I’m Movin’ on Up, to the East Side…

Leanne—the talented, creative, and smart individual that she is—has finished my new blog design!  And it looks great, y’all!  Don’t ya think? 

Oh, what?  What was that?  You’re not seeing anything new?  Well, that’s because you’re looking at my old blog, y’all.  My ex-blog.  We’re breaking up, and I’m moving on up to eat key lime pie in the sky, or something of that nature. 

Anyhow, this is my last post that you will find at the address that you probably just typed in to find me:

And this is my brand-spanking new address that you will now type to find me:

Or, just click here—http://www.luluslaundryblog.com—and you’ll be magically transported.  And once you get there, I’ll give you the full tour of the new digs.  Housewarming gifts are gladly accepted.

So, for all of my 2 readers that have me bookmarked or blogrolled, please be sure to relink to my new address.  Because I think I love you.

And one more big thank you to Leanne at Intricate Art for her mad blog designing abilities.  She’s nothing short of my hero. 

See you on the other side!  I’ll be the one eating the key lime pie…

 

My Life on the B-List

Happy Friday, y’all!  Thankfully, it’s been a short 3-day work week for me, but I’m kind of finding it hard to get back into the swing of things at the office after my vacation(s).  I think that I’ll chalk it up to key lime pie detox.  So to ease my jitters, I was poking around on the internet on Thursday (while on my lunch hour, of course), and I found a few little slices of post-vacation-depression (PVD) entertainment.

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First of all, I’m a B-List Blogger, y’all!  And what does that mean exactly?  Basically, it means that I like torturing myself by staying up until half past midnight several days of the week keeping this freakin’ blog updated so that I can entertain my 2 readers while they are on their “lunch hour.”  So what does it take to be an A-List Blogger?  Well, not that anyone actually cares, but if I wanted to be an A-List Blogger, I would have to divorce GR, quit my job, move into a hovel, attach my laptop to, well, my lap, and strap on a pair of Depends.  It’s that serious, y’all.  Anyhow, I’m just happy living my life on the B-List.  And thanks to Qtpies7 for showing me the way…

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Now this little treasure I found on Alpha Dogma’s site.  And while I’m not a huge fan of the Simpson’s, GR and I did take his niece and nephew a few weeks ago to watch The Simpsons Movie.  And it was all kinds of funny—that is up until the scene where Bart Simpson is skateboarding in the nude, and GR’s very preteen niece looks at me all flustered, and I just point and laugh with popcorn shooting out of my mouth because what else can you do at that point?  Anyhow, this is what GR and I would supposedly look like if we were transported to Springfield…

 
Um, I’m thinking me–maybe–but GR?  Not so much.  He looks like he’s on his way to a men’s-only macramé class. 

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Okay, so have you ever found a random shopping list in a grocery cart or an old photograph lodged between the pages of a book that you purchased at a thrift store?  Well, regardless, you must check out this site.  These guys have collected through the years random discarded items such as grocery lists, photographs, love letters, hate letters, napkin poetry, and everything in between, and posted them on this site along with some very witty commentary.  They post a “Find of the Day,” and they’ve also put together several books and magazines containing items not shown on their site.  It’s fun and quirky stuff, y’all!  You never know if you’ll come across something that you discarded years ago…

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And finally, I want to announce something really big that I’m so excited about!  And no, I am not pregnant.  I, Lulu, am getting a facelift.  Yes, you heard me correctly, a facelift.  Well, a blogging facelift anyway.  I’ve recruited Leanne over at Intricate Art to create a new blog design for Lulu’s Laundry.  I’ll also be changing my URL, but I’ll pass that on to you as soon as everything is set up and ready to go.  For now, I just want to give you a little sneak peak of my new design that Leanne has created…it’s just a mock-up, so the finished product will look a little different…

Very cool, huh?  Leanne is awesome to work with and obviously very creative.  She also designed Kailani’s site—An Island Life—which I’ve always admired.

So, that’s about it guys!  Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

 

Thursday Thirteen: Greetings from Georgia!

So, I’m really depressed because summer is starting to wind down, and I have exhausted all of my options (i.e. money) for taking another beach vacation.  Primarily because I just returned from two weekends in a row of beach-luvin’ fun, and after checking our bank account, we’re definitely beach-luvin’ broke.  Not to mention that I’m finding sand and tiny seashells on places in and around my body where sand and tiny seashells should nevah be found.  And I’m starting to wear coconut shells for a bra.

