Awards

I received an email today about the navabi Curvy Blog Award, and my first reaction was guilt. I've been negligent to this blog, and all of the other social platforms I maintain. Posting is still a rare thing, whether it's an outfit picture or a monologue on diet culture. I'm not at all caught up on any of your wonderful blogs, and I haven't been for months.
I was tempted to nominate myself and call it an incentive, but I think I'll try again next year if I return to my better-blogging ways.
As it is, I did put in a nomination.
Dear Sian: good luck.

Nautical Nonsense

Hooray, it's another incredibly late Marvelous Monday post! Still not on a Monday! Yeah!

The theme: nautical.

Now, let's be real here: I love everything to do with water. Every single thing. The proudest moment of my life was driving a pontoon boat on Convict Lake in Mammoth. (Which reminds me that I still have a ton of Mammoth pictures to post. Whoops.)

Best day ever.

As such, I'm a sucker for nautical fashion. I've been wearing that striped dress to death lately, and now, you can see it in nautical action. I really ought to have pictures of me in something else one of these days. It's getting a little weird. I'm also incredibly disappointed that I forgot my anchor earrings, but oh well.

Chambray dress: WalMart | Striped dress, red belt: Image | Shoes: Forever 21

Got the Stars in Her Eyes

Following Dreams Sweater by sillyfeathers featuring silver jewelry

So Modcloth, that wonderful purveyor of really, really adorable things, emailed me recently. It was a simple thing, just asking me to participate in their weekly Polyvore outfit challenge. Being someone who's rarely spent any time on Polyvore and who has never actually made a set before this, I enthusiastically agreed to participate. So basically, I created a cute, Halloween-themed outfit out of the wonderful things Modcloth has to offer. The best part? The skirt and sweater both run up to a 4x, and the tights are plus. That's how I roll, yo. And the starting piece, their Following Dreams Sweater, is just perfect for this time of year. Because, you know, stripes and polka-dots living harmoniously remind us all of that crisp bite of fall.

Anyway, this site is actually a lot of fun! We might all expect to see more sets in the future. Maybe.

Oh, Pablo

It's another super late Marvelous Monday post on a day that's not Monday!

Sheesh.

This theme is celebrity-inspired.

Now, I don't live under a rock. As you can tell, I live in a pretty nice dorm with five other people. There are very few rocks even in sight, and I don't live under any of them. Thus, I know abut modern celebrities. More importantly, I know that quite a few of them have some rad style. I don't really care about Taylor Swift's music, but I do care about her closet. Same goes for Kim Kardashian and...whatever she does, and her closet. I don't care, but I'm aware.

All of this is to say that I totally know about modern celebrities, even though I'm channeling Pablo Picasso today. And why wouldn't I? He's one of the most well-known painters in history, he was friends with Jacques Cousteau, and he could do stripes like no one else. I mean, look at this guy:

I just got dressed to get some breakfast at the cafe, but let me tell you, dressing up with one of my favorite artists in mind totally helped make the morning trek a little more bearable.

I promise I wore shoes today. I really did.

Dress (as top): Image | Skirt: mom

Finally, I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month this year! The goal is to write 50,000 words in thirty days in November. Come be my writing buddy if you plan on participating!

Over the Top

So, wow, I am really, really, really behind on Marvelous Mondays. I formally apologize, and offer up this post on a Wednesday. I'm going to do them all this week, and hopefully one day I'll get a shot outside! I think we all fail to understand just how gorgeous my campus is.

The first theme I'm behind on is Over the Top. While I'm occasionally a bit of an obnoxious dresser, I generally tend towards more simplistic looks. I think I'm turning into a minimalist. I wore this obnoxious pattern party with much more low-key accessories. I was so excited when I woke up this morning and it was cold outside! I've been waiting to wear this sweater since I put it away for the summer.

Sweater, collared top, dangly earrings: Forever 21 | Dress (worn underneath): Image | Leggings: WalMart | Boots: Forever | Cuff: Vintage | Headband: Christmas present | Necklace: Claire's | Studs (worn later): Mudd

And my mom sent Halloween decorations in her last care package! While we haven't gotten around to hanging up some of the cooler ones yet, we have started decorating. One of my roommates even brought these cool Olvera Street guys to hang out with some leaves and stuff.

