Why Deirdre Loves February: Her 13 Reasons!
February 14, 2010 by Deirdre
Filed under CL ExCLusives!, The Intern Dish
‘What I love about February!’
Me at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg on Tuesday
1. Name: Deirdre
2. Be honest, did you watch the Superbowl? Sort of! I was in Dublin Airport and it was on in the background on some TVs around Starbucks. I was trying to sleep but I kept waking up to check the score!
3. Romantic comedy or love story? Ooh, that is a tough one. I like both, but sometimes a romantic comedy is a great way to relax.
4. Favorite ‘love’ movie(s): The Notebook, (500) Days of Summer, He’s Just Not That Into You.
5. Love getting or giving Valentine’s cards? Giving is the most fun because I love seeing people’s faces when they read the little message that you’ve written for them. But of course getting isn’t too bad either! 
6. My Valentine’s cards have to have the following cartoon characters? I’m going to go the Charlie Brown route for this question. I’m not picky though!
7. Chocolate or flowers? Flowers. I’m definitely a flowers type of girl.
8. Favorite flower: I like all kinds, but I always have a soft spot for calla lilies. They’re so beautiful!
Burgundy calla lilies, credit to a2ad.com
9. A great Valentine date would be: Johnny Depp! Realistically, maybe a drive-in movie theatre (I’ve always wanted to go to one!) and a simple dinner. Lovely.
10. My favorite love quote: “Promise me you’ll never forget me because if I thought you would, I’d never leave.” A.A. Milne
11. Things that ‘make my world go round and I love’: My friends and family, Starbucks, General Hospital, my dog, College Lifestyles, snow days, Toby Keith, red nail polish (I bet you’re sooo surprised!), vanilla scented candles, my iPod and laughing so hard that you end up crying.
12. Favorite Winter Olympic sport: Ice skating, though it always makes me super nervous that the skaters may fall on the ice. I get so worried!
13. Anything else you love about February: SNOW! It rarely snows in Ireland but luckily this February I got to see some snow while I was in The Netherlands. Also, the February sweeps with American soap operas is always good. Plus it is the last month of super cold weather, and I love winter, so I try to make the most of it!
Deirdre is a College Lifestyles (TM) intern and a second year law student in University College Cork, Ireland. She just got back from a trip to the European Union institutions with her EU Law class, where she learned a lot but also saw SNOW!
Briana’s Favorite Things about February!
February 9, 2010 by Briana
Filed under Careers, CL ExCLusives!, Entertainment, Lifestyle, What We Love
All of my lovely valentines
He’s Just Not That Into You, Love Actually, My Best Friend’s Wedding, (500) Days of Summer, The Princess and the Frog, Lars and the Real Girl, Last Chance Harvey…….I’m just gonna stop there
from spiderdiaraies.richmond.edu
from ftd.com
from flickr.com
Briana Simko is an intern for College Lifestyles (TM). She is an English and Theater Arts major at Duquesne University and a sister of Alpha Sigma Tau. She is a huge sap and cried when she saw The Princess and the Frog. She also has no problem admitting that she’s waiting for her Disney prince to come Stephanie Is All About February
February 9, 2010 by Stephanie
Filed under CL ExCLusives!, The Intern Dish
1. Name: Stephanie
2. Be honest, did you watch the Superbowl? Yes, I watched it. And by “watch” I mean it was on in the background while I procrastinated about my doing homework by Facebook stalking.
3. Romantic comedy or love story? Romantic comedy–love stories just give us poor perceptions of reality. Sorry, someone’s gotta be the Negative Nancy!
4. Favorite ‘love’ movie(s): Runaway Bride, The Notebook, My Best Friend’s Wedding
5. Love getting or giving Valentine’s cards? Both!
6. My Valentine’s cards have to have the following cartoon character: Spiderman!
7. Chocolate or flowers? Flowers. I can’t eat them … or at least it would be really awkward if I did.
8. Favorite flower: French tulips (and, of course, the wine carnation)
9. A great Valentine date would be: tall, attractive, wealthy, have a great sense of humor and adore me (that’s the kind of date you meant, right?)
10. My favorite love quote: “This love is difficult, but it’s real.” Thanks for that, T-Swizzle.
11. Things that ‘make my world go round and I love’: 5-hour phone conversations, cuddling, that “new love” feeling, srat sisters, Christmastime at Starbucks, Michigan sunsets
12. Favorite Winter Olympic sport: Bobsled!
13. Anything else you love about February: It only has 28 days, and it’s Black History Month. Plus my school gives us a week off for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
Stephanie Hardiman is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM). She is a senior journalism major at Washington and Lee University. She is a proud sister of Pi Beta Phi and will be drawing anatomically correct hearts on her valentines.
