We know from your YSI submissions that a lot of you love to draw, paint, sketch, and just generally get your feelings and ideas onto paper in graphic form. Many of you have even talked about the mangas and comic books you've created. 15-year-old Emma Capps loves to write and draw comics too, and her works of art have appeared in national magazines. Her latest project, "The Chapel Chronicles," is a self-published collection of comics starring a smart (and smart-alecky) red-headed 11-year-old girl named Chapel, who often as not gets a bit lost in the world of her own vivid imagination while pursuing various adventures, from a battle of board games with her babysitter to impersonating Lady Gaga.

We recently chatted with Emma about Chapel, and her life as a young artist and writer.

IML: What's your creative process? How do you go from an empty white sheet of paper to a completed Chapel comic?

Emma: First, I brainstorm my idea. I'll try to find something I've observed or witnessed recently to use as a jumping-off point. Once I have the concept, I'll do a quick "thumbnail sketch," or a sketch that's small enough to be the size of my thumb, to block out the dialogue and what happens in the strip. Then I'll sketch the panels and ink them onto tracing paper. Once I have that, I scan the inks into the computer. I arrange, color, and letter the strip in Photoshop. Then I write some author's commentary and put it up on the site for my readers to enjoy.

IML: What's behind the decision to make Chapel the only visible human character? You have a lot of other people talking, but we never see them.

Emma: For now, I want the strip to focus mostly on Chapel's world through her perspective and highlight the hilarious and funny moments of what it means to be a preteen and teen. Chapel has other people she interacts with, of course, like her parents, her brother, and her nemesis, Fred. I have shown Chapel's family in the background of a couple strips in small paintings on the walls. Sometime in the future, I may include other characters in the strip.

IML: Chapel spends a lot of time living in a world of her own thoughts and imagination. Are you like that?

Emma: I would say I have flights of fancy quite a bit...I like to think about things I've done and things that could happen. Of course, this helps me quite a bit in dreaming up new Chapel comics! For some Chapel strips, I do draw directly from my own life, but I try to always make the comics very universally appealing. I only ever use something that's happened in my own life if I think it's something everyone can relate to. Chapel and I are similar in some ways, but we're also different in a lot of ways, too. For example, I don't really like to dress up or listen to Lady Gaga, whereas Chapel does. I'd say Chapel's a lot more competitive and courageous than I am, and I actually admire how much self-esteem she has to wear crazy outfits all the time! I don't think I'd be brave enough to wear a Lady Gaga dress to a wedding, that's for sure, and I think it's great that Chapel's confident enough to go ahead with it!

IML: Chapel seems to be an only child. Do you have any siblings?

Emma: Actually, Chapel isn't an only child. She has an older brother named Barnaby, but he hasn't come into the strip yet because he's currently away at college. I, however, am an only child. I'm not really sure if being an only child has shaped my personality very much. I'm certainly really close with my parents and I'm also a very independent person, but I don't really believe that having siblings would've changed any of those things about me. I'm certainly glad I have enough space for my various art projects, but I actually LOVE kids and sometimes wish I could've had a younger sister.

IML: A lot of tweens draw comics, but you took yours a few steps further. Why make comics to publish, rather than just for yourself or for friends?

Emma: I make my comics to make people smile, and by publishing them, I can make more people happy outside of my small circle of friends. I love it whenever someone from another state or another country comments on my webcomics saying my work has made them smile or laugh. That's the most precious thing in the world to me. If I can spread my work to more people via publishing, and because of that brighten more people's days with my comics, then that's what I'd like to do.

IML: Any advice for our IML'ers who like to write or draw?

Emma: My advice would be to draw and write every day! Don't worry too much about comparing yourself to others - a trap which, I'm sad to say, is really easy to fall into - but instead create something that makes you happy. If you keep creating things that personally make you happy and proud, other people will soon appreciate that and share in it as well!

IML: What's up next for you, and for Chapel?

