Lea Michele: My Breasts "Are My Prizewinners"

USMagazine, Monday, December 10, 2012, 7:20am (PST)

Lea Michele is proud of her many accomplishments -- and her breasts, too.

"These babies are great," the Glee actress and singer, 26, tells the January issue of Marie Claire of her increasingly on-display cleavage.

PHOTOS: Lea's impressive bikini body and other stars in sexy two-pieces

"They are my prizewinners," boasts Michele, laughing, explaining that it took her a while to comfortably flaunt her bust in revealing gowns as she transitioned from Broadway to TV star.

"For a while they were out and about, showing off on Broadway every night, then they came to L.A. and were like, 'No one else looks like me here!'" she jokes to the magazine. "They were nervous to make their appearance but feel they've earned their place. So they asked if they could come out, and I was like, 'All right, you guys.' They definitely rose to the occasion, so I'm going to continue to give them more opportunities."

PHOTOS: Lea and Cory's romance

Something else Michele has gradually opened up about to the world and her fans? Her real-life romance with Glee costar Cory Monteith.

"I don't even remember a time when he wasn't my boyfriend. No one knows me better than Cory," she says of Monteith, 30, who's become a star alongside her on the FOX musical smash.

PHOTOS: Glee cast's real-life yearbook pix!

Us Weekly was first to break news of the pairing in February of this year; Michele and actor Theo Stockman split in September 2011 after about a year together. Monteith briefly dated Taylor Swift in 2010.

"No one knows what it's been like to go through this more than he does. Feeling like you have that net underneath you allows you to jump higher and go farther," she gushes to Marie Claire of her 6'3" man. "He makes me feel like I can do anything. For the first time in my life, I feel really, really settled and happy. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world."

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Lea Michele: My Breasts "Are My Prizewinners"