"Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where

my secret lies,

I'm not cute or built to suit a 

fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

~Maya Angelou

Rihanna's Finally Ready to Talk

Rihanna finally speaks out about the last 8 months and how she's grown from the "incident" that has now become legendary. Check it out. 

And I Never Mind

"And I Never Mind" - A sonnet by Tracey Lincoln

Love from a distance learns slowly
Giving what you can for the cause
Forgiving it as if it is holy
Fearing the results of it’s long pause

And you fight for the liberties of your nation
Eyes closing but victory is blinding
Love chases you from battle to station
And I watch eyes open, never minding

The most difficult task is to listen
Never give in because you are strong
Thousands of miles separate our positions
Thus you cannot hear my heart’s favorite song

It sings of longing to melodies of faith
But who knows how long this song can wait

Kissing is divine.

I love kissing. I love even just watching a good kiss. I was just watching Greek and there was this amazing kiss between Casey and Cappie (sorry if I ruined it for you). Maybe I'm alone here, but it's literally almost as fulfilling to watch as it is to do. It's beautiful. And in TV and film it's an amazing feeling because it's usually a culmination of all of these emotions and anxiety you've been feeling the whole time, and then it's all released in one kiss. It's beautiful. Kissing to me is one of those crazy things that show me that there has to be some kind of design to this universe. Like how did humans just come up with kissing? They were like hey, we both have lips and we're both feeling kinda hot so why don't we make them touch? But it ended up being a really good idea! Anyway I don't have much more to say about that. However, I will say that it is not the same experience for me when I have to witness two people who have no kissing chemistry or are just gross and don't know what to do with themselves. That's pretty painful and disgusting for me. So my advice to any actors out there is to practice and like tape yourself or something (just kissing) so you know if you look weird doing it, or have some critique you. That's just my opinion.

Happy kissing!

Strength in One

So I've expressed how overwhelmed I've been feeling lately. The weekends are a nice release for me because I decide to not think about anything at all. But then...it's Monday again and I find myself right back where I started. This week it's more than overwhelmed. It's a frustration with life. Maybe what I'm about to say is too personal for your taste, in which case I am perfectly fine with you ceasing to read on. However, I am pretty sure that I'm not the only one with these feelings so for those of you who can relate, know that you're not alone.

This week I decided that I want to interact with others as little as possible. Right now, I feel very frustrated because I am so misunderstood. I don't think it's the most mature thing to close everyone out of my life because I'm annoyed, but I do feel like my most important relationships are to myself and God. Those two are the only ones that I really need and that will never fail me. I should not be distracting myself with discomfort about trying to get people to see eye to eye with me when I should be focusing on allowing myself to grow. I am truly emotionally uncomfortable, and I don't think it would be a problem if I had more time to myself so that is my goal this week. Be strong on my own and then I can reach out to others. Wish me luck.

Overwhelmed, Naturally.

So Sami (one of my best friends who you may know from samiandalex.blogspot.com) texted me today saying something like, "seriously how do you deal with the stress of school?" I don't know if because we've known each other so long she can just read my mind or we just have that sense like Tia and Tamera do when the other twin feels what the other one feels, but I was literally asking myself that very question. It has become very apparent to me that my body is not handling the stress that I put on it very well, and I don't think it should.

So much is demanded of us. We're supposed to manage at least 15 hours of class per week (although I technically have 18 just from my five classes), then do homework for each class, then have a job so that we can afford to have a social life, then actually have a social life, then participate in extra-curricular activities, then eat, then sleep, then nurture our relationships with family or friends that are far away, then have some sort of personality. I personally don't think it's possible to fulfill all of these in any given day. I don't think we can do everything that is asked of us and maintain our physical and mental health at the same time. I think it's ridiculous that it has gotten to the point where success is dependent on us wearing ourselves out this way. It's not natural. I ended up telling Sami today that primary thing that college is teaching me is exactly what I don't want my life to look like. I cannot wait until I can focus on one job and put all of my effort into that. Right now I think the only way to fulfill each assignment for our classes would be to cheat our way through it and otherwise we just do the absolute minimum that it takes to get the grade we want. That's not satisfying to me. 

Does anybody feel the same or different? Are there people who are predisposed to this kind of lifestyle? I think I naturally desire to dip my toes into whatever I can, but I don't think anyone should ever wear themselves this thin. 

I AM My Hair

So you know that India Arie song, "I Am Not My Hair?" Well, I know that song is about how your identity shouldn't come from what you look like on the outside, but for one reason or another, the way I look on the outside affirms how I feel about myself on the inside. Let me explain.

As many of you may know, I am mixed with several nationalities. As a result, growing up I never really identified with any particular race or culture. My dad's side of the family is Costa Rican, and they are very connected to Costa Rica, but even that didn't really give me a strong culture. It wasn't until I was older that my mom really tried to get me to understand that I was black, which I partially am on her side, but that didn't really change the way I felt. When I look in the mirror, I don't see somebody that looks like anyone else. I have this weird skin color that resembles the tone of other African-Americans except that I have this browner/yellowy skin tone that just doesn't match up. Then I have these really dark, almost black eyes. Then most significantly, I have this crazy super curly hair that seems to be very rare. 

Maybe I feel like I stand out more than I really do, but I feel like this perspective gives me an advantage in a way. I always assumed that I was going to be different from everyone else, so I never made it a point to try to fit in or make myself any more like anyone else. Recently I had a discussion with my friend, Amber, about how I like to wear my hair curly even though I could straighten it pretty easily. It's hard to explain the attachment I have to my hair as it is. To me it's like my foundation for being fearlessly myself despite the status quo. I suppose it's shallow to base my personality on something that I could easily lose. I admit that it would hurt to part with the part of me to which I've become most attached, but I know that even when I'm old and gray I will picture myself with my curly hair that God gave me, and I will know who I am because of it.

How I Know I'm Getting Old

I had acid reflux today after having a burrito salad from Chipotle. Really??? Acid reflux???? And at first I thought it was heartburn. Seriously? These are the issues I'm facing. What makes me really mad is that I'm not even beyond worrying about acne; although, I take this opportunity to mention that Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Complete Acne Therapy System is a complete life-saver. 

