The *BEST* Summer Movies to Enjoy NOW!

Truth time: I'm obsessed with movies. Seriously, I personally own 500+ movies and TV seasons. It's a sickness. Much like music, books, and makeup, when I love something, I collect it. I never just like something; I either love it or hate it and I don't feel anything in between. And I LOVE movies. Every genre. Cheesy chic flicks, classic, indies, western, rom-coms, action, horror, you name it, I love it! But there are certain movies and styles that are *PERFECT* for summer. In fact, if you haven't watched these yet, do so. Like now. Heck, call in sick (there's always an elusive "bug" going around!) and spend a day just enjoying the best of cinematic history! It's a great way to beat the triple digit temperatures and avoid a sunburn! :)

1. Dirty Dancing

Who doesn't love this movie, I mean honestly?! First of all, it takes place in the summer at a country club resort-type thing with hot dance instructors, I mean, come on! Second, it's like a right of passage. Baby goes from good girl to dirty dancer faster that you can say "I carried a watermelon!" And third of all, did I mention Patrick Swayze is the hot dance instructor?? The movie practically screams SUMMER! 

2. Parent Trap (Lindsay Lohan version)

I love this movie. Like any girl born between 1986-1990, I loved it when it came out and I haven't stopped loving it since. My favorite part of the movie is whole time they're at camp and they pull pranks on each other and then they're sent into isolation and there's this huge storm and Leo's picture gets blown off the wall and they eat Oreos dipped in peanut better and then they discover that they're twins! I mean, TWINS PEOPLE! I was (am?) so jealous because this was the dream. Go off to summer camp for a week and find out you had an identical twin sister that you could pull "switches" on everyone with! I mean, Hallie gets to go to England you guys! ENGLAND. Summer camp was NEVER as cool as that for me! Not to mention I always wanted a secret handshake like Annie's! 

3. The Goonies

A bunch of kids on an adventure filled with treasure, scary monsters and a pirate ship! Who could ask for anything more?! This is a classic for a reason! I love the friendship between the boys. Followed closely for this same slot would be "Stand by Me" and "Sandlot". 

4. Pirates of the Caribbean 

I LOVE this movie. The first one is obviously the best and I can never get sick of it, and I've seen it a thousand times, easy. When it first came out on DVD (in 2003!!!), I watched it every day for a week. And not just because Johnny Depp is and always has been my favorite actor (I watched Edward Scissorhands when I was a little girl and that sealed the deal for me), and not because it was always my favorite ride at Disneyland, but because it's funny, full of adventure, tropical locations and well, pirates. 

5. Independence Day (Or any Will Smith movie will do!)

Will Smith OWNS summer you guys. I mean really, it isn't summer unless you watch Mr. Smith save the world from one thing or another. And it doesn't have to be Independence Day (actually, I take that back, you SHOULD watch it on the 4th, or you're NOT an American.) But really, pick any Will Smith movie you want. It'll work. Trust me.

6. Jaws 

Nothing spells out S-U-M-M-E-R like a good old fashioned shark movie. Whether it's JAWS, Deep Blue Sea (Thomas Jane ya'll!) or any movie involving a scary beast in water, it will make you think twice the next time you're swimming in the middle of the ocean (or a lake) and someone starts driving the boat away from you and yelling  "just think of everything that could be swimming underneath your feet right now!" Not that a hold a grudge or anything. And not that it still traumatizes me or created a deadly fear of large bodies of water.

7. Grease 

I've got chills! They're multiplying! If you're in need of a summer musical, look no further. The best songs in any musical, the dancing, the John Travolta dressed as a greaser...I mean, everything about this movie/musical is perfection. And the best ending/song. EVER.

8. The Notebook (Or insert ANY Nicholas Sparks film here)

Nicholas Sparks' films/books are the same exact formula. Every time. And that's not a complaint. The man knows how to sucker us in more than Zac Efron's abs. Just saying. The formula is perfect: Hot boy (Ryan Gosling, Zac Efron, Josh Duhamel, Channing Tatum or the OG Shane West) + cute likeable girl (Rachel McAdams, Mandy Moore, Amanda Seyfried) + summer love+ carnivals+small southern town+something depressing= insta hit. 

