Stop and Smell the Roses

Every week I take some time to stop and smell the roses. And then, I buy them for myself. I go home, cut off the edges and then take some time to figure out which vase they'll look the best in.

Since my room is Holt's bag hot pink, I've lately been choosing white mums - keeping it simple, yet chic, the white contrasting against the bright background tones.


But I change my flower of choice up as often as I change the OPI colour on my nails (this week 'Jade is the New Black'). Many of us blonde, bronzed, twentysomethings go for a weekly manicure or polish change and do other things that give us an extra glow and feeling of goodness. My weakness and weekly give-in: flowers.


The funkier,and brighter the bouquet the better. I have a unique taste and I think flowers can really match that uniqueness. I find choosing the right bouquet - whether it be for myself or for a friend - one of the easiest choices to make in life. How could it not be? Each bouquet says so much about a person, a mood, a day, and its purpose. When I choose a bouquet for a friend, I'm less concerned with the price - and if they have the right vase to fit it in - and more concerned about what flowers match their personality.

Picking Favourites


Most girls have a favourite flower. Mine just so happens to be peonies (see image above), oh and they just so happen to be in season around my birthday. How convenient. I was recently flipping through a magazine only to find a picture of peonies, and I actually ripped it out and placed said image next to my desk. Right next to my pink peonies - which though fabulously and obviously fake - seem to always get compliments and sentiments and really just brighten up the office. Which flower is your favourite? How do flowers make you feel?

Giving and Receiving

When I'm power walking down the street in my Lulu's and catch a glimpse of a guy holding a bouquet of flowers I absolutely melt. I then spend the next few minutes wondering who they're for, and picturing the person's reaction. All done with a subtle smile on my face. Recieving flowers is such a warm feeling. It's just such a simple way to say 'thinking of you' without using the words.

I find it incredibly fulfilling to give flowers to friends. I think I can confidently say that I have bought each of my close girlfriends a bouquet of flowers at one point or another, for a specific occasion. Selecting them is great because I get to integrate both of our personalities into a great bouquet. I too have been a receiver of flowers and as sappy as it is, I'd rather get flowers over a card any day (this coming from a writer!)

Livening up your Living Space

Growing up, each week my mom would fill the house with fresh flowers. I loved coming home from school on a Friday afternoon, just to see the flower of the week. There's something about having fresh flowers in the home that just livens up the whole place. So now that I live on my own, I try to create the same mood. My vases are my most prized possession. You know the way you feel about your ever-growing shoe collection? How you pick a pair to wear that you think is perfect for wherever your pretty-little-feet are taking you? Well that's how I feel about vases. Each one sets a different tone for the bouquet that is about to go in.

Now get up, head to the nearest florist and get yourself a bouquet to brighten your day. You'd be shocked to see the positive change in mood they promote.

- Jenny Jen

Plus One

I was invited to a very exclusive, invite only industry event and was lucky enough to be invited with a plus one. I thought about who I wanted to accompany me to said event and realized a lot of pressure comes with bringing a plus one. Do I choose a friend who'd appreciate the event and be oh-so-thrilled to be there? Do I bring some arm candy, the male equivalent of the trophy wife? Or do I just bring a family member since they are fam and are here for keeps? So much comes with making what seems like a simple decision. And just when I've made my decision, I find out that I have another event to go to on another night as well. Wash, rinse, repeat.

           Jenny Jen sits and ponders who to choose as her plus one

The idea of the plus one is quite burdensome to me, an admitted indecisive young being. Of course bringing a boyfriend would be the first option that comes to mind, but what if he's busy,unavailable or - dare I say - has no interest? Then am I a rejected failure who should hide in her walk in closet and not attend the event that every other person has their date at? The image of people asking me 'Where is so-and-so' all night to no avail would make my broken-record (and possible heart) responses sound guarded and defensive. Would jealousy run deep through my veins when I see fellow hand-holding-couples smiling at one another, as I grab my Blackberry and type (then delete) the whole guilt ridden 'Why aren't you here' text? Well, lucky for me that's not my style. I have fabulous girlfriends and great buddies who can fill in like none other and at times are the better option as it is.

Get this: Though we fantasize up a storm that we will have a steamy date to accompany us to whatever the function is, no one wants a plus one who doesn't want to be there. Think of the friends of yours who make their man come to everything and everything (yes, if you and your friends brought your man to the movie Valentines Day - or better yet, the ballet - I'm talking directly to you.) We need to shape up and ensure we choose the right person for the right event.

