Smell Sexy

Despite my terrible allergies and tendency to sneeze over the tiniest bit of pot pourri in a guest bathroom, there's one thing that, in mine opinion, is even worse then using a few extra tissues; smelling like a fart, body odor, or anything else unpleasent. I'm not telling you to skip the shower and, instead, spray your entire body with eau de toilette (which has several slang terms that I will not mention here for the fact that they're offensive), but I've always seen the importance of every woman smelling sexy. That doesn't mean wearing something strong like Chanel No. 5 into the office and having every single person gossip about who you're trying to seduce with your mature stench, but rather, wearing something appropriate for the mood that you're trying to convey for whatever you're doing, and with that, executing everything you do with the greatest level of confidence. And despite my constantly runny nose pre-septoplasty, I've sucked it up and continued wearing and experimenting with different fragerences, realizing that some of the best are also some of the least expensive (funny, this never happens to me with ANYTHING else...figures). Have a date? An important interview? Lunch with your Nana? Below are my perfect fragerence suggestions for every scenario life may have in store for you:

• For a Chapter Meeting with your sorority sisters: Daisy by Marc Jacobs. In tight quarters, it's not too strong and won't lead to people not wanting to sit next to you, and kind of reminds me of baby powder mixed with my grandmother's garden (is that weird?). And for all those pretentious girls who want to know why you smell so good-oh my gawd-you're wearng Marc Jacobs.
• For hanging out with the guy who's JUST your friend, but unfortunately, he may see you as more: L by L.A.M.B. It's citrus mixed with a little bit of cedar and grapefruit, and comes in a cute little square bottle decorated in traditional Rasta colors. It's traditional without being too girly-girl and ill do the trick in making sure that you smell good but will also be sure to let him know that he's just a friend...Sorry, man...
• For a night of fist pumping at the Jersey Shore (Or Mineral Spring Ave.):  Envy by Gucci. It's loud, sexy, and will be easily recognizable by your fello guidos and guidettes pressent. If you're from New Jersey, New York, or Rhode Island, it's guarenteed that you grew up with at least five girlfriends who wore Envy (Come on, am I wrong?).
• For a super-important job interview: The One by Dolce & Gabanna. Though it smells slightly mom-ish, it's fragrent forward, direct, and means business with notes of aragon, citrus, and wood. You'll go in feeling polished, confident, and mature (even if you're wearing a Hello Kitty thong underneath your Tahari suit).
• For a lunch with an older relative: Chantilly by CVS (?). This drugstore perfume is super cheap and will keep old people comfortable since it tends to be a farmiliar scent among their demographic. And frankly, don't judge, but it's quite floral and I actually think it smells really nice.
• For a trip down memory lane to middle school: Tommygirl by Tommy Hilfiger. Because you just weren't cool if you didn't get it in your Christmas stocking. And even though it wasn't so trendy anymore past eighth grade, it actually still smells really good looking back at it.
• For your Royal Carribean Cruise: G by Harajuku Lovers. Seriously, this stuff smells like a pina colada in the best of ways, and even if I'm not on a cruise, always give myself a squirt if I'm depressed about the cold winter weather. It takes me back to the Riu Negril in Jamaica every time I get a whiff. Plus, the bottle is an adorable Gwen Stefani action figure.
• For the times you just want to smell amazing: Fantasy by Britney Spears!! I bet you didn't see this one coming. It's sweet, floral, all around feminine, and quite inexpensive. And, it's probably my favorite fragerence of all time, making me smile everytime I wear it. I couldn't express to you how much I love this stuff.

From the drugstore brands to the designer trends, I endorse and have worn all of these fragerences at one point or another and endorse each of them for all of your day-to-day needs. Because you wouldn't wear the same underwear for Valentine's Day with your boyfriend to your annual physical, so why would you wear the same perfume?

