Sweet Little Lies Q&A with Lauren Conrad

HarperTeen (one of my favorite publishers ever) set me up with an exclusive Q&A with Lauren Conrad for the release of her brand new follow-up novel, Sweet Little Lies. As a longtime fan of The Hills and a fellow former Teen Vogue intern, I can't possibly be more thrilled to get my hands on her L.A. Candy sequel.

Jane‘s love life is complicated. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given about dating?

You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince. Dating isn't just about figuring out what kind of person you want to be with, but also deciding what kind of guy you want to avoid the next time around.

Everyone has an opinion about who Jane should date. Do you ever try to set your friends up?

I have tried to set a couple of my friends up, but I have a pretty low success rate so far. I think that a set-up puts pressure on both people and it can feel a little forced. I think it's best to meet someone when you're not looking and less likely to settle.

What’s the most unique/funniest gift you’ve ever been given for Valentine’s Day?

I'm not really a Valentine's Day person, or much of a romantic at all. I don't really like getting flowers or cheesy gestures. Last Valentine's Day I had insisted that I didn't want to do anything special. No flowers, candy, or reservations at an overcrowded restaurant—just takeout and a movie. My boyfriend showed up with a single rose and called it "insurance" just in case I was just trying to be cool about Valentine's Day. I thought that it was sweet.

It doesn’t get quite as cold in southern California as it does in other parts of the country, but what’s your favorite winterwear and why?

Big, soft sweaters. If you get a loose knit one, they aren't too warm but they are so cozy.

During the winter do you ever hit the slopes, or do you stick to sandy beaches?

I usually migrate south of the border to Mexico. I occasionally take a snowy trip, but if I do, I don't spend much time outside.

Read more about HarperTeen's 28 Days of Winter Escapes book giveaway here!

Bookworm

In addition to the patterned tights that have been making my heart go pitter-patter, Anthropologie has the bookworm side of me absolutely giddy. Many of the boutique's fabulous books would make fine additions to my bookshelf which, at the moment, is a haphazard mix of young adult novels (Gossip Girl, Violet On the Runway) and classic literature (The Portable Dorothy Parker, The Beautiful and The Damned)

The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: advice for living like a lady from the most influential womenswear designer of all time.
I Know How To Cook: 945 glorious pages of the most fabulous French recipes, finally printed in English and bound with this adorable new cover.
Taschen's New York: the best of the Big Apple, from "the elegant new Bowery Hotel, in Manhattan's latest it-neighborhood, the Lower East Side" to "cranberry muffins from the City Bakery at Union Square" to "second-hand designer clothes at Fisch for the Hip."
My World of Fashion: created by a fashion illustrator, this book would be a perfect gift for budding fashionistas and style connoisseurs alike. My kind of coloring book!

What book is on your nightstand at the moment? I just finished Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's and it was marvelous.

When I Grow Up

Yesterday I popped into Barnes and Noble to pick up the latest--and last--issue of my beloved Cookie Magazine. While I was there, I snagged a copy of The Teen Vogue Handbook, which just hit bookshelves this week.

I felt it was ironic, in the most heart-wrenching way, to buy a book about breaking into the magazine industry days after several hundred people were let go from their jobs in the same business. Equally heart-wrenching is that I am currently signing up for my last-semester journalism classes and that graduation is looming over my head like a bad dream. It's hard to feel happy about earning a degree in a field with so few jobs.

While perusing Jen Loves Kev last night, I thought, "Maybe I should be a teacher!" Jen loves teaching, my mom loves teaching, why I shouldn't I? The jobs are plentiful. The salaries aren't, but I would be making around the same as a struggling journalist.

Too bad I really don't like kids, I really don't have patience, and I really don't want to give up on my big city dream before it has even begun.

I have already dog-earred and highlighted this passage in the Handbook: as Teen Vogue fashion writer Evonne Gambrell says, "I believe the right job will find you."

A Teen Girl's Guide to the Good Life

Ever since I was a little girl, I've had a fondness for fashion books. Okay, so truth be told, I've always had a fondness for fashion in general, but seeing a shelf full of style tombs is almost as fulfilling as seeing a closet full of clothes.

Almost.

I collected titles like Cynthia Rowley's Swell, Kate Spade's Style, and Lucky Magazine's Shopping Manual in junior high. Like a thirteen year old needs a guide to "the good life?" This is the latest must-have addition to my overflowing collection. I can't think of a better time to read a book touting a subtitle of "an insider's guide to a career in fashion" than my senior year of college.

Bookworm

I have sadly read fewer than five books for pleasure this school year, and yet this is what I'm heaving home for the summer. Summer vacation is only one day in, and I have already completed what must be my new favorite novel.

Breakfast at Tiffany's is a gem of a movie, but the book? Completely superior. As much as I adore Audrey Hepburn, Truman Capote is an extraordinary wordsmith who creates the most charmingly complex Holly Golightly ever.

If you haven't read it, you must. It's short, it's sweet, and it's like a 1940s Gossip Girl.

Such An Airhead

Growing up, I literally wanted to be Mia Thermopolous. She was adorable and awkward and, best of all, a princess. I read each and every one of the books with enthusiasm akin to reading Vogue now. I even had my very own "princess diary," a very glamorous daily planner that allowed to even further pretend that I was indeed a princess. Not that I needed any extra convincing.

Meg Cabot made me realize my life long calling at a very young age, and to this day, I believe every girl should lead her life as a princess. Although the Princess Diary series has ceased its reign, Meg is set to release the first novel of her latest trilogy in a few weeks and generously offered a copy to giveaway.

I haven't read my own copy yet, but it looks to have the makings of a great summer read: supermodels, SoHo, summertime, and sweet sixteen year-olds. To win this book, along with a $50 LeSportsac Gift Card and an adorable Airhead T that would be perfect for a stylish DIY, comment about what you daydream of being when you grow up. Five runner-up winners will receive copies of the book as well! And if you need more incentive, LeSportsac's Artist in Residence is Fifi Lapin.

I'll judge the contest based on the sweetest, most entertaining anecdotes. Stories that make me smile in the midst of my library studying will receive extra kudos!