“She entices mating by setting herself before him in a crouching position.”

– Just now on Animal Planet’s Wild Kingdom.

Interesting - I saw the same thing happen in a bar just the other night!

Dear AA,

While I so do appreciate you landing me in this beyond-gorgeous land of South Florida in one piece, I do have a few bones to pick with you.

I was dedicated enough to arrive at the airport at 8 am for an 11 am flight. (Obsessive, yes, but the point is, I wanted to make the flight as smooth as possible for all involved.) Before doing so, I meticulously packed my carry-on and baggage to fulfill your requirements to the letter.

As much as I hate fast food, I followed your rules and did not pack any of my own nutritious choices, and instead, overpaid for what you had available for sale in the boarding areas.

This is me, doing my part.

Why couldn’t I count on you to put as much into our relationship as I had? There’s very few things I wake up at the crack of dawn for.

You, on the other hand, gave me a false sense of security by having the check-in and security checks go seamlessly. Everything was perfect. We boarded on time, I had a lovely window seat. (Then again, that was thanks to VW’s lovely travel coordinator, and not you.)

Why then, did we end up with a three-hour delay after said boarding (including a deplanement) over what was effectively a dim light bulb and a static-y phone? While I get that these are important aspects (whatever)…couldn’t you have checked it out before allowing us to board? And, if you realized it might take ALL afternoon to fix, perhaps you could have given us a meal credit? Or placed us on another plane?

I’ll have you know, I have hot dinner plans at Forge tonight that demand ample time to primp. Spending all afternoon wilting away in an airport? Not part of the plan.

So while I am now resting comfortably in this, my amazingly awesome hotel SUITE (I swear, the bathroom is bigger than my apartment!), and about to put on my little black dress and my brand-new Modern Vintage heels…I have to say my mood is somewhat tarnished. My day, a little less bright. And for that, I believe you most certainly owe me (another) free trip. Or at the very least, a cocktail.

Thank you.
AW
PS: To the café in JFK: My grilled chicken salad with candied pecans was missing the promised herb-coated croutons. While seemingly minimal, this window dressing was actually the reason I got said salad instead of the pesto chicken wrap, and was gravely disappointing – especially considering you overcharged for wilted greens. You, too, are in my dog house.

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.

When you are on a first (or any early) date with a guy, if you are a girl, you just may be feeling self-conscious about what you are eating. But relax! Check these tips I found in an Village article on dieting while dating.

Dieting on a Date

Sure, he’s cute alright, but is a night out with him worth the diet detour? Don’t worry; you can find love and still lose those love handles by following a few, simple guidelines:

1. Relax. By exercising and eating healthy 80-90% of the time, you’ve earned a little room to splurge. It’s all about balance.

2. Don’t starve yourself before the big date—you’ll do more harm than good.

3. When it comes to ordering dinner, look for a good balance between protein, vegetables and starchy carbohydrates.

4. Mind the booze. Don’t let being anxious over Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome make you forget about your slim and trim summer wardrobe!

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.

My bff just sent me this link, and it’s positively bookmark-worthy!

http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/couplesandmarriage/articlecosmo.aspx?cp-documentid=6650405&GT1=32001 

This morning, Scarlette and Max went for their final round of booster shots (they are finally tag-wearing public-allowed pups!), and ran into their brother Ronie, who now lives with a family friend.

I had not seen Ronie since his adoption over a month ago, and we were both thrilled to be reunited. In fact, little Ronie was so excited to see me that he peed! He then went on to exuberantly lick my face to the extent that Max got jealous and started to growl at him. Scarlette just sat under the bench and cried.

Far be it for me to wish for the day that human males are so enamored with me that they pee on sight (flattering yes, but the ick factor would perservere).  Really, though, such an overwhelming show of adoration makes those men who can’t remember to return phone calls or show interest in anything outside of their own head seem pretty less than stellar. Misandronist females like to claim sometimes that men are dogs. I disagree. I think, in actuality, men have a lot to learn from dogs.

I present:
Dogs do not have problems expressing affection in public.

Dogs miss you when you’re gone.

Dogs feel guilt when they’ve done something wrong.

Dogs don’t criticize your friends.

Dogs admit when they’re jealous.

Dogs do not play games with you — except fetch (and then never laugh at how you throw).

Dogs are already in touch with their inner puppies.

Gorgeous dogs don’t know they’re gorgeous. (And if they do, they don’t think it makes them inherently better than other dogs.)

The worst social disease you can get from dogs is fleas. (OK, the *really* worst disease you can get from them is rabies, but there’s a vaccine for it, and you get to kill the one that gives it to you.)

You can house train a dog.

You can force a dog to take a bath.

Dogs don’t correct your stories.

Dogs take care of their own needs.

(Feel free to add to the list!)

“Love is friendship on fire.”

Perhaps the greatest line I’ve heard this week.