photo Annie Lebovitz

Michelle Obama is gracing the cover of Vogue‘s April 2013 issue. Shot by photographer Annie Leibovitz, the FLOTUS dons a a midnight-blue Reed Krakoff sleeveless dress and winning smile that’s become the face of our nation.

In the cover story, she discusses the importance of family. "Our job is, first and foremost, to make sure our family is whole," she tells the fashion mag. "You know, we have small kids; they’re growing every day. But I think we were both pretty straightforward when we said, Our No. 1 priority is making sure that our family is whole."

Michelle also reveals what she has learned from her husband President Barack Obama who began his second term a few months ago. "Well, patience and calm I’m borrowing. Or trying to mirror. I’ve learned that from my husband, that sort of, you know, ability to not get too high or too low with changes and bumps in the road. . . to do more breathing in and just going with it. I’m learning that every day. And to the extent that I’ve made changes in my life, it’s just sort of stepping back and seeing a change not as something to guard against but as a wonderful addition. . . that can make life fun and unexpected."

-vibe vixen

I'm loving Nicki's transformation....check out a few things she told Elle:

On her "make-under":

"To go in front of the camera, without pink lips or big ol’ crazy lashes—you know, nothing—I felt naked. It was scary! So this photo shoot was a real accomplishment in my eyes."

On being bullied as a child:

"I went through a lot of bullying early on. Girls made my life a living hell. We had come to America from a different country. My brother and I had accents. It was very tough. So I’ve always put up this wall—it was a self-defense mechanism growing up—because I was almost expecting people to attack me. And I still have it. It’s sad."

Her advice for women:

"My advice to women in general: Even if you’re doing a nine-to-five job, treat yourself like a boss. Not arrogant, but be sure of what you want—and don’t allow people to run anything for you without your knowledge. You want everyone to know, Okay, I can’t play games with her. I have to do right by this woman. That’s what it’s all about."

-rap-up

Forbes has named Oprah Winfrey the most influential Celebrity in America for the second year in a row. The magazine ranked celebrities based on E-Poll Market Research  surveys -- which asked Americans about celebs' likeability traits and personality attributes.

Oprah was rated 48% influential. In second place was Director Steven Spielberg, who earned a 47% influential rating. Rounding out the top five were: Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard and George Lucas.

The celebs in the top 10 were: Dr. Oz (6), Barbara Walters (7), Bono (8), CNBC financial guru Suze Orman (9) and Clint Eastwood (10).