Jenny Jen's Tips on How to Choose a Plus One

Trust me, I've learned from experience, do not - i repeat, do not - bring someone somewhere with you that you had to persuade or guilt-trip into it. The fact that they don't want to be there and that you know it has the power alone to ruin it.

Make sure whoever you bring will fit in, will feel comfortable and is not out of place. Someone who gets awkward in fancy establishments (think: converse wearing hipster) shouldn't be your first choice. Comfort zone and ability to adapt to a new environment is key.

Our friends and significant others make you a better you. Don't pity bring someone if something comes up last minute, just to have a plus one. Instead, put on your favourite lip stick, pumps, and confidence and rsvp as a one, and work it girl!

- Jenny Jen

Being Fake

Being fake is the new in. Social gatherings invite you to come on out, plaster that million dollar smile across your fully made-up face, put on your hottest little number, and say 'hi' and 'hello' and 'oh, how have you been' to all the acquaintances you've added to your acquaintance roster over the years (likely from past social gatherings such as this.) Let's face it ladies: You are situated in a room (that is never big enough) with your former exes, their current girlfriends, your ex-bestie and your new replacement for her, the guy you went home with last week, and there is no such avoidance, because you can only dodge or do the classic we-just-made-eye-contact-but-i'll-totally-pretend-I-was-looking-at-something-else (that Michael Cera epitomizes in Superbad) oh so many times (tune into the 32 second mark of this clip to know what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVmfrTcH0AM ). So take another sip of that liquid courage and be the bigger, better (and prettier) person and make the first form of contact right off the bat. I guarantee it will make your nerves and the spot-and-dash game non-existent.

Why are we fake?

Truth be told, shmoozing with people at a social gathering is (at times) great. It's the perfect way to catch up with people you only see every now and again and get a summarized run down of their happenings in under five minutes. Having said that, you may see people who you have a history with. And boy do politics talk. So instead of saying what's really on your mind and approaching the obvious elephant in the room, being fake allows civility. The fact of the matter is if you didn't go to the event, you wouldn't have approached the situation in the first place, so why discuss it here? A social gathering isn't the place or time to bring up past issues. So sure, you could pretend The Enemy isn't sitting across the room in her perfect shoes, with her perfectly blow dried hair (that bitch!) but she is and you both know it. So a little smile and a friendly wave, head nod, hello or acknowledgement of your choice will suffice. After all, someone needs to break the ice before so the room doesn't freeze over. Got it? Good.


Jessica Simpson dated Tony Romo following Carrie Underwood and his split. They have both publicly made ill will comments about one another to the press and their dislike of one another is well known. Yet here they are, blonde, bronzed, twentysomethings faking it up at a social gathering. And for a mere for minutes of awkwardness, I don't blame them!

Benefits of Being Fake

Let bygones be bygones, so the story goes. Sometimes in a faux-convo you may realize that all this bitterness and resentment really is over something so silly. See this run in as an opportunity to ease your mind and accept the situation for what it is. I'm not saying make up and be best buddies, but sometimes falling outs happen and it doesn't hurt to take a moment to acknowledge it for your own benefit. We tend to avoid what hurts. Living is made easy when one takes charge. So make peace with the enemy for your own sanity and lay your worrisome blonde head to rest.


Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag went from bff's to former friends as soon as Heidi's boyfriend came in the picture. The two girls ran into each other at Lauren's birthday and had a brief moment where they reminisced and accepted the inevitable change that they no longer are what they were.

On 'Being Fake's' Bad Rap

If I gave you a measly penny for every time you've hear a lady friend of yours say 'I hate that girl - she's so fake' you'd be a millionaire, right? We all complain to one another in our gossip-nest about fake girls. Being labeled as 'fake' is a negative connotation, but - if I may be blunt - I don't see why being fake is all that bad. It is pleasant and the big thing to do. If being fake is acknowledging someone then lock me up. I'm no angel, but I'm not into grudges that are likely over misunderstandings or misjudgements anyways. Have a heart. Oh and if you see me out and we have some history and you want to be a tough-gal, run far or go hide in a stall because when we cross paths, trust you me, I will flash you my smile and will whole-heartedly say hi and not because I have to, but because I genuinely want to.

