossip Girl, the New Soft-Core Porn

If you haven’t noticed I dressed the site up a bit. It was looking a little pathetic. First I set up a random playlist because you know Gossip girl always has the jam music. Secondly, I have a slideshow of classic art pieces because every New Yorker should know the first creatures of fashion.

So yeah we’ve all had our scandalous hook-ups in unusual spots. May that be an elevator, middle of woods, or history museum next to the T-rex, but when does scandalous turn to skankiness? At what age is it acceptable to be caught doing the dirty in public. According to Serena age doesn’t matter, but that rule doesn’t go for everyone…

So in case you missed the first five minutes because you had to lie to your boyfriend that you needed to go do homework when really you just wanted to watch Gossip Girl by yourself (no worries babe we’ve all done it). Serena and Dan woke up next to each other on the beach where they obviously slept together. Romantic? NO! You’re in the Hamptons baby, save rolling around in the sand for when you can’t afford somewhere to stay (but of course that would never happen to a GG….well maybe not everyone, sorry Nate). This late night sac session was then proceeded by a shall we saw afternoon cuddle? While Dan and Serena were on the bus (once again Serena played the part of a middle class citizen – Don’t downgrade yourself babe!) back to the city Serena was trying her hardest to seduce Dan. Serena, lets keep the chocolate-covered strawberry eating for Ron Jeremy movies, okay? I guess the two just couldn’t contain their excitement for each other or maybe they just don’t like beds, because they ended up getting it on in the bathroom bus, ew! Maybe they don’t know that doing it on a bus doesn’t make them a member of the mile-high club, just the 4-foot high club. The theme of scandalous hook ups was reiterated when Blair walked in on Nate straddling his older woman on the library floor.

So are these little sexcapades acceptable behavior for a high school or even college student or is it just inappropriate? I thought about this question and my only response is would you want to be the friend, flight attendant, or security guard to find two people tangled in a sea of limbs? No. Sex in public is okay until someone intrudes on the shag session, then that is just skanky. According to The Sexual Offences Act (2003) their opinion agrees. The Act is not specifically against the practice of sex in public if it is in an isolated place and the couple have a reasonable expectation of privacy. So as long as you have some privacy and don’t disrupt the public you are good to go.

Check out this link. Its full of signs that people have vandalized and replaced letters with the lovely word of FUCK. Although very vulgar it might just give you a few laughs. Enjoy.

Okay, so the beach and library were acceptable but what about Dan and Serena’s bathroom incident? Is it appropriate for two 17 year olds to bluntly follow each other into a public bathroom? I find that regardless of age it is neither appropriate, nor sanitary to have sex in a public bathroom. Yeah it may make for a good story but the chances are your little session will be disrupted shortly leading you to and your partner embarrassment.

Although I disapprove of real life teenagers partaking in sexual behavior in clear view of the public eye, my girlfriends I did yell phrases of encouragement at the TV when S and D were on the bus. So will GG have more saucy hook ups in mischievous places this season? Lets hope so but lets try to keep it out of onlooker’s sight. Until then shot me a comment or a funny story of a friend who has gotten caught shagging in public (no names please and lets keep this PG-13).

xoxo,


g.

What do you expect to see?

As far as fashion icons go, Blair Waldorf is the new Summer Roberts from the O.C.; an avant- guard dresser; which is why we love her or did I mean hate her? I say Blair Waldorf and not Leighton Messter because in real life who looks that put together all the time? Equip me with a personal stylist, an endless bank account and limo driver and yeah I’d roll into class looking like I stepped out of Vogue too. But with a laptop on my back and a 15 minute hike to civilization the idea of going to class in an outfit that doesn’t resemble gym attire doesn’t seem very intriguing. By the looks of our UNC campus it seems as though that is a general concensus. So I started to think what are ways that one can look trendy but still get to class without being soaked with perspiration. So I made a list of 5 items you can expect see on your fav GG but
also work for a commuting, fashionista college student.

1. HEADBANDS
Last season in almost every episode Blair’s locks were secured with bow headbands that later turned up on every teenagers noggin. This season a more bohemian look- scarf headbands have replaced them, such as in the picture below.

Are J. Crew and Forever 21’s fall accessories well equipped, we’ll just see?
However if pieces of fabric on your neck aren’t your style another alternative you can try are theses Great Gatsby meets Swan Lake feathered headbands. Check out
<these> from Urban Outfitters, they are chic and sassy.





2. HIGH WAIST SKIRTS
These are a personal favorite of mine because I like the way they snug my waist. Blair already sported a pair of 50s high waist shorts in the last episode. Some of you may be saying to yourself “Ugh, no thank you! I’ll keep the pooch look for my grandmother”. But no mam’ this trend is everywhere if you haven’t already noticed. In fact I have been impressed to see a few ladies sporting jersey pencil skirts complemented with white tees. If you’re not convinced open up Lucky, Teen Vogue, or Glamour magazine and believe me you will low ride no more.


