Lawmakers in North Carolina failed to repeal the state’s controversial—and costly—House Bill 2, which was coined as the “bathroom bill,” during a daylong special session on Wednesday, NBC News reports.

HB2 was signed by outgoing Republican Governor Pat McCrory in March. The infamous “bathroom bill” bans people in the state from using public bathrooms that don’t correspond to their biological sex. This means someone who has fully transitioned to being a woman would still need to use the men’s bathroom, for example.

As a result of HB2’s enactment in March, North Carolina lost tens of millions of dollars in business, according to the BBC. The NBA moved its all-star game out of North Carolina, while the NCAA pulled tournament games out of the state. Bruce Springsteen, Maroon 5, Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato, Pearl Jam and Cirque du Soleil all canceled their North Carolina shows in response to HB2. PayPal, among other businesses, backed out of a planned operations center in Charlotte, costing North Carolina over 400 jobs.

The bill is also seen as a major reason Gov. McCrory was ousted from his post after the November elections.

A surprise move by Charlotte City Council on could have reversed the unfortunate legislation. According to the Charlotte Observer, the City Council rescinded the ordinance which originally prompted HB2. The ordinance, signed into law in February, expanded LGBT protections—causing Republicans to retaliate with a law that would force people to use the bathroom matching their biological sex at birth. Incoming Democratic Governor-Elect Roy Cooper helped to broker a deal this week where Charlotte would repeal that ordinance in exchange for a state-wide repeal of the “Bathroom Bill”

“Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore assured me that as a result of Charlotte’s vote, a special session will be called for Tuesday to repeal HB2 in full,” said Cooper in a statement. “I hope they will keep their word to me and with the help of Democrats in the legislature, HB2 will be repealed in full.”

“For months, we’ve said if Charlotte would repeal its bathroom ordinance that created the problem, we would take up the repeal of HB2,” said Berger and Moore in a joint statement, accoridng to BBC.

However, the deal to repeal the state-wide “bathroom bill” fell through. Lawmakers spent hours debating HB2 behind closed doors. CNN reported that Senate Bill 4, otherwise known as “Repeal HB2,” was filed by Republican state leadership, but contained language that broke the bipartisan deal Cooper lobbied for. “Repeal HB2” would have imposed a renewable six-month ban on any local government that wanted to enact LGBT protections in public accommodations or bathrooms. This could have made it impossible for any North Carolina cities to pass anti-discrimination laws locally.

"It's going to continue discrimination," Rep. Chris Sgro, an openly gay legislator, said to CNN. "We had better see a clean repeal bill if we are going to actually clean up the mess that these folks have made in the state of North Carolina."

As the Senate adjourned without an end in sight for HB2, a crowd of protesters chanted “Shame.” According to NBC, one member of the audience yelled,“Do what you said you would do.”

The ACLU and affiliated organizations are challenging HB2 in federal court. “We will continue to fight in court for transgender people to access the restrooms that correspond to their gender identity and for equal protection for the entire LGBT community in North Carolina,” said Chris Brook of the ACLU of North Carolina in a statement.

"I'm disappointed for the people of North Carolina—for the jobs that people won't have," Cooper lamented. "I'm disappointed that we did not remove the stain on our great state."

"This was our best chance," he continued. "It cannot be our last chance."

Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. is offering a course devoted to helping students realize “The Power of Black Self-Love.” Developed by the university’s Interdisciplinary Exploration and Scholarship program, the class was for one credit and was first offered during the Fall 2016 semester, according to the Emory News Center.

The class was created by Dianne Stewart, an associate professor of religion and African American studies, and Donna Troka, an adjunct assistant professor in Emory’s Institute for the Liberal Arts and associate director for the Center for Faculty Development and Excellence. Stewart taught an existing course titled “Black Love,” while Troka taught “Resisting Racism: From Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter.” The new course combined some of the subject matter from each of their classes, and, according to both the professors and the students, it started some great conversations.

"The challenges racial justice activists confront today mirror the obstacles activists faced during the U.S. civil rights movement and earlier periods," Stewart told the Emory News Center. "Across such movements, the emphasis on love, or the lack thereof, deserves interrogation and reflection."

