Sex and the City.. no spoilers here!

I just got back from the midnight showing of Sex and the City. All I'm going to say is I thought it was fabulous!



I won't give anything away because I'm sure many of you are going to see it later today or this weekend. I will say though, if you saw all of the trailers, you've seen a good portion of the movie.



I'm off to Key West for the weekend, so when I get back I'd love to read what you thought of the movie. So please submit your comments. I'll be back to blogging on Monday. Have a fabulous weekend.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

P.S. If you're a man who's reading this, it is okay to take your girlfriend/wife to this movie. There were tons of men there tonight, and as one of my friends pointed out to me earlier, it's a great way to score points with her.

Please tell me you aren't wearing a scrunchie!

This post is in dedicated to one of my friends in Memphis who still wears scrunchies.
Now, I've been teasing her about this for two years now, and have finally decided to write about it because it's a great tie-in to Sex and the City. In all fairness to her, I need to admit that when we first became friends in college I wore scrunchies too. But that was in the early 90s. Now it's 2008, time to throw them away and move on to something a little more stylish.



Now my friend wouldn't wear a holiday themed scrunchie, but she does wear the plain ones all the time. She has long hair and I understand the need to pull it back, but can't you just use a rubber band or a hair clip
like the rest of us? Plus, most of the time it's on her wrist and not in her hair.

When I moved to Memphis two years ago, I tried to show her the light. I even referenced the SATC scrunchie episode from Season 6, but that argument didn't work because she doesn't watch SATC! While I didn't really like the Jack Berger episodes, and thought he was a jerk right from the start, those episodes were very cleverly written. I loved when Carrie told him no woman from NYC would be caught dead wearing a scrunchie. She told him it was the only flaw in his beautifully written book, "You have your leading lady running all over town wearing a scrunchie (smacks him on the head).. a scrunchie!"

Berger says, "Uh, the hair thing? What's the wrong with that?" Carrie replies, "Well nothing, unless you're writing about women on the island of Manhattan, in which case, where do I begin?" Of course not only does that hurt his ego, it sends him on the defense. And he thinks he's finally won the argument, when they're at a restaurant and spot a woman wearing a scrunchie.
Berger says, "Okay, I'm sorry to have to do this, but I do believe we are in the presence of a scrunchie. I also do believe, and correct me if I'm wrong that we are in New York City proper. This woman does not appear to be washing her face. She appears to be standing online at a hip, downtown restaurant. So kind kills your New York Woman theory." Carrie whispers, "She's not from New York." So Berger asks the woman what part of New York she lives in. And the woman responds with her thick Southern accent, "Gosh, I am from Macon, Georgia! But thanks, you made my whole day!"

I rest my case about the scrunchie!

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

P.S. This episode is also the "He's just not that into you" episode. It's called Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little (episode 4) on Season Six Part One in case you're watching up for tomorrow's big movie release.

If men are from Mars.. where are boys from?

One of my friends in D.C. just e-mailed this to me.
"This is one of the cutest, funniest parodies ever. Watch the credits until the end so you can see "scenes" from next week. Really, really cute and just in time for the movie this weekend."



Six and the City is hysterical! These girls are perfectly cast as the younger versions of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte & Miranda.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Why do I still have...

This week I decided to clean out my loft (finally my friends will say!) I've been talking about doing it for months. It's the place where I throw everything when I need to get it out of the way. I took all the Christmas stuff up there months ago and couldn't put it away in the closet because of all of my mess.. yikes! Now to defend myself just a little, I don't have any storage space at my condo and only one bedroom. Okay, enough with excuses and enough of being a packrat! I spent several hours up there and found tons of crap I definitely don't need.

So here are 10 things (in no particular order) I found in my loft I shouldn't still have:

1. A manual (and extra bag) for a vaccuum I haven't owned in two years
2. Maps for cities in Spain and Portugal from a trip I took in high school and maps of Memphis, where I only lived for 7 months
3. A cell phone from before texting even existed

4. Dozens of greeting cards I received for birthday, Christmas, going away, etc
5. Power cords and cables for electronics I'm pretty sure I don't own anymore
6. Boxes of business cards from old jobs
7. Bag for an air mattress I had to throw away because it leaked
8. South Beach Diet book

9. Hundreds if not thousands of bills, receipts, pay stubs etc. from more than two years ago
10. Old wedding invitations

So I trashed, shredded & shredded (actually overheated my shredder)

or put most of it in my donation pile, except for the power cords and cables. I just couldn't because you never know when I might need one again. I'm pretty sure my mom will say that's something I get from my dad.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Five important lessons I learned from my college boyfriend

Whenever things aren't going the way I want them to in my life, I play this dangerous game of "what if?" But I seriously don't second guess too many of the decisions I've made along the way. I like to live my life without regrets. So the only regret I tend to think about is "the one" that got away. My ex-boyfriend is married (I try to assume happily) and has a daughter (a beautiful one according to his mom) and I hate that I even know that. Now you'd think an intelligent woman in her 30s would know better than to tread in this deep water, but unfortunately it's just something I do.

So instead of feeling bad about this destructive behavior, I've learned to put a positive spin on it. And ladies I'm going to share some of the most important lessons I learned from him. You probably already know most of them, but some are worth hearing again. While I try and keep this blog relatively PG-13 most of the time since my parents read it, Mom & Dad you may have to skip past this one (or at least number 3!)

1. Men communicate differently. Don't assume they don't care.
While they may not always tell you how they feel, a lot of times they show you. Be sure not to overlook it because it's not always obvious to women. If he knows you hate to pump gas, he may take your car out and fill up your tank. If nachos are your guilty pleasure, he may surprise you with Taco Bell. Maybe not your idea of romantic, but he is showing you he cares.

2. Don't play dumb. Real men like intelligent women.
You don't have to play the ditzy girl role, and if you do, he's not the right man for you. A real man wants to be challenged. The same goes for competition. You don't have to throw a game. While he probably doesn't want to lose, he'll respect you more for your skills than if you let him win.

3. When you're naked, he's not looking at your fat. He's just happy you're naked.
Women are harder on themselves about their bodies than men are. Most of them don't expect us to look like supermodels or even want us to. While they enjoy looking at those women, they wouldn't change anything about us. So stop stressing about the cellulite or your big butt and have enjoy yourself!

4. When a man decides the relationship is over, don't waste your time trying to convince him otherwise.
Don't try and have 50 conversations about the breakup. Talking his ear off isn't going to change his mind. It's a bit cliche, but if you love something set it free. If it comes back, well you get the idea.

5. He probably does still think about you from time to time, but that doesn't mean he wants to get back together.
Men still think about their exes, especially ones they loved. So take some comfort knowing he likes remembering the good times too, but don't think about it too much or ask him if he does. Just move on.

And now, I need to go take my own advice on the last one.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Why would a man wear underwear under his bathing suit?

