December always brings a full calendar to the DC area, and it seems there is an endless stream of parties, food, and shopping to be had. Everyone can be a socialite in December!

SHOP TO IT (SHOPPING AND INDULGENCES)

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, right? Two sparkling events are happening this week from the diamond industry. The Baubles and Bubbles event at Chas. Schwartz & Son in Mazza Gallerie tonight will feature special pricing on $5 million worth of diamonds (from 2 to 10 carats). Talk about bling! Mervis Diamond is also having their annual trunk show this weekend in Tysons. Stop by for a fabulous opportunity to get something sparkly for that special someone.

SCENE AND BE SEEN (EVENTS AND PARTIES)

Friday night just keeps getting better. Start the night at Midtown where they are rolling out the red carpet to host a charity event for Becky’s Fund, which is sure to be a blast. A $20 donation to fight domestic violence is suggested, and the happy hour starts early at 5 PM.

After that, make sure you stop by the City Tavern Club from 8 PM to midnight for a not-so-naughty drink in honor of the 75th Anniversary of Repeal Day. The Repeal Day Ball is a classy soiree featuring some snazzy drinks and jazzy costumes, so make sure to dress the part (sophisticated cocktail attire is recommended). It may be a recession, but we can still drink to old times. Visit www.dccraftbartendersguild.com to purchase tickets. Can’t get enough of the CTC? Their annual Santa Soiree is Saturday night. This black tie event is sure to be an affair to remember.

Get into the holiday spirit by taking part in a DC tradition. The Mormon Temple’s (no, not the Magic Kingdom) Festival of Lights is happening right now at their Visitor Center. Be dazzled by displays of Christmas cheer. For those with a wilder side, make sure to check out Zoo Lights at the National Zoo. Cuddle up with that special someone with date night at the National Zoo this Saturday, December 6th. Tickets are only $30 per couple for FONZ members and $40 for non-members. Starting at 5:30 PM, warm up the night with hot chocolate and gingerbread men, and a cuddly plush animal gift.

A personal note, the Alexandria Singers will be having their annual holiday concert, “A Mall and the Night Visitors” on Sunday, December 7th at 3 pm at Bishop Ireton HS in Alexandria. Come out for good family fun and an entertaining musical event. Yours truly will be there with bells on. Purchase tickets online at www.alexandriasingers.com. Make sure you mention my name when you buy!

EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY (FOOD AND DRINK)

Holiday treats include on of my favorites, cookies! Check out Rock Creek at Mazza on Saturday, December 6th for Baking for the Holidays the Rock Creek Way at 10 AM. For $65 per person, you can enjoy a class from the pastry chef for healthy holiday desserts, including cookies and gingerbreads. That’s a deal when you factor in lunch and goodie bags! Santa will also be making an appearance at the mall from 9-10:30 AM, so come early to get in the holiday spirit!

A new matchbox is opening in DC. For those who love the Chinatown staple for great pizza, brunch, and more; make sure to visit the newest location at 521 8th street SE (near E). matchbox opens on Friday night.

P.S. For more great events - check out my latest issues of The Scene in Bisnow.

Every week, there are a ton of events that I want to go to - whether it’s a festival, concert, new restaurant, or party. The holidays are coming up, and there will be more fun things happening than I can imagine. For now, just a few highlights. The list will become more robust over the coming weeks. Think of this as Daily Candy marrying the Going Out Gurus.

SHOP TO IT (SHOPPING AND INDULGENCES)

Stop by Sephora for some yummy calorie-free treats. Philosophy is serving up goods that range from hot cocoa bath and shower gel, s’mores, gingerbread, and cranberry scented lip gloss. Don’t forget to indulge in the pumpkin pie. You can stay fresh, clean, and fat-free with these delicious products.

If you’re looking for something a little cheaper, Bath & Body Works is running a special on their Signature Collection scents online. Buy 5 for $25. I’m a fan of Black Raspberry Vanilla, Sensual Amber, and Pearberry. It’s not part of the Signature Collection, but Vanilla Bean Noel is a great once a year scent to stock up on for the holdiays. I usually buy at least three.

Love bling? Go to the International Gem and Jewelry Show at the Dulles Expo Center for FREE if you’re a Goldstar member. Find a sparkling holiday gift for yourself or a loved one. Friday, December 19 - Sunday, December 21.

SCENE AND BE SEEN (EVENTS AND PARTIES)

Jack’s Mannequin (and other guests) will be performing tonight at the 9:30 Club. If only I had heard about this event sooner, I would have definitely tried to make it. The show is now sold out, but check out 9:30 Club for the latest and greatest, including a three-night show in January by Thievery Corporation.