Troka learned about the new class from a student who mentioned it after a class discussion about the Black Lives Matter movement. When Troka approached Stewart with the idea of collaborating to teach the course, Stewart agreed to work together. Both professors say that they have enjoyed the experience of teaching the course together and learning from each other in the process.

Students from both classes enrolled in the new class, which discussed social media as part of the curriculum, including Twitter’s effect on the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black Girl Magic hashtag.

Each student in the class presented a research presentation showcasing the power of black self-love. Topics included a collection of photos exhibiting Black Girl Magic on campus, the impact of social media on young black students, the “policing” of blackness, studies of music and dance, and personal reflections on self-love and self-care.

These presentations and more information about the class are available to the public at an Emory scholarblog website dedicated to the course.

How many of us have the bucket list goal of attending a Saturday Night Live taping? I may enter that ticket lottery year after year with no luck, but now I can die happy. SNL has released a behind-the-scenes video that shows how the set changes from the cold open to the main stage for the host’s monologue. So if you’re like me and always lose in the luck of the draw, at least we can all say we’ve seen this magic happen.

NBC released the footage of the SNL crew changing sets during their Dec. 17 episode, which Manchester by the Sea star (and Ben’s little brother!) Casey Affleck hosted. You can hear the director giving commands throughout the two-minute clip, which shows the literal tearing down of walls while the show’s theme song plays. Understandably, the audience goes crazy as the crew’s final touches time out perfectly before Affleck enters for his monologue. 

Sigh. This is truly how dreams come true. 

Fifth Harmony has been a hot topic on social media recently following the departure of Camila Cabello and the appearance of a recording of Lauren Jauregui protesting how the group was being handled by their management team. Fans (correction: Harmonizers) want to see the group continue as a foursome and have reached out to Demi Lovato for support, hoping that she can sign the four remaining members to her label, Safehouse Records, which she co-founded with Nick Jonas.

The mission has gained traction on social media with the trending hashtag #DemiSave5HSafehouse. Fans suggesting that Demi help save the girl group is not surprising, considering they have worked together in the past. Lovato was one of the judges during season two of The X Factor, where she witnessed the establishment of the group.

While Demi hasn’t officially spoken out in support, it’s safe to say that Harmonizers are the best fans and and will continue to support these ladies, no matter what's to come.

Ivanka Trump’s holiday vacation got off to a rocky start on the morning of Dec. 22, when she was spotted flying coach and heckled by a fellow passenger.

Hunter College professor Matthew Lasner and his husband first spotted Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, as they made their way through Terminal 5 at JFK airport in New York City, Jezebel reports. The pair apparently decided to follow the president-elect’s daughter and son-in-law in the hopes of letting them know just how much they hate her father.

As luck would have it, both couples were booked on the same flight, WABC reported. Lasner wasted no time snapping a pic for Twitter as proof of Ivanka’s coach travels, and his husband was equally quick in demanding to know why Ivanka and her family were on a commercial flight.

Lasner and his husband were removed from the flight after Lasner’s husband reportedly grew more unruly. TMZ reported that he shouted, “Your father is ruining the country!” and “You're kicking me off for expressing my opinion?!!” as he was removed from the flight. No word on whether other passengers on the flight were supportive of the outburst or just annoyed that someone was causing a delay in getting their flight off the ground, though one man posted a Facebook status saying he never heard Lasner's husband yell and that he just seemed agitated and upset.

The incident has raised some questions, namely, “Why is Ivanka Trump riding coach??” The last time a Trump kid made news on a plane, the comedian who sat next to him had been upgraded. We may never know for sure why Ivanka was traveling with the unwashed masses, but speculation suggests she may have wanted to humanize herself or create a handy photo op. Or maybe the Trumps just run low on private planes during the holidays. Still, Jezebel reports that a witness overheard Ivanka saying, "I don't want to make this a thing."

Lasner’s tweets were removed a few hours after the incident and he and his family presumably did not make it to their destination. But hopefully he can take comfort in the fact that Ivanka and co. will be stuck with the same complete lack of legroom that we all suffer through in coach.