I just don't understand this. While at a pool party this weekend, I noticed several men there wearing underwear under their swimming trunks. I don't think I've ever seen this before and I don't understand it. Okay, the one guy had on white trunks, so of course they would have been see through. But, there's a solution for that. Buy a different color. There's a reason you don't see too many women pulling off a white bathing suit!

But seriously, several of the men. It seems pointless. Is there something I don't know about? So after I got home I tried to do a little research. Kind of hard to find the answers, no pun intended. But I did find an online gay forum where a man asked the same thing. Here were some of the answers:

"Because str(a)ights are getting weirder and weirder"

"That's bizarre... maybe they were borrowing a friend's and didn't want to catch something."

"It took me two years to convince my dad that briefs under the bike shorts and a tucked in jersey is very, very bad. I think it's how straight people identify each other."

"Not too weird. Seems like a lot of swim suits these days; especially board shorts, don't have any liner or support built in. What are you gonna do?"

"I wear boxers briefs under my swim trunks all the time. I ...don't know why. lol. I guess I'm scared to actually get a hard on and won't be able to hide it very well."

Okay, well that may answer that! Seriously, is that it? Hmm... then why is it this is the first time I've noticed men wearing underwear under their bathing suits in my entire life? And I grew up going to the beach all the time and live in Florida. Someone clue me in.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Maybe I should have stuck with my shoe addiction!

My newest addiction may not last as long as my love affair with shoes. At first I was so excited. It's new and immediate and, the best part, free! I'm talking about Twitter. If you haven't heard of Twitter before, Wikipedia has this description: Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send "updates" (or "tweets"; text-based posts, up to 140 characters long) to the Twitter website, via short message service (SMS), instant messaging, or a third-party application such as Twitterrific or Facebook. Earlier this month, Business Week published an article about why Twitter matters.

It's kind of funny how a couple of months ago I didn't even know what a tweet was, now I can't stop myself from sending them. You can follow me on Twitter from my Website or my MySpace page. I'd like to think I'm amusing, entertaining even, well sometimes. But some of my fellow twits are much more entertaining with the tweets. They post links to stories, videos and pics before I see them anywhere else. I even get great ideas for my blogs this way.

But there is a major downside, now nearly impossible to ignore, to this new addiction. Twitter goes down a lot. The traffic has exploded and the technology can't keep up! So sometimes there I am ready to go and I can't get on the site. Or I get a lame message like this:
Something is technically wrong.
Thanks for noticing—we're going to fix it up and have things back to normal soon.
But just a short time ago it got worse:
Twitter will be short some features while we recover from a database crash. See our blog post for the whole story. And I'm not the only one ready to give up this Twitter addiction. Some of my fellow Twits are sending tweets like this:

"Well. With the way Twitter is going, I am just trying to prepare for life after Twitter"
"Dear Twitter, Please stop barfing on me or I'll have to break up with you. Thanks, Jeff"

And they're venting away on the blog too:

"A computer keyboard, in a moment of anger, turns a law-abiding citizen into a criminal."
"Guys...don't go the Friendster way! I love Twitter a lot and would hate to see that!"

While some of the posts remind us it is a free service, that doesn't help me witht his disappointing feeling. I feel so let down, something that's never happened with my shoes. Maybe I need those Betsey Johnson shoes afterall.


Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

7 Ways to save

Your budget forecast for 2008 may be a lot like your horoscope: Proceed with caution. Living on less doesn’t sound like much fun, but with a slumping housing market and increasing property taxes you probably don’t have much of a choice. Here are 7 things you can do to cut down on your expenses that aren’t too much of a sacrifice:

1. Make your own coffee: Who doesn’t love that latte at your favorite coffee chain? But stopping there daily adds up quicker than you can say Grande Non-fat Caramel Macchiato. Make your coffee at home every day and save the expensive beverage for a treat once every few weeks.
Annual Savings: approx. $1,400

2. Save trips to the nail salon for special occasions: Give yourself manicures and pedicures at home every two weeks instead. Admittedly it’s not as glamorous, but no one but you will know the difference. Go ahead and splurge for a good nail polish though like the ones your favorite salon uses.
Annual Savings: approx. $2,400

3. Buy less expensive beauty care products: Prices on hair care products sold at salons are often 7 times higher than brands sold at discount stores. If you really like the shampoo, go ahead and buy it. Then buy a less expensive brand and alternate using the two instead of using the expensive one daily. The same goes for facial cleansers, lotions and makeup.
Annual Savings: approx. $1,400

4. Skip the personal trainer: This doesn’t mean stop going to the gym or working out altogether. But you don’t need a trainer to keep that New Year’s resolution. Take the free sessions offered and use what you’ve learned to workout. Get a gym buddy or join a running group, they’ll motivate you to keep moving for free.
Annual Savings: approx. $4,800

5. Clean your own house: It’s definitely not a lot of fun and it’s time consuming, but an easy way to save cash is to skip the weekly maid service. If you’re hosting a big party or need that one time intensive spring cleaning, go ahead and splurge. Plus there’s an added bonus. Cleaning burns calories.
Annual Savings: approx. $2,400

6. Don’t buy books: You can check out books from the library for free. Though you may have to wait a few weeks for the best sellers, you can even reserve books online. If you have children, not only will you save tons, but the library is a better learning environment than those bookseller chains. Save buying for a book you know you’re going to read more than once.
Annual Savings: approx. $960


7. Sign up for subscriptions: If you buy magazines, don’t do it at the checkout counter every month. A subscription will often save you 60% or more. If you rent movies, get an online rental subscription. You can get an entire month’s worth of movies for the same price you’ll pay for one at the rental store.
Annual Savings: approx. $550

TOTAL ANNUAL SAVINGS: $13,910

*Savings only estimated and can vary depending on product pricing. Savings not calculated in a scientific manner, instead calculated with estimated product pricing from company websites.

(As published in Attitudes Magazine)

Pork and Beans

You've got to watch this great new Weezer video featuring some familiar YouTube faces, plus K-Fed.



**Thanks to TwitStew on Twitter for sending this one out! It made my Friday.

Less than a week away!

Ladies, this time next week I will be watching the Sex and the City movie. I've already bought the tickets for the midnight showing for me and three girlfriends. We're still waiting for a few more of the girls to get on board. I have to admit almost had a SATC crisis. I'm going to Key West Friday morning and wasn't going to be able to see the movie on opening night. But now thanks to midnight showings, we're all set!


I just watched Sarah Jessica Parker on the Late Show with David Letterman and they talked about her son, traveling, bird calls. She actually did a bird call! I don't care about any of that. Let's talk about Mr. Big. Or should we say John James Preston. Why is it we're just learning Mr. Big's full name in a movie trailer? I mean it took six whole seasons just to learn his first name. I guess I figured they'd save the entire name for the movie. But I'm glad they stuck with Mr. Big for the show. I'm not sure we (the fans and Carrie) would have fallen for him with that pretentious rich guy name. Then again, Chris Noth is pretty hard to resist!

