Fashion ; Embracing Metamorphosis

“Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” 
― Charles Addams

I guess as a little girl I wanted to be different. Then as I teenager I wanted to disappear. My freshman year in college I used to change my outfit 3 times a day. Then I went through the polar opposite of that  the following year wearing nothing but umbro shorts even in winter.

 In the many phases of your life you wore something. You sometimes remember it fondly then in the later you rather not even go there. I was very girly for a while then I decided it wasn't for me and did my own thing. In my 30's I had  this awakening of femininity in some way. I enjoyed getting my hair done, mani , pedi  even a deep affection for the color pink. In some ways I wanted to embrace this in myself. Then Id rebel not really putting much thought into anything at all.

 In the past year my body and my style has been in a state of metamorphosis. I am getting brave in what I choose to wear instead of blending in I feel like standing out. Its scary I won't lie but at the end of the day you just got to embrace who you are. Take a risk now and then sometimes you wont like it. Other times you'll wonder why you haven't before. Whats the worst that could happen to you. People saying " I can't believe she wore that "  Just ignore it for what I have learned they mock the different then three months later they buy it.   

Having fun in my polka dot dress 

I even went orange this week . They say
curvy women should only wear black.
I decided why follow the rules 

Having fun at a Halloween party with orange striped tights
Random but note worthy 

Cruel Summer Tips

Across the world we are experiencing global heat wave. Truly I think the phrase its the humidity not the heat has come into play. So here are some tips to make the summer less cruel. I've also included some  handy dandy weather facts.

Hydration 
I obtained this information from CDC Website

• Drink more water than usual.

• Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more fluids.

• Drink from two to four cups of water every hour while working or exercising outside.

• Avoid alcohol or liquids containing high amounts of sugar.

• Remind others to drink enough water.

For more tips on staying safe in the heat 

http://www.cdc.gov/extremeheat/






Skin 

This is taken from the Mayo Clinic 

One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.

For the most complete sun protection:

• Use sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. When you're outdoors, reapply sunscreen every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.

• Seek shade. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.

• Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sun-protective clothing — which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays.

Hair

Easy Summer Makeup
I have been using CC creme as my tinted moisturizer. This is very similar to what I've been doing







Well of course the cool sounds of Bananarama always make the summer less cruel


Bananarama - Cruel Summer by hushhush112

Rolling Stone Cover feat Boston Bomber is leading many to Boycott

Photo via  HARTFORD, CT (WFSB)

Working in Radio you read the trade magazines allot. You need to keep up to date with everything going on. Not only the talent but also the industry side of the industry. One of the most respected is Rolling Stone when I noticed in my social media feeds this morning allot of people were calling for a boycott of Rolling Stone it really took me by shock. Until I saw the cover everyone was tweeting, facebooking about. I found myself actually nauseous when I laid my eyes upon it. Even those in the music industry are speaking out about the cover Nikki Sixx tweeted on to his facebook page the following

Twitter Account....@nikkisixx

"I understand journalism but @RollingStone has disrespected the families of the Boston bombing victims 100%.
____________________________

Why not put photos of the victims and families on the cover and let that tell the story of courage and heartbreak? You could keep the photo of this terrorist inside if need be and report your story.I am sure you are aware of the pain you were about to cause all the families when you went to print...

I know journalism isn't pretty when you have the face of evil staring back at you but why put him on the cover of a supposed music oriented magazine? You treat him with the same honor as those of us who have made the cover based on our craft?

I agree with many of my peers and I hope Rolling Stone can take responsibility and issue an apology to everybody who's lives has been affected..." ( Via Nikki Sixx ) 


 It isn't that they are doing a story on the suspected bomber it is how the cover comes off . It has a editorial look to it that if you didn't know better would look like a cover they would do depicting a up and coming star. Why on earth would you depict a terrorist this way on the cover of a well respected publication. I am outraged as many people are world wide. There is a call for a boycott of the magazine.
"
CVS/pharmacy has decided not to sell the current issue of Rolling Stone featuring a cover photo of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect," the Facebook post read. "As a company with deep roots in New England and a strong presence in Boston, we believe this is the right decision out of respect for the victims of the attack and their loved ones." ( Via  HARTFORD, CT (WFSB)

 I believe they should pull the cover immediately send an apology. Donate the sales of this months publication to the One Fund in Boston. The fund set up to aid the victims of the tragedy. Let's hope Rolling Stone does the right thing and pulls the cover. There is free speech and then there is blatant disrespect for your country and the victims those effected by the Boston bombing tragedy.Social media is a buzz about it . What are your thoughts ?  Will you purchase Rolling Stone in the future ?

