But angst sure has paid off for Finnigan -- she's nabbed two consecutive Outstanding Younger Lead Actress Daytime Emmys. "[The Emmys] sum up everything I've been working towards," she smiles. "I'm lucky to be working -- and then be awarded for doing something that I love."

The show has also given Finnigan some close friendships, even with those who have moved on. "I miss working with Rick," sighs Finnigan, referring to Rick Hearst (ex-Whip), now GENERAL HOSPITAL's Ric. "He was a good friend. Occasionally we'll go have a beer and catch up. He has such a great part on GENERAL HOSPITAL now and I am happy for him. Sometimes I'm up at like 2 in the morning, and I turn on SOAPnet, and there he is."

As for any single guys she might be having beers with, the actress offers, "I'm dating around, having fun. I'm so focused on work. I'm not actively trying to meet people, but if someone happens to come along, I won't resist it." What would catch her eye? "Someone with a sense of humor about themselves and about life, plus honesty and passion."

In the meantime, Finnigan has been busy sprucing up her bachelorette pad. "I bought a condo and gutted it and re-did it right from the foundation," she groans. "When I bought it, everything was a shade of Pepto-Bismol -- pink carpets, pink walls, pink wallpaper. And it was very old, so I physically tore everything down and was busy doing that for about eight months. My second home was Home Depot. I chose everything from the crown moldings to the toilets to the fixtures."

So, now comes the fun part: entertaining. "I'm having dinner parties -- that's my new thing," she beams. "My friends make fun of me because I seriously have a Martha Stewart thing going on. I make place settings, napkins, napkin rings. I'm not a great cook, but I have potlucks. I have to do the cleanup, but I get all the leftovers (laughs)."

So, both Bridget and Jennifer are embracing adulthood? "These past three years have been the best ever," she proclaims. "I've never, in such a short amount of time, experienced so much growth as a person and as an artist. I'm proud of that."