Conflicting reports are emerging from Trump and his aides about his plans for a Muslim ban following the Dec. 19 attack in Berlin, claimed by ISIS, that killed 12 people and injured 49.

Immediately after the attacks, Trump informed reporters that “You've known my plans all along...they've proven to be right, 100% correct. What's happening is disgraceful.” His words implied that he was more than happy to stand behind his plans to restrict or ban the immigration of Muslims into the United States—a policy that has drawn harsh criticism from both major parties since he first announced it during his presidential campaign. In fact, it was a centerpiece of that campaign, along with his equally problematic calls to build a wall along the U.S. southern border and send the bill to Mexico. The promise of a ban on all Muslims tapped into many Americans' fears of the growing power of the Islamic State and other extremist groups.

But by Thursday, Trump’s former campaign manager, transition aide and one-woman Trump clean-up crew, Kellyanne Conway, was on CNN promising us that what the president-elect actually meant was that scrutiny would be focused on “countries where we know that they've got a higher propensity of training and exporting terrorists,” rather than on a person’s religion. She went on to insist that, despite the fact that the policy has changed somewhat since being announced last year, "[Trump] doesn't go back and forth on anything based on criticism. I mean, if you're us, and certainly if you're him, you are impervious to naysayers and critics in terms of them changing policy." Any changes in the proposed ban were obviously due to new intelligence, not the fact that the ban was widely decried. Okay, sure, Kelly.

In line with this statement, Trump’s spokesman Jason Miller told the Associated Press, “President-elect Trump has been clear that we will suspend admission of those from countries with high terrorism rates and apply a strict vetting procedure for those seeking entry in order to protect American lives.” No word yet on which countries those vetting procedures would be applied to, though.

Trump has been holed up in his Palm Beach resort Mar-a-Lago, working on finalizing cabinet picks and his White House team, so we haven’t heard anything else from him since his initial statements. But it’s already abundantly clear that Election Day didn’t mark the end of Trump’s aides being dispatched to sanitize and spin his inflammatory—and xenophobic—rhetoric.

So what if that cute guy from the other day thought you were a little odd? That may not be the end of things if Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell’s love story is any indication. Apparently when they first met, Dax thought Kristen was unbelievably happy, except in a weird sort of way.

According to Popsugar, the two met at a birthday dinner in 2007, but as Dax told Good Housekeeping, it just wasn’t love at first sight. “When I met her and her friends, I was suspicious of their unbridled happiness,” he says. “I thought, 'Something stinks here; they're in a cult.'”

Two weeks later they saw each other out with friends again, and that’s when sparks really started flying.

But their relationship hasn’t been all butterflies and rainbows since then. The two come from completely different backgrounds. While Kristen followed the traditional path from college to the real world, Dax had issues with drug addiction and sobriety. They say a lot of their struggles with trust have been worked out through therapy.

"There were hurdles, things she didn't trust about me, things I didn't trust about her. I just kept going back to, 'This person has the thing I want, and I have to figure out how we can exist peacefully.' So we started [seeing a therapist together] right away," Shepard told Good Housekeeping.

Married with two kids, Kristen and Dax are beloved as one of Hollywood’s most adorable couples, and knowing that it wasn’t love at first sight for them just makes us heart them that much more.

This article has been syndicated to Her Campus from A Drop in the Ocean, an InfluenceHer Collective member. Read the full post here.

 thought I’d share some of the things that I brought with me for my six months abroad. This is going to be pretty specific to my experience in Spain, so if you’re going somewhere else, take what I’m saying with a grain of salt. For example, in Spain, most people dress extremely well, so my Nike shorts weren’t ever going to work for me. However, I’ve had friends who’ve studied in Australia and basically lived in gym shorts and a t-shirt. So, most advice can be taken generally, but some is definitely more specific to my experiences in Spain.