Emma: In the short-term, this April I'm going to be exhibiting at a comic convention called MoCCA Fest (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) in New York City, and debuting a brand-new book of Season 2 of my Chapel webcomics. I'm really excited to go, and I hope lots of my readers can make it out to say hi! In the long-term, I definitely want to continue doing Chapel webcomics for at least another year or two. I also want to do some graphic novels, which would be very different from Chapel in both style and tone. I'm going to be working on one this summer! I've already got most of the plot planned out and a good majority of the characters designed. I'd also like to expand my line of Chapel greeting cards and gifts. My most farfetched dream would be to one day have Chapel comics, greeting cards, and gifts in stores nationwide! If that were to happen, it would be the most amazing thing in the world for me.

IML: Thanks for talking to us, and good luck!

To check out Emma's work, check out www.chapelchronicles.com. Also, enjoy this fun peek at how Emma makes one of her Chapel greeting cards:

Today, we're wondering: Does anyone ever actually have a good time on Valentine's Day? Maybe if you're in the lucky 1% of people who are happily, securely going out with someone, we can see you enjoying the holiday. But if you're going out with someone but things are a little weird, if you just broke up with someone, if you're not going out with anyone, if you have a crush who doesn't know you exist, if you have a crush who knows you exist but isn't sure how he/she feels about you, if you don't have a crush at all, or if you're a human being with any one of a hundred other situations that we haven't mentioned...Valentine's Day can be, well, not so much fun.

The whole thing is just a lot of pressure and a big marketing ploy to sell cards, candy, and red teddy bears, right?

Okay, we're not really that cynical. Valentine's Day doesn't have to be so all-or-nothing. It's one of those things that really is whatever you make of it, and a "valentine" can be so much more than an object of romance. Do you have parents, siblings, friends, or relatives who have made you feel the love in your life? And how about being a valentine to yourself? Can you celebrate the things about you that you're proud of, happy with, and maybe even love? Think about how to make the holiday your own.

Once you've done that, hopefully you won't stress over dances and other V-Day events planned at school or in your community. But if you're still stressing, here are some ideas:

• Go with friends. Even if you have a crush and are tempted to try and go with him or her, take that angst out of the equation. You'll probably have more fun with your buds anyway, and who knows...maybe something natural will happen with that crush once you're there.
  
  
• Have fun with the outfit. Dress in whatever makes you feel good (and comfortable), rather than what you think will impress someone else. You and your friends might come up with some kind of "theme" and coordinate. If you want to make your outfit special but can't afford a whole new getup, buy (or borrow) one cool accessory like earrings or a belt.
  
  
• Dance. That may seem like a big "duh," but sometimes it seems like that's the only thing people aren't doing at these things. Here's an opportunity to just let loose and move. Make a pact with at least one friend that you'll be the first people on the dance floor, and see how quickly others join in. Or make it your mission to get a teacher or other adult chaperone to boogie down. Try to think positively and not so much about what people might think of you; chances are, they're jealous that you're having such a good time.
  
  
• If you can't bring yourself to dance, then do some People Watching. Not so much to gather gossip, but rather, just to learn about behavior. Pretend for a minute that you're an alien scientist come to Earth to study the strange social habits of young humans. Try it; it's pretty fun! 

Read other tweens' advice on our How To Have Fun At A Dance You Said It page!

What's your favorite after school activity? Soccer? Gymnastics? Hanging out at the park? How about...stand-up comedy?

We recently got a chance to talk to Zach Rosenfeld, a 13-year old from Brooklyn, NY who spends a lot of his free time on a stage telling jokes. Thanks to a program called Kids 'N Comedy, Zach is a real comedian who gets to crack up real audiences at Manhattan's Gotham Comedy Club. Here's our conversation with Zach:

IML: Tell us a little bit about Kids 'N Comedy and how you got involved with it!

Zach: Kids 'N Comedy is basically a group of kids who just want to get together and be funny. This is really just kids who want something good to do with their time, and it's really fun. When I was younger, I got interested in it because we went to one of their shows, and I decided to get involved. Normally, they wouldn't take anyone under eleven, but I was the exception. I was nine. I started out with the classes, which are weekly. Then after two or three classes, I moved up to the workshops, and then I finally moved up to the club shows. They used to have the shows monthly, and now they happen every two weeks.

IML: How do you write your comedy material? Do things just pop into your head during the day, or do you set aside time specifically to write jokes?

