Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Review & Thoughts : Good Luck With That, Dietland, I Feel Pretty

I recently had the chance to read Good Luck With That by Kristen Higgins before it hits the shelves in August. It's the story of 3 girls who meet at "fat camp" and remain lifelong friends. Now adults, one of them passes away due to her weight. Her final wish is for her two friends to complete the list of goals they wrote up at camp all those years ago. Going outside of their comfort zones, they work through how their lifelong struggle with weight has affected their lives. Both having two different types of family dynamics, it was interesting and encouraging to see these women find their own paths to happiness.
 
On a similar note, I have not read Dietland by Sarai Walker (yet), but I am enjoying the show by the same name on AMC. I was immediately immersed in these characters. The season finale was last night, so if you haven't watched it yet it is now bingeable (no pun intended)! The series started off revolving around weight/beauty standards but then at the end the main focus, I felt, was around the #metoo movement as Plum herself gets assaulted. Here is a summary below:
 
Plum Kettle does her best not to be noticed, because when you'’re fat, to be noticed is to be judged. Or mocked. Or worse. With her job answering fan mail for a popular teen girls’ magazine, she is biding her time until her weight-loss surgery. Only then can her true life as a thin person finally begin.

But when Plum notices she’s being followed by a mysterious woman in colorful tights and combat boots, she finds herself falling down a rabbit hole into the world of Calliope House, a community of women who live life on their own terms. Reluctant but intrigued, Plum agrees to a series of challenges that force her to deal with the real costs of becoming “beautiful.” At the same time, a dangerous guerrilla group begins to terrorize a world that mistreats women, and as Plum grapples with her personal struggles, she becomes entangled in a sinister plot. The consequences are explosive.

Part coming-of-age story, part revenge fantasy, Dietland is a bold, original, and funny debut novel that takes on the beauty industry, gender inequality, and our weight-loss obsession from the inside out— and with fists flying.
 
On yet another similar note, I watched the movie I Feel Pretty this weekend. Similar to Dietland, Amy Shumer's character works "behind the scenes" at a popular fashion magazine (supporting the website in the basement to be exact). She envies all of the size zeros at headquarters and in her spin class. During one spin class in particular, she falls and hits her head. When she comes to, she "sees" herself as one of these size zeros even though nothing has changed. She starts taking risks and going after what she wants with her new found confidence. Everyone in her life already knows and loves her for who she is, and is confused by her new personality. She has another mishap and realizes her looks never changed. Distraught at first, she soon realizes how amazing she has always been and always will be.
 
These books, show, and movie have brought up a lot of thoughts for me so I thought I would share them as I am sure we can all relate. Not just about weight loss but also about society's expectations of beauty. My blog consists of 95% fashion, meaning, pictures of me in clothes. Is it because I enjoy posting pictures of myself? No. But I love sharing my shopping experiences and I know personally I would rather see clothes on a real person. I don't edit my photos to make myself look better, but, you can bet your bottom dollar I know how to stand or angle my face so that I "look skinnier". And even in doing that there are many photos I am not happy with but post anyway for the sake of getting something published (and for keeping it real)! I am currently the heaviest I have ever been, and some might scoff at that statement. In comparing Amy's underwear clad body to mine in her movie, we pretty much look alike! I know Amy is a comedian, and making fun of herself is something she does, but she is basically putting out the message that how she looks is fat and unattractive. I remember she caught some flack for this when the movie first came out. I, personally, think Amy is gorgeous - but does the rest of society not think so? If that is the case, then is the same thought about me?
 
I guess what I am trying to get at with all of this rambling is, I hate feeling like this. Ever since having baby #2, I haven't felt "like myself". It's a combination of a lot of things, but my body is playing a huge part in it. And honestly, it's not about what size I wear or what I look like (otherwise, I probably still wouldn't be blogging).... It's not about selling off beloved pieces of clothing that I painstakingly collected for years because it no longer fits...... it's also about pain. Pain I have not had previously. Fatigue. Moodiness. Skin problems. Worrying about my long term health. And the small sampling of entertainment I have recapped here further reinforces the issue of weight. Does entertainment like this help or hurt body image? The most important take away for me is that body image is being portrayed in interesting and thought provoking ways. And I love that women are banding together more than ever to conquer many, many, many issues! Jennifer Lives!