It's weird though. I'm 19, and my body feels like it's going through so many changes. (I love Justin Timberlake!!! Sorry, I'm watching the Emmy's, and he's there so I had to interject briefly.) Like what I eat really actually effects my body, and it's a necessity to work out. I've actually been craving healthy food lately because I can actually feel the difference in my body between that and eating lots of cookies. It's depressing. In like seven months I'll be 20. 20?!!!! That's freakin old! What are people going to expect of me???

Anyway now that I've expressed my anxiety of growing old, I hope you're not.

Why We Should All Feel Privileged to Live in Taylor Swift's World

So I know that everyone's been talking about the whole Kanye and Taylor Swift thing that happened a week ago at the VMAs. By the way, yes, I think it was messed up. If anybody in this world seriously believes that Beyonce isn't bomb then I'm going to have to have a serious talk with them, so not only was Kanye's rant completely and utterly uncalled for, it was also just pointless because Beyonce is no less amazing for not winning this award. Then, of course, there's the fact that Taylor totally deserved to win because this has been such an incredible year for her, and quite frankly she's brilliant and an amazing songwriter and entertainer. 

Which brings me to my next point... After almost a year of her latest album Fearless coming out, I am still always craving it. I listened to it today, and literally, each song still hits me with full impact. Then I was thinking today, you know how Taylor often exposes people in her life by using their real names in her songs? Well recently I heard an interviewer ask T. Swift (by which she is affectionately referred) if people, especially guys, were ever wary of getting too close to her for fear that they'd end up the butt of one of her songs, and you know what I think? I say that anybody lucky enough to be featured in a Taylor Swift song should be friggin honored because literally they will go down in history. We'll never forget Drew who provoked Taylor's teardrops on her guitar or Abigail who gave it all to a guy who changed his mind or Stephen who looks like an angel. There are also several instances where names weren't mentioned, but we got the gist, and we may just be wondering for the rest of time (although we know that "Forever & Always" was about Joe Jonas's disappointing butt). It is personally my dream to be referred to in a song. I mean, even if the song is in rage against you, it really is an honor. Anyway, that was random, but that's how I feel.

Do guys automatically assume you're more than just friends?

So a question that I've been wondering about for awhile now is whether guys automatically assume that if you have any relationship with them that it's as more than just friends. I mean, I have a boyfriend so that may change the dynamic a little bit, but still you hear stuff all the time about how guys think about sex like every three seconds and stuff. Then sometimes I just get the feeling sometimes that when I'm talking to a guy or guy friend that they think we're flirting or something. 

I'm not trying to call anyone out. I've just always wondered. Can guys and girls really ever be just friends without any attraction or flirtation or sexual tension? 

I love Liv Tyler.

So I'm watching The Rachel Zoe Project today, which I love but haven't been able to watch yet this season. It's the Oscars episode and Liv Tyler makes an appearance because she needs Rachel to help her pick out a new wardrobe, and ohhhhhh my gosh is this woman gorgeous. Like literally she's beautiful and so lighthearted and doesn't take herself too seriously. I mean, I don't know that woman, but I've always kind of admired her any time I see her in something. 

On another note, besides my adoration for Ms. Tyler, I'm also obsessed with her name. I think I may name my daughter Liv. It's a great name. I mean, think of the kind of girl whose name is Liv. You're gonna love her. If my name weren't so awesome, I'd probably want it to be Liv. Just a thought though. 

Question: How are you supposed to eat a muffin??

So this dilemma has literally been vexing me since the day I enjoyed my first blueberry muffin (if anyone's taking notes, blueberry is my favorite). I usually just go for it with my fingers, grab small chunks at a time, and attempt to gracefully place it in my mouth; however, I am always slightly uncomfortable because if I'm trying to do anything else at the same time it's just a huge mess. I just end up getting all this muffin under my nails, and muffin is also kind of awkward to get off your fingers with a napkin. Then there's always the option of just biting straight into it, but Lord knows that'll be even more of an awkward mess and definitely not graceful. I suppose you could try to eat it with a fork, but it's so crumby and stuff. I guess I've never tried it though.

Does anyone have a solution to this problem?? How do you eat your muffins??

One Thing I Love About Guys

So...there aren't many...jk...but there is one thing that guys do that I really looove. 

I love it when guys do that low inflection in their voice that's almost rough or raspy in a way. I just noticed it in a 500 Days of Summer trailer where Zooey Deschanel's character asks Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character if he likes her and he says, "Well...yeahh," in a really sexy way. It's also in "My Love" by Justin Timberlake ft. T.I. There's this one line, "Cause the girls real wild throw they hands up high when they wanna come and kick it with a stand up guyy." Ohmg. I die every time I hear it. In fact I'm pretty sure I made everyone in my cheer carpool listen to that one part on repeat a few times senior year (shout out Sam and cheer girls). You can also hear it when you're talking to a guy on the phone really late or like first thing in the morning.

It's crazy because it's little things like that all combined that make guys so irresistible. I mean, am I crazy? I crave stuff like that. That's how they get us. That and holding my face when we kiss. Where do they teach you guys this???

Just When You Thought Spencer Couldn't Be MORE of a Wannabe...

So I was reading JustJared.buzznet.com today, and I never in a million years would have guessed what today's headline would read: "Spencer Pratt: King Me!" Spencer Pratt is changing his legal name to "King Spencer Pratt." Um what??!! I mean I knew he was arrogant, delusional, and pathetic, but really?? He basically said that America deserves a king just like all those other countries. 

Here's my conclusion: Publicity stunt. It's really amazing because he's making a living out of being publicly ridiculous. What will he tell his children?? One day he'll write his memoirs, and on the cover will be a picture of his face on the Quaker Oats container because he thought that oatmeal lovers deserved to have a douche bag sitting in their pantries, and all of us who are somehow amused for whatever reason at his absurdity will shame ourselves on how much wealth we actually brought to him and what a travesty this is to our society. I mean first Flava Flav gets his own show, and now this???? What is this world coming to????!! FOR SHAME!!!

