Deanimal's advice column

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Q: I'm thirteen and I want my navel pierced. My Grandparents [who were really strict with my Mom and her sister], are even okay with it. Both of my parents say that I'm too young. But my Dad doesn't live with me, so my Mom can still say yes. I asked her why she wouldn't let me get it done and she said 1] that she thinks if I got that done I would want my nipples done or something crazy like that. 2] she thinks I would walk around with belly shirts or something. I told her I'm not a whore like that and that I wouldn't do either of those. And my question to you is do you think I'm too young? And what do you think I should do to convince my Mom?

I think belly piercings are pretty.

Try being extra-super responsible for a while and see if she softens up.

And yeah... 13 is a bit young. When I see a 13 year old with a pierced navel, the first word that comes to mind is "Whore." If you still want it, go for it, but be prepared for that reaction.

Q: Okay, you know how bed sheets have a certain number thread count? What does that mean?

That's the number of threads per inch. The more threads, the thinner the threads, the softer and finer the sheets. Anything over 200 is considered very nice. 180 is about average. The highest is 330, I think.

Q: I was in the kitchen making cookies when I discovered that I had no vanilla extract. The cookie recipie that I'm using calls for only 1/2 teaspoon of the extract, but I'm worried about how they would turn out.

Is it ok to leave out the vanilla extract, or are there any substitutes for vanilla extract?

Thank you very much for your advice!

The cookies won't taste quite as good, but they will turn out fine as far as consistency and shape go. No worries there.

Q: i love the way your hair looks in that picture. is it naturally like that? if its not could you tell me how to do it? thank you!

My hair is really thick/wavy/frizzy in general, so that was a good hair day.

I shall try though.

Usually, I take a shower, then get my hair dried until it's damp all over (not just the ends), then I put some gel/mousse/whatever in it, and scrunch it. Then it split my hair into fourths and put it in 4 buns on my head. Then I spray on a tiiiiny bit of minimum hair spray. Then I sleep with it like that. :)

Works for me, I hope you can get yours looking nice. If that doesn't work... well... there's always the straight iron.

Q: My friend just apologized for blowing up at me and getting really pissed off. She said it was totally her fault and i forgave her right away because i wanted her back as a friend. Things went okay until my sexuality was brought up. She acted okay about it and said whatever i decided was okay but she wouldn't support it. Now whenever i talk to her she barely says anything and it really hurts. I thought she had forgiven me but it's almost like she said all that just to get it off her chest. She even said that this next school year she planned on making no enemies so i guess i was first on the list for her to apologize. I dont know what to do. She's really confusing me and i feel like i'm just annoying her. What's happening?!?!?

Okay, I'm majorly into sexual freedom, ESPECIALLY with orientation(straight supporter? that's me), so I might be a little biased, but I think you deserve better than friends who won't accept you for who you are

You're probably not annoying her as much as you think you are. She might have just been apologizing to apologize, it happens a lot.

Decide if you want her as a friend or not, and fast, because broken relationships do no good.

Q: oh of my best guy friends likes me, and he has for a while. at first i didnt like him but now im starting to. but im afraid if we go out, then break up,that i'll lose one of my best friends. but im also afraid if i dont tell him i'll regret it. so my question is shold i tell him i like him or not?

plus i dont know if i really like him, or if im just really flattered that he likes me

Okay, I got it. Give yourself a week. If you still think you like him, then go for it, life's too short.

If you're just flattered (and I know how that goes) then you'll know by then.

Q: 16/F (I'm a waitress..)

There's this guy from work that I like, and I'm not sure if he likes me as more than a friend, or just a friend.

I'm not sure, but I think he flirts with me. He'll steal a salt shaker from one of my tables, and won't give me it back unless I chase him around the kitchen for it. He shouts my name across the dining room, and risks getting fired for it. He talks to me a lot, and will usually even help me clear a table just to talk to me.. he does little things for me like that. If I'm carrying a tray, or something, he'll put his hand on my back and help guide me through the doors. I'm a pretty shy person, so I hate it when I talk to customers as I'm clearing a table, so usually he'll come over and talk to them for me...

But.. there's two other girls.. and they usually go up to him, and hug him. And they're pretty. And outgoing. And I don't know, I just don't think he likes me. How about you?

Okay, here's the basic rule for stuff like this, so listen up:

***If he's giving you special attention, you're special to him.***

Is he doing all that stuff for all the waitresses... or just you?

Cause it sounds to me like he likes you, and is very sweet to boot.

Oh, and the hand on back thing is big for guys. For a boy, touching almost ALWAYS means something.

