about

"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love" - Albus Dumbledore

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm a senior in college & I'm slowly deciding what I want to do with my life. I love Harry Potter, coffee, writing, and sleeping (amongst other things). I'll never claim to know everything, but I'm confident in my ability to help people with their problems. Feel free to send me an inbox question; I'll get back to you!




A few thoughts I've gathered from my teenage years (and being on this site for most of them!):
1. If you Google song lyrics, the song will come up 99% of the time.
2. Dress to fit your body type, and buy the size that fits. If you're a size 6, squeezing into a 4 won't make you look skinnier. It makes you look fat when you aren't.
3. You will never regret waiting to lose your virginity.
4. There is such a thing as a stupid question, but we're all allowed to ask them.




BU 2014 :)


wicked awesome conversations

^my forum, liven it up a little?

advice

ok i get enough sleep and everything like that. but i still have dark circles under my eyes!! i want them to fade away but they won't. im a very self concious person. is there any ideas how i can help these dark circles get away? please, help

Concealer works wonders. Get a shade one shade lighter than your skin tone.


Other things you can try:
- cold spoons held under your eyes [more for puffiness]
- cucumber slices
- tea bags [cheap Lipton ones work better]
- cold facecloth


If they're TRULY bad [they likely seem worse to you] you could see a doctor; there could be something different with the way your blood circulates.


Or, as sillyrob mentioned, drugs [legal or otherwise] could also affect this. Don't stop taking, like, something important, but if you take cough syrup everyday, stop for a few days and see if the situation improves.


:)

[view]

okay so this is really important!
im not used to guys liking me
im 16 and never been on a date or kissed or anything
so this guy on myspace that lives about 20 minutes away from me added me and he didnt talk to me for like a month but he did about 40 minuts ago and we were talking and now he wants to go to a movie with me. i think hes cute, but i dont know him so im not sure if i like him. and hes 5'6 and im 5'9 and im not height shallow i just like the idea of dating a guy whos my hight but i think thats the least of my worries. my parents would freak if they thought that i was gonna go hang w/ a guy i dont know. my best friends said that they wouldnt let me go alone, just incase something happens, i dont think hes a dirty old man, but you can never be too careful. i dont want to say no and him think im not interested b/c i am, im just scared b/c things like this dont happen to girls like me. i really want some advice on this, i have no idea what to do. sorry this was so long but im like freaking out here!

He could be a nice guy, he could be a petafile.
If you DO meet him, bring your parent[s] and your friends. Meet in a public place during the day, like a mini-golf place or something. Explain to your parents that he's a friend-of-a-friend [hopefully that's true; I'm sure one of your friends know him] and you'd like to meet him in person, but you want them along for your own safety.


Be smart about it, and you'll be fine. You could end up meeting a great guy!

[view]

we're having our 2 year anniversary in like, a week, and i want to get him something nice. i have a $150 limit on the present though.

hes a hardcore, punk, metal styled guy and doesnt wear much jewelry, only the necklace i gave him for our 6 month that's celtic. he already has cologne that smells GREAT and drives me wild.other than those ideas, i'm stuck

what can i give that would be appropriate and he might like? are engraved rings inapporpriate, like not suitable for the occasion? what would you guys like to get or what have you girls given and your guy liked?

You could buy him another bottle of the same cologne, so he doesn't ever run out =] My dad does that for my mom, and vice versa. My mom's is especialy hard to find, so it means a lot.


Concert tickets to a band he LOVES, or plan a movie night full of HIS favorites, not yours! He'll love that you're taking an interest in things HE really likes.

oh, and congrats on 2 years! =]

[view]

anyone know any sites that give you ring tones for free?

Laura - I think you got a 3 because it wasn't what they wanted to hear.


Yea, most free ringtones are scams. You can record things on my phone and make them ringtones, so I just record a song when it's playing REALLY loud and set it as the ringer.

That might work for you.. I don't know what phone you have though. =]

[view]

Okay, so I have an interview tomorrow at Carrabbas Italian Bar & Grill, to be a hostess. And I am EXTREMELY nervous! Has anyone ever been to an interview similar to this one!? What will they ask me? What qualities of myself should I stress? I am so nervous it's ridiculous lol... Also, I'm 16, female, and this is my first job! I'm a very fun, bubbly, energetic person, and I'm always really happy. As I said, this is my first job excep one night I washed dishes at a restaurant with a friend because her friend who was supposed to work with her couldn't... but other than that, nothing! Oh, and how should I dress??? My parents are telling me to dress professional, but I don't wanna come off as a hardass! Like I have this outfit I wore for my grad project (yeah my school does it sophomore year) it's this nice shirt, tan dressy pants that are baggyish- very office/vogue lol and heels... but I think it's too much. I was just gonna wear that nice top, a denim skirt, and flip flops, because I don't wanna show up looking like someone I'm not, because then I'll seem fake and plus, I know I'll be wayyy more comfortable in the interview wearing clothes that I usually wear. Would nice jeans be acceptable!? Ahhhh I'm bugging out. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank You soooo muchhh!!!! ♥

I would wear regular black dress pants, if you have them. That's what they have us wear in the restuarant at my school. Miniskirts and flip-flops are too casual for an interview. The first outfit you mentioned sounds more professional. At the interview, ask what's acceptable. They may allow flipflops if its hot, for example. But you might not want to do that, because your feet won't be protected if something's spilled on them. If you dress up nice, you won't look like you're trying TOO hard, you'll be seen as professional because you dressed to impress. Your regular outfit may come off as too casual.