Regardless, I was going to write my Thursday Thirteen in relation to this past weekend’s trip, but because I mainly just lounged on the beach, read, and ate an entire key lime pie almost single-handedly, I thought that I would instead pay tribute to some places in Georgia that I would like to visit this fall.  You see, I’m a forward-thinkin’ gal…

When making this list, I decided to list only places that one could make as a day trip from the Atlanta-metro area.  And since this blog is all about me, me, me, (did I mention me?) I listed the places that I (me!) am interested in visiting.  Come to think of it, I’m going to set a goal for myself to visit each and every place on this list before the end of the year.  Even if I have to go by myself!  Even if I have to live off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the next three months!  So there.

And here is my list…

1.  Take a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway along the Toccoa River.  This one I’m doing in October when my mom comes to visit from Florida.  One of the things that she misses about living in Georgia is visiting the North Georgia mountains in the fall.  Personally, I’ll take the sand dunes over mountains any day of the week.

 

2.  Visit the Callaway Gardens resort and recreation area in Pine Mountain.  This beautiful resort area was founded in 1952 to “promote and protect native azalea species.”  There’s an 11-mile bike trail with bike rentals, a walking trail, a butterfly farm, various lake activities at Robin Lake Beach (the world’s largest manmade white sand beach), and many seasonal events.  From September 8 through November 4, you can take part in Callaway’s Autumnfest.

 

3.  Go on a Wild Animal Safari!  This park, also located in Pine Mountain, allows you to get up close and personal with “animals from every continent except Antarctica.”  You can actually drive your own car through 3 1/2 miles of paved road and feed the animals from your car window!  Or for a nominal fee, you can rent a van as shown in the following picture.  But then again, where’s the fun in that?  Doesn’t everyone want a yakatusi poking around in their car?

 

4.  Rejuvenate at Warm Springs and Roosevelt’s Little White House.  The village of Warm Springs became well-known in the 1920s when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt came here looking for treatment of his polio.  It was also here that he built his small cottage, which became known as the Little White House.

 

5.  Eat lunch at the The Whistle Stop Café in Juliette.  Made famous by the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes, this structure was built in 1924, but served as a general store, real estate office, and antique shop before opening as a cafe after the movie was made.  That kind of makes me sad, so I’ll just pretend that Idgie and Ruth really did run this place…

6.  Buy a pumpkin at Burt’s Pumpkin Farm.  Located in Dawsonville, this place is a mecca for all preschools and elementary school field trips in the entire metro-Atlanta area.  Maybe even the state.  And on weekends in the fall, you must have the patience of a saint to fight your way through the crowds of traffic and screaming children (and parents) to pick out your pumpkin.  I probably shouldn’t have included this place on my list; however, there’s some kind of crazy Georgia law that dictates you must buy your pumpkin from Burt at least once.  But I’m here to tell ya, you’ll be buying your pumpkin at Publix thereafter.

 

7.  Visit the Kangaroo Conservation Center.  Since I won’t be traveling to the Australia Zoo anytime soon, I’m pretty anxious to visit this place.  The conservation center is home to over 300 kangaroos, as well as a collection of birds and reptiles.

 

8.  See Rock City at the top of Lookout Mountain.  This American icon was open for business as a tourist attraction in 1932, and was made ever-popular by the three words—See Rock City—painted on the roofs of barns alongside of highways.  You can see seven states from Rock City!

 

9.  Go trout fishing.   Actually, GR has been chomping at the bit to do this for years.  And in doing research for this post, I found that Unicoi Outfitters in North Georgia has a guided tour that I think will make a great present for his upcoming birthday.  But we’ll just keep that between you and me, mkay?

 

10.  Pick apples at the Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge.  Or eat fried apple pies.  Either one will suffice.

  

11.  Milk a cow at Cagle’s Dairy Farms.  Okay, maybe not so much milking the cow part, but I sure could go for some cheese…

 

12.  Explore the Chieftains Trail.  According to this site, there are nine landmarks that represent the Indian cultures that once lived at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.  The Cowboys and Indians in Georgia package tour includes admission to these landmarks and overnight lodging (if needed) in the Cartersville area.

 

13.  Visit BabyLand General Hospital in Cleveland, birthplace of the Cabbage Patch Kids.  Okay, I know that this is hokey, and I’m the biggest sucker in the world, but I just love this place.  Back in the early 80s, way before the uber-hip American Girl, we had the cute and cuddly Cabbage Patch Kids.  Every time I visit the “hospital,” I have to talk myself out of throwing down the huge wad of cash it costs to adopt one of these kids.  Did I mention that I’m certifiably insane?