Kayla’s Fabulous CHERRY February!
February 9, 2010 by Kayla
Filed under CL ExCLusives!, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Sorority Life, The Dish, The Intern Dish, Weekly Dish, What We Love
1. Name: Kayla Norris
2. Be honest, did you watch the Superbowl? just most of the second half =)
3. Romantic comedy or love story? Romantic comedy
5. Love getting or giving Valentine’s cards? Getting… I know it’s horrible to be selfish!!
6. My Valentine’s cards have to have the following cartoon characters? Hello Kitty or Powerpuff Girls
7. Chocolate or flowers? Mmm any chocolate except dark!
9. A great Valentine date would be: I honestly don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day myself =) but knowing I’ll always have a Valentine in my wonderful boyfriend, Richard, is good enough for me!!
Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority Roadtrips!
Little Debbie Cherry Cordials!
**DID YOU FIND THE ‘CHERRY ON TOP’** =) ……… LITTLE DEBBIE’S!!
Don’t forget to check out my “15 Facts” !
Kayla Norris is an intern for College Lifestyles (TM). She has enough love to give and have in her life to have Valentine’s every day of the year!
A CL Girl’s Guide to Vancouver: The Hottest Places to Dine and Play during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games
February 1, 2010 by Marisa
Filed under CL ExCLusives!, Lifestyle, Nutrition, What We Love
For those of you who are lucky enough to be attending the 2010 Winter Games (or better yet, participating in them), half of the fun is exploring the culture and happenings of the host city. This year, all eyes will be on Vancouver, BC which happens to be my backyard and playground. As a seasoned Vancouverite (I was born and raised here and am now furthering my education and social life at the University of British Columbia), I’ve put together a city guide for the 17 – 25 year old set — for all you fabulous ladies who are looking to experience the best of young life in Vancouver. Lonely Planet and Fodor’s may give you a comprehensive list of every possible restaurant, activity, and nightlife destination in the city, but no one can pinpoint the best of that list like a local can …
Part I – Dining à la Best Coast
One of my personal pet peeves about traveling is getting sucked into the black hole of gross and/or overpriced meals because you were half-starved and simply didn’t know where to dine. McDonald’s and Starbucks may often seem like the easiest (and loudest) options, but who are we kidding — they will hardly satisfy your cultural craving.
Vancouver offers tons of delicious dining options inspired by tastes and cultures from around the world but with so many dining districts and varieties of food to choose from, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. To make your decision a little easier, here’s a personal list of my favorite places to dine and wine, all reasonably priced with awesome menus and each boasting some of the trendiest and most unique vibes in the city:
For Breakfast:
Sophie’s Cosmic Café
2095 West Fourth Avenue
You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into the past or just back down South with this 1960s-inspired American diner. Half the fun is looking at the hundreds of nostalgic items that adorn their wall! Famous in town for its generous portions, Sophie’s serves up traditional breakfast items with a bit of a twist (eggs Benny with salsa and avocado, anyone?).
You’ve gotta try: the Belgian Waffles, or any of their eggs
Bean Around the World
Numerous locations around Vancouver
For those of you who are dashing up to Whistler early in the morning and in need of a quick fix Bean around the World is your best bet for a light breakfast to start off the day, or even just to grab a snack for the road. A bakery and coffee shop that creates its hearty goods in-house and imports unique coffee from all around the world, “the Bean” is like your portable neighborhood coffee house dipped in a whole lotta granola.
You’ve gotta try: hot chocolate (with whipped cream) and any of their muffins or scones (personal favorite: chocolate chip-raspberry)
Grounds for Coffee
2565 Alma Street
Ever bought a cinnamon bun and found it devastatingly hard and dry? This will guaranteed not be a problem at Grounds which serves the most amazing gooey cinnamon buns you’ll ever experience. Make sure to grab a handful of napkins on your way out or you’ll be sporting sugar and icing on your face all day long.
You’ve gotta try: cinnamon buns, cinnamon buns and more cinnamon buns
For Lunch
Burgoo Bistro
3 locations around Vancouver
With their vast selection of (random!) comfort foods from around the globe, I often consider Burgoo my kitchen-away-from-kitchen. The menu itself is fun to read with its details of the nationality of every dish (for example, did you know Caesar salads are a Mexican concoction?) Filling dishes are served up in a chic rustic setting – you’ll feel like you’ve packed up a homemade picnic!
