Flo Rida

We can’t believe he’s nominated for Top Male Artist. And we’ll say it again. His Hip-Hop/Pop singles, more often than not with another artist, are repetitive and clunky. We don’t even think DJs mix his songs at parties. It’s that awkward sounding.

Maroon 5

Top Artist? Really? This band is nominated for a handful of awards, but have they actually produced anything decent since the early 2000s? Lead singer, Adam Levine, decided to pursue a horrible stint of acting on American Horror Story, which seemed like an odd publicity move to boost visibility. Now that he’s on the reality show The Voice, it seems that Maroon 5′s timeliness and re-emerging relevance actually worked out in the band’s favor.

Chris Brown

If this man wins Top R&B Artist (and Album!) over heavy-hitters like Usher, Alicia Keys, and Ne-Yo, our faith in the R&B industry is gone. Someone as soulful and talented as Mary J. Blige should not be placed in the same category as someone like Chris Brown. Trust us, we haven’t forgotten about his “indiscretion.” How that didn’t cause his career to plummet for good, we’ll never know.

Taylor Swift

“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”– really? How complex. Perhaps it can be argued that one is never writing anything of substance unless it’s coming from a place of anguish. But how many breakups can this girl write about? She is making money because of her linear notions about breakups. We should’ve whipped out our guitars first!

Carly Rae Jepsen

We’ll admit it, “Call Me Maybe” was absolutely infectious, but does this warrant multiple nominations? Though not nearly as annoying as other artists, we’re still surprised to see her stand alongside folks like Carrie Underwood and Madonna.

There are so many health trends out there that it’s hard to keep track of what’s good and what’s just unsavory. When it comes to being a vegan, it can be hard to find recipes and products that adhere to our dietary restrictions but don’t taste like glue. We did some research and gathered our 5 favorite products that all vegans and vegan-curious foodies must try. – Grace Texter

Chia Star

The brand Chia Star uses chia seeds in their delicious beverage products to provide an excellent source of nutrients to their consumers. Chock full of antioxidants, omega 3’s, calcium, protein, and fiber, Chia Star drinks are also vegan and gluten free. Some of their flavors include Blackberry Lime Refresh, Peach Green Tea Fusion, Pineapple Honey Love, and their newest flavor Lemon Berry. We love this vegan product because it is just as nutritious for you as it is tasty. Visit Chia Star’s website for more information.

Quinoa

Quinoa is often compared to rice and may be prepared in the same way but it is not a whole grain, it is a seed. It is great as a substitute for any rice, barley, or pilaf in a recipe and can be served hot or cold. It is a great vegan food because it provides all 9 essential amino acids to help keep your unique diet balanced. It also is gluten-free and cholesterol-free. Check out this website for some quinoa recipes you won’t be disappointed with.

Tofu Scramble

You won’t believe it’s not eggs! All it takes is a bit of soft tofu and some herbs and spices, and you’ve got a totally vegan meal you might even think tastes better than the usual. Here’s a tasty recipe we love from Bon Appetit.

Chickpeas

These little gems, also known as garbanzo beans, are full of protein and fiber. They taste delicious alone, in a salad, or (and widely favored) mashed up with some tahini and garlic for a delicious hummus dip. Here is a recipe for a vegan Creamy Cashew Kale and Chickpea dish that will fill you up and leave you wanting for more vegan-licious delights!

Almond Milk

Almond Milk is a delicious alternative to regular dairy milk; it is even more delicious with a subtle almond-y flavor and a consistency that makes you feel healthier just sipping it. When it comes to baking as a vegan, things can get tricky. In this regard, almond milk is a savior. This No-Bake Espresso Vegan Cookie recipe uses almond milk instead of dairy, making sure we don’t have to compromise our vegan preferences.

Planning on shaping your brows this summer? Get those arches in top shape with these tips and tricks provided by Kristie Streicher, the brow expert at Warren-Tricomi. From tweezing like a beauty pro to common brow myths, read on for the complete beauty scoop.- Courtney Leiva

DO

1. Let Your Eyebrows Fill In

Refrain from tweezing or at least three weeks. This allows you to see the natural growth pattern and shape of your eyebrows. It allows the hair to be on one growth cycle, which means less tweezing altogether. When hairs are taken out at once they will all grow in at once putting them on one growth cycle rather than several.

