We can't be on a girlfriend getaway all the time - believe me, we've tried.  And chances are, you don't live in the same city as ALL of your best girlfriends.

Next to cell phones and IM, we also love Facebook.

It's not the frenzied, ADD-style of MySpace, which sends us into convulsions upon first glance.  Facebook is for big kids.

You can upload a fairly simple profile and photo, and then either focus on finding friends, via the Search function, or waste endless hours adding applications and playing games.  The "Where I've Been" application is a favorite of ours, as it's map allows you to flag places you've visited, lived, or hope to visit.  Approach the Traveler IQ Trivia game with caution.  Or a very empty schedule.  It is completely addictive. 

But back to your friends! 

Facebook updates you on your friends' statuses (is that too much plural?), and if you don't have time for a full email or voicemail message, you can just Poke your friend, to let her know you're thinking about her. 

Right now, we're thinking about you.  POKE.

To join:  www.Facebook.com 

Okay, we here at Holiday Golightly are very much "Girl's Girls".  And this is very much a "Girl's Forum", where we want to support and champion and defend our Girls when necessary.

The issue at hand:  Maxim magazine voted Sarah Jessica Parker the "Unsexiest Woman Alive" .

The November 2007 issue of Maxim magazine offered it's readers some food for thought with their "Unsexiest Women Alive" feature.  And I use the word "food" in the same way I would describe aerosol cheese in a can as "food". 

For some reason, the list's controversy has resurfaced this month. A friend pointed out, it may have something to do with the fact that the Sex & The City movie release is nearing (MAY 30TH - MARK YOUR CALENDARS), and PR people may have dredged up the issue for more publicity. I would be thrilled if SATC could glean something positive out of the unnecessary roughness.

When I heard that Maxim had a feature devoted to who they thought the Unsexiest Women were, I rolled my eyes. I mean really.  I imagined the list was probably written in crayon, in someone's backyard treehouse.  Is everyone at Maxim 11?

Whether or not you find SJP, or the other nominees, sexy - creating an entire magazine feature around it is in such poor taste.

It might also be in poor taste to re-print part of the list, but I'm trying to make a point.  Work with me here.

These were the "bottom five":

5. Britney Spears - Well, okay. But only okay, because at some point I'm sure she was ironically on their "Hottest" list, and maybe they're making a case for the "Just Say No" thing.  Just say no to drugs, or to Kevin Federline, or to Cheetos as a breakfast food.  We hear she is on the road to recovery, though, and we're pulling for her.

4. Madonna - Oh come on. Jimmy Kimmel just admitted (in Elle magazine) that Madonna was his first adolescent crush, and also admitted what goes hand-in-hand with an adolescent boy's crush.  Maybe "hand-in-hand" isn't the correct phrase... Who is Maxim kidding?

3. Sandra Oh- I don't think they know who she is. Or they're frightened of her bossy, no B.S. character on "Grey's Anatomy". TV isn't real, boys. She probably wouldn't stomp your delicates in real life. Probably.

2. Amy Winehouse- see #5 - being all smacked out is definitely unsexy.

1. Sarah Jessica Parker- and we're back to the discussion...

This is one of several photos of Ms. Parker, courtesy of W Magazine, taken 6 months after giving birth to her son.  I very badly want to be unsexy like this.

I also discovered that Maxim created a list of "TV's Least Appealing Ladies", which starts off with CNN's venerable Christiane Amanpour at #10.  My contacts can no longer be located, as the furious eye-rolling has flung them far across the room.

So, with these lists Maxim has proven itself to be both unsexy and unappealing, as well as just plain irrelevant.  Unless you're 11.

(Ed note:  no offense meant to 11 year-olds). 

We know you'll be complimenting your dinner this evening with a Cinco deMayo Margarita, but put this on your calendar for May 14.

Grab your girlfriends - GENTLY! - and enjoy a sampling of all things good for you.

Wait!  We promise it's still fun! It's both good for you AND fun!  Like Flintstones chewable vitamins.

It's a mini Girlfriend Getaway of sorts, in that it's only one night.  And we know you're familiar with one-nighters...no judgment.

Ever wondered what EFT, hypnotherapy, life coaching or aromatherapy could do for you?  Are you currently wondering what EFT even is?

Come speed-date the experts.  We know you're also familiar with speed-dating.

Location:  Seattle - if you're in the area, come join us!  If you're not, sad frownie face, we'll miss you.