You’ve gotta try: their homemade strawberry lemonade and the Straight-up Tomato Soup with Gooey Cheese Grillers – hands down, my favorite lunch meal of all time.
Noodle Box
1867 West Fourth Avenue
This south-east Asian noodle bar boasts an extremely funky and fresh vibe and the food equates! The freshest vegetables imaginable are mixed up on a fiery wok with a variety of meat choices, and you get to choose your spice level ranging from mild to suicide hot (the latter is not recommended!) Service is super quick as everything is pre-paid at the counter and they pride themselves on their take-out orders which is perfect if you need to head off to the arena.
You’ve gotta try: Roti Bread for an appetizer and the Spicy Peanut Noodle Box for your main course
For Dinner
Joey’s, Earl’s, and Cactus Club Café (A.K.A. the corporate restaurants)
Locations EVERYWHERE (actually.)
Other Vancouverites may chuckle that I included such an obvious grouping, but Vancouver prides herself on these three restaurants which are, without a doubt, the most popular and regularly frequented dining hotspots in the city. Each is slightly different 
in terms of its menu but all boast an extremely upbeat and unique vibe that many foreigners have told me is unlike anything they have experienced back home – think a classy night out on the town crossed with a casual dining experience (who knew that was possible?). On any given night, model-esque singles will be flirting at the bar over Bellini’s while families will be enjoying quality time over large meals less than one meter away. If you can manage to get a seat, each restaurant boasts outstanding bar and lounge set-ups with massive TVs that will be great for watching the Games! As a final note, it’s practically required that you be ridiculously good-looking to work at any of these restaurants which often turns out to be treat in itself … Dessert not necessary?
You’ve gotta try:
Joey’s: start with the Pan Fried Gyoza and then get the Ahi Tuna Salad or Cab Top Sirloin Steak (with the crispy mashed potatoes)
Earl’s: Chili Chicken as your appetizer and then the entrée-sized Cesar Salad
Cactus Club Café: Blackened Creole Chicken or the Pesto Chicken Quesadilla
Italian Kitchen
1037 Alberni Street
The best and most plentiful Italian food for miles around! Huge portions of rich pastas and pizzas will make you think we’re celebrating Roma 2010, not Vancouver 2010. The atmosphere is luxurious but at the same time, super cozy.
*If you happen to be in the Kitsilano area, stop by Italian Kitchen’s sister restaurant Trattoria which features a similar menu in a more intimate setting.
You’ve gotta try: the Bruschetta Sampler (order one for the group to share) followed by the Penne Arrabbiata as your main dish
The Eatery
3431 West Broadway
My roommate (THE sushi aficionado) INSISTED that I put this selection in here. And with good reason! West coast cities are famous for their sushi, after all, and The Eatery does not disappoint. If anything, it’s funky and delicious twist on traditional sushi creations will blow your taste buds away! Who knew cream cheese and chicken in a sushi roll could actually work? The restaurant’s atmosphere in itself is an experience; with its red-tinted lighting scheme, Andy Warhol-inspired paintings and larger-than-life action figures you’ll feel like you’ve just stepped out of a Japanese comic book.
You’ve gotta try: the Bob Marley Roll and the Ichi Roll
For Dessert
La Casa Gelato
1033 Venables Street
Known simply as ‘Venables’ to locals, this ice cream parlor offers an astounding 504 flavors of ice cream (all made in-house) ranging from non-fat to non-dairy to low-fat to sugar-free. The most amazing part, however, has to be their crazy creations. Ever wondered what wasabi-flavored ice cream would taste like? How about balsamic vinegar? Or curry? Venables is very liberal with their samples so why not dare to try?
You’ve gotta try: one scoop of Rainbow Chip Vanilla with a second scoop of Ferrero Rocher is my personal fave.
Big City Cupcakes
Numerous locations around Vancouver and Whistler
The cupcake creations look so delicate and colorful you’ll be hesitant to bite into such a pretty piece of art. But make sure you do — these moist cupcakes with their rich and heavenly icing and cream fillings are absolutely to die for. You’ll never have the same respect for Betty Crocker again.
You’ve gotta try: the Red Carpet Cupcake (red velvet cake with a thick icing top) and the Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcake (cream filling)
Stay tuned for part II of this article series: the hottest places to play in Vancouver!
Marisa Woodham is an intern at College Lifestyles (TM) and an English major at the University of British Columbia. She took breaks writing this article at numerous points because she got too hungry. She is now extremely obese.
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