Keep On Rolling

So I'm heading off to Sedona in May, and I'm really looking forward to it. My mom suggested that I bring my pencils and a sketchbook, and I've been trying to find something clever and small to keep my gear in, since my art box won't exactly fit into a suitcase. Space is limited when you travel by plane.

I saw this tutorial, and thought it was super clever. While mine is far (far) lazier than theirs, it's the same basic idea. And it works fantastically!

The really clever bit, though, is that you could absolutely use this for anything. Pencils, makeup brushes, knitting needles, etc., etc., etc.

Here's what you'll need:

• A long piece of cloth. You'll want at least an extra foot or so, so keep that in mind. And seriously, any cloth will work.
• Scissors.
• Something to mark with (if you're doing this for pencils, and you've got your 8B handy, that's absolutely perfect).
• Things to put into it.

Gather your stuff and prepare thyselves. It's actually really easy. And no sewing!

Pencil Pusher

Well, it's Monday, and you know what that means! It's Marvelous Monday! Yeah!

Our philosophy is this: Monday is nobody's favourite day of the week, but maybe its terrible reputation is a little undeserved. We're on a mission to make ours (and hopefully yours) a little less awful by dressing marvelously!

This week's theme: pencil skirts.

Now, I'm that really lame girl who doesn't own one. I know, I know. I've never really found one that I love, so the hunt continues. So we can all pretend that this dress is my pencil skirt. We can do that, right?

I basically wore this to get a bunch of snacks for an upcoming adventure. People have to learn that if they let me get food without structure, I will come back a weird amalgamation and no regrets.

Also, dried figs. Yum.

Looklooklook, new earrings! Earring Purgatory is over!

Dress: Ross | Blouse, necklace: Forever 21 | Bag: Volcom (from Ross, probably) | Sunglasses: Tilly's | Hose: Avenue | Flats: Payless | Earrings: Claire's

Fortunately, I'm pretty sure the others actually have pencil skirts and aren't lame like me. So go pay them some attention, they deserve it.

Sian: Sort Life Out; Buy Milk

Jocelyn: Fat, Fashionable, and Feminist

Cheri: Cheri'z Angel and Style Luvin

L: goodbye hollywood

Paper

You know how paper is the traditional gift for a first anniversary? Well, I thought, Hey! I should do something for my blog's anniversary involving paper! So that's how this happened.

I decided to draw some of my favourite fellow bloggers.

Consider this my formal apology, guys. I always forget that faces are tricky.

But, you know:

So, uh, here goes!

Dani

Jess

Malene

Sian

Again, sorry that faces are difficult!

Finally, if you don't already read these ladies' blogs, then you're not living correctly and need to rectify that immediately.

Perception

The biggest aspect of Fat Acceptance, and Body Acceptance (to me, at least) is this simple motto: All bodies are good bodies. No matter what you think is wrong with it, it. is. good.

This is one of the hardest things to accept I think, though it's incredibly easy to think that it's simple. Your body is included in this group. Strangers at WalMart are here, too. Supermodels and headless fatties alike. But more often than not, it feels like a Sisyphean task.

There's another old adage that we all know, one that says that people only put others down because they're insecure. While it might not be universal, it's entirely too true. I know this firsthand.

See, even as a fat girl, I'm guilty of judging bodies.

Too skinny, too fat, thank Kanye I have slender ankles.

In my straggling pursuit of self acceptance, I've gotten so much better about it, but I am still not immune. I might never be. And the cycle is as easy to identify as it is difficult to end.

I hate my body, I judge others' bodies.

On a good day, I think nothing but good things, about everyone. On a bad day, everyone is subject to my bad thoughts. My perception of others' bodies is directly related to my perception of my own body. It's a capricious system, and a poisonous one.

It's just hard to be content with what you have, I think. It's even harder to actually be happy with it. But it's a road worth traveling, no matter how many potholes get in the way. Sometimes, we just have to work harder at it.

Barely relevant, entirely perfect.

Lister Vindaloo

So, you know how I'm doing Marvelous Mondays with four other fantastic fatshion bloggers?

Guess what, guys.

It's Monday!

The philosophy of the challenge is this: Monday is nobody's favourite day of the week, but maybe its terrible reputation is a little undeserved. We're on a mission to make ours (and hopefully yours) a little less awful by dressing marvelously!

This week's theme: fictional characters.

I thought long and hard for this one, but when I realised who I wanted to channel, the rest came easy.

I've gotten really into Red Dwarf really quickly (which is annoying BECAUSE I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY HOLLY BECAME HILLY BUT WAS STILL CALLED HOLLY AND WHY DOES RIMMER KEEP CHANGING INTO THOSE DUMB UNIFORMS I QUIT EXcept I'm way too invested to say no now), and Lister is one of my favourite characters. Really, I love all four characters, but Kryten and Lister are the best.

Anyway, I figured that I could get a bit creative with my Lister-inspired look, and I think I did pretty well, actually!

