My parents came from little, so they made a choice to give a lot: buying turkeys for homeless shelters at Thanksgiving, delivering meals to people in hospices, giving spare change to those asking for it.Collection: Thanksgiving
I'm deeply and passionately involved in the design process. I'm a brash American, and if my name is going to be on something, I'm going to have my say.Collection: Design
At the end of the day, if the guy is going to write the girl a letter, whether it's chicken scratch or scribble or looks like a doctor's note, if he takes the time to put pen to paper and not type something, there's something so incredibly romantic and beautiful about that.Collection: Romantic
I'm from L.A., so I'm used to seeing people in sunglasses and flip-flops. There's something so romantic about a man in a scarf and a knitted hat.Collection: Romantic
Traveling gives you some perspective of what the rest of the world is like. I think that having the courage to step out of the norm is the most important thing.Collection: Courage
Some women are able to wake up looking effortlessly chic - as though a bevy of fashion fairies twisted their low-lit locks into a messy chignon while they slept. They choose a frock from their exceptionally curated closet and leave a trail of custom fragrance and perfection in their wake.Collection: Women
Food makes travel so exceptional, because you get to taste what it's actually supposed to taste like. To eat the real Pad Thai or finally have a proper curry is something pretty amazing.Collection: Amazing
Who you are as a person will only be amplified once you are 'famous,' so if you had a good heart, then I would imagine you'll have the same good heart but the means to do even more with it.Collection: Famous
When I was 11, I saw this ad for dish soap powder that said, 'Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.' I was so angry. I couldn't understand why it didn't say men as well.Collection: Women
I've always had a propensity for getting the cursive down pretty well. What it evolved into was my pseudo-waitressing job when I was auditioning. I didn't wait tables. I did calligraphy for the invitations for, like, Robin Thicke and Paula Patton's wedding.Collection: Wedding
I did calligraphy for the invitations for, like, Robin Thicke and Paula Patton's wedding.Collection: Wedding
Catty is not cool. I can't think of anything less becoming than a man who talks about people behind their backs.Collection: Cool
Mom cooked a lot of turkey when I was growing up. Turkey meatloaf, turkey burgers, ground turkey shepherd's pie - my childhood was the Bubba Gump of turkey. You'd think I would be sick of it, but when I find gems like Gwyneth Paltrow's turkey meatball recipe, it's as though the fowl is no longer foul to me.Collection: Mom
Reflecting on where I came from helps me to appreciate and balance what I have now.
Make a choice: continue living your life feeling muddled in this abyss of self-misunderstanding, or you find your identity independent of it. You push for colour-blind casting; you draw your own box. You introduce yourself as who you are, not what colour your parents happen to be.
While my life shifts from refugee camps to red carpets, I choose them both because these worlds can, in fact, coexist. And for me, they must.
I never want to lose touch with reality. I won't push $100 candles just because. I realized that I could create a hub of positivity and affirmation.
I've never wanted to be a lady who lunches - I've always wanted to be a woman who works.
I'm the person friends come to when they want to find the perfect restaurant or boutique hotel on the outskirts of Paris. As opposed to scouring the Internet for a travel guide, wouldn't you rather ask the people who are really cool who go there? That's what I do.
I'm really big on day dates. If you go for a stroll, have a picnic or lunch with a glass of wine - it doesn't get better than that.
With fame comes opportunity, but in my opinion, it also includes responsibility - to advocate and share, to focus less on glass slippers and more on pushing through glass ceilings and, if I'm lucky enough, then to inspire.
The name 'The Tig' comes from a wine called tignanello, and the first time I had a sip of this wine, it was such an 'aha' moment. I finally understood what people were talking about when they spoke about the body, the legs or structure of wine.
I love Nars blush in Orgasm. I use it on and off camera because it gives you a nice glow from within. My favorite mascara is Diorshow Iconic, and then I love the Make Up For Ever HD Powder. It lets your skin look shiny and fresh, but not greasy-shiny.
I'm a sucker for a compliment.
On my face, I use Creme De La Mer The Eye Balm Intense and Tatcha Deep Brightening Serum.
Curl the lashes, concealer under the eyes, blush, ChapStick, and highlight in the inner corner of the eye.
I had always been the theater nerd at Northwestern University. I knew I wanted to do acting, but I hated the idea of being this cliche - a girl from L.A. who decides to be an actress.
I think the biggest part of being a girl boss in the office, at home, or anywhere you go is just knowing your value.
I grew up with that farm-to-table dining before it was sweeping the nation. I do think there's some value to really throwing yourself into food and embracing where it comes from.
I like it when a man puts thought into the kind of restaurant we're going to. That doesn't mean it needs to be fancy - some of the best meals of my life have been having a taco on a street corner.
The one thing that I cannot live without when I'm traveling is a small container of tea tree oil. It's not the most glamorous thing, but if you get a cut, a mosquito bite, a small breakout, no matter what it is, it's my little cure-all. It's inexpensive, it's small enough to carry on, and I bring it with me all the time.
To describe something as being black and white means it is clearly defined. Yet when your ethnicity is black and white, the dichotomy is not that clear. In fact, it creates a grey area.
I will always find my light. No question. And if I don't, I'll know, because my dad will be the first person to call me and say, like, 'You need to have him bring another 2K in,' and 'Why aren't you using this sort of lighting gel?' The crew guys know that it's where I grew up.
Make sure you are safe, and never ever put yourself in a compromising situation, but once that is checked off the list, I think it's really important for us to remember that someone needs us, and that your act of giving/helping/doing can truly become an act of grace once you get out of your head.
I have always loved watermelon and relish any opportunity to eat it, whether plain or diced up with feta and mint and tossed with a little olive oil. It makes me think of summertime. On set and at home, I try to always have a container of watermelon sprinkled with cinnamon because it elevates the flavor just a notch and makes it feel special.
I went to an all-girls' Catholic school for, like, six years during the time when kids actually had handwriting class. I've always had a propensity for getting the cursive down pretty well.
I started working at a soup kitchen in skid row of Los Angeles when I was 13 years old, and the first day, I felt really scared. I was young, and it was rough and raw down there, and though I was with a great volunteer group, I just felt overwhelmed.
Be kind to yourself.
My parents always told me if I believed something was wrong, I should try to fix it.
Put on a sweater and really great sneakers with a big scarf, and you'll look so stylish. For me, they are an everyday essential.
Being 'ethnically ambiguous', as I was pegged in the industry, meant I could audition for virtually any role. Morphing from Latina when I was dressed in red, to African American when in mustard yellow, my closet filled with fashionable frocks to make me look as racially varied as an Eighties Benetton poster.
There is nothing like a hair flip!
I don't sit around thinking about my titles and roles; I just do what feels right.
Kindness is the No. 1 quality I look for in a man. You can see in how he treats anyone - from a CEO to a housekeeper - and it's a reflection of how nice a guy is. Funniness and confidence come after that... When a guy approaches me, it's fantastic if he can make me laugh.
If we treated ourselves as well as we treated our best friend, can you imagine?
Throwing on a black dress with black tights, cute booties, a great coat and throw a scarf over it. I think simple accessories and, if you want to make a pop, a great red lip.
I dream pretty big, but truly had no idea my life could be this awesome. I am the luckiest girl in the world, without question!
I love connecting with the fan base and sharing my experiences.
Definitely working on 'Deal or No Deal' was a learning experience, and it helped me to understand what I would rather be doing.
Every day after school for 10 years, I was on the set of 'Married... with Children,' which is a really funny and perverse place for a little girl in a Catholic school uniform to grow up.