Zach: I normally sit down and say, "Okay, I need to get to work, because I want this to be good." Then I think of funny things in my life or things that have happened to me, and then I turn those into jokes, which are sometimes self-deprecating. And that ends up becoming about a five-to-seven minute routine.

IML: Are your family members funny too?

Zach: My mother is very funny, and I get my wit from her. She was always kind of quiet with her humor, so I become more of a spokesperson than she ever was.  My father is witty at times, but not as much as my mom. And my little brother is interested in doing this in the future, and I also did a routine about him once.

IML: Did your parents encourage you towards comedy, or did it mostly come from you?

Zach: I would say it was mostly me. Because I just went to one of these shows and I said, "Hey, everyone always calls me funny, but I've never done something like this. Maybe I can be funny like this, too." So I decided to try my best at doing something on a stage. And I've come to love the microphone, and just being on the stage and having the attention. It's just really great.

IML: Once you started taking the comedy classes, how long was it before you got on stage in front of an audience?

Zach: They have about nine weeks of practices and coming up with stuff. That eventually leads to a show where you can invite your friends and family. And now I do the monthly show, and the public is allowed to come.

IML: What was it like, the first time you stepped out into the spotlight?

Zach: I was sorta nervous. But the way I see it is...for the first three seconds you're hyper nervous, and you're tapping your foot and thinking, "When's this gonna happen? Is he gonna call me on now?" And you're pacing. And then you get on the stage. And you know your material...and even if you don't know it that well, you just get into it, and you have fun with the audience. Their laughter means a lot to you, because it shows that what you've done really helps people enjoy what's going on. I normally laugh at my own jokes...or at the reactions to my jokes.

IML: One of your stand-up routines is about your experiences with dyslexia. Why do you think audiences respond to these jokes?

Zach: People respond when you make fun of yourself. Because everyone has problems. Everyone has something that they're hiding. And for someone to go up on stage and just completely put himself out there, and give funny stories about it...they like that because it shows personality and it shows that you're not afraid to go up there and tell people who you really are and get them to like you.

IML: Does comedy help you deal with the challenges of living with dyslexia?

Zach: Well, at this point, I have what they call "compensated dyslexia." I'll always have dyslexia, but it's basically been fixed. I got a tutor, and I had been working for about four years, and I can finally say that I've become a compensated dyslexic. My stand-up routine...it didn't so much help with the dyslexia, but from the reactions of the crowd you can tell that everyone else also has problems, and they're laughing with you. It's encouraging.

IML: What was school like for you before you found ways to work through your learning disability?

Zach: In my school, they started giving pressured homework around second grade. They had weekly tests of spelling, and you had to recite a poem that you had memorized. And it was very challenging. I had to work with my mom for hours, and this was before people knew I was a dyslexic. It took up a lot of my time, but I was very confident, and I kept pushing forward. In third grade, my parents had me tested, and I was positive for dyslexia. I got a tutor and she was just amazing. I still go to her once a week. She's very funny, we joke around a lot when we do our sessions and it's just spectacular. I found ways to compensate using her techniques, and eventually it just came naturally.

IML: How has being a comedian affected your friendships at school?

Zach: It's interesting that you ask that. Recently, all my friends have been going around and asking about my routine, and it's sort of exciting. Because you know that you have a skill that most people would say they have...the ability to go onstage, speak in public and be funny on top of that. Some people expect knock-knock jokes and short one-liners, but that isn't the way I do my comedy. I would think that people would like this attention... it's a unique skill, to be able to do stand-up.

IML: Is this purely a hobby for you, or do you want to pursue comedy as a career?

Zach: Like most people, I have dreams. I think it would be great to be a professional stand-up comedian. But it is definitely a hobby at this point.

IML: Have you faced different types of crowds? How important is the support of the audience?

Zach: Personally, I like the crowd's support. But there are always days when it won't be a good crowd. You can't make your routine on what the crowd is doing. You just have to focus on having fun with yourself.

IML: Do you enjoy doing new material, or do you usually like to do tested stuff that you know is going to get a laugh?

Zach: Recently I've been falling back on dyslexia a bit. I'm taking a long break from doing stand-up because of my bar mitzvah in May. So, I'm taking a break until September but I've decided there are no more excuses and I have to get something new out there.

