Blog Posts by Refinery29

By Gina Marinelli, Refinery29

It's an age-old question: How do we measure success? One person's New York Times best seller is another's Emmy Award, is another's launch of their own website, is another's night at home with their family. But no matter what definition you adhere to, we can all use a little inspiration to get moving in the right direction.

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So, we did a little reaching for the stars ourselves and spoke directly with influencers who don't need much of an introduction at all. We don't mean to name drop (okay, actually we do), but if you are looking to launch the next Nasty Gal, produce the next Girls, or be the Next Big Thing, these folks can tell you exactly what it takes. Read on and let your inspiration soar.

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By Jen Larsen, Refinery29

Jen Larsen is a fiercely real, funny, and honest writer. In her new book, Stranger Here: How Weight-Loss Surgery Transformed My Body and Messed with My Head, she explains how losing 180 pounds and getting skinny wasn't all she thought it would be. Here, in an essay for R29, she explains what it's like to live through surgery - with unexpected results.

The doctor said, "It'll be nice to be able to walk down the aisle of an airplane, right? To fit down the aisle, and to not see that look of horror when someone sees you coming."

He said that because I weighed 300 pounds. He said that because he thought that all I wanted in life was to not be that creeping horror, shuffling sideways to the back of the plane, trying not to make eye contact with anyone because I didn't want to see their relief when I passed by. Trying not to make eye contact with the person in my row because I didn't want to see horror, and I really didn't want to see pity, and I

By Rebecca Taras, Refinery29

With all the attention you're focusing into curating a fabulous, new spring wardrobe, it's easy for the jewelry component to fall to the wayside - especially if you are on a budget. Even so, there's still a way you can add a little bling to your ensemble without breaking the band. We're talking about the bracelet, the ultimate go-to accessory that won't conflict with spring's on-trend patterns - or tricky necklines.

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And, why stop at one? We've found 10 $25-and-under finds guaranteed to put the finishing touch on any ensemble. Low on cost yet high on style? Now that's what we call money well spent.

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By Lexi Nisita, Refinery29

Remember back in your freshest youth when who's holding who's hand at the dance seemed like the most important thing in the world? Well, your overly dramatic emotions may have been on to something.

Because there is a study for everything these days, the University of Georgia looked into the correlation between the frequency of dating among middle schoolers and their later habits regarding drug use, study skills, and drop-out rates. Over 600 students were followed for seven years, through the end of high school, and found "distinct trajectories." The study's author explained that "some students never or hardly ever reported dating from middle to high school, and these students had consistently the best study skills according to their teachers. Other students dated infrequently in middle school but increased the frequency of dating in high school. We also saw a large number of students who reported dating since sixth grade."

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By Leila Brillson, Refinery29

.Here's how it goes at SXSW: You go and see a myriad of smaller, buzzier bands all week, wait in line for showcases (which often feature the same 20-25 of said bands), and come Saturday, some secret, mind-blowing show appears and everyone goes nuts. Two years ago, Kanye showed up with Jay-Z, last year it was Eminem, and two nights ago, it was The Purple One. Yes, Prince played a tiny (for him, at least) venue in support of Samsung, that lasted until 3 a.m. And not only did we get to see it, but we lived to tell about it, too.

With such large corporate participation in SXSW now, companies have engaged in a pretty massive practice of one-upery: Doritos built an enormous vending machine, MySpace flew out Justin Timberlake, but Samsung may have taken the cake by sending Prince fans on a city-wide scavenger hunt to win tickets to the Saturday night show. Anyone with a Galaxy had to search out "TecTiles" to unlock awards - and all 11 sent you to see Prince. (The

By Nicole Catanese, Refinery29

.Deficient is not a word we like to hear used to describe us. Unfortunately, that's what most of us are - in vitamin D, that is. It's estimated that three out of four Americans are D-deficient. Yet, how to get the needed vitamin - and exactly how much of it - is up for debate. That's why we scoped out the true lowdown on D.

"Although our body doesn't make vitamin D on its own, it does create the precursor to it, referred to as vitamin D2," says Jeffrey Morrison, M.D., founder of The Morrison Center in New York City. "Then, when we get ultraviolet exposure, that precursor is converted to the active form of vitamin D, which is vitamin D3."

Morrison says that low vitamin D levels can cause some autoimmune-related diseases such as fibromyalgia as well as seborrheic dermatitis. And, studies show that pregnant women who had low D put their children at risk for asthma and type-1 diabetes. Plus, low D has been linked to an increase in seasonal affective disorder

By Hayden Manders, Refinery29

Maybe you haven't heard, but a bunch of Hollywood's good girls are going bad. First Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens kiss their innocent Disney personalities goodbye with each DayGlo bikini donned in Spring Breakers. Next we'll catch Emma Watson of Harry Potter stardom leading a pack of fame-obsessed celebrity larcenists in Sofia Coppola's highly anticipated film, The Bling Ring. Now it seems that a once-popular rumor about the very same Ms. Watson may actually be true.

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While it hasn't been confirmed by Watson, her agent, or the movie studio, the infamous hacker collective known as Anonymous has some pretty solid proof that the star will take on the role of Anastasia Steele in the upcoming Fifty Shades Of Grey movie. The group reports they found files containing evidence she'll play the film's BDSM submissive lead after tapping into German movie studio Constantin's database. In

By Emily London, Refinery29

This just in: Kate Middleton and Prince William are moving to Norfolk. And (obviously) not just anywhere, but a 10-bedroom property named Anmer Hall, on the Queen's Sandringham Estate.

It's true that all growing families need space, especially with the arrival of a first child. But what may be slightly different for this family set-up is the reported renovation work taking place on a wood store to be turned into accommodation for the couple's police guards. Not quite the kitchen extension some of us face.

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What is also telling about the change of location and home decoration is the focus on privacy; the main gates have been rerouted, as has the driveway. The couple is currently ensconced in a rented farmhouse in Anglesey in Wales where the Prince works as a RAF search-and-rescue pilot. We hope they can enjoy the time they have left as a twosome without the stresses and strains a house