Today has been an interesting day.

I spent the early morning hours of my day in the studio taping my segment for Wake Up to a Breakup. (And thus currently look way too glamorous to be sitting in this coffeehouse.)

Aside from breaking out my favorite new dress and getting to have my makeup done by a pro, the morning had a curious side effect - as you will see from the show when it’s online (in a few weeks), the content matter is very much about love, dating, and sex. Which sort of puts your mind in a certain place…

Plus, my segment is so tailored to my personality that you just may die. (Um, as in it’s called PINK WISDOM and the awesome makeup artist found a lip color that perfectly matched the pink in my dress.) It’s kind of like a fashionista wet dream.

Pair that with tomorrow being the release date of Sex and the City, and a girl may just be a little bit on edge!

One of the most fun parts of feeling good, and happy, and well, OK, I’ll say it…pretty damn sexy - whether on your own or with your mate - is dressing sexy. (Or at least using one as an excuse to do the other, which is my personal method of life.)

And so, it was a dangerous, dangerous time for me to be browsing lingerie sites.

I’m having major love for both OnGossamer and Carole Hochman today - especially since I can’t help but notice all the great ways that their line brings out the SATC-personality in all of us.

Examples:

Mesh OnGossamer chemise ***screams*** MIRANDA

And everyday pretty chemise: SAMANTHA

The Sunset beach Chemise (also OnGossamer) is delicately romantic and pretty…just like… CHARLOTTE

And finally, I love the Corded Rib & Lace Chemise, which of course, is in the spirit of my SATC-onality, Carrie!

And seriously, what is SATC love if not a passion of all things luxury, sexy, and fashionable?

With just about all of us having SATC fever (except my BFF, who I plan to hypnotize into submission), I am not the only one feeling just a little bit hot and bothered right now. I shall not be the only one slumbering in a cocoon of luxurious pretty underthings. By using the (EXCLUSIVE TO MY READERS!) promo code SATC, Alytude and Sheknows.com readers will 20% off any and all of their sexy bedtime shopping at both OnGossamer.com, and CaroleHochman.com, home to Midnight, a new intimates line that combines modern elegance with the new look of “vintage sexy” - and that discount will last for the entire next week (from 5 p.m. tomorrow till 5 p.m. next Friday, June 6.)

Wait till you see Carole Hochman’s new line - whether it’s hot or cold outside, trust me - it will keep you sizzling between the sheets. This line is totally luxe, channeling 1940’s boudoirs - and it shall be yours for a fraction of what all your friends are paying. (Unless you make them come here and read. As you should.)

And even MORE exciting (as if this day hasn’t been off the charts already!), four winners will each win one of the four On Gossamer SATC-love-inspiring looks above. To have your chance to win, show me your Sex and the City love…tell me your favorite episode ever, and how it effected your own life. (If you don’t watch? RESEARCH!) Deadline to enter is next Friday June 6th (as is the last day to use your exclusive discount!)

Good luck!

This afternoon, I took part in a weekly teleconference with some colleagues, where we quickly turned our conversation and heads toward everyone’s favorite topic: the upcoming Sex and the City movie.

It’s not just limited to the this group. Everyone, everywhere is obsessed. Last night, I went to a Yelp party, it was all we chatted about. Later, over sushi, the conversation continued. Friends are planning viewing parties and marathon nights of Magnolia and cosmos.

The culture of SATC though is something that reaches far beyond a film or a bag trend…we can’t ignore how the show has pretty much redefined dating as we know it. (Well, I especially can’t ignore, I am a sex editor, after all.)

I recently received an email with some great insights by Trish McDermott, VP of Love at Engage.com and 19-year dating industry expert (also a founder of Match.com). It gives us a chance to look beyond the surface chic of the SATC phenomenon and realize what it really and truly has meant to social dating, and social life in general.

The romantic collaborations and interventions that unfolded as the four Sex and the City gals hashed out their love lives over cosmos and brunch gave way to a new approach to dating for single women everywhere.

As this cultural milestone jumps from the small screen to the silver screen (movie premieres: May 30), we have to look back on how the show, and now the movie, I’m sure, changed the lexicon of love and dating.

