Sunday Inspiration

This is my nothing can break my spirit reminder.

Anytime I am feeling doubtful, it reminds me that..

I am stronger, I am wiser, I am better...

Coupon Love...

Here's a sweet weekend coupon from the folks @ Bath & Body Works.

Beauty Buzz...

i am totally loving C O Bigelow Lemon Sugar Body Scrub right now!



i love a good scrub and i always have several on hand at all times but i got this a couple weeks ago after not using it for over a year and instantly fell back in love with it.

the lemony scent is sweet but not overpowering.

you don't have to rinse yourself over and over to get it off.

it contains both white and brown sugars, skin-brightening lemon extracts and finely crushed, natural lotus flower and fruit seeds

in the past i remember feeling almost a burning stinging sensation from some salt scrubs and because the goal is to exfoliate NOT burn my skin off, i tend to prefer sugar scrubs

its a bit pricey for the larger container but it is so worth it and your skin will thank you for it.

Hump Day: Keep on Moving..

A few of my favorite songs to keep you moving this hump day!








Soul II Soul - Keep on Moving

Beyonce - Single Ladies

New York & Co

Good finds for sizes up to on average a 20 or XXL!

Glamour & All..

when i saw this picture in the current issue of glamour..i just smiled and thought..wow a real woman who looks really happy...but i really didn't give it too much thought..

apparently i am one of the few..

it has turned into major chatter online and elsewhere..as i am writing this there are 500+ comments on the story at glamour.com

most of the conversation is how grateful women are to see "real women" in a major magazine but a side bar of the conversation is how no matter what size a woman is, it all comes down to self image and embracing what we have.

i love that..

and granted this wont change anything overnight but it sure is nice to see something positive being said about "plus size" bodies..

and once again, glamour magazine... reminds me why i subscribe..

the model in the picture, Lizzie Miller, had some interesting things say on the today show..

take a look..

Persona: Queen Latifah

the latest release from Queen Latifah Persona hits the stores on 8/25 and i am totally looking forward to it..(got my preorder in)!



the name and the cover are so perfect..after all, as women aren't we always taken on new persona's depending on what we are dealing with in our lives?

and the variety of music on this release is a good reflection of that.

one of the things that i love about da Queen is that she just seems to do whatever she wants...rapping, singing, acting, producing, writing..

Gone Queen!

...it geeks me to just type all of that..

another thing i love about her is that she does not apologize..i remember when there was a bit of huff from the plus size world when she went on jenny craig, as if when you are plus size wanting to reel your weight in a bit and be healthier is a crime..

she did her thang, made her money, lost some weight and is still fabulous..

anyway, back to the album..

so far from what i have heard, i love "people".

it features one of my other "you don't know about this" girls, mary j blige

one of the lines goes: "people gonna to let you down, don't expect for them to hold you down, they're just people

its kinda sad but does it get any more real than that?

....if we remembered that when we are going thru our lives, we would be some happier folks..

i also like that its such a mix of styles... she rocks out a bit, does the rap thang

on "cue the rain", my other favorite...where she explains that she didn’t remember signing over her identity to her greedy lover

i have heard that some people don't care for "fast car" but i really dig it..

the high that you giving me..is worth a million years on the ground..

especially when missy.."spread my love like swine flu" elliot does what she does.

i think "long ass week" will definitely be one of my theme songs..in it she's goes "it feels like the longest week of my life and i am so ready to be myself whether wrong or right"..

you know those weeks...

lol

all i all i would have to give it 3 Curvatude Snaps cause the Queen is mixing it up in the coolest ways and rocking major Curvatude on this one..

speaking of rockin..

is she rockin this look or what?

i ain't mad!

PETA: We Need Attention, so Let's be Offensive..,

Aww PETA n their ever present air of ignorance.

i hesitated to even address this latest controversy beyond my tweet involving PETA mainly because i honestly think that they did it because, hey things have been kinda quiet on their front and they needed some attention and i really didn't want to give them any

but after further thought i reconsidered..

once again ugliness rears its head and what better way to do so than to be offensive and attack fat folks..

a few things about the ad..