Consider a Capsule

As far as what to pack for clothing, I would highly recommend creating a capsule wardrobe and bringing that with you when you travel abroad for an extended period of time. I’d always heard about the concept of a capsule wardrobe, but was always a little unsure about the specifics. The blog Unfancy really opened my eyes on how to create a capsule, so I attempted to create one for my semester abroad. Basically, a capsule wardrobe is a mini version of your own wardrobe that’s all able to mix & match. On the Unfancy blog, Caroline recommends 37 pieces {including shirts, pants, dresses, shoes, and outerwear}, so I decided to pretty closely follow her advice. For more specifics on creating a capsule wardrobe, click HERE. I personally packed a few items under the 37 garment limit because I knew that I also wanted to do some shopping specific to the trends that I’d be seeing in Spain. I’m glad I did this because it allowed me to grab up a few pieces in Alicante that I wore basically 24/7 {I’m specifically thinking of my amazing leather jacket and my favorite pair of fringe booties…both of those items pretty much became invaluable staples}. I also think a great tool for helping plan your outfits abroad would be by downloading the Hanger app to create outfits and visualize all the items that you’ll be bringing with you! The concept of a capsule wardrobe is a  technique that most minimalists use, but I also thought it was a perfect strategy for studying abroad for a semester.

The Pants vs. Shorts Dilemma

In my mind, when packing for studying abroad, I simply thought about the place – Alicante, Spain, a beach town on the Mediterranean coast. So when I think about a beach town, I think, “Ok, I’ll pack some shorts/skirts, tank tops, and sandals and we’ll be good, right?” Wrong. SO wrong. I can remember the first time I wore shorts and Birkenstocks. My host parents just kind of rolled their eyes, but I had no idea why. I headed out the door and walked to my tram stop, but almost turned around and went back to the house. The sheer amount of death glares and stares I received from teenagers and old women alike was insane. For some reason, it’s super socially unacceptable to wear shorts in public in Spain (and this was also pretty consistent throughout all the other countries I visited in Europe, I just can’t speak for them like I can Spain). So, needless to say, a few of the shorts and shoes I packed pretty much were wasted space and I never wore them except for turning some of the shorts into pajamas, haha.

Read the full post here.

Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt's promotional tour for their new movie Passengers has been nothing short of entertaining. They've been making headlines for Pratt's social media trolling and their hilarious spew of clapbacks during a round of Playground Insults, but it seems as though they've finally landed on a topic they don't want to talk about: sex. 

While on air with Sophie Monk for Australia’s KIIS Summer Fling radio show, the duo abruptly ended their interview after the host questioned them about their personal sex lives. Apparently the two weren't very happy with Monk's question about the most adventurous place they have had sex, because shortly after they had both given their responses, an unknown voice came on to thank the host before saying, "We already wrapped you."

Skip ahead to the 48-minute mark of the interview below to hear how everything played out: 

We aren't entirely sure if the two just ran out of time during the interview or if they truly were offended by the so-called "naughty" questions. It seems as if it would take a lot to really bother these two, especially since they've both talked in detail about their sex scene in the movie during several interviews. Maybe they'd just like to stick to questions about the movie and keep their sex lives IRL private. 

Loyala University students are up in arms, and rightfully so, after learning that one of their classmates at the Chicago college had been able to study at the school for three years despite being arrested for rape back home in Atlanta.

The rape happened weeks before Benjamin Holm graduated high school in the spring of 2013, The Washington Post reports. At Loyola, Holm was majoring in finance and economics while playing for the school’s golf team. The trial for his rape didn't happen for more than three years.

Holm was 18 at the time of the crime, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. At a country club party, he was found on top of a heavily intoxicated 15-year-old at a nearby playground by the girl’s friends, who reported hearing her tell him to stop. Her friends carried her to the car and called her parents, who took her to the hospital where a rape kit was prepared. Holm allegedly admitted to having sex with her in text messages. He was arrested a few days later and bailed out of a misdemeanor charge.

His charges were upgraded to felony status in April 2015, when he'd already been at Loyola for almost two years. On Dec. 5, he decided to end his trial and take a plea deal, pleading guilty to aggravated assault and statutory rape. He's been sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years of probation. Holm's is one of the few cases where a man actually gets punished for rape, but the weird thing is that  Loyola claims they didn't know a thing about this case until Dec. 12.