2. Use Good Tweezers In A Well Lit Place

Tweeze hair in a comfortable, well and naturally lit space. Get a pair of good tweezers with sharp slanted edges!and pull hairs in the direction of growth. Hold skin taut while you are tweezing.If you are afraid of pain and want to make the process of brow tweezing less painful, use children’s teething gel to slightly numb the area. If you tweeze your eyebrows after you get out of the shower the skin is softer and pores are open therefore making tweezing less painful.

3. Follow Your Own Natural Line

All bone structure is different, and so are your eyebrows. Not sure where your eyebrows should be? Run your finger along your eyebrow bone. That’s exactly where the line of your eyebrow should be. If you try to arch your eyebrows too high above the bone, it will look unnatural. Stay with the arch that works best with your bone structure. It’s the one that you naturally have already. If you draw an invisible line from the corner of the nose straight up towards the forehead, this is where the eyebrows should start. The arch should fall just outside the pupil and should go all the way across the brow bone.

DON’T

1.Don’t Over Tweeze Or Over Cut

Over cutting the hairs on your brow can be just as detrimental as tweezing. In some cases with thin or sparse eyebrows, the longer ones can help to fill in sparse areas. Shape is dependent on how the eyebrows lay, so if they are cut too short they will not lay right. Brush eyebrows straight up and trim the hairs that stick out too far, one at a time. Then do the same brushing hair down.

2. Don’t Tweeze More Than One Hair At A Time

After pulling a few hairs, step back and look at the entire face. Sometimes hairs that look like they need to be tweezed up close are actually a part of the eyebrow and can make a hole if removed. A magnified mirror is not recommended, if you can’t see the hair in a regular mirror then neither can anyone else.

3. Don’t Be Afraid To Tweeze The Top Of The Eyebrow

It is an old eyebrow myth that is heard too often to never tweeze from the top. Every eyebrow is different and some do not need this, but it is often required to achieve the perfect shape. I recommend doing this last to prevent making them too thin.

Our favorite spring three day weekend is approaching, and while Memorial Day is the “official” kickoff of white clothing season, we’ve got a list of cute numbers that’ll fly even a week early. That’s right, forget the old maxim that says white can only be worn AFTER May 27. Be bold. Be daring. Take your pick from our picks, and get your white on girl. It’s what you wear, but also how you wear it. – Cass Daubenspeck

Nicole Miller Maxi Dress

A sheer white skirt overlays the short, white, racerback bodice of this lovely dress. Nicole Miller’s signature cotton fabric gives a gorgeous matte lustre and comfortable stretch. Available as part of a $50 subscription to Shecky’s Closet.

Mango Shirt Dress

This breathable linen dress with a sophisticated point collar gives way to a flirty deep V neckline and fitted waist. A cute, comfortable number to wear around every day with Chucks, or on a casual date with heels. No pressure to accessorize. This one stands up well on its own. ($59.40)

Motel Catalina Skater Dress

Another not-to-miss number from ASOS. Inspired by vintage prints and cuts, this dress is designed by Motel, known for embracing the feminine silhouette. Your go-to dress for date night this spring and summer.  ($64.49)

Rory Beca Emilion Roset Dress

ASOS Off-Shoulder Shift Dress

After a long day of tanning in your bandeau top, show off those beautiful bronze shoulders with this off-shoulder shifter. You won’t pay for any drinks in this one. ($59.40)

ASOS Shift Dress in Embossed Scuba

Red shoes. Red lips. Red nails. Rock this high-neck, high-fashion dress that’s straight from the runway with bold, feminine accessories. It’s an instant knockout, which is why we don’t suggest wearing it to your best friend’s wedding. At least not in white. ($59.40)

Ladies. There are so many things guys do wrong in bed. But how often do we check ourselves? Here’s a list of general (mis)understandings we have about what guys want, according to a few dudes who were eager to share with us.