IML: Will you have a serious bar mitzvah, or a funny one?

Zach: I plan for it to be funny.

IML: Are there any comics out there who you really respect, or want to be like?

Zach: Just like every other Jewish comedian, I idolize Adam Sandler. I also love Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld...they're all great.

IML: What advice would you give someone your age who dreams of being a comedian or entertainer?

Zach: I would say, just do what you're happy with. Just do what you like or love, and if you're gonna do it, do your best, and don't be afraid of making a fool out of yourself, because that's just part of the comedy. And I've done that once or twice.  Also, you may not have the funniest life, but if there's someone around you who has something funny going on with them, do not be afraid to use peers, your parents, or siblings in your jokes, because it's just hysterical to see the reactions.

IML: Thanks for talking with us Zach, and good luck with your bar mitzvah and your stand-up!

Zach:  Thank you so much!

For more on Kids 'N Comedy and to watch some videos that include Zach's performances, check out www.kidsncomedy.com.

Just seven more days until Christmas, which for many of us means a trip -- maybe a short one, maybe a loooong one -- to visit family for the holiday break. The thrill! The excitement! The adventure!

Yeah, not really.

It can be great hanging out with grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, or even parents we don't see as often as we'd like, but it can also bring stress and tension and general awkwardness. You know, the stuff nobody wants to talk about because it's kind of a downer at a time when we're all supposed to be jolly and generous. And traveling itself is often a drag and sometimes, if you're unlucky thanks to weather or other circumstances, downright disastrous.

You can't control what your family members or nature or cars and planes are going to do, but you can take charge of your own destiny here and make this holiday trip as much of a "vacation" as you possibly can. Here's some advice from our Family Vacations section:

•  Tips for surviving the Getting There part of your holiday.
  
  
• "Togetherness" ain't always a good thing, but here are some ideas for Keeping the Peace among family members.
  
  
• Dealing with Relatives can be challenging and yucky; read our suggestions on how to make the most of that challenge (and yuckiness).
  
  
• As always, check out what other IML'ers have written about memorable family vacations, and how they survived to tell the tale!
  
  

If you're one of the fortunate souls who gets to go on a vacation vacation this time of year, you'll find great advice in this section too.

Wherever you spend the next week or two, whether it's on a cruise ship or Aunt Mildred's house or just at home sweet home, we hope you have some quality time with yourself and the people who are most important to you!

This is the time of year where everything that's stressful and confusing about money gets AMPLIFIED TIMES 100. Your family members are probably spending money, but also complaining about spending money. Charities and fundraisers are asking for money. You might be getting extra money as a gift or for doing holiday-related jobs and chores, but what should you do with it? Everywhere you look, there are messages to buy, buy, buy...usually coupled with messages to save, save, save (as in special sales and discounts).

GAH.

As you know, here at IML we offer a lot of advice on how to deal with money matters, as in Making Money, Managing Money, and getting Spending Smarts. We are always on the lookout for useful tools that will help tweens not just learn about money, but also make a plan for how to deal with it realistically and positively. Maybe even in a way that will set you up with good financial habits for life.

Recently, we discovered something called the Moonjar Moneybox, and we think it's pretty fantastic. The main idea behind it is this: "Throughout many cultures, there is a respect for money's three distinct purposes: spending, saving, and sharing." So the Moonjar is a bank, but it is a bank that encourages you to divide up your money into these categories by offering three separate containers for cash you want to Spend, Save, and Share. Spend would be money you want to bring with you to the fair for a souvenir, for instance, or a trip with friends to the arcade. Save is, of course, money you're stashing away for a big ticket item you've got your eye on, or for pocket cash on an upcoming vacation. Share would be money you'd like to donate to a local charity, or to buy your sister a birthday gift.

It's up to you to figure out how to divvy things up. You can split your money evenly across all three, or you can change it up depending on what's most important to you from one week to the next. We love that the Moonjar encourages us to think about our personal goals, wishes, and positive experiences. It's a great way to make a budget that works both for the things that stay the same in our lives and the things that change.

The Moonjar Moneybox comes with a "Passbook" to help you keep track of how much money you put in each jar, a rubber band to keep the three pieces together, and a guide to help you make a plan that works best for you. You can find it at online retailers as well as Toys R Us, and get more information at www.moonjar.com.

