Plus Size Clothes: Helpful or Hurtful?

Forever 21 is expanding their clothing empire to accomodate "plus size" girls looking for the latest and greatest in affordable fashion. In addition, Target is set to launch a line called "Pure Energy" with clothes up to size 30.

If you know me, you know that I am a big fan of both Forever 21 and Target. I have had trouble fitting into some of Forever 21's tops and dresses because I am very heavy chested. Frankly, most of Forever 21's clothes (regardless of their actual size) are made for girls with small chests. So, I'd love to see more tops and dresses for women with ample busts. It's not so much the size of the clothing, but rather the cut. Are you listening Forever 21?

However, some critics worry if creating these lines will, in the long run, promote obesity. "When you look at the human cost, what we're doing is we're on the Titanic and rather than forcing our children into the lifeboat, we're telling them to join the band. Worrying about fashion rather than worrying about the food is a horrible message that we're sending these kids," Roth said in a CNN article.

The fact of the matter is that many clothing companies stop producing clothes after a size 10, although the average woman is a size 14.

So, what do we think? Do plus size lines like these help or hurt us?

Who Pays?

Poll: When you're out on a date with a guy who pays?

A) He pays every time like a gentleman.

B) We split it 50/50. Fairsy-squaresy.

C) Depends on who asked who on the date.

D) Other.

Does it matter who asked who? Does your/his financial situation

matter? Do the rules change if you've been dating for a while?

I'm in the 2009 mindset that 50/50 is fair. Chances are my date isn't

a millionaire so why should he pay every time? Although, for first dates

(assuming he asked me out) I think him offering to pay is a nice gesture.

Sweet Truth.

Yes, exactly. I love this. Compliments of Le Love.

500 Days of Summer.

Yes, yes, yes! I need to see this movie.

Single Ladies in London.

This is marketing genius. Trident is sponsoring a free Beyonce concert in London, England. Check out these 100 women break it down to the "Single Ladies" dance. Must learn this dance.

Shrink Your Bills!

With the economy is the metaphoric toilet right now we're all trying to save moolah! I stumbled across this website and wanted to share it with you.

It's called BillShrink and it's a tool that helps you compare things like cell phone plans and credit cards. It's really simple. You plug in your current information and it comes up with other plans, gas prices, credit cards that will save you money! Check it out here. Genius. All they need now is a tool to compare health/auto insurance. Wouldn't that be helpful?

Me, Me. Me!

We live in a narcissistic society. Or at least Newsweek thinks so. The article, titled "Generation Me," explores the narcissism epidemic and why we're not all that special.

"...And though it is too soon to tell if our economic free fall will cure America of its sense of economic privilege, it has made it much harder to get the money together to give our kids six-figure sweet-16 parties and plastic surgery for graduation presents, all in the name of "self esteem." And that's a good thing, because as Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell point out in their excellent book "The Narcissism Epidemic," released last week, we've built up the confidence of our kids, but in that process, we've created a generation of hot-house flowers puffed with a disproportionate sense of self-worth (the definition of narcissism)," says writer Raina Kelley.

I have to agree. I know a slew of people who think pretty highly of themselves. People who "don't wait in lines" at clubs, think they can get everything for free, who parade around like they're Paris Hilton (and even Paris Hilton shouldn't parade around like she's Paris Hilton)!

"Treating the whole world as if it works for you doesn't suggest you're special, it means you're an ass."

There is a fine line between confidence and narcissism. But, where is the line?

Freddie Mac CFO Found Dead.

"David Kellermann, the acting chief financial officer of mortgage

giant Freddie Mac, was found dead at his home Wednesday morning

in what police said was an apparent suicide," according to Newsmax.com.

Freddie's McLean, Virginia location has been heavily scrutinized for their

business practices and contributing to the economic mess we are currently in.

Kellermann was a Vienna resident. Very chilling, no? What a sad, sad incident.

"Opposite Marriage."

Miss California was recently asked about same-sex marriage during the Miss USA show Sunday night.

She calls heterosexual marriage "opposite marriage." Oh, bother. The media has gone nuts over this and many people are speculating that she lost the crown because of her answer. While I certainly do not agree with Miss California, she is entitled to her own opinion. That being said, the way she delivered her answer was less than stellar.

Click here for her highly publicized answer.

