Abby

All my life I've worn pretty nondescript clothing - you know, Walmart flare jeans, running shoes, etc. and now I'm 16 and I'm ready for change. I like Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters clothing (however out of place I felt in there) but everything is suuuuper expensive. Are there any brands (online or otherwise) that have clothes mostly under 40 bucks while also being trendy and unique?

Also, since I'm essentially asking you to play dress-up with me, what are some staple clothing items I should have with me? Redesign my wardrobe. Tell me how many of one thing to get. I live in a pretty neutral area (cold winters, hot summers, etc.) and I'm willing to try leggings, dresses, skirts, heels (not too high) etc.

If I had a style at all that I'd like to morph into, it'd probably be between that creepy artist look and something casual and flowy, like boho or something. Thanks in advance.

I love my boyfriend. Tell me who you love and why. It can be anything or anyone... but anyone that doesn't love anything is living a wasted life.

Before you submit an answer, please read this whole message. I am turning 16 in a few months and admittedly are a little young to feel so badly, but I would like a few opinions on my situation and what I should do.

First off, I've been having depressed episodes about every 4 days to a week since around April or so. It typically happened at night, which led me to believe I was just tired or maybe hungry, but now it's happening during the day at places like my boyfriend's house or school. It'll start with a thought, maybe me getting embarrassed or thinking about something, and then it'll hit me all at once... all the terrible thoughts and how much I hate myself. I have trichotillomania (the hair-pulling disorder) and while that has almost gone away and I'm waiting for my eyelashes and eyebrows to go back, this time the thoughts aren't about my appearance. I think about how terrible I am for hurting people, for being a bad person... I cry and nothing can console me. I start to believe every good thing about myself is a lie, and it's really hurting both my relationship with my parents and my boyfriend.

I've felt so terrible that I've considered suicide. I hate pain, and I keep visualizing myself taking pills or finding some way to die to make it stop for good. I don't have many friends, and although I typically like it that way, those thoughts come up and I start to hate myself even more for not having enough people that care about me. But the weird thing is that that way of thinking completely disappears after a while. I'll just feel like something snapped or changed inside my head and I'll stop crying and it'll be all right. Right now I feel great. But it's almost like it builds up, like after 5-6 days and it hasn't happened I'll feel irritable and... full. But this isn't a release of emotion... this is hell. And I wonder how I ever could have thought those things or experienced that... I know I'm the same person, but I feel like it's the Jekyll to my Hyde.

My mom has decided to take us to a doctor (a regular doctor, just because I haven't seen one in a while) and we're going to talk about it. I already went to a therapist for the trich, so I know what the first visit is like... and he or she will tell my parents to leave and ask if I've thought about suicide.

Now here's the kicker. I hate pain. I would avoid it at all costs. And typically the thoughts go away and I kind of know in my heart I couldn't make myself die. I love my boyfriend so much, he's been there since before this has happened and he swears to be there until the end. To be honest, I've treated him so badly during one of my episodes that if he can take that, he can take anything. But that's beside the point... I know I wouldn't do it, but I'm still afraid for myself.

I will probably be seeing a counselor in the future, regardless. And I don't know if I should mention suicide. It would disappoint my parents so much... and their disappointment in me led to the trichotillomania in the first place, and all the shame and low self-esteem... I just wonder if it's worth it. I know most people will probably say to tell, but I want to know why and what will happen as a result of me telling if I decide to do it.

(Before anyone says anything about Christ and all that, I am honor student atheist who couldn't believe in a god if I tried. No offense, but it being a sin and all isn't going to do squat in my decision.)

not that this is happening, I'm just wondering what people generally think about it and if it happened to them. i suppose my main question is... would the tightness of anal generally trump vaginal sex from then on out?

I've recently decided that I do not believe in God... but a lot of people at my school (I'm a sophomore) make a big point of saying "I am a Jesus freak" and reciting Bible verses, though it's not a private or religious school. I suppose I don't want to keep to myself about my non-faith the rest of my school years, but I just want to be honest with everyone, whether they ask about my faith or not, since they seem to do the same with theirs. To me, announcing atheism always seemed very pompous, but I don't want people to think that I'm Christian either and giving me all these verses and whatnot. I just wonder if this is a good idea.