Sports and fashion collide with the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund’s Fashion Forward event. Tomorrow night from 7 pm to 11 pm, join Washington Redskins and Wizards girls at the hottest spot in town, Shadow Room, for a charity fashion show. Mingle with some of DC’s best philanthropists and party people, all in one spot. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

The 14th Annual BB&T Classic is December 7th this year. Always a good time, the schools competing include Virginia Tech vs. Navy and Maryland vs. George Washington. A local crowd favorite, make sure to get your tickets now. The tournament benefits the Children’s Charities Foundation. Tickets are $15, $40, and $125 from Ticketmaster.

Fun for the whole family. One of my favorite childhood books, Miss Nelson is Missing!, will be shared at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. This musical comedy is sure to please kids and adults alike. There’s plenty of time to see it. The show runs November 22, 2008 - January 4, 2009.

For the more grown up side, Hi-Ball events presents their annual New Year’s Eve blow-out will be held at National Harbour this year. Big Night DC will feature multiple floors, open bars, live music, and more. All-inclusive tickets are at their cheapest right now. A general ticket is currently going for $109.99, and VIP tickets are going for $169.99. While it may not be the cheapest event in town, it will certainly be the largest. Although, you may want to skip NYE this year in favor of an Inaugural Ball ticket. If you are looking for another big party alternative, check out the Downtown Countdown. Tickets range from $119-$200, with group rates available.

EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY (FOOD AND DRINK)

My friend Mar wrote up a great review of Georgetown Cupcake. Whether you prefer Georgetown Cupcake, Hello Cupcake, Buzz Bakery, or CakeLove…there is certainly not a cupcake shortage in this town. With this economy, a cupcake is a sweet treat that won’t break the bank.

Speaking of money, there are a ton of recession specials around town. If you’re into the post-college kickball scene, head over to Kelly’s Irish Times for a $15 all-you-can-drink special featuring Miller Lite, Miller High Life and Blue Moon. Every Saturday night from 8 pm to 11 pm.

Taxi drivers beware, there are multiple Thanksgiving bar tours this weekend. Who knew it was time to give thanks and…drink? On Saturday, November 22nd, residents in DC, Maryland and Virginia can enjoy a full day of bar hopping across the metro area. The 2nd Annual Bethesda Fall Bar Tour and Upper East Fall Bar Tour (in DC) are sponsored by Lindy Promotions. Get $2 Miller Lites, food specials and more for just $10 per ticket. The Turkey Trot Tour in Arlington is sponsored by the Arlington Athletic and Social League and is only $5 (free if you’re a member). Features $2 Miller Lites, $4 Wild Turkey and Coke, and food specials.

I was thinking today how it’s a little absurd just how much we (Americans) spend on beauty per year. As I was driving from my Lasik consultation appointment (where they shuffle people in and out in herds)…I considered how much money was in that industry. It’s not really a NECESSARY procedure, but people get it who have low prescriptions of negative 2 or negative 3. Then there is me who is practically blind at negative 9 and 10.

The thought of spending $2,400 on laser vision correction (that would be really nice and help me out a lot), combined with my recent Jenny Craig membership and food cost (averaging $100-$150 per week)…makes me wonder if all of this is really worth it.

And it’s not just me, factor into the American beauty money pit, those services that many people get such as teeth whitening, botox treatments, chemical peels, tanning (fake and bake packages) massages (to refresh the body), personal trainers, etc…, even liposuction. Then you add in getting braces and even shopping for high heels and Spanx (women), hair gel and hair transplants (men), and other things to improve what you look like in any little way possible.

Consider this, in a given year I spend probably:

$240 - eyebrow threading/waxing (averaging about $10, sometimes $12 per time, every two weeks give or take)

$500 - manicures and pedicures (average $40 a month for both, with a few other manicures in between)

$420 - gym membership (at $35 per month - which I just canceled recently since I have a mini-gym in my complex)

$360 - contact lenses (I have to get daily wear lenses now, say at $30 per box/month supply)

$150 - makeup (an assortment of new eyeshadows, lipsticks, my regular supply of eyeliner and blush)

$1,670 total a year just on maintenance!

So, what does all this mean - other than we’re obsessed with appearance?

Well to me, it’s worth it because when I’m freshly waxed, manicured and dressed well, I feel better. I feel more confident, prettier and have a better sense of self worth. And, isn’t that worth it?