Jenny Jen chatting with an "acquintance" at a social gathering. The person has been blacked out for privacy reasons. See, being "fake" isn't all that bad after all. Now, where did I leave my halo?

- Jenny Jen

Up Close and Kissable

You are out on a date and you observe the couples around you. Perhaps there is a couple you catch out of the corner of your eye, leaning over holding hands across the table. Aww. You may catch in your peripheral vision, a couple sitting side by side, their hands on one anothers thighs in a subtle-sweet kind of way. This all sounds all well and good, but you just may even get your eyes on some hot, hot loving. I'm talking about a full make-out session at the dinner table next to you. Ahhhh, I sigh, PDA at its finest. We all have certain thoughts on the subject and limits to what is ok in front of others and what our limits are in regards to seeing other couples. Based on those thoughts, we judge accordingly. What type of PDA floats your speedy little boat?

Are you a tame tease? A hot-n-bothered vixen? A do-me-now-nymph? Or are you the more serious, conservative type that even keeps hand holding and staring longingly into your partner’s eyes for behind closed doors? Were you once a PDA-er in a previous relationship and now an anti-PDAee in your current sitch? Is whether or not you involve yourself in the PDA realm depend on whom you're with? Or is it exclusive to you miss I-don't-change-for-anyone?

I instantly play the 'Sex in the City' episode in my head when Carrie and Berger are out on a date at a restaurant and spend their evenings with their tongues down one anothers throats at the dinner table. Though I thought it was bold, it just made so much sense. You don't feel uncomfortable watching them because as viewers, we are rooting for the heroine - we get they are just started a relationship and the chemistry is a' flying!

Isn't it funny the way it is that we are sometimes shocked to see certain public displays of affection?

I'm comfortable with advancing from the PG13 rating to a little AA action if deemed necessary. No matter what, I go with what is natural and never make it XXX. I keep it subtle, simple and solely resort to it because that is what I'm feeling in the moment. Yes, I've been known to kiss - not passionately, but a classic 'church kiss' - at red lights. Or even at a restaurant between bites of my hamburger (thanks Will Hunting and Skylar) And yes, I've been known to kiss while out at a club (can I blame it on the vodka soda's?) If you're feeling the passion then live in the moment. Or so I thought...

It's ok when you're judging yourself but what happens when you witness your coupled-up friends letting one slip through the lips? What is the proper PDA watching etiquette? Do you look away as you start to feel your cheeks warming up? Do you watch with purpose so as to not look as awkward as you feel? Or do you just smile and make an 'Oh you guys!' kind of comment feeling so happy a friend of yours has found bliss? If you're happy chances are your friends around you will feel that glow and would accept your lovey-doveyness with open arms, so long as you go a little easy and remember you have a bedroom still at home. If we keep it in our pants I certainly feel like PDA should be embraced. Nothing like living in the moment girlies!

Alas, here are some images of our favourite A-List couples caught on the Jenny Jen Kiss Cam:












Kisses

- Jenny Jen

The Blackberry Mentality

We've become so accustomed to the immediacy of Blackberry Messaging that when dealing with our few iPhone friends who text, we can't comprehend why it takes someone more than five minutes to reply. This type of expectation has been drilled in our heads, and it isn't any easier when someone R's your D. That knowingness that they've read your message makes even the non-creative of minds' wander. And though we know how easy it is to get distracted and totally forget responding to someone else's message, when it comes to others forgetting about us boy do we concoct the most extreme of stories. Hypocrisy much? Yes, but it is what it is, isn't it?

Have you ever got into an argument with a friend who accused you of ignoring him or her over text or BBM? Who told you they've been sitting by their phone the past while solely waiting for your response? Well, I have a response to those crackberry heads and iPhone fienders alike: Pick up the phone. Place a call.

It's been a long day and though I'm exhausted I just can't seem to fall asleep. So I get out of bed, open up my blog and my cell and sit and text as I wonder what to write tonight. The typical 2am plots came to my head: late night food, infomercials, how weird it is that us twentysomethings wear flannel pjs with everything from sheep, fortune cookies, sushi rolls and teddy bear images on them. But just as I started to write the title of the blog, a friend sent me an accusatory text borderline telling me to not message them again, as they decided that since it's 2am I'm clearly talking to other people as well so they shouldn't waste their time. I let them know my phone was on silent (typical for a phone to be on at this hour) and then all was relieved...this time.