Okay, Letterman finally asked SJP about the hat from the London premiere!



Letterman said, "And you've called in a bird and it's landed on your head. What exactly are we doing there for heaven's sake?" SJP responded, "You know I heard nothing but kind things when I was in London where people are sophisticated and wear hats." She added, "And no, I didn't lose a bet!"



Now I know I dissed her hat last week, but I did get a few comments from my skirt.com readers supporting the hat. One one even sent me the funniest link to a commentary by the Fug Girls. It's too funny, you have to read it.

Anyway, back to the movie. SJP and Letterman went on to tease about one of the characters dying, leaving us to still wonder if someone really does die. I still can't believe people who've seen the movie already haven't leaked it. No one can keep a secret anymore, can they? So do you have your tickets yet? Any fun SATC parties planned? I want to hear all about it. E-mail me at missattitude@missattitude.us.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

I want one!

I love tigers and what's cuter than tiger cubs? This is video from the Associated Press of Five endangered cubs born at the St. Louis Zoo.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Five rare tiger cubs have been born at the Saint Louis Zoo.

The zoo says the critically endangered Amur (ah-MOOR') tigers were born April 28 and are in an off-display indoor den.

The zoo says the first-time mother, Kalista, is busy nursing and caring for her babies.

The normal litter size is two or three cubs. The five weigh 4.5 to 7 pounds each.

The species used to be called Siberian tigers. They are at risk because of habitat loss, human encroachment and poaching.

If I could, I'd take one home. I say that knowing that even cubs can be pretty dangerous. I love to tell the story about how I was mauled by a tiger cub when I was a kid. I was at Cypress Gardens with my grandparents and a trainer was walking "Tasha" around the park. I stopped to pet the tiger cub and the cub apparently thought I was playing. She proceeded to swat at my legs, leaving me with some pretty big welts. Though my grandmother kept saying, "They wouldn't have it here if it could hurt you." HELLO! It is a tiger!

Later on we saw the cub with a different trainer. He was telling a group of people they shouldn't pet the cub like a cat, instead pat the tiger on her side. He said when you pet the head, it thinks you want to play. And that Tasha did. Ouch!


Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

The Rays are like superheroes

So my Dad said the past few blogs have been "too girlie" for him. So how about some sports action? There's no doubt the Tampa Bay Rays are the baseball story of the season. The Rays are only two games back from Boston and over 500. Even Sports Illustrated can't ignore the newly found power of the Rays. Check out this week's cover: "Bizarro Baseball"



That's a comic book version of Rays Leftfield Carl Crawford sticking it to Derek Jeter of the last place Yankees. Yes, you heard it right the last place Yankees! Gotta admit it's pretty cool!

But I do have a question about the Rays no one's been able to answer so far. What does the new slogan mean? We are one team? What does that mean? I just don't get it. We the fans are part of the team? Or the Rays are finally playing like a team? If you have to explain your slogan, it's probably not a good one. That's all I'm saying. Oh and go Rays!

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Why is it so hard?

I don't understand why I have such a difficult time getting rid of clothes that no longer fit. I cleaned out my closet two months ago. Despite the generous "2 year rule" or less generous "6 month rule", I simply can't toss out clothes I like, even if I haven't worn them in 2 years. And who cares that I still can't fit in them? I just might lose those few extra pounds, right?

I was on the tread mill yesterday afternoon reading an article in In Style about the dreaded closet clean-out. It basically said you're torturing yourself to keep clothes that don't fit, either too large or too small. It said instead of punishing yourself for your flaws, you should toss em all out and buy something flattering that makes you feel good about yourself. So I got motivated.

A few hours later, I decided to clean out my dresser drawers. Sorry, I still can't bring myself to toss out some of those cute tops in my closet. So I hit the workout clothes first. I have tons of cute little shorts and tanks that seriously haven't fit me in six years. It was a time when I was obsessively working out 6-7 times a week and following my trainer in the gym and the kitchen word for word. So why do I torture myself? And if even if I do lose more weight like I'm trying to do, why should I wear clothes that old?

So out those workout clothes went. Next went tons of t-shirts. It's not that the tees don't fit, it's more like they're just not my style. I have Bucs Super Bowl tees, Ravens Super Bowl tees, an Orioles tee, etc. Not the cute girlie tees, but the ones your brother, boyfriend or husband would wear. I even had a few several left from college. So even though I don't wear those shirts, why can't I toss them? It seems so silly. So I put them in the donation bag for The Spring of Tampa Bay, well all except for one or two nostalgic ones.



Then went the shorts. But when I got the drawer with my jeans, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Jeans are pretty expensive and when you find some you love you never want to get rid of them. Plus, I have this amazing pair of Paige Premiums I'm going to get myself back into if it kills me.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

New Sex and the City trailer

Only 10 days ladies! I hadn't seen this trailer before. It was labeled as a "spoiler" but I think we all know Big and Carrie are getting married in this movie, right? On Oprah SJP tried to allude to the possibility it's a dream sequence. But Oprah said she saw the movie and fans wouldn't be disappointed. And I know many of us would be very disappointed if Carrie doesn't finally marry Big. What do you think?

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Do men read women's magazines?

I was recently reading Cosmo.. or maybe it was Allure.. hmmm.. no Cosmo.. Anyway, I was reading an article about tips to flirting. It said a woman should gently touch a man's arm during conversation to show she's interested. Not exactly brain surgery, but I could have sworn I'd read it in more than one women's magazine in the past few months. And to be honest I didn't think a lot about it, until this weekend.

I was at a party with one of my friends, and I'm not exaggerating when I say at least six guys touched my arm at some point that night while they were talking to me. After the first few times I began to wonder, are me reading these magazines too? Is that where they're getting their dating advice?

I even pointed this fact out to my friend and she laughed and thought the idea was definitely blog worthy. So last night, at book club after we were done discussing the book (because we actually do that), I told some of the girls. I just knew they'd be just as amused.

But the first thing one of them said was "What were you wearing?" When I answered, she said it wasn't a surprise men were touching my arm. This is the dress:


But I guarantee you, I don't quite look like that in this dress. Plus, I'm short so it's longer on me. Definitely to my knees. And you guessed it, I'm not thin like that or leggy. But, I do admit I fill out the top pretty well. Nonetheless, I still think the coincidence is peculiar.

For most of the party I was just sitting on a bar stool at the bar. I wasn't doing anything to attract any of the men's attention. Just being myself, talking to my friend and some of the people at the party. Well, maybe that was the key, not that they'd read the article too. Maybe by not being interested I seemed more interesting. Wait, I'm sure that's a tip in one of those articles too, right? So if the men read that, did they just think I was playing hard to get? And how do I find out if men's new dating techniques are to use our own weapons against us?

