Friday Links 12/28/12

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I hope you all have been enjoying the holidays, and have fun things planned for New Year’s! Steve and I will be going to a small dinner party, which should be fun. It’s hard to believe it’s already almost 2013–I still remember when 2000 seemed futuristic.

A uterus and a moose chilling in a gift shop

Fa(t)shion
-Alison has a great True Fashionista year end recap. My favorites are Denisio, Desiree, and Meagan.
-Similarly, Alissa has a roundup of 2012’s Stylish Curves of the Day.
–100 coolest Harajuku looks of 2012, straight from Tokyo.
–Burning Man gets dressed up.
–Going rogue: on the cultural implications of “alternative” beauty.
-I love this piece about pillbox hats. I feel similarly about fascinators, and now I’m tempted to branch out. Also, I didn’t know you could pin pillbox hats on with bobby pins, which is really good to know.
-On a similarly hat-related note: In defense of the “nice guy” fedora. I really like this piece as well. I love fedoras on both men and women, and I hate how they’ve become a symbol of jackassery. I especially agree with this comment:

[A] few years ago and ongoing, black plastic glasses (which I wear because they are so super-cheap. $35 bucks at wal-mart, jabronis!) were the thing to hate because they were hipsterish.
Now it’s fedoras.

Why are we picking arbitrary clothing items and giving them inalienable human characteristics? Why are clothing items getting personified?

WHATEVER! It sort of makes me want to get a fedora with tiny plastic black-framed glasses pinned all over it.

Fat Activism
–Debunking the myth that there were no fat people until recently.
–Fat and jolly? Not so much.
–Some jerks want to put Santa Claus on a diet “for the children.”

Yeah, pretty much.

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Fa(t)shion Inspirations, 12/26/12

Posted in Wednesday Fa(t)shion Inspirations by

Happy day-after-Christmas, for those who celebrate it (or day-after-Movies-and-Chinese-Day, for my fellow Jews). 🙂

There’s been lots of amazing and inspiring fa(t)shion around the internets lately.

This look is just whoaaaaa. I’ve actually been eyeing that Forever 21+ blazer forever–if it’s still available next time I have money, I’m totally getting it. Also, how amazing is that blue lipstick?!

Iridessence

Dudes wearing glitter is awesome and needs to happen more often.

Manfattan

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WLS: What a Load of Shit

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I’ve been thinking about Fat Additives’ post about her experience with weight loss surgery (which I included in last week’s Friday Links).

I’ve read so many other horror stories about WLS. It’s scary that the weight-loss industry promotes it as a solution for so many fat people.

Sure, some people have good experiences. But the percentage of people who have serious problems is significant. And when a supposed cure makes things worse for a significant number of people? That’s a problem.

It’s a problem that even when it goes “right,” it can cause a lifetime of malnutrition and digestive problems.

It’s a problem that, in this day and age, we’re trying to cure health issues by mutilating healthy tissue rather than dealing with the issues directly.

Disclaimer: I’m not telling anyone what to do. People can make whatever choices they want about their own bodies, and if someone wants to get WLS, I won’t tell them not to (although I would encourage them to research it thoroughly).

BUT I have a problem with the widespread use of WLS. I wish it were reserved for the very rare cases in which it’s the lesser of two evils–and even then, I wish medical researchers were hard at work searching for alternatives.

Imagine if all the time, energy, and resources that go into WLS went into improving health regardless of weight. Into treating diabetes, heart disease, or mobility issues directly, rather than using weight as a terribly inaccurate proxy.

You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one…

Friday Links 12/21/12

Posted in Sunday Links by

Happy apocalypse! Also, for those who celebrate it, merry almost-Christmas. Here is a ginormous Christmas tree I saw recently:

As for this week’s news, oy. My heart goes out to everyone affected by the tragedy.

There’s been a ton of discussion around the internet on everything from mental health to gun control to violent masculinity.  I’ve been doing a lot of reading and thinking, but I’m only going to post the few essays I can get behind 100%:
–These mornings after.
–You cannot make me own a gun: what gun culture looks like.
–How a gun-loving West Texas girl learned to fear assault weapons.