One of the things that gives us instant holiday blues: all those piles of post-gift-opening wrapping paper, crumpled and used and pretty darn sad. It's sad because the hoopla is over, but it's extra-sad because that's a lot of wasted paper. Did you know that half of the paper consumed in the U.S. every year is used to wrap and decorate stuff? Even if we're normally good about saving paper, it seems like the holidays are a time when people forget about conserving resources. But presents need to be pretty, right?

Ah, but that's where you can really have some fun! Wrapping doesn't have to mean cutting a huge swath of store-bought printed paper. It can be a chance to get creative and express yourself, and make your gift extra-special because you did something different and original with it. Here are a few ideas:

• First, the "duh." Save wrapping paper to reuse by opening it neatly. If you need a large sheet, try collaging together smaller ones.
  
  
• Paper can be found everywhere. The Sunday comics is a time-tested favorite, as is torn out sheets from magazines. Where else? Think about old calendars, posters, unused wallpaper, and even old road maps. Fancy them up if you need to with a layer of clear or colored cellophane.
  
  
• Tear open brown paper grocery bags and decorate the insides. Buy a roll of "butcher paper" at a craft or art store. If something's small enough, grab a brown paper lunch bag. Decorate with drawings, painting, stickers, rubber stamps, words cut out from magazines, glitter, etc.
  
  
• Put something pretty (a ribbon, some glitter, beads, etc.) between two pieces of wax paper; ironing it will glue them together and make a single, spectacular sheet for wrapping.
  
  
• Consider fabric, too -- fabric scraps make great wrapping material. If you or a family member like to sew, make reusable fabric gift bags that can maybe even become a holiday tradition in your home.
  
  
• We have a ton of those gift bags lying around from gifts we've received in the past. Doesn't everyone? This is a great time to put them to use, even if they're not decorated with a holiday theme. Paint them, collage them, sticker 'em up. Even small paper shopping bags with store logos can be tricked out, and don't forget the good ole brown paper lunch sacks that might already be in your kitchen cabinet.
  
  
• If you just have to buy wrapping paper, look out for the kind that's biodegradable or has recycled content.

And then it's time for the finishing touches! Give your gift some bling such as fabric or reused bows and ribbons, or take a walk in your backyard and scoop up leaves, fir or cedar branches, pine cones, and sticks. (Avoid berries, since they can be poisonous to young kids and pets.)

If you create something truly fantastic, snap a photo and email to us at itsmylife@pbs.org!

Did you know that there are enough greeting cards sold in the United States each year to fill a building as long as a football field and at least 10 stories high! That's a lot of paper, and most of it does NOT go into the recycling bin!

There's no better way to save paper (and money!) during the holidays than to make your own cards for family, friends, teachers, and others in your community you want to show some love this season. Start with some plain solid-colored notecards or cardstock and try these ideas with items you probably already have in your house (and are just waiting to get used!):

• Cut out images from wrapping paper, magazines, personal photos, and even last year's cards (if your family saved them) to make collages.
• Dig into your stock of stickers for funny images and accents.
• Fabric, ribbons, and buttons add a great artsy look.
• Check the kitchen for aluminum foil and cupcake sprinkles.
• If there's already a stock of craft supplies in your home, look for beads, glitter, pipe cleaners, sequins, felt, yarn, etc.
• Make a design on the computer and print it out, then glue onto the card.
• Go old school -- get some markers or crayons and DRAW!

Now you might be thinking, "Well duh, but I never know what to do with this stuff." Using these materials, you could make a:

• Peace sign
• Christmas tree
• Cross
• Planet Earth
• Heart
• Bunch of stars
  
• Picture of yourself
• Home
• Snowflake
• Snowman
• Santa
• Menorah
• The numbers "2012"
• Or anything you think your card recipient might like...

Besides helping the planet, remember this: If you don't have the cash to buy someone a gift, a homemade card created from the heart is a great substitute (and often even better!).

If you make a holiday card you're super proud of, scan it and email it to us so we can post it on this blog!