Date:  May 14, 2008 - that's right, you still have time to plan your outfit.

Place:  Sole Repair Shop - as much as we'd like to think this is a shoe store, it's not.  It's just a really cool loft space at 1001 East Pike - Seattle, Washington 98122 (The Shop is located behind Quinn’s restaurant on 10^th Ave.—Look for an event sign on the white door. There’s no address on the door.  It's that cool. )

Once inside, you will move from station-to-station in small groups, enjoying mini-experiences from a variety of wellness providers. See what they actually do, and have all your questions answered.  Possibly even the "Why are we here?" question, depending on how much wine you have.

Find out more about:

EFT: Emotional Freedom Technique

Life Coaching

Hypnotherapy

Fascial Stretch Therapy ^TM

Aromatherapy 

CranioSacral Therapy 

Reiki

*Thanks, also, to CRAVE for the extra support!  They're like a great jog-bra!

Loose itinerary: 

6:30 p.m. Unwind, mix & mingle

7-9 p.m. Event  

Free admission (we LOVE free), cash wine bar (meh, we usually have to pay for wine, so this is okay).

Do us a favor.  Pretty please?

RSVP here so we know how many people to expect.  If we think there are more people coming, there will be more wine available.  We'd really love to see you!

Click HERE and RSVP at the top of the page.

We love most things "art-inspired", and this New Orleans B&B girlfriend getaway offer sounded unbelievably charming.

"Make the Degas House your home for an unforgettable   New Orleans  experience...Our guest rooms & suites are beautifully furnished with high quality antique and reproduction furniture along with our stunning collection of Degas prints and sculpture. The features of each room are described below, since each has a character as unique as the Degas family member for whom it is named.

Josephine's Girlfriend Get-Away

Let the Degas House cater to you and your needs while enjoying weekend full of eating, shopping, drinking and pampering in the city of New Orleans."  

Your package includes:

    * A two night stay in the beautiful Josephine room.
    * A day at the Lux salon for you and a friend, complete with wine service from Swirl.
    * In-room flowers and delicious chocolate treats.
    * The famous Magazine Street shopping guides.
    * Hot Creole breakfast each morning
    * A complimentary tour of the house, with a viewing of our award-winning documentary

Price: $405 per person

To 

Degas House
2306 Esplanade Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70119
504-821-5009

www.DegasHouse.com 

While paging through the delicious May issue of In Style, we stumbled across the "What's Hot Now" page, featuring

Rashida Jones.  Rashida

is awesome for several reasons:

1)  She is Quincy Jones' daughter

2)  She dated (or dates) John Krasinski

(at some point I will arm-wrestle her, and he will be mine)

3)  She was on "The Office"

AND,

4)  For her birthday she hired a professional dancer to teach her, and her friends, the dance routine to Justin Timberlake's video "My Love".

This confirms that she might just be my official new Girl-Crush.

This is "girlfriends" personified.

This is something that I would totally do if I had the funds to pay the dancer-guy, but until then I will simply continue to upload Janet Jackson videos on YouTube, and Play - Rewind - Play - Rewind.

I mean, HYPOTHETICALLY, this is what I MIGHT do.

Rashida, if you're feeling generous, my birthday is July 12, and I would LOVE to learn Janet's "Feedback".  The song plays too fast and the moves are quick and kind of tough to catch.

HYPOTHETICALLY. 

 We would like to officially welcome our clients Sonia & Tamara back from their Tuscany & Umbria Extravaganza!  The remainder of this week's "We're Sharing" section will feature the girls and their Golightly Getaway in Italy.

Which brings us to this week's Top 10 Tuesday list.

Holiday Golightly's Top 10 Most-Useful Italian Phrases:

1)  Ciao! - Hello!

2)  Buongiorno! - Good Morning!

3)  Grazie - Thank you
    
4)  Più pizza per favore - More pizza please

5)  Non desidero portare un casco sul vespa - I don't want to wear a helmet on the Vespa

6)  Il vostro ferrari è molto velocemente - Your Ferrari is very fast

7)  Siamo principesse molto di un piccolo dichiariamo in America - We are princesses of a very small state in America

8)  Dite che il gelato non ha calorie? - You say this gelato has no calories?

9)  Sono questi pattini sulla vendita? - Are these shoes on sale?