9. Indiana Jones

Everyone's got a favorite Indy, so I'm not going to even go there. Indy is great for summer because: 
A) Harrison Ford (I should be able to stop there and it would be all the reasoning you need) 
B) Exotic locations that you can't afford to actually travel to on summer vacation but you wish you could 
C) It's super fun and packed full of action, adventure, and comedy 
D) Well...Indiana Jones is both an action hero AND a hot professor...

He's the best of both worlds. 

10. Secret Window

I really LOVE this movie. Yes, Johnny is amazing, as always, but I also love Stephen King and this adaptation of the novella "Secret Window, Secret Garden" is great. If you haven't read it, you can find it in the compilation "Four Past Midnight". I suggest you bring it with you on your next camping/cabin trip. ;) In 2004 when we went camping we brought a portable DVD player and watched this movie in the middle of the woods with my Grandma (she loved scary movies!) and it was one of the best times of my life. Basically, in the summer aim for any movie that takes place in the woods. If you're really into scaring the crap out of yourself, watch them while you're there or right before you go. It'll terrify you that much more! 
Other horror films taking place in the woods: Blair Witch Project, Cabin Fever, Wrong Turn, Friday the 13th, Cabin in the woods...at your discretion, as always.  

Happy viewing!! 

Music Madness: What the 80's Taught me About Love

I'm an extreme music fan. I know that's probably obvious, and the people who know me are rolling their eyes about now, but it's the plain and simple truth. I love music; every kind and every decade has something in it that I LOVE. If you asked me for a "favorite", there's no way I'd be able to narrow it down, and even if I could, it would be different depending on the day of the week or the particular mood I'm in at that very moment. Music is just so amazing. I was listening to my 80's pop/rock playlist called "Take On Me" and was just lost, as I am on occasion, in the lyrics and sounds of that decade. 

SO MANY GOOD THINGS happened in music during that time and as I listened to bands and songs that I've heard a million times, it made me realize how much I learned from those songs. I started getting into "the 80's" when I was a sophomore in High School. Yes, I was born in the 80's and so it was "past my time", but I fell in love with it anyways, around the time that life really changes as a teenager. Thinking back to that and listening to these music legends made me realize how influential they were, and not just for other musicians, but for us as listeners. 

So I decided to compile a list of some of my favorite songs and everything they taught me and still teach me about love, loss and really really good melodies.  

1. Lovesong, The Cure (1989)

"Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am whole again…However far away, I will always love you. However long I stay, I will always love you. Whatever words I say, I will always love you. I will always love you."

My absolute favorite love song. Cure front man, lyric sorcerer, and brooder-extraordinaire Robert Smith wrote this song for his fiance before they got married, and I swear it will be at my wedding. But it doesn't even have to be about 'romantic love', this is just LOVE to me; it's not perfect and sometimes things or distance get in the way, but it doesn't matter because that person is home to you. They make you whole again like nothing else could. And nothing else matters. 

2. I'll Melt with you, Modern English (1982)

"I saw the world crashing all around your face...I'll stop the world and melt with you. You've seen the difference and it's getting better all the time. There's nothing you and I won't do. I'll stop the world and melt with you."

This was a very nontraditional sound of Modern English, who were in fact a Punk band from the UK, and in true 80's fashion, it's not as happy of a song as it sounds. Lead singer Robbie Grey said that it's actually more of an apocalyptic-style love song, with the lovers dying in their last embrace together. The song for me is very moving. In a not-so-literal way, love can be epic. In fact, it should be. The world should be able to explode around you when you're together and not notice. That may sound naive or unrealistic but I hope to have that some day.

3. Separate Ways, Journey (1983)

"Here we stand, worlds apart, hearts broken in two. Sleepless nights, losing ground I'm reaching for you. Feelin' that it's gone, can't change your mind. If we can't go on to survive the tide, love divides. Some day love will find you, break those chains that bind you... you know I still love you." 

This is my *favorite* Journey song. Losing someone you love is really, really tough. I think one of the hard things about relationships is that you don't have control over the whole situation. You can't make someone stay, no matter how much you love them. At some point, everyone goes through this and it's one of the more beautiful "break up" songs out there. It's not vindictive or laced with poisonous insults; it's broken and sad and desperate, but in a really good way. I hope you understand what I mean when I say that. I love the line towards the end when Steve Perry sings "If you must go, I wish you love." It's like a surrender, he's waiving the white flag, acknowledging that he can't stop her from leaving even though he wants to but he still wishes her the best anyway. That's love.

