Learning to Love Oneself

Being a woman has historically been pretty stinking hard.  We've been objectified and vilified since poor Eve wanted a snack, so I guess I shouldn't have been so shocked and saddened by a recent post on the Marie Claire blog.  If you haven't read it, I'll distill this piece of garbage down to one smelly turd for you: fat people aren't allowed to be happy.

Yep.  Pretty crazy that a writer, Maura Kelly - to name names, can PUBLISH a piece of hateful bigotry on a nationally consumed magazine site.  The whole blogosphere has been "shame on the editor!" and "shame on Maura!" but, honestly, this is a big shame on US, as a society.  Shame on our cultural norms that still make it ok to make fat jokes, put on reality tv shows that torture overweight people to a smaller size, or cancel shows that humanize overweight people.  Shame on our cultural norms that still insist a person's worth is a number on a scale and how photogenic their profile is.  Shame on us for letting fodder like this article surface on the Internet and get over 200,000 hits in two hours.  Shame on us for not stopping this horribleness.

Being a young woman in America is tough.  Now, don't get me wrong, I know there are still atrocities occurring to women as a whole in other places in the world as I type, but that falls in a completely different stratosphere of hardship.  I would NEVER lump the issues women face in America today with the human rights violations women survive in other parts of the world, that isn't what this blog post is about.

To teach a young woman, on every medium possible, that, sure, she can be smart and go to college and all that crap, but she won't really, truly be happy until she's skinny and pretty, is atrocious and unacceptable.  To teach a young woman that two people expressing love and affection is "gross" and "distressing," is just setting her up for a lifetime of judging others and being judged.  In some way I feel this is the start down a slippery slope of de-humanizing a group of people, as a whole, and it needs to stop. 

SO, instead of ranting and re-posting and linking to this article (which I totally just did), let's take today (and this weekend, for that matter!) to let ourselves be loved.  No matter what size, gender, ethnicity you are, try to really believe that you are deserving of love, because you absolutely are!  Don't listen to what tv shows, magazines and blogs have to say (except this blog, of course;)), I'll tell you, because it's true, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. xo.

(Photo of the show Mike & Molly, the sitcom that started the whole thing!)

"Are We in Disneyland?"

This was a phase uttered more than once and quite possibly in the wee hours of the Irish morning while we were in Kinsale, Ireland.  Hall was convinced that we had somehow stumbled into Disneyland Ireland on our way from Dublin.  We would just laugh and silently agree that, yes, this little town was straight out of a storybook.

 

 

The morning before the wedding, Shug and I took a quick stroll through town to snap a few shots.  It was deserted!  That was one of the many things I really appreciated about Irish culture is the light Irish workday.  Stores and shops open around 9 or 10ish, close for a two hour lunch sometimes, and then close up for the day around 6.  We Americans need to take a lesson in European work schedules!

 

 Since no one was out and about yet, we couldn't ask anyone to take our picture of us together.  We tried to get creative by leaning the camera on a windowsill, but unfortunately even Photoshop couldn't fix this!

Best Coast...in Utah!

Best Coast - Boyfriend from Kevin Little on Vimeo.

I am LOSING IT because 

one of my favorite bands of 2010 is coming to Utah in under a week!

Yeah, it'll be a late show and, 

yeah, I have to work bright and early the next morning,

but sometimes, you know, you gotta sacrifice for what you love.

Mon Dieu!

I'm still reeling from all of the amazing women I was able to peep while in Paris.  The "effortless chic" you hear about was in full effect as autumn made its entrance into the city.

I love that each one of these women look put together but really unfussy.  When I try to look unfussy, I usually look like I just rolled outta bed!

On a side note, I've been itching to get another tattoo...Do you have a tattoo? If so, what did you get and do you still love it?  I got my first tattoo about four years ago and I still really like mine...!  I just really feel the need to get something else.  I'm feeling a little daring today!

Source

WrenRetro Returns!

After the longest hiatus ever, WrenRetro is finally listing new vintage treasures!  There are TONS of great fall and winter fare that will be listed soon, so go check out WrenRetro to stock up for the blustery weather that will be heading our way soon!

Also, WrenRetro will offer a 15% discount on all purchases for readers who mention they are Goldteef readers in the "Notes to Seller" section!  This special will be running until October 31st, so hurry and get some of your holiday shopping done early!

A Kinsale Wedding

The whole reason Shug and I went to Ireland was to attend our two close friends' wedding celebration.  Supermodel and Shug's Best Bearded Friend started dating almost exactly the same time Shug and I did four years ago.  It has been such an amazing journey to the altar and I feel I was able to share a lot of the fun with these two on our parallel trips!

 The wedding was just surreal.  It was a beautiful Irish autumn day with rain (good luck!), sunshine, clouds, and everything in between.  The ceremony was lovely, with an officiant from Cork and close to a hundred people that had crossed the pond just for the special occasion!

Supermodel lived up to her name and looked ethereal.  Her dress, that was custom made, conjured up old Hollywood glamor with sparkling paillettes and demure cut-outs in the dark grey silk.  She had the cutest pin curls to top off her wedding day look.

There was such a feeling of support and love for these two it was indescribable...!  After the ceremony we went to have drinks and take pictures while the dining room was prepared.  Champagne and Jameson were the popular choices!

 

All of the bridesmaids wore navy dresses with cream cabbage rose bouquets and the groomsmen all had navy vests with plaid ties and cream Vans shoes.  I'm not gonna lie, it was a dapper-looking bunch!

Dinner was served and the toasts began to honor the bride and groom.  I can honestly say I haven't heard a better speech from a best man!  There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

 The dinner was delicious and the company couldn't have been better.  One of my favorite things about this celebration was that Supermodel and BBF have such a diverse group of friends and it was so nice to get to spend the day with them!

I think I'm still "coming down" from this amazing experience.  But you know what was the nicest part?  That I get to have these two in my "real" life back in Salt Lake City.  I hope you all have a lovely weekend! xo.

Geometry Pretty

 

These Laura Lombardi pieces are tough and beautiful.

Need them.