Give Blood Because Chris Pine Does!

If there wasn't reason enough already to give blood, do it because Chris Pine does it and we all know he's gorgeous and super cool. He knows that his blood could help save lives by providing for accident victims, kidney transplants, premature babies, liver transplants, cancer treatments, heart treatments, sickle cell disease, adult open heart surgey, leukemia, or bone marrow transplants. 

If you want to help save lives, call 1-(800) GIVE-LIFE or click here to find a Blood Drive near you.

*LMU STUDENTS: The Center for Service & Action is hosting a Blood Drive on campus Tuesday, October 6th through Thursday, October 8th. To make an appointment, visit CSA, call (310) 338-2959, or email them at blooddrive@lmu.edu. 

Surprising Longevity of Colored Denim

Something that I'm still shocked to see in magazines lately is colored denim. For spring InStyle and others were saying that pastel denim was in. Now I'm looking at a post on Glamour.com titled "Shopping Guide: Colored Denim." I'm not trying to hate on the trend because I love the idea. It's just shocking that it's managed to last so long because brightly colored jeans just seem like the kind of thing that seems like a good idea for a minute then suddenly becomes horrifyingly dated. It's great though because I've had one pair of lilac jeans since sophomore or junior year of high school I think, and I can still wear them as a sophomore in college. It's also cool because it's technically fashionable, but it's still enough to stand out from a crowd of girls in black leggings.

*You can get the pair seen in this picture from Urban Outfitters for $19.99! What a deal! (What a steal!) click here if you want em

Zac Efron Officially Knows I'm Alive!!!!

So here's the amazing thing about Twitter: if you have the balls to openly tweet celebrities and ask them questions or respond to what they say, they actually read it, and sometimes they even reply!!!!! I've had Ryan Seacrest's assistant, @SadaoTurner respond to me, as well as Vanessa Hudgens (@OfficialBabyV), and @mystylequicktip has even posted one of my hair tips. But this....tops it all.

So tonight I finally figured out what Zac Efron's twitter name was because Vanessa referred to him in one of her tweets. So I look at his page and he claimed that he would answer questions from anyone who was willing to ask, and I am so glad that I was bold enough to dare! I asked him what one role would he love to play, and he responded, "hey! hard question... one role? James Stark - Rebel without a Cause"

I AM SOOOO EFFING HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!!!!

P.S. The picture I posted is Zac's profile pic on Twitter. Kinda scandalous right? cuz it kinda looks like he's grabbing her butt. But hey, let's be honest, if he grabbed my butt I would NOT complain.

My Prediction of the Go-To Outfit for Most LMU Girls This Semester

So if you went to LMU last year, I don't know if you noticed, but about 80% of the girls dressed about exactly the same. I mean, on one hand that's good because it means that they were all very aware of all trends appropriate for class. Then on the other hand, it's slightly underwhelming fashion is supposed to be exciting and expressive, but hey, at least it's easier to set yourself apart. 

If you can't recall, let me remind you. If you were walking through Alumni Mall at any given time last year, let's say February, you were guaranteed to see the following items: a blousy little top (possibly cotton jersey) with some ruffles or a floral pattern or a bubble hem, a square-shapes scarf arranged in a triangle shape with the ends hanging over the shoulders, slouchy boots that hit mid-calf, braids, a loose cardigan sweater, gladiator sandals, leggings, and lots of plaid. This sound about right?

So this summer I've been reading a lot of magazines and fashion blogs and things of that sort so I think I have a pretty good grasp on which trends that every LMU girl will want to wear. Take your pick:

• slouchy boyfriend tees
• leggings with zippers or buttons at the ankle
• slouchy grandpa cardigans
• ankle boots
• purses with studs
• distressed denim
• leather and/or denim vests
• chain necklaces
• belted dresses and tops
• neon
• high-waisted mini-skirts
• boyfriend blazers
• maybe a couple over-the-knee boots for the bold

Let's see how accurate I am.

Heidi's Performance at Miss Universe 2009 - I'm sure she has other gifts...

Ok. I'm usually not one to bash celebrities (although Spencer Pratt is one of my only exceptions), but because I do actually kind of like Heidi I'm saying this with sincere concern. I watched her performance of her new single "Body Language" at Miss Universe 2009, and I just honestly hope that this girl has a backup career in mind. 

I mean, I don't blame her for wanting to be a pop star. Truth be told, it's one of my many dreams as well. However, if she's going to win over all the people who despise her for what they've seen of her and her husband on The Hills then she's going to have to be a little more impressive than this. First of all, she totally jocked Britney's look at the MTV VMAs a few years ago when she wore the nude getup to perform "I'm a Slave." Second of all, girl cannot dance. And I realize that she probably practiced this a hundred times and nerves may have gotten the best of her, but at least a good 1/2 of the performance she was noticeably off-count and definitely not because she was trying to do a canon or ripple, in which case she would have also been off-count. The choreography wasn't all that great either, but that wasn't her fault. 

I just know that Heidi seems to have a great family that is willing to keep her grounded. She seems like a nice enough person and I'm sure she has other talents to offer the world, but maybe she should just stay in the office or something. All I'm saying is that sometimes we have to realize that we can't be something that we're not. I know that I wouldn't be able to record a pop album without them significantly altering my voice. So I'm just not going to try to be a singer, and I know that God has another plan for me and for Heidi. 

Click here to see the video.

Heartfelt Tribute to the Late John Hughes by Molly Ringwald

Molly Ringwald wrote "The Neverland Club" in the Opinion section of the New York Times in remembrance of the director, John Hughes, that shaped her career and her life. Please read this.

These are pictures of some of my favorite John Hughes movies.

WAIT! 4 more shows I will be watching this Fall...I know, it's getting crazy...

Ok so I just keep seeing more and more trailers for fall TV premieres, and I have to tell you guys so I won't be the only one plastered in front of my TV all first semester.

THE RACHEL ZOE PROJECT - Monday, Aug. 24 @ 10 pm on Bravo

-I was low-key obsessed with this show last year because I love Rachel Zoe and her assistant Brad, and I love watching her dress people up and shop for ridiculous vintage clothes. Oh, and her and her husband Rodger are seriously one of my favorite couples on TV. My other favorite couple is...