Are you sick of the word "cyberbullying"? We hope you are, because we hope you're hearing it a lot. We hope you're learning about it and talking about it and thinking about it. Because it's not simple, and it's not going away any time soon. Here at IML we're always trying to figure out what can be considered cyberbullying on our You Said It pages, so we were glad to have the chance to speak with Ryan Moreau, an expert in cyberbullying from KiwiCommons.com, a website that offers advice and information about Internet safety for young people. He has some great advice to help all of us better understand cyberbullying and protect ourselves -- and others -- against it.  

IML: What counts as cyberbullying these days? Sometimes the line is a little blurry!

Ryan: Cyberbullying comes in many forms but typically includes harassing, hateful, or threatening messages, posts or material through the use of digital media.  So what does this really mean? It means that a computer, mobile phone, digital camera, or any other Internet enabled device can become an avenue for cyberbullying if they're being used to potentially harm or make someone else even uncomfortable.

IML: If you think you're being cyberbullied but aren't sure, are there questions you can ask yourself to help figure out exactly what's going on? For instance, if someone is responding to you on a message board and they've hurt your feelings, what's the difference between them simply expressing a conflicting opinion or actually bullying and being cruel?

Ryan: The most important things you can ask yourself are: (1) is the behavior directed at me or another individual specifically, and (2) is it repetitive or a onetime occurrence? These two questions can also help us better define what counts as cyberbullying. You can also think about the question, is this person just generally cruel to everybody in the way they act online, or are they specifically acting this way towards me? Sometimes people act differently on the Internet because they feel it gives them the cover of anonymity. If this is how they act to everyone, they may be simply expressing themselves in a bad way; but if it is only towards you, then you may be being cyberbullied.

The other key thing to consider is whether or not the behavior or messages are being repeated. One mean message could just be a misunderstanding or misinterpretation, or even unintentional. But if you find that they keep doing it over and over, it's likely an attempt to be a bully or make you feel bad on purpose.

IML: How can a tween avoid being cyberbullied in the first place?

Ryan: It's extremely difficult to avoid being cyberbullied because you really can't control what other people on the Internet choose to do.  One of the best things anyone can do is to be kind and courteous to the people they interact with on the Internet. Young people should practice positive digital citizenship in all of their online activities. Treat everything you do as if you were face to face not only with those people but also their close friends and family. Consider questions like, "Would I want my Grandma to see me saying these things?" Avoiding bullying is also a matter of not escalating situations to the level that they are cyberbullying.  If we see or receive a cruel message or something that hurts our feelings, we shouldn't reply with a nasty response, since this could cause things to get much worse.

IML: If you find yourself a target of cyberbullying, what are your options for help? What can you do if you don't want to involve an adult?

Ryan: The best thing to do if you find you're the target of cyberbullying is to tell an adult; but even if you don't want to talk to an adult, there are some things we can do to help stop the problem.  First, we should inform the bully that we feel they are bullying us and would like them to stop -- this should be done simply and nicely.  All conversations, messages, or images should be recorded along with dates, times, and links to the websites so that we can prove there is a problem.

No matter how much we may want to be mean back to the bully, it's important that we don't become a bully ourselves.  Instead, let the websites, message boards, or chat services know you think you're being bullied and provide a sample of what you recorded, and if you think the issue is serious you can report it anonymously to an organization like CrimeStoppers.

IML: Can you be cyberbullying without really intending to or being aware of it? Why does this happen so easily?

Ryan: It's actually very common to engage in cyberbullying without intending to or being aware that we are being a bully; in fact, most cyberbullying happens by accident.  This happens so easily because people don't consider how others may interpret what they say or do online.  When we don't consider that the people who see what we post on the Internet can't see our face or hear the tone of our voice, we forget that those things help people tell when we are joking.

We need to be very careful about everything we do on the Internet, especially what we say to and share with other people.  We should always think twice and consider if that's something we would want said to us -- if not, we should take the time to rethink and reword our posts.

IML: That is great advice! Thank you so much for sharing these words of wisdom with us -- hopefully they'll help a lot of young people out there.

For more of IML's advice and information, check out our section on Online Bullying.

