Blog Posts by DivineCaroline

You could say we have a dysfunctional relationship with fashionable footwear. We love to look at them--we hopefully take them out for fun nights on the town, but after a few spins on the dance floor, they burn us and we end up cursing ever giving them a chance in the first place. And yet we keep coming back for more. Luckily the hidden-platform and stacked-heel trends of the last few seasons may help us end our masochistic relationship with party shoes. Following are hot shoes that at least look as if they could hold up to a holiday party or two without killing your feet or your festive spirit.

Aldo Widdowson Heels
Aldo Widdowson Heels

The platform on this pretty suede heel makes it much easier to cut a rug into the wee hours of the morning. We also can't get enough of bow details, this season-or ever. ($135, Aldo)

13 Sparkly Holiday Accessories


INC International Concepts Shoes, Rosaria Sandals
INC International Concepts Shoes, Rosaria Sandals

Everyone needs a pair of nude heels in their wardrobe for quick, leg-lengthening style. The ankle

'Tis the season to watch classic holiday movies and jump to wild conclusions about what your favorite one reveals about your personality. Are you the Scrooge of your friend group or are you the softy who believes that hugs and well-meaning elves just might heal the world? Crack open the eggnog, find yourself a Yule log, and get to know yourself a little better with our handy personality guide to the season's most beloved films.

The Best Ugly Christmas Sweaters


How the Grinch Stole Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Let's just put it this way, you are much more Mary-Kate than Ashley. You are a bohemian at your core, and you've got an appreciation for all things that break with convention. You've also got a pretty serious silly streak and your apartment likely has many throw pillows. Deep down you believe you can heal any poor soul born with a heart two sizes too small with kindness, which is fine since you're likely working in the humanities or arts and not medical science.

It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life
No two ways

It's hard to resist the idea of scoring hot-ticket holiday gifts at half the price, but Black Friday's siren song of sales may not always save you money. According to Steve Siebold, author of the book How Rich People Think, Americans spent a whopping forty-five billion dollars and many bought well beyond their means during last year's Black Friday. While many of the door-busters that stores have been hawking since Halloween are undeniably good, beware of the following traps and tricks of the year's biggest shopping day.

You end up purchasing way more than you can afford or need.
Stores don't offer deep discounts out of holiday goodwill. Rather, management knows that a huge sale often gets people to buy more than they normally would. "Middle Class America is notorious for living beyond their means, especially on Black Friday," says Siebold. "They are brainwashed about how much money they are supposedly saving on Black Friday, and they end up buying way more than they would on

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Beyond pilgrims breaking bread with Native Americans in colonial Massachusetts, little is known about the origin of the modern Thanksgiving holiday or why we partake in some of its longstanding traditions. Following are seven ceremonial Thanksgiving customs, including the consumption of turkey, explained.

1. Carving the Turkey
For most, the annual Thanksgiving feast begins with the patriarch carving the turkey. The men of the house do the honors as a throwback to the days when they brought home fresh kill for the feast. As a rite of passage, fathers traditionally pass the ritual down to their sons when they reach manhood-or when they learn to behave at the table, whichever comes first.

How to Create Fabulous Holiday Tabletops on a Budget


2. Gobbling up Turkey
Turkey is practically synonymous with Thanksgiving-so much so that the holiday is typically referred to as "Turkey Day." The association goes back to the very first Thanksgiving in 1621, when Plymouth

Thanksgiving

It's said that everything is healthy in moderation, but Thanksgiving is no time for restraint. The creamy mashed potatoes, succulent turkey meat, decadent pumpkin pie with whipped cream-it's a once-a-year occasion, so if there's any time to splurge, it's Thanksgiving. But how does one burn off all of those delicious gravy-soaked calories? To put the decadent meal into perspective, we found the activities that a 130 pound woman would have to do to work off a Thanksgiving feast. Surprisingly, working off some Thanksgiving favorites is as easy as apple pie. Feel good about your caloric indulgence, knowing that you just need to follow the meal with some physical activity.

Six Thanksgiving Shortcuts That Will Save Your Sanity

Mashed potatoes from scratch with whole milk and butter, (1 cup)
Calories: 237
To burn it off: General yard work, 1 hour

Roasted turkey (1/2 cup light meat without skin, 1/2 cup dark meat with skin, 1/2 cup homemade gravy)
Calories: 372

From traditional to totally unconventional, following are ways some of today's biggest celebrities celebrate the holidays.

The Kardashians

The Kardashians
Newly single Kim Kardashian dished to E!, "We all get together and have the same Christmas Eve party we've had since we were kids." Sister Kourtney elaborated on the party to OK! Magazine, saying that friends and family come for a big turkey dinner, where there are carolers, elves, and even a Santa. The entire family then slips into matching themed pajamas and spends the night at Kris and Bruce Jenner's house.

Gifts We'd Give Our Fave Tabloid Train Wrecks


Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth's mom, Blythe Danner, told PopEater.com that cooking is key to their Christmas celebrations, adding, "My daughter is a great cook. She cooked five ducks for my birthday two years ago, so who knows what delicious food she'll have in store for Christmas."

Why Are These Celebs Famous Again?


Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey
Since 1997, the Grammy award-winning singer

Ashley Green

Bella may be the one who gets her man in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I, but it was Ashley Greene who stole the show at the film's Los Angeles premiere. Greene sported makeup, hair and a gorgeous gown, all of which highlighted one fantastic feature-those smashing red lips. Here's how to get your own red carpet look.

1. Shine On
When hair is styled straight and parted in the center, maximum glossiness is a must-have. Start by cleansing and conditioning with a shine-enhancing duo like Bumble and bumble Let it Shine Shampoo and Conditioner ($29 and $32, Bumbleandbumble.com). Both contain sunflower oil to remove dulling residue while preserving natural oils. Then apply new Dove Nutritive Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Antifrizz Serum to damp hair and let air-dry. The serum smoothes flyaways and adds shine without weighing hair down. ($6 at drugstores) Then wear hair natural or use a curling iron to softly shape the ends.

Ten Gifts Under $15 for the Beauty Buff

2.

Snappy Comebacks

Whether they're sincerely mining for information or just trying to sneak in a low-blow, something about the holidays makes people think they are suddenly at liberty to ask wildly inappropriate questions. Next time your snarky cousin or senile great-aunt corners you with one of these gems, be ready to shoot from the hip.

Question: "I just can't figure out why you're not married yet!"
The classic backhanded compliment masquerades as a statement that you are a great catch. The subtext, however, is that there might be something terribly, irreparably wrong with you that is keeping you from a lasting relationship.
Response: "Me neither! But I know why I'm not divorced yet!"

6 Tips for Sticky Holiday Situations


Question: "Are you still unemployed?"
A sensitive subject at any time, let alone in a crappy economy during the holidays, when consumerism is booming, hiring is down, and all your friends are getting their end-of-year bonuses.
Response: "I'm enjoying some