When I was thinking of guest bloggers, one of the first people that came to mind was my friend Tyler. I met Tyler several years ago when he started dating my friend Kasey. The two have since gotten married, built an adorable house and started a life together. I get to see this fun-loving couple every time I’m back in Missouri for weddings, parties and social events. And trust me, the phrase “fun-loving” doesn’t do them justice. They truly are a blast to be around. Recently, Tyler started his own blog. In typical Tyler fashion, his trove of hilarious commentary is called Sorry For Partyin’. I asked Tyler to write a little diddy for Pretty and Poor and he came up with some very manly perspectives on fashion. I think you’ll find them enlightening, entertaining and very, very different from my own!

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Let me start by saying that I'm not a fashionista. I'm the same guy that until recently found out jean shorts and socks with sandals is socially unacceptable. If it's not camo or doesn't have an elastic waistband then guys won't wear it.

The main reason we men get married is because we don't want to have to worry about style or fashion anymore. We are tired of it…we don't enjoy trying to squeeze into a shirt that looks like it was bought at Baby Gap at the poor attempt to try and impress a woman. So we get married. We are grown men who need to be treated like young children. Women lay out our clothes to make sure we’re not wearing a black shirt with brown shoes. This bothers them at first (laying out our clothes), however, they are actually fist-pumping on the inside because this means that they get to go shopping for their man while at the same time meandering thru Forever 21, Banana Republic or Nordstrom.

That leads me to my next point...shopping. For women, it's a lifestyle, a pastime and a downright obsession. Whether it's shoes, clothes, body lotions or for a new boyfriend or spouse, women can never get enough shopping. The only time you will ever hear a man utter the word "shopping" is, "I have to go shopping to pick up some chips and booze for the game tonight."

The only time you will ever hear a man utter the word "shopping" is, "I have to go shopping to pick up some chips and booze for the game tonight."

It's not embedded in our DNA like women. And you can always spot the married guy in the mall because he has that "I want to kill myself look" on his face and resembles a Sherpa holding 19 bags from various stores. I guess you can look at it as us men have our sports and women have their shopping. The only difference, sports won't bankrupt us.

Writing this has caused my blood pressure to rise...so...I'm going to go shopping for some booze.

Sorry 4 Partyin.

Want more of Tyler's antics? Check out his blog, here.

Two years ago, I dropped my big, swanky watch into a toilet full of pee (my own pee, thankfully) at a sushi restaurant. Since then, I’ve been on a quest for a sparkly new timepiece for my wrist. With so many watch options and so many styles available, choosing a bauble has been a difficult task for me. And alas, I’ve kept putting it off.

Let’s be honest, most of the watches I really like aren’t really within my budget. (They’ll totally be within my budget in 10 years, but for now they’re more aspirational goals than anything.) The Chanel J12? Love it. The Rolex Yachtmaster? Dig it. Anything big and chunky with lots of diamonds or flashy metallics? Sign me up.

Over the weekend I found myself at the mall with my best friend. While sucking down an iced latte and doing some shopping in Nordstrom, something caught my eye in the jewelry department. It was the case of Toy Watches. They were big, blinged-out, colorful, dazzling. And there was one that stood out from the rest. Well, actually there were two very similar watches that stood out from the rest: white, blinged-out Plasteramic watches with big faces. One had about 90% more bling than the other. I tried them on. They both looked great on my wrist. And since I’d been having a challenging couple of weeks, I decided that I needed to add one of these lovely watches to my life. (It should be noted that jewelry is so much more agreeable than people.)

Surprisingly, I actually had trouble deciding between the watch with reasonable bling and the one with out-of-control bling. But in the end I went with my roots and picked the watch that looked like it should belong to a rapper’s girlfriend. As I was wearing it out of the store, a couple of ladies stopped me to comment me on my watch. That’s when I knew I'd made a good decision.

This blinged-out Plasteramic by Toy Watch is now adorning my wrist! Since Sandra Bullock made this watch famous in The Blind Side it has been a hot commodity and sold out online and in stores throughout the country. Guess it was my lucky day! Let’s see if I can keep it out of the toilet...

Yeah. I bought a watch to make myself feel good. And you know what? It worked.

I’m always yakking about this elusive bucket of diamonds that I’m looking for. And while it sounds very appealing, I feel like I should clarify why I want a bucket of diamonds for all you cynics out there. I have my reasons, and I feel as if they’re pretty darn good ones.