I haven't told my parents either, and like I said, I just keep feeling that telling seems very elitist or something, though it's not something I want to keep hidden until after high school either. I'm just confused. Most of the people that are atheist aren't very open about it either.

I have no problem with anyone, I just don't know when it's appropriate to tell that I don't believe, I guess.

Hi, I'm 15 and a female. Every few weeks (completely unrelated to my "time of the month") I've been having these unexplained depressed episodes. I'll get very quiet and unexplainably sad for about a few hours that day, crying and generally feeling like a terrible person... I've contemplated suicide a few times but I know I could never make myself do anything to that scale. I understand depression is seemingly constant, but the really bad parts only happen for maybe 3-4 hours in a day. The rest of the time between these days I am just generally surviving - not good or bad but just existing from day to day. I don't do well with people, and when I get in these depressive episodes, I begin to hate myself and people in general, especially the idiots I call my friends and go to school with. I see right through their words to their intent, which makes me question my own actions and how they are perceived... how people perceive me in general. It's all very confusing, but I'd really like it to stop so I can at least keep these thoughts at bay. Between the episodes I don't normally think about the things that I do when this happens, so I know it's not just a case of bad friends. I also have several self-esteem issues due to trichotillomania, which I went to therapy for a few years ago, but nothing ever changed... I'd really like to know if I should go see someone and perhaps get medication... I don't think I could deal with a crazy Christian shrink who would talk down to me like that again. Please and thanks.

some people say i'm pretty and some don't, so what do you think?

http://sound-dispute.deviantart.com/art/untitled-1...

i put a picture of me with no expression because this is how i look normally, i guess. no exaggerations.

we're in 9th grade. my boyfriend is in the same grade as me, but the guy i like is a junior (not a popular junior, he's kind of shunned, i guess...) but i already say 'i love you" and stuff to my current boyfriend, and since he was my best friend for 2 years before we started dating, i definitely do not want to hurt him. i care about him just as much, but in a different way. he's also my first kiss.

are there any ways that i could let him down easy? i was thinking i would say that i still love him, but back to a friend way... or maybe suggest a break. we're going a little fast anyway... i thought i loved him but i guess i don't really know what love is. or can you love more than one person? i get that really giddy feeling around the other guy, but i feel comfortable around my current boyfriend more than anything else.

I guess I want to talk a little dirty to him - no, we haven't done anything but go to second base. I haven't seen him since Friday and we didn't have a lot of alone time at my house... He's lying in bed watching a movie right now. What should I say?

Just, anything. I'm really into progressive rock and metal, but I'm kind of tired of angry, driven music. My favorite band is Led Zeppelin (even though I really don't like a lot of classic rock), and I really like Pearl Jam's style, as well as some Pink Floyd and Dream Theater...

Please note that I really don't like bands like Fall Out Boy or All-American Rejects, I know they're considered rock, but it's too... well, all those bands sound the same o_0 I've tried listening to them before and I just didn't care for them.

I'm not really into screamo, country, pop, hair metal (all the 80s distortion is a little much), or rap/hip-hop, but I like jazz and electronica/techno. Any singer-songwriters that are great would also be helpful.

If you have any rock or metal suggestions, I'll take those as well :) Please and thanks, guys. I'll take a look at all suggestions.

i wasn't initially attracted to him, but he's being really obvious he likes me and i guess i'm ok with that, but i can't tell if i like him now or not. i miss him when he's not around and always wonder where he is or what he's doing, and we text or talk almost every day, but it's kind of like when i'm around him, i wonder how we could be anything but friends. but there have been moments that make me feel... proud of him? protective, etc. ... but i dont think i'd want him to have a girlfriend if it wasn't me.

i sound really unfair, probably, but sometimes i feel kind of like when we're near each other there's this tension (like electricity, whatever), and i feel good when he looks at me, and even though he's not the best looking guy around and we don't have a lot of the same interests, i'm just completely 100% comfortable around him and like being with him and feel good that he's near. so i guess the question is, is it possible to date someone and THEN have feelings for them?

i'm not really looking to paint it, just replace my desk and move things around. but i'm interested in taking what i have and making it look different... any little cute ideas? things i could hang, ways to do my closet, interesting things? i have stuff taped ALL over my walls, so posters or anything wouldn't help (i have no more room... i like things cozy, like i'm boxed in, and all of the things on my walls help me feel secure, i think). i'm looking to add useful things to my room and not just little decorative crap pieces. my room's very colorful and bright with aqua walls.