Body Image : Labels on Women

I have recieved allot of email in regards to my previous post. Saying I had allot of courage to post a picture of me at my heaviest. It was hard I will admit though I do love that girl in the photo though . I don't feel like her anymore. I struggle with body image allot know that it is a daily struggle. I often now don't look allot around the room to see if I'm the fattest there. I just look to see who is there and make sure to smile. Even if I know I'm being judged in not a good way. I act ignorant to it and plow through get done what ever I was there to do. I no longer look at beautiful women as a representation of my failure. Seeing there beauty saying Im not like them I'm less than. I have just learned were just different at the end of the day. I heard this great term compare and despair. Allot of times if you talk to these women you envy you'll find they too have some of the same insecurities. As I question the seeming rejection of the real beauty movement in some aspects. I wonder if more of our insecurities are caused by each other? Let's face it as women we are sometimes mean to each other judging people quickly. If you don't think the women in the room doesn't know you are talking about her she does. I have been that women at one time you have been that women. If you think you won't be the women being mocked in the room you will be. We have a culture that seems to promote us judging and belittling each other. I see in on these reality shows all the time there is always cat fight always ready to erupt . There is always women sitting around with big glasses of wine judging each other. Do I even have to mention the shows.

 We all have our time seems to be a right of passage of a women. I remember being aftraid to walk out of the room of a group of friends of mine for I knew or thought they would talk about me. I remember being afraid to even go to the bathroom. Though as I grew up I realized that if they wanted to talk about you they will . No matter how strong your bladder may be. What I learned to do is make a joke about it " Well if they are going to waste there time it better be juicy"  I love this line by Ana Difranco's song 32 flavors


"And God help you if you are an ugly girl'Cause too pretty is also your doom'Cause everyone harbors a secret hatredFor the prettiest girl in the roomAnd God help you if you are a phoenixAnd you dare to rise up from the ashA thousand eyes will smolder with jealousyWhile you are just flying past"



Tyra Banks did an experiment on her show a couple years back that was very eye opening. How we as women lable each other. The experiment was very eye opening her is a clip of Tyra taking to Entertainment Tonight about  the experiment take a look. I think we as humans will always be curious about each other and judge. Yet I think there is a point when you have to band together try to see beyond the judgement. 





If you were sitting in a room of strangers do you mentally put signs on them. I get all kinds of judgement because I'm 38 and not married also arty with a cat. Women and men even look at me and say you don't have kids ?  They seem to think I'm a bit weird for this what could be wrong with me. My life just took  a different path is all I say. We are all are on different paths we don't take the same route as each other. I've tried myself to judge less and learn more. Its hard but I want to treat others as I would want to be treated. So if you were to put one of these labels on yourself what would it be ?

Body Image : Escapism into the Thin Beautiful Zone

This was me 95.2 pounds ago 

Barbie seems to be in the media in a new way artist are using there magic to make her normal. We have been seeing natural barbie and real size barbie in our feeds. Seeing the positive responses to these images. It truly makes me think. Will this let Madison Avenue know that we are all feed up with this standard of beauty.Which can't be obtained by most of the population. I have written about body image for over 3 years , living with those issues most of my life. Have spoken out in support of real beauty.

 What I can't understand is this strange if you will allow me wishy washy public opinion. I am not defending Madison Avenue , yet when they meet our demands we some how lash out. When Lane Bryant aired an advert with a curvy women being sexy featured  it had to be pulled. Then in the same token when main stream fashion magazines try to use curvy model ads they get backlash saying they are promoting diabetes and obesity. The more I thought about it I had my own scenario with this delusional escapism.Not wanting to see myself truly represented in the media.