So I won't dig into the negativity more than as indicated above. Instead I thought I'd compose a top ten list of reasons why someone may not respond to your text or BBM: The following is all based on true stories.

10) Their phone is off
9) Their phone is on silent and therefore haven't been notified that your message came in
8) They opened the message and just before they had a chance to respond, got a phone call (which they are still on even half hour plus later)
7) Just as they pick up your message, their battery dies
6) Just as they pick up your message, their boss walks by their desk and then they totally forgot about picking up that message/needing to respond in the first place
5) They are in the shower/bathroom/sauna/hot tub/pool
4) They lost their phone
3) Their pocket and/or purse picked up your message unbeknownst to them
2) They were under the influence when you wrote them, they went to write you back then forgot you even messaged them
1) They don't care to talk to you

Tips to Live By:

- Don't drink and text
- Make sure not to accidentally sext a family member who just so happens to have the same name as the person you're dating
- When someone doesn't respond to your text or BBM and you're starting to get worked up about it, just pick up the phone

xoxo
- Blackberry Addict

Too Little, Too Late

There's this scene in 'Old School' that is so reminiscent of a situation we have all been in. Finding out that the guy you had a crush on in high school just so happened to be crushing on you too. Too little, too late. So as you pull at your golden locks in frustration, realize there is a lesson to be had from this scenario: Speak up.


Rejection. No one likes it. We do what we can to avoid it at all costs, but it is actually costing us in return. Recently, I was chatting with a guy I went to high school with. We have become friends over the past few years but in high school our paths didn't cross, per se. He was older and I just assumed I didn't have a chance. Well that thing they tell you about assumptions, couldn't be more right. This is why we need to stop assuming and start communicating. He had the guts now to tell me about the first time he saw me walk down the hallway at school, and that he developed a crush. But he assumed that he too wouldn't have a chance. So the days went by where we both acted like we didn't know one another, walking past each other in the halls, no acknowledgement, just another ant marching. But unbeknownst to us, we did very much so have a chance with one another. Too little, too late.

Have you ever had a crush on someone but didn't approach them for fear of rejection? Well darling, your boy-of-choice just may be stalking your Facebook as we speak. So take that confidence that I know you have within, and use it for your own good. If boy isn't interested, take the hint/read the signs, accept it and move forward knowing it's his loss. And if you do speak up and put your precious-little-heart on your sleeve, he may just want to have it for the taking.

We are in our twentysomethings. We are not in high school any longer. These are the times where we can look back, see where we went wrong in the past as we withheld our true feelings and learn from our mistakes. Take the chance.

Why Now?

I sit and question why my friend shared his little secret with me now? Why is now different. The thing is, things are easier in past tense. We hide so much from our true feelings that we can only seem to approach them once we are over them or have come to terms with them.

Here's My Card

You meet someone. You engage in banter. He smiles at you. You bat your eye lashes. Perhaps he is the one. Potential is there and all the cards are pointing to 'let's see each other soon.' He pulls out his card, and reach into your over-sized Balenciaga and search for yours. An exchange is made. You get home and google him, the company he works for and then you sit and wait to hear from him...on your work phone number or via your work email. Interesting.

Why is it that we exchange cards when we meet someone else? Do you really want to build up the courage to call a guy, only to have a secretary pick up and you have to awkwardly describe who you are and where you are calling from 'Ah - this is Jenny Jen from Blonde, bronzed, twentysomething', I stutter. And do you really want a guy to pursue you while you have your power suit on and are in full work mode? There is nothing like the awkward everyone-can-hear-me conversations we have all learned to hate as we sit at our work desk. Oh and better yet, emails at offices are often tracked. Just what we need, our boss to know we met yet another man on a fun night out (a work night at that).


Jenny Jen meets man on night out, if only she had a card with key info

So therefore, we should only bust out our buisness cards at industry events when work is on the forefront, and when we go out out, we should have a personal card. This dream card should indicate the important stuff that allow you to pre-judge the new person and contact them in the most stress-free, non-threatening way possible.

The card should:

- have the person's Facebook email (see you can go home immediately and do some 'research')
- their Blackberry PIN contact - nothing like some back and forth bbm-ing to get the conversation ball rolling
- their cell number. Let's face it. We do not want to call them at their office nor do we want to call them on their home line just so we can here the judging tone in their mothers voice.

