"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe
Happy Halloween! Of course, I can't possibly talk about anything else today. I love holidays in general, but this one is pretty great, if you think about it. First off, there's the candy. But then there's the dressing up part. And I don't think you can ever be too old or too cool to dress up.
More than any other holiday, you can be as crazy and as creative as you want on Halloween. That's a good thing. Remember when you were little, and you would dress up and pretend to be...well, whoever you wanted? Sure, it seems a little silly to do that when you get older. But you never want to lose that sense of imagination. Being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes, dream of a different life for yourself, and come up with cooky ideas is actually a really good thing. It can help you keep your life moving, help you with projects, and keep you one step ahead. Plus, it makes you happy!
So even if you are not dressing up tonight, appreciate the opportunity to play make-believe. There are so many possibilities in your real life, but you can only figure them out if you start imagining them. And who knows? Maybe being a princess for tonight makes a princess for life...
So yesterday I finally got to see High School Musical 3. And of course, I loved it! I loved the music, the costumes (especially Sharpay's), and all the dancing. It was way bigger than either of the other two. And also more dramatic. Didn't it seem like Troy was way sad in a lot of the movie? It's like what my friend said: "That boy can make mountains out of molehills."
But seriously, think about it. His biggest problems were that he could either go to a great school to play basketball with his best friend, or maybe get a scholarship at another awesome school for theater, and all the while he was scared of missing his super-sweet girlfriend, who would be at Stanford. Wow, that sounds really terrible.
Okay, so Troy is a teeny bit over-dramatic. So what? Well, I think this is something everybody does from time to time. I'm not saying our problems aren't real. Sometimes things really are bad, and life has hit a real rough patch. But other times, it's all about point of view. Having two amazing schools to choose from? How lucky! Not sure what you want to do with your life, or who you want to be? Well, that means you have a lot of choices.
“Real obstacles don’t take you in circles. They can be overcome. Invented ones are like a maze.” – Barbara Sher
What I am saying is this - next time you're feeling down or freaking out, take a step back. Is this really a problem, or is this just a big (good) decision covered in stress? It will save you some drama - since you don't get to turn it into a musical number anyway...
xoxo
The Fab Gal
PS - Have you seen HSM3 yet? Love it? Hate it? I want to know what you think, FG!
So I have to tell you a funny story. It was this Friday, and me and my good friend S were hanging out at a coffee shop before heading to a movie. When we were getting up to leave, this guy stopped her and said, "Hey, you're beautiful." She just said, "Oh, thanks. Have a good night!" When we were outside, I asked her who that was. "I have absolutely no idea," she said.
It was one of those funny, random moments, but it definitely made me think. S is beautiful of course - a beautiful person, a beautiful friend. And this random stranger beat me to the punch. When had I told her she was beautiful? All of my friends, actually. They're all beautiful. Wonderful. If I reflect half of how amazing they are, I am so, so lucky. I know all that, but I don't think I say it near enough.
I'm not saying we don't appreciate people. I think we do. But how often do you really tell them? Now, telling a stranger they're beautiful might seem a little silly. But what about your sisters, cousins, friends? They deserve to hear it every now and then. And you do too. Because hey, you're beautiful FG.
xoxo
The Fab Gal
PS - I am looking for awesome blogs to share on the FG site! If you have a fave (or your own) to share - leave a comment to let me know!
Halloween is almost here. Are you dressing up? I am! I haven't decided what I want to be yet, and if you haven't either, that's okay! Becuase this week's Top 10 is the best FG Halloween costumes.
1. Selena Gomez & Demi Lovato - A lot of people have dressed up as Paris & Nicole. But why don't you and your BFF dress up as these two good girl BFFs? Check it out here.
2. High School Musical Cast - The movie just came out yesterday, so why not celebrate by dressing up as your fave character? This is a great one to do with a group!
3. Princess - It's what you always dressed up as when you were little, but there's no reason you can't bring it back. Once a princess, always a princess.
