rebellebytes

[rebellebytes]

Anxiety.

Okay, this one's about anxiety. I KNOW this is a really common feeling, but...how much life experience do I have to collect before I can stop waiting for the other shoe to drop when something good happens to me?! I'd do anything to known the secret to turning that particularly crazy off in my head.

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Plug in to the Outlet

I have found some of my most exhilarating moments of self-expression and self-knowledge while writing songs and singing. That's my favorite creative outlet. I've always known that music is my thing but I was a little shy about doing something that is so public. You can't practice singing without anyone hearing you! And living in an NYC apartment you KNOW the next-door neighbor is enjoying the listening session! But I got over it and now, to some degree, music keeps me sane. There's no way to know exactly what the perfect outlet is for you to express yourself unless you try a whole bunch of things. Eventually something will click. Maybe you're the next Annie Liebowitz or Sarah Silverman? Who knows? You won't until you try, fail, try again, and finally hit on what makes you feel most like YOU. If it feels good, go with it!

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Moroccan Oil Curl Cream

 During the summer I love to embrace my natural wavy hair. Why torture myself in the heat by pointing a blazing hot dryer at myself? I add Moroccan Oil Curl cream to my hair when it’s wet to add definition, tone down frizz and add shine. It's the best way to get that beach wavy hair and still be able to run my fingers through it!

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I'm trying to prioritize myself without being a jerk and ignoring other people's needs. Difficult trick to pull off right? Growing up, I always felt an overwhelming obligation to other people, so much so that I had forgotten about myself, and MY needs. Now that I'm an adult, I can acknowledge that obligation doesn't exist unless I want it to. But I struggle- all the time with pleasing other people. Why is that?   

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Same stages different ages....

Like everyone else in their twenties, I'm always wondering what I'll be when I "grow up". I'm a model and speaker now, but what do I want to be five years from now? Do I want to grow my music career? Do I want to teach? Thinking about this makes me a little panicky sometimes because I'm terrified of making the wrong choice or coming up with the wrong answer! When I tell my mom or any other women who are older than me about this they either laugh, shake their heads or some combination of the two. Apparently, this wondering doesn't go away. Everyone is always wondering what their next reinvention should be and if they can do it or not. One of my mom’s friends said that she expects to do a total life overhaul every five years. If it doesn't happen, that's fine. But when she's feeling restless it doesn't take her by surprise anymore. Do you have an idea of what your different stages might be? I'm working on my new five-year plan now. Tell me what yours is!

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Artistic Flair:

A really good friend of mine introduced me to the book THE ARTISTS WAY http://www.amazon.com/The-Artists-Way-Julia-Cameron/dp/1585421464It's an amazing guide to tapping into your inner voice, the core of who you are, whether you want to be a professional artist or just get in touch with yourself. Whether you want to paint, sing, write, or be a lawyer doesn't matter; what matters is that you're opening yourself up to a new way of expressing yourself. When that happened, you'll be shocked at what you have to say that you've never known was ready to come out of you! It’s my personal go-to guide. Whenever I feel disconnected: from myself, from the world, it's the perfect tool I use to get back on track.

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A glint in your eye:

A sparkle in your baby blues doesn't always have to come from a great idea or a naughty thought. When I'm looking for a dash of glam, I go nuts with URBAN DECAY'S HEAVY METAL glitter eyeliners. They come in lots of colors but I love the teal (Stagedive) and gold (Baked) ones; they just happen to work with my eyes and skin colors. But there are enough colors for everyone of every complexion and are impossible not to play with and when wearing it it's impossible to not get noticed! Even straight men will compliment me and that is saying a lot. I get different effects putting it on the inner corners, outer corners and lower lash lines of my eyes- anything goes really! Have some fun with it! When I wear them during the day I feel like a little kid doing sparkly princess make up. At night, I add the glitter to smoky eyes and am instantly a disco queen. Get creative and send me pics! I like the nightlife, I got to boogie!

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My hair gets very tangly after washing it, so I use a blob (about the size of a quarter) of Moroccan oil in my hair.  It softens, defrizzes, detangles and smells AMAZING!

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I was 10 years old....

My mother is a labor and delivery nurse and works around beautiful inspirational women all the time. She’s friends with this one nurse in particular who has a 10 year old daughter. Her daughter came home from school one day crying because she felt like her stomach was too fat and that everyone was teasing her about it. The mother pulled out the picture of me from Glamour magazine and showed her my own “perfectly imperfect” stomach. She told my mom that her daughters eyes immediately lit up and she smiled and said “She has a stomach like mine, and she’s so beautiful!” And her mom reassured her that she was beautiful too. Wow, I remember when I was 10 years old I was still wearing my Jelly shoes, baggy T-shirts , and spandex shorts. I had NO concept of fashion, or body/self image, I was just a 10 year old girl running around and playing. At 10 years old girls should not be worrying about whether they’re fat or not! This is absolutely crazy! 10 year olds should just be able to be 10 year olds! Playing and being children. I was so unbelievably happy to hear that my picture was able to turn this girls day around and hopefully her self perception! #CurvyClique

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Stand Up For Your Loved Ones!