4. Alone, Heart (1987)

"You don't know how long I have waited to touch your lips and hold you tight. You don't know how long I have waited and I was going to tell you tonight. But the secret is still my own and my love for you is still unknown. Till now, I always got by on my own. I never really cared until I met you. But now it chills me to the bone. How do I get you alone?"

This is the greatest power ballad of all time, and inspires some serious drama-induced interpretative dance moments and fist pumping whilst singing along. (That's not just me, right?!) Its Shakespearean theme of unrequited love is heart breaking yet moving, because who at one point in their life hasn't been here? It sucks. Like no other. The Wilson sisters prove for one, that girls CAN rock and for two, that sometimes love is the worst. Along with anything worth while, you have to put yourself out there and that takes a lot of courage. Just make sure you don't lose out on your chance. Be brave!

5. Don't You (Forget About Me), Simple Minds (1985)

"Look my way, never love me. Rain keeps falling down. Will you recognize me? Call my name or walk on by? Rain keeps falling down. Don't you forget about me."

I love how cinematic these lyrics are. True, it was created for the Breakfast Club, the best movie of the 80's, and blares at probably the most famous freeze-frame moment in movie history with Judd Nelson's fist pump, but the song's got cred of it's own. Again, with the unrequited or perhaps unknown love like the ones before, this IS the 80's to me. I feel like this is the song that plays in the moment of your life when you're sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch with your friends and your secret crush walks by in slow motion (obviously) and makes eye contact with you and heart implodes in your chest cavity with the thought that he might talk to you. 

6. Love is a Battlefield, Pat Benatar (1983)

"You're begging me to go, then making me stay. Why do you hurt me so bad?...Believe me, I can't tell you why, but I'm trapped by your love and I'm chained to your side."

Love and feelings are complicated. I know that's probably the most painfully obvious statement ever made, but there's a certain point in your life that you learn this. I mean, really learn this. As we grow up, relationships get complicated and sometimes difficult and painful, so we have to know what we want. And we have to learn when to fight tooth and nail and when to walk away. Because LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD YOU GUYS. 

7. Enjoy the Silence, Depeche Mode (Okay, this released in 1990 but RECORDED in 1989...so I get a pass)

"Pleasures remain, so does their pain. Words are meaningless and forgettable."

This is one of my favorite DM songs, but this lyric has always stood out to me amongst their slew of amazing lyrics. Some things/people that can make us temporarily happy or feel really good also bring us pain and heartache. Sometimes, the pleasure isn't worth the pain that directly follows it. I'm sure their are people who've been in toxic relationships that understand this sentiment exactly. The next line, I love. Because in the beginning of the song he's talking about how words are "like violence" and pierce through him and then in the middle he sings that "words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm". And then this. To me, it's talking about broken promises; at first when someone you love goes back on their word or says hurtful things, it's really painful. But if it happens repeatedly from the same person, you become almost numb to it, their words cease to mean anything, even the good ones, because they've broken your trust. Like the old adage says; actions speak louder than words.   

8. Take On Me, A-ha (1984)

"So needless to say of odds and ends, but I'll be stumbling away, slowly learning that life is okay. Say after me, 'it's no better to be safe than sorry.'"

I love this song, and the music video is one of the greatest of all time. Life is about trial and error, it's about learning and figuring things out for yourself. And taking chances, being vulnerable and putting yourself out there. We heard growing up that it's 'better to be safe than sorry' and I love how they flip it around and instead show that playing it safe can be just as bad. The hard truth is that sometimes throughout our lives, we have to take risks and let down our walls. If we don't, what are we living for? Or are we even living?

9. The Tide is High, Blondie (1980)

"Every girl wants you to be her man, but I'll wait, my dear, 'til it's my turn. I'm not the kind of girl who gives up just like that. The tide is high but I'm holding on, I'm gonna be your number one."

Oh Blondie. How are you so awesome? While the song was not originally written by Blondie, it's made popular by them, so it counts. Debbie Harry is so cool. I was going to try and say something more poignant than that, but it just seemed to sum it up. Some people are worth waiting for. I feel like this is self explanatory, but it's something I learned as I got a little older. When you're younger, your quick to just move on to the next. But when you're older, you realize people come with baggage or sometimes the timing isn't right and you have to decide if they mean enough to you to wait for them. And sometimes they are. (Ross & Rachel anyone?! Okay, that was a 90's reference, but I had to!)