10)  Siete di destra, noi non dovreste bere il vino mentre acquistate per i pattini - You're right, we should not drink wine while shopping for shoes.

OH yes, our fabulous screening of the film was as sparkly and champagney as you would have expected. And the clothes? Are you kidding me? I mean both on screen AND just in our little theater. Everyone was decked out!

SPOILER ALERT - if you haven't seen it, save this post for after you've seen it. Now GO!

Top 10 Things We Loved About "Sex & The City" The Movie

1) The opening sequence. Goosebumps galore. The amped-up big-band version of the theme song, coupled with the quick pace of the split-screen recap set the perfect tone for the movie.

2) Big's botox. Didn't Chris Noth look awfully "well-rested"?

3) These shoes

"Hello Lover" indeed!

4) Miranda's crazy giant UFO earrings. Her earlobes must have needed rehab after the film wrapped.

5) Carrie's closet montage. The tutu dress!

6) Samantha's sushi plate

7) That fierce black studded vintage belt Carrie wore with EVERYTHING

8) The bridesmaids dresses - Zac Posen, color us impressed.

9) Charlotte's black-bridesmaid-dress shuffle around the limo.

10) Male Full Frontal - Dante!

We're already looking forward to the sequel.

Did we miss any of your favorite things? Leave a comment!

Thanks, again, to all who attended with us, and also to our uber-gracious vendors:

Bag Borrow Or Steal

Crave

Urban Recess/Molly Scott (molscott@gmail.com)

Tucker Paisley

Kestrel Vinters

Zing Energy Bars

Come and check out our photos from the event on Flickr!

They are not going to wear them again. They will not shorten them, they will not remove the sash or the sleeves or the straps, or God forbid, the hoop skirt, and wear them again.

I had previously written a preemptive boycott on the movie "27 Dresses". I finally watched "27 Dresses", this past weekend, and would like to retract my earlier shunning.

I really liked it! It was not a Meh Romantic Comedy. There was no cheesy Motown-fueled car/moped chase. And the sing-a-long I was so worried about involved excessive inebriation and "Benny and the Jets". I, too, always thought Elton John was singing about "electric boobs and mohair shoes". Are those not the right words?

Katherine Heigl did not, to my knowledge, have to wear mohair shoes, but she did have to wear 27 dizzyingly awful bridesmaid dresses. Unfortunately, sometimes life imitates art, so let us review things the bride should not make her bridesmaids wear.

Shiny & Puffy. And teal.

You've all seen it, and many of you have worn variations of hideousness, in the name of friendship. You will be rewarded for this.

Bride: you will always be the most beautiful, ethereal creature on your wedding day. Always. And no amount of horrible chintz or lumpy satin surrounding you will make you glow any brighter.

If you make your bridesmaids wear unflattering dresses, they won't feel pretty. And if they don't feel pretty, they won't feel like socializing. Or if they are socializing, they're also, no doubt, muttering under their collective breath, and scowling, and plotting revenge, and that stuff will just really show up in the wedding photos.

"But it will look nice for the pictures" is not enough of a reason to make your close friends and relatives miserable. A number of more forward-thinking brides have been more generous in the bridesmaid-ensemble selections. They choose a color, or a color family, and say "Get something that matches this, that you like".

And it looks lovely!

Or they select the specific fabric, and allow each bridesmaid to choose a dress-style that she is comfortable with.

Yes, it's your day. And don't you want it to be a spectacularly happy one? Filled with love and smiles, and warm fuzzies, and possibly white kittens? But we can discuss the wedding processional later. 

Playing dress-up is always fun, and there's no better excuse for it than a Bachelorette party. Whether you decide to take your theme out on the town, or keep it to a private girlfriend gathering, the photos will be hilarious and memorable. And probably embarrassing.

1) Slumber Party - jammies, bra-freezing, light as a feather-stiff as a board, M&Ms for breakfast. Being 10 again is awesome.

2) Cowgirls Gone Wild - giddyup! Grab your hats & boots & fake pistols and get ready to round up a good time!

3) Ball & Chain - marriage is a commitment! It should be taken seriously! Have all the girls dress as prisoners in orange jumpsuits, or the old-timey black & white stripes.

4) Toga - this is good for the lazy bachelorette. Or the Roman bachelorette. Throw a sheet on and go!

5) We're All Brides - everyone wears white/bridal-ish gowns. This will help everyone identify with the bride and what she's preparing for. This will also confuse everyone in the bars, and you'll all end up drinking for free.