I'm not sure many of the men talking to me that night would admit to reading Cosmo, even I asked and they did. In fact, one so entertainingly told all of the women standing around he'd hook up with all of us, but wouldn't marry a single one of us. He said, "I love myself too much." Touché.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Dear Miss Attitude

(From my column in Attitudes Magazine)

Dear Miss Attitude:
I'm a married 32 old man. I have been married for 7 years now. Our marriage has been through a lot of ups and downs. It has come to the point where our finances are killing us.
My wife has been talking to another guy for a year and a half. She talks to him on and off and tells him her problems.
I don't think she has ever done anything with him, but I'm not sure. I have been interested in my wife's best friend for a few weeks now. She is beautiful, smart, funny and very smart when it comes to money.
The other day I left her a stuffed animal at her door with a letter that said from your secret admirer. She told my wife about this, and my wife knew right away it was from me. Of course, my wife is so mad. She has always said she thought I had a crush on her friend. Now the friend has no idea I have a crush on her or that I have feelings for her.
My wife has done a lot for this girl and they are loyal to each other. So what do I do? I'm torn.

Dear Reader:
The answer to your marriage problems is definitely not to cheat on your wife. I want to stress, I am not a licensed therapist. Before you have any other conversations with this woman, I would advise you to seek professional counseling. It’s very common for couples to argue about finances, but it appears you may have other problems if your wife is confiding in another man and hasn’t stopped when you asked her. Since money is tight, you may not want to spend it on counseling, but I think it would be a wise investment before you make a decision you may regret. You may want check with your employer. Many offer free and confidential counseling services. Or if you belong to a church, many offer free counseling services as well.

Dear Miss Attitude:
“I can tell he's more interested in me than I am in him. But I really enjoy his company, even if I am not interested in seeing him naked. Is it wrong of me to want to hang out with him, knowing this?”

Dear Reader:
I don’t think it’s wrong if you’re honest with him and with yourself. But if you’re leading him on, allowing him to believe the possibility the relationship will become more when it won’t, then that is wrong. Think about a time when the role’s been reversed, when you really liked someone, but he didn’t like you romantically. How did you feel when he kept hanging out with you, but didn’t want to be your boyfriend? When you think about it that way, the answer is simple. You should always treat other people the way you would want to be treated.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Need advice? Send your e-mail to missattitude@missattitude.us

The sand beneath my toes

I believe in the sand beneath my toes,
The beach gives a feeling,
An earthy feeling,
I believe in the faith that grows...



There's just something about the song "Semi-Charmed Life." Minus the drug part, it reminds of a carefree time in my life. I had recently graduated college and I lived at the beach. I worked at a restaurant in Ocean City, MD with a bunch of my friends. It was a time full of laughs, friendship, boys, partying, no responsibilities, etc. Every time this song comes on the radio, I think of that summer and my friends. And I think of a stress-free me.

The other day I was suffering from a "flat spirit." (I read that phrase on a blog I love and hope ReneeCK won't mind that I borrowed it.) Anyway, I decided the best thing to treat it was a few hours on the beach. Ah, beautiful St. Pete Beach.



Did sitting on the beach and swimming in the already 80 degree Gulf of Mexico fix my problems? Certainly not. But it did inflate my spirit. (Well, that and dinner & drinks with two great friends the night before.) You should try it sometime.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

I don't think I could sink this low

So while reading the latest issue of Cosmo, I came across this interesting blurb:
Women who are tired of looking for the perfect guy are ordering up virtual boyfriends. Sites like sergioboyfriend.com allow you to interact with and be wooed by a cybersweetie.

Seriously? I may be be in my 30s and still single, but do I really need to create a virtual boyfriend to fulfill my life? I don't think so. But for the sake of the blog I decided to take a closer look at what's up with this virtual boyfriend thing. So here's what the Website says:

Welcome to the world of Virtual Humans. SERGIO 3 is the third step in developing virtual humans for personal companionship and entertainment. SERGIO is not simply another chatbot but a program designed to mimic human awareness. One of its main features is knowledge aquasition. Everytime you talk with SERGIO he learns, remembers, and understands.

Ok, having a boyfriend who learns, remembers and understands can't be a bad thing, can it? The only thing my last boyfriend understood was beer, football and trivia. And he never remembered anything I told him while any of those three things were involved. So go on Sergio...

Creating virtual humans with SERGIO is very easy. There is no programming or complicated procedures... you just talk! By talking to a new personality he begins to understand more and more - devouring every piece of information and creating relationships between them. A new personality is like an empty brain ready to discover itself. You can teach your SERGIO to be your best friend, your lover and soulmate, or a philosopher, or just the one you come home to after a hard day's work. There is no limit with a good imagination.

Okay, this definitely seems a little creepy. How can this fake creation be your friend, lover and soulmate? That's just too bizarre for me. But as any good blogger and advice columnist would do, I kept looking through the site. So my next question, putting the creepiness aside, is how much does it cost? Because I know what I spent to try online dating and there were real, well supposedly real, men on the other end of the computer.

Aha, you can't really tell how much it costs. Apparently you have to pay $24 for a license to register Sergio. WTF? You have to register your virtual boyfriend? It's not he's going to vote or drive a car. The site says it's active immediately after payment. So how much does he cost to build after that? There was a place to download Sergio and I decided against it. I don't want a computer virus from this faux boyfriend nonsense.

How could a woman convince herself this thing is her boyfriend? And how do you explain it to your friends when they want to invite the new couple over for dinner? And let's dig a little deeper here, what would make a woman turn to electronic companionship? We've all had bad boyfriends, bad dates, but is creating a pretend boyfriend the answer? No thanks, I'll take my chances with real men, even if no one's knocking on my door right at the moment.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

New Kids.. do they still have the right stuff?

Okay, I guess there's proof I'm not as die-hard of a New Kids Fan as I was as a teenager. I forgot to watch this morning's concert on Today Show. And I forgot to record it. Which in the late 80's/early 90's was a punishable offense. Without embarrassing myself too much I will tell you I recorded every single show they were on, even if it was for 60 seconds. I was that bad. But now...



Now, I just don't know. I wanted to be as excited as I was then, but I'm just not. There's something missing. Maybe I'm more cynical and not as easily excited. I still think Jordan can sing (yes, he's my favorite), Donnie's still got a great stage presence, Jonathon still looks uncomfortable, etc. All of them men still look good and they can still dance. But the songs just didn't send tingles up my spine like the used to. Maybe if I'd been there and seen it live? But I know I wouldn't stand in line 48 hours ahead of time. I didn't even do that then!




