Socks in bed.

New York has been so chilly recently that I've been wearing hiking socks to bed. Hiking socks. It's super sexy, as you can imagine. This comic made me laugh out loud. Why are girls cold and guys hot as furnaces when they sleep? It's one of life's great mysteries.

A genius tip for packing for your honeymoon

My friend Susan Cernek (who also happens to be the Fashion Development Director at Glamour) shared the best tip with me the other day: Pack in a single color scheme. "For my two-week honeymoon around Italy, I packed all blue and white pieces," she told me. "That way, I could pack more efficiently, and mix and match."
A bonus tip? "Pack a red dress," she says. "Red always looks dramatic in photos, even if you're lost, like I was here."

(Via Conde Nast Traveler; and here's another romantic post)

How to feel gorgeous on a date

With Valentine's Day (and mating season:) fast approaching, let's chat about our beauty secrets when going on dates! Here's my little routine...
First, Bare Escentuals foundation with SPF has changed my life. It makes your skin look clean, pretty and glowing. Honestly, I've felt a little self-conscious about my skin as I've gotten older, but this foundation is a miracle. It covers everything beautifully, without looking like you're wearing makeup. It's my holy grail foundation, and I highly recommend it.
Second, I wear this Fresh Sugar Passion lip treatment when I'm on a dinner date or bike ride with Alex. The hint of bee-stung color brightens up your face, while the hydrating treatment makes your lips soft for kissing.

What makes you feel naturally beautiful? Please share your secrets...

(Photo of Gemma Arterton by Elle Magazine, via W&D)

A funny bedroom tip for Valentine's Day...

A while back, I had dinner with friends, including an acupuncturist. We started talking about dating, and she revealed something surprising...
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Made me laugh.

Hilarious. I felt like this for most of my twenties.

(Via W&D)

The Bachelor

Have you been watching The Bachelor? I'm totally addicted. The show is pretty bad, but I've gotten sucked in. Even my mom watches it now. Do you watch it?

Ps. Kacie B. for the win.

10 Valentine's Day gifts for men

The Sisters Brothers. All my guy friends are obsessed with this page-turning thriller, which is described as a Coen Brothers film in novel form. Spooky. $16.
A John Derian tray for his desk, for keys, change and reminding him how lucky he is, $66.
In this 9-minute film, Rendezvous, a man gets into a sports car and drives at terrifying speeds around Paris. He actually runs red lights, dodges pedestrians and screeches around corners, then finally stops the car and meets a beautiful woman. The 1970s film is taken from the driver's viewpoint and was shot illegally early one morning; the director Claude Lelouch was rumored to have been arrested when it first aired. Trust me, you will be the coolest girlfriend ever if you give him this gift. $29.95.
If he's a foodie, get him something crazy obscure and awesome from Gilt Taste, like beer sausages, basil-fed snails or scotch and stout truffles.
A stinky cheese class for you to take together. New York or San Francisco, $75/person.
Artwork for your bedroom, to make him laugh, or smile. $20 to $60.
I Could Eat a Horse pasta measuring tool, plus a homemade pasta feast. $15.
Silver frame with a photo of when you first started dating, so you'll both remember falling in love and getting butterflies. (You can upload a photo and get the frame here.)
Temporary tattoos to wear on your shoulder when you go out to dinner that evening. $5/each.
A sweet love note and a kiss.

P.S. 10 Valentine's Day gifts for women, and many more gifts for guys.

(Car in Paris photo via Yanidel)

10 Valentine's Day gifts for women

The Miraculous Push-Up Bra, for obvious reasons. $58. (This is sexy, too.)
Cool heart hoops by Marc Jacobs, $48.
A gift certificate for a foot massage. Have you ever gotten one? Pressure points on your feet correspond to other parts of your body (your head, your arms, your back) so you leave feeling relaxed and floppy all over. Amazing and such a treat. $115 for an hour.
Flowers, and here's the kicker: Send them to her office. It's so much fun to get flowers at work! Her heart will secretly skip a beat when the delivery guy walks in and calls her name, and they'll look gorgeous on her desk for a week. (P.S. Skip the traditional dozen red roses and mix it up a little or a lot; and be sure the bouquet includes a vase. Call up a local florist, or Teleflora and Proflowers are great, too. xoxo)
Ampersand necklace to show your sweet connection. (The font was inspired by the alphabet magnets on everyone's fridges growing up!) $124.
Etta James CD, with classic songs to make her starry-eyed. $4.99.
Giant heart balloons to have waiting in the bathroom, bedroom, hallway and living room when she wakes up.
A notepad with your favorite schmoopy photo, $12.99.
A brownie of the month club. (This exists!!!) $65 for three months.
A good old-fashioned love letter, since that's all she really wants anyway.

What kinds of gifts do you like to get (or give) for Valentine's Day? I'd love to hear more ideas...

P.S. A men's gift guide coming up tomorrow! And past gift guides...

Valentine's Day card

Sweet. :)

What's your relationship status these days? Single? Dating? New relationship? Old relationship? xoxo

Four things to say to a friend after a bad breakup

After graduating from college, I went through a rough breakup...
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What's your favorite (and sexiest) body part?

My friend L. and I were recently hanging out, when our conversation turned to dating and sex. "I feel amazing as soon as I take off my shirt," she admitted. "My breasts are my showpiece." It made me laugh; her confidence was inspiring.

I'm pale as a ghost and flat as a board, but I have to say, I really like my freckles, especially the Big Dipper constellation on my right thigh :) What do you love about your body? Your hair? Your eyes? Your legs?

(Photo from Victoria's Secret)

On relationships

Made me laugh.

(By GraphJam, via Wit & Delight)

Do or don't: Thongs

So. I have a secret...
I wear thongs!

Yes, it's true. For years, I figured they would be uncomfortable, so I avoided them; I was more of a cotton briefs girl. But then I tried Cosabella thongs, and I fell in love. They're made of soft, comfy lace, and the cut is chic and sexy. But the clincher for me? You don't get panty lines when wearing jeans, so you look SO much better from, ahem, behind. Now I wear them everyday.

What kind of underwear do you wear?

Graduate save-the-date

My sister's friends Becky and Danny made this amazing save-the-date video for their wedding. It was inspired by the final scene of The Graduate. Aren't they geniuses?! I love their faces at the end.

(I posted this four years ago, but wanted to repost because it's so awesome.)

Who was your first love?

The new French movie Goodbye, First Love looks heartbreakingly romantic and rings true--the 15-year-old protagonist takes her first relationship so seriously, without being guarded or jaded. It's raw and beautiful, and the film was a huge hit at film festivals. Really looking forward to seeing it.

Who was your first love? Where is he or she now?