I always seem to put on too much eyeliner. I have blue eyes with very few bottom lashes. Any hints?

i had some kind of psychological disease a few years ago (i wont get into it) but it affected my physical appearance as well as my self-esteem.... like, i'm ok with who i am today, but when all the older people are like "oh you are SOOOO gorgeous" yet none of the guys at school hang around me (which, in a way, i'm grateful for), i'm just a little confused sometimes. i'd like to know where i stand, is what i mean.

this was from a few months ago...

http://s882.photobucket.com/albums/ac30/chr0matica...

current.

http://s882.photobucket.com/albums/ac30/chr0matica...

i'm crosseyed here on purpose.

http://s882.photobucket.com/albums/ac30/chr0matica...

http://s882.photobucket.com/albums/ac30/chr0matica...

um, thanks, if i get any compliments. i guess i just need to hear some good things, everybody does every once in a while :)

well, i like this guy... and he seems like my type. you know, artist, not necessarily popular, listens to the music i do, etc. (this really isn't important).... so on one of the first days that i talked to him, i told him some insecurities i had (i guess he's just easy to talk to) and he said he had some too, so we just kind of talked, and i was like "well, i never really take chances anymore" and he agreed and said "yeah, i don't really speak out anymore..."

well, i want to know if he likes me (he looks at me a lot and gives me hugs and stuff, which is surprising because he said he wasn't that open, and he doesn't do it to any other girls), but i can't really tell, because if he's anything like me, then it'll be really hard to read him. he said he doesn't take chances... so he won't be all over me like other guys are with the girls they like. he doesn't sit with me at lunch or approach me hardly at all (except in my last pd of the day, he sits behind me and we talk all the time), and i know that i would personally feel like an idiot if i pretty much threw myself at him, so...

are there any SUPER telltale signs that i could use to know if he feels the same way? (don't say "ask him," i might later, but i just want to be sure...)

My ipod classic (not even 3 months old) was stolen a few days ago. Since it's nearing Christmas, a few of my relatives are planning on getting me iTunes gift cards as always. I looked it up and it said that Apple Store gift cards can be redeemed as Music Store gift cards, but I was wondering, does it work both ways? Could I redeem my iTunes Store gift cards for an Apple Store gift card?

I still owe my parents about $100 for the old ipod, since the one before THAT was also stolen as well and I had to buy my own. Just looking for a loophole :)

... and you both still liked each other at the end of the school year (last year) and was making it totally obvious you were in love with her, but over the summer he tried to ask out 4 different girls (who all said no), and recently went out with a junior but broke up after a week because of "commitment problems", and then find out that the girl you liked for nearly 8 months last year likes you again...

... would you still like her?

yeah, a stretch, i know. but i also had a boyfriend who was all lovey-dovey this past month and my ex definitely saw him with me multiple times, but i still really liked my ex more than the boyfriend...

Sabe Manolo llegar al Bazar? Segun Manolo, por que?

sorry, no accents...

I'm confused as to how to tell what a question is asking when there is no question word (i.e. que, donde, etc.) All of these I have to do can't be true or false questions... and I know that in Spanish, you can pretty much rearrange the sentence to have the verb OR subject first, but it's kind of hard to figure out. I'm in Spanish II, by the way.

The ones I don't understand are as follows (without accents, sorry, hope they're implied for the most part). These all pertain to a movie we watched, so don't worry about what it means.

Como van a llegar Ramon y Manolo a San Angel? Por que?

Tienen problemas los dos chicos en llegar al Bazar San Angel? Que les pasa?

Help would be appreciated, please and thanks :)