I DO NOT LOOK LIKE RACHEL BERRY FROM GLEE!!!

Here's the proof in pictures of why I don't look like Rachel Berry from Glee. Since this summer I have had 10 people tell me I look like Rachel from Glee and its quite annoying. I don't think I do. If anything there are major differences between me and the actual actress as well as the character on the show. In regards to the character Rachel, even though I did do musicals in high school and in middle school I didn't want to do it as a career and I was NEVER a spotlight hog like she was on the show. With the actual actress its almost the same concept. The only differences are that I'm Greek and the actress, Lea Michele, is Jewish. Also, she went to NYU's Tisch School and I go to Westminster College for a Communication degree. For the most part my response to anyone who has said,"Oh you look like Rachel from Glee" to me is, "I am myself...comparisons are meaningless."

pictures: iPhoto and http://www.tvfanatic.com/gallery/lea-michele-picture/

Fabulous Sophisticated Me!

Ahhh the joy of looking amazing in anything I wear! I recently came across a widget from Shabby Apple that's a little quiz on clothing style. My result was (drum roll please...) CLASSIC! In case I haven't given you my whole life story I went to a middle school that REQUIRED me to wear uniforms and I hated it. Although it wasn't a fancy expensive private school I was held to an expectation based on how I dressed. My question now is: What happened to individuality? Early adolescence is about having the chance to express yourself and develop a personality and having a sense of style is part of it. I used to go shopping with my mother at Meier and Frank which is now Macy's and she would always direct me towards the petites department. She would tell me that having a classic sophisticated style is the best way to go because you have the option to dress conservative if you choose to and almost anything you wear in this category rarely goes out of style. Also, with that said people judge on the way you look besides your personality. Considering my mom has a degree in Fashion Merchandising from the University of Utah and worked in fashion textiles for many years in New York at least she knows what she's doing. Even though I was an outcast until my popularity skyrocketed in 8th grade I hated the classic sophisticated look because I wanted to dress trendy like my friends. But now that its been years and my lifestyle has come into play along with this fashion sense I have come to appreciate my style now especially since I feel a lot more comfortable shopping on my own rather than with my mom all the time.

Check out the link to see what your fashion style is!

International Adventure Part 1: Canada

Recently I went on an AMAZING trip to Vancouver and Whistler British Columbia Canada. We flew to Seattle and then drove across the border into Canada. All I can say is its beautiful up there. While I was in Canada I went to Granville Island, Stanley Park, Whistler Village, and some of the Olympic Venues (I stayed right across from BC Place where they had hockey and opening/closing ceremonies but it was under construction.) The people are very sophisticated and very helpful. I really thought their television shows as well as the commercials were much different from the ones in the states. For a bit I found it overwhelming because of all the shopping or as my mom called it "European fashion" but as I got the hang of it the feeling was euphoric walking into all these high end stores! I found it amusing how in Vancouver the Tiffany's store and the Coach store are right across from each other. But for the most part I did a lot of sightseeing and I even went to Canada Place where the Olympic cauldron is. In fact they lit it for Canada Day which is July 1st! I think the holiday is a lot different from how the U.S. celebrates Independence Day. At Granville Island they were handing out pins and flags to everybody and I saw a parade. In the U.S. they NEVER do that! For having never gone out of the country I think I did very well. My next stop on my international adventures might be South America or Europe!

Boy bands are STILL cool

For those of you who thought Backstreet Boys were no longer together think again... With the exception of Kevin Richardson who left the group in 2006 (and yes, I saw someone wearing a shirt that said RIP Kevin on it) they've still got it goin' on! For me going to their concert was a dream come true besides my trip to Disneyworld when I graduated from high school. Backstreet's Back Alright!

Alexander the Great and...Armenians? Wow!

It seems I have found the answer to why the Greeks and the Armenians share somewhat of the same culture. As everybody who has met me knows I'm a Greek-American. My family came from the islands of Greece and Turkey. I asked my dad what the difference is between Greeks and Armenians is. One word: Alexander the Great. A long time ago Alexander's army had both Greek and Armenian soldiers fighting together at war.

The Rules: Time tested secrets for being yourself when it comes to dating

Recently I decided to enter the world of dating. I kept following the philosophy of"make myself happy before I make a man or anybody else happy". So far I have more than exceeded this expectation. To get me started on this adventure I read the book The Rules: Time Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right. I thought it would be a good idea but after reading the book I decided that half the stuff I already knew or didn't want to follow. It also put a HUGE emphasis on playing "hard to get" but a girl can only do that for so long. For instance, The Rules talks about dressing stylish, being quiet and mysterious, making men pay for meals, how to act on dates, lots of exercising (in one part it mentioned swimming or playing tennis all summer and doing sit-ups until the hereafter), and referring to readers as Rules Girls.

In my opinion half of these so called "rules" are ridiculous. Why conform to them if I don't want to? The way I see it as there is absolutely NO need to change for someone to fall in love with you. Also, things are different now from when this book was published in 1995. Even after asking my parents for their opinion what they said was that there was no How-To in dating...you just do it until you find someone!

picture: www.barnesandnoble.com