After the case made media headlines, where university officials refused to comment, Loyala classmates launched a Change.org petition demanding the university explain why nobody knew about the rape charges. Nearly two weeks after the guilty plea, on Dec. 16, Title IX coordinator Thomas M. Kelly released a statement, simply saying the school wasn't aware of the assault. “Violence of any kind is not tolerated at Loyola, and the safety and security of all members of our campus community remain a top priority,” Kelly said.

While the incident did indeed take place prior to Holm’s arrival at Loyala, students are arguing that universities need to keep better tabs on student athletes, especially in light of recent cases at Stanford, Baylor and the University of Minnesota, all of which call into question the fairness of Title IX investigations for both the victim and the attacker. “Students at Loyola University Chicago are disgusted by the institution's actions and do not feel safe on campus," the petition’s author, Ashley Kennedy, wrote. "The administration's silence is only making things worse.”

The most wonderful time of the year also comes with a lot of stress as you try to find the perfect gift for everyone in your life. But Mindy Kaling and her BFF Sonia Kharkar prove that funny gifts with a practical twist might just be the key.

Yesterday, Mindy posted on her Instagram about the “funniest gift” she’s ever gotten. And we agree. The post reads, “For years @soniakharkar has been taking photos of me when I’m eating and I would always ask her why the hell she was doing that. Yesterday she gave me these six dessert plates printed with photos of me shoving food in my face.”

According to HelloGiggles, Sonia is one of Mindy’s closest friends and colleagues. Sonia started out as Mindy’s assistant for The Mindy Project but soon became her writing assistant. Sonia has obviously been busy doing some other work in preparation for possibly one of the greatest Christmas gifts imaginable.

Now excuse us while we rush to find the perfect customizable gift for our own BFFs.

Texas is giving Planned Parenthood the boot with a notice that it will be removed from the Texas Medicaid program, causing thousands of women to possibly lose access to preventative healthcare services.

According to Mic, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott promised constituents that he would remove Planned Parenthood from Medicaid funding after the release of secretly recorded videos in 2015 that were meant to show (extremely misleadingly) that members of Planned Parenthood were selling organs from aborted fetuses. One of the videos focused on a Houston clinic.

A grand jury investigation in early 2016 revealed Planned Parenthood had done nothing illegal. Instead, the videographers were indicted for saying they wanted to buy fetal organs.

Back in October of 2015, Texas officials sent a notice of intent to Planned Parenthood saying they would be removed from Medicaid funding and that they had 30 days to respond, after which they would receive an official notice of termination. For some reason, even though Planned Parenthood responded with a lawsuit in November 2015, the termination notice never came.

It’s only now, over a year later, that they are delivering the termination notice—with no reason for the delay. Planned Parenthood has 30 days to file a lawsuit to fight back against this decision.

"Planned Parenthood continues to serve Medicaid patients and will seek a preliminary injunction in an ongoing lawsuit filed in November 2015, following the state’s original threats to take action against Planned Parenthood’s patients," Yvonne Gutierrez, executive director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, said according to the Texas Tribune. 

Medicaid provides health coverage to poor and disabled citizens, and cutting Planned Parenthood off from that would mean thousands of low-income women would lose access to all kinds of crucial health care services. The Los Angeles Times reports that since Texas started its fight against Planned Parenthood in 2011, low-income women have had more babies, and fewer women have been using long-acting reversible contraceptives like IUDs and implants. That's pretty disturbing—women should absolutely have access to the birth control of their choice, and Planned Parenthood hasn't been able to provide it to them in Texas because of funding cuts.

Abortion is currently not funded by medicaid or any other government funding due to the Hyde Amendment, though many people would like to change that.

It's safe to say we've all made our fashion faux-pas, especially during the dark days of middle school—and celebs are no exception. Beloved actress and style queen Nicole Kidman, who stole our hearts in Moulin Rouge and Australia, has some fun pics to look back at that are so '80s it hurts. These photos, published in Dolly magazine, are nothing short of amazing:

The cover that launched a career... but wait, there's more! Watch this clip from Nicole's interview with Graham Norton and LOL for days:

If you're angry about Trump's election, you've probably heard about the Women's March on Washington happening on Jan. 21, the day after the inauguration. Exciting news: We’ve teamed up with the bus company Skedaddle to help college women around the country get to the march! Just use our code, HERCAMPUS15, for $15 off your ride.

