...and other things your closet might be saying right now.

You didn't manage that "Spring Cleaning" you kept talking about, and Summer came and went, as did your motivation to clear out the old clothes.  Before the Holiday Season brings you all sorts of new sweaters and party dresses to stuff into your closet, give it a break and purge a bit. 

You know the drill:

Anything you haven't worn in the last year should go.  Or something like that.

I seem to get stuck on things that "are great to sleep in", or "would be great for an 80s theme party!" or "but what if I have to go to a hoe-down?"

You should certainly keep a bag/container for costumes, but the wigs, Mardi Gras beads, cutoff overalls, and rubber bracelets should not be sharing space with your day-to-day ensembles.  It makes your normal clothes uneasy.

In my daydreamy fantasies, my closet looks like this:

In reality, my closet is the size of one of Mary Kate Olsen's purses, and is positively bursting with hangers and improperly folded shirts, that dutifully roll out onto my head the moment I open the closet door.

The closet purge should not be attempted solo.  Recruit a friend.  Or my mom.  Any slight hesitation, or pause, when she's holding an item out for the vote, and it is thrown in the "not yours anymore" pile.

What to do with the "not yours anymore" pile?  Several options:

1) Consignment shop

2) Goodwill

3) Dress for Success (if your "not yours anymore" pile includes successful clothing)

4) Other various charities, many of whom will stop by your place and pick up the "not yours anymore" pile, so that you may feel lazy and charitable all at the same time.

Your closet will thank you. 

Madonna is an icon.  Her career has spanned 3 decades, thus far, and her style is ever-changing.  She's gone from the Material Girl phase to the Dominatrix phase to the Cowgirl phase to the Retro-70s phase.

I am ready for whatever phase this is, to be finished: 

Photo:  Tom Vickers Splash News

If this is an attempt to slip through the airport, unnoticed, we can forgive her a little.  A LITTLE. 

However, Madonna is one of the most monumentally recognizable people on the planet, and a slouchy hat and unflattering masculine sunglasses are not enough of a disguise.

Everything else she is wearing seems to belong to her soon-to-be-ex husband (wait for Friday's post), so there may be more of a story here.   

Stop putting "sexy" or "naughty" in front of any occupation and calling it a Halloween costume. If you must go with the sexy-angle, do Marilyn Monroe or Jessica Rabbit.  "Sexy toll-booth operator" is just not right.

In one of the other "Top 10 Women's Halloween Costumes" lists, there were four that began with "sexy", and two with "naughty".  Here are our picks that do not require either of those adjectives.

1)  Rosie the Riveter - we love the retro look, and Rosie is a cultural icon signifying strong, capable women.  Plus it's a cute costume, and you don't have to do your hair.

2)  Trophy Wife - a great tongue-in-cheek costume, where you will need to do your hair.

3)  Anything with an Afro - if you haven't worn an Afro wig (or an actual Afro), you haven't lived.  Those are FUN to shake around, plus you can hide candy in it!  Foxy Cleopatra, Angela Davis, whomever.  Build the costume around the Afro.

4)  Wonder Woman - you don't have to put "sexy Wonder Woman" because that is implied.

5)  Joan of Arc - another strong female role model-ish type.  Wearing that heavy chainmail costume will be an extra workout, and carrying a sword is just good defensive strategy in case someone tries to steal your candy.

6)  Cruella deVil - or any other Disney villain.  The kooky hair and crazy makeup do require a bit of work.

7)  Leather Tuscadero - if you have no idea who this is, please use Google to educate yourself.  Leather Tuscadero is a "Happy Days" icon!

8)  Mary Katherine Gallagher - if you must wear the Catholic school uniform, at least funny it up a bit.

9)  Carmen Miranda - with her flouncy flamenco costume and her headdress made of fruit, this is a colorful - not to mention tasty - option.

10)Marie Antoinette - the infamous fashionable dauphine  You can do either with head:

Or without:

Whatever you do, celebrate responsibly and don't overdo it on the Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.  You'll still want to be your sexy, naughty self when the festivities are over.

