“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
– Bill Cosby

Somehow, I am already back at Miami International Airport, awaiting my flight home to NY.

And sad.

After a whirlwind 3 days, I must return home and say goodbye to my new friends. (But TONS of pictures await as soon as I can upload them.)

Until then, check out where I ate dinner last night:

The Delano is classic Miami Beach opulence, and the hotel’s restaurant, The Blue Door, is totally no exception. It’s run by uber-restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow and helmed by renowned chef Claude Troisgros, with a menu of “refined modern French cuisine with Brazilian and global influences.”

I wasn’t sure at first what that description meant, but after Crabavocat (guacamole and blue crab salad with spicy tomato coulis) and pan seared chilean sea bass with hearts of palm, soy glazed cashew nuts, garlic, lime and fresh herbs, I think I get it.

And want to…get it…more.

I think I’m in love.

After dinner, cocktails at The Florida Room.

Did I mention I don’t want to go home?

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!

So, Thursday morning, I am taping my first segment as Wake Up to a Breakup’s resident sex/love expert. It’s a really fun show, capitalizing on the “clicking chicks” phenomenon, with webisodes that target urban, unmarried women age 18-39 searching for answers or escape from romance gone wrong. Content includes advice from experts and authors — including ME - as well as lighthearted comedy spoofs, juicy celebrity break-ups and essential retail therapy.

Clearly, this is a match made in digital heaven - and as online video usage continues to increase while traditional TV viewing declines, I wonder if more and more of these types of programs will find their niche on the Internet … and all of our cable bills will go down? A girl can dream…

Anyway, I’m really excited (and honestly, feel like I should try to become a lot more knowledgeable before then!), but my main concern at this present moment…is deciding what to wear!

(Instructions on my call sheet read “cute dress”. Well….that’s like telling my puppy to remember to bring his slipper!)

Note: As I shall be leaving for South Beach in exactly six days and that event, too, requires due grooming diligence, this week may call for extra-careful pedicure maintenance. I shall keep you posted on how that goes!

Apparently, some hood in Brooklyn will be the setting for MTV’s newest incarnation of “The Real World”!

Today, while minding my own business reading The Brooklyn Paper (it’s known to have great local restaurant info and food is pretty much my favorite obsession), I came across a piece on this (more than?) decade-old series.

Anyway, the scoop is that this year’s Real World cast may move into the BellTel Lofts, which is located in downtown Brooklyn, but not very trendy. However, a lot of other areas are being scouted…

“We [do] want to be close to Manhattan,” Executive Producer Jim Johnson said, but rattled off other areas he has explored, including Greenpoint, Williamsburg, DUMBO, Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Heights, Red Hook, and Coney Island (so much for “close to Manhattan!!!!”).

When asked why the network chose Brooklyn for the latest season, he pointed out the borough’s “cachet and vibrancy,” adding that its most attractive feature is its popularity, saying, “it seems like everybody is talking about Brooklyn right now.”

Quick, everyone talk about Hoboken.

An important message to us all!

Dear Aly,
Here is your horoscope
for Tuesday, May 20:

A friend might come to you for help and advice. Don’t agree to help and then conveniently forget the arrangement. If you can’t make time to help a friend, explain the situation. However, don’t expect much in return from friends you seem to put on the bottom of your priority list. 

Apparently, I’m suffering a modern-day version of plague of locusts.

Last night, my BFF and I met up for a bite of sushi after work. Thank god, that was a locust-free experience.

Following that, we walked over to our (previously) beloved Target. Lost in conversation over the nail polish remover display (we were having a heated debate about the triad of methods offered), i noticed something scurry under the adjacent display.

A mouse. (Or maybe a rat. I swear I noticed a ratty tail. We are hoping I was wrong.)

Immediately, we decided to forget our study of the world of acetone and non-acetone, scurried (ourselves) to pay for what we had accumulated, and decided to go to our favorite frozen yogurt place.

We happily ordered our treats. I went for ice-cream-i-fying my yogurt. (We’ve found there’s two types of yogurt eaters in the world: The wholesome bunch that balances the tartness of the yogurt with delicate fruits and nuts, or the other bunch, that covers it with chocolate sauce.) Mine was beautiful: Chocolate yogurt, chocolate sauce, and adorned with fresh, ripe, raspberries.

I took a bite, and then watched a fly (so tempted to say scurry) enter the depths of my chocolate deliciousness.