Thirteen-year-old Lily Sandler (pictured, right) doesn't shop the way she used to. A few years ago, she thought that things just popped up in stores, like magic. Now she knows how much work and decision-making goes into every single product available for sale, and how many people help it get there. That's because she and her sister, eleven-year-old Melanie (pictured, left), along with help from their parents, are the founders and owners of Blamtastic Luscious Lip Balm, which makes natural lip balms especially for young people.

IML spoke with Lily and her mom Renee about Blamtastic and their journey from a random idea to a successful, growing business. 

IML: How did Blamtastic first come about?

Renee: It all started when I was reading in the Wall Street Journal about how few female CEO's there were in Fortune 500 companies. At that time there were only 12. I know women make up 50% of the workforce, so that didn't square up with me very well! I thought about my two girls, these girls who are going to go out into that workforce. I read the article to them and they said, that really stinks. I told them, "If you ever decide that you'd like to start a business of your own, I will support you, because I think that's the key to controlling your own destiny.

Lily: The idea for Blamtastic was kind of an accident. I was looking for my lip balm one day, and I said, "Mom, where's my lip blam...I mean balm!" And she said, "Wow, that would be a really good name for a lip balm company."

IML: So you had a cool idea. What was the first step from there?

Lily: We started by ordering a bunch of lip balm bases and we cooked them up in our kitchen. We saw what we liked and what we didn't like, then sent what we liked to a manufacturer and they made it for us. It was a really fun process.

Renee: At first, it was really just an experiment. As we started to play around with the product and get it out there to the community, we realized we had a good product to sell. Then the girls and I got together with their dad and decided, are we going to go for this and take it to the next level? Because if we are, we've got to get a business plan together and get funding, and get serious. So we decided to go for it.

IML: How did you first get the lip balms out there to...you know...lips?

Lily: At first we did a test run at the mall. We saw what people were more fond of, what they didn't like so much, and in the end it really did sell pretty well. We saw that this was something that people want and need on the market: a natural lip balm. A product that's been done over and over, but making it even better and taking it to the next level.

IML: How did you put together the lip balm flavors?

Lily: We ordered different scents and sweeteners, and we tried out what we liked out of certain smells. We narrowed it down to five flavors for boys and five flavors for girls. In the end, we had ten flavors we were going to launch in the first run.

IML: Did you invite your friends to try things out?

Lily: In the beginning, we would make a flavor and I would take it to school and see what my friends liked and what they didn't really go for as much. If they didn't like it, then we trashed it. If they did like it, then we gave it a try!

Renee: I think every neighbor on our street has participated in our testing!

IML: So nowadays, who does what in the company?

Renee: This is the girls' business; they started it, but they can't run it at the level we're at now. I work 60-80 hours a week and the girls participate when they can. Melanie is kind of the creative force behind things; she'll come up with ideas and flavors. Lily is the mouthpiece of Blamtastic...she likes to participate in promoting the company.

IML: Lily, do you and your sister get into disagreements about the business?

Lily: Well, aside from me and my sister fighting about normal sibling stuff all the time, we do have disagreements about the business. Whenever we have something we're not so sure about, we'll all talk about it as a family. By the end we always seem to come to a decision about what we've been wondering about and what we can do to solve our problem.

IML: It sounds like you make sure everyone's ideas get taken seriously.

Renee: The biggest conflicts we have about developing the product line is if I come up with a concept that's just not "cool"! Lily will say, "That is just not cool enough and nobody will ever buy that." They pull me back. They know what the customers want because as tweens, they basically are the customers.

IML: You give a portion of your company's profits to causes that you care about. Why do you feel it's important to do that?

Lily: When we started our business, that was always one of our top priorities: To give back to the community and help others in need. To be able to donate something out of your business really does make it more worthwhile and gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside.

IML: Lily, what have you learned about yourself during this whole experience?

Lily: It's been a great way to help me get in touch with my family. We've had a lot of disagreements and in the end we've been able to come through for each other, and it all comes down to the family and what we've been doing to support our business.

IML: What's your advice to other tweens who would love to start their own business?

Lily: First of all, I would like to say that starting a business is a huge commitment. But if you want to commitment to it and are really devoted, you should go for it. Do what you can to make what you're selling better and more well known to people. Make sure that you are really committing to your product and that you stick by it!

IML: Thanks, Lily and Renee! We can't wait to watch Blamtastic grow!

