Blog Posts by DivineCaroline

Now that the first step to dating often involves browsing an overwhelming photo gallery of singles, it's more important than ever to stand out with a flattering and approachable profile photo that says "Message me!" It's not just about finding your prettiest picture that also won't deceive potential suitors-the type of angles, facial expression, and scenery can actually determine the likelihood you'll get contacted. Online dating service OKCupid analyzed more than 7,000 photos from the site to determine if three indicators-facial attitude, how much skin is showing, and environment-bore any relationship to a person's popularity on the site, measured by the number of messages each profile received. Not only are some of their findings surprising, but there are clear guidelines for which photos are most likely to get you a date:


The Flirty Pose
You might think that a friendly smile says "I'm dating material!" more than, pursed or pouty lips do. But in reality, the photos that featured

The Challenge: Collaborate with a randomly selected partner to create couture-chic outfits for stilt-walkers. Good luck with that.

10 Must-Have Fall Accessories Under $50


The Drama: Tonight's episode proved that there's only one thing in the world more difficult than designing extremely long clothes that don't look ridiculous: doing so with a partner. For Viktor and Bert, the order was simply too tall. Viktor called Bert an obnoxious know-it-all; Bert said Viktor needed to read some books. The only thing these begrudging teammates seemed to agree on was that their gargantuan renaissance-fair-themed gown (see below) was a bust. And their instincts were right-the judges hated it. Since neither designer claimed responsibility for the design, the conception and existence of the gaudy gown remains a mystery. It seems the Ghost of Enormous Dresses That Resemble Curtains assembled the whole thing while Bert and Viktor weren't looking.

Team Renaissance Curtain lucked out since Fallene

Doesn't it feel as if we were just shopping for summer styles? If you're not ready to retire your breezy sundresses, strappy sandals, or even sartorial one-piece bathing suits just because the weather is about to get chillier, here are six ways to combine fall's hottest trends with items already in your summer wardrobe.

1.Pair Stylish Socks with Strappy Summer Sandals

Summer's strappy wedge sandals don't have to be retired just because there's a slight chill in the air. Simply pair bright, fashion socks, like the ASOS Slinky Over-the-Knee Socks pictured above, with strappy sandals in a contrasting color to get more use out of your favorite summer footwear and gain ultimate street-style cred. Just be sure to keep the white gym socks for your workouts, lest you veer into dad-on-a-Florida-vacation-territory. ($8.62, asos.com)

Fall's Hottest Heels


2. Don Tights under Sun Dresses

Not quite ready to store your summer dresses? While black opaque tights are a must-have staple for fall and

Popular perception says wide-eyed puppy love is just for infatuated teenagers and passionate honeymooners; that intense love often wanes with time. And perhaps this fear of diminishing affections has helped U.S. marriage rates reach an all-time low in recent years.

But commitment-phobes and hopeless romantics alike rejoice! A random survey of 274 people led by psychologist K. Daniel O'Leary found that 47.8 percent of married Americans reported being "very intensely in love" with their spouse. So long-term couples actually like each other-hooray! Perhaps even more heartening is that according to the study, affections seem to bounce back to newlywed status in the third decade of marriage after a slight slump in the second decade.

While we're generally skeptical of studies that seek to make blanket statements about complicated issues such as love and marriage, we can't help but want to hold on to this optimistic view of long-term commitment as absolute fact. But perhaps even more

A brisk walk around the block. A single square of dark chocolate. A Sandra Bullock rom-com. These are the usual suggestions that come up in stories about surefire mood-boosters. I don't know about you, but when I'm in the sourest, blackest of moods, I don't exactly want to power-walk my troubles away or limit myself to a nibble of sugar. (And don't even get me started on The Proposal.) I'm betting that you, like me, derive the most instant pleasure from little, unexpected things-like self-serve toppings at the fro-yo shop near your work, or a 4 p.m. Google Images search of your favorite celebrity eye candy. When life's really got you down, these mood-elevating recommendations are what the doctor should order.

1. Go nuts on frozen-yogurt toppings.
Much love to the genius who came up with self-service frozen yogurt for getting me through many a tough time. Fun and deliciousness abound when you create your own fro-yo masterpiece. It's like being a kid in the candy store, except now

Healthy eating doesn't have to be hard. It doesn't have to involve precise measurements, expensive equipment, or unpleasant foods. Here are seven tips you can put in place today.

Eat Less Meat
It's a peculiarly American conviction that every meal must contain a meat component. Millions of vegetarians would beg to differ! If you limit your meat intake to just a few times per week, you'll save hundreds of calories and plenty of saturated fat. (Not to mention money, too.) This is good for you and good for the planet.

Bring Your Lunch to Work
When you eat at restaurants or get takeout on the fly, you're more likely to end up with foods that are fatty or unhealthy. Get in the habit of making extra for dinner so you can save some for the next day's lunch. If you have a full meal already assembled ahead of time, you'll know exactly what's in it and won't be tempted to throw in a bag of chips or a cookie like when you're grabbing a sandwich.

8 Ways to Cheat on Your

This week on Project Runway, designers were asked to think outside of the litter box as they battled it out in the season's first unconventional materials challenge. Here's what you missed.

The Challenge: Design an outfit using $300 worth of pet supplies. For the love of god, don't be boring.

The Drama: A star was born this week, and its name was "wee-wee pad." Three designers incorporated the absorbent puppy pads into their garments (such as in Bryce's design, pictured below), making it the most talked-about textile of the night. As a result, I feel compelled to apologize to potty-training products everywhere for woefully underestimating their fashion potential all these years.

Just as the wee-wee star was born, two design stars imploded. Fallene was cast as the frontrunner early on in this artsy-crafty competition due to her quirky sensibilities (she put a puking clown patch onto her dress last week), but she delivered a snoozer smock that landed her in the

If you were born in the past half-century, it might seem crazy to even imagine a world without air-conditioning. How would anyone ever have survived an East Coast heat wave or a sweltering Southern summer? Obviously, people did, but the invention of air-conditioning, considered one of the most significant engineering achievements of the twentieth century, has impacted the economy and the world in ways you may never have imagined. Think climate control is stale and boring? Think again. Here 10 amazing facts about summer's most-needed appliance-after all, it is AC Appreciation Week!

1. The first air conditioner wasn't for people's comfort.
The first modern air conditioner was invented by Willis Carrier in 1902 for a publishing company in Brooklyn. The machine kept temperature and humidity low so that paper didn't expand and contract. Carrier never intended for his invention to be used solely for comfort.

2. AC is why we enjoy summer blockbusters.
Theaters jumped on the AC bandwagon