Judith Ripka is My Candy

David Yurman who? Though I will always consider myself a fan of Mr. Yurman's, I've been having an affair with the designs of Judith Ripka from the first time I laid eyes on one of her sparklers. Ever since my best friend, Noor Multani, got a beautiful green amethyst sparkler for her 20th birthday, I had immediately developed an obsession with the sparkly and overtly-gaudy piece that exercised femininity but still showcased trend-setting sexinesss. Though David Yurman cuffs are definitely beautiful and timeless, Judith Ripka's designs combine the look of two-tone steel while incorporating bright diamonds and colorful precious stones that make me want to get rich even quicker so that I can buy everyone of her pieces.
Established out of the Big Apple in 1977, Ripka always had a fascination with jewelry design, but wanted to cultivate a line that was versatile enough to go with anything from "blue jeans to black tie", as she described it. All of her necklaces, bracelets, rings, and pendants are embellished with feminine characteristics ranging from cross-knit fleur de lis to diamond hearts, and that doesn't exclude the precious stones ranging from amber to pink quartine. She places an array of hearts, known to her as the Queen of Hearts, engraved in a secret place in each of her pieces in order to create "a shared secret for Ripka and the women wearing her jewelry". And what's more, her pieces are so beautiful that they actually look, in my opinion, a hell of a lot more expensive then they actually cost (not saying they are cheap, however), which definitely isn't a bad thing when you're trying to dress to impress. Plus, Ripka's prided herself in being involved and contributing to an array of charitable organizations ranging from Austism Speaks to the Mother's Voices AIDS Organization, creating some limited edition lines with profits contributing to such charities.
Whether you're trying to look sexy anywhere from the gym to Georgetown Cafe to the Gibson, buy a Judith Ripka piece to feel fabulous, rich, and beautiful.

I Love Being an Ass

Today, my grandfather, George Panichas Senior, passed away suddenly. Although devastated by his loss, he lived until he was eighty-seven-years old, and walked a mile every day (not outside, but looping around the first level of his house for fifteen minutes in dress pants and a wifebeater). Aside from the occassional "Don't do drugs; they're for crackpots" and "Why don't you date a Greek?", he taught me the importance of education, working hard in all of my endeavors, but most importantly, gave me one piece of advice that I will continue to hold onto for as long as I live:

"Angela, I don't care what religion you are; Buddhist, Hindu, Pagan, you could worship a cat for all I care, but as long as you vote Democrat, I'll be happy."

Well, despite my short-lived fixation for Ralph Nadar and Rudy Giulliani, I have kept my grandfather's promise, and understand that it's actually way cooler to be a Democrat. And my intentions for Paint the Town Leopard were never to make it a rip-roaring conservative hatefest, but in memory of the man who made the blue states in style, below are the reasons why it's actually so much better to be an ass instead of an elephant:

• We're super accepting. We love all ethnicities, races, and sexual orientations. Isn't fun to surround yourself with people who are a little bit different than you are?
• Though you won't see me with PETA splashing red paint on fur coats outside of Saks, Democrats are very animal-friendly. Hello, Louis Vuitton dog carrier? I don't think I could picture a Republican carrying one of those. 
• Unlike other political parties, we normally do not attend events like Nascar Racing or WWE Wrestling. Enough said.
• Not that I'm one for marijuana or recreational drugs in general, but Democrats will make sure that those in chronic pain will get a little bit of relief, even if it is from the sticky green. Jah, boombaclat.
• Blue is just such a better all-around color, which is, for those of you who haven't opened a newspaper, the color that represents states in the electoral college who have voted democrat.
• We are much more apprehensive when making military decisions, thank you very much.
• Democrat presidents are just ten times hotter. Barack Obama versus George W.? Bill Clinton versus Richard Nixon? If you exclude Ronald Reagan from the mix, the democrats are a party for hotties.
• We are extremely for anti-smoking initiatives, and what's better than that? Smoking leads to yellow teeth, black lungs, cancer, and even death. And, I find Joe Camel to be kind of sleazy if you ask me. And maybe even a pedofile. 
• Democrats care about including everyone.

I'm sorry if you disagree with everything that I just mentioned but you're in Washington, DC and probably hear some kind of political fanaticism every day. But regardless of your own beliefs, in memory of my grandfather, I will always be a Democrat. 

 

"My President is Black...My Lambo is Blue..."

...It's Black History Month, so you should celebrate too. It's a pretty lame song and it took me months to realize that they were referring to a Lambourghini, but it's nevertheless Black History Month in a city with one of the largest African-American populations in the nation. So whether you're black, white, Chinese or Afghani, it's never a bad idea to spend a Saturday afternoon learning a little something instead of spending it hungover at Bussboys and Poets. Whether you prefer Nat King Cole or Naughty by Nature, put on some good R&B and embrace the people who made DC's heritage so rich. Here are some fun- and, yes, educational- ways to celebrate Black History Month in the Capital. Take your man, sorority sister, or dog (if you want to get away from people for the afternoon) and see what makes DC's black history so significant.

