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  Very special thanks and love to all my family: Mommy-Papa-Chito-Aina-Steve-Nico-and-the-one-on-the-way, Mom-J-Dad-J-John-Anji-Alex-Tim-Rob-Jenn-Val-and-Lily, and all of my insanely wonderful friends—you know who you are (see the back pages of all my other books!)—especially MaryClare Williams, the coolest surfer chick in Malibu; the fabulous Jennie Kim, my MySpace webmistress; and the awesome Arisa Chen, who keeps my home page looking good.

  As always, thanks and love to Mike “My Husband” Johnston, who for a long time was known as Mike “My Boyfriend” Johnston because I could never say his name without giving him his full title. Thanks for living on takeout for the last two months. We can eat real food now.

  about the author

  MELISSA DE LA CRUZ is the author of many books for teens and adults, including Blue Bloods, The Au Pairs, and its sequel, Skinny-dipping. The Au Pairs has been published in ten countries. She is also the author of the novels Cat’s Meow and Fresh Off the Boat and co-authored the tongue-in-chic handbooks The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-Inch Heels and Faux Pas and How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less (which was sold to Universal/Reveille as a reality television program and to Walt Disney Studios as a full-length motion picture).

  Melissa has appeared as an expert on style, trends, and fame for CNN, FOX News, and E! Entertainment Network and has written for Glamour, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Allure, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, CosmoGirl!, Seventeen, and the New York Times. She is a graduate of Columbia University, where she majored in art history and English and minored in New York nightclubs and shopping. She has many fond memories of writing for Hamptons magazine, where her wonderful editors were nothing at all like the one portrayed in this book. Melissa currently divides her time between New York City and Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband.

  Check out Melissa’s web site, www.melissa-delacruz.com, for her shopping diary and for more information on forthcoming books. She loves to hear from readers, so send her an e-mail at melissa@melissa-delacruz.com.