But really, pay attention to how he treats you in relation to others. If it's different, chances are that he likes you.

Q: how come people call girls sluts if they kiss guys (like me...but i havent done it in over a month)
a slut is someone who has sex w/a bunch of guys!! so how come IM gettin called a slut!?
but im not the only one...some other people i know are getting called sluts too. and its not fair! i dont have sex! how am i a slut? i just dont get girls at all...even tho i am a girl! i just dont get why they do things like this

Ugh, hey, girls are dumb and catty, I agree. Once THE WIND blew up my knee length skirt and I was getting called a whore for almost a month.

All you can really do is brush it off and laugh at it. That's what I did, I ignored it, and they got bored trying to get a reaction that they weren't gonna get.

You do what you gotta do (kiss who you gotta kiss) and don't worry about the haters. They're jealous cause they never get any tounge action.

Q: How do you figure out someone's real number when they use the *67 (the ID block)? Yesterday, my friend pranked her friend's house on private, and her friend's mother called back angry and threatening to tell her parents. I'm just wondering because I get a lot of private calls and would like to know who keeps calling and hanging up. Thanks :)

*69, babe

Q: I'm really tired of just wearing jeans and a t-shirt to school. I want to start dressing nicer. But all the nice/cute clothes that I find are tank tops or spaghetti straps. And the problem with that is at my school all tops have to have a strap of 3 inches.
Does anyone know of any place that has nice/cute tops that aren't tank or spaghetti?
Thanks.

Even if you are only able to wear jeans and t-shirt, try dressing that up with a nice purse or some jewelery. Or an interesting brooch.

Moving on, there's some cute wrap shirts out there that are definitely dressier than a t-shirt. To make those tank tops wearable, wear a cropped jacket or sweater. Oooh, or one of those really short things that ties in front.

Get a spaghetti in one color and a button-up shirt in a color that goes with it (same color family, maybe) and wear then together, leaving the over shirt unbuttoned.

When it gets cold, there's a billion cute long sleeve shirts. :)

Stores to try: Kohl's, Ross, TJ Maxx, Rave, Forever 21, and any thrift stores around, like Goodwill (my god, I love shopping at Goodwill).

Just look for things that meet the requirements wherever you go shopping, and don't forget the magic of layering.

Q: I don't wear make-up AT ALL, and i wanted to start wearing some eye-shadow and things like that. I'm white, have golden-hazel eyes, and really red lips. THANX!!

Hmm, try experimenting with some light eye shadows and stuff. Nothing too out there or heavy. Lip Gloss is good. Also, you can do eyeliner, that's pretty basic (just not too much, you'll look like you have tiny eyes), and mascara. Don't worry about blush or foundation for now.

However, you should blend a little concealor on your eyelids, under your eyes, and on the sides of your nose. It's amazing the difference that makes.

Q: whats the difference between going out with someone and hooking up with someone?

Hooking up is a short, usually sexual, encounter. It does not imply commitment, like going out does.

Q: I wear a DD size bra. Like, does that make me fat? And do boys like boobs that r like, DD size? Is it common do wear DD, or is that like wayy huge. Please be serious nd just answer, i'll rate high

DD really isn't that big. Well... it is, but it's not monstrous. And as far as fat, that depends more on the rest of you than your boobs.

Oh... and I'm sure many many guys like DD boobs.

Q: i've got that eyeshadow from hot topic. i put it on but my skin color shows up in the middle and applying more makes it very hard to see. (bright green) is there anything i could do to make it bright and stay? All it does is fall over my eyelashes. I heard putting concealer works... does it?

Yes, putting concealor on your lids before you apply eye shadow does wonders for making the shadow stay in place. :)

Q: how do you know if your bi-sexual ?? because i think i might be but im not sure .. like whatsz a sign of it ?? cuz like .. id have no problem hookin up with a girl or like eatin her out or somethin like that .. idk why but i juss like think its not a big deal .. an could bi-sexual lead to like lesbian ? because seriously i dont have any problemsz with gaysz or lesbiansz but i jus dont wanna be one .. like bi-sexual ? eh aint that bad n i know i proly dont have control over it or not .. but can someone PLEASE HELP ME

i RATE G0OD !!

... wow.

Okay, well, if you have feelings for girls and are attracted to them as well as guys then you could be bisexual.

Sometimes bisexuality leads to lesbianism, yes. I have a lesbian friend who was straight, then bi, and now is gay. Sweet girl.

So... are you attracted sexually to both guys and girls? That would make you bisexual. Or perhaps bicurious.

