The troubled actress spent 35 days confined to her Californian home and was monitored by ankle bracelet in lieu of jail time for taking a necklace from a boutique and violating the terms of her 2007 conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) last month.

The `Machete` star was grateful for the punishment as it gave her an opportunity to stay out of the limelight.

She told Australia`s 2Day Fm radio station: "I enjoyed it, actually, as I was able to get a lot of work done from home, and it was very nice not to have to worry about cameras being outside."

Lindsay also clarified when her ankle bracelet went off during her house arrest it was because of a false alarm.

She explained: "It was actually the people who work with the ankle braces [fault]. The battery had died in the machine, It was a lot of drama for no reason."

Since she was freed on June 29, Lindsay has started her court ordered 480 hours of community service at the Los Angeles Downtown Women`s centre and maintained her new low-key lifestyle, cancelling a planned 25th birthday party at the beginning of this month to spend time with only a handful of friends and family.

Speaking of her birthday, on July 2, she added: "I literally just had dinner with my closest friends and sister then had some friends over at my house and that was it, it was nice. They didn`t tell me where I was going so that was a little surprise."

Lindsay is now hoping to continue her acting career and has signed up to appear in `Gotti: Three Generations`, which is due to start shooting next year.

She is also keeping coy about any potential love interests.

When asked if there is anyone special in her life, she replied: "Not really. Even if there was I wouldn`t tell you! I`m really happy now, and I`ve learned I need to love myself first and foremost."
sections: Celebrities