Thursday, July 26, 2018

Hands Free

You know you're old when you see every trend from your childhood come back! Today, I am chatting up fanny packs. And these are not the nylon fabric with plastic buckle type (although you can find those if that's what you like). You can find a variety of high and low end styles (I hit up Target for these, but brands like Gucci are players in the game), and this Summer I decided to go "hands free"! Carson is 3 and a half, and at the beginning of this season we decided to sell all of our strollers. It was a bit scary at first, thinking "what if we need this"..... "what if we need that". But after a few successful outings I am feeling good (and so much lighter)! As much as I don't want my kids to grow up too fast, I must admit it is so much easier once everyone is potty trained, once everyone eats adult food, etc..... And, I can't place all the stroller usage blame on the kids either...... it was nice to have a place to stash my purse, a cup holder, etc...... So this is even making me evaluate what is most important (keys, phone, cash/card). Also, by not carrying a purse I don't end up as the "pack mule" (here Mom, can you carry this?). Again, not just the kids as my hubby has been known to stash his wallet and phone in my purse. I should clarify that I am mostly referring to our all day outings like the zoo, museum or fair. We'll apply our sunscreen ahead of time (have it in the car if we need it again) and if we've decided to pack our own food the cooler also stays in the car until needed. I have a wristlet wallet that holds my phone that I've used in the past, but that still used up one wrist/hand. I ended up finding both a black and a neutral tan pack that I liked, so I wanted to show how they can be versatile with both jeans/tee and a dress!
The black bag I bought is a little more polished/sophisticated with it's quilting and gold details. This one can slide off the belt so you could use it in other ways (and I guess use the belt by itself too)! Really easy pairing with a favorite pair of jeans, favorite pair of sandals, and essential basic tee.
Rock & Republic High Roller Jeans : Kohl's (old)
Seychelles Sandals : Anthropologie (old)
Necklace & Sunglasses : TJ Maxx (old)



The tan pack I bought is a little more boho with it's shape and stitching details. Again, I kept things simple with a really basic (and comfy) maxi dress. Can you believe this dress is from Walmart? I don't usually shop there, but this dress caught my eye when some bloggers were promoting some of their new brands. At full price it was $16.98, but by the time I got around to going there they were market $9 on clearance! I have it in a really pretty teal blue color too, but it's a size too big so I am going to try to shrink it to be a little more flattering. Anyway, another simple look to power through the Mom Life!
Time and Tru Maxi Dress : Walmart
Sandals : Payless (old)
Necklace : Plunder
Sunglasses : TJ Maxx (old)


Thursday, July 19, 2018

Then and Now : Stamp Prints

Another round of "then and now" today.... the picture below is from 2012, and I can't believe how different I look! This was after I had Richard and the magic of breastfeeding put me in the best shape of my adult life. Yeah, not so much with baby #2. So the morale of this story is, a lot of the clothes I am flashing back to I no longer own. In general, I am always selling clothes to make room for the new but in this case it definitely no longer fit!
Both of these postage stamp skirts are from Anthropologie, and I was glad to get an updated version after all these years. I love the bright green color (with pink and navy stamps), the longer length, and the pockets! Oh, and the elastic waist! LOL! It was really easy to pair it with a white shell and jean jacket.
Getaway Printed Skirt : Anthropologie
White Sonoma Shell : Kohl's (old)
Jean Jacket & Sunglasses : TJ Maxx (old)
Sandals : Payless (old)




Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Then and Now : Gem Prints

I am planning out a few past and present posts, as I continue to stay drawn to certain prints or styles. My history of gem loving can be seen in the collage below with original post links here, here and here.

Of course I was thrilled seeing this skirt illustrated by Ann Howell Bullard for Anthropologie. Ann specializes in handbags, and I've admired the ones I've seen Anthro carry. However, a bag with this same gem print is not in my price range. I am glad Anthro is offering a few pieces of clothing that are a little more budget friendly. I kept everything else really simple with a black top and sandals. Narrowing down a colorful necklace was a bit of a challenge, but I felt this rhinestone one I painted went pretty well.
Gemstone Midi Skirt : Anthropologie
Apt 9 Sweater : Kohl's (old)
Ankle Strap Wedges : Rockport
Necklace : H&M, painted by me




Tuesday, July 17, 2018

The Peacock Room

There is a store in Detroit called The Peacock Room, and I can't believe I haven't been there yet! I started following them on Facebook years ago, which lead to a purchase they shipped to me in 2014. And earlier this month, another one of their posts prompted the purchase of this dress, which they shipped to me as well! Hoorah for social media advertising! They now have two locations - the Park Shelton and Fisher Building - both gorgeous historical spaces from what I can tell. The Proprietress, Rachel Lutz, also owns two other stores : Frida and Yama. It is well known that she selects the best clothing and accessories for all sizes, and I am glad to support a business woman like her. Taking a trip to physically shop her 4 stores, as well as everything else Detroit has to offer, is definitely on my bucket list.
Okay, so let's talk about the dress..... the brand is Voodoo Vixen in the UK, specializing in fashion from the 30's to 60's. The style of the dress certainly falls into that retro category that is universally flattering. I love how much coverage the bust has so that I didn't feel like I had to keep adjusting myself during the day. I did throw on a little shrug for the office. It was hard to choose brown or black shoes/accessories as both colors are in the feathers depending on how the lighting is, so I tried brown for it's first spin. What really drew me to this dress (among all the peacock clothes I've seen) is how the feathers "pop" on the teal fabric. I am one satisfied customer!