1. Perfume and Deodorant

Men are much more “animal” than women when it comes to hygiene. While we take extra care to make sure we’re smelling like new rain before rolling in the sheets, men would actually prefer if we just smelled like ourselves. Our bodies, like men’s, secrete chemical compounds known as pheromones. It’s these chemicals that play a profound role in sexual communication, and we rely on the nose to pick up their presence. If we smell like fresh laundry before hopping in the sack, it won’t tell a guy anything. In fact it might call to mind images of the laundry room from his childhood home. Presumably not what we were going for.

Bottom Line: Men are 1,000 times less sensitive to musk than women, which makes it more important that we try not to cover up the “natural” scent of our bodies. (We’re not talking rank body odor here, just the way you normally smell without having put on a bunch of Calvin Klein).

2. Playing Submissive Jane

Men rely on us to move, to make noise, to give nonverbal cues for what’s working and what’s not. Just lying there is boring for him, and makes him think he’s hurting you. A guy is likely to lose steam when he’s not getting a response from you. He needs your feedback in the moment.

3. Refusing to Kiss Him During Sex

It’s good to be the boss. But when you’re holding back displaying your emotions so you can dominate him, he won’t understand. “Men like to be kissed, just like women.”

4. Sexy Lingerie

Men are visual creatures, so naturally we think they enjoy this. Truth? They don’t care much! Put on a corset with lacy, barely-there panties and he’ll definitely be pleased, but he’ll be more excited to take it off! Think twice about forking over the moolah for what amounts to clothing you’ll wear for a few seconds, only to throw on the floor.

5. Scratching and Biting

There’s a general consensus among dudes that this can be hot. Who doesn’t love a little roughhousing once in a while? The thing is, scratching and biting are easy to take too far, without even realizing it. Most guys would be happier if you didn’t rev it up to this level.

We here at Shecky’s love to bring in sweets to the office to treat ourselves when we feel like indulging. These sporadic spurts of sweet morsels usually are sparked by someone stumbling onto any of the many food blogs that we are obsessed with. We decided to share some of our favorite pastry and dessert blogs with you so you can get just as inspired as we are by the many delectable recipes! – Grace Texter

Butter Me Up Brooklyn

http://buttermeupbrooklyn.com/

This fantastic blog by Lillie has the most scrumptious recipes of every kind. But we especially covet her various sweets. From her brownies to her tarts, we trust that every recipe will produce a delicious dessert that will leave us wanting more… and MORE!

Sweet Roots

www.sweetroots.blogspot.com

We love to hate this blog because all the photos are beautiful and make us hungry at our desks. Author Mary Banducci calls herself a modern-day forager, mother, wife, and as you’ll see, an incredibly talented chef of non-dairy gluten-free foods. The recipe for the Ginger Cake pictured above is to die.

Orangette

http://orangette.blogspot.com/

This quaint blog by Molly hosts fantastic recipes alongside actual blog posts focused around Molly’s life (and her scrumptious little baby) that keep us coming back for more! What more could you ask for than tasty recipes with great reading on the side that inspires you to follow your dreams?

A Splash of Vanilla

www.asplashofvanilla.com

We love Emma from Australia, and how her sweet personality matches her love of sweets. She’s got the best taste in dessert, and her recipes often suggest “smashing up some biscuits” like for these Lemon Coconut Bars.

Food52

www.food52.com

If you haven’t discovered the Food52 phenomenon yet, you are really in for a treat. This website has a whole archive of delicious recipes constantly rolling in. You’ll not only get a slew of ideas for tonight’s dinner every single day, but you may find a recipe for chocolate cabernet cake and before you realize anything has happened, it’s 7 hours later.

Pastry Studio

http://pastrystudio.blogspot.com/

We love the way Pastry Studio treats each sweet treat like an artistic masterpiece. Photographed with delicacy and precision, the morsels couldn’t look more mouth-watering. And each recipe is written in prose that convinces you to dive right in and start baking! Go for it!

