The Fall Edition

We here by solemnly swear to refrain from those old played out fall cliches. There wont be "Fall Back into School" or "Falling into Fashion" nonsense here. No siree.

(But we do hope you Fall in love with our picks for the autumn weather.)

So here's the skinny (literally): we still love our skinny jeans. But to beat the cooler clime we're gonna add a thousand layers on top: long tanks, eccentric vests, wool scarves, soft organic cotton over-sized tees, knits like grandma makes, and a giant purse too. East Coast autumns easily Fall above the West Coast's when I get to start pulling out these essentials. It makes me wish the palm trees at home turned colors and shed their leaves too.

This Fall season, the tucked-in button down is big. Keep up the balancing act with little flouncy skirts like this one from Forever 21 and a sweet brown belt to keep things classy. Don't Fall running to class latte in hand.

And while the best part of this time of year is the color palette of Mother Nature, take a leaf out of her book and go golden too. Bronze looks great in these prints and in subtle embroidery. Fall into the trend with this look also from Forever 21.

I personally always have a hard time with fitting the feet as a sandals-or-nothing kinda gal in the summer, so head over to H&M where their boot assortment boasts high-fashion styles at less then $60 a pop. The whole head-to-toe layered look (above) is less than $140 and every piece is just as Fall-worthy alone as it is together.

Fall is in the air--duh, it's 55 degrees out. So get inspired, grab an apple cider, and fall in love with Fall.

Images from thelivingcolor.blogspot, hm.com, and forever21.com

Go Greek

Toga, toga, toga.

Maybe that's a familiar chant for you freshmen walking down Frat Row, but here's some sophomoric advice: ditch the sheet and go Greek with Matiko's end of season sale.

Sandals, boots, heels, and wedges galore with styles perfect for transitioning summer into fall. Try pairing black Sierras with jean shorts and a sweater and you'll be the talk of the sisterhood. Dress up jeans with Moira for a date with an Alpha Epsilon Pi brother. Or make like Hermes and fly to class with a pair of Romans. Anyway you choose, Matiko's line has the variety and value of Mount Olympus to leave any sole-searcher perfectly happy with their new pair.

These shoes are going fast, especially with their sale prices over 50% off the original tag.

So lift your plastic red cup of Franzia in honor of Dionysis--and in honor of your fantastic new kicks.


Images from matiko.com

Workin' At the Car Wash

Car wash.

Mention these two little words on a college campus and you'll elicit images of suds, bikinis, and possibly cheeseburgers (a la Paris Hilton in her Carl's Jr. commercial). Dream on, boys.

But really, your car is your best friend. It gets you from South Campus to Main without having to wait 40 minutes for the next bus. It cools you off in the summer months with the AC cranked up to arctic coolness. It saves you from that freezing cold walk to Starbucks in the winter. Quite a one-way relationship, don't you think?

Time to give back.

Give it some TLC with a wash from the sorority girls of Delta Gamma today that'll run you only $5. Hand washed, your car will never sparkle like it has after the girls are through with it. Grab some coffee or treats from Delta Goodies while you're waiting for the lovely ladies to work their magic. The best part: all proceeds from the Delta Gamma car wash will go to the sorority's philanthropy, Service for Sight.

Talk about good, clean fun.

Images from tampabaylighteningcar.com and ATCOM

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

Ok, funny guy, here's one for you.

Knock Knock. Who's there?
Meringue. Meringue who?
You'll be meringue-ing on our door for these red velvet cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Fluffy Meringue Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Meringue Icing

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
• Pinch fine salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 drops pure almond extract
• Equipment: Standard 12 (1/2 cup) muffin tin

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For meringue icing:

Bring a few inches of water to a gentle simmer in a saucepan large enough to hold a standing mixer bowl above the water. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt together in the bowl until combined. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth and hot to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until meringue is cool and holds a soft peak, 4 to 5 minutes. With the speed on low, add the vanilla and almond extracts; increase speed to medium and continue whisking until mixture is glossy and holds a stiff peak, 1 to 2 minutes more.

To decorate:

Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread about 1/2 cup meringue over each cupcake and sprinkle with sprinkles.

Seriously, these cupcakes are no laughing matter.

Recipe and image from foodnetwork.com

Kid

Kid by Simon Armitage

Batman, big shot, when you gave the order

to grow up, then let me loose to wander

leeward, freely through the wild blue yonder

as you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,

in the gutter ... well, I turned the corner.

Now I've scotched that 'he was like a father

to me' rumour, sacked it, blown the cover

on that 'he was like an elder brother'

story, let the cat out on that caper

with the married woman, how you took her

downtown on expenses in the motor.

Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!

Holy roll-me-over-in the-clover,

I'm not playing ball boy any longer

Batman, now I've doffed that off-the-shoulder

Sherwood-Forest-green and scarlet number

for a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;

now I'm taller, harder, stronger, older.

Batman, it makes a marvelous picture:

you without a shadow, stewing over

chicken giblets in the pressure cooker,

next to nothing in the walk-in larder,

punching the palm of your hand all winter,

you baby, now I'm the real boy wonder.

Image from bat-blog

Bookworm

You're running back and forth across campus every 55 minutes, your purse is now you're book bag, and the library is looking more and more homey. It must mean one thing: school has resumed.

Get your nerd on with some of these out-of-class titles.

I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert
An educated laugh.