“Sex and the City,” along with the introduction of dating reality shows like ABC’s “The Bachelor,” socialized dating. Suddenly everyone was talking about the dating choices others make, and learning vicariously through them. Was it OK to break up via post-it note? How young of a man can a somewhat older woman get away with dating? Who was really right for someone, and by what criteria? Dating choices became mainstream conversations in the workplace, at dinner parties and even among family members. Believe it or not, the world wasn’t always like this! This show didn’t just change how we dress and what we drink at bars, but how we live.

Interestingly, the Sex and the City social phenomena gave way to different types of online dating, as well. For instance, social dating communities exist (such as on Engage.com) where singles invite their friends to help them make romantic connections. They do this through dating suggestions, voting on possible dates, post-date debriefing and setting up introductions for each other. Also, coupled friends socialize among the singles, to match up their friends, who are looking for love. The idea of “social dating” is a much more “Sex and the City” approach, compared to traditional online dating, which is decidedly not social.

Something to think about as you embark on your weeks of SATC countdown: This is more than a movie premiere. It’s a culmination of the institution that changed everything.

Summertime is historically mating season, and a lot of women are out to meet “the one”.

Yahoo! Personals and TheKnot.com recently conducted a survey of more than 9,500 U.S. women to find out about how they met “the one.” They polled them on everything from how similar they were to their mate in some fundamental areas (turns out to be very similar!) to the kinds of things that matter most (closeness to family came in first; income last).

They also analyzed responses based on whether people met their mate online vs. offline and saw an interesting trend emerge. The online daters reached “relationship milestones” much more quickly than those who met offline!

Finding “The One” – Perception vs. Reality

- When asked, how did you meet your significant other, the most frequent response was “through friends,” followed by “school,” “work” or “an online dating site.” Among the least cited responses were “at a bar” or “at church.”

- When asked how you expected to meet your significant other, responses varied from the reality, with the largest majority of respondents saying they expected to meet through a “casual encounter.”

Do Opposites Attract?

- When asked, how similar they were to their significant other in some fundamental areas, respondents overwhelming said they were similar in all but one area – their profession. The following percentages represent those who said they were “very similar” or “similar” with their significant other in each of the categories.

o Religion – 84%

o Politics – 85%

o Age – 89%

o Income – 70%

o Ethnicity – 87%

o Profession – 38%

o Work/life habit – 83%

o Social life – 90%

o Family orientation/closeness – 85%

What Matters Most

- When asked, which of the following characteristics was most important when searching for your significant other, respondents ranked “family orientation/ closeness” as the most important and “income” as the least important. The following percentages represent how respondents ranked each characteristic in order of importance.

o Family orientation/closeness – 44%

o Religion – 17%

o Social life – 16%

o Work life habit – 11%

o Age – 5%

o Ethnicity – 3%

o Profession – 2%

o Politics – 1%

o Income – 1%

Relationship Stages – Meeting Online vs. Offline

- When comparing respondents who met online with the ones who met their significant other offline, an interesting trend emerged. The online daters reached “relationship milestones” more quickly than those who met offline.

o Initial Dating – Online daters began dating more quickly than offline daters, with 77% saying they started dating within the first four weeks of meeting each other, compared to 50% of offline daters.

o Feeling Chemistry – More than half (55%) of all respondents said they felt chemistry with their significant other in the first two weeks. But, 30% of those who met offline said it took between “six months” and “two or more years” to feel chemistry, compared with only 5% of online daters, who were more likely to feel chemistry earlier on.

o Understanding Interests – Online daters (60%) said they had a better understanding of their significant other in the first four weeks of dating than offline daters (41%).

o Getting Exclusive – Online daters got exclusive more quickly than offline daters – 80% compared with 56% in the first three months, or 52% vs. 32% in the first month, respectively.

o Getting Family “Buy-In” – 45% of online daters got “buy-in” within three months of dating; whereas only 31% of offline daters did.

o Engagement – Online daters got engaged more quickly – more than two-thirds (70%) of online daters were engaged in less than two years, whereas more than half (55%) of offline daters got engaged after more than two years.

o Marriage – Online daters married more quickly – 38% were married within two years of engagement, while 62% of offline daters married after more than two years of being engaged.

Do You Believe in Magic?

- Love at First Sight – Two-thirds (64%) of all respondents said they didn’t experience love at first sight, with only one-third (36%) saying they were hit with Cupid’s arrow.

