This season we aren’t seeing dark colors. Forget polka dots and stripes. The current clothing trends are all about bold, vibrant, stand-out colors. Neon and cobalt are the great trends. Go decked out in these pieces or add one bold color to accent a favorite outfit. It doesn’t matter how you put it together.

Personally, I am loving the addition of one subtle bold accent. An orange belt, a fuchsia pink scarf, a pair of cobalt shoes. All of these are the perfect addition to the wardrobe you already have in place, without breaking the bank to work the current trend into your closet.

Below are some of my current favorite items in this trend:

There is a new fashion-related TV show that began this January called Jane By Design. I’ve caught a number of the episodes and am highly attracted to the fashion elements. It is full of creative outfits and most of them worn by the main character are modest and adorable. The trouble, as with many programs today, is that the show glorifies bad actions that lead to good results.

For example, Jane is mistaken for an adult and is hired to be the assistant of one of the top executives in the fashion design firm. In order to get away with it she has her best friend forge documents that say she is older than her 18 years. She lies to her guidance counselor in order to get permission to intern for part of her senior year. She lies to her brother, who is her guardian, also telling him it is an internship. She lies to everyone at the fashion company,… click here to read whole article and make comments

Last weekend, here in the United States we had our most anticipated sporting event – The Superbowl. The football game has a reputation for its over-the-top half-time show as well as its inventive commercials. In fact, many people watch the game more for those features than for the actual team rivalry.

There was a little uproar because one of the half-time performers flipped her middle finger at the camera. But, to me, this was nothing compared to the blatant sexism that was in many of the commercials aired that night. It’s high time for women to stop being inserted into commercials like one more object.

There was the car commercial that had the male driver zipping through a racecourse where every fan was a bikini-wearing long-haired bombshell. Or the commercial for a vocal talent show with a leather-clad singer and a senior citizen actress who makes a comment about men wanting her for her body.… click here to read whole article and make comments

Last week there was a large uproar in the United States because of a decision the Susan G. Komen foundation made to cut funding to Planned Parenthood. The foundation, which hopes to find a cure to breast cancer, decided to stop providing grant money to the abortion provider because it was unable to track the way the monies were being spent. The grants given were supposed to be for breast cancer screenings, but many Planned Parenthood locations do not even provide that service. Additionally, since the organization is under investigation by the federal government Komen felt it was best to remove the money.

The decision was met with the expected applause from some and dissent from others. Except those that cried foul were so loud and vociferous that the Komen foundation reversed its decision and will once again be funding Planned Parenthood.

The waffling of Komen strikes me as the act of a coward. The… click here to read whole article and make comments

I missed the Grammy's last night. But it's impossible to miss the buzz this morning. The winners, the losers; the Whitney Houston tribute; the best dressed, the worst dressed; and... Nicki Minaj's anti-Catholic 'Roman Holiday' performance. Of course I caught the highlights online, read the articles and ended up watching a very choppy YouTube video of Minaj's performance. The video quality may have been poor but it was easy to see the beginning confession scene and the attempted exorcism. It was also easy to see the dancers dressed as monks and seemingly pious altar servers praying while scantily-clad women gyrated around them. (Do yourself a favor and skip watching the video, even out of curiosities sake. Trust me.)

As I watched the five-minute video it got me thinking... what is it about anti-religious performances that people consider art? And why? Art is supposed to be something that lifts the spirits, that makes you think beyond… click here to read whole article and make comments

I love the oversized sweater trend that made a splash this fall, but let’s be honest it is not the easiest trend to wear. Anything big and baggy can lead to frumpy looks, which we all want to avoid, even on our most relaxed days. So how can you wear the oversized sweater trend without feeling like a shapeless balloon? Try the tips and techniques below and check out the polyvore collage for more mixing and matching ideas.

How to wear an oversized sweater:

1. Always wear a structured and fitted bottom. A pencil skirt, a pair of skinny jeans, leggings if the sweater is long enough.
2. Cinch it with a belt. To give some shape to the shapeless item try belting it at different places to see where it works best.
3. Add a bold scarf. This little addition will create emphasis on your face drawing other’s attention away from the bulk of the sweater.
… click here to read whole article and make comments

Packing for vacation, whether it's a weekend away or several weeks, is no easy task. How many of us have accdentally packed too much? You heave the suitcase in the trunk of the car and cringe at the thought you might need to pay the over-weight fee at the airport. Packing lightly and smartly takes time and practice. You need to put an effort into thinking through versatile outfits and packable clothing items.

I've done a fair amount of traveling over the years and now I've got it down to a science. Here are my thoughts on packing light and how to get the most out of your suitcase:

1. Start with basics. The little black dress, the basic pencil skirt, the perfect-fitting pair of pants, etc... Each of these items should be highly interchangeable.
2. Keep it all in the same color family. If you pack a bunch… click here to read whole article and make comments

After nearly three months, my brother has graduated from boot camp and is now a full-fledged Marine. Most of my family had the opportunity to go out to San Diego to see him graduate. I got the next best thing – a lot of FaceTime and Skype time with him. (Here's the post I wrote when he left for boot camp.)

The amazing thing to me is to see all the changes he has undergone. There are physical changes. He lost more than 30 pounds while there and packed on the muscle. He is leaner in the waist and perhaps broader in the shoulders. Before leaving it was difficult to convince him to run a mile with me; on his last physical fitness test while there he ran three miles in 18 minutes and thought he could have done better. His face is more defined, his head closely shaved. He stands taller. (The picture below was taken as… click here to read whole article and make comments

Like most Americans, when I was 17 I was faced with a difficult decision. Which school would I attend? I applied to a handful of schools – only those that had both a nursing and a journalism degree since I was undecided about my future aspirations. Of those schools, I was declined from one and got into all the rest. And then the real decision began.

Although, to be honest, it wasn’t much of a decision on my part. I wanted Marquette – a private Jesuit-run university. From the first moment I visited I fell in love with the small urban campus and the gothic interior of the church. I felt attuned to the students there and wanted to be part of a small but active College of Communications. (pic from 8000Credit.org)

The real decision was convincing my dad it was a worthwhile financial obligation. He offered me an alternative, the same that… click here to read whole article and make comments

A few months ago I hosted my very first clothing swap. The premise is simple, every attendee brings gently used clothing that they are no longer using. You get the chance to get rid of things you can't fit into or are no longer interested in and can take home someone else's quality castaways. A swap can be a great event to pull in a couple friends or to plan for your local community. While I’m no expert, here’s what I did to plan and pull off the event. If done right these events can have very little overhead costs and don’t require as much time and planning as other kinds of events.