Skinny for the Emmys Black and White Cupcakes

If there are two trends that are fashionable right now, they're the black and white combo, and cupcakes. I love baked goods just as much as the next girl, but I have a trip that includes bikinis coming up. I found this recipe on the Hungry Girl website and wanted to try it for my family's holiday dinner. They took about 15 minutes to prepare two batches worth and only a  half hour to bake! Everyone loved them, and loved the calorie count (150 calories!) even more.

Ingredients: 
One 8-oz. tub fat-free cream cheese, room temperature 

1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute 
(like Egg Beaters Original)

1/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)

1 drop vanilla extract
Half of an 18.25-oz. box (about 1 3/4 cups) moist-style devil's food cake mix

3/4 cup club soda 


1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking liners. 

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, egg substitute, sweetener, and vanilla extract. With an electric mixer set to medium speed, beat until smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk cake mix with soda until smooth.

Evenly distribute cake mixture among the lined cups of the muffin pan. Smooth out the mixture with the back of a spoon.

Evenly distribute cream-cheese mixture among the cups. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out mostly clean, 24 - 26 minutes. (Make sure the chocolate cake layer is cooked through.)

Allow to cool completely. Enjoy! (P.S. Refrigerate leftovers.)

Edie Falco rockin' a gorgeous Stella McCartney black and white gown

Forever and Always- The Eternity Scarf

It's warm, its bold, and best of all- it's one size fits all. The Eternity Scarf. With last weeks blizzard, drawer slams were heard down the east coast as girls shoved their summer short shorts away and pulled out the sweaters and boots they've been waiting to wear since Memorial Day. Not only can these scarves be worn with heavy wool coats for snow days in the city, but can be worn inside at work or in class to give your outfit extra oomph. Scarves are one of the cheapest, most versatile accessories. Unlike other acccessories, you cant break them and you can't scratch them. Best versions of these scarves are basic. One colored. Look for deep tones this fall, like maroon, gray, and deep purple. You can even wear it in different ways, like as a vest or even a skirt!


Gray Cooperative Waffle Knit Scarf- Urban Outfitters



Blue Denada Eternal Knit Scarf

The College Girl's Guide to Business Casual

Linen Pants
JCrew

Sweatpants, ripped jeans, hoodies. These are the staples of many college students' outfits as they rush to get to class on time or hang out in their dorm rooms all day. And when those days come up that call for "business casual attire" whether it be for a class presentation or an interview, cries of panic can be heard throughout campus. Here is a simple guide to the vague term of "business casual" that will help you look fashionable and presentable each time you are met with a business casual dilemma:

1. Find a great pair of black pants, make sure they are a little loose (but not bordering cargo)
2. Skirts- great for work, an interview, and even happy hour drinks. The key is finding the right length, make sure they reach just above the knee so as to make yourself not look stocky, or more importantly skanky
3. Dresses- my favorite of the three options. A few great dresses can make styling a million times easier, as you don;t have to mix or match.

Brown Linen Skirt
H&M.com

 -- make sure they are knee length
 -- no tube tops or halters or bra straps
 -- thick sleeveless is appropriate, but remember to bring a cardigan or cute blazer for those cold office cubicles!
4. Pencil Skirts- sexy and professional. They can't help but hire you.
5. Shirts- theres hundreds of different shirts that are appropriate. If you must wear a camisole, make sure you wear a pretty cardigan over it and tuck the shirt in your pants or skirts. Nothing see through. Button ups are great, but to create a more feminine look, a patterned or floral skirt really helps.
6. Great pair of heels. 1-2 inches is enough height to make your legs look longer, but short enough to make a long day bearable.
7. Pretty flats. So comfortable you could even walk to work in them.

Print Jersey Dress
Ann Taylor

Never, Evers:

1. Shorts.
2. Mini skirts
3. Any "too tight" clothing that you're dad wouldn't let you out of the house wearing.
4. Hide your undies, hide your bras.