And finally, I wrote a short article about my love of biology and the importance of education for a local environmental group. Maybe go check it out?

Just a Moment...

Before I disappear into the ether that is Bad Blogging (I'm so sorry, guys!), I'm going to be a little horrible and plug my online shop. You can buy embroidery and (so far only one, but don't mind too much) paintings from me to put on your walls!

I promise there are really cute things.

Prodigal Blogger

I'm sorry it's been so long! I've admittedly been to shy to take photos of my outfits, even though they've been some decent outfits. I'm just neurotic. But I promise to get caught up on my Marvelous Monday outfits soon! Like, by next Monday. Expect some catch-up posts.

For now, here's what I wore today. Nothing particularly special, as this is how I've been dressing all semester thus far, but I finally got over myself and took pictures in the living room/kitchen.

As a quick aside, the semester's going pretty well! I like my classes, I like my suitemates, and I recently got into NBC'S Hannibal. My life is a good one.

Skirt and flats: gifted by Dani | Top: Ralph Lauren | Bangles: Forever 21 | Earrings: Mudd

The Trick

I think we all love what I call Awesome and Cool Fat Babes. I mean, how can we not? There are incredible people out there like Sian and Rachele and Erin (to name so very few), and that's exactly what they are. Awesome and Cool. They all exude this contagious confidence, and they all seem so incredibly comfortable in their own skin.

Sometimes, I wonder if I carry off that persona half as well.

And then, after that, I realise that it's just that: a persona. I don't know these people very personally. I haven't met a single one, and I don't know that they're that confident all the time. Heaven knows I'm not.

That's the thing, though. We talk about and encourage self-confidence so much that it becomes the first thing we admire, and the first thing we envy. We see bloggers smiling at the camera like they have all the best secrets, see them standing tall and proud, see them showing off their bodies like they are the most precious of treasures. We see the images and words they send out into the void, and we see who they'd like us to see. Presumably, they show us who they'd like to be.

This isn't an indictment on the "unreality" of blogging, or whatever. Because we all do it. That's how this thing works. We show off what we think is the best of us and we allow ourselves a brief moment to fully encompass that being we project, and it's beautiful.

This isn't an indictment of anything, really. Just... I don't know. It's me saying that, while we all showcase our strength and confidence, we forget that everyone has bad days. I don't say that to bind us all together—no, our shared love of pizza and cute clothes does that pretty well (the pizza was just a speculation, but then, if you don't like pizza, that is wrong).

We, as a group, encourage self-confidence so strongly that every second without it feels like failure. It feels like falling from a great height, like you've lost something you've worked so hard to get. I mean, look at that blogger, she's so confident, why can't I be more like her?

We punish ourselves in this way. We forget something so incredibly, incredibly important.

IT IS OKAY NOT TO LOVE YOUR BODY ALL THE TIME.

IT IS OKAY NOT TO LOVE YOUR BODY AT ALL.

YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO LOVE YOUR BODY EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF EVERY SINGLE DAY.

While I think that the message of self love matters so much, I also think that we need to teach ourselves and our world that you are not a failure if you don't love your body or yourself. You are not wrong, you are not being stupid, you are not anything. You are allowed to feel what you feel. Don't you ever forget that.

Plus Brands, Please Take Note

I just want eyes on all of my clothes, partially to channel my inner Night Vale, and partially because, come on.

Look at what Kenzo did.

Make it happen in a size fat, please.

(Pictures link to places where you can put them in your closet if you've the cash and the body.)

Street Style, Again

Once again, I'm filled with this vague idea that I'd like to try my hand at street style photography. I'd actually like to do it around my campus, with an emphasis on red on Wednesdays, which are, I guess, designated as Redout Wednesdays. Red is the school colour, and I liked seeing how people incorporated it on Wednesday.

Of course, there are a few roadblocks to this idea: I still don't know where my camera charger is (my nightstand back in Lancaster?), I can barely talk to people, and what if people just aren't into it?

I guess if I'm still entertaining the thought later and I've located the stupid charger, we'll see what happens!