Thursday, December 9, 2010

Single Celebs We Love: Taylor Swift


“Being single is wonderful and I love it. I don't ever have a morning where I wake up and say, ‘I really need to find a boyfriend today.’” (People Magazine)



At only a few days short of her 21st birthday, Taylor Swift seems to have life all figured out!

The chart topping pop star has made a lasting name for herself since her life changed drastically only a few years ago.


Taylor began singing karaoke at festivals and fairs but it was during a traffic-stopping performance at a local shopping mall, when Swift caught the eye (and ear!) of a talent manager. A few contracts and record deals later, Taylor has become a bona fide superstar!



 

The New York Times describes Swift as “one of pop’s finest songwriters, country’s foremost pragmatist and more in touch with her inner life than most adults.”


In an attempt to let fans in on the makings of her soul stirring croons, Taylor explains that “sometimes when things impact you so intensely, it takes writing a song to get over them.” (People Magazine)


A gifted storyteller, and an obvious rebel of the rule “Don’t kiss and tell," Taylor is well known for writing songs about her exes, present loves and crushes. (Industry insiders are all abuzz speculating that the track "Dear John" from her latest album is an open letter to ex-fling John Mayer!)




Talented, beautiful, and wildly successful, Ms. Swift seems to have it all. But don’t look for her to add "married" to that list anytime soon.


“I don't focus on pining away for love, because I'm focused on being happy with what's happening right now.” (Us Weekly)



And how could she not be when she is dominating the country music scene and brokering major business deals?


At the ripe age of 20, Grammy award winning Taylor has inked a deal with Elizabeth Arden to create a signature fragrance, signed on to be the newest face of CoverGirl, accepted her third trophy as the songwriter-artist of the year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International and was CMA’s youngest Entertainer of the Year in the organization’s history.




When Taylor isn’t racking up awards, she’s busy supporting her favorite charities including Children in Need, Red Cross, Wish Upon A Hero, Feeding America, Habitat for Humanity and Delete Online Predators.

And what did Taylor do to celebrate her 20th birthday? This singlelista gave back to the community-- in a BIG way!


The country superstar donated $250,000 to the U.S. education system to help fund school programs, buy books and pay teacher salaries on top of a $75,000 contribution to her high school for a new sound and lighting system.




“Something I wanted to do at the end of this amazing year and especially on my birthday was give back to something I really believe in, which is education,” she said. “The schools that I went to and the amazing people I got to learn from really turned me into who I am, and I wanted to give back.”(People Magazine)

Speaking of gifts, Taylor recently released her third album, Speak Now, which sold over one million copies in the first week alone!





Singlelistas, let’s put this into perspective.


The last artist to achieve this remarkable feat was Lil’ Wayne with Tha Carter III – back in 2008.

While indisputably, a stand out in her class, this singlelista is certainly not alone.



Rumor has it that Ms. Swift is seeing a certain Jake Gyllenhaal (Did you see him in “Love and Other Drugs??!!!” I’m beyond jealous!!!!) but I think she hits the nail on the head when she explains her philosophy on love.




“I don't think that love can possibly be easy all the time, in fact, most of the time it's going to be hard. I think it's important to try to find someone who's going to tell you, ‘This is worth it,’ when you're scared, and tell you, ‘I’m never leaving you,’ when you're doubting it. I think that's the most important thing.” (Parade magazine)


You sang it, Singlelista!




For more information about the singlelista currently known as Swift, visit http://www.taylorswift.com/.

Love life...every SINGLE moment of it!
-xoxo

- Megan Holley is a contributing writer to The Singles' Salon


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Notes from Down the Aisle: Holiday Edition


We at The Singles’ Salon know first hand that the holidays can be a difficult time for some singlelistas. So for any of you experiencing the singlelista blues, we thought now would be a great time for another installment of "Notes from Down the Aisle"- a preview of the other side of “I DO!”





Our mystery matronista is back with more exclusive insights from wifedom. Pay attention ladies, you just might discover that being married isn’t all mistletoe after all!


'We' instead of 'Me': Holiday Edition




Ahhhh, the holidays! There’s no better time of year.

You have vacation time and oh so many options. What will you do? Will you read that long anticipated book by the fire? Will you organize your closets? Maybe you’ll catch up with family and friends that you haven’t seen in a while. Maybe you’ll sit at your mother’s house and eat yourself into a comatose state. Maybe you’ll catch up on your favorite reality shows or movies that you haven’t seen on your TiVo or DVR. Maybe you will just take a fabulous trip to Europe.