 

Happy travels, y’all!  I’ll keep you posted on my travels these locations…

******************************************************************************
Aside: The comments link is at the top of the post, people!*****************************************************************************************
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

 

Not On One Strand Are All Life’s Jewels Strung

So, I know that I just returned from a fabulous weekend vacation at the beach, but y’all, I’m in need of another one.  Vacation, that is.  And I’m leaving tomorrow.  Sayonara.  Auf Wiedersehen. Arrivederci.  Au Revoir.  And Ciao!

And because we were in the Golden Isles of Georgia last weekend, we thought that we would head to the Emerald Coast of Florida this weekend.  Make the rounds, you know?  However, this weekend, we will not be hobnobbing with rich politicians and the such.  Like, such as.  We’ll be kicking back on what some refer to as the Redneck Riviera.  See, didn’t I tell you we were classy folk?

And because I will have very limited access to the internet through Tuesday, I might just shrivel up in a corner with a seashell and pretend that I’m sending e-mails and the whatnot, just like Shane did on Survivor: Panama with his “stickberry.” (Did I ever mention that I’m a huge Survivor fan?)  But most likely, I will be relaxing on the beach with my current read, The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser.

So, while I am gone, I’m leaving you with a little homework assignment.  I’d like for you to go check out these wonderful blogs that I recently started reading…

• Madame Queen.  Leandra, the Madame Queen, is just an all-around neat person.  Did I just say neat?  Yes, she is neat.  She has two adorable little munchkins, Punkin and Bubba, and she’s a mad UGA fan.  Actually, she has agreed to take in GR for the ensuing UGA football season as long as I send him over with a few Coronas.  But, I think that I have to watch her kids or something in exchange.  Little does she know that GR is a kid himself, and she’ll have to feed him cremesicles and juice boxes to keep him from crying and peeing his pants.
• Some Things Need Said, But Most Don’t.  Annie is so funny, and she’s a grandmother at 43!  Good lord, that could be my reality as well, being that Gus will be 25 when I’m 43!  So, I’m going to start locking Gus in the attic now, and let him out only to go to his classes.  I’ll set him free only after he’s turned 30, and I’ve found him a suitable wife.   
• D3. Displaced. Dysfunctional. Discombobulated.  J. Lynne writes about her New England adventures with her funny little Pug (Pugly) and her kittahs.  She’s a brilliant writer and I envy her awesome photography skills. 

 So, off you go, people.  I expect a full report when I return. 

 

Crikey! It’s Bindi the Jungle Girl!

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost one year since the tragic death of the larger-than-life Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin.  It was my teenage son that called me while I was on my way home from a Labor Day weekend vacation to tell me that he had died.  It was very shocking to us both.  How could such a genuine and remarkable father, husband, and defender of all animals have died so young and in such a tragic way?  Steve Irwin was an enormous personality and seemingly untouchable by such an ironical fate. 

I just could not fathom how it was possible. 

And it’s not as if I had known Steve personally.  However, Gus grew up watching his show, and GR and I were loyal followers in the early years of Steve’s rise to crocodile stardom and to becoming the great conservationist that he was.  For the next few weeks (and months actually) after his death, I became obsessed with watching The Crocodile Hunter shows and scouring Australian news websites soaking in all of the stories that I could find about his life.  Steve’s death affected me on many levels, and I’m still not exactly sure why.  And my main concern was how Steve’s family would cope without their great force of nature.

I could almost feel the gut-wrenching pain that Terri Irwin expressed when she talked about Steve’s death in her interview with Barbara Walters.  And I could hardly bear to watch 8-year-old Bindi, Steve and Terri’s daughter, make a heartfelt speech about her beloved father at his memorial service.   Steve cherished Bindi Sue, his first born.  She was named after his favorite crocodile, Bindi, and his beloved dog, Sui.

I have continued to follow the Irwin family through their Australia Zoo website and monthly newsletter.  The family continues to live on their property at the zoo and have vowed to carry out Steve’s plans of expansion.  It is a zoo that I hope to one day visit.  Bindi was introduced to crocodile wrangling at a very early age, and she has inherited her dad’s strong personality and his innate way with animals.  She and Terri have a show together, Planet’s Best with Terri and Bindi, televised on the Animal Planet.  Bindi also hosts a show that she was developing with her dad, Bindi the Jungle Girl, televised on Discovery Kids.  The family seems to be carrying on Steve’s conservation efforts and plans to the best of their ability.  