Lily: Thanks!

Renee: Thank you!

For more information about Lily's company Blamtastic, whose lip balms are cruelty-free, all natural, and feature flavors for boys as well as girls, visit www.blamtastic.com.

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We've always loved reading about your Halloween Costumes. IML'ers are so creative! We're sitting here, imagining a runway fashion show of all your dress-up creations, predicting what will be hot in trick-or-treat wear this year.

For instance, Lady Gaga. There's been much debate on the You Said It boards about her and whether or not her songs and videos are appropriate for tweens, but we predict that won't stop young people from dressing up like the pop superstar. We're sure the real Lady Gaga is thrilled; after all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. (And for the record, we think she's a good role model in the way she has taken a stand against bullying and encourages people to be themselves!)

"Decade" costumes will be as popular as ever, and a lot of you are dressing as 60's hippies, 70's disco dudes and dudettes, and 80's new-wavers. Even 50's greasers and 20's flappers will be out there in force again this Halloween. These are fun costumes to put together because you can raid a relative's closet or thrift store for all the makings.

Vampires are still huge, but Zombies seem to be taking their place as the top scary/creepy costume (and lend themselves to more variety too). We're betting that fairies, especially ones with an edgy or weird twist, will also be big in the not-quite-human department.

Another trend we expect and really love this Halloween is homemade or improvised costumes! Costumes have become a huge money business over the last decade, and it seems like, year after year, more kids and adults are buying outfits from stores instead of getting creative with what they have at hand. We don't know if it's the tough economic times, or if people are just tired of seeing the same pre-made costumes in every store, but we think a lot more of you will be rocking "do-it-yourself" looks this year. Whatever the reason, we at IML really like this trend because, while buying a cool costume can certainly be fun, making your own lets you show just how imaginative you can be at a time of year when imagination rules!

If you're still stuck for a costume idea, here are a few of our faves:

• Combo costumes. Like "half devil, half angel." Or "zombie cheerleaders" and
  "dead prom queens." It's fun and easy to take something familiar and
  kind of boring, then give it a Halloween twist. Make something unique
  with an existing costume (a great use for hand-me-downs or borrowed
  ones) accented with lots of scary, gory stuff like fake blood, fangs,
  pale makeup, etc. For instance, you could buy a simple fairy costume
  and be an "Evil Fairy" with just a few extra touches!.

• Pun costumes. Play with words and have fun watching people guess what you are! We love the
  "Cereal Killer" idea one IML'er posted (a cereal box with knives
  sticking out of it). What can you do with things like "Pig Latin,"
  "Anchorwoman," "Black-Eyed Pea," and "Butterfingers"?

• Black to basics costumes. Dress all in black and you'll be surprised by how
  you can turn yourself into a background for something simple yet
  hilarious. One IML'er posted about how she's using an all-black outfit
  and glow sticks to become a Human Stick Figure. Cover yourself in dryer
  lint and you're Static Cling. Wrap a fake cobweb around yourself, along
  with some plastic bugs, and you're a Spider Web. Cover yourself with popcorn, empty soda cups, and candy wrappers, and you're the Movie Theatre Floor. You get the gist!

For many people, coming up with a costume is too much pressure. Can you
still have fun on Halloween if you don't dress up or feel like your
costume is kinda lame? Well, that all depends on what this "holiday"
means to you. It's something you can decide for yourself. If you see it
as a chance to get dressed up, "be" someone (or something) else, and
exercise your creative muscles, then that's great. If it's just about
having fun with your friends and scoring loads of candy, that's great
too. Maybe it's more appealing to you to stay home and hand out candy
to younger kids. And in the end...it IS just a holiday that will be
over before you know it.

Halloween can also be about helping
children in other countries who don't have stuff like clean water,
nutrition, health care, and education. Chances are, in the past you've
done some collecting at Halloween for UNICEF, the United Nations
Children's Fund. Now, UNICEF (and spokesperson Selena Gomez) has more
options for young people to give as well as get, like creating your own
"Trick-Or-Treat Online" page to collect donations from friends and
family over the Internet, or ideas for hosting a Halloween party
fundraiser. For more information, check out Trick-Or-Treat for UNICEF.