Singlelistas, the options are limitless!




However, once you say “I Do”, your holiday plans are no longer entirely your own. If you thought you had too much to do during the holidays as a single woman; once you add the hubby, you can multiply your list by two (not including gifts).




Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful feeling to be a part of a dynamic duo. However, truthfully speaking, when I first found out that I had to cancel my long awaited holiday spa visit complete with a peppermint facial scrub and gingerbread foot salts for one of his Christmas gatherings, my initial feeling was one of resentment.


I had so many questions.

When did he find out about the event anyway?

Whose function is it?

How does he even know these people?

Does he HAVE to go?

Hell, do I HAVE to go?



When it came down to it, none of the answers to these questions even mattered. What mattered is that these events were important to him and he wanted his wife to be there. PERIOD.


Well, either I could have continued to be resentful or I could choose to be happy about spending that special time of year with the man that I love. I chose to take the positive route, and had to take the following steps to come to terms with relinquishing some of my holiday time:


1. Be considerate. I know it’s difficult, but try to place yourself in your significant other’s shoes. I like to show up fashionably late with my husband on my arm at my events. So why should I feel that my husband feels any differently about being with me at his events?



2. Have an honest conversation with your significant other about their expectations for the holidays. Through trial and error, I’ve learned to start the holiday season by asking my husband what he plans to do for the season. This includes what events he wants to attend, what events he wants to host, what friends and family he wants to see, how much he plans to spend, what events we can go to solo, etc. From there, I give input about my plans. Then we compromise if there are any conflicts. (Trick: Unless your mate is more social than you, ask him what he plans to do first- 9 out of 10 times, he has 3 things compared to your 10. My hubby tends not to put up as much of a fuss if he thinks that his events got first preference.)


3. Communicate your intentions to your family and friends. Prior to me meeting my husband, my family was a neat little foursome and we spent all of our holidays cooking, eating, talking, watching movies, and just enjoying each other’s company. The first holiday that my husband and I were together, we spent half of the day with his family and the other half with mine. I felt so guilty because I felt that I destroyed our neat little foursome, by having a husband. It just wasn’t the same anymore. Weeks prior to the holiday, I sat down with my family and talked about my holiday plans so that we could devise a way to make it through the holiday without anyone feeling neglected. I also try to let my friends know if I have any conflicts early on, so that I can schedule other times to see them one-on-one if possible.




4. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. You may attend several events in the same day, so be sure to dress to accommodate all of the events and do your shopping or preparing of dishes early. You keep a better attitude if you don’t allow the events to be overwhelming.




5. Make the best out of the situation. Happiness is a choice. You may not think you have much in common with your mate’s friends, family, and/ or co-workers, but you’re a renaissance woman. Your expansive knowledge allows you to relate to anyone from a CEO of a Fortune 500 company to a five-year-old child. If you just can’t bring yourself to enjoy the food, the surroundings, or the music after a while, and then go to number 6.

 6. Tag out. You and your significant other need to have a sign or code word for when either of you have had enough. If his family or co-workers get on his nerves after a while, it’s likely that they’ll get on yours much faster. Both of you have to agree that after the code is given that you are leaving- and soon.


7. Make time to do something that you want to do for yourself. The great thing about following tips 1-6, is that after all is said and done you can do what you want with your time. Sneak away on a Sunday after church (while he’s watching football) and get a holiday flavored drink at a local coffee shop and read your favorite book or magazine.




Being a matronista can be a fabulous thing! However, going from “me” to “we” during the holidays can be a trying process.

So for you all of you “MEs” out there, enjoy the freedom of the season, and have yourself a holly jolly holiday!

Love life…every SINGLE moment of it!
-XOXO

PS- Need more convincing that singlelista holidays are DEFINITELY worth celebrating? Check out THIS ARTICLE, written for The Singles’ Salon founding editor and recently published onBettyConfidential.com. Single bells, anyone?

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Movin' On Mondays: Bye bye, Butterfly!


When I was a young girl, my mom used to read me a story about a very hungry caterpillar and all the transformations he went through before fully developing into a butterfly.  I never really remembered the name of the story, or the author of the book, (Thank God for Google, right?!) but the lesson about life changes and life stages is one that stayed with me forever.



So now surely you're thinking "What does this have to do with me being single and fabulous?"

The short answer is absolutely nothing. 

In fact, unlike all of the others, today's blog post has nothing to do with YOU at all. 

