Living the Hot, Hip, Now Life
Sometimes I think I get so bogged down in fashion and beauty that I let the other parts of my life slip. Seasons pass and even though I had every hot handbag, high heel and halter the spring had to offer, I find myself listening to Whitney Houston in my car. (Of course, I love a little Whitney; but when I Wanna Dance With Somebody is the last CD you bought, it's time for some attention to be paid.)

This is particularly true in the winter. It's so easy to be a hermit, to lose sight of all things hip. Summer forces you to sit on the beach, listen to hip tunes in your girlfriend's convertible, read best-sellers on the beach. Everyone's hipper in the summer. But winters can be tough. Still, with frigid temps outside and nothing interesting inside, what's a girl to do? When the going gets tough, what should we do?

I just don't buy into the the tough go shopping thing. For, sadly enough, it is often shopping that gets me down this time of year. Especially in February. What am I supposed to buy? Sandals? My toes will be frozen for two more months. A bikini? But I haven't even eaten my Easter candy yet. No one works on bikinis until they've conquered Cadbury's. A sundress? My skin is the color of applesauce. Retailing is just not in the cards for me. And so, when the going gets tough for a twirty in February, where does she go?

Well, to be frank, she leaves her house. It's hard to do, I know. It's cold outside, and your skinny jeans don't fit. Such is February. But once you leave your house, you can begin to address something often neglected, but alas, equally important to your fashion style - your LIFEstyle. Indeed, when the going gets tough, the tough get living - stylishly.

Ways to live stylishly in February 2005:

• Get outside. It's amazing what a little fresh air can do for your mind, body and soul. Plus, it's cool (no pun intended, but aren't we clever?) to have a wind-kissed blush to those cheeks.
• Get cinematic. The Oscars are around the corner. Be hip and see the hottest flicks in Hollywood. Million Dollar Baby, Finding Neverland, The Aviator, Hotel Rwanda and Sideways all get top marks. Other fun ones on the radar: Armed and Fabulous and Be Cool.
• Get floral. Find out the location of your city's flower district/mecca and take a little jaunt to check it out. (There are also fabulous flower shows this time of year.) It's a fun (and fresh) outing, and a small bouquet by your kitchen sink does wonders for February dishes.
• Get smart. Go to your local bookstore and hang out for a spell. If nothing else, it's a great place to people-watch. Beyond that, take time to check out subjects outside your realm of expertise. Peruse magazines, investigate new things. (I actually got hit on by a rock-climbing hottie while reading some outdoor adventure magazine.) Then, take home a yummy novel to help pass the last weeks of winter. Books to make you hip in February 2005: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Prep: A Novel, The Right Address, The Time Traveler's Wife, and Middlesex.
• Get musical. Nothing changes a mood like new tunes in the car and home. Take cues from the Grammy awards. Anything Ray Charles is très hip at the moment, and also consider The Diary of Alicia Keys, It's Time by Michael Buble, Moby's new album Hotel, Tambourine, by Tift Merritt, Interpol's Antics and Lonely Runs Both Ways by Allison Krauss. All are very 'now' and will make your February lifestyle 'hot'.
• Get loose. Every gym, studio, Y and dojo is offering some form of funky-fun exercise class. I PROMISE that if you get a girlfriend to go try some new dance moves with you, the laughter will be worth whatever the one-time fee. Shop Girl almost choked trying to suppress her laughter at my 'moves' in our Hip Hop Class.

Now you can head back home. After a week like this, you'll need the rest. Plus, spring is just around the corner and you need to rest up for the shopping in store.

she she me Sponsor: SureFit.com
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Happy Covering!