10. Keep on Loving You, REO Speedwagon (1980) 

"And I meant every word that I said, when I said that I love you I meant that I love you forever. And I'm gonna keep on loving you, cause it's the only thing I wanna do. I don't wanna sleep, I just wanna keep on loving you."

I had to end on a power ballad. And this one is phenomenal. Though the story behind the song is sad (singer Kevin Cronin's wife was cheating on him and this was his response), the sentiment is beautiful. It's a song about unconditional love and that's few and far between nowadays. Isn't that what real love is? Unrelenting and unyielding? Despite everything else, loving someone so wholly is the most amazing thing. And if you don't sing this song in your car at the top of your lungs with the windows down using your fist as a mic, there's something wrong with you. 

*Wanderlust*, An Addiction

London, England

Wanderlust, a strong desire for or impulse to wander or to travel and explore the world. Let me tell you, I could probably be President of the Wanderlust club, if there was one. (Can I make one?!) And it's not something I picked up in adulthood, I've felt this way since I can remember, since at least elementary school. I've always been that kid who had lists of places she wanted to travel, pins stuck into maps and grandiose aspirations of things she wanted to do. I've dreamed about certain places (ehm, France and England) since I was very young. I know I'm not the only dreamer, because John Lennon told me so, but I always felt like my desire was a little stronger than normal. My wanderlust leaves me restless and anxious and physically aching to travel.  

Paris, France

And I LOVE to travel. But it's never enough; the hunger is never satiated. There are always more places to see, more things to do, and never enough time or money to do them all. Even as (or especially as) I write this, I want to travel. No, it's not even that I want to, I NEED to. And it's almost indescribable. I'm constantly dreaming of a plane fight away, checking into a hotel and setting off on a new adventure with my camera in hand. I dream of finding a small eatery where the locals pick up their favorite chocolate or cheese or bread. Or stumbling upon a football game in a pub and staying the afternoon with new found friends. Or sweating the morning away hiking on an unknown trail on the backside of a mountain. These aren't new aspirations either, I've made (and blogged) about my bucket list before. But why do I feel like this? I know that that makes me sound like a Psych major, but I am, and I can't help it. What is it about traveling that makes me simultaneously giddy and restless with anticipation? And why do I feel suffocated and slightly out-of-my-mind when I go too long without at least taking a day trip away?

Prague

Listen, I know I'm a Sagittarius and by nature we have "restless energy" and a "need to travel for personal, business, or b/c of that overwhelming need to escape". I know that as a person, I need to get away to clear my head. There's something almost magical about physically moving out of your environment and into a new one, even momentarily. But is there something more than that? 

Rome, Italy

Is it the act of packing your life into a suit case for a couple weeks and leaving everything else behind? Is it the open road or the excitement of being on a completely new continent in a matter of hours? Is it the culture shock? The new food to eat? People to meet? Places to see? Is it the shopping for new vacation clothes or new music to put on your iPod? The clearing of your SD card in preparation for new pictures or the prospect of having those new pictures framed on your walls? Is it that glowing tan you come home with or all the goodies you buy for your friends/family, just because you want them to experience it too? Is it the hope for something more? For the kind of life changing experience that brought about "Eat, Pray, Love" or "Under the Tuscan Sun"? Is it the rush of searching for a new mug in every new city you visit? 

St. Petersburg, Russia

But I'm pretty sure it's ALL OF THAT. Scientists have become pretty interested in the idea of "wanderlust" themselves. Studies have found that travelers have a chemical reaction in their brains, showing that changes in scenery stimulated brain rhythms. Another very interesting find was that travelling also releases the hormone adrenaline into your system, which acts as a stimulant and which many people find extremely rewarding. This makes complete sense for people like me who are natural "adrenaline junkies" and always seems to rather enjoy that "flight or fight" response. 

Barcelona, Spain

Martin Milton, a British Psychologist, believes that it also has to deal with effects that getting out of our comfort zone seem to have on us. He says that “there is evidence that the degree of difficulty, getting out of our comfort zone, makes the experience richer and more emotionally rewarding.” Is that why we crave travelling? For me, it's a legitimate physical, as well as mental and emotional response; I have to get away from everyday life and experience something new.