 As we all know by now Movin' On Mondays is dedicated to helping some of our newly single sisters transition smoothly into singledom-- out of Heartbreak Hotel and into self-love bliss. It occurred to me today that sometimes the biggest hurdle we face in moving past painful break-ups is learning not to overanalyze ourselves over the course of hours, days, months, years, and sometimes lifetimes trying to figure out what WE did wrong.

Now yes, sometimes we can be too much, too fab, too amazing, and too perfect for our partners to handle, but I think it's also important to  understand that sometimes break-ups aren't about US at all.

Nobody likes to hear, "Baby, it's not you, it's me." And hell, at this point none of us would hardly believe it anyway, but sometimes believe it or not, it's true.

The men in our lives, much like the hungry little caterpillar, go through transitions into manhood, even if they are full grown, 55-year old, 401-K having, AARP card-carrying caterpillars. 

For humans, transitions not only come with age and developmental stages, but also life experiences and change.  I think that sometimes we forget that men go through changes too. 

Much like us, men also experience things that take them out of their comfort zones and cause them to reevaluate their own sense of self.  During these times they often retreat into their cacoons, and put up barriers from the world while they sort through their thoughts and- *GASP!* feelings!!-  in a place that's private and personal, for only their eyes to see.



Over the years, I've learned that men don't handle change as easily as women- I mean, we're forced to change every 21 days whether we like it or not-  I think in this way we ladies are much more resilient.  We've learned to hope for the best but expect the worse, and picking our broken hearts up off the floor, for many of us, has become as natural as falling and getting back up is to a small child learning to walk.

Men are strong, but in a different way. When they fall, it seems that it takes them a little bit longer to get back up.

So why am I telling you fabs all of this?

Because I want you to know that sometimes when your romantic dreams aren't realized, it has nothing to do with you.

I want you to stop beating yourselves up and picking yourselves apart.  You are wholly and perfectly made, and just like I'm sure you already told your BFF, "No girl, he won't find another woman as good as you!" :) 

But what he might be looking for, at this particular time is himself.

For today's Movin' On Monday, I want to encourage each of you to let go of the anger and the bitterness and the disappointment of love unfulfilled.  Perhaps he really didn't mean to hurt you.  He may have truly never meant to make you cry.

All men aren't dogs, divas;  some are just caterpillars. 



Go on. Live your life. Keep loving and celebrating you!

And if you're lucky, and if it's truly meant to be then, maybe, just maybe, your man will come back to you one day, this time as a fully grown butterfly!




Until then, Love life...every SINGLE moment of it!

-XOXO
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Monday, September 6, 2010

Singlelista Style: Fall in Love with This Season's Fashion Trends


Ladies, it's time for another shot of Singlelista Style, and today's topic is FALL FASHION!

We'll forewarn you, by the time you reach the end of this post, you'll be dying to don these latest trends. 

Read at your own risk, but with no further delay, our fab fashion stylist Mia Tucker is here with the wardrobe essentials you'll need to look hot while the temperatures are cooling down this fall:

The Black Wedge Boot


MATT BERNSON RIP CORD WEDGE BOOT $246.00 WWW.REVOLVECLOTHING.COM  


Wedge Boots are all the rage this season!
 
I recommend purchasing a basic black pair that will carry you through the fall and winter seasons.
 
Platform wedges are a great way to add height and a little sexiness without trying too hard. Besides, you can wear them with jeans, leggings, skirts and dresses - basically everything!
 
These will give you major bang for your buck!
 
 
FINGERLESS GLOVES
 
 
LEATHER AND SUEDE FINGERLESS GLOVE BY ASOS $30.33. WWW.ASOS.COM



TARNISH FINGERLESS GLOVE $38.00 WWW.NORDSTROM.COM AVAILABLE IN 6 COLORS!
 
Fingerless gloves are a must for the edgy, cool, singlelista!
 
Go biker chic with a leather pair that is sure to look super cool with a leather jacket, or try a chunky knit version to compliment your everyday look!
 
PLAID SCARVES


AUTUMN PLAID SCARF $44.00 IN RED/GREY WWW.JCREW.COM



MARC BY MARC JACOBS BRODIE SCARF IN BRIGHT NAVY $128.00 WWW.PIPERLIME.COM
 
Plaid prints are making a comeback this season and there's no better way to add a touch of “grunge glamour” to your wardrobe than by throwing on a colorful plaid scarf!
 
Sporting a bright scarf can liven up the traditional dark colors in your fall wardrobe but most of all, its functional AND fabulous!
 
