The Price of Beauty

Who decides what is beautiful? 

Who gets to decide what beauty is? 

Can beauty be defined by age, gender, color, body shape or size? 

More IMPORTANTLY who gets to decide?

The media tends to play a MASSIVE role in defining what a woman should be like.

The fact is sex sells, especially a sexy woman.  

They take a naturally beautiful girl and photoshop her to be their version of "perfect"

 (see Britney photo)

I mean they erased her cellulite-- gosh forbid a woman with 2 kids would have cellulite! 

This leads young girls into believing that what they see on a magazine is natural, and thats what they need to look like. 

Which puts more pressure on girls. 

Some of which turn to plastic surgery...

"Researchers report that women’s magazines have ten and one-half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss than men’s magazines do, and over three-quarters of the covers of women’s magazines include at least one message about how to change a woman’s bodily appearance—by diet, exercise or cosmetic surgery."

FACT:  It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth anywhere between 40 to 100 billion

BILLIONS DOLLARS a YEAR is going to tell us we aren't good enough?!!? WOW!

"The average size for a woman in this country is a 12, so technically, "plus-sized" starts at 14. In the modeling industry, however, models larger than a size 4 usually find more work doing plus-sized."  
Larger than a size 4 are you kidding me?! 
And let's discuss this whole "plus-sized" term; Could anything sound MORE degrading?! 
The fact IS you CAN be healthy and beautiful without being a size 4.  
It's ideas like this that causes eating disorders, such as bulimia or anorexia. In fact One out of every 100 adolescent girls has the disorder. Approximately 95% of those affected by anorexia are female, most often teenage girls, but males can develop the disorder as well.
Maybe our country as a WHOLE needs to start thinking this way: "plus-sized" is just average-sized, healthy women. Just like straight size models, who represent average women, are much, much smaller; plus-sized models are not actually plus-sized women, we're just bigger than the average model.

This PLUS SIZE bra AD was banned from TV recently for being "too sexy" 

REALLY?!?!

BUT THIS ISNT "TOO SEXY"....

ridiculous. absolutely ridiculous. 

Listen up girls- you ARE beautiful no matter what size, race, age you are! If your curvy- embrace it! If your skinny- EMBACE IT! Love yourself for WHO YOU ARE. Thats more important. 
XO- D

Sources:
/www.stylelist.com/2009/10/14/naked-plus-size-model-jennie-runk-glamour-photo-shoot
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cfm
http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/06/29/global.beauty.culture/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Love Not Hate!

HOORAY! This is amazing! 
Tonight an HISTORIC win for equality was made when New York senate Approves Same-Sex Marriage!

"In a historic vote, the New York Senate has voted 33-29 to pass a state bill (Bill 5045) legalizing same-sex marriage.The bill contains critical protections for the rights of religious and not-for-profit institutions, which means that these institutions are free to perform or not perform ceremonies as they see fit. As we continue to fight against discrimination in pursuit of equal rights for all people, the NOH8 Campaign celebrates this victory for the LGBT Community!" - http://www.noh8campaign.com/article/ny-senate-approves-marriage-equality

Hopefully this is a step towards Equality for ALL! 

Love is LOVE! 

XO- D

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Bringing Classy BACK

I have a question...
When did being classy go out of style and being slutty become the norm?
It absolutely drives me crazy that girls think they have to be slutty to be sexy...
well listen up ladies- being Sexy is all about confidence in yourself. No matter what shape or size you are. Its about loving and believing in yourself when the rest of the world doesn't. 

Which makes me wonder...

Where did the Class of  Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor go?

At the VMA's Reese Witherspoon has some great advice:
  “I just want to say to all the girls out there that I know it’s cool to be bad, I get it, it’s cool to be bad. But it is possible to make it in Hollywood without doing a reality show. When I came up in this business, if you made a sex tape, you were embarrassed and you hid it under the bed. And if you took naked pictures of yourself on your cell phone, you hide your face people! Hide your face! So for all the girls out there, it’s possible to be a good girl, and I’m going to try and make it cool.”

~Thank you Reese, for finally saying what needed to be said!

It's astonishing the length that some celebrities go to become famous, or they things they do with their fame. 

 While there are quite a few bad apples, its nice to see the some young Hollywood scarlets with grace and integrity.

 Bethany Joy Galeotti

 Rachel McAdams

 Reese Witherspoon

Sophia Bush

 Anne Hathaway

Mandy Moore

Ladies you don't have be a size 0 to be beautiful, nor do you have show off your lady parts to be sexy. 

There's nothing wrong with leaving something to the imagination. 

just be yourself, your beautiful just the way you are! 

Let's Bring Classy Back

XO~ D

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My Vamp is Green....

I absolutely love when celebrities use their fame for good, not evil.

 a GREAT example of this is Ian Somerhalder (from Lost, Vampire Diaries) who created the IS Foundation.

(yes i know, feel free to ogle) 

The IS FOUNDATION aims to empower, educate and collaborate with people and projects to positively impact the planet and its creatures.

The IS FOUNDATION will behave in full collaborative spirit by joining with other Non-Profit, For-Profit and governing bodies globally.

• Distributing funds and resources towards global conservation, green energy development/deployment and educational tools.
• Creating awareness that global deforestation can be seen as a national/international and global security risk.
• Creating mobility by engaging and supporting of the most powerful, yet disregarded, disrespected and overlooked population on the planet - our youth.
• Ending animal cruelty and promoting programs such as: “species specific sterilization drugs”, transferring and re-training of abandoned animals into assistive and therapy guides.
• Supporting and creating sustainable strategies for “no-kill shelters”. 