Other than that, you're fine! Your personality seems to fit the job perfectly.

good luck! =]

[view]

when a guy says "haha, your retarded" (when hes flirting) what are u suppose to say back? like: yeah, but you so are you :D"?

1. "YAYYYYYY!" in a really loud, obnoxious voice.
2. "And getting dumber every day"
3. "You seem to befriend a lot of people like me...."
4. "Oh, and you aren't?"


Or you could just laugh and change the subject. Anything works, really :)

[view]

14/f
How much are you supposed to charge per hour to babysit(one girl)?
And is there anything I should know about babysitting? Because I'm supposed to babysit for a family friend.
Anything right now is helpful.
Thanx in advace.

How old is she? Are you changing diapers? Do you have to make dinner? Family friend = slight discount if you feel like it. So, I'd say between $6-8 an hour. More if she's a rambunctious toddler, or a child terror. Parents know if their kid is bad, and will usually pay more for badly-behaving kids.

Good luck! =]

[view]

i'm a girl and my handwriting is really bad..i wanna fix it b4 the new school year starts so is there any way for me to get better handwriting?

Practice. That's really the only way. I'm in drafting, and we all had to learn now to "write like a draftsman.. woman!" And how did we do this? Every week we had an eight-page or more packet of writing all capital letters, with exact sizing and spacing specifications. We all improved a lot by the end of the year.


Get some lined paper, and copy letters on every other line [take your time so they come out good] Make a ton of photocopies, and practice copying the previous line on the next line. Your writing will definitely improve. Also make sure you're holding the pen/pencil in a way that is comfortable for you.


good luck!

[view]

is it bad to think about someone all the time that you cant have and you know that.

No, unless it's affecting your daily life. It takes a long time to get over someone, or for the reality that you can't have them to sink in. Plus, some people have a tendency to want who [or what] they can't have, and there's not really much you can do about that.


Just try to focus on other things/people/shiny objects/ anything that could distract you. You'll move on =]

[view]

is someone a good kisser if they have a strong tounge? [im a girl]

Could go either way. Some people hate kissing with tongue. It's all in the way they kiss, and what each person likes to do. Sort of like being tall doesn't automatically make you a good basketball player. Doesn't mean much at all, really :)

[view]

I'm going to high school next year, What are all the things I need?

It's better to ask here then ask like the secretary when they're not even real students.

Thanks.

Ask someone who took all your classes, or a student from the school at least. They'll know better than us.


ANYWAY. You're gonna want a notebook or binder for each class, plenty of filler paper [if you get binders], pens, pencils [ mechanical are better], whiteout, erasers, etc. You'll also want to get a bag for gym clothes, and throw in an extra pair of socks [trust me, you'll want them someday], deoderant, and body spray or perfume. Being stinky for the entire day sucks, espeically in high school. Get a backpack that's big enough to hold your stuff, but not so big you'll take up the hallway space of three people. NOBODY will like you for that, not even your grade level. If you're taking a class that requires a graphing calculator, wait until school starts to buy one. You may end up using them twice in a year, and buying one won't be worth it until a year or two later. A lot of schools have classroom sets too. Highlighters are fun, too. And lots of pens. Colored ink makes notes less boring. Index cards- good for studying vocabulary, Civil War Battles, math equations, etc. Sharpies, if your school allows them, and mints for after lunch so you don't have to taste mystery meat for all of biology.


OH! Big binders get incredibly annoying, cumbersome, and heavy. So don't think you're saving yourself time by getting a massive binder for all your classes, it'll become a burden. Plus if you drop it, papers'll go flying, people will laugh, and you will be very annoyed with yourself.


Good luck, silly freshman! ;) My inbox is open if you want to know anything else.

[view]

When I play my music, sometimes the album doesn't match the song. It's very confusing and very frustrating. What can I do to fix this?

What program are you using? You probably need to give us more information. But if your only problem is that the song info is wrong, just edit the info for the track and type in the correct album.

[view]

how do you do the laundry? like more specifically?

i know so far:
- separate colors from whites? is there anything else? like reds from greens or w/e?
- bras are put in these net bags so they dont break

and nothing else?

- do you turn the clothes inside out?
- what do you handwash? what materials?

