Friday Links, 10/25/13

An adorable puppy who lives in my neighborhood 🙂

Fa(t)shion
-The comments in this thread about exploring the friction between attention-seeking and impatience with regard to unusual fashion choices are so interesting. And the post led me to my new style crush, Lorena Cupcake! Her outfits remind me what I love about fashion: rainbows, bright and interesting color combinations, and the sheer playful fun of putting it all together.
-These unicorn slippers are the cutest thing.
-My mind is slightly blown by Domino Dollhouse’s ring pop ring. It looks like a ring pop! But it’s an actual ring! Whoa…
-Pure fatshion (and fat love adorableness) inspiration: this bride’s gorgeous frock. It’s so glamorous, and fantastically twirly.
–Rock N’ Roll Bride’s fall/winter collection for Crown and Glory is now available. How gorgeous is the Sophie flower crown?
-Affatshionista reviews Gwynnie Bee. I keep meaning to do one of those free monthlong trials….

Fat Acceptance
–Imagine if it was really about health.
-Marianne writes about her experience doing a 5K while fat.
-I’m glad to hear that Massachusetts will no longer send “fat letters” home to the parents of fat kids.

Climate and Sustainability
–Inspiring actions from last weekend’s PowerShift, a convergence of young leaders from around the world working on social and environmental justice issues.
–Back to no future: what use is playing the long game when the arc of the universe feels so frighteningly short?

Jobs and the Economy
–How to democratize the US economy.
–Amid government shutdown, “New Economy” events across US draw enthusiasts for sustainable alternatives.
–Giving away food is great for business: the surprising benefits of local lending.
–Why Iceland should be in the news, but is not.
-This puffin makes a very good point…
–“The world doesn’t need any more costume designers.”

Everything Else
-Jaclyn’s takedown of the misogynists who call themselves “men’s rights activists” is so important.
–I am not going to pursue a PhD (I am tired).
–Willow Smith and the curious case of the carefree black girl.
–A yarn-bombed tree squid = !!
-I really like this piece exploring whether polyamory is a choice and whether it matters. I especially the like the author’s take on how to build a legal framework that serves all unconventional families without getting rid of marriage.
–Shooter boys and at-risk girls: reflections on teenage anger and the ways adults respond to it based on gender, race, and class.

Why is Generation Y unhappy? It’s the economy, stupid.

At the Energy Exodus earlier this summer

If I read one more piece like this, I’m going to scream.

No, my generation isn’t unhappy because we’re entitled special snowflakes who want rainbow-barfing unicorns on our lawns. We’re unhappy because we’re facing crushing student debt, a terrible job market, the downgrading of most stable jobs to contingent work, falling wages, and widening inequality. We’re unhappy because we’re working longer hours for less pay–or getting our hours cut to the point where we can barely survive. We’re unhappy because so few of us have health insurance or paid sick days.

We’re unhappy because we’re coming face to face with the reality that we might never be able to afford to own a home, or have children, or many of the other things we want to do. We’re unhappy because we see our dreams and opportunities vanishing before our eyes. We’re unhappy because we look around and see so many of our friends struggling–so many bright, talented people faced with shitty options. We’re unhappy because we’ve learned first- or secondhand that intelligence and hard work don’t guarantee being able to pay the bills, let alone personal fulfillment.

Not to mention that we live in a world where our government shamelessly spies on us, where corporations have more rights than people, where there’s a mass shooting every few months, where the environment is being destroyed at a stunning and possibly irreversible rate.

Of course, this isn’t to say we’re all unhappy. Happiness is a lot more complicated than jobs and money and ambition. Happiness is also about friends, family, community, art, music, dance, nature. It is entirely possible to find happiness in the midst of suffering and injustice–people always have. There is so much love in our world, so much beauty, so much connection and fierce resistance and hope.

Generational divides, too, are more complicated than many make them out to be. Millenials aren’t a stereotype, and nor are our Boomer parents or our Greatest Generation grandparents–or our Gen X friends, or anyone else who doesn’t fall into the millenial/boomer/gg taxonomy.  We are all shaped by our times, by our opportunities, by the social and economic landscapes we navigate–but we’re also so much more than the sum of our years. We’re all human. We all have our struggles and our passions. We all have our stories.

#EnergyExodus OOTD: unicorns and glitter

On Sunday night, I posted on Facebook, “I am probably the only person in the world who spends the evening before a climate justice action trying to decide what to wear. #fatshionistaproblems”

One of my friends commented: “Somebody needs to show those poor earnest people how fabulous the future can be.”

Indeed. It’s a hard job, but somebody’s got to do it.

skirt: two small skirts from Buffalo Exchange, sewn together by an awesome friend!, underskirt: thrifted, shirt: 350.org online store, bow: Crown & Glory, bangles: Deb and Torrid, necklace and earrings: So Good

Even more Lisa Frank stuff!

What would the 90s have been without rainbow unicorns, ballerina bunnies, and polar bears?

More fun with Lisa Frank

Liked the Lisa Frank pictures in my Friday Links post? Here are a few more!

My packrat tendencies come in handy when it comes to digging up nostalgic things that have suddenly come back in style. I hadn’t looked at any of this stuff in years, but I’m so glad I saved it all!

Club Lisa Frank. Oh man, remember that? I always wanted to join, but my parents didn’t want to pay for it.

Wednesday Fa(t)shion Inspirations, 11/14/12

Please excuse the slightly-different-than-usual formatting–Wordpress was being wonky, and I didn’t want to have to rewrite the whole post.

I love a lot of things about this outfit, but the metaphorical cherry on top is that Yum-Yum plush head. I had that exact same stuffed animal as a kid, as well as the peppermint kitty and the cherry poodle, and I loved them so much. Major, major nostalgia.

Japanese Streets

So sparkly! And hell yeah pink hair.

Extra Large As Life

Apple-picking and OOTD

Yesterday, a few of my friends and I went apple-picking. It’s a bit of a tradition–this is the third year we’ve done it at the same farm. They also have a petting zoo, a farm store, a pumpkin patch, a food stand, and a bouncy castle and hayride for kids. It’s a really fun place to spend the afternoon, be silly with friends, and end up with lots of apples.

Have I mentioned how much I love New England?

Heh.

Here’s what I wore:

Shirt: Old Navy, pants: CVS, necklace: Kelsea Echo, heart ring: the Toy Chest, sunglasses and rose ring: Claire’s, earrings: Faces, glitter bow: Crown and Glory, rainbow bangle: So Good