These days, this is simply all we need to get the show on the road. So put those business cards down, go to the nearest printing house and make a social butterfly card for your pretty little self!

A Simple Review

Your eyes are entertaining your mind in a simple review of the 'movie' genre. A chick flick review if you will. Tonight I sat face to face with my life. I watched it play out in a Hollywood movie and am assured all of you who are graced with this film will be confronted with the same. Think High Fidelity and Swingers, classic movies about getting over past relationships and gaining the strength to move on - not into another relationship per se, but to a fuller, more complete you. With that you that is 'actually you' and not a 'watered-down you' comes an independence and strength that draws others in. Welcome to 500 Day's of Summer. Now pop some fat-free pseudo-buttered popcorn and then come on back to your laptop to read your biography.

This film. Realistic. Hard hitting. It begins with 'it's over' and it ends with the inevitable closure that only time allows. We relate. We bond. We revisit powerful feelings we thought were only exclusive to us. Hatred when forced with acceptance comes pushed down our throat, and boy do we ever choke. We can only spit out unfortunate, egotistical disgust that we are not The One whom they want us to be. We drown in our own tears and inability to understand how this came to be. How something that started so enchanting and unbeknownst to us can just be ripped out of our chests, and no longer be ours. Sound familiar? Read on.

Insert your face here

Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falls for Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel), and we are taken through their relationship over the course of 500 days. Hence, 500 Days of Summer. The exquisite and unique editing allows us to jolt from day 10 to 355, back to 150 as we begin to witness the honeymoon phase and the contrasting tell tale signs that it is so obviously over. That no one wants to admit it. As I sit and watch what each days entail, I calculate the number of months the days equal. I revisit. To bond with another is to feel whole. To lose another is to feel lost. The negative and positive emotions that surround the various stages are so real, so understandable. And only time makes them all make sense.

Reality vs. Expectation - I can guarantee you all that this will get us every time if we don't smarten up. You meet a boy, and already you create an idea in your head. This idea is your downfall. This idea is called expectations. When these expectations (which can be unrealistic might I add) are unmet, we lose a part of ourselves. We lose faith. We lose hope. We become disappointed and then in turn start to question our own expectations. We feel hurt because what we played out in our heads so many times just didn't find room for us.

In a reality vs. expectations scene in the movie played out on a screen divided in half, we are faced with our common fault. I watched this movie in awe of the writer who wrote its' ability to be so honest with not only themself but with us. The screenwriter puts a mirror on our tv screen for two hours. Allow yourself to see your true reflections.

- Jenny Jen

Coffee Talk

For those of us who don't even drink coffee, the coffee talk is still the go-to source for us twentysomethings to release our gossip, pent up stresses and all around angst. The coffee talk is like a modern day confessional, but the person listening on the other side just so happens to be one of your closest friends and she just so happens to be wearing a very un-preistlike outfit. When a friend asks you to meet her for coffee, you basically were just told that she's about to drop a bombshell on you. This simple question opens a can of worms and upon hearing it you just know she wants to unleash and let it all out. And if you asked her, all the better. Let the games begin!

This morning, I went for coffee with a former blonde, bronzed, twentysomething and what occurred at our coffee shop of choice was a too-juicy-for-before-noon conversation, with myself on the receiving end. And I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. Coffee talk is always comforting. You're in an at-ease kind of setting and you feel great knowing you can be there for a friend. In todays situation, it was the typical I-haven't-seen-you-in-six-months-(or so) kind of catching-up conversation as to be expected. I just love that. Speaking to someone as if you just saw them yesterday, getting a Cole's Notes version of their life.


I always find it interesting what people choose to talk about during the catch-up conversation. Does their subject of conversation say more about them or more about me? If they were to give a summary of their recent happenings to another friend, would they edit out certain aspects that they leave in with me or vice versa? This makes me wonder, do we change or highlight certain aspects of ourself to act as a chameleon with certain friends?

When we were selecting our seats this morning, I picked a cozy both for us to sit our America Apparel, legging-clad asses on (classic Saturday attire, no?), but my friend immediately rejected my obvious choice. She looked at me like I just committed a sin and while pointing at an elusive table said 'Let's sit here instead so I can say what I really want.' Point taken.