- Leaving it to Fate – An overwhelming 78% of people said they felt like they were fated for their significant other; 22% said it was just “pure chance.”

- First Kiss – Slightly more than half (54%) said they kissed on their first date.

- Separate Quarters? – A majority of respondents (70%) said they will live with their significant other before getting married.

I’ve been known to overheat easily.

Perhaps this is due to growing up in an ice box (my father always had an inclination to blast the air conditioning the second the snow started to thaw) or being a little hyper-hormonal. But whatever the reason, I can’t tolerate excessive heat, and am always looking for a way to cool down.

KN Cool is a line of daywear, sleepwear separates and maternity sleepwear by KN Karen Neuburger that is made with breathable, moisture-control fabrics that helps provide relief for women who “sleep hot” or have a higher core temperature then most. But aside from being “functional”, it’s really pretty!

Day or night, the KN Cool fabrics helps regulate a woman’s body temperature by wicking moisture away from skin to keep it cool and dry. This is via the brand’s signature cotton-rich softness and also eliminates the “shine” factor common in many wicking fabrics that use synthetic fibers and coatings.

And here’s exciting news to up your core temp just a little more: Twenty readers will win a KN Cool daywear cami and matching pair of panties. These sets will be available in sizes M-XL and in colors light blue, pink, white, black, aqua and a multi-dot print.

To have a chance to win your set, drop me a comment on how you….cool down when overheated…(you can take that *any* way you choose!). Deadline April 30th.

As for regular retail availability, the KN Cool Daywear come in sizes (S-XXL) and colors white, beige, black, yellow, turquoise, light blue, pink and multi-dot and can be bought at Dillard’s, Bon-Ton, Von Maur and Macy’s department stores and online at www.karenneuburger.com.

Now, I know sex and music are intrinsically linked…but this brings it to a new level!

According to the Inventor Spot blog, a patent has been filed for “a chip-controlled piezoelectric sound transducer (18) which plays a melody or voiced message when during intercourse the contacts of the sound-playing unit are closed and the transducer is activated.”

Safer sex and music joined as one!

So, question to all - what do you want your condom to play if this comes to be?

PointsandPrizes.com Keyword: MELODY worth 25 points good through 03/23/08.
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My mom has a theory that men don’t mature past the age of 12. I choose to disagree, because some of my favorite minds are of the male persuasion. That said, even they have their quirks.

I am beginning to think though that the few defy this categorization are just lucky, and the the majority are, well, pretty damn damaged.

Case in point: A friend texted me last night while I was out to dinner. She was devastated.

Apparently, her boyfriend of about two years invited her over Wednesday night, where they shared a bottle of champagne, made dinner together, and she spent the night. It was romantic, they had a great time, (for the record, they had a great time *twice*), and then in the morning they said their goodbyes and went to work.

By about lunch time, she received a text from him (a text!) that he needed to experience “being alone” for a while and wanted space, and they could arrange some time this weekend for her to collect the stuff she had at his place. No warning, no argument, he just “wants to be alone”.

Apparently, his best friend recently became single, and thus he now had the option for them to be single guys together. For some reason, this seems to motivate men - positively and negativity - we’ve noticed before in our own crowd. Men love to be coupled when their friends are coupled, but the vice-versa is just as true.

So, the message here? If you have one of the good ones, hold on to him. But be careful, sometimes the good ones can suddenly jump up and bite you in the ass as well. (And not in the good way…alas.)

The only thing more fun than buying panties?

Bloomers!

(No, that is not me in that picture.)

And turns out, Victoria’s Secret has a bunch of great vintage-style ones in their new collection!

If any company has any they feel like sharing, I”m an XS…

For a limited time, *everyone* who clicks the below link gets a free Trojan condom. (In the variety of their choice!)
Free Trojan Condom

Only one condom per name or address.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day,  you may want to check out iVillage’s personalized perfect sex position perscription! Based on everything from your height to how endowed your man, it’s sure to please (or help you please each other…)!

http://choosers.ivillage.com/love/perfect_position/?nlcid=ls%7C01-31-2008%7C

Check out the gifts that just arrived in the mail from my friends at Fredericks of Hollywood!

So cute!!!!

Points & Prizes Keyword: AEROBICS worth 25 points good through 01/28/08