. They deliver our demands then we turn on them. Has society become so indoctrinated that now we are maybe scared to see ourselves represented correctly in the media. I remember when I was 9 years old standing in line at the grocery store with my mom. Reading a headline about Oprah who I wanted to grow up and be like. I saw a headline that said " Oprah Frumpy Dumpy and Lumpy " It was a quote from Mr. Blackwells list. Though I can't confirm that for I was nine . I can't find the article on the net . Those words rang in my head for months and years even. I thought she was beautiful looked up to her why were people so cruel. My mom had teased me about having my own talk show when I grew up. Due to my gregarious personality though I decided radio would be safer for me. This made me think Are  we as a society  afraid to see average people now? Sometimes I think of the cast of friends my generations iconic show. I think I may have known 2 or 3 people out of my social groups that looked like them. I sometimes think that in the escapism of television and print we somehow think we are like these people. How dare we have to see ourselves as we are. Even though I was an avid watcher of friends in my teens and twenties I absolutely hated it when they put Monica  in a fat suite maybe because at the time she reminded me of myself in a couple of ways. Though I really have never encountered a person of weight that freely carries candy and snack cakes at the time. The segment bothered me allot I would change the channel it made me feel like this is what Hollywood thinks of overweight people that we are just bubbly snack cake packing balls of fun. Who just let fat jokes roll off our backs and giggle.We couldn't be smart or well spoken or even dress well.  I did have allot of the happy fat girl traits this I admit. In all honesty in my own escapism when I watched the show. I thought I was attractive slim like all of them. It was a hard to watch those episodes because in reality I was fat Monica. Just as in the same time span I was often told I looked like Tracy Turnblat from Hairspray. Which I think in a human aspect of myself I came to terms with my own vanity. I think when we watch movies and shows with attractive people in that moment we feel we are just like them. When we see real looking people looking allot of us we end up coming out of the mental vacation. How did we get this way ?


Then one night Jimmy Kimmel made a joke about David Schwimmer saying " If he was a regular person you know he'd only be able to get a 200 lb women." . Somehow this really effected me into thinking I was damaged It would be the worst thing in the world to date a big women. When I saw this segment I was headed to Hollywood for a makeup class. It was the worst somehow it stuck in my head. Thought that people were going to through stuff at me in LA . Even not let me in anywhere to be honest. I'm glad I didnt listen to fear or the media because I had a really great time in LA. Even got asked to go to a date to the Dave Matthews show at the Wiltern Theater. With a very handsome tour guide though I declined because I was alone in a new city didn't think it was smart. Though I did meet him for a cup of coffee the following day he took me to the Duran Duran star on the walk of fame so I could take a picture. I asked him point blank why on earth would you ask me out in a city of the most beautiful skinny women.( I really needed to know ) He said I like your smile, pretty face, and intelligent conversation. It was refreshing to just be able to hang with someone down to earth and real. We kept in touch for about a year then both moved on with our respective lives. Many years I've been battling with my body issues constantly. This blog has been a great outlet to be brutally honest stepping out of my comfort zone for once.Helping many others in the process. I've watched the trends in the real beauty movement pick up momentum. I thought that we were on the right track until the Mike and Mollie scandal erupted a few years back.


We say we want more real people then once again back lash and retaliation. This I didn't understand because on the show "Roseanne" Dan and Rosanne were frisky all the time no one batted an eyelash. It seems to be so very confusing can you image all the young girls out there having to deal with all of this. I've come a long way with my weight struggles yet slow and steady I'm wining the race . Even if I reach goal I'll always have body image issues. I remember being told over a year ago to say in the Mirror every morning " I love myself as I am now " I do this and it helps immensely it has given me allot of confidence. So what do you think are we ready to start seeing our selves as we are ?

This is me loving myself as I am today. Sorry about the crop I didn't have
The other woman's consent to use there photo for this post

Climb Every Mountain

I have to say that I've been singing this song around the house for the past week. So today I finally played it the lyrics resonated with me like they never have before. I think I needed to be reminded to climb every mountain. It was a bit of inspiration needed greatly.



Climb Every Mountain by Rogers and Hammerstein
Climb every mountain, 
Search high and low, 
Follow every byway, 
Every path you know. 

Climb every mountain, 
Ford every stream, 
Follow every rainbow, 
'Till you find your dream. 

A dream that will need 
All the love you can give, 
Every day of your life 
For as long as you live. 

Climb every mountain, 
Ford every stream, 
Follow every rainbow, 
Till you find your dream 

A dream that will need 
All the love you can give, 
Every day of your life, 
For as long as you live. 

Climb every mountain, 
Ford every stream, 
Follow every rainbow, 
Till you find your dream.

Duran Duran Special on Total Radio UK ( July 4th)

I have been working hard for the past month on this Duran Duran special. I wanted it to be a time travel experience through space and time into the Duranaverse. We will also be joined by noted blogger and Journalist Talia who is our fashion correspondent on  Through the Night. She will bring us fashion of Duran and of the era. I would like to invite you to join us on this journey. Hope to see you there !