GIULIANA & BILL - Wednesdays @ 9 pm on The Style Channel (premiered last week)

-I love this show. I already loved Giuliana from her sweetness on E! News, and now I get to watch her and her super-cute and sweet and charming husband act all couply?? SCOREEE. Seriously, they are adorable. Bill lives and works in Chicago, and he just built (yes built!) a house for them there, but technically Giuliana lives in LA still to work on E!; so basically they just switch back and forth. It's crazy, but it's kind of like my life so I appreciate it.

KOURTNEY & KHLOE TAKE MIAMI - Sunday, August 16 @ 10 pm on E!

-Well I love Keeping Up With the Kardashians so I'm bound to like this show because Khloe is just so effing hilarious, and I don't know I think it'll be interesting.

PROJECT RUNWAY - Thursday, August 20 @ 10 pm on Lifetime

-FINALLY this show is back. It's on Lifetime now, which kind of sucks, but I'm still going to watch it because Heidi Klum is my hero. I love this show.  

My Favorite Mascaras

Today is finally the day, the day when my mascara is just about dried up and I absolutely cannot get anything else out of it. Today is the day to buy a new tube of mascara. For me there's always this debate any time I run out of a product: should I get what I know works or should I just try them all and figure out the one I like best? Usually with mascara I like to try everything, but it's getting to the point when I know how crucial mascara is and I'm not sure I want to risk one that's sub-par. 

I like my mascara a certain way you see. I want it to elongate my lashes without making me look like I have a spider on my eyelid. I want it to give it that va-va-voom look without being so crazy it looks like I have fakes on because it has to be wearable enough for every day. It cannot smear because I'm often in a hurry when I'm applying make-up (sometimes even while I'm driving) so I don't have time to meticulously apply it or wipe it off my eyelid, and then, you know, there's the occasional sneeze so that can't be a total disaster. And lastly, I only ever wear waterproof because I just like to always be prepared; you never know when it's gonna rain or you're gonna wanna jump in a pool, and of course there's the crying that can happen anytime anywhere for any given reason, like a some sudden bad news or a sad movie or something outrageously funny or a commercial...anything.

So after trying many many things, I have come to the conclusion that Maybelline Define-a-Lash and CoverGirl Exact Eyelights mascaras in waterproof are my favorites. Not clumpy. Very elongating, but in a tasteful way. The Exact Eyelights actually does kind of brighten your eye a little bit without being too sparkly, which I love. Define-a-Lash lasts forever and gives me a perfect lash. (And for the record I think CoverGirl Lash Blast is overrated. Too smudgy. Doesn't last very long.) Plus I'm also a sucker for celebrity endorsements so Jessica Alba definitely sold me for Define-A-Lash and Rihanna did the trick for Exact Eyelights. (I do like Drew Barrymore, but we just do not see eye to eye on our taste in mascara and I'm perfectly ok with that.)

So what's your favorite?

Battles of the Sexiness: Short Hair vs. Long Hair

Ok this question has been vexing me for a long time. I have had relatively long hair for the majority of my life until last summer when I cut it seriously short for the first time. Everyone has been telling me to keep it short...every girl at least. I do like it short, especially this summer when I cut it into an angled bob with bangs and I was thrilled that I could actually pull it off. Now, I don't know if it's because I'm in that awkward in-between stage where my hair is slowly growing out and doesn't seem to look good no matter how I do it or if it's because this dilemma still plagues me in my sleep. 

I remember a guy friend once telling me that guys like longer hair on girls. Either this one statement has ruined my ability to comfortably take risks with my hair or it's actually true. I've always thought of short hair as cute and long hair as sexy. It seems like all my friends that are girls and my mom seem to like my hair better shorter. It feels stylish and confident and adorable, but what is it about long hair that makes me feel sexier and more beautiful? Is it like a cultural bias thing, is it something I fabricated in my head, or is there truth to it? Maybe I associate short hair as tomboyish like the best friend in Some Kind of Wonderful or as mom-hair. I mean there's a reason why all the VS Angels have long hair (except Selita Ebanks, but she's pretty scarce in the catalog).

Tell me if I'm crazy. GUYS what do you think??

P.S. There are other reasons why I like my hair short, like I can braid it and have a little more variety. Plus if you layer your hair the right way it will flatter you regardless of the length so that's not really the issue either.

TV Premieres I'm Looking Forward to This Fall

So eonline.com just released a list of fall TV premieres, and, if you know me very well, you may not that I will be counting down the days till each one because I am a TV-aholic. Let me share the ones about which I'm most anxious.

MELROSE PLACE - Tuesday, Sept. 8 @ 9 pm on The CW (SERIES PREMIERE)

-Well I was looking forward to watching the remake of this former hit show, but it looks like I won't be able to rekindle my long distance television relationship with Ashlee Simpson that has been on the rocks since The Ashlee Simpson Show ended a couple years ago because I have class at that time. =[ But the rest of you can watch! 

-Also premiering that night: 90210 @ 8 pm on The CW and Sons of Anarchy @ 10 pm on FX, which I hear is pretty interesting. +]

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE - Wednesday, Sept. 9 (same night) @ 8 pm on Fox

-I absolutely love this show. I've been watching it all summer, and this year they're being extra nice to us by starting the new season as soon as this fall instead of making us wait until next summer! Hopefully some more LMU kids will make it on again this season! Yay for Phillip, Arielle and Charles!

GLEE - Wednesday, Sept. 9 @ 9 pm on Fox (SERIES PREMIERE)

-This is the kind of show that seems right up my alley. The hype has been big about this show set in high school that, for once, is not centered solely around the popular kids and features the talent of young kids in Glee Club on a weekly basis.

ONE TREE HILL - Monday, Sept. 14 @ 8 pm on The CW

-Thanks to Soap Net, I've been catching up on all the One Tree Hill I've been missing over the past couple of years so I'm hooked again. Although I have heard rumors about Chad Michael Murray and Hilary Burton not returning this season, which would be dumb, but we'll just have to see.