Skedaddle is an awesome service that allows you to create or join rides on professionally driven vehicles to any destination you want, either through its website or the app, which is available for download in the iOS and Android stores. 

You can use Skedaddle to get to the Women’s March on Washington on Jan. 21. After a controversial and at times incredibly emotional election cycle, people from all across the country are walking together to show the strength in diversity and prove that women’s rights are human rights. According to the march's website, the purpose of the protest is to "send a message to all levels of government, including but not limited to the incoming Presidential administration, that we stand together in solidarity and we expect elected leaders to act to protect the rights of women, their families and their communities."

Sound like your thing? You can view dozens of routes leaving from destinations across the country on its site here, or create a new route if you don’t see one coming to your city or campus. Don't forget to use our code, HERCAMPUS15, for $15 off your ride. Get out there and exercise your constitutional rights!

Hari Nef can do it all. She's an actress on the TV show Transparent, models for H&M and Gucci, and is a total trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community as a transgender model.

All Hari's hard work is paying off: she was just nominated for the 2016 Breakout Star of the Year and Social Media Star of the Year categories by models.com. Her nomination for Breakout Star means the rising model is set to have a lasting impact on the fashion world. We're so excited because she's making important strides for the transgender community by breaking down barriers and becoming a role model for teens.

In January, Hari was one of eight women to walk in the menswear show for the Gucci runway, Teen Vogue reports. She also became the first American transgender woman to get signed to the IMG modeling agency, which is a huge deal in itself. Basically, this double nomination is so well deserved.

"I get tired of talking about my identity... because the world contextualizes it in pain and shame," Hari told Teen Vogue. "And now there’s been a crack of light let into that—just a crack—and it’s enough for me to talk about it and not feel totally humiliated and ashamed all the time." On the other hand, Hari also said that she's having the time of her life in the fashion industry. It's complicated.

The star is facing some tough competition for the Model of the Year Awards, especially in the Social Media Star of the Year category, where she's up against Instagram queen Kendall Jenner, new mother Chrissy Teigen and Swarovski starlet Karlie Kloss. And don't forget to vote for readers' choice! 

We're rooting for you, Hari!

In a sea of often useless (and sometimes hilarious) beauty hacks, Reddit user toriitelini has actually created something unbelievably cool with just an old Nancy Drew book. She explains that she had been holding onto the worn and torn hardback for a while until thinking of the perfect use for it - a makeup palette! By adding some magnets and a bit of artistic flair, she designed this novel little palette perfect for holding your favorite eyeshadows and blushes. 

Some people were a little uncomfortable with the destruction of an older copy from the cherished book series, but many others were quick to point out that the book was beyond repair anyway. What better way to hold onto something you love than by repurposing it? 

What do you think, collegiettes, would you design makeup palettes from your old books? 

"Nasty woman" may be the most quoted phrase of the 2016 presidential election. We've seen it spread to all kinds of clothing, but one brand in particular is really doing its part to support another important social cause, in addition to its feminist presidential message.

Google Ghostis donating half of the proceeds of its "Nasty Woman" merchandise to Planned Parenthood. So far the company has raised $100,165, which can only mean good things for this organization, which supports the fundamental right of people to be in control of their own bodies, and may soon lose its federal funding under the new president.

These "Nasty Woman" t-shirts with a pink heart-shaped design sell for $25, a small price for a big statement. This is the exact shirt that Katy Perry wore to champion her fave presidential candidate—and it's inspiring us both on a political level and a fashion one.

Amanda, who created the shirt, told New York Magazine that the orders have just kept flooding in, as thousands of nasty women wanted to pledge their support for Hillary Clinton and reproductive rights. And if t-shirts aren't your thing, Google Ghost also makes "Nasty Woman" mugs, totes and sweatshirts with the same design.

The best part? Google Ghost is coming out with a Year of the Nasty Woman Planner ($28) that begins on Inauguration Day and includes illustrations, biographies and quotes from fierce and flawless female role models. YES PLEASE.