4. Night Sky - If you want an awesome DIY costume, check out this idea from GirlsLife.
5. Jonas Brothers - You might be in love with them, but why can't you be them? Check out this idea from Seventeen.
6. Decades - If you don't have time to go costume shopping, dressing from your fave decade is always easy to do. Bright colors and off the shoulder tops for the 80s, tie-dye for the 70s, or even a flapper dress for the 40s - there's a lot of options.
7. Vampire - An old classic, but the Twilight series is bringing vampire back into fashion. You can make it as cooky or cute as you want!
8. Cartoon Girl - What was your fave show as a kid? Rugrats? The Flinestones? Ninja Turtles? Try dressing up as one of the characters from that show to bring back to good 'ol days.
9. Boy - If you really want to get crazy, why not try a boy's costume? Napoleon Dynamite, The Joker, Indiana Jones... there are so many options! It might take some extra work, but it will be worth the shock factor.
10. Your Best Friend - If you're really low on time, why not just switch clothes with a buddy? You can trade places (and clothes) for the night, and really walk in each other's shoes!
I hope this helps! Let me know your fab costume ideas here or at The Fab Gal Myspace.
So I told you a little bit about stress symptoms. And hopefully you know yours, but aren't dealing with them right now. The problem with those is that sometimes, we starting feeling them when we haven't been recognizing how we feel, so it all just kinda builds up. What if you can't remember why you're stressed?
It's okay to not act on every bad mood or feeling, because sometimes they just come up without reason. But when you put them down, or think "I shouldn't be feeling this way," you start to make them seem unimportant. Girls can be especially prone to do this, because we don't want to make anyone unhappy. But it certainly isn't healthy.
It's important, for your own sake, to at least acknowledge your feelings as you have them. One time, we learned meditation in class, and as every thought or feeling came up, you simply named it, like "That is worry" or "That is sadness," and then just let it be. I think that could be really helpful. Writing in a journal or finding some other type of release is good too. And of course, always find someone you can talk to, be it a friend, parent, or counselor, when your stress is too much to let pass.
We all have it from time to time. Stress. And some amount of it is good for you, or so I hear. But there are times, especially when you're a teen girl these days, when it gets to be a little too much. But how do you know when you've had enough?
Believe it or not, everyone has signs, or what I like to call symptoms of stress. Maybe there's something you do - biting your nails, scratching, eating too much. Some people get physically ill, or have a hard time sleeping. It's funny, because we think we're so good at hiding how we feel, and keeping it under the surface. But if you really pay attention, we're not - it's like our body sends out a stress SOS, if we're willing to see it.
Of course, it is possible for a physical problem to be the cause of stress - being sick may make you feel a little down. But it's important to realize when these outer problems are a sign of something inside. It could just be temporary, but if things are feeling a little rough, it's good to find someone you can talk to. Because if you completely ignore it, there's a lot of bigger stress symptoms - drug use, eating disorders, and cutting are all habits that can come out of emotional stress.
I don't want you to get stressed out about your stress - just think about what your symptoms might be, and use them to your advantage to recognize when you need to slow it down. If you need some help, I'm always here for ya. Reach me at fabgalsite@gmail.com or The Fab Gal Myspace.
Well, one of my favorite seasons is in full swing, and there is a lot to look forward to! Here are my top 10 favorite things about this fall...
1. High School Musical 3 (October 24) - The big finale is coming this Friday to the big screens. You can bet it's going to be pretty fabulous.
2. Halloween (October 31) - Who doesn't love to dress up and get candy? It's time to pick out a costume!
3. Fall Fashion - Cute scarves, jackets, hats... the good thing about cold weather? It gives you more room to accesorize!
4. Election Day (November 4) - Even if you're not voting, history is being made! You'll definitely want to keep up.
5. Cozy Weather - Okay, okay, maybe fall means it's getting too cold to play outside (depending where you live). But cool weather also means excuses to stay in, curl up, and make hot chocolate!
