Who are you, REALLY?

 Hi everybody!

As a blogger who loves to have followers and people to relate with, 

sometimes I feel the need to 'tone down' who I really am.

 Anybody else with me?

 You start thinkin':

My Mother-in-law reads this.

Religious people read this, Political, Ethical, 

'Easily Sometimes Offended' people read this....

 So you begin to edit your way of not only communicating- But thinking.

You start scouring the other blogs to see how 
or why they have become so mainstream/successful. 
Do they pretend to be something they're not at the price of success?

"Boy are they 'trending".....

 Then I think, are the trendy 'big-time bloggers real? (I know they exist), but are they REAL? Meanwhile, I am losing my creativity. I find myself buying shit that I don't really care for. On the hunt for the 'truth' of others, I am losing myself! MY VOICE. (and I can actually be really loud).

But alas, you go to the home-grown blogs who are REAL. Who actually create their outfits from imagination, not cash flow. Who are honest - Who have hundreds/thousands of supporters. Who don't give a shit whether or not 'scalloped short suits' are the it thing to 
blog about this Spring. The life blood of the original blogger. The choice of  those who need to be separated from the herd.

So which are you?

and most importantly,

Which am I???

So far, I have been a hybrid of trying to please everyone 

while hinting of my true nature, which includes:

1. Cursing (a lot).

2. Smoking (a lot).

3. a Liberal fruit fly.

4. A blaring 'rock-and-roll' station wagon driving cat lady.

5. A Bohemian, a Wanderer, a Seeker, a Thinker.
A cheap skate.

A lover, A very political person who always gives people spare change.

A cluttered heap of red-hot crazy. 

I bitch. I take meds. I would rather run over a human than an animal...

the list goes on and on....

So, I am beginning to avoid trendy magazines. I only look at the sites I love, Like Free People (pricey but great ideas:). I am finding more and more inspiring places to hang out. I am starting to dress myself again without a post in mind. And ya know what?

My creativity is gradually coming back. My inner Gypsy-Artist-Grunge-Fairy is slowly and beautifully returning...

And I like her :)

DIYed hat by me, THRIFTED DRESS,SWEATERS,BOOTIES. jeans: Dot's $5.00

Can you relate?

Reva ;)

Is It Me, Us or Them? / "Links-a-la Mode"

This blog is "fashion lite" for sure. I don't share too many articles, or how-to's. I love the fashion, the cameras and the inspiration that comes from being a style blogger. Today is the day when I break out my poor writing skills, so here goes!
I am pissed. I usually don't write articles, 
nor do I claim to be a writer, 

but I just had to get this one on the table....

This is the iconic symbol of beauty. And yep, here she was a size 12!

As I have been paroozing the top 25 street style blogs as per Styleinvasion.com., I've noticed a trend. Not one "street person" was larger than model size! I know that models are usually on average a size zero to a size 2. According to stats obtained from Plus Model Magazine, 20 years ago, the average model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, the average is a whopping 23% less! Do you know a size 10 is considered plus size? I'm a 12. Now, I know that models are basically walking freaky clothes hangers. But are we, the norm, still comparing ourselves to other's who are not the 'norm"? Are we giving up our mental health as well as our physical health to look good in fashion?

Ten years ago the average plus size model was between a size 12 and 18. 

Today the "plus size" model ranges from a meager 6 to 14.

Most runway models meet the criteria for anorexia. 

While most women wear a size 14 or larger (it's true!), 

However most clothing stores cater to sizes 12 and under!

(source: Plus Model Magazine via Fashionista)

plusmodelmag.com

Doesn't she look HEALTHY? 

However, I have noticed most plus-sized models 

are super tanned and have long, flowing locks of hair...

I suppose that's why real people blogs have become the new style outlet for the average woman (or man). I love to see a little arm fat, or see how a real woman wears a trend. Don't get me wrong, thin is great and a goal for some, but real is what most people are yearning for - thin or not!

These chickas don't look "plus size" either!

In the summer of 2010, I was a size 6/8. Everyone told me I was too thin and I couldn't see it, except for my 'chicken neck'. After almost 2 years, and a medication change, I am now a 12. 

My body feels best at a size 10 plus size....

Plus my clothes fit ;)

ME: 5'61/2 WEIGHT 160

My BMI (Body Mass Index) calculation results:
According to your height of 5' 6" your ideal healthy weight is 139 pounds. 
Your recommended weight range is between 123 and 154 pounds. This was calculated 
using Hamwi formula, a simple formula commonly used by many clinicians. These are recommended weights. Talk with your doctor about what weight is best for you and before undertaking any new diet or exercise programs.
http://www.healthstatus.com/cgi-bin/calc/calculator.cgi

(That's about a size 10!)

