“It's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes -- that's why you sometimes need really special shoes!”

If there's one thing that is hitting the fashion world right now (at least the fashion world of 20-something college students), it is the arrival of the much anticipated Sex and the City 2. The influence the HBO series and subsequent movies reaches far beyond fashion, however. I would venture to say that Sex and the City can be discussed through the lens of almost any topic Those Girls addresses (with the exception of cooking, but I, myself take a page from the Carrie Bradshaw book of domesticity- take out all the way). Since three of our writers are out of the country- Colette, Penelope, and Camille will be studying in South America until early July. I thought I would take a more holistic approach to this post. Looking beyond the fashion. Why do we watch endless reruns of the series? Why do we go to see the movies (even when they are prefaced with terrible reviews)? We know it isn't logical, but we love it anyway.

We have grown up under the fashion, relationship, and lifestyle influence of Sex and the City. While women in their thirties and forties look to the much beloved series as a validation of their generation's version of the "single woman" (who ironically spends a lot of time attached), women our age look at the Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte models as less than revolutionary and more the norm- what is expected. Albeit highly fictionalized, we have grown up identifying ourselves as one of the four. Every group of friends has their token "Samantha," "Charlotte," and so forth. In the same way a 1950's Good Housekeeping told women to be June Cleaver, the 2000's told us to be a Sex and the City character. I must say it is an improvement. While compartmentalizing women in to one of four categories is obviously not healthy, most women can identify with aspects of all four women. Or at least a few of them. There's not too many dead-ringer Carries running around, even in Manhattan. Personally, I'm a Miranda with Carrie tendencies and a hint of Charlotte. I, however, contain zero Samantha. As much as I love her antics, it is just not who I am. But thats not what's important- I could be a Samantha, I am friends with Samanthas. Society says its okay to "date like a man" and I am great with that. In addition to the personal archetypes, any girl with a good group of friends can appreciate and admire the camaraderie that the women share. We meet for drinks. We discuss and criticize each other's relationships. We support each other's dreams while keeping everyone level-headed. We are our sister's keeper. For many, watching the show is like visiting old friends. There are obviously a downfalls with all of this identification. The most logical objection would be that the perfect lives of these women are absolutely impossible to attain. Freelance writers have beautiful apartments, spend their nights at trendy clubs, date millionaires, and have a closet full of Manolo's? PUH-leease. Also, they are all pretty annoying- let's be honest. Their dating habits alone are enough to make your head spin. And in spite of this we love them, we watch, we pay- perhaps it is because we can impossibly identify with the characters who led lives we will never live.

Or maybe it's just because they have killer clothes.

I'm sorry that people are so jealous of me...but I can't help it that I'm popular.

And we can't help it either, we're so popular that we can't update our blog on a regular basis as we promised ourselves. However, now that summer vacation has commenced, I have a little bit more time on my hands...at least until I leave the country for Peru! Yup, I'm going to Peru to study for 5 weeks and I will miss you dearly.

Anyways, let's get back to my topic of choice, popular culture...or pop culture for short ;). It's been about two months since we've updated...and A LOT has happened in those two months. Here's a little recap:

Jesse James cheated - That's right, the husband (now former husband) of America's most loved actress, Sandra Bullock, has done the unthinkable and is now America's most hated man.
Ricky Martin is gay - I don't know what to say other than...I wasn't surprised either.
Sandra Bullock has a baby boy - ...that she adopted way back in January. Baby Louis from New Orleans has been with Sandy since the beginning of the year; however, no one saw him for months. Anyways, congrats, you'll make a wonderful mother!
Miley Cyrus can't be tamed - And you can't be Britney or Lady Gaga either Miles, so stop trying so hard. Instead of coming off cool like Britney and Gaga do you come off as a slutty little 16 year old.
Betty White hosts SNL - Finally! Rose was always my favorite Golden Girl.
Miss Michigan is second ever Arab-American Miss USA - And apparently she likes to pole dance. Here's all I have to say - her clothes were on and she was never really a stripper - it was for an event! Get over it, she won't lose her crown.
Bristol Palin is an advocate for abstinence - What!? And she's set to make $15,000-$30,000 per speech. I'd like to meet the people who are willing to pay her and ask them why and if they are willing to fund my college education instead...
Biever Fever hits America - And I am not immune. I'm seeing him in July and I cannot wait.
Twilight drama, Kellan Lutz & Ashley Greene want a bigger paycheck - Shocked? People were telling them to hold out for more money and they did and it worked and they will be back! As much I as I love continuity in a series, I must say I don't think holding out for more money even when you are a somewhat important part in a franchise is a smart idea. It took Summit all of two seconds to replace Rachelle Lefevre.
Megan Fox is no longer a part of Transformers and it was "her" decision - I guess that's what happens when you publicly talk shit on the director...
Lindsay Lohan is crazy - She missed her courtdate because she "lost" her passport while in Cannes. I was hoping she'd pull a Britney and come back...unfortunately no one sees that happening anytime soon.
WWoHP - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is set to open June 18. Words cannot express how phenomenal this will be so I won't even try. However, I won't be making an appearance until spring of 2011 and I cannot wait to spike my butter beer.