6. World Kindess Day (Nov. 13) - Sounds like a reason to celebrate to me! Think of secret (or not-so-secret) ways to show kindness to others.
7. Thanksgiving (November 27) - A great day to eat good food and celebrate all that you're thankful for. My favorite part? What comes the next day...
8. Black Friday (November 28) - It's the day after Thanksgiving when you can get up early to shop! Good sales means it's a fab time to do some holiday shopping (or buy something for yourself).
9. TV - All the fall shows are back in full swing, with new episodes! Whatever your show, that's something to cheer about.
10. Zac Efron's Birthday - It's today. You can't tell me that's not a reason to celebrate...
So the other day I realized something. I have big collection of holiday decorations. Just a bunch of silly little tings I've collected over the years to put around my room. I've also got a whole lot of shoes. And a rainbow of nail polish. And more magazines than a Barnes & Noble. How did I end up collecting all this stuff? How do I even have room for it?
I guess over time, I've kept with me the things I like the most and left the rest behind (or a t Goodwill). If I didn't, my closet would be bursting with stuff I didn't really like and everything I've grown out of.
Life can be like that too. You don't have to take everything with you. Sometimes you may do something that doesn't really reflect who you are or give your time to something you don't like. It's okay to leave that behind. It doesn't mean you won't have learned anything. It's just a choice to leave the negatives and not let things that aren't really a part of you take up your space.
What kinds of things do you want to collect? Good friends are keepers. Lessons learned. Whatever you love about you and your life. It can be a long process, sorting through your life to figure out what works for you. But think of all the amazing things you will have saved in the end.
xoxo
The Fab Gal
“The only way to be who you want to be is by being what you haven’t yet been.” – Sally Edwards
First off, I want to tell you Happy Love Your Body Day! That's definitely a reason to celebrate. But if you've been having trouble celebrating you lately, I want you to try this exercise. All you need is a pen and a paper.
You're going to make three lists. On the first, write down 15 (or more, if you want) things that describe what you're supposed to be. For example, you might put "pretty," "athletic," or "popular." It doesn't matter where you've gotten these expectations. Just think of the things that you measure yourself by.
Now list #2: write down 15 things that describe you, just the way you are. Anything that's uniquely you, like "loyal," "ambitious," or even "messy." Recognize all the things that make you special, that make you you.
On the last list, write down 15 things that you're thankful for. It might seem hard at first. You might be thankful for your parents, siblings, or BFF. Or maybe you're thankful for glitter and Grey's Anatomy.
Look over your three lists. A lot of us spend a lot of time focusing on the first one. We want to be perfect. We think that we need to be those things to really be happy. But look at your other two lists. Would you trade all of those to be the things on the first? Probably not. Not really. Sure, they're probably not perfect. Even the things that you're thankful for might make you mad sometimes. But those two lists - those things are totally special, and they are completely yours. Don't sacrifice them, because it won't make you happy. And feel free to trash the first list...
Let's face it: we've all got our ups and downs. Life is definitely a roller coaster. Unfortunately, sometimes things get off track, and we or our friends end up in places we didn't know we were going - drug abuse, eating disorders, and other unhealthy habits. I don't talk about this stuff because I am not an expert. I seriously hope that these things aren't affecting your life, but if they are, know this: you can always get help. I am providing this list of resources as a starting place if you think you or a friend might be suffering from something more serious. Like I said - this is just a starting place - but a first step is always a good one to take.
TeensHealth - Information about anything health-related
6. Quote: “Where other people are obsessed with the idea that I am always reinventing myself, I’d rather think that I’m shedding my layers, and slowly revealing myself. It feels to me like I’m just getting closer to the core of who I really am.” – Madonna
7. TV Show: Extreme Makeover Home Edition (a totally different kind of makeover!)
There are so many ways to get a makeover. Change your hair, change your health, change your life. But maybe the best way to makeover your life is to not change anything - and appreciate more.