Baking Obsession

http://www.bakingobsession.com/

It is almost torture to scroll through Baking Obsession because each and every recipe gets better and better and BETTER! If that is even possible… Vera has turned her obsession for baking into her career and generously shares her creations with all of us! Of course, we may not make it as beautiful as she, but it tastes so good so we have to forgive ourselves for any error in presentation… right?

Dorie Greenspan

http://doriegreenspan.com

While Dorie has many recipes of various categories, she is a master of all things sweet! She has written many a cookbook and mainly focused on sweets and cakes. However, we love her blog because she not only shares her recipes with us, she keeps us updated on social media and issues that are important to her. Way to go Dorie! Keep on keepin’ on!

Jenn Flaa, author of The Happiness Handbook, knows a thing or two about joy. She went from being a chubby, miserable divorcee who owned a high tech company that was barely hanging on, to a successful CEO and lead singer in a rock band. When it comes to happiness, she says, making your man happy, your boss happy, and your family happy,  starts with yourself. Read on for her surprising insights. – Victoria Barton

TELL MEN WHAT YOU WANT I work in high tech and I’m a musician, so a lot of my friends are guys and I have two brothers, and they all talk about how they can’t read women’s minds, and women—especially around sex—don’t seem to share enough with their guy. Or, when women talk, they don’t get to the point right away, and the guy gets lost in the conversation. In the book, the idea is to help the woman really get clear in her life what makes her happy, what makes her mad, what she likes about sex, and get it to the place where she can have that conversation straight-on with her guy instead of beating around the bush, or expecting the guy to read her mind. I grew up thinking that if you were “the one,” you would know what I want. And yet, I don’t really have that capability for the guy. I think that you garner some of that over time in paying attention, but it’s not instinctual.

MAKE HAPPINESS YOUR OWN RESPONSIBILITY In the book, I talk about happiness being your responsibility. You can’t wait for someone to show up and make you happy, you have to know what makes you happy first. For instance, I love flowers. Having flowers in my home makes me happy, but I don’t have to wait for my guy to stop off at the store and grab some. I can go out and do that!  In the book, I have several different worksheets that you can go through, like “What are the top 5 things that make you happy?” There’s also a dating checklist that asks questions like “What’s your favorite color” or “What’s one of your favorite dates?” or “What’s your favorite type of coffee?” They’re all little things, but it’s the teeny things that matter when guys do them—those make the girl know that he likes you, and he’s paying attention.

DO A HAPPY DANCE The key is not just to tell him when he’s made you happy, but show him visually that you’re happy. That’s a mistake I made in my marriage, I’d say, “Well, thank you honey.” Men are so visual that the “Oh, thank you honey” did not enter his man-brain but since my marriage, if I light up my face, or I do a happy dance, you can see it register in their bodies that they got it. Then, it’s like scoring a touchdown or a winning goal or whatever they know, and they know they did a good thing and they’re more likely to repeat it once they get that positive reinforcement. It’s a good thing to experiment with.

In my talks, I’ve had some women, especially some of the women that are more reserved, say, “I can’t do it.” Here’s an example: what if a guy took you out to Arby’s, and you just love those roast beef sandwiches. So what if instead of doing a happy dance or anything, but what if you took a bite and you react by saying, “OH MY GOD that hits the spot!” They’re going to get that. You can experiment with when being visual in your happiness feels good to you, and still registers with the guy.

Once you start seeing the effect that your happiness has on guys, you’re getting the positive reinforcement that being more expressive makes the other guy happy. We tend to always want to make other people happy, so if just being happy makes the other person happy, then that’s easy.

Denim Shirt Dress

Denim is the perfect fabric for a summer dress! And a shirt dress is so versatile you will wear this into the fall and break it out again in the spring! Wear it with a cute sun hat and some sandals. You’ll be turning heads wherever you are in this ensemble.

Denim on Denim

When we suggest that you try denim on denim, we want you to avoid digressing back into the bad 90’s trend of a singular colored denim from head-to-toe. Instead, pair a chambray shirt or jean jacket of one hue with a pair of jeans, in a different hue or even in white. This is a classic look, perfect for any casual gathering, especially beachside or at the yacht club.