FUR HANDBAGS
 
MARC BY MARC JACOBS CHEEKY NICO MESSENGER BAG $498.00 WWW.SHOPBOP.COM
 

What’s not to love about this adorable, fuzzy, little cross-body handbag by Marc by Marc Jacobs?

A touch of fur can go a long way and is the ideal accessory to transform your look from fashionable to luxurious (without attracting the attention of PETA of course)!

*****

So there it is singlelistas, this fall's must have fashion trends!

 As always a special we give a heart felt thank you to NYC stylist Mia Tucker, who keeps us cat-walk ready all year long!  If you want more Mia, and we know you do, visit her online at http://www.miatucker.com/!

Got pics of you and your girls in fab fall fashions?
 
Send them to us, and we'll post them here on our site. Why? Because sharing is caring singlelistas!
 
Love life...every SINGLE moment of it!
-xoxo
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Sunday, September 5, 2010

Single Women Make More Money


Dear World:

WE TOLD YOU that being single has its benefits, and this USA Today article just proved it.

According to a  study released this week by New York based research firm Reach Advisors, unmarried women between the ages of 22 and 30, who do not have children, earn a median $27,000 a year, 8% more than comparable men in the top 366 metropolitan areas.


In 39 of the 50 cities studied, childless singlelistas out earned their male counterparts and matched the mens' salaries in another 8 cities.



To what can our breadwinner statuses be attributed? 

We're smarter!

Yep! According to the survey, "Nearly three-quarters of girls who graduate from high school head to college, vs. two-thirds of the boys." It continues, "Women are now 1.5 times more likely than men to graduate from college or earn advanced degrees."

"Armed with degrees, young women command higher salaries."

Period.

So the next time you're on a date and your suitor asks whether or not you can cook, flip the question  and ask whether or not he can cook.  Statistically speaking, there's a good chance you'll be too busy earning the bacon to fry it!

This I'm a Woman! anthem is dedicated to all you bread-winning, singlelistas out there!



Love life...every SINGLE moment of it!
-xoxo
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A Single Splurge: You GUILTY Girl, You!


OMG!  What a week it's been!

You had to get up, go to work, deal with crazy people all day long, come home and watch the horror that they report on the evening news, go to bed and sleep for not nearly long enough, and then to top it all off, you had to wake up repeatedly and do it all over again!

Oh my darling super women, how ever do you manage??

How in the world does society expect us to maintain our fab while living under such harsh conditions?

I mean, let's be honest.  If you're like most of the world, you don't subject yourself to all of that occupational torture because you feel like it.  You do it because you have bills to pay, and if you spend like I spend, then you've got BIG bills to pay. 

Going to work affords you the luxury of earning an income that you can then have the privilege of handing over to someone else.

Working women of the world, how did we become so lucky?!?

Now before you order yet another make-it-all-disappear-margarita, I want you to know that I have great news for you!

The Singles' Salon hereby declares that you have the right to take some of your hard earned income and spend it on....

Wait for it....



YOU!!!!

Today, we want you to spoil yourself by purchasing something a little out of the ordinary (and in some cases, a little outside of your budget!). 

We've searched high and low to find the perfect splurge for you, and I think you'll be quite thrilled with what we've come up with.

Now as many of you know, the fashion bible that is the annual Vogue September issue weighs no less than the phone book of a major metropolitan city.  This year the fashion gods gave us 726 pages of singlelista style inspiration, which while uber-exciting, can also be a bit daunting for the modern woman.  

Between working, volunteering, pet mommying, child raising, love life maintaining, girlfriends gossiping, and all other fab -ings that occupy our lives, when do we have time to sit down and absorb 726 pages of unbridled fierceness?

Well after three weeks of incremental Vogue page turning, I am proud to announce that I've successfully matriculated from the first cover to the back cover,  and am now all the more fashionably astute!  It was quite the experience, I must admit, but the most exciting part came somewhere around page 397.

As I was making my way through the optical indulgence upon which my eyes were feasting, I began to sense a subtle treat for my olfactory system as well.

Hmm...what could that deliciousness possibly be?!?

I turned the page. 

The scent grew stronger, more inviting.

I sniffed.

It was intoxicating, truly. 

I HAD to know its origin.

I sniffed.

I turned the page and like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, there it was, summoning me.



This fragrance, so provocative, so alluring, so tempting, was none other than...

GUCCI GUILTY

"The New Fragrance For Her" 

the ad read.



I knew instantly that what they meant to write was

"The New Fragrance For Me."