With all that being said, are pageants still relevant? I'm sure you can guess my answer.

Exhausted.

I have had very little energy these past few months. I'm constantly

tired and run-down. I'm exercising regularly-ish, sleeping 8 hours each

night and am eating my fruits and veggies. What gives?

Holy Smokes!

There's been so much buzz about Susan Boyle of Britain's Got Talent, and it seems we have another powerhouse on our hands! This kid is incredible. He gave me goosebumps! Watch the whole thing.

Genius.

Wedding dances, by tradition, are pretty boring and dry. However, many couples have started spicing things up with choreographed dances to shake things up.

Check out this couples 'first dance' and the brides and her girlfriends work it out to Single Ladies by Beyonce. Work it, ladies!

PS: I am loving the art gallery-ish type space they used and the bride's off-beat dress. Very unique and quirky.

Daydreaming.

The weather is lovely and sunny today (for a change) and
it's got me daydreaming of where I would love to spend this
beautiful day. Paris, of course. Joanna from A Cup of Jo is jetting
off to Paris soon with her fiance and I couldn't be more jealous.

How about a picnic lunch of croissant sandwiches and a bottle of
wine in front of the Eiffel Tower? Oui! Walk through the streets of
Montmartre eyeing all the beautiful artwork? Oui! Must move to
Paris. Must start learning French.

Hollywood Divorce.

Mel Gibson's wife, Robyn Gibson, is divorcing him. After 28 years of marriage, Robyn has cited "irreconciable differences." Don't you mean adultery and a slew of other legit reasons to can his ass? This divorce is rumored to be the biggest payout in Hollywood history; $500 million to be exact. With rumors of multiple infidelities (ahem, Filippino prostitute) I find it rather hypocritical that a man with such devout Christian roots would get caught up in such scandelous, un-Christian-like affairs. Not to mention a thousand racial tirades.

Cheat on me after I supported you throughout your career? Embarrass me after 28 years of marriage? Hook up with a prostitute? Drink and drive? Go off on drunken racial rants about Jews and other minorities?

Um, no. I don't think so. That half a mill is well deserved, thank you.

5 Things Women Notice First About Men

I ran into a fun article recently about what men first notice about women and decided to come up with my own list. When you're scoping someone out (total stranger, friend of a friend, boyfriend, whoever) what do you notice first?

Five Things Women Notice About A Guy When They First Meet:

Face: This one is pretty obvious, but I typically dig a guy with unique features. Your “crooked smile” or “deep set eyes” are probably adorable to everyone else. Also, good teeth are extremely important. Yellow teeth due to smoking or bad hygiene is a deal-breaker. Crest Whitestrips, anyone?!

Clothes/Shoes: I am under the mindset that a man’s clothing says a lot about him. While I am not looking for an Armani this or a Gucci that, I definitely appreciate a guy that takes longer than 5 seconds to throw on his clothing. Excessively baggy jeans, puka shell necklaces (circa middle-school) and ratty shoe-wearers need not apply, thank you. To quote Cher from Clueless, "I don't mean to be a traitor to my generation, but I do not get how guys dress today. I mean, com'on, it looks like they fell out of bed and put on some baggy pants and take their greasy hair - ew- and cover it up with a backwards cap and we're expected to swoon? I don't think so." Well said, Cher.

Arms: A little muscle goes a long way. Body-building gun-show guns are not necessary to catch a woman's attention. If you're a little small in the muscle department, please don't compensate by wearing tightly fitting 'muscle shirts.' Hell, even if your guns are huge don't wear 'muscle shirts.' It says that you're trying too hard. Yes, I like your muscles. Yes, I see that you go to the gym. Yes, I can tell you're big and strong. But I don't need to see the arms of your shirt bursting at the seams because you don't know what size shirt to buy.

Hair: I’ve gotta say that hair is a big one for many women. While some ladies prefer the longer Zac Efron-esque coif, and others like their men with short-short hair, the style doesn’t matter as much as that your hair is clean and cut on a regular-ish basis.

Butt: I like a little somethin’ to hold onto! Enough said.

Now, of course personality is numero uno. A guy can be a solid 10, but if his personality sucks he’s not getting anywhere. I think most women would agree.

The Power of Twitter.