Denim Overalls

I know. I see you scratching your head. But overalls are not restricted to life on the farm! Denim overalls can be super chic if done properly. Go for a clean pair, no distressed holes or patches. Too much on overalls can push you more towards frumpy instead of fashion-forward. Consider wearing overalls, cuffed at the bottom with a pair of heels and a simple t-shirt. This combo is both cute and unexpected!

Scrambled Eggs

Beat eggs, dash of optional milk, salt, pepper. Melt a little butter over medium heat, add the egg mix, and massage minimally with spatula. Remove when slightly undercooked. High heat and lots of movement makes for tough eggs.

Roasted Chicken

Wash chicken, cut the backbone with poultry scissors (gotta learn to do it some time). Pat dry. Season all over with olive oil, salt, dried rosemary, pepper. Place in oven preheated to 475 for about 20-25 minutes. Now take some of the bastings, mix in a mug with paprika, and brush over chicken. After 30 minutes reduce heat to 350 and cook for an hour longer, brushing chicken with paprika and juice every 20 minutes.

Roasted Vegetables

Slice up onions, carrots, butternut squash, potatoes (yumm) etc. Toss in olive oil and kosher salt. Spread out thinly on cookie sheet. Throw in 425-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, knock heat down to 400 and cook until tender.

Steak

Take a good steak, pat it dry, salt it on each side, and throw in sizzling hot cast iron pan with butter for 5 minutes a side for medium rare. Let rest for five minutes.

Homemade Mac n’ Cheese

Easy Mac is over. Especially once you realize how tasty homemade mac is. Here’s what you do:

Boil water for your pasta. In another pot on low heat, add 1 cup milk, salt, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, and stir gently. Add about 1.5 cups shredded cheese and stir slowly until it’s melted and starts to thicken like a paste. Add salt, pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta. Add hot sauce.

Basic Tomato Sauce

Stella McCartney’s Sebellica

We are loving these bright yellow sneaks with a modified herringbone pattern. The midsole is super cushiony for forefront propulsion. The microfibre materials used as a substitute for leather are long-lasting and not tanned with toxic heavy metals like conventional leather. ($180)

Gunas Tote Bag

GUNAS bags are bold and edgy, and make a statement for those who want to differentiate themselves in a crowd. We love this Melrose tote, in burnt orange with gold studded detail and beautiful faux suede lining. You could win it for free! This bag will be a raffle prize at The Seed Experience event (May 18th & 19th). Brush up on some vegan knowledge while you’re there, and check out some tasty plant-based treats.

Mata Traders Garden Dress

This dress, done up with delicately gathered sleeves, pleated waist, and a full, flirty skirt is perfect for a date night. It’s just asking to be paired with pearls, pumps, and red lips. Made of 100% cotton. ($68)

Olsenhaus Bangkok Green

Elizabeth Olsen, the founder of Olsenhaus Pure Vegan, was on a mission to merge her passions for design, fashion, and function, as well as being a voice for animals, when she started her vegan shoe line. Her Bangkok Green toeless heel is a stylish, classic shoe made of 100% cruelty-free materials ($210).

LivLuna Dress

LivLuna makes this scoop neck, open sleeve knit dress perfect for a cooler evening. The Stevia Dress is stunning and sexy, without looking like you’re trying too hard. ($99)

Vivienne Westwood Derby Bag

This beautiful bag is way out of our price range (it’s a measly $1040!!), but we love it for its funky design, Vivienne Westwood’s classic MacBruce Tartan fabric, and its instantly recognizable Yasmine shape finished with a delicate golden Orb. It has a one zip closing and one open pocket. If you can afford it, it’s a wardrobe staple. We’re mostly just glad something so fashionable is so animal-friendly.

DKNY Asymmetrical Pleather Jacket

The color of this soft and comfortable zip coat is perfect for spring. The neutral color goes well with anything in your closet, and looks like real leather. ($90)

For more chic finds in vegan fashion, check out these sites:

Alternative Outfitters

Ecolissa

Pangea

Bourgeois Boheme

Okabashi