Today is day 5 of my master cleanse detox and I feel wonderful. I’ve never gone on a complete no food/drink fast before, and quite frankly I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through. But I did. And it feels amazing. Aside from the 8 pounds I lost so far, my skin is noticeably clearer, almost glowing, my mind has never been more focused, and substances such caffeine, nicotine and the chemicals found in food are so far from my mind and body that I feel almost immortal— like I’m in some kind of trance-like elated state. Oh and my king arrives in 48 hours so that probably contributes to my euphoric state at the moment. :)

I AM ADDICTED TO FURNITURE SHOPPING.

As the holiday season is upon us, I feel there is not a more appropriate time to be thankful for all the wonderful things that I have been blessed with, and more importantly, the amazing people in my life that have been supportive of me and have helped me grow in many ways. Needless to say, my Thanksgiving really kicked off this holiday season in the best way I could imagine. It was truly heartwarming to spend this holiday back home with all the people that I love and be reminded of the things that I am most grateful for this year.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I am drawn to most in a man (or people in general actually), and I came up with this list:

1. Sense of humor. Seriously— nothing makes my heart flutter more than when a man is confident enough with himself to be silly with me and play along with my jokes and my 80 pretend personalities. The more out of the ordinary you are the better (because I can assure you I am worse).

2. Wisdom. I like a man who is experienced and has a plethora of stories to tell. This is probably because I am young and inexperienced, and I always like being around people that I can gain knowledge from.

3. Passion.  I am drawn to people who are passionate about what they do and aren’t afraid to show it.

4. Ambition. This is probably my number one quality in myself, so fittingly I am drawn to men that have goals and dreams and are taking the steps to make them happen.

5. Mannerism. NOTHING is a bigger turn-off to me than someone that lacks manners. It just makes me think, did your parents raise you this way? Don’t get me wrong, I’m ALL about a man that behaves like a man… I’m just talking about simple rules of society that I feel everyone should abide by (saying please, thank you, keeping the door open for the person behind you…etc. And this applies to all people, not just men).

I guess that’s it for now (because I have to get back to work and my boss thinks I’m working on a press release instead of updating my personal blog)— if you’re my friend chances are you have all these qualities already and that’s why I love having you in my life. —CB

There is nothing more unappealing to me than someone who is constantly exuding negativity. It’s one thing to be having a bad day, but it’s another to always be in a foul mood. What really irks me is when people take my genuine warm heartedness and bubbly personality as naivety. For example, someone today was ranting about how anyone could ever miss LA. I smiled and commented, “I love LA,” and he retorted back, “well you haven’t been here that long.” First of all, I didn’t move to LA yesterday—I’ve lived here for four months now. Secondly, what makes him think that I am incapable of dertermining what I like and don’t like? It’s one thing to have a different opinion than me, but please do not belittle me. People are so quick to judge sometimes, and to me it is a reflection of their character. Those who judge the most are those with the lowest self esteem. I’m sorry you aren’t happy with the way your life turned out, but mine is turning out FANTASTIC so please keep your negative thoughts and opinions to yourself thank you :)

It’s what we should all strive for.

Sometimes when we get too caught up on one thing we become oblivious to the other beautiful things around us. Most of us seldom take the time to sit down, take a deep breathe and truly appreciate all the things that we have been blessed with. Far too often we tend to take for granted the things that we have most to thank for and instead focus on the negative aspects of our lives and how our lives could be better if things were a certain way. But do we ever consider the possibility that things could actually be worse? I constantly find myself guilty of this inability to be satisfied with what I already have and my relentless desire for more. When we are given something we often feel that we are entitled to it, whereas in reality most of the things we possess in life are privileges and luxuries. My life is a perfect example of this; I am blessed with parents that from the moment I took my first breath to this very day have pampered me in luxury and supported me emotionally and unconditionally in every way. I’ve always had the mindset that the luxuries that they have provided me—the car, the apartment, the clothes, the shoes, the designer handbags, the extravagant lifestyle, are because I deserve it. But now I’m coming to realize that I’m not entitled to any of this— I’m 22 years old and my parents are under no obligation to continue holding my hand. So I guess the point I’m trying to make is, we all need to be more grateful for the things and people that we have often taken for granted, because one day they might not be there.

I’ve been living in LA for almost four months now, yet I still find myself awestruck by the true beauty and possibilities of this city. Unlike anywhere I’ve lived before, LA instills in me a sense of belonging to something with a greater purpose. LA isn’t the place you come to just hang out at the park and get drunk. It’s the place you come when you realize that life serves a far more meaningful purpose when you are productive and working towards achieving the success that you’ve always dreamt of. I’m not talking about just having goals—I’m talking about taking the actual steps to achieving them. From the moment I wake up when the sky is still dark to the time I crawl into bed at night, I find myself overwhelmed with an inexplicable feeling of joy and gratitude to be living in the city where dreams become reality.