A lot of my friends have recently been chatting about Twitter. "What is it?" "Why do I need one?" Well, the New York Times came out with a really interesting article today about Twitter and it's relevance to communication and how mega-powerful companies like Starbucks and Amazon are utilizing this tool.

"And over the weekend, Amazon.com learned how important it was to respond to the Twitter audience. After one author noticed that Amazon had reclassified books with gay and lesbian themes as “adult” and removed them from the main search and sales rankings, a protest broke out on blogs and Twitter. The company felt compelled to respond despite the Easter holiday, initially saying the problem was due to a “glitch in our system” but later blaming a “ham-fisted cataloging error” that affected more than 57,000 books dealing with health and sex," reports the article.

So, why do you need/want Twitter? Well, Twitter's co-founder says it best.

“Twitter lets people know what’s going on about things they care about instantly, as it happens,” said Evan Williams, Twitter’s chief executive and co-founder. “In the best cases, Twitter makes people smarter and faster and more efficient.”

More Paperwork, Please!

This week is a really busy week for me. But, I am trying to reorganize

my life this week. I feel so out of whack when my workspace/room/home/inbox

is cluttered. However, I can't complain too much cause I'm getting a massage

Thursday night. So necessary to my life. How do you unwind?

Flo Rida's Number.

(305) 528-2786 is Flo Rida's personal phone number.

And he, surprisingly, wants his fans to call him.

Give him a ring and tell me how it goes.

Hell Has Frozen Over.

Tila Tequila is apparently dating Billy Corgan of the Smashing

Pumpkins. Where is my inhaler? I am going to die of hyperventilation.

Tila Tequila? Are you kidding me, Billy? I just... can't even speak.

"Ohhh, Mariah Carey..." Part 4,325.

Ohhh, Mariah Carey... You know what, I used to really love you. I used to roller-skate around my basement listening to your CDs and sang 'Dreamlover' on the playground.

And now? Well, now not so much. You seemed to have lost your amazing, glass-shattering voice. In fact, these days when you do get on stage, you lipsynch. Sure, we expect that from Britney Spears but not from you. You're Mariah Freakin' Carey, for God's sakes.

Second of all, get a stylist. Seriously. Get. A. Stylist. Mariah honey, you are 40 years old. And don't get me wrong, your body is smokin' hot for a 40 year old. But, this whole platform-shoe, mini skirt, 90's esque thing you've got goin' on is making me absolutely crazy. Every outfit you wear is like nails on a chalkboard for me. You have an ungodly amount of money, so why are you dressing like a 17 year old girl in 1997? Just stop it.

Third, you married Nick Cannon. Enough said.

Last, did you perm your hair? That is going to put me over the edge...

The end.

Best Engagement Stories in NoVa.

Ok, so I am total sap. I love the mooshiest of the mooshy and

the cheesiest of the cheese. If you're like me, then you'll love these

engagement stories that Northern Virginia Magazine has compiled

for our Best Engagement Story contest. From proposals in front of the

Taj Mahal to Cinderella's castle at Disney World...

I gotta say, these guys get two big thumbs up from me. These are definitely
not the cliche proposal-over-dinner stories. For lots of cheesy, lovely stories
click here. What's the best engagement story you've heard?

Equality!

The Iowa Supreme Court this morning unanimously upheld

gays’ right to marry. This is fabulous for so many reasons, one of

which is because Iowa is thought to be mainstream, middle America.

If Iowa can pass this legislation, any state can! How exciting!

New Smoking Tax. Fair or Not?

CNN is reporting that a new cigarette tax is in place. "The cigarette excise tax that tobacco companies must pay the federal government rose Wednesday by 61.6 cents per pack, or $6.16 per carton. The tax now comes to about $10.10 per carton, or $1.01 per pack."

That's $1.01 just in tax alone for a single pack of cigarettes. Seems like a lot of tax on such a small item, huh?

Don't get me wrong, if cigarettes didn't exist I would be happy as clam. I have plenty of bad habits of my own, but my bad habits don't affect other people like cigarette smoke does. That being said, is this tax fair? It's certainly a lot of money to pay for a pack of cigarettes! Also, how is this going to affect Virginia's economy that is very much founded on the tobacco industry? Smokers: Will taxes like these influence your decision to buy (or not buy) cigarettes? What price for a pack of cigarettes would be too much to pay? Or does the price matter? Thoughts?