Personally, I think sexuality is more of a sliding scale than a black and white situation. You may be mostly attracted to guys, but a little but to girls. Or vice versa. It doesn't matter, really. A lot of teenagers are bicurious and then grow out of it, it's very common, so this might be a phase. But it might not.

Depending on your age, you might want to experiment and test your feelings.

Q: is there anyway to keep my eyeliner on longer.. like so it will stay on and not get off.. i dont want a type of eyeliner i just want tips

Well, using waterproof helps. Also, wipe the skin around your eyes where you intend to put the liner to make sure there's no oil or anything there. After you apply it, dab some darkly colored (dark brown, navy, or black) powder over the liner to seal it down.

Q: im 14 almost 15 and im a girl alrite well im going out with this guy and i've never really kissed anyone well little pecks with an ex bf and those weren't great but when he went to kiss me he had his mouth wide open and just went for it not a french kiss but ya know wut i mean..anyways i didnt kiss him back cuz i have no idea how to kiss..i need major help cuz i really like this guy and im embaressed to tell him why i didnt kiss him back and i really dont wanna lose him but i do need to know how to kiss..so in that situation how am i suppose to kiss

HAHAHA!!

EXACT same thing happened to me!! And I was the same age!!

He thought it was his fault, and apologized profusely. The next time, we kissed, I just followed his lead and did whatever he did.

Infact, just do that in general. Whatever they do. People tend to kiss how they would like to be kissed.

Q: okay this weekend I'm meeting my boyfriend's ENTIRE family at his sister's graduation party, and they're the REALLY formal type who like kiss you on the cheek and stuff. well you know how when girls kiss in the cheek? do you move your head to the left or the right? cause every time i do that i always kiss the wrong side and we always bump and its so embarrassing haha...

what other ways can i make a good impression?

Move your head to YOUR right. :)

Then switch. Or not... depends on if it's a double kiss or not.

Q: I'm 17/f. My boyfriend of 2 years and I are going to a concert this summer and I really want to lose my virginity to him soon, so I figured why not that night? After the concert, I was wondering how I could somehow initiate it or give him a sign that I want to have sex with him THEN? I dont want to kill the moment by discussing it beforehand because I know it'd make him AND me feel uncomfortable knowing. I want to let it happen on it's own without making it seem awkward. How do I initiate the moment?

I hate to say it, but you really NEED to discuss it with him beforehand. Although, I'm sure he won't have any qualms about doing it with you. If you don't talk to him, I also want you to make sure you have birth control, which is something that, again, should be discussed with him. If you aren't comfortable discussing sex with him, I don't think you should be having it. Your first time is kind of a big deal and I think he should be aware that you are a virgin and how it's going to affect you before he goes jabbing his man parts into you.

As far as letting him know you're ready to do it, I suggest.. well.. undressing. He'll get the picture. Take off your shirt, take off his pants... whatever getting naked entails. Your intentions should be pretty obvious.

Q: When I was younger I used to be really skinny because I stayed with my cousins a lot and we were always swimming, running around, or riding bikes. Since then I've gained a lot of weight cause I haven't exercised much. My stomach is flabby and my thighs are kind of big. I want to tone down before school starts up again in August.. so does anyone know any exercises I could do? I'm not saying I'm fat or anything but I've gained about 20 pounds in the past year and I just wanted to tone down some. Thanks. :)

I also have another question about this. I love to dance & I have about four movies that have dancing in them. Does dancing help tone you down any?

Dancing is excellent exercise!! For two reasons: it's good cardio, and it's fun -- so you don't get bored and you do it longer.

I made a hip hop dance mix and it is basically my workout tape. It's forty minutes long, and whenever I feel like I could use some exercise, but I can't go running, I turn it on and dance till I'm hot and sweaty. Makes a fantastic work out.

Also, do a hundred crunches twice a week. No more is necessary than that, because of the way muscle toning works.

bio

My name is Deanna: aka manrashi, banana, deanimal

I'm 15 and I like answering questions. I try to be as competent, coherant, and helpful as possible. Everyone is welcome to ask me questions personally, as it it makes me feel special.

I LOOOVE cooking and drawing and other artistic type things. I also like altering photos and making avvies/icons in photoshop, so I will take any requests for those as well. (email or IM me).

Please rate my advice, and rate it fairly. If I deserve a 2, go ahead and give me one, you won't hurt my feelings.

Pet peeve: people who answer questions just to say "That sucks, I don't know. Sux 2 B u."(If you don't know, why are you answering?) and people who say "Hope I helped!" (Obviously, or you wouldn't have an advice column)

Haha, sorry.

I'm out.
>>-Deanna->