The coffee talk is a timeless route for twentysomething and fortysomethings alike to let words float off our tongues. People walk in and out of these unassuming cafes minute after minute, day after day, going in with discomfort and walking out at ease. We share our secrets here, we advise here, we have a treat and some sips here, but most of all, we bond here.

If you're yearning to catch up with an MIA compadre, go ahead, make the phone call and meet a friend for some coffee talk. Boy - if the Starbucks walls could talk....

- Jenny Jen

The Rachel

Remember back in the day when you ran to you hair dresser (Jennifer Aniston picture in-hand) and asked/begged/pleaded with your stylist to - for the love of god - give you 'The Rachel'? This was a hairstyle when Friends just took off that all girls seemed to want. Us now twentysomethings can look back and laugh at the short layers we so overly strived for, the same way we'll look back ten years from now and laugh at all the blow-dry appointments we've racked up.


I overheard two girls the other day - and by overheard I mean I was blatantly eavesdropping to the extent that I told the friend I was with to just stop talking altogether so I could listen to these other two girls across the room - talking about their Thursday post-work/pre-charity (social event) gathering hair appointment. I was so drawn to this conversation, because I thought me and my few i'll-easily-throw-my-money-away-to-look-good friends were the only ones who did the pre-event blow dry. I'm not talking about the obvious I-have-a-wedding/black-tie-affair blow-dry, but instead I'm referring to that appointment you book when you know you want the volume your body so very much so deserves, that you can never seem to get on your own, when you know you're going to run into someone and want to go the extra mile.

I'm a huge supporter of the pre-event blow dry. Whether it be for a date, for meeting your man's friends or family for the first time, for a charity/social event or even a friends birthday dinner, I've always felt that $25-$35 could go a long way. In a past posting, I discussed blow-dry bars. You can basically walk into one of these blow-dry bars, no appointment necessary (which is a good thing since your mani may just run a little later than expected) and walk out a-whole-lotta-woman in just half an hour. My favourite one in the city is Ritual 2 on King Street West in Toronto. It's the perfect quick fix on the inside and out. Just like a hot pair of shoes, this spa-like treatment and drop-dead outcome make you feel great.

But Beware...There are some flaws that can occur that you need to be able to accept, once you decide to sit down at the hair dressers mercy. Here are a few things that may make you second guess whether or not to go-all-the-way:

- Your date may cancel. I once made the decision to run into Ritual 2 for an emergency appointment. I had a double date set up with another couple who I had never met. The timing worked perfectly and Michelle (my stylist of choice) was half-way done with my blonde head of hair, when I got a pin informing me the other couple had canceled. My mood collapsed just like my hair would the day following. I was mad at myself for jumping the gun and throwing away money when I had nothing to show. I think I ended up doing late night take out that night. Nothing like drowning your sorrows in chicken fried rice.

- All your friends use the same hair stylist. A number of women I know are going to the same event tonight in the city, many who have blow-dry appointments today. In our small community, everyone tends to use the same stylist. I know a girl who got stuck with an 11:30am-er because all the other women booked before her (to her dismay). Bet we can tell which blondes at the party tonight got the luck of the draw at the 6pm-er appointments.

- The not-so-erotic-extensions. 'The Rachel' is dead and long lives the luscious-long-layered-locks. But your hair isn't there quite yet. Now I'm not calling you a Brittany, but lets face it, many of us wear extensions and when we go for a blow dry, we have the hair stylist put them in and work on them to create a natural look. If you decide to add them in pre-date and the post-ends up hot and heavy, beware that they may not be as secure as you think. Got it?

Now none of these are reasons enough to turn down a little pampering sesh. I'm now done with the days of bringing in a magazine showcasing the latest celeb admired look. So add a little splurge in your budget and a little volume to your hair and join the world of women who do the weekly blow-dries. Hey, they aren't just for the seventy-somethings anymore!

- Jenny Jen

Piece of Mind

Welcome to the world of having to remember to do one specific thing at one very specific time of the day, for 21 days straight, with only a week off. But though we dislike it for other reasons, the first day of the week off is a day for celebration. I'm always humoured when I get the expected pins and/or phone calls from my friends as they share their enthusiasm, comfort and calmness that comes with its arrival. What can I be talking about, you may be asking yourself? Well you tell me little lady. What is the one thing that occurs once every, oh, lets say, 28 days or so? Something that makes you breath in a sigh of relief and makes you alert the presses that all is ok in the world?