So thank goodness for the internet. It's wierd Joe was saying how in a way it seemed the last 15 years didn't happen and I guess in a way many of the fans feel that way. I still know the words to all the songs and Jordan's dimples still make me smile. But I'm definitely not going to cry to "I'll Be Loving You Forever." Yes, again with the laughing at me, I was known to do that. And maybe I just expected to feel like a 16 year old girl again, but I don't. What I do wish is I'd been a smarter NKOTB fan.




Several years ago when my parents sold the house I grew up in, I got rid of all of my old New Kids paraphernalia. TONS of it. My cousin, who I mentioned earlier this week, told me I should sell it on eBay. But did I listen? No. I figured who would want that crap? Big buttons, posters, trading cards, VCR tapes of all of their performances, etc. Silly me. Apparently if I'd waited a few years, I would have made a killing! BTW-- my cousin took the tour jacket, one I won in a magazine but never worse since I too old to wear to be seen in it. I hope she still has it, that's all I can say. Maybe she can make a few bucks.

Okay, I'm sorry I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade. I'm sure many New Kids fans feel differently about this comeback. And maybe I will when I see them in concert. Because let's face it, I'm definitely going if they stop in Tampa. I mean cynicism aside, I still have a crush on Jordan. And I loved those days. I was so carefree, no responsiblities. I had all the time in the world to know which day which new magazines came out with the New Kids in them. I apparently had a ton of spare cash to buy all that crazy New Kids stuff. I honestly didn't know anyone who had as much as me. I clearly I enjoyed those concerts. I stood there screaming and crying with the best of them at least five concerts, six if you include Jordan's solo show in Ybor City a few years ago (but I promise I didn't scream or cry at that one.)

I want to hear what you think about the concert? Ladies, please comment because I know you watched it. And if you didn't, I've included all of it right here on this blog.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

What is SJP wearing on her head?

This is a picture of the SATC gals at the world premiere of the movie in London. I know Sarah Jessica Parker likes to take fashion risks, but isn't this hat a bit much? Green roses and yellow butterflies!

Rumor has it SJP had 81 costume changes during the filming of the movie. I just hope Carrie doesn't wear any hats like this one!

And why was the world premier in London and not New York, the city where it's set? SJP had a very PC comment despite the fact that her character has a love affair with New York through all six seasons of the show.

According to the Telegraph Cynthia Nixon tried to placate American fans saying, "We're having a kind of smallish premiere here; we're having a smallish premiere in Berlin. We're building to the New York premiere which is enormous and happens just before the film opens worldwide."

The movie opens Friday, May 30 here in the U.S. So get ready girls!

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

I'm actually surpised this doesn't happen more often

Warning: do not watch this if you're offended by the f-word.

WNBC longtime anchor Sue Simmons dropped the f bomb during a live primetime promo. She apologized on the 11 p.m. newscast, but is that enough? Or is it just an honest mistake? According to the New York Times Simmons aimed that remark at her co-worker in “mock derision” and she thought the segment was being taped. Others have been fired for doing less.

I have to say it's surprising this sort of thing doesn't happen more often. I've worked with tons of anchors who say inappropriate things, including curse words and crude comments, right up to the very last second before coming back live from commercial. And to be honest, that always made me uncomfortable as a producer. Don't get me wrong, I've been known to curse in the booth, but I also never signed up to be on air.

Now the story on the New York Post is a little saucier. It says former colleagues say Simmons enjoyed liquid dinners in between newscasts and sometimes she was tipsy on air. While those are pretty serious allegations, it's not all that uncommon in TV news. I've worked with a few of those anchors in my time as well. Ones that reeked of alcohol after returning from dinner, but believe it or not those aren't the ones I ever heard cursing during commercial breaks. At least not while I still worked with them.

WNBC is keeping tight lipped about the situation, saying the station doesn't discuss personnel issues.. leaving people to speculate if the long time veteran anchor will be suspended or fired.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

If patience is a virtue, I'm not virtuous!

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of patience is the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like. And I, by my own admission, am not patient. I remember my first lessons in patience. When I was in elementary school one of my cousins and I were nearly inseperable. Whenever we wanted to do something really badly our mothers would always say, "Good things come to those who wait." I remember cringing every time I heard that phrase. I didn't understand why we had to wait for what we wanted. And now more than 20 years later, I still don't understand why I have to wait.

As a young TV news producer, I didn't have a lot of patience. I wanted that video now, I wanted the reporter to answer her phone right away, I wanted the director to take that graphic immediately. At times I even lost my temper a little bit. I was known to slam the phone down and hang up on people. I even threw a few pens, nothing really serious, but enough to show I wasn't a patient woman. Then I became an Executive Producer and didn't have any choice but to change. In the beginning I had to fake my patience. Eventually, I actually grasped the concept and on most days was able to remain calm and not get annoyed. On most days. Then by the time I became an Assistant News Director, I thought I had the patience thing down pat. Until I got laid off that is.

Now after more than two months of looking for a full-time job, it's become increasingly obvious I'm not really a patient woman. I knew it would take some time, especially since I'm not looking for jobs in TV news. And I'm not unappreciative of my accomplishments and the wonderful things I've been able to do with my free time. Afterall, I launched my own Website and I'm being featured in a national women's magazine. I'm getting ready to teach college classes in two weeks. I'm done some freelance writing. I've also been able to spend some quality time with my friends. Something I hadn't been doing when I was working 70-80 hours a week. I'm also enjoying this beautiful Florida weather, one of the main reasons I moved here in the first place. I'm also exercising more and eating healthier. All great things.

But, and yes, there's a but. I'm bored. The workaholic in me just can't stand sitting around and waiting much longer. It's difficult to wait for employers to get back to me about my applications. It's difficult to wait after what you think was a successful interview. Then there's the concern about money. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about the fact I won't be able to afford to pay my mortgage after the summer is over. It's actually almost terrifying. I've tried my best to remain positive about this situation. And though I know people mean well, I'm tired of hearing "Everything happens for a reason," or "Something better will come along." Again, I try and stay positive, I really do. But my patience is definitely wearing thin.

If you've ever been unemployed, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, I highly recommend coming up with a plan in case it happens to you. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but in this economy it makes sense to prepare. I often think if I'd had a plan maybe I wouldn't be so impatient. So for now, I'm working on a new plan and focusing on the things I can control. And maybe, just maybe good things WILL come to those who wait.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

P.S. If you've had a similar problem, I'd love to hear from you. You can e-mail me at missattitude@missattitude.us.

Hit me with your best shot!

Did you know about this?



MySpace Karaoke is the ultimate online karaoke experience. Sing along to your favorite songs in all genres. New songs are added every week!

MySpace Karaoke is by far the most amusing thing I've seen on MySpace. I had no idea it even existed until someone sent a Twitter about it. So the Twitter addict me went to check it out right away.