3. CROSS BODY MESSENGER BAGS
These 70s fashion staples are making an appearance once again. And hell am I happy. These versatile lifesavers can be however small, large, sporty or chic you’d like them to be and you can find them almost anywhere. Why do I love them, because they are roomy enough for a laptop so you can replace your not so trendy backpack, they don’t force you to walk sideways so your shoulder purse doesn’t topple you over, and their ideal if you ride your bike to class. Below I’ve included a picture for some ideas. And yes that would be David Beckham. No I did not put this up just so you ladies/gents could goggle over him. I want to show you that guys too can sport the murse (man purse).










4. TIGHTS; Colored, textured, printed, expect to see it all!!!
No, I’m not talking about leggings I’m talking about full on pantyhose. The ones your mother used to dress you in for Sunday School. But before you start itching your legs think about all the fall and winter nights you’ve gone out in a dress and sworn you have gotten frost bite on your legs and toes? Now picture you legs and feet all cozy in a layer of wool or cotton. Mmm…now doesn’t that seem nice?
Tights were huge last year and don’t expect them to go away. These God sent pieces of fabric not only keep your legs warm but also make an outfit more dimensional while allowing you to extend the season of your dress and skirt wardrobe. What more would you want?! I expect to see more daring colors and prints paired with unusual mixes from our protégé designer Jenny. What do I see for campus style, I’m guessing the usual browns and blacks, maybe a few prints, and the iconic fishnets for Pimps and Ho’s frat parties.



5. ETHNIC PRINTED SCARVES
I primarily envision Vanessa coolly draped in a collage of prints and colors as she serves coffee but who knows maybe Serena will deck her neck out in one too. The reason for my infatuation with these thin pieces of fabric- because they add a dash of color to an outfit and are perfect for Fall’s unpredictable weather. You can throw one over a t-shirt before you go out one night but as the night cools down you can use it as a shawl. Already I’ve seen students draped in a plethora of patterns. Here’s some Gucci scarves photographed in Milan’s Fashion Week Fall 2008.







Gossip Girl offers it’s viewers a colorful palette of fashion ideas. From rugged Venassa, inventive jenny and polished Blair, they each have a different and creative style. So go through your closet, mix and match patterns and use them as your inspiration for a new fall style.

xoxo,


g.

(Inspired by the fashion forward Suzy)

Spotted!

At last, the long awaited season 2 of Gossip Girl has finally arrived! Yay! I can once again can divulge myself into my guilty pleasure of trashy teen drama and beautiful clothes.

Although extremely excited about catching up on my fav snobby upper East siders I unfortunately was not very impressed with the premier. Blair was once again trying to make Chuck jealous, Chuck dressed in ridiculous Brooks Brothers outfits, and that awful fake accent from the mysterious Lord, Marcus. Ugh! Eww, not to mention Mr. Dan Humphrey should not be filmed wearing white beaters anymore. He may be a sweet writer but lets keep the Fruit of the Loom shots for Nate. However, just like in true Gossip Girl fashion my annoyance was gone after the first commercial.

So in case you didn’t see the first episode (which would be worse than wearing cut off jorts and a graphic Abercrombie tee) here’s what you missed…Serena has spent the summer lamenting over Dan on the Hampton shores. But to get over her sorrow Blair finally convinced her to go on a date with a boring lifeguard who failed to impress her with his Comoro. Blair has spent the summer dangling boys in front of Chuck’s face trying to make him jealous after he stood her up in Italy. She was able to snag a cute yet mundane boy by the name of “James”. He later revealed that his real was Marcus Beaton and he happened to be a Lord! Of course, Blair would be rewarded for being a conniving bitch. Chuck, was just his disgusting, pompous self. Nate has been secretly romancing an older woman, who by the way is 38. I’m not sure to swallow the throw up in my mouth or applaud Miss Catherine Mason, or shall I say Mrs. Catherine Mason, for snatching such a fine piece of ass. Dan has also been sneaking around. With Serena out of the picture he has been able to two-time ladies all over Manhattan. Who would have thought Dan had the balls? But simmer down ladies, before you start bad mouthing any boy who has done you wrong, let me tell you that he got what he deserved. When he came walked into the White Party to confess to Serena that he missed her he caught Serena and Nate in a steamy make out session which was then proceeded by two ladies pouring their colored martinis on his vintage white suit. Karma is a bitch. And of course our sweet little Jenny Humphrey; Jenny has been interning at none other than Eleanor Waldorf Designs. There she has been hastily sewing on buttons, hemming pant legs, and adding other such essentials that make every piece perfect.

The summer is just getting started and with beautiful people in the Hamptons you know you can expect to have some sexy hookups, crazy nights, and backstabbing drama this season. So if you missed this episode don’t worry you still have 23 more Monday nights to huddle up your girlfriends in front of your flat screened TVs.

So tell me what you think. Was Serena’s outfit to the White Party a little too Greek Goddess? Is Nate’s love affair too old for him? Should Blair really be with Lord Marcus Beaton even though she finds him to be dull? Until then try not to get too absorbed in the new episodes of The Hills, 90219, and One Tree Hill.

You know you love me,

g.