I’ve been hearing a lot about Amy Winehouse lately. There’s her tumultuous romance, her somewhat disturbing behavior, and her completely whacked-out style. I’ve also heard a lot about how she’s really talented, and her album is good, and her sound is a refreshing throwback. You know what I haven’t heard, though? Her actual music. For all the hype surrounding the British singer, where’s the airplay? I’ve started hearing her single Rehab on one station, about once a week. But that’s it. I tried putting one of her tracks on my myspace page, but it only plays a short sample. So I finally caved and downloaded the album. And you know what? It is really good. I know Rehab is the song that gets the most hype (Winehouse is a bit of a lush, and her old record label tried to send her to rehab. She refused, changed labels, and recorded a great song about the whole thing. Nice.), but my personal favorite is You Know I’m No Good. It’s sultry, sexy and dark, with a great beat. Have a listen:

I guess that it’s only fitting to choose a photo of Charisma Carpenter (circa 2001ish) for my latest Hairquest inspiration. After all, it was her cut that inspired me to chop it all off and color it blond. Now that I’m going back to school, I need to grow it out so that I can pull it back and go. I also want to return to darker roots, so that it will require less maintenance and last longer between touch-ups. Once I move to Texas, I’ll be leaving behind my beloved stylist, not to mention giving up the income that keeps me in $200 haircuts. So, as it grows out, I’m thinking something along these lines: an easy simple bob in a rich, healthy brunette. But I may add a few caramel and honey tones to it, just to jazz it up and make it mine.

Erin McCarthy’s Vegas Vampires series is adorable. I love a good vampire tale, and there are a lot out there (MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead series, Susan Sizemore’s Primes series, and Jennifer Armintrout’s Blood Ties series are all good examples), but I also love Vegas, and this is a snazzy combination of the two.

Set in Sin City, the stories follow sisters Alexis and Brittany Baldizzi, vampire president Ethan Carrick, his campaign manager Seamus, and a host of other characters, both good and bad. There’s a shy stripper, a brainwashed assassin, a ditzy secretary, and an immortal baby to round out the cast. Full of snappy dialogue, steamy scenes, and a host of ridiculous problems (what do you do when the woman you love gets smashed by a car? Make her a vampire, of course!), these are entertaining and amusing and I look forward to the next one, Sucker Bet, which lands in December.

The June 2007 issue of Health magazine has some snazzy cocktail recipes to beat the heat and ring in the 4th. Not only are they all lower in calories than regular cocktails, they put a refreshing spin on drinks with new flavors. My favorite part: none of the drinks use sugary mixes or artificial sweeteners (yuck.)

For recipes for the Pom-rita (modified margarita), Simple Blueberry Summer Cooler (modified screwdriver), and the Strawberry Kiss (modified strawberry daiquiri), click here.

Or you can try my favorite (homemade!) tropical smoothie recipe, which is pretty healthy, virgin, and easy to adjust.

You need:

• pineapple chunks (fresh or frozen)
• mango chunks (fresh or frozen)
• 1 small ripe banana (sliced)
• strawberry slices (fresh or frozen)
• 1 navel orange
• shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
• vanilla soymilk or almond milk
• ice cubes

It works best with a combination of fresh and frozen fruit, which helps to keep it cool and frothy. The amounts for the fruit vary depending on personal preferences, and use the soymilk to get it to the consistency that you like. Place all the ingredients in a blender and whip it up. You can use more shredded coconut on top, and can garnish with a fruit slice or maraschino cherry. Because this recipe doesn’t use additional sweeteners, this is not an overly sweet drink. It is crisp, refreshing, and very filling. Yum!

I was shopping with my friend at Kohl’s the other day, and was surprised to find a line of clothing by Elle. Along with the popular fashion magazine, the line is a division of Lagardere Active Media Licensing, which apparently signed an exclusive deal with Kohl’s and launched the clothes this spring.

When I was there the selection was pretty limited; I only saw a handful of shirts. I did however, snag this cute, cropped trapeze jacket. It’s much more adorable in person, and takes a tank top and jeans from a casual outfit to a chic ensemble. I’m hoping they will expand the collection, because I’d love to see what else Elle can come up with. I have a feeling the clothes will be trendy, but with classic enough to last through a few seasons.

For the details on this fab collaboration (faboration?) click here.