1) It’s the ultimate status symbol. Anyone can buy a luxury car or a mansion, but a bucket of diamonds? That doesn’t seem so easy to come by, now does it? I’ll know I’ve made it when I have a bucket of diamonds sitting on my dresser.

2) I’ll know it’s love. Everyone buys their significant other a ring. Think of how many rings are sold every day in the world. And then think of how many of those rings end up at the local pawn shop after a fiery divorce. Rings are sub-par. I’ll know it’s serious when loverboy shows up with a bucket of shiny rocks.

3) I’d dazzle the world. I won’t be selfish with my bucket. Think of the things I could accomplish with all those diamonds just sitting around at my disposal. There are so many situations where a fat rock could come in handy. My good friend goes through a break-up? Here, have a diamond. It’ll make you feel better. A relative has surgery? Nothing says, “get well soon” like a sparkling hunk of carbon. Graduation gift? Who needs money for college when they could have a diamond?

As a joke, the folks at my office got me a bucket of fake diamonds to sit on my desk at work. It’s more of a reminder than anything. Last week, a coworker brought their 4-year-old daughter into the office and she became enamored with my bucket of diamonds. And just like I’ve always promised I’d do, I shared one with her. And then I apologized to her mother profusely for helping promote a life of unrealistic expectations and materialism. But hey, start ‘em young.

Oh, and PS: I would totally buy this car. There’s definitely a buckets worth of rocks covering this bad boy. And apparently those really are diamonds.

And PPS: Now that you've finished reading this, you should head over to Harry Winston (the jeweler behind that adorable drop earring pictured above) to scout out your own diamond baubles.

I spend a latte on lattes. There’s no denying that $4.00 here and there certainly adds up (for more on that, click here). However, I recently discovered a lower-cost alternative to my afternoon desire for an iced latte. The solution? Starbucks Via (instant coffee) dissolved into cold water with ice and a splash of milk or cream.

The coffee flavor is rich and robust, plus, a 3- or 6-pack of Starbucks Via is a small fraction of the cost of a latte. I can get a 3-pack for $2.95. That equates to around $1.00 a beverage! That’s quite a PPD (Price Per Drink). The good news? I don’t even have to leave my office. Click here to check out more information about Starbucks Via or check out your local Starbucks to grab a pack of Via and try this penny-pinching trick yourself!

Here’s to my girls who are to be pretty, poor and packed with caffeine!

Here's Valentine idea that costs NO MONEY and could really brighten someone's day! In fact, it could brighten a lot of lives. Avenues for Homeless Youth, a Minnneapolis-based organization that provides support and housing options to homeless youth, partnered with Target to do a Valentine's Day promotion. It's easy. All you have to do is send a Valentine to a friend from their website. When you do, Target will donate $1 to Avenues (up to $10,000). You'll make a friend smile and help enhance a young person's life.

Go send some Valentine's! It's cute. It's fun. It's free. And it WILL make a difference! And hey, giving back is always in style.

Today's Pretty Proclamation consists of eight little words of wisdom that every Pretty and Poor girl should live her life by.

"Slap on a little lipstick...you'll be fine."

~Jodi Hills, from her book bearing the same title. She reminds us that a bright shade of lipstick for ten bucks a tube can help heal a broken heart, boost confidence or maybe even get you the compliment you deserve. Now that's a smart PPW. So open that tube, twist up and slap on a little love.

Everyone keeps asking if I'm going to post my Christmas list this year. I decided that instead of just listing things out, I'd write my Christmas list into the lyrics of a song that always reminds me of the holidays. Sang to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music, here's a list of my favorite things (and things that will always have a spot on my Christmas list).

Marc Jacobs purses and coats made of leather,
Days spent in South Beach and sunshiny weather
Buckets of diamonds and soft serve machines,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Shiny nail polish and strong Starbucks coffee,
Burberry totes filled with fine English toffee,
Big blinged-out bracelets and huge cocktail rings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Dinners at restaurants and bottles of wine,
Dirty Martini’s and Ketel with lime,
Shoes by Manolo sent straight from my dreams,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Santa Claus is basically a big sugar daddy dressed in red velvet. Think about it. As a matter of fact, I’ll help you think about it. Take a look at the Venn diagram I made:

So what does this mean? This means that when I’m writing my Christmas list this year, I’ll be asking for things I’d normally demand from the average sugar daddy…like a bucket of diamonds.