1. i wont even bother to post it..but it says "Save the Whales - Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian" and shows an overweight woman in a tight bikini

2. its stupid - i have been a vegetarian for over 8 years and trust me, it has not meant that i only ate vegetables and lost tons of weight. i am considered obese if you go by the charts and actually i have gained weight as a vegetarian

and ironically they have listed on their very site one of the reasons why..

uh just because you don't eat meat it doesn't mean that you don't eat sweets

3. their EVP is just ignorant as witnessed by this statement "Trying to hide your thunder thighs and balloon belly is no day at the beach," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman.

too bad she has a hard time hiding her "fatness"

personally i am an avid beach goer and i don't spend my time there trying to hide anything..



4. people are getting so bored with their shock n denigrate lowbrow tactics for getting their "message" across and its sad because the organization has done valuable work.

but I guess the need to not feel irrelevant at times sadly makes them resort to the lowest possible denominator..

but there is a lesson to be learned here, once again..one of the main issues that plus size folks need to fight on a daily basis is the ease in which people think its ok to use us as a punching bag for all the ills of world

Summer Sunday Sounds

feeling good today...feeling lovely aaa..

The Real Weight Issue

I was reading the post Thoughts Inspired by More to Love on There From Here where Chanelle posted a couple of videos related to plus size women and dating.

One of the men (from ironically "PracticalHappiness.com" of all things) said in his video Being Overweight and dating

"By being overweight you are severely restricted the number of people who will find you attractive"

"The way to become more attractive and increase your options when it comes to dating life is to lose weight.”



i love when people say things like that they think are the key to the holy grail.

he also talked about the confidence that people assume will come from losing weight

and i am huge on confidence but this business about weight being the only reason why overweight people can not find dates is silly because the truth is there are plenty of women who are not considered overweight who can't find partners either.

i think it all starts with the most important relationship anyone has and its the one that they have with themselves

plus size women would be doing themselves a major favor if they stop living the aura of lack because when you feel lacking about yourself it manifests in every area of your life, especially relationships.

one of the girls on more to love said that she had a boyfriend who was ashamed of her and my first thoughts were:

do you hate yourself that much that you would give your most precious commodity to someone who is ashamed of you?

what makes you think that you deserve so little?

why is it so difficult for women to understand that you can not expect anything from someone else that you are not giving to yourself?

the myth about losing weight being the end all of it all to your dating issues is beyond ridiculous

if you are sitting around thinking "if i could just lose 40 pounds more people will find me attractive" you may be right to an extent but if you don't start changing the way that you feel about yourself, no amount of weight loss will really make you a desirable partner

Shoe Hunt!

I was walking down state street and spotted these babies in the window at Akira.



And I love Akira but they tend to be a bit pricey and I am a big believer in getting what I want at the price that I want!

These are a few that I have found online that are at prices more inline with my budget and other colors and fabrics to boot!

Curvatude Bookshelf: Hungry

I just ordered a book that I am very interested in reading & reviewing.

Typically most stories about models are about how their careers tend to suffers when they gain weight but Hungry chronicles how model Crystal Renn went from a "miserable life size 00" to a "full life size 12".



Due to be released Sept 8th (available for pre-order now)

If we were to see your fatness..

I am generally unmoved by these types of things and frankly it bores me but today I guess I was in a generous mood so I decided to respond..

Glamour.com just posted a blog titled: First Racism, Now Fatism? about this writer in England who basically feels that fat people are bleeding her country dry.

I personally didn't feel hyped up by the article

i think its a mixed bag of fact, assumptions & personal ranting on platell's part

she tries to give off that she is concerned for overweight children, etc but her real issue is she's pissed that fat folks and their health issues in her words make her and her country have to "foot the bill" for their gluttony

as i write this, there are over 200 comments on the article.

sadly, some of the people are almost trying to defend themselves with comments like "all overweight people don't sit on the couch all day" as if they need to defend themselves

i just really wish that people would stop taking what other people think into their consciousness.

on a day to day basis there is just too much real ish to deal with to on top of it care about other peoples problems and that's the crust of the matter...platell has a problem

she could have written and article about her country's health system from numerous angles that are potentially bleeding the country dry but would they have gotten people in such an uproar?