Yes, that's right. Your period has arrived. Now you can rest your pretty little head, that is, until next month!

The day we are expecting it to arrive, I find whether we are on the pill or not, us girls are anxious each and every time we go to the washroom until it comes. No matter how safe you are, it is as if we are trained to not take any precautions for granted. I recently got a text from a girlfriend telling me that rest assured, there are no baby (insert last name of boy she's seeing her) on the way. I sent her a thumbs up. A shred of doubt comes with the 99.9% chance that comes with the birth control pill. We always think that we are going to be that .1%. Funny the way it is.



Now when we aren't anxious or concerned about a possible pregnancy in our cards, there is the whole skipping of the pill fiasco we seem to find comfort in on vacations, when we have a black-tie function and even, oh, let's say anniversaries. We seem to be in an era that has grown to depend on the skipping-of-the-period technique. All it takes is continuing to take your pill pack once it is finished. So instead of taking 21 pills for 21 days straight and then taking off a full week, you take 28 pills for a 28 day period in order to avoid the former. Then continue through the next pack.

Have you ever purposely skipped your period? If so, what was your reasoning? I've had friends skip their periods to keep the opportunity to hook up open in the early stages with a dreamy partner and I've had friends skip their periods because they had their partner coming in from out of town. Some friends have to wear a white dress to an event and are scared of possible leakage that they avoid it altogether. I've heard some reasonable reasoning and on the contrary, i've heard some are-you-kidding-me-blondie reasoning. Either way, though it seems like a good idea at the time, be ready for some negative side effects.

Since you are putting a mass amount of hormones in your body, you are completely messing with your system. Expect to get cramps, spotting, and a heavier way more painful period the next time around. It seems like a good call and empowering to know you can control the day it will come (or not come for that matter) but try not to make it a habit. It's a natural process and happens for a reason.

Turn On's

Us blonde, fearless femme fatales are in tune with the inner us. We know exactly what excites us, and what the secret is to get us revved up. I have composed a list of the top blonde, bronzed, twentysomething turn on's, and would like to invite you to nod your head in complete and utter agreement:

1) A good sale. We are fashion-forward fashionistas and sometimes our wants far exceed what our Platinum Card has to offer. But there is no need to water-down our precious and pricy taste. A number of my friends have recently gotten goods from a consignment store on Avenue Road called Labels or Love (how adorable!) Think Chanel meets Miu Miu. This store offers the Who's Who of designers at half the price. Not only that, but you can bring in last seasons YSL Tribtoo shoes that you couldn't help but splurge on, and get some money back to put towards the next trend.


2) Root touch ups. Most hair salon's offer you the opportunity to keep your natural hair colour a pretty little secret. Instead of having to defend your over-priced monthly highlight run to your friends, boyfriend and family, just go for a root touch up to space out time between big jobs. Oh and since our hair is our prize, we don't want to kill it with mass bleaching and stripping alike. Nothing like a root touch up to tide us over.


3) A challenge. No girl wants a yes man who simply nods his head in agreement every time we pass a question or a thought out of our overly-glossy lips. The whole women like assholes thing isn't because we want a guy to throw us to the curb and use us and abuse us, but instead, assholes invite a challenge. They are able to make our mind active and keep us on our toes. Now don't get me wrong a challenge doesn't mean playing games and acting hard to get, but a challenge is defined by their ability to make us question our thoughts and not hold them in such a stubborn this-is-the-way-it-is kind of fashion us twentysomethings have grown to love.


What are your turn ons?

- Jenny Jen

Presenting You With a Present

Us women hear the words gift and present and do we ever roar. And boy can that last sentence come off diva-ish and make us women look like greedy-little-gold-diggers. But I know that you know exactly what gets us blonde, bronzed, twentysomethings going. It isn't necessarily about the actual present itself, but instead, we like getting gifts because they make us feel special and appreciated. We like the idea that someone out there is thinking of us and knows just what to do to put a smile on our pretty little faces.

The excitement that comes with the idea of someone getting us a little something, is all about the idea of what it is, it's cache, it's meaning, it's value, it's sentiment...dare I go on? From birthdays, to anniversaries to just little reminders of love here and there, most of us twentysomething women can't resist flirting with the idea of getting gifts, and when a box (or envelope) is handed to us from a special someone, we can't help but let out the inevitable smile.

