I was 15 on American Idol, and everybody had something to say. It was like I had my really awkward phase on national television, you know?

I want that to be my overall message - that we just need to love each other. We need to love other more.

No matter where you're from, what you've done, who you are, what your family's done, it's like, you cannot be healthy without love.

I don't think that anyone was trying to keep me from writing the first album. It's just when you're on 'American Idol' or a TV show like that, you wanna capitalize on that momentum, and you want to use that to your advantage, obviously, so the best way to do that is to get the music out as fast as possible. And there's no time to create, really.

I just feel like in society and in public, we have this unspoken expectation that we're all trying to meet. And there's so much pressure to try to fit in.

People always ask me who my role models are and who I want to be like, and I don't wanna be like anybody; I wanna be me. I look up to a lot of people, and they have had great influences on me, but I wanna be original and different.

Self-confidence is something I've always lacked in. But finally, at some point, I just decided to be honest.

We all have our things that we go through, and I wanted to be an artist that people could listen to and feel like they're not alone. I want to be empowering.

People would say to me, 'Who do you want to be as an artist?' And I would just look at them because I didn't know.

I got really tired of fighting who I am, and I did that for a really long time; I was trying to be this perfect girl, perfect family, perfect body, and those people aren't real.

My mom married a family friend, and my dad married someone that's eight years older than me, so it was just like, these - like, I literally live a country song, so I had to write one.

I like any song that can tell a story that people can relate to.

My mom would walk through a fire pit for me, and I'd do the same for her.

My first kiss was in 7th grade. It grossed me out. I kind of freaked out!

Some people are willing to betray years of friendship just to get a little bit of the spotlight.

I think a good friend, to me, is all about trust and loyalty. You don't ever want to second-guess whether you can tell your friend something.

There is never just one thing that leads to success for anyone. I feel it always a combination of passion, dedication, hard work, and being in the right place at the right time.

People are just obsessed with other people's lives. I don't know whether it's kind of a way to escape their own, or something to follow... I really couldn't tell you.

Imperfection is relatable.

I'm not a sexy person. I'm OK with it. I've never been the sexy girl. Whenever I've had a boyfriend, he's always been like, 'Oh, you're cute.'

Blogging is a great way to show your talents and interests to prospective employers, while adding an edge to your resume. If you blog consistently it shows your dedication, passions and creativity - all of which are key attributes employers look for in job candidates.

None of my friends call me L.C. That was just a high school nickname, and nobody refers to me like that anymore.

I'm sure a lot of people don't take me seriously.

Listen to advice from people who have been there and done that. It is so hard to believe that when you are young, but parents, mentors, teachers, they can all be so valuable when it comes to advice.

It's very hard to lose someone who's the closest person to you in your life.

I'm into mellow dates with really good food.

When you're writing a book, you don't want it to be overly trendy because you want people to enjoy it for years and refer back to it.

I'm obsessed with the 1920s, everything from the style to the lifestyle. It was a really cool era.

Everyone has that friend who's every day, like, 'I hate my nose, I hate my nose, I hate my nose.' You either need to come to peace with it and be like, alright, I hate it, but it's part of me - or change it. So I'm not against plastic surgery, I'm against plastic surgery when it doesn't really need to be done.

Dating is all about the chase. It's fun!

When you are working really hard and you're really focused on your career, a lot of other things suffer.

Fitness is a luxury when you are busy!

I do most of my shopping online. It's just convenient for me.

Dating in Los Angeles can be hard, which makes it all the better when you meet a really nice guy.

I don't have the best dating track record.

I definitely aspire to be someone like Tyra Banks, who's created an empire for herself.

When you're growing up, you play dress-up - it's a game, it's a pastime. And then as you get older, getting ready and looking nice becomes this constant stress. I want to make it fun again.

I go through phases when I've been filming where I wake up in the middle of the night and I think I'm being filmed.

I make fun of guys when I like them. I act like I'm 10 years old. I do it as a test to see if they can laugh at themselves. If they get sensitive, then it's like, 'Um, this isn't going to work.'

I always wear bronzer because I love the way my skin looks when it's tan.

In Hollywood, you grow up quick.

You have your personal life and you have work life; when it's combined, it's difficult.

When I work with my art department on putting imagery together for my blog posts I always think, 'Would I pin this?' That really helps.

I grew up at the beach and I was always involved in beach clean-ups and caring for my environment.

Being a good observer is a great tool to have as a writer, just taking the world in.

I try to never look back at how I dressed in the first few seasons of 'Laguna Beach' because it was pretty bad... head-to-toe bad.

I don't kiss on the first date. My friends always make fun of me for that! But I will hold hands.

I mean, it's fun to go out and do stuff in Hollywood, but if it was gone tomorrow, I really wouldn't be disappointed.

Dates are always hard. You don't want to be too dressed up or too casual.

One way to stay grounded in the entertainment industry is to surround yourself with very good people that will constantly remind you how uncool you are.