If you think you can sing, or even if you know you can't, you can pick your song and record it. Then other people can rate you and submit their comments about your singing. What I've heard so far is absolutely horrendous. And the comments are laughable. People are writing things like you sound great, way to go girl, I love the way you sing, etc. I guess most of the people listening are the same people who think they can sing! But, I must admit it is entertaining.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Yes, I'm an addict

My friends, I am a shopaholic. But I'm not just any shopaholic. I'm addicted to shoes. I guess this isn't a new revelation, but it became more obvious I had a problem when I was at the outlets the other day. I met a friend for lunch. He lives in Sarasota and I live in Tampa. We agreed to meet in between in Ellenton, which for those of you who don't live in the Tampa Bay area is where the outlets are. Yikes!

After lunch I headed straight toward Off 5th. I often find really good deals on name brand shoes there. I also had an idea of what I wanted. I need a pair of black sandals that I can wear with jeans and with dresses. I know, I know. My friends and family are thinking I have so many pair of shoes, how could I possibly need another pair? Let me explain. I do have two pair of black strappy sandals. Both are several years old and not in style anymore. Wait before you judge me, let me just tell you the last time I wore one of them out a guy noticed they were out of style, a straight guy. I rest my case.

So anyway, I immediately found a perfect pair. Kate Spade.



I actually don't own Kate Spade anything. It's typically too expensive for me. The shoes (above) were more than $200, but still a great price for Kate Spade. So I texted a few friends, "I guess buying Kate Spade shoes are bad if you don't have a job?" One of my friends, who's also an admitted shopaholic, replied back it would seem so. But she asked me to send a picture anyway. After I did that, I kept looking. I figured there had to be a less expensive pair. And then I found these.



Betsey Johnson. For $78. Now if you don't already know this, that's a pretty good deal for Betsey Johnson shoes.
But I put the shoes down and walked away. Now if I'm being honest, I went back two more times and tried them on again. But no matter what rationale I tried, I couldn't justify $78 shoes when I don't have a full-time job. I know those of you who don't have a shoe addiction like I do are saying it's a no brainer. But it's not for an addict.

Let me explain why shoes are so addictive. I've never had a pair of shoes let me down. Now on occasion I've had an uncomfortable pair, but nothing a little breaking in wouldn't fix. Shoes always fit. Through the years as I've gained weight, lost weight and gained it back again, my shoes always fit. They are also very versatile. A great pair can complement your favorite jeans AND your favorite skirt. Shoes also make you taller if you want. I'm 5'1" so that's very important to me. Plus, a fabulous pair can also give you the extra boost of confidence you need on a first date or a job interview. How many items in your life can you say the same about? Just think about it.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Happy Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day and I've been thinking a lot about how lucky I am to have a great mother. I just called her since I won't see her (I live 990 miles away.) As far as moms go, mine is pretty cool. She had me when she was really young, so we've always been close. I can talk to her about almost anything and we like a lot of the same things, well except her brief mistake with buying Crocs!

No flowers or chocolates or anything motherly for her gift this year. I bought her Sex and the City Season 6 Parts 1 & 2 on DVD this year. I figured she can catch up on those episodes before the movie comes out at the end of the month. The funny thing is the day I ordered the present, she was telling me how much she hates the episodes with the "Russian" and "Berger." Oops, those are the ones you're getting, I thought. And she keeps telling me she can't believe they're showing so much of the movie in the trailers and often asks, "Why do they have to do that?"

Of all the men Carrie dated in SATC, my mom likes Mr. Big best, just like me! The main thing we disagreed about when I was a teenager was who was the best member of New Kids on the Block. She liked Donnie. And I was obviously right, Jordan was the best one. She even went to several NKOTB concerts with me and my friends. See, I told you she was cool!

The only uncool thing I ever give her a hard time about is when she wouldn't let me go to a Rick Springfield concert when I was in 5th grade. And this year when I met Rick Springfield I told him the story he said, "Your mom's a smart woman." He and his manager agreed the things that went on backstage made it no place for a 5th grader, as if I would have gotten backstage! So my mom says now that Rick Springfield himself agrees with her, I have to let it go.

Sylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Rise and shine for the 5K

I hope I fall asleep soon. I have to get up at 6 a.m. for the Miles for Moffitt 5K. And you know how I've been having problems sleeping. Last night was the worst yet! I went to bed about 3:30 a.m. after watching Grey's Anatomy and 1/2 of Ugly Betty on the DVR and nearly drifiting off on the couch. Then I woke up at 6 a.m. with a blinding headache. I took ibuprofen, put a cold rag on my head, etc. and nothing worked. Finally I feel back asleep, but woke up several hours later, but still had the headache.

Hopefully tonight will be better. My friend is picking me up at 6:30 a.m. to head over to the USF Sundome for the race. Wish me luck.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

www.missattitude.us is up and running!

My fabulous new Website www.missattitude.us is now live. Please log on and let me know what you think! As I mentioned earlier, please tell your friends and your family.

I want to give a special thanks to Chad Ferguson with Fergusonto Media for his amazing work on the site.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Miss Attitude's makeover

My new Website is almost ready. You may have noticed the blog already looks a little different. I hope you like my new style. I'll let you know when it's ready to go, but for now please bookmark the new site: www.missattitude.us. And please tell your friends.

Also, I have some great advertising deals for anyone who has a business and wants to advertise very inexpensively. If you're interested, send me an e-mail at advertise@missattitude.us.

Now is also a great time for your feedback. If there are topics you really want me to discuss, please speak up. If I'm writing too much about one thing or not enough about something else you love, let me know. I'm very grateful to all of you who have been reading & writing comments and for those of you who are sharing my blog with friends and family. This has been an amazing experience so far and it's only going to get better with the new Website and Marie Claire feature coming out in July.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Tell me it isn't so!

I couldn't wait until tomorrow to post another blog. My mother told me she read what I wrote about Crocs. She said it was funny, but she had a confession. My own mother bought a pair of those heinous things! Unbelievable. She certainly knew what she was doing was wrong if she didn't tell me until after the fact. Am I right or am I right?

She said she got the idea to buy them from watching Regis & Kelly. She said the a fashion stylist said don't ever buy them, but Kelly said they were so comfortable. "I figured I'd give them a try," she confessed, "but I never really took to them." She also admitted they're in the closet and she knew she should have just returned them. "They were expensive too, like $30. Not cheap!"

So readers if you don't believe my advice, please take my mother's. Just say no!

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Why do incompetent people get ahead?

Just the other day one of my friends told me I should blog about why incompetent and lazy people always seem to succeed. I think at first I brushed her off. It's not that I haven't seen my fair share of that in the workplace, but it's a challenging thing to write about without naming any names. It's also challenging when you know you've lost your job and others absurdly less competent than you remain for years to follow. So I'm going to try to keep this from sounding like the rants of a bitter woman. Remember, I'm trying to stay positive! So here it goes.