Check out these beauties!

Who seem just 'normal' size...

courtesy of Hips and Curves

I'm in no way putting down the naturally thin girls out there, but....

Women are finally saying "We're not gonna take it",

 and when Iris Apfel became the first saged face for MAC cosmetics, 

I danced a happy dance!

When a 'real' woman is on the cover of Vogue someday, 

there will be a ticker-tape parade!!!


Another great article on this subject is here:

http://www.ivillage.com/i-thought-i-was-thin-until-i-met-plus-size-model/4-a-229949

What are your ideas on this subject?
Are street styles also feeding into the myth 
that fashion is only for the size zeros?

Is it me, us, or them???

xXx

Reva ;)

SOURCES:

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2012/01/plus-size-model-magazine-slams-anorexic-models-fashion-indushttp://www.ivillage.com/top-10-craziest-moments-body-image-2010/4-a-299475try
http://skinnyvscurvy.com/category/hot-models
http://www.pajiba.com/trade_news/sidebyside-comparison-of-averagesized-woman-with-a-supermodel-will-blow-out-your-mindhole.php
http://www.plus-model-mag.com/latest/
http://www.hipsandcurves.com

A Home Town Hero Says No to Mass Production

    When I was a younger girl, the town I grew up in was a 1970's dream. No worries, everyone knew each other and we lived in the sunshine all summer, swimming or running through corn fields playing hide and seek.
    When fall came around, I spent hours dog-earring the Sears and Roebuck catalog. There were 2 small shops in town where Mom bought me sneakers and school shoes. Period. The choices were very limited - Aigner, Bass, Famolare and Converse. There was always a selection of saddle shoes (we called them Bee-Bops), but they had to be ordered and the wait was eternal...
     If we needed a formal dress we would drive 60 miles to Evansville, IN and buy from another nice, small family-owned shop. Soon things would change forever. I didn't realize the profound nature of the up-and-coming word, "Mart"...
    It all started on a Saturday night after me, Mom, and Dad finished eating at the Golden Corral (another very new place). We crossed the parking lot into K-Mart.
It was a young country girl's dream. Lot's of trendy things and really cheap! I can still remember running to the 'Blue Light Specials' to see what treasures I could gain... The rest is pretty much history as I slowly watched the small family shops go under when Wal-Mart moved to our county. I was beginning to feel duped...

The small town began to succumb to the mass-produced lifestyle. They couldn't compete. It was as if a ghost had erased my hometown...

Enter: Teresa Holeman

A former resident who was born in Sturgis, but had left for the Carolina's. She has returned and taken the Ole Sturgis Antique Mall, put her heart and soul into reworking this mall to be the best Antique Mall in the country. The building is formerly a sewing factory, where my Mom worked nearly all of her life! It is 28,000 sq. feet full of treasures, houses over 100 dealers and 50 showcases. Her booths are my favorite as she has more vintage wearables than anyone I have ever seen!

With the help and support of other Sturgis businesses and residents, the town is revived and thriving. It hosts the Little Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and we even have a new bakery!

    When asked why she loves Vintage pieces so much, Teresa said that she didn't like cookie-cutter styles. Vintage has history and is usually one-of-a-kind. (When I visit the mall, she is always so busy and sporting some type of vintage piece)...

    I agree with her pre-loved ethics, and always try to find a goodie or two when I'm there. To be able to support small business makes me feel like part of something right and better.

Here are some of her pieces:

The famous body of brooches that greets you when you enter the mall.

Everything is pristine and original, pressed and perfect. No yuckies allowed!

I usually take at least 3/4 trips in :)

I have Never seen such a terrific vintage hat collection from fur to silk and all in between...

She also keeps up with the 'trends' of Vintage as well.

Right now, glasses and hats are the most requested.

(I am on her 'to find' list for a cigarette tip holder)

I know! She does that for ya!

Ooohh, and her bags!

 And jewelry. (There was so much to shoot!)

I've never seen these that old before....

 There are many more vintage clothing and accessory booths as well, but are you getting tired,yet?

 Be sure to bring a little:

 A big thanks to Teresa, Mike, Stacey, Anna and all the wonderful Small Town Hero's who are making a difference in how we see our world, how we treat our treasures and how we can manage the earth by recycling pre-loved merchandise.

No Cookie Cutters for them!

She also takes phone orders and ships!

(She has put blood, sweat and probably lots of cash into revamping this mall.)

It is incredibly awesome!

Looking for something special?

The Mall is located on US Highway 60 in Western KY, very close to Indiana and Illinois...

Right by the only 4-way stop!

As my dad said, you have an obligation to leave the world better than how you found it. And he also reminded us to be givers in this life, and not takers. 

Phil Crane 

xXx

Reva