It's no secret that bath bombs are just about the most magical thing we humans will ever get to experience, but brace your puny muggle hearts, because this Etsy creator is about to blow your mind. Bath product extraordinaire Rebecca Lynn has created a sorting hat bath bomb that promises to reveal your true Hogwarts house as it dissolves in your bath tub. 

If you're not familiar with the Harry Potter universe, each of the four colors represents one of the houses of Hogwarts—yellow for Hufflepuff, red for Gryffindor, blue for Ravenclaw, and green for Slytherin. 

 Check out @brittany_bibliophile's amazing demo on how it works:

Sadly, Rebecca's Etsy shop is on a hiatus, but a relaunch and restock is happening January 1! You're in for a spellbinding treat with these remarkable little fizzies.

More frequently, collegiettes entering the workforce are searching for career opportunities that offer increased flexibility. No one wants to sit behind a desk in a poorly lit cubicle day in and day out, counting the seconds until it’s time to go home. If the thought of getting dressed up and heading to the office bright and early every day for the rest of your life makes you gag, we’ve got just the list for you. Here are a few career options to consider that aren’t your typical 9-5 commitments.

1. Blogger

Creating a blog is easier now than ever before, with online templates and tons of examples to look to for inspiration. But maintaining a blog is hard work! It takes someone truly passionate about a topic—fashion or human rights, literature or sports—to turn a vision board into a scrollable reality. The perks, of course, are that you get to work from home (or your local coffee shop or book store or even outdoor park) and you get to create your own schedule.

Jordan Chapman, a sophomore at Emory University and creator of The Hat Logic, explains that, contrary to popular belief, bloggers don’t just sit around taking selfies. It’s true that, without her blog, she may have never discovered her love for fashion photography, but her job has also allowed her to discover so much more about herself. She has learned to work with others from a remote location and has grown to welcome constructive criticism, all while enjoying the many travel opportunities that have come her way since the launch of her blog, including trips to Paris and Amsterdam.

Like with any other career path, success in the blogosphere doesn’t come overnight and several years can go by before your hard work rewards you with significant financial returns. Jordan says that the key is consistently marketing yourself and your blog as having a clear and identifiable theme or persona. This will help your existing audience relate to you more, attract new and like-minded friends and followers and, hopefully, grab the attention of professional brands you’d like to work with. Lauren Conrad did it and so can you!

2. Freelancer

If you have a special, marketable and in-demand talent, then this is ideal for you. You’ve probably already heard of freelance journalists, but anyone who’s willing to work for more than one brand or company on paid projects of varying lengths can essentially be a freelancer. Maybe you’re good at something highly technical like graphic design, website construction, app development or videography or maybe you speak and read two or more languages fluently.

There are tons of online resources available to connect you with potential clients seeking very specific services. Freelancer.com, for example, is a searchable database that allows freelancers and employers to join a network of more than 20 million users. Employers are able to add their service requests to the archive of more than 10 million jobs while freelancers are able to browse relevant opportunities using pre-determined categories or keyword searches.

Melanie Green, executive editor of Melanie Green Editorial Services, works frequently with freelance writers and other creatives. Beyond job-hosting platforms, she suggests approaching companies that you think have a regular need for the services you offer. As a writer, these may include newspapers, magazines, marketing companies or even universities. Start by asking if there’s anything you can do to help them; then, once you’ve established a relationship and a name for yourself as an expert in your field, start negotiating short-term contracts.

Networking becomes especially important when you are hoping to earn a livable income as a freelancer; you are largely responsible for securing and negotiating every job opportunity you receive. You are your own office manager, keeping up with multiple simultaneous projects, reaching out to potential clients and promoting yourself on relevant professional platforms, all while producing quality work for each individual client.

Freelancing is no easy task, but with an unwavering sense of commitment and excellent time management skills, you can become so renowned for your skills and expertise that clients begin to seek you out. 

3. Personal Trainer or Fitness Instructor

Who says you can’t get paid to work out? If fitness is your ultimate passion and you love helping other people, you just might have a future as a personal trainer or fitness instructor.