Just six months after Steve Irwin’s death, my little Jack Russell Terrier, Abby, passed away.  I was devastated.  At that point, I had never had anyone close to me die (animal or otherwise), so I was not familiar with that level of grief.  It felt like a sucker-punch to my body.  I was stopped in my tracks not wanting or knowing how to move forward, and only wishing that I could move back.  I was numb and looking for a way out of a nightmare. 

That previous September, I had TiVo’ed Terri Irwin’s interview with Barbara Walters, as well as Steve’s memorial service, and for some reason I had never erased them.  So, I began watching them again.  And while I had felt shock and sadness before, it was this time that I really began identifying with the real pain that the Irwin’s must have been feeling.  I know that they lost a father and husband, and I only a dog, but in my life?  Abby was my little force of nature.  And much like Steve, she also had a personality larger than life.  And in some strange way, identifying with their grief helped me deal with my own.

Nevertheless, it’s been several months now since Abby passed away, and while we still miss her every day, GR and I feel that we are now ready to bring a new puppy into our home.  I have conveniently forgotten about the puppy piddle and poo that I will be cleaning up for the next several months, as well as the 2am whinings to go outside.  We are ready for a new little friend.  Actually, this new little friend:

 

This is Bindi Sue, and we’ll be picking her up from the breeder in a little less than a month. 

Crikey!  She’s a little beauty, eh mate?!

 

Gold Has No Caste…

So, I’m back from my long weekend sojourn to the opulence and beauty of what the rich folk call The Golden Isles of Georgia.  And golden they are, y’all.  However, rich I am not.  I’m not even sure that I can afford the beach cruiser that I pedaled on around the island lined with castles, villas, and chateaus.  And when I say castles, villas, and chateaus, I’m not kidding…

See the castle?

 

See the villa?

 

See the chateau?

See the peasants?

Lulu and GR on bikes

Big H and Phoo on bikes

We stayed at GR’s sister’s house in Sea Island, Georgia—world famous for The Cloister resort, spa, and golf course, as well as sponsor to the 2004 G8 Summit.  Clearly out of my league, but my, what a beautiful island! 

And basically, we did a lot of eating at joints like this (because we are totally classy folk, and the tilapia tacos were awesome)…

…and photographed dead horseshoe crabs (it’s what the classy folk do, right?)…

…and assembled a 1000-piece puzzle (because it rained on Saturday)…

…and did some scandalous boogie-boarding on the deserted beach (where, by the way, we were questioned by an overzealous politician (aren’t they all?) about our party affiliation and the origin of our peasantry)…

 

So, in a chestnut shell (because that’s what peasants eat, right?), we had a wonderful, relaxing time, and I’m soooooo missing my afternoon bike ride and massage.  Not that I had a massage, per se, but I am missing it nonetheless.

 

Thursday Thirteen: Pass the Salt and Pepper, Please.

I’ll bet that you didn’t know that Lulu is a pack-rat great collector of junk wonderful, whimsical trinkets.  Oh, yes.  I have small collections of whimsy scattered throughout the house.  And some people (like the morons nice people on HGTV) call trinkets “chachkis,” but I prefer to call them trinkets.  Or whatnots.  But never chachkis. 

Anyhow, for several years now, I have been collecting salt and pepper shakers.  And not just your average, run-of-the-mill S&P shakers, but cute, cheeky shakers that I find while I’m traveling or shopping at antique or thrift stores or given to me by friends.  I’m not sure why I’m drawn to collecting them, because I never actually use them; they serve no purpose other than for my general amusement.  And I’ll tell ya, it doesn’t take a lot to amuse me, people.   

So, for your general amusement (or annoyance—whichever you prefer), I will share with you 13 of my most favorite pairs of S&P shakers.

1.  Bananas.  My friend, Marcus Welby MD, bestowed these little lovelies upon me.  I think that they would be difficult to actually use.  And they scare me.

2.  Amish man and woman.  I found this pair at a quaint little antique shop close to my office.  Aren’t they sweet?  That is, when they’re not drinking and dancing on the bar… 

3.  Basset hounds.  I picked up these little gems from a shop somewhere in the countryside of England.  And of course, they remind me of my own basset hound, Billy Ray.  And he’s definitely full of both…

4.  Weiner dog.  Another little lovely from my friend, Marcus Welby MD.  This one makes me laugh every time I look at it…

5.  Deranged Squirrel.  This little guy has a story.  And I will let him explain…

6.  Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club.  Another set that I picked up in England.  
Sgt. Pepper is a mean man.

