God will never give you anything you can't handle, so don't stress.
Kelly Clarkson
The thing about Christmas is that it almost doesn't matter what mood you're in or what kind of a year you've had - it's a fresh start.
My friends and family are my support system. They tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear and they are there for me in the good and bad times. Without them I have no idea where I would be and I know that their love for me is what's keeping my head above the water.
I love healthy stuff and junk an equal amount. Whatever I'm craving, I go for it. I'm never trying to lose weight - or gain it. I'm just being.
I never said I was a 'good girl.' I'm not a bad girl.
I'm cute - and God I hate that. Because that's not cool. I'm like your niece, and nobody wants to date their niece. It's the chubby cheeks. The whole reason people voted for me on American Idol is because I'm an everyday, normal girl.
There is no greater feeling than hanging out with my dogs, or just walking around the land with our horses. My rescue ranch is is where I feel the most at peace and where I'm reminded of the simple things in life and let the chaos of my crazy work life fade away.
I've never been more nervous in my life than singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl.
I sing songs that I have lived or I write them because I have lived them. I think the believability factor is key.
I'm always going to live in Texas. Texas is my home - it'll be my home forever.
People keep asking me if I am having more fun, being blonde, but I always have fun! Whether I'm blonde, redhead, or brunette! I always have fun.
I have a big fear of change, or negative change, anyway. I'm basically the same person I was when I won 'Idol,' or when I was 10.
I am just like my mother. She raised me to love and take care of animals, especially the ones that need it the most and so I started Eddie's Rescue Ranch. We take in animals that need extra care and attention and the animals that get left behind.
I'm so happy now. I love that I'm in a relationship right now... I want a life... The past five years or so I've found my groove and my balance.
I'm a hygiene freak. I'm like obsessive-compulsive when it comes to washing your hands.
I've got a song on One Direction's album called 'Tell Me A Lie'. It's a really cute song - I love it. I loved that they liked it. They sound really great on it. I already have it - I'm so VIP with my copy on my computer! It does sound really good.
I'm from a small town so, like, everyone's married with children or about to have children. So it's a little hard when you go home and people are like - and that's why people think I'm gay - because they're like 'Why aren't you married?' And I'm like, 'it doesn't happen for everyone right off the bat.'
My happy weight changes. Sometimes I eat more; sometimes I play more. I'll be different sizes all the time.
The hardest thing about being in this business is just being able to be yourself. People act like there's this one set of rules to follow to be a pop star and I think, 'Well, you say I'm a pop star, so maybe that's not true.'
I'm the perfect amount of guarded. I don't reveal too much, and I never reveal who the songs are about. They are real life. People get that. I date a lot of musicians and they do the same thing. People that work with me - who I write about too - they get it. It's my creative outlet, my therapy.
When I went to Los Angeles right after high school, I got some acting jobs, and I never, ever wanted to be an actress! Public speaking and acting make me want to vomit. But I have never been nervous singing. When it comes to public speaking, I stumble on my words, sweat, and pull at my clothes.
Who are you wearing? Who are you wearing?
I've dated a couple of guys who were awesome, and the celebrity part of my life and the traveling part are hard to get around. You never get to see each other, especially if you're both musicians.
Honestly, I just think we all have special gifts, everyone. You know, obviously, some are more noticeable than others and that's why there's the limelight. Everybody's in it.
I'm actually not a big fan of the word hope. I think it's a depressing word. I don't want to hope - I want to know. Like I don't hope there's a God, I know there's a God.
I'm very friendly or whatever, but I would hardly say that I'm that cookie-cutter. I don't live in L.A. or New York. I live in Texas, and I go to hole-in-the-wall bars, so there's no paparazzi there.
My whole point is like, well, if I'm the pop star, then it should be whatever I am. There's, you know, room for Katy Perrys and Adeles and Rihannas and Lady Gagas and Ke$has and me and Pinks. I think what's great about all of us is that we represent something different.
I think one thing you could probably say for all my albums is that they're all pretty eclectic pop. There's always a little bit of urban influence, some dance, a little bit of country, singer-songwriter, pop-rock. I like everything! On every album you can find that.
Everyone says I'm like the girl next door... Y'all must have really weird neighbors!
I do cardio. I run. I strength-train using my own body weight. I don't like free weights, because I build muscle easily.
I'm proud of everything I achieved with 'Idol,' and away from 'Idol' also. It's just such a different show now to what it was when I was on it. I didn't even know it was a TV show until the third audition.
Two must-haves for me are a great book and my iPod.
I love dressing up and doing the red carpet every once in a while, but I am very much a jeans kinda girl, so it's all a little embarrassing for me.
The question I love to get asked is: 'What's the hardest part of your job?' And literally, the answer is probably real sad, but it's to just to be me. Like, it's really hard, because I think people, you know, have a set idea of what a pop star should be.
I love Twitter! At first I made fun of it, because it is very narcissistic, and there's already so much narcissism flowing in this industry, I was like, 'Really, one more?' So I was against it at first. But I really love the idea of the direct connection - there's no middle man muddling it up.
Everybody always says that I'm the girl next door, which makes me think that y'all must have a lot of weird next-door neighbours.
I try not to date musicians. It's all I've dated. Every guy I've dated is a musician. Obviously, it's not working.
Really, what I try to instill in my fans is to be healthy and happy. I have no desire to be super-skinny.
I just blow-dry my hair and put on mascara and lip gloss, and I'm ready to go. I really don't get long nails. They're so Edward Scissorhands.
The thing I love most about going on vacation is that I get to leave behind any kind of schedule. My entire life is scheduled from morning to night, and when I'm on vacation, there is no schedule.
If I can wake up everyday before I die and know that I don't have to serve anyone food or drinks, I will be happy!
Like every other girl in the world, my most embarrassing moment had to do with a guy completely turning me down. His loss!
My winning is getting to perform. That's my victory.
I put on the Hank Williams and the Patsy Cline and the Rosemary Clooney on vinyl - I'm not trying to be some cool indie-rock person, I just love the way it sounds - and throw on a T-shirt and jeans. In Texas, we practically come out of the womb in jeans.
Oh, there's all these rumors that I'm a lesbian. I have a boyfriend now, Brandon Blackstock; my manager Narvel's son, Reba McEntire's stepson.
No matter what size I am I love performing no matter how big or little I am! I feel good.
I just had my 30th birthday and we went turkey shooting. It's what I wanted to do, so we went.
Even though I'm a pop singer, I really have more the life of a country singer.
When people talk about my weight, I'm like, 'You seem to have a problem with it; I don't.'
I love my body. I'm very much OK with it. I don't think artists are ever the ones who have the problem with their weight, it is other people.