I read about it in Body + Soul magazine, and it totally makes sense. Showing gratitude makes you feel better, and it even improves your health. That's pretty amazing if you think about it. Thankfulness, by the way, does not mean having manners and saying "please" and "thank you" (although I'm sure your mom reminds you about those all the time). It really just means being thankful for what you've been given - unconditional happiness. It sounds simple enough, but it's not always as easy as it should be. We live in a very fast-paced world - fast food, fast results, fast life. Thankfulness doesn't work like that; it doesn't involve going anywhere. It's stable - being right where you are, and being happy with that.
So how do you slow down your life enough to get in on this thankfulness makeover? I can't say I know for sure - I'm testing this out myself. One place to get started is to keep a journal or a list. Try to write down 5 things a day that you really love in your life. Or dedicate each day in a week to a different aspect of your life, like friends, school, and family, and just appreciate the good things you do have in that area. It's definitely a start, and I'm sure it will make you feel better.
A thankfulness makeover is one of the best kinds - changing nothing, but appreciating everything. Actually, it is a change - a change in attitude. Let me know what you're most thankful for.
Maybe you're looking to make a big change in your life, but you don't know where to start. Or maybe you just wanna try something new. Either way, I've got some ways to give your life a mini-makeover, FG style:
Switch it Up - While looks are certainly not the most important thing, sometimes it can be fun to try a new look. The cool thing is, you can go big or start small. If you want just a little something new, go online and find a new way to style your hair, or incorporate some new accessories into your current wardrobe. If you want a big change, the sky's the limit! You can try a new hair cut or color, a new make-up look, or even a whole style switch (although that can get expensive).
Change Your Habits - If you want to work on your health, it's good to start by just focusing on one habit you want to change. For example, maybe you want to cut back on soda or start a regular exercise routine. It's easier to manage if you keep your attention to that one goal, and you'll be more likely to stick with it. Set small goals, and don't be too hard on yourself if it takes awhile!
Find a New Crowd - Maybe you're looking to expand your circle of friends. If that's the case, then one of the easiest ways to meet new people is to get involved in a new club or activity at school. Even if you're only kinda excited about the activity, you'll meet lots of interesting people. When you connect with someone new, invite them to have lunch together or go shopping with your current group of girlies.
Learn a New Skill - Is there something you've always wanted to learn how to do? Play guitar? Practice hip-hop dance? Learn how to knit? Whatever it is, go for it! Find a class to sign up for or a friend or family member that can teach you. It may not seem like a "makeover," but learning something new will make you feel way good.
Change Your Game - If boys are your trouble, maybe it's time to give your game plan a makeover. Take a step back and think about what you want. If you're in a relationship that is making you unhappy, it might be time to think about making a change. Or if feel like you're having no luck with your crush, maybe you can open your mind to other opportunities. It's not always easy to move on, but you need to do what's best for you.
Have you ever noticed how obsessed we all are with makeovers? Celebs get 'em about once a week. Magazines are always dishing out the latest way to makeover your wardrobe, your makeup bag, your love life. And everyone loves the classic makeover movies - the nerdy girl gets all dressed up and wins the heart of the school hunk.
You know what? I think I am the queen of makeovers. No, actually Madonna is the queen of makeovers. But I'm definitely a big fan. I've tried different hair colors and different clothes, different music and different friends. I change my vision of who I want to be contstanly. I wish I could be more stable, more consistent. But the truth is, I really don't know what I want. I can't decide what hairstyle I'm going for any better than I can decide who I want to be.
We girls are in a pretty amazing position these days. Think about it - anyone from Oprah to Miley Cyrus to Hillary Clinton can be successful. The sky really is no limit. So it's no wonder we might not always no what we want, and it's definitely okay to start over. I think of it like shoes - maybe high heels are your thing, or cowboy boots. Or maybe you're more of a Nike girl. But you will certainly never know untill you've tried them all.
This week's list isn't the ususal Top 10 list. But I think horoscopes can be really fun, to see how accurate they are. So here is a little bit about each of the signs. See how you match up!