The first time you wask dark jeans, try to wash them seperate, or at least seperate from other jeans you don't want darker. Turn things inside out if they have a design on them & you don't want it fading away as quickly. Also turn sweaters inside out because they won't pill up as quickly that way. Everything else you've got covered. Just don't use bleach for colors! [Color-safe bleach might be a good investment]

[view]

Where did you get the layout you have on your MySpace? I've been looking for one just like it, and it's impossible. I even tried to make one, but the layouts usually sucked.

I used Tom's MySpace Editor [strikefile.com] and did it in two parts- everything but the background in one, the background in another.


For the extended network banner, I used a code from WhateverLife.com. I bet there's the same exact thing at createblog.com. Check there for other things too [like hiding blogs]


So basically, I used a bunch of different codes and mixed them together. BTW, to get all lowecase text, its just a setting under text from Tom's MySpace Editor.

:)

[view]

I was just wondering if anyone knew how much it costs to send a (small) postcard or letter from Argentina to Boston.

My friend is leaving for six weeks and I want to give her money to send me postcards (along with her other friends!)

Thanks, I will rate accordingly :]
-Devon

Go here: [http://ircalc.usps.gov/]


You can figure out international psotage rates to and from ANY country. The page is javascript enabled, I believe, so I couldn't send an exact link, but a large postcard was 41 cents, the same as regular postage for domestic mail. If you're still not sure, ask the person at the post office when you go to mail it. The clerks are actually quite helpful, if you ask nicely [my mom used to work there]


=]

[view]

i'm 15 and my parents won't let me get a nose ring. I don't blame them cus i wouldn' want my kid with one either. but i really do want one. lol sounds really crazy but since i can't get a real one is there a way you can get fake one's that look real?

Yea, you can get clip-on or magnetic ones at Hot Topic, and possibly Piercing Pagoda or Claires. They look pretty realistic, my friend convinced her dad it was a real one- it was hysterical.

=]

[view]

Im 16 and my dad died when i was 8 and my mom recently got married to a guy who used to be in the army. I have two sister and now i have 3 step brothers. He is like way strict and his kids are like perfect angels but me and my sisters have never really been raised that strict and for lack of better words are pretty wild. my mom never really punished us for things and now this guy is trying to control us and take over our lives. What should i do?

I think this guy is just trying to give you some structure and teach you what discipline is. Sit down with your mother & stpedad and set some guidelines. But honestly, I think he's just looking out for you and has your best interests in mind. You may hate him for it now, but you'll realize later that most, if not all, of the rules he's put in place for you were beneficial to you in some way.

[view]

Do you guys know those active updates that pop up on your screen like every five mintues? How do you get rid of them? thankss.

The "updates are complete but your computer must be restarted" messages? Just reboot. They should go away. Happens all the time.

=]

[view]

my parents are so freakin nosy! i always catch them spying or creepin at me and try to catch me doing something. they read my journal and today i was watching tv and i saw my dad peaking around a corner to try and see what i was watching. also every night when im on the computer they always peak there head in and watch me sometimes but i pretend like i dont notice. it really pisses me off! i dont get it..ima good kid!how can i get them to stop doing this and telling them to stop is not an option

Okay. Reading your journal is a bit extreme. Unless they have a reason to suspect anything, they shouldn't be reading it. Hide it better. Under a mattress, in a hollow book, on a bookshelf [one they don't use a lot, obviously] and remember NOT to write anything down that could get anyone else in serious trouble. Trust me... I lost my journal and if anyone reads that, my friends are screwed, big time. So yeah, just hide it. Mine I sometimes hide in the box my lamp came in, or in a drawer. I won't put every place because my parents read this column... haha.


As for checking what you're watching on TV, they're probably just seeing if THEY wanna watch it too. I bet you've done the same thing: Ooh, are they watching a movie? *looks at screen* blahhh, it's the 11'oclock news...


Internet, they're just looking out for you, making sure you're not doing anything wrong. You could be the best-behaved kid in the world, and they're still gonna check up on you. They're just being concerned parents.


So, I wouldn't tell them to stop. Ask them nicely to not read your journal anymore, because you feel like they're going too far without any just cause. [over dinner is a good idea, when they're in a good mood]. If all else fails, get a lock for it and DONT LOSE THE KEY.


good luck =]

[view]

ok, so this is going to sound really nasty, but my heels are completely dry and cracking.no matter how much lotion i put on them,they're still dry. i swim alot so i'm guessing thats the reason, but its just really nasty and i just want my smooth feet back =(

Exfoliate in the shower [with a pumice stone and a footscrub] after your feet are totally damp. Do that a few times a week. If you don't wanna buy a scrub, make one yourself: mix lemon juice and sugar to make a thick paste; you'll need a lot less juice than you think.


Also, moisturize twice daily with a good lotion, like Vaseline Total Moisture or Bath& Body Works. & paint your toenails if you don't already- that'll make your feet cuter & distract anyone closely examining your feet [hopefully that'll only be you, haha] from noticing cracked heels.

=]

[view]

<<< Previous Advice Column
Next Advice Column >>>
eXTReMe Tracker