Americans are notorious for schlepping around various vacation destinations clad in khakis, polo shirts, Nikes and baseball hats - making it appear as if we are all employees of a TGIFridays-type establishment.  While it's always important to maintain your personal sense of style, it's also a good idea to try to assimilate to the particular country or region in which you'll be traveling.  Here are a few examples:

NEPAL, PERU, OTHER POPULAR TREKKING DESTINATIONS - makeup will do you no favors on the hiking trails.  While trekking in the Annapurna or Andes range, if you are wearing makeup you will look like a clown next to all the adrenaline-created rosy-cheeks of other travelers.  If you're feeling vain, wear your sunglasses in the photos.

LONDON - The Brits are fabulous at playing Dress-Up.  Take one look at all the men in their savvy pinstripe suits, with rich purple ties, and you'll be shouting "God Save The Queen!"  British women tend to take more fashion risks, and don't feel like they need to follow trends as closely as their American counterparts.  This means you can try out some funkier looks: hot pants, tights and suede booties?  Why not?  You're on vacation!

PRETTY MUCH ALL OF EUROPE - blending in requires little more than scarves and a cute pair of flats.  Those two items alone, would render even the polo shirt/khakis ensemble more palatable.

THAILAND - leave those bulky cargo shorts at home and get thee a sarong!  Not only is it a chic beach coverup, it doubles as a souvenir.  Many of the temples that you'll want to visit also require long pants or long skirts, and your ankle-length sarong will work.

Pack a light suitcase, and put "local shopping" on your list of things to do in the first few days of the trip.  When you arrive, take note of what the cool kids are wearing.  There are few things more fun than having a friend at home compliment you on an item of clothing, when you can respond "Yeah, I got it in Portugal".

Ahhh Jeremy Piven.  He's kind of the Thinking Girls' babe.  We're Thinking Girls.  And we're thinking that even if you've never seen him as uber-arrogant agent Ari Gold on "Entourage", you will remember him as a John Cusack-sidekick in a whole bunch of stuff, or as the Dean from "Old School".

Where he was decidedly unsexy.  Thankfully, that was just a role.  He has been acting for years and years, and is now finally getting some recognition for his work.

Photo: Askmen

We think he is due to get some recognition for the Sexy as well.  The below shot was the only decent shirtless one we could find, and it is pretty sexy.  Like "oh Jeremy just crawled out of bed, and is applying some sweet cologne for us.

Photo: celebhijinx.blogspot.com

Either that, or he's really feeling old and is squinting to try to recognize himself in the mirror.

HAPPY FRIDAY & HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND, FROM THE GOLIGHTLY GIRLS!

 Okay, raise your hand if you're married.  Now, keep your hand up if you have wedding accoutrement that you will (fingers crossed) never use again.  And keep your hand up if you feel you spent a king's ransom on said accoutrement, and would love some way to get a bit of that expense back, and potentially help out a new bride-to-be.

This website is fantastic.  It's like Craig's List or Ebay, but for brides.  And it's fancier.  Weddings are outrageously expensive, unless you can get creative about how to plan it.  Say "hello" to creative:  Bravo Bride.

Bravo Bride is the place to go for both prior brides, and brides-to-be.  It is the ultimate chi-chi swap meet for all things wedding.  From the founder: "BravoBride.com is an online marketplace where brides, newlyweds and bridal boutiques can buy and sell new and pre-owned wedding items, from designer wedding dresses and jewelry to shoes, favors, ceremony/reception items and more. Basically it's like Craiglist.com for the bridal industry."

You never know.  There may be another bride out there who absolutely needs to have Lego castle centerpieces for her reception.

You may browse items by the following categories:

Dresses

Jewelry

Accessories

Ceremony

Reception

Planning Items

Party & Shower Items

OR check out the Featured Items, or New Items.  The site also offers a listing for local vendors, and helpful wedding tips.

So get in there and buy or sell to your heart's content.  And if you're buying, just remember that you can re-list all the stuff once your big day is over!

Hilary Duff is on the cover of the current US Magazine/Style edition, sharing space with country star Taylor Swift, and Lauren Conrad, of no discernible talent.  Methinks Hilary will undoubtedly be having words with her agent.

In one of the interior photos of the magazine Ms. Duff was wearing a shirt that appeared to be soaking wet.  I believe this ivory top is either of the same brand, or is also soaking wet.  I can't tell.

Photo: flynetonline.com

At first glance, other than the soaking wet shirt, this travel ensemble looks to be quite decent.