End of dessert. $5 down the drain. I’m never again leaving my apt without my terrier.

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.

This warms my heart.

Even with all of us riddled with insomnia over a widespread recession, a nationwide love and money survey by TRUE.com, the leading scientifically based online relationship service, shows that singles choose love over money even in tough economic times.

The results:

– 95 percent of men and 87 percent of women agree that it does not
matter if you make more money than the person you are dating;
– 49 percent of men and 36 percent of women stated they would not curb
their dating spending in a tight economy;
– 87 percent of men and 80 percent of women responded they would stay in
a relationship where their partner had substantial credit card debt or
had filed for bankruptcy;
– 67 percent of women and 66 percent of men claim they have never kept
financial secrets from someone they are dating;
– 64 percent of men and 63 percent of women don’t tend to argue with
their partner about money.

Of course, it’s possible 80% of these people are not telling the truth. But still, it makes me feel good to read!

TRUE.com’s love and money survey also found the following:
– Dating or Bust, We Aren’t Scared of a Recession. In good times and in bad, daters will continue their search for love. After the No. 1 response of not halting their dating spending (see above), 20 percent of women and 23 percent of men said they plan to spend less on eating out and focus more on romantic dinner dates at home. Only 2 percent of men and 1 percent of women stated that higher gas prices will affect when, where, and how they date.
– Don’t Worry, Be Happy, We Have Money. Of those surveyed, 73 percent of men and 68 percent of women feel secure in their current financial
situation. The majority of respondents, both female and male, described themselves as the following when it comes to their finances: comfortable (women 46 percent, men 52 percent), confident (women 15 percent, men 19 percent), proud (women and men both 7 percent). Only 23 percent of men and 32 percent of women characterized their present financial environment as negative, choosing from terms such as embarrassment, fright or horror to describe their finances.
– Let’s Talk About Sex — or Money. When respondents were asked what
topics couples should talk more about (including money, sex, marriage,
parenting or nothing), results show that men and women definitely have
different priorities when it comes to discussing sex or money. Men
rated: sex No. 1 at 29 percent, followed by nothing at 22 percent,
with money in third place at 21 percent. Women put money talk in the
top spot at 33 percent followed by: nothing at 29 percent, marriage
at 16 percent and sex ranking fourth at 15 percent.
– Donna Summer Knows How People Feel About Money. Because individuals love music almost as much as they love money, respondents were asked to choose which song best represents how they feel about money. An
overwhelming majority (81 percent of women and 50 percent of men)
chose the Donna Summer’s 1970s disco classic “She Works Hard for the
Money.” It also appears that more men (5 percent) than women
(2 percent) associate with Kanye West’s song “Gold Digger,” and are
looking for women to take care of their financial needs. Other
responses include:
– “Money (That’s What I Want)” sung by The Beatles (men 22 percent,
women 3 percent)
– “Bill, Bills, Bills” sung by Destiny’s Child (men 10 percent,
women 8 percent)
– “Material Girl” sung by Madonna (men 5 percent, women 4 percent)
– “It’s All About the Benjamins” sung by P. Diddy (men 9 percent,
women 2 percent)

– Women Will Stand By Their Man, But You Better Treat Them Right. Less than 1 percent of women felt they should pay for the first date, while 78 percent of men believe it was their duty to pick up the tab. Good
news for men hoping to keep more money in their wallet: 25 percent of
women polled found splitting the bill was appropriate, and 22 percent
of women thought that whoever did the asking out should take care of
the check.
– No Substitute for Good Old-Fashioned Hard Work. One-third of men and women responded they have worked a second job to get out of debt.
After a second job, singles responded they accepted money from family and friends (women 22 percent, men 16 percent) or cashed in their investments (women 16 percent, men 19 percent) to get back in the black.

“Dripping water hollows out a stone.”

This Ovid quote is haunting me today.

Initially, I saw it sprawled across the architecture at Grand Central Station as I rushed along the hallway to get my morning coffee. I did not stop, but paused, realizing the depth of the phrase.

Then, as I sat aboard a train, I pulled out galleys of a book I reading. Again, I saw this quote, upon the pages of the proofs.

When Ovid, who has been dead since around the time of Christ, starts stalking you throughout your morning commute, you can’t help but take notice.

The words are clearly a comment on the nature of the universe, and I can’t help that this long-dead poet is trying to send me a message.

Alas, perhaps it’s just some sort of classical deity form of gas-lighting. Those crazy Roman poets!