1. Aquarius (Birthdays 1/20-2/18) - You are a forward thinker who always has a positive attitude. You stand out because you don't mind being original or unconvential. Best Color: Hot Pink
2. Pisces (2/19-3/20) - You are very intuitive, which makes you skilled at reading people. You are also a compassionate person who loves to help others. Best Color: Pale Violet
3. Aries (3/21-4/19) - You are headstrong and always go after what you want. Your energetic and daring nature makes you fun to be with. Best Color: Bright Red
4. Taurus (4/20-5/20) - You are a person of stability and you like things to stay the same. You are a loyal gal whose friends can always depend on. Best Color: Golden Brown
5. Gemini (5/21-6/20) - You are the queen of multi-tasking. You are also very quick-witted and good at convincing people to do what you want. Best Color: Silver
6. Cancer (6/21-7/22) - You are emotional and sensitive. You also have a very caring heart and always look out for others. Best Color: Sea Green
7. Leo (7/23-8/22) - You are a natural leader with strong confidence. You can also be quite dramatic and enjoy performing for others. Best Color: Yellow
8. Virgo ( 8/23-9/22) - You are skilled at organization and have a keen eye for detail. You are the go-to gal for solving problems. Best Color: Forest Green
9. Libra (9/23-10/22) - You have a balanced point of view and always see both sides of a situation. You have an impeccable taste for art and beauty. Best Color: Pale Pink
10. Scorpio (10/23 - 11/22) - You are intense and passionate about everything you do. Your sharp focus helps you accomplish any goal you go after. Best Color: Black
11. Sagittarius (11/23-12/21) - You are an adventurer whose good attitude makes any situation fun. You also have a strong sense of truth and honesty. Best Color: Turquoise
12. Capricorn (12/22-1/19) - You are classy, mature, and driven. You are a hard-worker who has the patience to stick with a project once you've started. Best Color: Gray
Nobody said it better than Hannah. And we all have that one day of the year to celebrate us, imperfections and all. But wouldn't it be nice to appreciate yourself every day? Very few of us do.
It's like this - we all have "that girl" in our life. The one that you almost hate because she is so nice and pretty and smart and confident. She dresses cute, has a million friends, and every guy is in love with her. All in all - she's perfect. Maybe "that girl" is a friend, someone in a movie, or just a vision in your head. But she's a constant reminder of how un-perfect you are.
It's a good thing to have role models, bu trying to be somebody else or someone's version of perfect isn't healthy, and it can definitely take its toll. When you have low self-esteem, it can lead to depression, eating disorders, and lots of stress. And it certainly won't make you happy. You most definitely deserve to be happy, perfect or not.
I can't say I have all the answers, because I've tried to be "that girl" many times in my life. I think that you have to remember that being unique or different or even a little dorky can be a good thing (just like Sydney White). Perfection, as pretty as it may seem, won't make you happy. Making the decision to be okay with yourself, just as imperfect and messy and wonderful as you are? It's a good start.
You know what I love? I absolutely love birthdays. I love cake, I love presents (both giving and receiving), and I love silly decorations. I love holidays and celebrations in general, but birthdays are extra special.
I won't lie - my birthday is definitely my favorite. It's probably the best day of the year. One whole day to celebrate you. Not because you graduated or won an Academy Award or anything - just because you were born exactly who you are. That's pretty great, actually. We always want to be doing something, but there's nothing wrong with celebrating life just as it is. Birthdays are good for that. The other thing I love is it reminds you how many people really do care about you. Even if it's just a silly text or a Facebook gift, it's nice to be appreciated, isn't it?
I really wish it could be my birthday every day. There's no day of the year more than this that I remember how good my life is, how good it is to be me right now. But of course, having a daily birthday isn't possible. And that's okay. Because there's nothing wrong with celebrating all that we FGs have got and how truly Fab we are every single day of the year.
r movies - the nerdy girl gets all dressed up and wins the heart of the school hunk.