Greece

There is just something so liberating about it, about being somewhere different and exciting. Milton seems to agree. "Too much routine can be stressful, so can too much variety...but one aspect of travel that attracts us is the way it frees us from other people’s expectations. At work, we strive to be what is expected of us; travel releases us from that. The jungle doesn't know us, and we don’t know it." Building on this idea, Bruce Chatwin says that there is evidence that “monotonous surroundings and tedious regular activities wove patterns which produced fatigue, nervous disorders, apathy, self-disgust and violent reactions” in people involved in studies. So maybe this our survival instinct kicking in? Perhaps our brain and body recognize the benefits travelling gives us and urges us to fulfill it?

Venice, Italy

The truth is, for whatever reason, we seem to find joy in it. And by joy, I mean pure undulated euphoria. We seem to find happiness and rejuvenation and peace in places we've never been. We seem to discover a little more of ourselves in the open road or museums or old castles in Europe. For me, it's these prospects that keep me going, that get me through each work day or through the hellish semester. It's the reason why the calendar hung at my work desk are pictures of places in Europe- because I need that hope, I need something to look forward to, I need that escape, almost daily. It's a lust only comparable to that of Ryan Gosling, and which nothing else can fill. And as it seems to benefit our health, why not give in to it every now and then? ;)

Bran Castle, Romania

I think TS Elliot said it best; “we shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”

New Zealand

References:

http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/magazine/articles/advice/are-you-addicted-to-travel?page=all

http://www.udel.edu/chem/C465/senior/fall00/Performance1/epinephrine.htm.html

Lessons I've Learned from the Queens of Comedy; Zooey Deschanel Edition

I'm a huge Zooey Deschanel fan. Back in 2002 she was HILARIOUS in The Good Girl alongside Jennifer Aniston. It was my first exposure to her and my first initial thought was that this new girl (eh? eh?) could really hold her own in scenes with Jen, which was a fete in it of itself. She actually stole the show in my opinion. And it wouldn't be the first time. The next year Elf was released with a blonde Zooey showing off her singing pipes. I mean, WHO WASN'T CAPTIVATED BY HER VOICE?! I bought the Elf album just for her rendition of "Baby It's Cold Outside" and it's probably one of the most played Christmas Songs on my iPod. If a girl can shift the attention AWAY FROM Will Ferrell in one of his best roles, than she's a serious game changer. And I don't think anyone would disagree with me when I say she was the best part of 2008's Yes Man. When I found out she was staring in her own show (New Girl), I was ecstatic. Probably more than an acceptable amount. I've been glued to the show since the pilot and I'm an avid She & Him fan because like I said, her voice is purely captivating.

I think what people, myself included, like the most about her is that she's completely relatable. She's so genuine and real, it seems like she's someone you could meet in the nail polish isle at Sephora or at a dog park or could be an old friend from high school. She's unique; she sparkles in a world which can often lack luster. And maybe the best thing of all, she's a great inspiration and role model. 

1. See what I mean? Totally inspirational. Don't let someone steal your tenderness. A lot of times nowadays it seems like the world uses this as ammunition against women, especially in the work place. Like, if you're a woman and you want to be respected or you want to do well at you're profession, you have to be a hard-Miranda-Priestly-style-B or something. The women I respect most all have that tenderness, that vulnerability, that love of life and everything in it that makes someone so lovely to be around. Embrace those things, don't run from them. This is something I'm still working and she just puts it's so beautifully.   

2. Find power within your femininity. Find power within who you are as an individual person. You don't need to look, dress or talk a certain way. Power comes from knowing who you are and embracing it. No one can give those things to you, you have to stand up and take it. Own it. And no one can stop you once you've done that.

3. I love the idea that through your breakdown comes your breakthrough. I really do believe that. We have to fall and fail and get hurt to become stronger, smarter and wiser. We need these experiences in our lives. It's like building a muscle; you have to literally tear the old muscle in order to re-build a stronger one. So bring on the pain, bring on the trials and the heartache and take chances that are scary. You can't fully live, can't fully appreciate all the good emotions without experiencing the bad ones too. 

4. Have I mentioned that I love her? Just be yourself. It seems so cliche and so simple. But that's because it is. BE YOURSELF. Don't care what other people think or say. You know who you are. Love that person. Embrace her. 