Then again it’s horrible to think about how much money I spend on things like that, when there are people in the world (and this country) who can’t afford to eat. And it starts young, maintaining this. Think about it, we put all our kids in braces, send them to fat camps, and provide them with allergists, therapists, dermatologists, nutritionists and dozens of other specialty doctors…while other children can’t even eat or see a doctor when they’re sick (nevermind when they’re well). It’s a bit disconcerting.

I’m not saying I’m going to suddenly go from a life of luxury to a life of simplicity…but I am a little more aware of just how much it all costs to keep it all together.

There is something about shopping that soothes me. It’s therapeutic, and I love to spend hours walking aroung the mall, looking at things I can’t afford. Sometimes though, I like to pretend that I can afford things - leading to my being in thousands of dollars in debt. I know, I know…it’s stupid to spend five years paying off a shirt or a meal I had three years ago. But, we’ve all become used to wanting things immediately, and living in the now. I guess you can also say that life is short, so maybe you should live for the moment.

In any case, last week I bought two hot items that I just wanted to share. Althiough I usually can’t pass up a good sale, it’s nice to buy things once in awhile that are made well and that you know will last for a long time.

This hot Michael Kors sweater, which is soft and heavy, yet not too suffocating. It’s perfect for a casual Friday at work or a weekend brunch. The buttons even say Michael Kors on them hehe…classy I know.

The other thing I bought was this cute INC dress. I plan to wear it to a couple parties. It’s really fun and comfortable too!

This here is a really cool invention, I would love to have it! Even if the shoes aren’t color coded - it’s still a cool idea and a great way to keep heels in order.

In addition to my fashion purchases (and desires), I also enjoyed some good food and culinary experimentation over the weekend. I stopped by Trader Joe’s and picked up some yummy food…and created some good things. For example I took a chicken breast, sauteed it in a pan with olive oil, minced garlic, pepper and sea salt…then I cut the chicken into chunks and placed it on some 4-cheese focaccia bread rolls I bought. Then I took a slice of havarti cheese and melted it over the chicken, and finally topped it all off with some avocado slices. It was amazingly good.

I would definitely not be surprised if I got sick after this weekend. Then again, I always get sick around my birthday, but anyway.

On Friday I headed to Papermoon in Georgetown for fashion show number two with my friends (number 5 and number 12 in the first link). I started with dinner with my fave girls K and M, and two of my guy friends from school came up too. Sadly I didn’t get many pictures because I’m retarded and forgot to charge my camera batteries.

My friend M struts her stuff on the runway

My other friend M also in a hot red dress

The show was a success and a lot of fun, especially since we were VIP and had great seats. Speaking of which, an awful thing happened before the show. We were all sitting on the runway right at the end by the photographers, and before the show I went to the bathroom. So I come back and there were velvet ropes and everything - it was not even really up so it was maybe two inches off the ground. Well, I went to step over it, and of course my back foot gets caught. But no, I didn’t just trip/stumble, I fell to my knees with a crash - and I took down the entire velvet rope thing - the silver things it was hooked on…and a chair…it all came crashing down with me. Everyone was staring at me, my friends were like oh my god…I went to sit by my friend P and buried my face in his shoulder and he was like shit don’t claim me! It was quite amusing in the end, but I was mortified.

My two friends from school…they were happy I hooked them up to meet models hah

On Saturday I spent the day in Alexandria with my godniece, who just turned 5. We went clothes shopping (with her mom) and I got a copy of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I had intended to spend the night in, since I was tired from the night before, but at the last minute I decided to go to Chloe with a friend for a party. She was pretty dead too from the show the night before, but we managed to make it out again! I heard that Chloe had gone a little downhill in the past few months, but the place seemed to be kickin’ as usual. However, there were about three bachelorette parties there, and you know when that happens a place is going down a la Coyote Ugly. But, the music and crowd was still pretty hot. I think the funniest part of the night was the hot asian girl who tried to molest me. We were dancing (you know how girls dance together) in a group, and she decided that I was awesome, and kept saying “OMG I love you, can I claim you?” and kinda trying to touch my chest. It was uh, a little disconcerting even for a drunken affair haha. But hey, it was kinda hot too. She was the most attractive person to hit on me all night hahaha. After a drink and a shot, I was sorta drunk (hey, I’m a lightweight) and I actually cut out pretty early, but ended up staying up late anyway once I got home. Oooops.

My friend M and I, round 2!

Sunday I headed to Arlington for lunch at my roommate’s house for her brother’s birthday…and then watched a bit of the Dallas game before heading home to try and catch some more sleep!

And now…my birthday week begins!