[Dressing the Part . . . for Girls!]

Has anybody had any good experiences with makeup, mineral or otherwise? I'm looking into finding a brand I like and I thought you ladies might have suggestions.

From a person OBSESSED with makeup I believe you have quite a few options. Ofcourse there is Bare Escentuals, its like the NIKE of mineral makeup these days. It can be pricey though but it I think its worth it. Almost every other supermarket brand has a line of mineral makeup as well. In my opinion Almay and L'Oreal have very good mineral brands. If you just want a light coverage and want to add a shimmer I use a translucent powder from CoverGirl $7-$8. It doesn't provide the coverage as mineral makeup but it does add a little shimmer and with blush it really looks about the same as if I were wearing mineral makeup.

A couple things you should know about mineral make-up. If you have an olive to dark skin tone and tan easily, one color may not work for you. (this is especially true with bare escentuals) In this case you can mix the colors. Supermarket brands tend to have more color options so you can experiment.

Lastly, I would recommend going to a Sephora (the candy land of beauty product aficionados) it carries bare escentuals and they will help you find your match and experiment with other make-up. Good Luck!!!!

[Nashville, TN]

Anyone have any specific complexes that they recommend for grad students in Nashville? I have been apartment searching and preparing to move from another state and safety and proximity to Vanderbilt are very important to me.

[Offer Accepted]

I'll be attending Vanderbilt in the fall. Are there any other Americanists going there?

[Last minute waitlist miracles, anyone?]

This one is too crazy not to mention.

While in the town of my back-up choice school. ( I was preparing to visit and sign the papers the next day). I get an email from the DGS at my first choice school offering me full tuition, fellowship and fees off the waitlist. Immediately after the sun rose and the seas parted.

[Average Book Costs]

Greetings,

I have some questions for those who have already completed a year or two of grad school or who have some insight on book prices for grad students. I apologize in advance if they seem dumb or too numerous?

(While I know that price varies by class) What can one anticipate to spend annually on books for courses?

Are there instances where you need to buy books outside your courses to prepare things? When bugetting should one anticipate for that?

Are books generally purchased using your stipend? Small Loans?

Lastly and certainly not least, what are some sites that offer good deals on books? (or is there a thread that I missed that discusses this?)

Thanks In Advance

[Vanderbilt anyone?]

I'll be heading off to Vandy in the fall as well for their Ph.D program in History. I don't know about you guys but this apartment hunting thing is a pain.