It's mid-October already.  Where has the time gone?!  What am I doing with my life?!  Why are we here?!  Wait, that wasn't the purpose of this post.  We want to make sure you're stopping to smell the roses, so to speak.  In this case, you should be stopping to smell the pumpkins.

If you have been neglecting this fine Fall month, here are our Top 10 Ways To REALLY Enjoy October:

1) The Fall TV lineup - by now you should know which of the shows are worth your time, and you can ignore "Eli Stone", even though Katie Holmes is making a guest appearance. Ed note: have not actually watched Eli Stone, but found the commercials for it a bit cloying.  Apologies to any fans, if it is truly a good show.

2) Appreciate the changing leaves - and then rake them into a huge pile and jump in them, where you can appreciate the October sky.

3) Oktoberfest - bier me!

5) Get new boots - yeah, you probably already did this in September, but who says you only need one pair of boots?

6) Apple picking

7) The Emmys - sure, they're over now, but you watched them and enjoyed them didn't you?  At least the red carpet?

8) Outdoor running (or other exercise) minus the excessive sweat.

9) Hayrides 

10) Don't cook or bake anything, or buy any presents: Sound awful and selfish?  October is the last non-holiday-crazy month of the year. Enjoy it while you can!

With Fall comes the Fall Fashion Issues of our favorite magazines.  And with these Fall Fashion Issues come a slew of new trends, some of which should have warning labels.  These are a few Fall trends that we think can be skipped...

SKIP THESE:

Open-toed boots:  The booties are somewhat more palatable, but full on open-toed boots are just odd.  You wear full-length boots to keep warm (and because they look good), and we can't get the image out of our heads of stubbing our toe in a snow bank while wearing these.  On the flip-side, though, if you recently had toe-surgery these are perfect.

Crazy plaids:  Plaid can be good, particularly if you're in Scotland, or attending private school, or just having a picnic at the winery.  Plaid can also be bad.

Full skirts: Think about this: if you are looking at the model, who is wearing the full skirt, and you're thinking "Oh good, the models are finally eating!" think again.  They are still the same size.   The full skirts are creating the illusion of a medium build.

Case in point - the stunning Jacquetta Wheeler.  From the waist down, she looks reasonably healthy.  But direct your focus to the chest area.

That is SKINNY.  My chest is nowhere near that skeletal, and I can just imagine how enormous my hips would look in this ensemble.  If you are one of the lucky slim-hipped, you can feel free to indulge in the full -skirt craze.

Pegged jeans: granted, this is not a trend approved by fashion magazines, but rather something Katie Holmes tried to initiate.  We actually like the slouchy boyfriend-jean look:

but do NOT peg the legs of the jeans.  Baaaaaad.

Fake-worn-out jeans: It is ridiculous to buy jeans like this.  If it happens naturally, fine, you've got yourself some great "paint the house" jeans.  But we saw these at Barney's.

BARNEY'S!  No, no, no, no, no.

Exaggerated print mixing: - we know, we know, everyone is trying to be trendy-quirky, and when even the fashion director at O Magazine says it's okay, it might seem like a really good idea!  No.  Pattern mixing can be done, if you keep it subtle.  But honestly, it should be more of a gut reaction - if the ensemble makes your eyes hurt, just pair the print with a solid.  It's better to be safe than scary.

Use your mirrors, girls, and incorporate new Fall trends with a modicum of common sense.

After his ladies-man/lothario role on "Kitchen Confidential", and his turn as an egomaniacal, hot-headed jerk in "Wedding Crashers", I'm praying Bradley Cooper has not been typecast.  I still prefer to remember him as the loyal, lovesick Will Tippin from "Alias", where I would be yelling at the television screen for Sydney to wake up and smell the Vaughn-betrayal! 

Sydney!  Open your eyes!  Will is RIGHT THERE, waiting for you to realize he is THE ONE FOR YOU!  Okay, now I'm yelling a little in all-caps.  But really.  Those piercing blue eyes, the tousled hair, the dimples...

Photo: Photobucket

...and the ruggedly athletic, tattooed (? who would have known!) body. 

Photo: Photobucket

Well, someone must have known, because when we looked Bradley up on IMDB, he had like 5 movies in post-production, meaning we should be seeing much, much more of him.

HAPPY FRIDAY & HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND, FROM THE GOLIGHTLY GIRLS!