Also, I recommend this video of  golden retriever therapy dogs helping children in Newtown. Goldens are just the best.

Fa(t)shion
-I love these pictures of plus size celebrities’ best outfits of the year. If I had to pick one, I’d vote for Beth Ditto, but I also love Jill Scott’s black and pink dress.
–10 unique fairy gifts on Etsy for $50 and under.
–Harajuku’s top trends in 2012. I love that one of the trends is tutus/petticoats (which they call “pannier skirts”).

Fat Activism
–The space we need.
–Holy mixed messages, Fatman!
–What is a job for a morbidly obese woman?

Cuteness
-Issa has a new, ridiculously adorable puppy!
–Quiz: is this a bunny?

Everything Else
–Why we can’t ignore the caveats to Cory Booker’s food stamp challenge.
–Literacy privilege: how I learned to check mine instead of making fun of people’s grammar on the internet.
–Why the ‘nice guys commit rape too’ conversation is not helpful.
–My first resolution: be more vain.
–Glamorous girly New Year’s party inspiration. Giant disco balls? Hells yes.

Here’s some amazing music for you. If you like this, I highly recommend check out the rest of Lindsey Stirling ‘s videos–for the scenery and costuming as well as the music itself.

This is one of my favorite videos from the Project for Awesome, not just because the organization does really cool stuff, but also because they have the most adorable and rather large lapdog.

Holiday wishlist meme

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Kath at Fat Heffalump did a blog meme: what would you like Santa to bring you for Christmas?

Since I celebrate Hanukkah–which is almost over!–I’ve already done most of my gift-giving and receiving. But I still thought this would be a fun meme, because I’m always up for admiring pretty things.

So, here’s my list:

1.) Domino Dollhouse red star skater dress (not for sale yet, but you can see it on their Facebook page here).

I’m totally copying Kath on this, because this dress is just awesome.  It looks so soft and comfortable, and I love the color and star print.

2.) Skull scarf!

This would add an edge to any outfit, and it looks light enough to wear all year round.

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Friday Links, 12/14/12

Posted in Sunday Links by

Last weekend, Steve and I checked out a bunch of local craft fairs. At one of them, we ran into Joolie of I Am Joolienn. She’s been reading my blog, and she even made a headband inspired by my constant giant-bow-wearing! 😀

It’s made from the bow on the back of an ’80s prom dress–how cool is that?

Fat Activism
-A really important read: Why I will never advocate weight loss surgery.
–Every single woman in America is now “curvy.”
–Aren’t you uncomfortable? The things we assume about fat people.

Fa(t)shion
–What if you’re too big for Lane Bryant? A resource list for people who are sized out of many plus size stores.
-How to make DIY googly eye bows.
–Boutique to know: LUCY. I especially like the black and white damask dress!

Another highlight of our arts/crafts-event hopping: a giant jellyfish crocheted out of both yarn and plastic:

Other
–Serena Williams is not a costume.
–Where is Sage Smith, a missing transgender teenager of color?
–The top ten relationship words that aren’t translatable into English.
–PSY and the acceptable Asian man.
-This post isn’t recent, but it makes some points that need to be said over and over again: The distress of the privileged.
-Why food challenges are problematic.
-On a related note, Kate Harding makes a very good point about the way people respond to such challenges.
-Roxane Gay has a diverse list of book recommendations, in contrast to the many all-white book lists out there.
-As a grammar nerd myself, I love Marianne’s post about grammar and language. Continue reading →

OOTD: Tutu or not tutu?

Posted in Outfit of the Day by

There is no question.

Bodysuit: ReDress, tutu and necklace and bow: Target, shoes: Simply Be, earrings: So Good, bangle: H&M, rhinestone bracelet: Forever 21

The shoes, unfortunately, don’t fit quite right. So I’m going to return them, but I had to get a few pictures in them first. They’re just so…me. And ugh, I hate how hard it is to find nice shoes in extra-wide at all.

Due to financial stuff, I’m temporarily giving up on finding pretty shoes, but someday….someday.

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