Key stores:
H&M, Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, JCrew

Remember, all of the clothes you buy for business attire should be of good quality so that they last for a long time. These are staples of your every day life, or will be, so invest now. Who knows, you might even begin to like them?

The Great Cape Debate

Cubus

So recently I've been thinking about superheroes, my semester abroad in London, and my love for vintage shopping. What do all three have in common? Beautiful capes. If your not familiar, capes are like half jackets, they have armholes but no sleeves, cover your body but don't constrict you. Most importantly, the perfect cape can give you a whole new wave of confidence as you walk down a crowded street looking effortlessly chic. The biggest deterrent most people have when deciding whether to buy a cape is the question, "But when would I actually wear this?" The answer: Every season. This spring, a cape is a great transition jacket from frosty winter days to the warmer months of April and May. For summer, a cape can be a great topper to a light summer dress, great for when there's a breeze by the beach at night but you still want to finish your sangria outside. As fall rolls around, the same cape can be worn over skinny jeans, with great boots and a long sleeve blouse. During the winter, use the cape as a great layering tool with trendy furry boots with thick socks peeking out, a knit sweater, long gloves, and a cute winter hat. One final tip. When shopping for the perfect cape, be selective. You don't want to end up in one of those tasseled ponchos circa 4th grade when you still had your batman lunchbox. Find simplicity and quality, and you will win the great cape debate. 

American Apparel

Alley Cat Vintage

Even Cover Girls Cover Up

INC Printed Caftan

There may be one thing I look forward to more than bikini lines and sipping margaritas poolside. Cover ups. An excuse to wear a dress all day and more importantly eat without worrying, cover ups provide the comfort and style that skimpy bathing suits often lack. My bohemian style is most appropriate at the beach, where loose fitting and flowing tops are the perfect compliment to the relaxed atmosphere of vacation. Add bright colors and some jeweled touches, and you've got the look. While you may have limited yourself to the old terrycloth/towel look in the past, this is the year to break free of heavy materials and let yourself frolic in light satins, cottons, and polyesters. Elastics are key for feeling comfortable after one too many burgers and appletinis or playing volleyball with the boys. Don't be turned off by cover ups that look more like dresses, you can take these looks from day to night by simply adding a necklace and espadrilles. As far as colors go, don't let your skin be the only thing that's red, and go bold with your cover ups. Safari patterns are not as outlandish when worn as a pool cover up, and deep sunset colors like royal blue and purple create a romantic vibe. Just remember that you can be sexy without baring everything, and a hot cover up is the best sneak peak to what's underneath.

Forever21 Afternoon Woven Dress

Foverer21 Springtime Breeze Dress

Spring Break: Swimsuit Edition!

GOTTEX Bikini Top

Since the plane landed back home last march, we've all been awaiting this year's romp on the beach, complete with real or fake tan, and of course, the perfect bathing suit. This year, the same trends shown on the runway have been translated to bikinis, tankinis, and one-peiceinis. Whether its bright colors such as fuchsia or turquoise, animal prints, or rhine stones, pretty much anything goes this season. This year I had the fortune to discover the huge array of bathing suits Victoria Secret has to offer. The best part is that all of their tops and bottoms share the same colors so mixing and matching is so easy, and you get four different looks for the price of two bathing suits! More important than style (there is one thing) is fit. Unless you have a page in this month's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, no one wants to see "extras" coming out of your behind, so buy a bottom that fits, maybe even a size up from your normal underwear if you haven't done any squats in a while. For those small on top, bandeaus are great as well as halters with an underwire to give that extra boost. For those larger endowed, underwire shouldn't even be an option. There is such a thing as too much. Target and Zappos.com are great sites to pick up a bunch of suits for even more affordable prices. Check out these suits and don't forget to put on sunscreen!

Zappos.com Type Z Lola Bikini in Black 

Victoria's Secret Beach Sexy Bandeau Top and Bright Pink String Bottom

Target Xhileration Animal Print Triangle Top

Saturday, March 5

Check out the looks that this closet inspired on the My Pieces page!