Being the tech savvy singlelista that I am, I diverted my attention immediately (albeit briefly) from my Vogue to my laptop and got my Google on.

I discovered that GUILTY is the new fall fragrance by Gucci, which launched at the top of this month (thanks September!) and is comprised of notes of mandarin, pink pepper, peach, lilac, geranium, amber and patchouli.

*Bliss*

Now, we've discussed the pleasantries of pink pepper before, but never quite like this.

The website also stated that Guilty was "designed for the glamorous, daring, brave, and very sexy girls who like to party and enjoy themselves."

Sounds like it was made for singlelistas to me!

Then I saw this hard core trailer for the new fragrance and I thought, "Absolutely Yes!"


Scene from GUCCI GUILTY trailer.  Looks like this scent's for all the bad ass girls!

Now, I'll have to be honest with you, I considered not sharing the news of my new sinful pleasure because...well, I just wasn't that thrilled about having all you divas strutting around smelling like me.  But after purchasing my own bottle and basking in all its delectable fabness, I realized that this really was too amazing not to share.

Ohh...the sacrifices I make for you loves! Sigh...

At $75 for the 1.7 oz and $95 for the 2.5 oz, it may be a bit of a splurge, but you're absolutely worth it!

So singlelistas, for all that you do for everybody else, I demand that today you do something for yourself that will leave you with not one single regret.

Get Guilty. Today!

Love life...every SINGLE moment of it!
-xoxo
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Thursday, September 2, 2010

Single Celebs We Love: Mashonda


Yep, singlelistas! You read that right.

Mashonda is this week's Single Celeb We Love. 



Right about now I imagine that some of you are thinking WTH?! as in What the hell?!? while others of you are likely thinking WTH?! as in Who the hell?!

Well, keep on reading sistas!

When super singer Alicia Keys said "I Do" to super producer Swizz Beatz, the entertainment media couldn't wait to exalt their union of love and happiness. 

Somewhere in the quiet however, Mashonda was saying "I Don't" believe that this is happening!

For those of you who do not know, Mashonda was Swizz Beatz's wife when he and the then Ms. Keys became friends, lovers, expecting parents, and finally fiancees. 


Aww... Happier days. I bet she'd like to get her hands that close to his neck again now!

We've heard several sides of the story, some that claim that Swizz and Mashonda had been separated before he and Alicia became playmates, others that claim that Mashonda thought she was happily married until she begin finding "evidence" that suggested otherwise.

We don't know which side of the story is true, so we'll reserve judgement, at least publicly, for now.  We do know that there are hundreds of thousands of now singlelistas, who were once in an (un)perfect union until the "other" woman came prancing along.


Our commentary is reserved since we don't have all the facts, so we'll let you caption this one.

So today, in honor of all of those who have had their loves stolen from underneath them but still found the strength, the grace, and the dignity to get back up, we at the Salon dedicate this week's Single Celebs We Love post to you!

Mashonda joins our elite rank of fab singlelistas for the sheer fact that no houses were burned nor ex-husbands harmed during the course of this heart wrenching debacle.

Rather than acting out the lyrics to Carrie Underwoods' smash song (pun intended) "Before He Cheats," Mashonda carried herself like a lady and maintained her self respect all along. 

Barring the ocassional, tell all interviews (which hardly registers on our pay-back-ometer), Mashonda never acted out in any way that could be potentially damaging to her or her children in the long run. 

*cue applause*

Even after the new pair announced their engagement and pregnancy only days after his divorced was finalized with Mashonda, no car windows were smashed and no clothing was set on fire. 

 And in the biggest "can't we all just get along" move of the decade, Mashonda actually met with Alicia to discuss how the two families can co-exist so that the children can all know one another.

Part 1 of the Swizz family.  These two darlings will be meeting their new little sibling very soon. (Ok, the kids are not this little anymore either. But this pic is just so adorable, I couldn't resist!)

*pull curtain. standing ovation*

We have to say that we're very proud of Mashonda for handling this so well.  (I don't even know if I'd be that well-adjusted that quickly!)

The R&B crooner is reportedly looking onward and upwards, and is said to already be seeing a new beau.  Excuse the flawed grammar, but we ain't mad Mashonda!

We also think that now might be a good time to get her back in the studio.  I'm sure there are some amazing singlelista anthems in her just dying to come out!



Here's to the all the women out there who exhibit grace under fire. 

Remember ladies, "it's not what what happens to you, but how you respond to it that matters." -Epictetus


Love life...every SINGLE moment of it!
-xoxo
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