GOSSIP GIRL - Monday, Sept. 14 @ 9 pm on The CW

-There's a reason we call this day Monday Funday...because we get to watch two amazing shows back to back! Soo excited about Gossip Girl this season because everybody is going to NYU somehow, and there are bound to be new characters to spice things up this season (including Hilary Duff). Definitely the show that I was most addicted to last year. Hopefully there will be new chemistry that's just as hot as Blair and Chuck's early second season sexual tension! A girl can only hope...

THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE - Wednesday, Sept. 16 @ 9 pm on The CW

-The day we've all been waiting for, Mischa Barton's return to TV! ... NOT! Anyway, this show about the lives of models could be promising. We'll just have to see. And for those of you who've been hearing about Mischa's latest tango with the mental ward, she will be remaining on the show, despite the fact that they had been auditioning other actresses to replace her if it came to that. A source tells me that she had been suicidal, but I'm sure she's all better now! (BTW if you're sensing a little bitterness here check a couple posts back to see why... *cough* selfishly ruined The OC to pursue her pathetic film career *cough*... I'm just saying she better be good in this show if she ever wants to be forgiven.)

IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA - Thursday, Sept. 17 @ 10 pm on FX

-I've never watched it before, but everyone says it's really good, and they've been filming in Pasadena so I'm curious.

Three Under-the-Radar Guys Finally Gettin' a Little Play

So you know when you watch a movie and you kinda fall in love with one of the insanely hot characters and then you never see the actor in another movie again? Or when you see a really cute guy on TV and you have no idea who he is, but you wish there was a way to see him more. Anyway, I've had a few of these over the years...the guy from Airborne or My Girl 2 anyone?? And now all of the sudden I'm hearing about some of these guys again! Yay!

GUY #1: Michael Angarano

-You've Seen Him In...

-Sky High (2005)

-Little Secrets (2001)

-Lords of Dogtown (2005)

-"Will & Grace"

-"E.R."

and coming up in...

-Noah's Ark: The New Beginning (post-production)

-Gentlemen Broncos (post-production)

-Ceremony (pre-production)

and noowwwww he's dating Kristen Stewart. ooooooo aahhhhh. 

GUY #2: Justin Bartha

-You've Seen Him In...

-National Treasure (2004)

-Failure to Launch (2006)

-National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

-The Hangover (2009)

and coming up in...

-New York, I Love You (completed)

-Holy Rollers (post-production)

-Long Time Gone (pre-production)

and now he's dating Ashley Olsen. Iiiii know. Ooooh ahhhhh.

Guy #3: Kyle Howard

-You've Seen Him In...

-"The Amanda Show" 

-"Friends" (1 episode- "The One with Joey's Award")

-Orange County (2002)

-"Providence" (3 episodes)

-"What I Like About You" (2 episodes)

-"The Drew Carey Show" (14 episodes)

-"Related" (14 episodes)

-"My Boys"

and guess what he's doing now....dating Lauren Conrad!! awwww yayy!!

I'm so glad that these charming and boyishly cute guys have found another way into our lives...by dating women that are already household names.

Is Bar Refaeli the new Gisele Bundchen?? I think not!

So I was just reading this article from one of the blogs, "Slaves to Fashion,"on the Glamour Magazine website (which I do just about every day), and the author made a prediction that Bar Refaeli was turning into the next Gisele Bundchen. I think this is ridiculous, but here were her points: Bar, until very recently, dated Leonardo DiCaprio who is also Gisele's ex. Once Bar was signed onto Victoria's Secret as an angel in 2007, Gisele supposedly quit because she didn't want to "share the same air as Leo's new girlfriend." Then after Gisele was dropped from her Rampage endorsement, the model they chose to replace her was Bar.

Here's what I think. First of all, I heard that Gisele quit Victoria's Secret because they couldn't pay her enough, and, as many of you may know, Gisele Bundchen is the highest paid model on the planet right now and the sixteenth richest woman in the entertainment world. And if you thought she was still wallowing in her VS Pink sweats over Leo, guess again because she's found companionship with the gorgeous and talented Super Bowl champ, New England Patriot Tom Brady. Gisele is also prettier and has a better body than Bar Refaeli. I mean, not to say that Bar isn't gorgeous, but Gisele is the one I'd rather be.

Now let's compare total campaign endorsements:

Gisele

-Christian Dior

-Balenciaga

-Mervyn's

-Dolce & Gabbana

-Missoni

-Versace

-Givenchy

-Bvlgari

-Lanvin

-Guerlain

-Valentino

-Ralph Lauren

-Earl Jean

-Zara

-Chloe

-Michael Kors

-Louis Vitton

-Victoria's Secret

-Nivea

-Apple

-and several Brazilian brands 

-and she has her own line of sandals called Ipanema Gisele Bundchen

Bar Refaeli

-All I could find was Rampage. Her wikipedia page isn't nearly as extensive.

To check out the article, click here.

Conspiracy Theory: Why can grown ups eat ice cream with their front teeth?

So I was at Sami's the other day, and we were discussing how our teeth were too sensitive to eat cold things with our front teeth. Then I brought up how when I was little, I remember grown ups being able to do it, and everybody always said you just grow out of it. So you would think that my teeth would be mature enough to eat ice cream by the time I was 19. 

Then Sami's sister, Suzy, brought up the possibility that all grown ups really wear dentures, and that's the only reason why they can eat ice cream with their front teeth. Have we been raised in the midst of this conspiracy???? What do you think? Any dentists have an answer??

How do you NOT lead somebody on?

Sooo I think I need a little advice...from girls or guys. You'd think I'd know this by now, but I'm finding that I may not have mastered this as well as I'd thought. Anyway, how do you not lead guys on and send them the wrong signals when you already have a boyfriend? Seriously, I need to figure this out. Please help!

Coping Mechanisms

So tell me if this happens to you.