Last week I was sitting ever-so-calmly in my bubble bath, with the flickering of candlelight shining from my new glass candle with a studded black J on it (yes, it was a gift). This candle solely lit the room, until I noticed flashing coming from my pink-covered Blackberry Tour. Though my phone was on silent (as it always is when I take some down time to relax in the bath), the flashing light was a symbol that I had an awaiting message. I reached for my phone, my curiosity killed the cat yet again. To my surprise the message was from a male friend of mine who wanted advice on what to get his girlfriend for their one year anniversary.

A little turquoise box flashed into my imagination and I told him I knew just the place for us to go. When the weekend came, he picked me up from my apartment according to schedule, and we headed over to a modest little jewelers I know called Tiffany & Co. Since I know his girlfriend and her style (as well as his price range), I was able to make my selections and narrow down his choice. We stood there as he debated over two necklaces, when I told him to just follow his heart. When he made his decision I saw a sparkle in his eyes that mimicked the sparkle of the diamond in the heart-shaped key necklace he chose. I went home and back to reality that night and felt like I was glowing. I was so happy to be a part of making someone else happy and I hear she put the necklace on as soon as she unwrapped her present which spoke unsaid words.

What is the best present you've ever received? Was it something flashy? Something that made your friends jealous? Or was it something priceless and ridiculously thoughtful - proof that this person notices the little things you say and picks up on your interests and wants, a present that just makes you melt and scream that romance isn't dead?

I have both given presents that have made the receivers cry out of happiness and shock and have received presents that made me feel the same.

Sometimes something as simple as a card filled with writing from the heart, can be the greatest gift of all.

Love Buzz

Women across the nation sat eagerly in front of their flat screens last night, waiting to see who Bachelor Jake Pavelka would choose to give his final rose to. The two women left in 'The most dramatic Bachelor season yet' couldn't be more opposite. The first, Tenley is a 'good on paper' girl. She looks perfect, acts perfect and seems like the safe choice. The other, Vienna is a controversial character who speaks her mind and never misses an opportunity to let loose and have fun. She seems more like a gamble, and the negative, tabloid coverage doesn't help. Jake ended up taking said gamble, which seemed to be the result of chemistry. Gotta love that love buzz.

So as the rest of the country logs onto online forums, and sits around talking about what an idiot Jake is for not picking the perfect catch, I sit here and nod my head in agreement with his decision.

Love Buzz - that undeniable chemistry you share with someone, that is almost electric. You don't choose to have a love buzz with a certain person; it's either there, or it's not. To put love buzz and chemistry into words is almost impossible, since it is a physical feeling. It's no wonder then, that - when faced with Tenley on the 'After the Final Rose Ceremony' special - Jake couldn't answer her closure-thriving questions as to why she wasn't the one.

Have you ever dated a guy that was great on paper, that you wanted - more than ever - to feel a connection with, but despite how much you were attracted to him, respected him and admired him, there was still 'something missing?' If so, you know how tough those situations are. Your friends and family are pressuring you to try to 'make it work,' yet you just know that as much as you want it to be the case, it just isn't. You go through the guilty thoughts (why am I letting so-and-so go when they haven't done a thing wrong and I'd be lucky to be with them) and then go through the guilty feelings when you've done so (am I making a mistake?)

You then meet someone else who you click with, and you no longer question your previous decisions. Perhaps the gamble (as I like to call it) is what creates this love buzz in the first place.

Have you ever dated someone who you had that something special with? That no one understood why you're 'settling' but to you, you're head over heels, high on the love buzz that you share? The love buzz is nothing anyone else but yourself can detect and when you feel it, you radiate on it and thrive off of it.

So yes, you may meet a doctor who makes you laugh and has the most perfect style (and wardrobe) but if he doesn't have that je ne sais quoi, then I suggest you go with your gut. Life is all about drawing outside of the lines. And Jake must feel the same way. He must so-very-badly have wanted to make himself like Tenley, but at the end of the day, his gut and heart knew that Vienna is the one he feels connected to. So, the lesson of this seasons bachelor is to embrace the chemistry that is rare to find and don't let it go, even if everyone is rooting for you to.