Well, until next time, that's your scoop on pop culture with me, Penelope!

:)

Pack up all my things and get my ASS outta town...

Have you missed us??

Don't worry, we've missed you too....who knew that 20 somethings in college would not have time to write simple blog posts!? I sure thought this was going to be a lot easier.

Updates:

We wore fashionable outfits on SBX, thanks to Fee :)

We ate completely unhealthy, though homecooked meals, thanks to Colette

DID WE EVER, enjoy commentating on the "locals" on our trip, thanks to Camille

We have seen a movie or two since we've been gone, thanks Penelope :)

And the dating and/or sex lives that we have, remained the same...lame ;) haha just kidding - I was able to bring a little humor to that situation (but what else is new?)

Peace and Humptiness Forever,

Soph.

Our blog is lonely

Please excuse the recent lack of posts. It's midterms and we have been unbelievably busy. We'll be up and running in no time!

xoxo,

Those Girls.

Life without sex might be safer but it would be unbearably dull.

I do apologize greatly for my lack of post last week. I was in a car most of last Friday.

This week, I am going to present to you some sex tips that I have learned. Although I'm no Tucker Max, I have learned a thing or two. ;)

1. No means no. Straight up. On either end, if the sex isn't consensual, the outcome will not be pretty.

2. Don't rush it. When the time is right, sex will happen. And it will be worth the wait.

3. Relax. The most incredible feelings flow over you when you're relaxed and enjoying the moment with your significant other.

4. Pace yourself. Sex isn't a foot race. But on the other hand, it's not about stamina either. It's about making sure both parties make it to the finish line.

5. Mix it up. Sex gets boring and routine if you never throw a new position in there once in a while. Even if it looks impossible, give it a shot! It'll be a good laugh if it doesn't work out.

6. Sensation. Using your tongue is a perfect go-to. Licking all over another's body will drive them crazy wanting more.

7. Be careful. The last thing you want is to end up with things in places you didn't expect them to show up. Yikes!

8. Have fun! What's the point of sex if it isn't enjoyable? Seriously.

9. If you want to try something new, ASK!

10. Use protection. Not only on the guy's side, but on the girl's side too. You can never be too careful.

Some of these things may seem like common sense, but more often than not they can be overlooked.

Have a great weekend!

Twilight, the next Harry Potter...um NO

Not gonna lie...I read Twilight. I watch the movies. I love Rob Pattinson. I like Twilight. However, nothing bothers me more than when people feel it necessary and appropriate to compare it to Harry Potter. Actually, it's quite offensive...more so to J.K. Rowling than to me because I can't take any credit for anything Harry Potter.

Those are not "Twi-hards" (die hard Twilight fans) don't understand the Twilight phenomenon that has hit the world. To be honest I don't really understand it either. I read the series yet I would not consider myself a "Twi-hard". I will, however, say loud and proud that I am most likely one of the biggest Harry Potter geeks you will ever know. Personally, I think the Twilight Saga is an interesting read. No, it's not a really a good story or good writing, but it is interesting.

Interesting is as far as I'll go. Something else I don't understand is when people in the media...and real life, I guess, feel it's necessary to compare it to Harry Potter. There are several reasons as to why Harry Potter is better, here are 3:

1. Harry Potter has a legit plot that J.K. Rowling put much thought into. Stephanie Meyer had a dream and woke up and thought she would turn into a story.

2. Harry Potter appeals to everybody...not just teenage girls.

3. J.K. Rowling is a better writer. Her story is brand new and imaginative. Her characters are well-rounded and well-thought out. Stephanie Meyer has sparkly vampires.

There's nothing wrong with being a Twilight fan, just stop trying to compare it to Harry Potter. :)

Also...

http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/

This is definitely not my last post about my boy HP ;)

And that is your weekly dose of Pop Culture with Penelope.

"Asparagus inspires gentle thoughts" - Charles Lamb

I remember when I was young, I thought asparagus was horrible. It was one of the green vegetables - which everyone knows is evil - and it has these sort of spiky, angular scales to them. Gross. Little did I know then, in my single-digits, the pure joys that asparagus would bring in my adulthood. It's one of those surprise vegetables, in the fact that they are surprisingly delicious. Plus - they make your pee green! Bonus!!

I actually found this recipe for Asparagus Pasta on my last excursion to Indianapolis over Fall Break with one of my best friends. We set aside some time to hang out with her mom one night, and after a chaotic trip to the local grocery store, we settled in for an evening of cooking and movies. I believe my friend's mom had found this recipe in a pasta cookbook, and after one look at all the yummy ingredients, we all knew that it would be a winner even before it hit our plates.