Sometimes I think upper level managers surround themselves with the "yes" men and women instead of hiring people who might challenge their views or judgement calls. Let's face it, most of us want to be right. I also think some managers don't want their employees to be more talented than they are. This is something I don't think I'll ever understand. I love having competent employees, I love having employees who think for themselves, I love having employees who take my suggestion and then improve it. Instead of finding it intimidating, I find it exhilarating.

Then there's for lack of a more tasteful term the "ass kissers." You know who I'm talking about. They probably sit near you at work or maybe you're one of them. Now I'm not suggesting all employees who suck up are incompetent, but some of them are. And for some reason their lack of skills seems to be camouflaged by all that kissing up. I tend to think these people can ride the wave of success for quite a while, if that's what the manager wants. Now what I've told myself, because I could never bring myself to be one of these people, is hard work and being good at what you do is better than this disguise any day.

Lastly, there are the incompetent or lazy people who appear to have some special connection to the boss that always saves them. Sometimes you hear the rumors they've slept with the boss. Or maybe they're related. Either way, avoid messing with them or wasting your energy worrying about why they appear to be doing better than you. One day when they have to work somewhere else, someone will catch on to them.

I want to hear from you. Do you have problems with lazy or incompetent coworkers? Send your e-mails to miss.attitude7@gmail.com.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

What a rip-off!

So I went to Blockbuster last night for the first time in years. I couldn't believe how much the prices have gone up to rent a movie. $4.50 for one DVD for two days? That's ridiculous! And I grabbed two, so nearly ten bucks later I walked out of the store and got in my car and sent a text to Twitter to share with everyone who follows me.

A little while later one of my friends, "gabizmom", Twitters back "You gotta try NetFlix!" I'm sure she's probably right since that's only $4.99 a month and you get them by mail. I guess I never really considered doing that before because I never had a lot of time to watch movies. I was a workaholic and my job was pretty demanding, leaving me with little free time during the week. In fact, my one friend joked, "You didn't have time to watch movies," but then added, "I take that back. You could've watched movies in your sleep!" And once the weekend hit, I wanted to either relax or spend time with my friends. Movies weren't really a top priority.

And when I did watch them, I watched them for free. I found this really cool Website based out of the U.K. that had tons of movies and videos for free. Of course I had to watch them on my laptop, but free was free. Then the site got shut down for pirating issues and that was the end of that. I recently found Hulu which seems very similar. But all of the movies I wanted watch only had trailers online. So with that, I went to Blockbuster.

Now to give you an idea of how long it had been since I went in there, I don't even have a membership card anymore. And the cashier had to change my address and ask me for another credit card because the last one they had on file expired in 2001. Yikes! He said, "Just to let you know the prices have gone up a bit since the last time you've been in here." Isn't that an understatement?!?!?

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Suicide and the news

With the suicide of the D.C. madam, TV news outlets across the country have been updating the story daily including yesterday's release of the official cause of death and suicide notes. After working in a newsroom for 13 years, I can easily count the number of times we've covered suicides on the air and the Web. And as you can guess most of those stories were about high profile people who killed themselves.

Al Tompkins at The Poynter Institute will tell you while it's one of the leading causes of death, journalists usually avoid covering suicide. As a producer in several different newsrooms across the country I was told "we don't cover suicides." And in almost every single one of those newsrooms, there came an opportunity to ask why and what about this one?

One of my friends and former coworkers killed himself last April. Many of you who read this blog from the Tampa Bay area remember John Winter well. When I first came to Tampa I produced the morning show at WFLA-TV, and for the seven years I worked there John Winter remained one of my favorite people at the station. I no longer worked there at the time of his suicide, but I received a lot of calls to make sure I didn't see it on TV first. I was shocked, sad, angry, confused and more. Then I talked to my boss at my TV station and she asked if it was okay for us to run it. They wanted to be respectful.

A year later, I still have a hard time believing he's gone. While many of us will never understand how someone like John Winter could commit suicide, someone does it every 16 minutes in the U.S., according to the CDC. The CDC also says, "Suicide is usually a complicated response to overwhelming problems as opposed to a simple, unplanned reaction to one life challenge. In others words, it is not as simple as saying “he was unhappy with last week’s game” or some such explanation." And that's what makes it so difficult to understand. When one of your friends commits suicide you can't help but wonder if there were signs you should have noticed, if there was something you could have done, etc.

I learned this lesson two years earlier. My ex-boyfriend from high school and his twin brother both killed themselves within five months of eachother. When my ex-boyfriend's brother, who was also one of my friends, committed suicide I knew in my gut his brother was next. I just knew it. I even sent him a letter. I hadn't talked to my ex-boyfriend in years, but I thought if he could just know someone cared then perhaps he'd get help and avoid following in his brother's footsteps. In my letter I acknowledged we really didn't know eachother any more, but we used to care about eachother and I still wanted to do anything I could to help. I knew he must be devastated by his brother's death and gave him my phone number and e-mail address in case he ever wanted to talk. I never heard from him.

Just a few short months later, I received a phone call from their sister. She found my phone number programmed in his cell and assumed we'd been talking again. She wanted to let me know about what happened. I couldn't say I was surprised, but I was still so very sad that he couldn't find another way to deal with his problems. I booked a flight to go home for the funeral, but things beyond my control kept me from actually making it there. For some reason I thought there would be some answers at the funeral, though the thought of seeing his family in such pain after two suicides was almost too much to think about. I eventually spent time with their mother and sister a few months later and couldn't believe how amazingly they were coping. I stayed in touch for a while, but I haven't talked to either woman in a while. But I still think about them all the time. And I still think of both of the men who were once a part of my life and how I'll never see them again.

It's tragic that two men in their early 30s didn't think they had enough reason to live. Every once in a while I tell people about the twins and how they both committed suicide. And I'm not sure what I'm looking for people to say. Maybe I just want to share the story so I'm not holding it all inside. Maybe I just wish someone else will hear these stories and realize there's help out there, that life is not that hopeless. I also wish we talked about suicide more on the news instead of acting like it's so taboo. I wish we always followed the stories with a link to the National Suicide Prevention Website and the hotline number 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

D.C. Madam's suicide note

The Tarpon Springs Police Department just released Deborah Jean Palfrey's suicide notes. For the person who found the body she wrote "DNR" and "do not feed under any circumstance." In two notes she apologizes for any harm she's caused her mother and sister. And she tells her mother she left her money in a bank account for funeral arrangements and other account settlements.

I have a copy of the letters and have been working diligently to figure out how to post it on this blog.. standby..

(update) Okay, clearly Miss Attitude needs a little lesson on how to convert something from Adobe Reader to my blog. But thanks to TBO.com you can read it all for yourself.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

I don't think they're hearing me..