most likely not..

why.

simply because humans think its ok to attack other humans who in their estimation should be better, should know better, should do better..

and fat folks are high on the list for blanket judgment

after all people say it all the time, "they should stop eating so much and exercise"

sounds simple enough right?

but like most simple things, its not so simple.

every person is different.

every overweight person is overweight for their own reason and some people are overweight and not "unhealthy" and do not require more medical attention than your "average size" person contrary to what the haters are always putting out there.

i could go on and on with this but i won't..

here is the comment i left on glamour.com (i am PlusSizeDiva on their site)

fatism is nothing new.

i love people who think they can place judgment. who think that they can look at a person on the outside and explain their whole existence.

there are all sorts of reasons why people are overweight and we have heard them all but i don't even think that's the point here.

the point here is the real disgusting thing that people on high horses think its ok to attack others because they aren't what they think they should be.

who made that chick and those of you with your snide rude comments the judge and juror.

what gives you the right to speak ill of others?

i am sure if we could see your "fatness" in whatever form it comes in, ie, the foul things you have done and continue to do, then perhaps people would think twice about their holier than thou need to spew unnecessary hate

i just happen to be one of those girls who is proudly plus size and could care less what other people think and actually feel kinda sad for women who always need to bring others down to obviously fill some kind of void within themselves.

i mean because a really truly happy person has absolutely no need to disparage others.

What the heel?

Saw this on glamour.com

This just must be designers masochistic expression..a little joke of sorts that they love to play on the gullible




They could not have gotten me to even pretend to try them on let alone risk walking a couple of feet..

Curvatude on a Budget

Dare I say it?

Summer is winding down!

But look on the bright side..the deals continue to heat up!

Some of the latest:

Save up to 75% @ Jessica London

• Curvatude pick:
• The Tailored Surplice Dress - simple & versatile

$10, $15 & $20 Deals @ Old Navy

• Curvatude picks:
• Hooded Deep-V Tees - great multi season casual wear in really cute colors!
• Fringed Gauze Scarves - can you ever have too many scarves? NO!
• 12 colors to choose from!

Hips and Curves Clearance sale

• Curvatude pick:
• Lace Trim Camisole and Boy Short
• 
  

Save Up to 30% off certain styles @ Igigi thru 8/12 code "seasonfinale"

• Curvatude pick:
• Angie Faux Wrap in Fiesta Orange - there is no better style of dress in my curvy world and no better color than orange!

Save $20 off $150 @ Kiyonna - Coupon Code BEAUTY

• Curvatude pick:
• Flaunt Cocktail Dress - love the neckline and the ruched back

More to Love ..or Hate?

There has been quite a bit of debate going on regarding More to Love.

One school of thought is that it is demeaning to Plus Size Women while other people just think its reality tv doing what they do.

Initially I was a bit torn because I really don't watch much reality tv because I feel that in some ways it is all so ridiculous and honestly i think its kinda yucky to be on a show making out with someone that you know will be doing the same with countless other women.

That's just me.

On the flip side I think its great that plus size women are getting some time on the airwaves that doesn't involve Jerry Springer or Maury Povich.

But after watching Episode 1, I wondered why they chose Luke.

He just isn't the type that I would have expected to be "the man" on a dating type show.

He's cute and all, like a teddy bear but kinda nerdy to me but I guess its his resume more than anything that makes him a "catch".

Also, I was a bit put off by some of the ladies and the almost desperation when crying about finding a man

And the looks and expressions of "fear" about being amongst the chosen 15 almost made me laugh.

I just don't get it..and I am not trying to be insensitive but..i just don't get it.

I mean you just met the guy, so it all seems so premature.

Perhaps what is really needed is some time building themselves and their lives up so that a man would be a nice perk not a hard to find necessity.

People can feel that lack of self confidence.

Its an energy.

But once again I guess that's a part of being on a reality show. The more drama the better..

And i hate it when women feel like the only way that they can show their worth is to bring other women down and that was definitely the feeling that I got from some of the women.

i.e. "guys.. love skinny bitches" Kristen

On the flip side, I love that some of the women were all about their confidence.

So, I will leave it at that for now..

What do you think?

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