So here I will attempt to reenact that epic meal with the savory pasta sauce, succulent asparagus (I wonder if anyone has ever described asparagus as succulent before...) and, of course, lots and lots of garlic!

Asparagus Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/8 lb asparagus
pinch of salt, pinch of sugar
9 oz pasta (any type - I've always used penne pasta, but you could use spaghetti or whatever you had on hand)
7/8 oz heavy whipping cream (about 1 and 1/2 half pint cartons)
vegetable bullion (6oz or 1 cup)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (I used pre-shredded this time, but last time we used fresh and it was much better)
1-2 tablespoons parsley (either dried or fresh
3-4 garlic cloves (the little sections inside a garlic bulb)

1. Take a saucepan, fill little more than halfway, and set on the stove to start boiling (this will save you time later). Put the pinch of salt and the pinch of sugar into the water in the saucepan.
2. Either finely chop or grate the fresh garlic.


3. Saute the garlic on low with some olive oil in a frying pan until light brown.

4. Wash the asparagus.

5. Snap the bottom ends off the asparagus (not the ends with the floral-like tips). Throw away the snapped-off ends.
6. Cut the tips off the asparagus and set aside.

7. Cut the asparagus "bodies" into 1 inch pieces.

8. Cook the asparagus "bodies" in the boiling water, 10-15 minutes.

9. Add the tips to the boiling water and cook for 5 more minutes.
10. Put the cooked asparagus in the frying pan with the garlic, but keep the water used for boiling in the saucepan.
11. Boil the pasta in the leftover water.
12. While the pasta is boiling, make the vegetable broth (to be honest, I didn't even put vegetable broth in this time, and it turned out just fine without).
13. Pour the whipping cream in the frying pan with the asparagus and garlic.
14. Add vegetable broth to the frying pan.
15. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

16. Add the drained pasta to the frying pan.
17. Top with the parmesan cheese and parsley.

This is amazingly good with french bread and garlic-olive oil. Match with a nice Caesar salad, and you've got yourself the ultimate meal. Bon appetite!

Snatched!

Hello Friends!! Hopefully your week is going well, and you are getting excited for the weekend to come. If not, maybe this small slice of commentary will help 'up your enthusiasm' for the many possibilities one weekend can hold.

Now, I am sure that many of you can attest to the

fact that people do weird/dumb/scary/random shit when they are drunk. Well this is completely true of the event I am about to tell you. It occurred at the very beginning of the school year, and I have yet to forget about it.

There I was, resting and relaxing in my hammock after a thrilling Friday night, including fraternity parties and taco bell runs. In my 'sober' mind, I thought, "Sure, let's just take a quick sit in the hammock and then go to bed". Little did I know I would be playing witness to one of the greatest 'Snatch' events ever. (Snatch is simply a fun way of saying stealing). Anyways, so as I am staring at the stars and cars passing by, I started to hear this obnoxious noise. It was a combination of clanking high heals on the

sidewalk, girls giggling, then laughing boisterously, and then lots of SHHHH!ing; playing on repeat. With that, I quickly sat up in the hammock to see what was going on.

I watched as the group of five or six girls walked towards my house, or so I imagined they were doing. My initial reaction was that it was some of my friends trying to scare me. I quickly realized that I had no clue who any of the girls were though, and almost felt relieved as they started walking towards a different house. Now, call me crazy, but at that moment nothing seemed weird about the situation. Five

or six girls walking up to an all-male house on a Friday night=a good time had by all. However, this was apparently not the plan the girls (or the house full of guys) intended upon, as I watched the girls creep up on the side of the house. It was at this moment that I was truly engaged.

Now, obviously the girls were hammered drunk, given the rate at which they would stumble, fall, then sway as they tried to get back up again--it was humorous to count the number of times it happened (7). And even though the girls were

drunk, and it did seem oddly strange that they were going to the house so late, I still figured nothing eventful was going to come of this. Wrong.

One girl, I suppose the ring leader, continued to creep up to the house (which mind you, leaves the front door wide open all the time). As she made her way to the porch, I heard the others saying things like, "Hey, that's not our house" or "What are you doing, we don't live there". In my mind, this chick was sadly confused. But,

no matter how much her friends attempted to stop h

er, she was head strong and made it to the top of the porch. For a second in time, everything went completely silent and still. I craned my neck out to see what exactly this psycho girl was doing. That's when it happened...

SHE SNATCHED THEIR LAWN GNOME!!

That's right, this crazy girl went up to a house full of strangers and snatched the front yard gnome off of the porch. I watched as she held it over her head, like it was a trophy, and then raced down the stairs. She quickly stuffed the gnome in her purse, and I could hear things like, "I did it!! I did it!" or "I have always wanted to take that gnome!!" being shouted as the girls high tailed it down the street and to their rightful house.