7.  Green Lobsters.  I think these lobsters are seasick because they are green.  Another set from my friend, Marcus Welby MD.

8.  Gourmet Mickey.  My sister brought me this set back from her trip to Disney a few years ago.  I think that she thinks I cook. 

9.  Jose on a Hangover.  I don’t know.  Maybe he’s just taking a siesta, but I like to imagine that the night before he kissed all the cowboys and shot out the lights.  Well, maybe not so much the kissing cowboys part.  

I got this little set in Scottsdale, Arizona, where I quite possibly lived out that song…

10.  Snow-woman with a vengeance.  Don’t you think they make a sweet couple?

11.  Corn.  Take heed.  Or else the corn cob will hunt you down and throw tiny, sharp corn cob holders at your beady eyeballs.

12.  Aruba women.  I bought these little cuties on a trip that GR and I took to Aruba several years ago…

13.  Dutch windmills.  I picked these up at a little antique store in a neighboring town.  They’re so tiny and delicate.  I’m surprised that I haven’t broken one yet.

 

So, that’s my quirky little collection, y’all!  Have a happy Thursday!

*********************************************************************************
Aside: The comments link is at the top of the post, people!*****************************************************************************************
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

 

Hogs and Dogs and Gays, Oh My!

And that post title?  Pretty much sums up my weekend, y’all. 

On Friday evening, I went with my cousin Crockett, my cousin Miss Margarita, and her husband Mr. Dewars to see Kathy Griffin live at the Fox Theater. 

See the marquis?  I was there…

But first, we all went here…

…to eat pizza topped with goat cheese, chicken, and artichokes (YUM!)…

And if you know who Kathy Griffin is, you either love her or simply wish that she would fall down a flight of stairs.  With her hair on fire.  Kathy is all kinds of a bit crude, and shocking, and loud, and she can swear up a blue streak.  Personally, the dark side of me thinks she’s hilarious.  And I hope that that doesn’t say too much about me, because I’m generally a good person. Unless I’m making fun of someone’s braces.

And if you don’t know who Kathy is or if you don’t watch her Emmy-nominated television show on Bravo, “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,” I’m telling you that she has a huge following of fans of the male persuasion.  More precisely, of the male homosexual persuasion.  Oh my!  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  And Kathy often talks about the fact that she has this gay following, and in every city that she visits, she has “her gays.”  Case in point, these guys were in line behind us as we were entering the theater…

(Notice the guy on the left? His t-shirt says “Kathy’s German Straight”–tee hee!)

And behind them were scores and scores of other men.  And inside the theater, were scores and scores of other men.  It was raining men.  Hallelujah!  And it was the best smelling theater that I’ve ever been to in my life, people.  I’m talking I thought that I was at the cologne counter in Lord & Taylor.  When I closed my eyes, I just knew I was in heaven.  And then I got dizzy.  And speaking of closing my eyes, I might as well have kept them closed the entire time because we were sitting this far away from the stage…

Anyhow, it was a fabulous night, and Kathy was all kinds of funny and evil—all packed up in a handbasket ready for Hell. 

As for the remainder of my weekend, well, it involved hogs of the Harley Davidson variety, animals of the canine variety, and a near stroke of the heat variety.  The Humane Society chapter that I volunteer for held their annual Hogs for Dogs Ride and Festival on Saturday, and I was responsible for registering the riders.  While standing outside.  In the Atlanta heat.  But it was all worth it because I got to register riders like these…

…and watch medieval jousting.  Which, okay… 

And watch and listen to over 200 hogs rev up their engines and particpate in a 50-mile ride around the county…all for the love of dogs…

 

We don’t have the official numbers in yet regarding the amount of money raised, but we’re sure it was a great success!

So, basically, it was a full and exciting weekend.  And next weekend I’ll be lounging in the subtropics of the Georgia coast while sipping Corona Lights.  And maybe Amaretto Sours.  Probably both.  I’ll be sure to let  you know.

 

I’m a Weiner…er, a Winner!

Y’all?  I just have to say that I, Lulu, am a winner.  I WON something!

Remember the giveaway that Kailani at An Island Life was sponsoring?  For the PicaJet Photo Organizer? 
I won!  And now I am scared.  Because now I will be expected to have all of my photos organized and filed
and titled and printed and gift-wrapped with tiny bows. 

But that’s okay.  Because I WON!

Thank you, Kailani!

 

Beauty is in the Warped Eye of the Beholder

It’s been a while since I’ve written a Women are Fantastic Friday post.  And because I’ve stumbled across a couple of articles and blog posts lately that have made me think about my distorted self-image as a woman, I felt that I should revive Sophie’s meme and delve into something womanly-ish—the topic of beauty. 