L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
It's not an expose tell-all like most think. It is a retelling of her past with different characters, and names may have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent. Who says all books should be educational, anyway. At least you're reading, right?

Even Cowgirls Get The Blues by Tom Robbins
Even if you did get into that upper-level psychedelic literature class, there was never a guarantee that Cowgirls would've been on the reading list.



How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
When you leave your beloved Dungeons and Dragons to actually explore the campus, you'll be thankful they wrote a book for that sort of thing.




Glamorous Disasters by Eliot Schrefer
Clearly captures the moods most of us college and post-college individuals feel being pushed into the real world--in a very Gossip Girl meets NYC Prep and had a baby with The Nanny Diaries kind of way.



Images from merch-bot and amazon.com

And I Quote...

"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me" - Steve Carell as Michael Scott in "The Office"

Image from nbc.com

Leaving On A Jet Plane

You're bags are packed and you're ready to go. Time to tackle that cross-continental 6-and-a-half-hour flight in less-than-favorable conditions (thunderstorms at your layover in Philadelphia, Hurricane Bill at JFK, anyone?). DailyCandy.com, my favorite e-mail publication, offers some of the best travel advice. So this is for you, you jet-setters of the world.

Check, Please
"Many airlines (American, Continental, Northwest, United, US Airways, Frontier, AirTran, and Spirit) now charge $15 each way for the first checked bag (the. nerve.), and Delta starts soon. (Funny, most still want a fuel surcharge though gas prices have dropped.) Southwest and Virgin America still offer free checked bags, but the smart call is to carry on only. Bulky coat and boots? Wear them on board."

Bottle Service
"Most airlines won’t offer you so much as a bottle of water. And forget the meal, not that you’ll miss it. Little did we know you can BYO empty water bottle through security and then fill it at a water fountain. (It worked at JFK, LAX, and Hartsfield Atlanta, among others.) Thanks, but no thanks, for that funky airplane tap water."

Tips and Tricks in the Terminal
"The best time to tackle the to-do list? When there’s nothing to do. Stash in your carry-on: seven unread New Yorkers, unpaid AmEx bills, office expenses, tweezers. About those 357 unanswered e-mails…Need to get online? Check TravelPost’s handy airport WiFi guide. Need a power outlet? Look for the vacuum cleaner plugs (usually in a pillar — no one else is looking there). Need a comfy chair? Join Priority Pass for access to more than 500 airport lounges or pony up the $50 to get into your carrier’s for the day."

So settle your self in for the 2 hour line at security, nab the newest tabloid to entertain yourself, and go baby go.


Tips and images from DailyCandy.com

Shreddin' the Gnar, Bro

You're one to embrace the sand between your toes after a long day at the beach. You consider sea salt as your natural body butter. And you're no stranger to the motion of the ocean atop a surfboard at the dawn patrol for a gnarly swell. So traveling cross-country for college to a foreign, land-locked location is just a bummer, brah. Forget begging for your ocean breezes and a glimpse at a dolphin fin on the horizon, drop into the line-up with some college swank for some dank dormage, dude.

Line up several of these anchor hooks from Urban Outfitters along your dorm wall to add that first touch of nautical notion; perfect for loose scarves, towels, long chains, an extraneous jacket, you name it.

Then every shredder needs some shut-eye, so curl up with one of these Humble pillows thrown on your extra long twin (and, no, that is not a type of surfboard). Nab one of the seahorse and jellyfish designs, and they also come in printed towels and totes. Major props for the eco-friendly printed textiles too.

Eat your edibles off another Mother Earth-saving trick from Target: these recycled paper bowls come in sets of 2, and are definitely legit enough for your sick style. Also from the white and red store comes an air purifier that'll remind you of the chilly Alaskan current that sweeps in late summer. This Crane Penguin Air Purifier from Target is gnarly enough to keep your room dust-free (and even your bros think its pretty cute). Looking for something less "Surf's Up" and more sleek, dude? Bed Bath & Beyond will hook you up with this awesome air purifier for less than a week's worth of breakfast burritos.

Add then try tossing some wicker into the room to remind you of those walks down the shore smattered with driftwood. We're a fan of these righteous seagrass-weave baskets from World Market in an array of sizes. Totally boss for storage, man. Throw your sanuks in one, your baggies in another, and pray for the snow to clear up as you pile on the sweaters you keep in the other.

Just proving that you can take the bum away from the beach, but you can't take the beach out of the bum.

Images from Todd Glaser at Surfermag.com, Humble, Cost Plus World Market, Target.com, and Bed Bath & Beyond.

The End of Summer Playlist

Catch it while you can.

1. Earthquakes and Sharks - Brandston
2. Hollywood - Collective Soul
3. Oh Oh It's Magic - Pilot
4. White Houses - Vanessa Carlton
5. Wake Up - Sliimy
6. Coconut - The Sea and Cake
7. Good Girls Go Bad - Cobra Starship ft. Leighton Meester
8. Feeling Better - The Teenagers
9. It's All Right Here - Hannah Montana
10. How Love Should Be - Tyler Hilton
11. 40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
12. Wasted Time - Kings of Leon
13. The Blankest Year - Nada Surf
14. Supernova - Mr. Hudson ft. Kanye West
15. Shambala - 3 Dog Night
16. Everything I Asked For - The Maine
17. Silver Lining - Rilo Kiley
18. You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift
    
19. Sunny Hours - Long Beach Dub All-Stars
20. Starstrukk - 3OH!3

Image from art.com