6) Golf - if you've seen the movie "The Wedding Date" (with Debra Messing), you'll have an idea of how eccentric golf outfits can get. Bar golf is a great bachelorette party activity - no irons required.

7) Wig Out - save time doing your hair - everyone wears a wig to the Bachelorette party!

8) 80s Roller Skating - you will have a great time with your girlfriends, and get a little exercise too. Depending on how often you can "crack-the-whip". Crimp your hair, bust out the leg warmers and you're ready to roll.

9) Vegas Karaoke - have everyone dress up as her favorite Vegas singer (or just "singer"), and either rent a karaoke machine, or head to a karaoke bar. This bachelorette party has no room for self-consciousness. Who brought the video camera?

10) Tea Party - The tea party is the most refined option here. Just put on your garden party dresses and white gloves, and spend the afternoon bonding over tiny sandwiches. We didn't say you couldn't have mimosas and bellinis!

With drinks, without drinks, the Bachelorette party is all about soaking up your girlfriend-time. Make it special and just enjoy it!

Oprah totally gets it.  We state the obvious, obviously.  But Oprah's most recent newsletter was just all about the Girlfriends.  Since we do stuff all about the Girlfriends, all the time, OUR newsletter (yesterday) was about Back-To-School excitement, but that's neither here nor there.

Oprah's newsletter included a feature entitled "Five Friends Every Woman Should Have", and here are her picks and comments:

"1. The Uplifter

This woman's favorite word: yes. You could tell her you're trading your six-figure income for a career in offtrack betting, and she'd barely pause before yelping "Go for it!" Don't you need someone who looks past the love handles to notice the extraordinarily gorgeous you?

2. The Travel Buddy

When the hotel in St. Lucia is a bust, one characteristic becomes all-important: flexibility. This agreeable companion need not be the girl you traded pinkie swears with on the playground; it's enough that she's comfortable with quiet (between gabfests) and is a teensy bit mischievous (as in tequila after midnight).

3. The Truth Teller

Intent is what separates the constructive from the abusive. Once you've established that the hard news is spoken in love (not in jealousy or malice), you'd be smart to seek out this woman's perspective.

4. The Girl Who Just Wants to Have Fun

One Saturday a pal and I—and yes, we're both over age 12—pored over every glitter lip gloss in a drugstore aisle for an entire 45 minutes. Forget the crisis download (for that, see the Uplifter); this partnership is about spontaneous good times.

5. The Unlikely Friend

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive," Anaïs Nin wrote. My friends—some twice my age, others half, some rich, others homeless, some black like me, others Korean, Mexican, Caucasian—have added richness to my life that only variety can bring."  

We completely agree with the above.  Who disagrees with Oprah?  We would also like to add our own five recommendations.  Because a party with 10 friends guarantees more presents than a party with just five.

Holiday Golightly's Five Other Friends Every Woman Should Have:

1.  The Catty Collaborator 

Ideally we would all be pleasant, happy and positive all the time.  The reality is, sometimes we feel wronged or slighted, and just have to let the cat out.  You should have one friend who understands this part of you, and won't judge you for needing to vent.  Just a little.  You should really have only one of these friends, because any more than one and your life turns into Mean Girls, and no one wants to have to wear pink every Friday.

2. The Social Director

This is the girl who will drag you off the couch, and away from the next installment of America's Next Top Model and the pint of Ben & Jerry's.  She has a seemingly endless supply of energy and enthusiasm, and is constantly coordinating events and inventing reasons to get out and wear your new shoes.

3.  The Absorbent Shoulder

There are times (usually times of the month) where everything seems to trigger a cavalcade of tears.  The Absorbent Shoulder is precisely what she sounds like:  a wonderful listener to whom you can pour your heart out.  She is infinitely more sensitive than anyone else, and if you had to describe her in an action it would be a warm hug.  

4.  The Ham

Someone who can make you laugh - no matter what.  She is a little nuts and a lot hilarious, and tends to see the world in the least serious way possible.  Nothing is dire, or gloom and doom, at the home of the ham.

5.  Yourself

Oh yes.  You knew we'd go here.  It sounds hokey and completely self-helpy - go ahead and pass the hankies -  but it is the absolute, honest-to-goodness truth.  You are the one person who will ALWAYS be there, and you should like yourself enough to consider YOU a great friend.