However, let it be known that I feel a bit hypocritical writing about beauty.  And I’m not talking about the kind of beauty you associate with landscapes, butterflies, children, or even inner beauty.  I’m talking about the kind of beauty that Hollywood and the glamour magazines sell.  The kind of beauty that is for the most part unattainable and artificial.  And why do I feel hypocritical writing about this topic?  Well, maybe because over the years I’ve been silly enough to buy the fool’s gold.

Sadly, I have spent countless, hard-earned dollars on hair products that promise to make my hair sleek and sexy, makeup that guarantees a flawless complexion, exercise equipment that will magically flatten my stomach, and countless diet books (I can think of 7 in my bookcase at the moment) that promise I will lose 30 pounds in one month without even working out.  Basically, I am a slave to beauty.  More accurately, I am a slave to the false image of beauty.

You see, I grew up in the 80s at a time when the Cindy Crawfords and Christy Brinkleys were taking the world by storm.  As a teenager, I spent hours paging through Teen Magazine and Seventeen searching for the trade secrets to make me look like the fresh-faced, carefree models splattered across the glossy pages.  (Hey, wasn’t I fresh-faced and carefree at 13?)  Apparently, all I had to do was buy the products and clothes that the models were touting, and I could be them.  I could have the perfect body, the long, flowing hair, a beautiful smile, and a gorgeous boyfriend.  Hollywood was selling it, and my self-esteem was paying a dear price for it. 

And I wonder why I was so consumed with trying to attain this image of beauty that these models were projecting?  And why do I find myself, at 36, occasionally slipping back into that old persona?  Logically, I know the difference between real beauty and Hollywood’s image of beauty.  But irrationally, I still struggle with a negative body image and the quest for perfect hair.  And a great fitting pair of Calvin Kleins.  Brooke Shields
looks(ed) good in them; why can’t I?

Anyhow, I’ve come across a couple of items that I would like to share with you that touches on the warped image of beauty that is sold to women every day. 

This particular item may be old news to some of you, but it’s worth mentioning again.  And again.  The Campaign for Real Beauty by Dove targets young girls and women of all ages, letting them know that normal is the new beautiful.  Click here to read an enlightening article about the percentage of women (based on a study by Dove) who describe themselves as beautiful.  And click here to learn more about this awesome campaign.

And if you’ve never seen the following short clip by Dove about what it really  takes to get model-glam looks, you must take a gander…

 

And if you’re as frustrated with your hair as I constantly am with mine, click here and view the short clip, “Uncover the Truth Behind Hollywood Hair.”  Actually, I’m guilty of using some of those Hollywood hair techniques (i.e. torching my hair daily with a blow-dryer and straightener).  GR warns me that I will one day be bald if I continue.

Also, my SIL—Big H—sent me a link to iWanexStudio—a professional photo retouching service.  On this site, you can view before and after photos of their celebrity clients.  You’ll see the magic that Adobe Photoshop can wield on these “naturally beautiful” Hollywood celebs.  It makes me feel good all over just to see it.  Follow these steps…

1. Go to http://www.iwanexstudio.com/.
2. At the top of the page click Portfolio.
3. At the bottom of the Portfolio page, click on a thumbnail picture to enlarge it.
4. To toggle between the before and after shot, hover your mouse over the picture, and then move it away from the picture.
5. Click on the picture again when you are ready to close it.

I also recommend checking out this post, Smart Girls are the New Black, by Madame Queen.  She talks about Danika McKellar’s (Winnie Cooper of The Wonder Years fame) new book, Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail.  Madame Queen also offers her insight into the image that Hollywood should be projecting to young girls today.  (Oh, and while you’re there, you must check out her young son, Bubba, in his baby Elvis costume.  It’s a hoot!)

I’m feeling so much better now.

And lastly, if you’re looking for some spirited and eye-opening reading about “fat acceptance,” go check out Kate Harding’s blog, Shapely Prose.  She would nevah accept me as a commenter on her post because I’m a fanatic about my weight (remember? I have a negative body image?), but this girl is a scream.  And maybe a little angry.  But she definitely has a handle on the whole body image thing.

Now, to wrap this up, I want to task all of you women with finding the nearest chalkboard and writing the following phrase one-hundred times.  Move it, girls!  It’s great therapy…

 

And now, I must go eat my allotment of 7 almonds.  Have a great weekend, y’all!