I get messages from all around the world and each one definitely strikes a chord within me. They write me these beautiful and sometimes heart wrenching stories about their lives and struggles. They say I inspire them when in reality their love and support has inspired ME and helped me accept myself as well, it’s a beautiful catch 22! One of the stories in particular stood out to me. I had a man write me saying that he’s been with his girlfriend for years and she has always struggled with her body image. He would constantly tell her she’s beautiful, that he finds her sexy in every way but she never believed him. The images this woman was fed from a young age as to “what is beautiful”  ended up warping her own self image in a very bad way. He was writing to thank me because when his girlfriend saw my picture in a magazine she finally believed that she can be sexy and beautiful. Seeing another woman who looks like her liberated her to feel like she’s not alone, because she’s NOT! And her boyfriend (and MANY men) love women with curves, love women of all sizes! I thought it was so sweet that this man cared so much for his girlfriends mental well being to write me and thank me. We all could use a little more of that in our lives....Stand Up For Your Loved Ones! #CurvyClique

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#CURVYCLIQUE

Welcome to the #CurvyClique! I always think of that Kanye West, Jay-Z song “Ain’t nobody messin’ with my Clique-clique-clique.”  A while back I decided to create my Curvy Clique, a community of people that gather together to lift and inspire one another. I’ve been on a personal journey developing myself as a woman from the inside out and it’s been quite the adventure! I figure if I’m going through these emotions, personal, and physical developments, then other people must be too. The only way I’ve been able to survive this roller coaster of personal and physical growth is with a community of family and friends. But what if you don’t have a supportive community of family and friends? That’s where #CurvyClique comes in. Curvy Clique is not just a community, but more of a family of Hopeful Hearts that want the best for themselves physically and emotionally. The relationship we have with ourselves influences every aspect of our outside lives, especially our relationship with others. Through personal growth and development with body image, improving the relationship with oneself, we allow ourselves to be open to the positivity the universe brings. No negativity allowed! The world has enough haters in it, and even worse we all have our own “inner hater” we have to deal with on a day to day basis. It’s time to talk about the frustration people have with the media’s, and the world’s unrealistic expectations of beauty and the effects it has on us all!  Women AND Men! Every person has curves; some are smaller and some are bigger. EVERYONE is welcome into the #CurvyClique because as humans we all basically want the same thing: to feel accepted, loved, and to be a part of a compassionate community. 

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REBELLE BYTES TV: Danielle van Grondelle

Lizze Miller's interview with plus size model Danielle van Grondelle

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First Boy Bytes

Greggy Come Lately -lead singer of great band Bushwick Hotel will join us next month ... Stay tune.

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RE:BELLE BYTES TV: DENISE BIDOT

Lizzie Miller’s interview with plus size model Denise Bidot

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ORDERLY MIND

There are SO many ways to find your way to a healthier way of thinking about yourself and the world around you, it all starts within you. We always wait for our environment and people within it to tell us how to act, how to feel etc. But it’s totally backwards! It starts within YOU. Sometimes that’s hard because our whole lives we’re told what we think/feel is wrong, so it makes us questions ourselves. I challenge you to find YOUR identity-not who your parents think you should be, how your teachers tell you to act etc. , how your boyfriend (or girlfriend) wants you to act , but how YOU truly feel. We all think we know how we feel but do we? Our minds and spirits are such complicated things that it’s okay to need help and guidance in this department. I know I do! We don’t have all the answers, and that’s okay! If you’re really feeling lost and in need of guidance out of depression and/or anxiety, seeing a licensed therapist or psychiatrist can be a wonderful starting point. And no, therapy isn’t just for “crazies” or people with severe issues, I think everyone should see a therapist! The human mind is a complicated thing to try to figure out, so why not have some help and guidance with it! I love this article on the blog XOJANE that talks you through how to find a therapist on your own.  It’s really down to earth and simple. http://www.xojane.com/healthy/how-to-find-good-therapist There are other things you can do on your own that help you to know yourself better and, as a result, make better life choices for you specifically. Better life choices, once you give them a chance to take effect, always seem to lead to greater happiness and fulfillment, they do for me, I hope they do for you!

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CALIFORNIA GIRL

This Beach Bum loves her fun in the sun, but I also know that too much of anything is usually not good.  But I’m a Cali girl and will probably never get the idea that sexy beauty includes a tan out of my head, but how can you blame me?  It’s where I’m from! I’ve learned that it’s ALL about balance; some sun does give you that healthy glow and is even good for your body as it gives you much-needed vitamin D. But on the other hand, you don’t want to turn into a “Tanorexic” and overdo it, your skin will NOT be very happy with you! And burns= sun damage! So how does a California girl living in New York keep her California glow and stay healthy at the same time?  I love using JERGENS NATURAL GLOW LOTION almost every day.  It is definitely a staple in my life.  I get that golden glow I’m looking for without worrying about skin damage.