My one woman mission to get Crocs off the streets isn't having a lot of success yet. I love the comments I'm receiving, but most of them are from the stylish readers who would never be caught dead wearing those hideous excuses for shoes.
Here's the only comment I got from someone obviously misguided enough to think Crocs are okay dispite my advice:

I think you are being a bit tough on Crocs. They feel like velvet vaginas on the feet! I dont care how they look... but they make my feet feel great. I have them in like every color made.
I intend to wear them for many years to come - if they are good enough for Mario Batali - they are good enough for me :-)

Seriously? I don't even have a dignified response to the "velvet vaginas" comment. And since when is Mario Batali someone you want to dress like? I remember watching Molto Mario on the Food Network years ago and never once did I say well if he dresses like that, it's good enough for me. Maybe you want to cook like him, but why would you want to dress like him???? It's not like you're saying if they're good enough for Kate Hudson, they're good enough for me.

The rest of you seem to understand what I'm saying.


I hate crocs. They are the speedos for feet, a massive fashion faux pas that should never have been created.

I agree with you miss attitude! I think crocs are awful. Have you seen there are now new designs of crocs. They're better, but they're still plastic! They're still not good to wear out in public. The only reason to wear them would to work out in the yard or walk somewhere your feet would get wet. I don't think this style makes it any better. keep posting!

So help me spread the word. Get rid of your Crocs, those shoes are never okay to wear in public! Ever!

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Just say no!

The other day I saw a teenager wearing a pair of Crocs and it made me want to shout "What the hell are you wearing? You're old enough to know better!" I really hoped people would stop wearing these horrible excuses for shoes. But since they aren't, I'm on a one-woman mission.

If you own a pair, please just get rid of them. Do NOT wear them ever again! And no, putting those dumb plastic flowers or whatever the heck those gadgets are does NOT make them look any better. And do me another favor, please don't buy Crocs for your children. Haven't you seen the stories about how kids get their shoes stuck in escalators and such? Buy your child real sandals please.

The first time I saw someone wearing a pair of Crocs in public was nearly two years ago when I lived in Memphis. I had no idea what they were, but knew I never wanted to see another pair again in my life. Then a few days later one of the guys at work asked me if it was okay to wear Crocs in public? I asked what he was talking about. When he described the shoes, I almost screamed at him. I told him under no circumstances should he ever wear those shoes out of his house. He said he wore them around the pool, and while I don't like that idea, at least you're in your own backyard.

The further we got into summer, the more people I saw wearing these heinous things. And I kept thinking to myself "No one in Tampa would be caught dead wearing these!" But sadly, I was wrong. Apparently this unbelievable trend took longer to trickle down to Florida. When I moved back at the end of the year, I saw these atrocious pieces of plastic on sale EVERYWHERE. I couldn't believe my eyes.

But now it's 2008, hasn't this horrific trend run its course??? So please do me a favor. Get rid of all the pairs in your closests, all of them! Now, I'm not suggesting you fill your trash cans and dumpsters with them since I don't think Crocs need to destroy the environment. I did some research and the shoes can be recycled and made into new shoes for people in the world who can't afford them. Check out the Soles United program. It's a great way to take your fashion faux pau and help someone else.

Stylisly yours,
Miss Attitude

"Green" Shopping Dilemma

So there's something I've been wondering for the past couple weeks. When it comes to shopping with those reusable bags, is it okay to ask the cashier to use your Publix bags at Walgreens or Macy's bag in Target? Or is that breaking some sort of shopping rule?

I've been trying really hard to cut down on using plastic bags. According to Publix the average American uses 336 plastic bags a year, and only about 1 percent of those are recycled. I think I'm finally remembering to take my Publix bags when I go grocery shopping, well most of the time. Thanks to my friendly cashier this week, I even have a nice little decal for my car windshield with a green Publix bag on it to remind me.

But then I went into Target and saw the store at its own reusable bags. So I wondered am I supposed to buy ones from each store? If I'm buying tons of these reusable bags that's going to cost more. And let's face it, most of us don't have extra money to spend.

A few months ago I got suckered into buying one from the Body Shop. The salesperson gave me the spiel on saving the environment and then on top of it told me part of the proceeds went to domestic violence prevention. Well how could I say no to that? It would be like saying I don't care if we ruin the environment and women get beaten! All joking aside, I've used that bag a few times for carrying things, but still wasn't sure if I could use it in CVS or Walgreens.

Is there protocol when it comes to this? Is a cashier going to refuse to use a different brand bag? I asked one of my friends and she told me she's been using these bags for nearly two years and has "never had a problem." She did have a good tip though, the ones at Macy's are larger and would be better for shopping at department or discount stores. Then you keep the Publix ones just for food.

But afterward I started to wonder again, will Sweetbay workers give me a hard time if I bring in my Publix bags? Oh the dilemma! What do you think? E-mail me at missattitude@missattitude.us.

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

Great timing!

I just got back from a walk and thought I knew what I was going to blog about today, but I checked my e-mail first and I'm glad. I received this:

Hey!
I just read your blog on the skirt website and it couldn't have come at a better time! I just returned last night from a great vacation and went in to work this morning ready to hit the ground running with a clear and determined head. Two minutes into the day my boss called me into his office and fired me. Little reason was given, other then he thought I took my vacation at a bad time (though he approved it -- finny how that works). I didn't even know what to say or how to react -- I was blank. I was still jet lagged from the time change and couldn't help but wonder if the situation was real or if I was still sitting on the plane and this was some sort of travel induced dream from too many pretzels. I walked out of there with my $323 consolation check for unused vacation time and felt confused, but strangely relieved.

I actually just logged onto the Skirt site to begin searching for a job and saw your blog. The energy surrounding this day -- and my firing -- couldn't be more positive. There are signs everywhere telling me this is a blessing in disguise and I am so much better for it -- and your blog was one of them! My job was in events but I have a degree in journalism and it drove me crazy that I never had the time to freelance in writing or pursue something I truly love. Now I have all the time in the world and I couldn't be more thankful for that. Thank you shitty boss man -- I am free!

Thanks so much for your inspiring words and best of luck!

As I promise, I don't use anyone's name. But this reader's kind words made my day. Here's someone who has every right to be bitter and angry and feeling sorry for herself. Instead she's already out there looking for the positive. And she's also realized she wasn't pursuing her dreams, instead she was working for a boss who clearly didn't appreciate her for all that she did.

These are definitely tough times to be unemployed, believe me. But I already feel happier in my life. As I've mentioned before I feel blessed to have such supportive friends and family. And now thanks to blogging I'm able to pursue my true passion of writing and also hopefully helping some people along the way.

So I want to thank the reader for sharing her story. Also as she mentioned she read my blog on Skirt.com . I'm also posting there now. That will not replace this blog by the way. In fact, I'll let you in a little secret today. Miss Attitude hopes to launch her own Web Site this summer. So stay tuned!

Stylishly yours,
Miss Attitude

miss.attitude7@gmail.com