5. Beauty isn't something that fits into a box or onto a checklist. In fact, the uniqueness about each person is what makes them beautiful. And even more than that, their happiness. Have you ever met a person that was just sunshine and rainbows? That just smiled and laughed and made you feel warm and fuzzy? Those happy people are like gravitational pulls, they just bring everyone to them and make others feel good? They, to me, are the most beautiful. There isn't anything more gorgeous than someone who not only loves themselves, but loves other people. It's so contagious! 

6. Never apologize for your quirkiness. Do things that are unexpected and make you laugh. Brighten the day of a stranger.  

7. EMBRACE WHO YOU WERE AND WHO YOU ARE. I love being a nerd nowadays even though I never tried in school growing up. I love that most of my life I was a total tomboy but now I'm very much a "girlie girl". I'm more than just one thing; I'm a complex person full of contradictions and different faucets that don't normally fit together but somehow work with me. And I am totally okay with that. I'm okay with being weird and sometimes awkward and mostly immature and definitely always being a dork. Who we were and who we are directly connected.

8. I need to be more like her. I definitely follow my heart and my passions. But she has sort of a free-spirit vibe about her that I both adore and am jealous of. I am such a neurotic planner. Almost everything I do is calculated. Who I am and who I present to the world is thought about and monitored. I'm guarded, yes, because of things in my past, because somehow being calculated feels less risky and less vulnerable. But it's no way to live. Sure, it can be good in certain circumstances, but letting go, throwing caution to the wind and just being okay without a plan and just going with the flow, that's something I envy. It's just about finding a healthy balance between taking risks and playing it safe. That's what I'm working on.

9. I NEED THIS ON A MUG. I absolutely, 100% agree with this. I'm NOT a morning person. So talking a lot in the morning is just not my thing anyways. If I could be a functioning adult and not even get out of bed before 10, my life would be grand! But on a deeper level, life can be really difficult. Life can royally suck and it can be near impossible to get out of bed in the morning. It can be near impossible to find motivation some days to just deal with your life or things going on in it! 

10. Always keep challenging yourself. I'm a person who just can't stay still, can't be stagnant. I love to learn and do and try new things. I think she's dead on here- challenging ourselves makes life enjoyable and adventurous. Plus, studies show that learning new skills in middle and late life can reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's!

11. Have your thing and stick to it. Not that you shouldn't explore yourself and try new things, that's not what I'm saying at all. But KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS, whatever they may be, and play them up and show them off! Like our friend Zooey, my favorite feature I have are my big eyes, though I *wish* they were green or blue most of the time. That's why you'll always find me with a bare minimum of liner and mascara on, because I actually like my eyes and they make me feel good! It doesn't have to be physical things either, whatever you love about yourself, whether it's your brains, your sense of humor, your cupcakes or your crazy air drum solo's in the car (eh, yeah...that's me too). Whatever it is, be confident in yourself and show it off girl! 

12. YES!! WHO CARES!? No really, tell me, WHO CARES? Will you ever see them again? Most likely not. If they're people you do see on the regular, just remember, they're hiding things about themselves too. If everyone did what they actually WANTED to do, they would be SO HAPPY, they wouldn't WANT to criticize anyone else. BE BRAVE. And it's about time we all stopped critiquing each other and started complementing each other instead. 

13. Safe and smart can be a good thing on occasion, don't get me wrong. But she's totally right, when we play it safe, we run a BIG RISK in never experiencing anything. Safe is boring. Dare to take chances, dare to dream, dare to love and live and be free! How much are you really living if you don't? And when you get to the end of your life, what do you think you'll regret most, taking those chances or NOT?  

14. I suffer from the same addiction. It's like Carrie Bradshaw said, "I like my money where I can see it-hanging in my closet." 

15. Making other people feel good, making them happy is a great goal. I feel the same way as her. If I can make someone (even a stranger!) smile or laugh or feel good about themselves, then I'm set, I'm happy. That's probably why I want to be a Psychologist. But we can do it, every day. You never know what people are going through silently, so wherever you may be, make their day, compliment them, make them smile, because guaranteed you'll be doing that as well.