With that, I took it as my cue to go to bed. When I woke up the next morning, I literally thought it was a dream, and I told all of my roommates. We had a good laugh at my bizarre dreams and left it at that. But surprise, surprise: On my way to classes that Monday, when I walked past the house, I noticed the gnome was actually gone.

Good Lookin' Out,

Camille

"Donuts. Is there anything they can't do?" - Matt Groening

It was blistery and cold today, with icky, icky snow flurrying around outside, so I decided it was time to make something homey, warm, and comforting.

I looked around on the internet a little for recipes for which I had all the ingredients to (so I wouldn't have to go out into that weather unnecessarily for an emergency run to the grocery store). This recipe for Donut Muffins from Week of Menus (http://weekofmenus.blogspot.com/2009/04/donut-muffin-doffin.html), looked easy and intriguing, and best of all - I had all the ingredients!

The recipe said that this would make a good breakfast recipe, but I made these at 4pm…and ended up eating about five of them…instead of dinner. Yes, they were that good. And hey, the recipe also said that the point of the muffins was to create baked donuts, versus fried, so I was definitely saving myself (and my ass) a little bit there.

Donut Muffins (Doffins)

Ingredients:

(Makes 12)

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk (I used 2%)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tablespoon butter melted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup of sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.


2. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray. Don't use liners! The oil from the cooking spray makes the sugar stick to the sides without extra butter, which is a plus.

3. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg.


4. Pour in vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract. Mix.


5. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.


6. Pour in egg mixture and stir to combine.


7. Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full (I used a 1/4 measuring cup, and the batter divided perfectly and evenly).


8. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

9. While muffins are baking, melt butter and pour remaining sugar and cinnamon into a separate, small bowl.

10. When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter (I used the back of a soup spoon), remove from the pan and role in sugar and cinnamon.

11. Let cool. These make exactly 12 doffins.

They smelled amaaazing, kind of like a mix between real muffins and pumpkin bread. Which made me think…these would be really, really good with a little pumpkin and pumpkin spices in them. Something to consider next Thanksgiving?

Also, these took me less than a half hour to make. Talk about instant gratification!

"If God had really intended men to fly, he'd make it easier to get to the airport."

This week I will be addressing travel fashion. Don't get too excited, I'm not thinking "what to wear when you get there" but rather "what to wear while getting there." As any girl knows, it is important to look your best no matter where you are and this even includes sitting in a car or on a plane for hours on end. Most college students put in their fair share of travel time. Personally, I have flown from school to home and back so many times I could do it with my eyes closed. So here are some tips for how to be cute (and comfortable!) during your commute.

Travel by Air

Confession time- I have this fantasy of meeting the man of my dreams on an airplane. I'm not sure why, perhaps I've seen too many romantic comedies for my own good. This has obviously prompted me to attempt to look good each and every time I fly the friendly skies. Because of this and the overall public nature of flying I would opt to get slightly more dressed up for air-travel than you would for car-travel. A few factors to keep in mind- 1) When you go through security you have to take your shoes off. While this is sort of a "duh" in this post-9/11 world of ours, it kind of stresses me out. My problem is this: I hardly ever wear socks, even in winter. All of my go-to shoes (sperry's, toms, ballet flats, uggs, heels) do not require socks. SO when it comes time to go through security I am walking through barefoot. Honestly, this gives me the heeby-jeebies. My best solution is ankle boots in winter (you can wear socks, but the boots are easy to remove) and simple flats for summer (you can wear these with "no show" socks). 2) Mobility- be sure that your shoes, outfit, bag, etc. are all allowing you to walk distances quickly and get through security and baggage lines efficiently. And 3) Layering- winter or summer there is going to be much variation in temperature throughout your travel (hot stressful lines, running through the airport, walking onto the plane in freezing temperatures, the person next to you insists on turning their air vent right at you, ... you get my point). I would recommend a blazer for winter travel (not too bulky but will keep you pretty warm), and a moderately thick cardigan for summer.

Winter

(also, its always best to have brightly colored luggage that is easy to pick out at baggage claim)

Summer

Travel by Car

While it is still always important to look put together, traveling by car calls for a certain comfort level. Being stuck in a car is neither glamorous nor convenient but there are ways to not look like you're in your pajamas at three in the afternoon at a gas station on the side of the road. Admittedly, the chances of you meeting your future husband in said gas station are highly unlikely but you still shouldn't look like a slob! Personally, I'm a fan of the leggings-as-pants strategy (although I know many who aren't). Leggings are just as comfortable as sweatpants but effortlessly more chic. For the summer, modest shorts are a good choice as well. Flowy tops are a must for any season. And don't forget the shades!

Winter

Summer