Becoming a certified personal trainer is a major commitment, but the long process will pay off in the end. As a certified fitness instructor, you’ll be able to teach classes at full-service health and fitness clubs, specialty studios and even some medical facilities—all of which allow you a much more flexible schedule than a regular 9-5. Plus, you also have the option of going into business on your own. You can offer personal training classes at your home, your clients’ homes, your favorite beach pavilion or even on YouTube. Some personal trainers also offer virtual training packages for remote clients!

4. Photographer

The list of self-taught photographers is, by this time, ceaseless. In fact, we’d be lying to ourselves if we said that we’ve never once listed one of our interests as photography. What may seem like an amateur hobby can actually become an enlightening career—one that not only pays the bills, but also leads you to the most unexpected of places and people.

There are so many ways to strengthen your skills as a photographer—from books to online workshops, college classrooms to apprenticeship opportunities. If you have a camera and a vision, it’s not too early to start curating a portfolio that showcases your talents. Seek out mentors already established in the field and ask them to take a look at your work; be open to feedback and work on your weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to share your work online for feedback from unfamiliar people either and some great exposure (no pun intended). Plus, who doesn’t like sharing her opinions on the Internet.

As a beginner, offer your services at reduced prices to the people closest to you. If you are a recent grad, advertise photo packages for college and high school graduation portraits or even campus events coverage for student organizations. Typically, students have lower budgets and are willing to take a chance on someone they recognize as one of them.

Before you know it, you’ll hone in on your own unique style that people—hopefully clients—will come to appreciate, and your clientele will expand. Your nomadic dreams of traveling across the state or country or world on your own schedule photographing people’s stories, unimaginable landscapes or exotic wildlife will be closer than you think.

5. Interior Designer

If you light up (and cringe a little at the same time) when someone starts talking to you about their “aesthetic” and your Pinterest board is filled with photos of themed rooms with all their unique furnishings, you’re probably an interior design buff. Your creative and colorful mind could never be contained by the seemingly dull existence of a 9-5 job!

As with blogging or freelancing, the first step is to market yourself and your styles appropriately. Social media platforms with an emphasis on photo sharing are a great place to start, escalating later on to a website of your own. In fact, your design genius knows no bounds. Forget websites; aren’t apps the future anyway? That’s what Anne Courtney, wardrobe stylist and interior designer, must have told herself when she created Hutch (formerly Homee)—an app that allows interior designers to work with clients via a text-like service with built-in shopping features.

Even if you think you’re not ready for an app or a website, being an interior designer still affords you the luxury of working in a different space every day. What could be more inspiring for your craft?

Related: 7 Reasons You Should Snag That Startup Job

Whether you work at an office from 9 to 5 or you enjoy a more unconventional work schedule, the expectations aren’t entirely different. Hard work is an important factor of success in any field, on any schedule. In fact, some might argue that it’s even more significant if your schedule is constantly in flux. The burden is on you to stay organized and determined and to put in the extra effort when needed. Whatever you decide to do career-wise, aim to build a life for yourself that is as happy and as fulfilling as you have always imagined it to be. You deserve it.

It's no secret that Lush products are amazing (I mean, who wouldn't want to take a bath in a pool of glitter??), but would you confidently proclaim your love for those little bath bombs in a permanent way? Well, nine Lush employees did just that when they decided to get tattoos to reflect their love for the company. I guess that's one way to make a bath bomb last longer, right? 

It all started with a few employees talking about their love for the cruelty-free company, and turned into the group taking shifts to see tattoo artist Shelby Lauren for some new ink. Some of the designs included the ever-popular Sex Bomb, the company's cruelty-free and vegetarian labels and many of their other favorite items!

Pictures of their tattoos were posted to their company's private Facebook group and ended up being a major hit with other Lush employees across the country! One of the tattooed employees, Brittany Minor, told Popsugar she was "overwhelmed by the 'likes' and comments from Lushies across North America saying how they now want to get Lush tattoos, too." 

It seems like these little bath bombs will be blowing up on more employees' bodies, and not just in our tubs anymore!