Also, my Banana decided that this was the best possible time to wear a hat like me, and I have to agree with her.

Hat: from Warped Tour | Brooches (there's one on either side): vintage | Jacket: Forever 21 | Tee: thrifted | Dress, tights: WalMart | Boots: Forever | Warhol button: off a Loop bag

Now, I highly suggest paying a visit to the others to see who they're emulating. I don't know about you, but I'm obnoxiously excited.

Sian: Sort Life Out; Buy Milk

Jocelyn: Fat, Fashionable, and Feminist

Cheri: Cheri'z Angel and Style Luvin

L: goodbye hollywood

Classy Lady

When I got to get my ears pierced so very long ago, Erika and I stopped to visit a friend. We got to talking about the store across from hers, and their plus-size section.

"It's so classy!" she said. "The other side is so skanky."

I've been in there, and, yeah, she's a little bit right.

"I should get fat," she laughed.

There was a beat, an uncomfortable moment as everyone realised that, whoops, there's a fat girl here. You don't say the F word, especially in front of a fat girl. She might notice.

I, of course, being the only-mildly-socially-unacceptable creature that I am, laughed. It was funny! I mean, come on, getting fat just to buy nice clothes? It's funny!

I said, "Yeah, the plus-size community is obviously very classy" and gestured to myself. That made them a bit more uncomfortable, but like I said, I'm not good with people.

The point of this is to say that, yeah, some (lots) of people get offended at the F word. I don't. Fat jokes don't offend me unless they're just not funny, and even then, it's because it's not funny! Nothing's worse than a joke that falls flat. If you tell a fat joke and it's funny I will laugh. I'm that person who finds 99% of things funny, and generally laughs at things that she really shouldn't be laughing at anyway.

Sometimes, people just have to chill.

(Also, I actually went and checked out the plus section. They have some really cute things, and I made that stripey dress mine.)

Liebster

Jess recently did this thing called the Liebster Award. That thing entails posting eleven things about myself, then answering eleven questions. I warn you here and now that this will be a long post. I regret nothing.

Eleven things about me!

(Totally doesn't call for an exclamation mark.)

Beware the Ice Cream Man

Today, we did a lot of walking. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, so we ran some errands before going to lunch, and then going to the Boulevard. I had some awesome ceviche.

Our wanderings weren't too exciting, but they did eventually lead to a wicked sunburn. It's only March and I'm already scorched.

I did end up buying two books from the Friends of the Library, and for $1.50 altogether. I'd call that a victory, even if my skin is calling the day a defeat.

What's in my bag? That would be: keys, sunglasses, ancient WalMart wallet, camera case, The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox, Forever 21 compact, notebook, pen, phone, and Baby Lips (not pictured, for whatever odd reason).

Books of the day!

Hipster.

Thanks, Casey.

Dress: Ross | Tights, watch: WalMart | Flats: Payless | Bag: Charlotte Russe | Hat, necklace: Forever 21 | Bangles: vintage | Sunglasses: c/o Firmoo.com

Red and White and Black All Over

I was contacted a couple of weeks ago by Firmoo.com, and they offered to send me a pair of glasses. The trouble is, I actually have really good eyesight. While that isn't ordinarily troubling, it is when a glasses company offers you a free pair of glasses. Then, of course, I found out that they can tint lenses for any frames, and that the lenses don't even have to be special. Et viola, sunglasses.

Guys, I really, really love sunglasses.
Anyway, even though I got sunglasses, they do, in fact, offer glasses for people who actually require them. The best part: they're all really, really cute. There are colours and prints and good things all over the site, and I like all of that.

While I put in my order, there was a bit of trouble (entirely my doing, because half the time I don't pay enough attention to things), and they solved the problem instantly and politely, probably not even making fun of me in their heads. Since I got the lenses tinted, they took about a week and a half, and they were everything I could have hoped for. They came with a hard case, a soft case, a cloth, and a little repair kit in case I lose an arm (a glasses arm, not a real arm. I'd need a doctor for that, not tiny screws).

I've been wearing them nonstop because they're really cute, and they're just dark enough that the sun and I don't hate each other. Plus the arms are different colours, which is a detail that I really like.

And here's something really cool: they have this thing called the First Pair Free program. Basically, that means that your first pair is free with shipping. Like, you can get glasses for seven dollars. How awesome is that?

I'll tell you how awesome.

Very awesome.

Ignore the sunburn, but nothing else.

This has been a sponsored post. The product was provided for free, but the review was my own honest and unbiased opinion.

Lust List: Mermaids Are a Serious Problem

I've been really into mermaids lately. If I could, I'd be drawing them. As it is, I'm writing about them.

That's why this list is devoted to those fishy, mythological creatures. And while the connection might seem tenuous at best, I choose to believe that I am one with the merpeople. After all, when I was around five, I was fully convinced that I could be a mermaid when I grow up. Now, I'm going to be a marine biologist, and that's close enough for me.