Today I was feeling pretty frustrated. I'm the kind of person who needs to stay busy, and, for whatever reason, this week has been unusually uneventful. Today was about the 4th day in a row that I've been home all day basically, with the exception of work, the gym, taking my brother places, and one very brief night with some friends at Zephyr's. Anyway...so I'm sitting on my couch, watching The OC of course, trying to find someone who's not busy...but nobody. By this time I'm getting a little stir crazy, so I resort to my go-to coping mechanism...go see a movie that I've been wanting to see but that nobody wants to see with me, alone. Today it was Away We Go at the Laemmle in Pasadena. Then I got stressed out because I didn't want to pay for parking, and I convinced myself that my car would get towed if I parked in the Vroman's parking lot. Then I stopped by the $2 theater to see if anything I wanted to see was playing...no luck. Then, as I drove around for about five minutes feeling a little discouraged at the thought of having to go back home, I thought, "What the hell!" So I went to the Paseo and I Love You, Beth Cooper just happened to be playing right when I got there.

Anyway, here's my thing. Seeing a movie alone for me is the one thing that always puts me at ease. It's where I go when everybody's driving me crazy or I just need to be alone and get away or when I have a problem that I can't figure out how to solve or I'm depressed or lonely or if I just feel like having an independent day to convince myself that I don't need anybody else. If you don't have a coping mechanism like this, get one. There have been many days when my sanity was teetering off the edge until I bought that over-priced movie ticket.

I'd imagine that it's something different for everyone. What's yours?

Do I Kiss Weird or Something?

Ok so I just saw this picture of Blake Lively and Penn Badgley kissing on JustJared.buzznet.com, and two things bothered me immediately. 1) The fact that there were referred to as ON-and-off-screen couple because I think Dan and Serena are like the most annoying couple on Gossip Girl, and I'm crossing my fingers that Serena finally gets with somebody new like Dan's long lost brother (oooooooo). 2) The picture shows that, while Penn and Blake are kissing, BLAKE'S ENTIRE MOUTH IS INSIDE OF PENN'S! IS IT JUST ME OR IS THAT WEIRD AND NOT KISSING??

Like I don't know if there are rules to kissing or anything. I remember this girl once told me that the girl's top lip is supposed to be over the guy's top lip and then her bottom and then his bottom, but....I don't know...is it just me or is it not supposed to be that technical? I mean I hope I'm not getting too graphic here, but I'm pretty sure when I kiss I switch it up a little and I couldn't even tell you which lip was on top of who's. I think I'm a pretty alright kisser too as far as I know so is there something critical that I've been missing all this time?

I just think it's weird that her whole mouth is inside of his. That is not a kiss in my opinion. That is Penn attempting to swallow her kiss. It's weird. I mean, I think it is. Do you guys kiss like that? I'm just curious. No judgment.

Any clever tongue tricks you guys want to share? Kissing is kinda fun to talk about.

Marriage Losing Its Value? by Tracey Lincoln

Tracey and I were supposed to collaborate on this topic, but I think she covered it beautifully without my help. Here's what she said:

"Marriage is a commitment and a bond that has been upheld for thousands of years. Over the years, it’s value has altered and transformed from sacred, to tradition, and now it seems to be some sort of an obligation.

With divorce skyrocketing, it makes me wonder why people get married in the first place. When problems in a marriage arise, how hard do those involved fight to solve such issues? The vows read, “to love and to cherish, through thickness and thin”. Since when did forever last a year? Since when did thickness flow as thin and shallow as most petty arguments? Since when did cherishing your significant other mean to treat them with hostility?

Marriage is a contract of infinite love and commitment. If two people are not ready, willing nor fit to sign a contract like this, then they shouldn’t get married at all. This vision has become such a fad that it now seems so easily dismissible. It’s like breaking this contract has become a norm, and laving three or four husbands in a lifetime is mundane.

For someone to get married and have doubts from the beginning that that they’re stepping into a situation that “might not work out” is strange. Why would you step into a life long commitment with doubt that it may not work out? If people cannot value the sanctity of marriage for what it really is, then they shouldn’t get married at all."

What do you think?

Zac and Vanessa Caught @ Panera

This picture was taken of the couple that I hate to love this past Sunday in Studio City in the parking lot of Panera Bread. By the way, when I say "hate to love" it's not because they're my guilty pleasure...there's no guilt about it. I'm quite shameless in fact. It's because I hate that Vanessa can have such amazing style and be with the man of my dreams. Like ok. Look at this picture: She looks perfectly styled. I love her glasses and bag. THEN she has to go and reach for Zac's immaculate backside JUST because she can (I mean she was probably pushing him to hurry up because they were being harassed by photogs but still). And I'm also really liking Zac's new haircut. Why wasn't I in Studio City on Sunday??

Raining Cats and Striking Young Women

I haven't really been a huge Harry Potter fan or anything, but I saw one of the movies the other day on HBO because my brother was watching it, and I'm like "HELLO this girl is crazy beautiful. Not to mention Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint are pretty smokin' hot themselves." Hence probably the real reason for the success of the Harry Potter phenomenon. Anyway so I got a tweet from JustJared this morning that said, "Emma Watson is soaking wet." I opened it and here's this absolutely beautiful picture of this girl, probably feeling like absolute hell because she's in a big beautiful dress and it's getting rained on and everyone was there to photograph it. But look at this picture. 

Emotional Programming

So a couple weeks ago, my dad called me up telling me that I should read this book called Are You the One for Me? by Barbara De Angelis because he claimed that if he had read it when he was 19 it would have saved him a lot of wasted time. So I went to Borders and picked it up slightly hesitant because, first of all, it has a really cheesy cover, and second of all, because I have a boyfriend and I didn't know if I was prepared to find out from this book that he wasn't the one for me. Whatever. I got it anyway because I thought it would be fun. It has a lot of exercises and stuff in it that allow you to understand why you've made certain choices in the past in terms of your love life, and ultimately it's supposed to help you figure out the kind of person with whom you'd be compatible.

So right now I'm on the chapter about Emotional Programming. This chapter has exercises that ask you to recall events from your childhood and characteristics of your parents and their relationships that probably effected the way you understand and feel about love. It's pretty unreal when you start making the connections. Here are a couple of my examples that aren't too personal:

1. Multi-ethnic upbringing --> Open-minded toward people from all walks of life --> I have to be with somebody who is completely accepting and open-minded to those who are different or have different beliefs.

