I started out doing musicals.

I started out doing musicals.

For me, writing is 75 percent procrastinating and 25 percent actually sitting down and working.

'It Girl' is supposed to be something that only lasts a certain amount of time. They keep calling me an 'It Girl,' and at this point it makes me laugh, because I've done that so many times: 'You're it;' 'You're not it.' What is 'it?'

'Pastoralia' by George Saunders is one of my favorite novels.

A lot of people work out to be skinny. That's so boring, and it seems like a depressing goal for a modern woman.

Always the aim for me is making people feel like they are not alone. That's just the greatest feeling.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am really into hair. I'm a real girly girl and love doing my hair and experimenting with different styles.

Being an actress can be a little like being a girl in the '50s: You're stuck waiting by the phone, hoping that the boy you like will call.

Certain aspects of my personality are always going to come out on-screen. I guess that's just me - if they say I'm quirky, I'm quirky. It's better than being boring.

Classic Christmas cookies are really time-consuming. Instead, make a bar you can bake in a pan and just cut up, like a brownie or a blondie or a shortbread, which still has that Christmas vibe.

Do your eye shadow first, then your foundation. That way, you can clean up any mess without starting all over again.

Especially in comedies, I think a lot of time the female characters are there to provide a balance for guys.

Every show is unique; some shows have the master plan and have everything figured out and that's just the way they do things. It's like high school. Some people write their papers the second they get their assignments, and some people write it the day after it's due.

Everyone needs a theme song! It should make you feel like a million dollars.

Everyone romanticizes somebody.

For some reason, people look at me and laugh. I don't know why.

From my perspective, probably women are won over by people who are sweet and respectful and courteous and kind and funny. I think those are the things that win women over.

Girls get competitive, as though there's only one spot in the world for everything _ but that's not true. We need to stick together and see there's more to life than pleasing men. It's important not to cut yourself off from female friendships. I think sometimes girls get scared of other girls, but you need each other.

Growing up in Hollywood meant there were a lot of film stars' kids at my school - but no conspicuous wealth. It wasn't cool to show off that you had money.

Humor is a part of spirituality.

I accidentally entered a youth pageant when I was 14. That's like a beauty pageant, but without the beauty. It was terrible.

I always choose roles that are, you know, hopefully different from the last role. I don't wanna do the same thing over and over again because that's, well, first of all that's no fun.

I always wanted to be normal. I tried really hard, but it's like I try so hard and then people still say I'm offbeat. I've learnt to accept that and take advantage of it as an actor.

I am always early to work but sometimes late to other things.

I appreciate a songwriter like Morrissey with so much restraint.

I can't even remember the first time I started singing.

I can't go on Gawker. I actually think the writing is really funny, but there is a chance that somebody is undercutting me.

I did go through this period where girls would be mean and I had a lot of guy friends. But I've found as an adult the importance of having female and male friends.

I did not have a date to the prom. I went to my junior prom alone, and my senior prom, I was doing my first movie. I went in a limousine with, like, a bunch of people to my junior prom. It was a group date.

I don't have control over what's on screen, and that's terrifying.

I don't know why femininity should be associated with weakness. Women should be free to express who they are without thinking, 'I need to act like a man, or I need to tone it down to be successful.' That's a very good way to keep women down.

I don't like business talkers, you know, people who are constantly like, 'Blah blah blah movies.' I find it incredibly boring.

I don't think there are that many awesome roles out there, whether we're talking about movies or TV.

I feel like songwriting is an experiment in empathy.

I feel there are tone singers, and there are more vocal gymnastics singers. And I think that's amazing when people can do that, but I think there's room for the tone singers. And there aren't a lot of them.

I find sadness and strife to be so much more interesting with an upbeat melody.

I get embarrassed a lot of times getting attention, but I like being onstage. Do you know what I mean? If I'm in a crowd of people and they're all looking at me, I will feel embarrassed. It's a strange dichotomy.

I get really insecure because even though I can speak in musician's terms, I don't know as much as real musicians.

I gravitate towards happy music. I love the Beach Boys.

I grew up believing my sister was from the planet Neptune and had been sent down to Earth to kill me.

I grew up believing my sister was from the planet Neptune and had been sent down to Earth to kill me. I believed this because my sister Emily convinced me of it when I was a toddler. I think she'd seen Invasion of the Body Snatchers and her imagination ran away with her. There's a part of me that still believes it.

I hate camping, but I love summer camp.

I have Pro Tools on my computer, and I make CDs all the time.

I have been a harmony enthusiast since I was a child, singing in choir and with friends growing up. I always put a ton of harmonies on my demos.

I have had brown hair and bangs since I was 2. One year I dyed it blonde, which felt so weird.

I just feel like growing up in Los Angeles, you learn, 'Well you're never gonna be the prettiest girl in the room, so just don't even try.' I mean, I care about being pretty, but it's not my most valued thing.

I just like music that sounds like music. Not like machines and computers and things that you design to make things sound slick and perfect.

I just sort of follow my bliss, so to speak, and then I see where that takes me.