16. I had to end on this one, because it's one of my favorites. I am exactly the same way. There's something about having on a polish that reflects your mood that makes everything in the world seem right. Okay, that might be a slight dramatization, but I don't feel right without my nails painted. It's like the lacquer completes me. Or at the very least, my outfit. ;) 

Lessons I've Learned from the Queens of Comedy; Tina Fey Edition

Tina Fey. What is there to say about Tina that hasn't already been said before? Probably not a whole heck of a lot, so you'll just have to bear with me. She's intelligent, beautiful, genuine, sassy, strong, independent and oh yeah, hilarious. She's a writer, producer, actor, Mom, yogurt-facial extraordinaire and probably everything else under the sun. I think she can probably do anything she wants. A self-proclaimed "super nerd", she's given us gems like Mean Girls and 30 Rock (Liz Lemon people! LIZ. LEMON.) and some of the funniest skits on SNL. 

Tina's like the founding member of the "Nerds Are Cool Too" club, and for that, I'd pay to thank her personally. [I kind of want that club to actually exist now!] Her book "Bossypants" is a New York Times 'Best Seller', obviously. Because it's smart and witty and funny and written by Tina Fey. She's one of the coolest cats around, and if I ever meet her, the first question I'll probably ask is if "night cheese" is really something she engages in. I hope she says yes. Wait, maybe I don't want to know the real answer to that. 

1. Fake it till you make it. If you act like you're the shiz, people won't think twice about it. Own it. Own yourself and your life and never look back. People are too insecure to question someone who looks like they know what they're doing.

2. Don't stop, beeeelievin'. Hold onto that feeeeleyaaaan! Just kidding. Just Don't stop. Whatever you're working towards, just keep doing it, despite all the crap that gets lodged into your way. You'll make it. And even if you fail, just make like Aaliyah and try, try again. (Too many random musical references in that one? Sorry.) It'll happen, just don't give up. Ever.

3. Amen sister, Amen! 

4. I love this so much. I've spent most of my life being terrified of failure. I have to be the best. I have to perform at 100% all day, everyday. I can't make any mistakes. Sure, it can push you to do extraordinary things, like getting an 99% on my brain anatomy exam, but it can also cause insanity, ulcers, and hair loss, so there's that. I've learned to dial it down...a notch. (I'm just not cut out for a completely carefree attitude!) It's a work in progress...

5. 'Haters gonna hate'. While the grammatically incorrect phrase makes my ears want to bleed, the sentiment is great; there will always be people that sucker-punch you and then kick you while you're down. But those bullies only have power if you let them. Ignore them and knock 'em out with your awesomeness. THEN, when you're above them, kick 'em to the curb! (Or the stomach...just kidding...kind of.)

6. We have to STOP caring so much what other people think of us, of how we look or what we say or our life choices. We've got to just do our best to be happy and forget everyone else. Wear makeup if you like the way you look or how you feel wearing it, or don't it you feel better au natural. Wear your hair curly if you like it or stop dying it blond just to fit in. Whatever it is, just do it because YOU want to! I think happiness is the most beautiful thing, and everything else is just filler.

7. No more being afraid! Some of the best things aren't and can't be calculated! I know for the last 10 years or so, I've been extremely guarded and closed off, afraid of the risks of getting hurt again or failing or breaking. But no more! I'm learning to jump off those cliffs and enjoy the free fall! Say "yes to love, yes to life, and yes to staying in more!" 

8. Being perfect is overrated. Being real, well that's something to strive for. Just be yourself. Don't do things just because other people are. Originality and sincerity go a long ways.

9. Appreciate what you've got. EVERYONE has things about themselves they don't like. And that's okay. But those things DO NOT define you. YOU define you. And when you feel down and you're laying on the floor in the corner of your room in fetal position, remember those things that you love about yourself and repeat them over and over until the demons go away. Also, be able to laugh at yourself. Life isn't so serious. Everything feels better after a good laugh. 

10. I love this. It's a lot like what I've already said, but I couldn't help myself. Embrace your fear, take a leap, and as Tina says "figure it out later". You can't spend your life calculating all the risks or you'll never live it. Remember Along came Polly? (I'm just full of random references today!) 

11. Forgive the curse word, but this is one of my favorites! Because you know what? We do. I feel like this quotes belongs in a Spice Girls song or maybe a Sylvia Plath poem. ;) No, but really, be strong, be independent, be adventurous and motivated and hard working and awesome. Be you. Empower yourself, you're the only one that can!