I encourage you to give this charity a look, and don't forget to check out the store, for some fun merchandise.
Source: http://www.isfoundation.com/
TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD ((:
XO-D
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"Been there, Done that, Got the T-shirt"

I've been researching different ways to help make a difference and ive come acrossed some amazing causes and a great way to support these causes is to buy the shirt. 


Needless to say my closet is quickly filling up with these awesome shirts!


Here are some great shirts, that support some amazing causes--

Love146-an organization that rehabilitates young women and children who have survived the horrors of sex trafficking. They are educating, counseling, loving these girls and seeing them re-integrated into society with confidence and healing. Wear the FREE shirt as a declaration of gratitude for your freedom and as a prayer for those still in bondage. 

$20

(this shirt is available at love146.org )

"I love ME!" in French. You are beautiful. This design is an encouragement for women to speak out their confidence. In an age where comparison runs rampant, let the world know that you love YOU! A portion of the proceeds from this shirt will go toward TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS, an organization presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. ($45.00)

To buy: http://larklass.blogspot.com/p/shop.html

 "The Joy of Reading!" Did you know that an estimated 20 MILLION Americans are functionally illiterate? If you know the joy of reading, save up for this chic shirt and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to READING IS FUNDAMENTAL (www.rif.org) - who are committed to nurturing literacy not only in students and underprivileged, but in parents as well! ($45)

To buy: http://larklass.blogspot.com/p/shop.html

Love Proudly is available at certain Old Navy Stores, however if you cant find a store close to you, they will ship to your house. Old Navy is launching a line of rainbow-themed Pride shirt, and will donate 10% of the proceeds to the It Gets Better Project $14.95

Love IS Louder

This movement strives to amplify the momentum of other inspiring online campaigns and invite anyone who has felt mistreated, misunderstood or isolated into the conversation. We are here to raise the volume around a critical message -- that love and support is more powerful than the external and internal voices that bring us down, cause us pain and make us feel hopeless. ($25) 

http://www.co-store.com/loveislouder

It Gets Better

Many LGBT youth can't picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can't imagine a future for themselves. So let's show them what our lives are like, let's show them what the future may hold in store for them. Donate $30 and get this cute shirt to show people it gets better

 http://www.itgetsbetter.org/pages/it-gets-better-gift-and-merchandise-shop

"Not Guilty"

The Afghan Women's Justice Project will send the proceeds to the nonprofits helping Afghan women and kids in prison. One shirt purchase buys a child's milk for a month or school supplies for 10 prisoners. ($25) 

Read more: Afghan Prisons for Women - Many Afghan Women are Imprisoned for Moral Crimes - Marie Claire

http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/opinion/not-guilty-shirt-for-afghan-women

I truly hope you get a chance to read and/or support one of these great causes.

 XO- D


Follow me and my random thoughts at http://twitter.com/#!/DeeJaye00

Love146

I recently came across a wonderful organization, that i'd like to share...It's not a easy issue to talk about but its an important one.

 I'd like to introduce you to Love146...

Love is in our name, because it is our motivating drive to end child sex slavery and exploitation.  We believe love to be the foundation of real, sustainable change. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love."  We hold that to be true. Love Protects. Love Defends. Love Restores. Love Empowers.

We are Love146.

After reading about this cause, i knew it was something i had to be a part of. So I recently joined a task force for 146, and i get wait to start volunteering! We can change the world ((:


For more information or to find out what you can do to help this inspirational cause:
please check out:  http://love146.org/

XO- D


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My New Obsession

Did you know that Americans ALONE spend $17 billion dollars every years on bottle water. It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil to make plastic bottles. Most of which end up in landfills, or littered across our beautiful country...

 which brings me to my new favorite product...

....The Water Bobble 

This revolutionary new product filters the water as you drink it! One filter= 300 water bottles!

They cost around 10 dollars and  are available at most retail stores. 

I picked one up earlier this week, and i haven't left home without it since! I cant wait to pick up a few more. Using a Water Bobble over plastic bottles can save the environment and your wallet! Its a win win! 

For more information checkout http://www.waterbobble.com



XO- D



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Love is LOUDER

Here's a sneak peak of the LOVE is LOUDER photo-shoot i did recently

i cant wait to show you more...

For those who'd like more information on the Love is Louder campaign, or to join the movement go here: 

http://www.loveislouder.com/

XO- D

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I get a little bit stronger

Recently i went through a lot of changes in my life, and i wasn't exactly myself. One of my friends sent me this video. 

i LOVE it

its so true everyday we get stronger

the pain goes away a little at a time 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know my heart will never be the same

But I'm telling myself I'll be okay

Even on my weakest days

I get a little bit stronger

Love is LOUDER than pain; Pain goes away, LOVE DOESNT.

XO-D

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Just A Girl Trying To Find Her Place in This World...

Im just a simple girl, I'm no one special

I've had my fair share of struggles, and heartaches

I guess my hope here is that i can help connect with someone

&& maybe my thoughts or my struggles will help them with theirs

or maybe this will reach no one but serve as guide in my own life. 

Like i said-im no super hero, just a girl; 

and much like you, my story is still in progress

but i have a voice, one i want to share 

I hope you will follow me on my journey to self-discovery..

XO- D

#Loveislouder than silence- express yourself! 

Follow me and my random thoughts at http://twitter.com/#!/DeeJaye00