2. Parents' divorce --> Wary toward divorce --> I have to be with somebody who can be serious about a committed and long-term relationship. They have to be willing to try to work through problems because I believe that divorce often happens because the people aren't willing to work it out.

So yeah. Check out the book or just think about how your childhood has shaped the decisions you make today and why many of your relationships did or did not work out.

Problem: How can I be a good friend to so many good friends?

So maybe some of you can relate and hopefully give me a little advice. Summer has brought along a little problem that I wasn't really expecting. Somehow I've managed to have too many friends. I know it doesn't really sound like an actual problem, and believe me, that within itself is not a problem. The problem is that I have so many of them that I really appreciate and cherish, and I'm finding it rather difficult to make enough time for all of them, not to mention my family. I have my best friends from high school, all my friends from school, other good friends from junior high that I still like seeing, my boyfriend, and my family. 

So seriously does anybody have a solution for how to make time for everybody? I am at a loss.

What Confident Girls Need to Hear When Feeling Insecure (FOR THE GUYS)

Before I make my point, let me first make this distinction: confident girls require different levels and sorts of compliments than do girls who generally have lower self-esteems. Let me explain.

Many, if not all, of us go through periods of insecurity. Sometimes it's just an awkward day or a bad hair day when things just seem to be slightly off and you'd rather just skip it and move on with your life. Other times it's a period where maybe you hate your haircut or you're feeling out of shape or your social or work life just is not going right. And then there are other times when your negative mindset keeps you in a constant funk, feeling consistently imperfect and unsatisfied with yourself and your life. All of these can and do happen to anyone, but anyone checking the box of the latter qualifications is going to be classified as "insecure" for the sake of this message.

When a girl shares her insecurities with a boy, it is typically in one of these two cases: 1) She's feeling "insecure" and either consciously or subconsciously hopes that telling you everything wrong with her with provoke you to reciprocate with everything that's right with her and how wrong she is. This girl needs to hear this from you to feel good about herself. 2) Although this girl is generally "confident," there are times when she feels less than so and for whatever reason she feels close enough to you to be that open with you. Generally speaking, "confident" girls do not share their insecurities with anyone because they realize it's a temporary feeling and because THEY DO NOT NEED YOUR ATTENTION TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES.

GUYS LISTEN UP. Girls in Case #2/Confident girls feel good about themselves without your help. They know how to pump themselves up whether it be with a daily pep talk or 30 minutes on the elliptical or yoga or shopping or working hard in school or at work or just taking care of themselves. Anyway so if you actually hear one of these girls sharing with you anything that's wrong with you that's not purely self-deprecating humor then consider yourself special. Seriously. They do not do it often. So if they do, here is what you say: "Even at your worst you are still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen/in this building," or "Even at your worst I wouldn't trade you for any other woman in the world," or "Even at your worst I can't believe you actually thought I was good enough for you." Something like that, and I will tell you why. If you say something like, "Nooo. You're ridiculous. You know you're beautiful or smart or whatever," she'll just be thinking, "Well yeah I know, but that doesn't help." You know why? Because she's probably heard that a hundred times. Be original for heaven's sake. If you think a girl is amazing, you probably weren't the first one. If you say something like what I told you to say then she will believe you because it will mean something to her to know that you genuinely appreciate her and that, to you, she can do not wrong. That is insanely comforting. Try it.

Ladies agree?

You Have Every Right to Fight for Love

So I asked some of you awhile ago to respond to me if you had a long distance relationship that survived your first year of college or if you started a relationship at school and are trying to make it work through the summer. When I initially asked the question I was really trying to bring to the light how people can make relationships last even when it seems like everything is up against them, but the responses that I received made me realize the heart of it... something that is also on my heart right now.

Everyone says it's stupid to start college with a boyfriend or girlfriend because it will limit the people you meet and the fun you have. They say it like the key to having a successful college experience is to be single, but college means different things to different people, and just like everything else in life there is no one right way to have a good experience. Maybe it's not ideal to spend your freshman year in a long distance relationship, seeing your significant other once every couple months (maybe more maybe less), and watching everybody else hook up freely. However, maybe it's just me, but if I find real love then I'm not the one missing out. Why would I give up something profound and beautiful and life-changing just so I can have a generic college experience. I'm not saying that everyone else is wrong who breaks up with their high school boyfriends or girlfriends, but I'm a strongly believe that love is one of the most important things in life. There's no way I would let that go.

I got two responses to my question. Both were girls who struggled to maintain a relationship over an extremely long distance and still believe that it's worth trying to salvage.

Girl #1 said: "It was worth it. It probobly even kept me out of trouble.... it worked for me bc i did enjoy college and what it had to offer, i still was social, if anything our commitment grounded me for the better....We both as though, the other is special in someway, which is why we're not waivered by the distance bc no one here is him and no one there is me."*

Girl #2 said: "Against all odds and negative assumptions, my significant other and I have managed to remain together under circumstances far more strenuous than the distance of a few states....While there, he'll change a great deal, and so will I. Growing together, and being aware of each other's changes is what's going to sustain and strengthen our relationship. 

...he brightens my day just when I thought the clouds were there to stay

...he's always pushing me to do better than what I thought was my best

...he remembers the little things, because he knows that they matter too

...he takes care of me when I don't know to take care of myself

...he still calls me before he goes to sleep to tell me that he loves me

...he's intelligent, and is always teaching me something new

...he teaches me about relationships, it's no the other way around :]

...he's comfortable being himself, but always pushes for improvement

...he's him...******************

If I would've listened to every voice that I heard during my senior year and broke up with him, I would have been making one of the biggest mistakes of my college life. Even if he and I don't stay together forever, *knock on wood* there were, and will be, so many lessons learned from our relationship. I'm glad that I listened to me, and I'm glad that I have him."*

Both of these girls have come to understand that love is worth it even if their friends think they're crazy, even if they have to argue and scream and cry and struggle to make it work, even if they know they could be getting with other people, and even if they feel like they're missing out on their "college experience."