1. Old Town Alexandria: From 1970 to the desegregation in 1951, African-Americans lived, worked, and attended church services in this quaint area right outside of DC. The National Register of Historic Places offers a fun trolly tour for Black History Month, and you won't get ADD because it's only an hour long.

2. Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum: This place kind of freaks me out, but they are offering a really great exhibit called "Black History Discovery and Scavenger Trail" showcasing some of the most prominent African-Americans so far in American history. The highlights? In less then an hour, you'll be able to take your picture with celebs ranging from Oprah to Barack to Tyra Banks. And, apparently, Muhammed Ali is resurrected from the dead, as well.

3. The Navy Memorial and Navy Heritage Center: A gorgeous facility, the Navy Memorial is offering film screenings and artwork from African American sailors across the country. A perfect excursion to take with a friend who is in the military.

4. Abraham Lincoln Birthday Observance: Happy Birthday, Abe! At the Lincoln Memorial on February 12th, you could have enjoyed cake, decorations, and a dramatic reading of the "Gettysburg Address". Although you missed it, I find this absolutely hilarious and needed to mention this (And for all of you who are curious as to why Abe Lincoln is featured in Black History celebrations, he made a great deal of initiatives for African Americans during his presidency).

5. Ben's Chilli Bowl: I will NEVER return here seeing as a guy took me on a date here once (and his last time, let's be honest) and my digestive track has never been the same. But, it's an African-American staple on U Street and has been graced with the presences of everyone from Bill Cosby to the current president. Get the chilli cheese fries, but don't plan on doing too much after.

6. National Archives: For no charge, you can enjoy films, public programs, and lectures from an array of speakers for Black History Month. Sounds "ehhh", but the National Archives are cooler then you'd think.

7. Mount Vernon: Hit up George Washington's old estate and enjoy tours that honor the slaves who lives and worked here. With a daily wreathlaying at noon and reenactments presented by two of George Washington's slaves, try your best not to harass the actors and learn a little bit about life in Mount Vernon as an African-American.

Sure, I'm definitely one for having a crazy fun weekend. But how about this weekend, have two drinks instead of seven, and make time to visit one of these events? Except for my birthday on Saturday night, of course...

And What Are You Giving Up For Lent?

Going to an all girl Catholic school for the majority of my life, Sister Mary So and So always made such a huge deal about what you gave up for Lent each year. We'd always have to do a brainstorm, read an excerpt about Jesus making a million pieces out of fish from the Gospel of Mark and reflect on how lucky we were that we had food, but eventually always just ended up getting in trouble, because during prayer intentions we would pray that the pimple on our chin would go away by the dance on Friday night or that Johnny would ask us to Winter Ball. For reasons aside from this one, my Catholic school experience was memorable, unforgettable, but most of all, completely unconventional. But despite being Greek Orthodox, and only going to church twice a year at the most, it did drill into my mind that as soon as Fat Tuesday is over, you must come up with something that you're going to give up for the next forty days.
When I was a little kid, it was apple juice, which was pretty challenging, but by the end of the Lenten period my parents let me chug an entire quart of it so it seemed worth it to me. As I got older, teachers taught us to take a more conventional route; giving up things like chocolate, hamburgers, and soda. When I was in middle school and trying to act anti-everything with my girlfriends, we would purposely pick out things that didn't even matter just to be difficult and upset the teachers (Who ever heard of giving up prune juice for Lent? I did my whole eighth grade reflection for Mrs. Grace about this). But in highschool, one of my favorite religion sisters, Sister Liz Hathaway (who I feel so bad, hit a deer with her car and we didn't get our tests back for a whole week one time because of it) suggested to do something a little bit more spiritual then giving up Cheetos; rather than doing something like food, we should pick out a moral vice or physical indulgence and sacrifice that for the time period. So, from this point forward, I've secretly taken Sr. Liz's advice and have given up something like this every year whether or not others have actually known it; gossiping, reality television, making out with boys, and swearing are just a  few examples.
My challenge this year? Cleavage (With the exception of my birthday outfit, that is). Whether you're religious or not, it's totally in right now to give up something, so why not? Below are my non-conventional fasting suggestions:

• Patron. You can drink other beverages, but you know that tequila always leads to bad things, so put the craziness on hold for the next month.
• Bloomingdales. For the entire Lenten period, you cannot go in, sale or otherwise. You'll just have to be a plebe and make friends with H&M. 
• PerezHilton.com. Because how much time to you blow every day looking at where Khloe Kardashian took a poop? (and, frankly, I would never want to see that.)
• Drunk text-messaging. It could actually be a good thing and save you from a lot of embarrassment. Have a "safe" friend who you pass your phone off to after one a.m. every night.
• Dancing.  If you're at a club and a guy asks you why you're not dancing, tell him you're a modern-day Puritan. At least you'll get your jollies.
• Talking smack. That fugly girl you work with? You're bitchy boss? Osama bin Laden? Nope, for the next forty days, you'll have to be Susie Sunshine.
• Booty calls. Unless you're in a monogamous relationship, you're going to be walking the next forty days in the path of a true celibate (This item often coincides with drunk text-messaging).
• Dining Out. Put your apron on, Paula Dean! With the economy being awful, this is the perfect way to save some money and still deprive yourself for some good ol' Lenten reflection. Just don't burn your house down.
• Paying With Credit Cards. Pay for everything with cash for the next forty days. Buying a house? A car? A down payment? It's all about the benjamins, baby.

Got any other great Lental ideas for fasting? Comment and let me know. In the meantime, I'll be seeing you all in turtle necks from this point forth. Hopefully I'll be able to find some that come in animal print. 

Viva, Carnaval!

Or if you're in New Orleans, Happy Mardi Gras. But whether you'll be celebrating in Rio or Rhino Bar, tomorrow definitely marks a festivity of drinking, debauchery, bulbousness and fun. Gather your green, purple, and gold beads and wear flashiest clothes in your wardrobe all at once, because tomorrow is the holiday of getting it all out of the way before Lenten fasting begins (which I know you'll all be taking part in, obvi). But what to do if you're stuck in the Capital and not on Bourbon Street or in Rio? With one of my most fabulous friends, Guillerme Almeida, being from Brazil and living a bi-continental lifestyle, he shows fellow Washingtonians that Brazilians have the tendency to make life just a little more exciting. Putting our heads together, we consolidated a list of the most fierce Carnival and Mardi Gras parties that will make you feel like you're in the tropics despite the grey snow banks outside:

• Celebrate Carnaval at Ceiba (701 14th Street NW): This delicious South American restaurant serves probably the best ceviche in DC and lends itself to a party atmosphere. With Brazilian street fair and capirinhas starting at 3 pm for only $5 all night long, enjoy live samba dancing, beads, and masks. Ceiba usually tends to attract a relatively good-looking crowd, as well, so you never know who you'll meet in the midst of your samba-ing.
• Cafe Atlantico (405 8th Street): One of my favorite DC eateries is serving up a great pre-fixe menu for Carnaval, featuring feijao trapeiro braised pork belly and braised oxtail, along with appetizers and desserts for $45. Don't get nervous to eat up; with the live DJs present all night, you'll burn it all off dancing the night away afterwards.
• The 9th Annual Bourbon Street Bash at Rumors (1900 M Street): Okay, okay. Not my favorite spot due to too many sorority memories here from rough nights and even rougher mornings. But this college bar hosts a mean Mardi Gras party, so if you're looking to get wild, have beer spilled on you, and get Mardi Gras beads from showing a little bit of skin, this is definitely the route to take. Think College Spring Break on M Street.
• First Annual Carnaval at Urbana (2121 P Street): Times are tough, as we all know. But this excellent little tapas bar is serving $1 oysters and drink specials all night long for Fat Tuesday, along with a $5 tapas menu for the evening. If you arrive in costume, you'll also receive a free glass of prosecco, and even better; get drunk enough and have the local artisan paint your entire face, and get a free drink of your choice! 
• Mardi Gras at Local 16 (1602 U Street): As a charity event for the Lower Nine in New Orleans, make a $20 donation and receive drink specials and dancing all night long. Beads will be provided along with prizes, raffles, and other treats throughout the night. Not a bad deal.

I'll be working, but do celebrate Fat Tuesday with a bang. But, please; if you don't have anything good to show, spare us all.