Whether you're a guy or a girl...whether you're in high school, graduating from high school, past freshman year, high school or college dropout...whatever...never let people tell you that you are wrong to fight for love. If you find somebody amazing then, if anything, you should be holding on tight not trading them in for a couple one night stands. Unless the person you're fighting for abuses you in any way, cheats on you or just blatantly disrespects you, it is worth struggling through all of the confusion, adjustment and compromise that you inevitably will have to get through. 

Even if it has nothing to do with college. Maybe people want your relationship to fail because they don't see what you see in your boyfriend or girlfriend or because you're from different backgrounds or they have a bad reputation or for some reason they can't get over the fact that you're not with somebody else, in the end it's you that's going to have to live with your decision. If the person you're with makes you happy and that's the only thing you really know is true in the world, then don't let anyone convince you otherwise. One day they'll realize what you would have really been missing out on. Follow your heart.

Love conquers all.

*If you want the whole story of either girl I can give you the unabridged versions. Let me know.

Scrunchies are back?!!! (Cue the shrieking Psycho shower scene music)

So somebody please explain this to me: why can't this decade at least attempt to be original???

Like ok, I get that '80s is in right now...neon, asymmetrical necklines, skinny jeans, acid wash even, but the thing is the '90s are also in too...I certainly hope you didn't think all that plaid we've been wearing was fresh or anything (can you say grunge). Recently we've also been feeling a little '60s with hints of color block, mod shapes and those John Lennon shades Mary-Kate's been sporting. And '70s...have you seen Nicole Richie lately, boho dresses, flowery blouses, that hippie head band thing (that's officially last year). Even '50s shapes are coming back, which are apparent by full-skirts and high waisted numbers very popular now, and even those old school swimsuits are having a moment (check out the Victoria Secret catalog). My point is that very few recent trends have appeared to be original since 1999, and I mean please, of all the trends you want to renew do we really have to do scrunchies again??? I mean they weren't even very flattering! It makes your hair look thinner and your head a weird shape. The thing that makes me even more mad is that American Apparel actually makes them look really cute so I kind of want one. BUT NO! I'm pretty sure I absolutely must refuse. Join with me in my scrunchie strike!

Male Equivalent of Roses

So we all know that the go-to things that guys get to apologize, woo, or impress girls are flowers, but what are girls supposed to get guys in return? I mean maybe we're not really trying to do much wooing ourselves, but there's got to be something for when we want to do something special for a guy. Maybe a photo album or something, but how many times can you give that to one person? Anybody have any ideas?

The Beatles: Rock Band

Um somebody had the greatest idea ever: make The Beatles version of Rock Band. Like duhhh of course that's an amazing idea. You get to play all their amazing songs with their signature instruments in several historic venues where they've played. It's genius. Release date: 09/09/09. Somebody get me one. For more information.

Do you sweat the small stuff? To Fight or Not to Fight

Soo here's an issue that's been plaguing me: When is it right for someone in a relationship to voice their vexations and when should they just get over it to avoid confrontation? 

A friend of mine told me that she never fights with her man. If she has a problem he always avoids a conflict by immediately acquiescing to her wishes, which sounds like heaven to me, but leaves for feeling short-winded. Ideally men and women could just read each other's minds, but well....we all know it's better to just forget that. Maybe the frustrating thing about women is that many of us are easily irked or offended by every little thing guys do wrong. Guys and girls both overthink things sometimes, or a lot of the time, so when something is bothering us it can seem entirely too painful to never let the offender know that he or she did something that hurt you. But maybe sometimes it's really not that big of a deal and arguing over something small can just bring unnecessary tension and resentment. So how do you know what stuff is worth bringing to the table and what stuff you're better off just sucking up? Is there a 24 hour rule? Should you both just bring all your issues to the forefront so you can avoid hurting each other in the future? I'm naturally argumentative so I'm used to just throwing a fit about everything (sorry guys), but does anyone have another proven solution? Help us all out here.

Zac Pic of the Day

Apparently he was out and about and UCLA catching one of his old buddies from high school in a school musical. Soooooo jealous. But isn't he lovely?

The Power of a Good Book/Movie/TV Show/Article

I was just watching this movie called The Jane Austen Book Club, and it reminded me why I love movies so much. In essence, the movie is about these people who were inspired by Jane Austen's novels. After reading her books it shows them the power of giving people a second chance, of embracing love, and of letting your guard down. 

It's not so much the movie itself that I love but just the concept. The reason I wanted to be in film or television is because of how often I'm inspired by a movie or show. I couldn't tell you how many times I've watched a movie that motivated me to take action in my life. Whether I wanted to go write someone a letter, carry out some grand gesture to get someone to forgive me, or to buy a dog! Sometimes good advice isn't enough to get you to do something; you need to see the potential impact it could have in someone else's life. Sometimes I'll watch something and just really wish I was watching it with a boy so I could re-enact the kiss in the rain scene (which I could do now if I drive fast enough), but other times you just feel better about your capability as a person, you know what I mean? You're like wow if she could handle that then I can certainly handle this. Or whatever. I love it. What else can do that? I mean I guess you could watch the people around you, but fiction is a lot more interesting and pretty words and pictures help too.

People That Should Have Gone to College: Fashion Police

So I have a beef. And it is with Fashion Police, namely the ones on E! and from Us Weekly Magazine. Now the general concept of fashion know-it-alls who lash out on those of us mere humans who make a mistake that's straight offensive is kind of funny. But have any of you noticed how sometimes it just seems like they pick random people not to like just because they have a quota of fashion citations to give out (much like the real cops appear to have this summer)? Like sometimes they pick outfits to loathe that are just not that bad. Then they'll make up some stupid reason to not like it, like "oh it looks like a bunch of pieces of toilet paper," but if the designer makes it look pretty and the person wearing it rocks it then what does it matter? Fashion is about experimentation, and if people are punished for pushing the limits a little then what room is there for art or creativity? I think the world would be better off without fashion police making us second guess the way we choose to express ourselves.