Back in skinny jeans

Quote on life

Inspired by Diabetes. The Creative Expression Competition

Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people in the world. Both sets of my grandparents and my mother have Diabetes, so I am happy to help promote anything related to helping bring more awareness to this disease.

Inspired by Diabetes is a global initiative that brings families and people with Diabetes together to raise awareness of the global burden of Diabetes — and draw particular attention to people who do not have the resources they need to fight diabetes. Inspired by Diabetes is currently holding a Creative Expression Competition where children and adults who have Diabetes or whose lives have been affected by the disease can submit a creative piece which illustrates the inspiring journey Diabetes has taken them.

The art submision can be an essay, poem, photograph, drawing, painting, or piece of music. Entry deadline is January 31, 2008. There are more details on how to enter the competition at "How to enter the Creative Expression Competition."

I think art as a form of expression is something that absolutely helps the healing process enormously. It is also a fantastic way to communicate the feelings and emotions that sometimes verbal communication cannot explain. Art touches the heart and soul, and being a part of something like the Creative Expression Competition is a wonderful thing. To learn more, please check out "Inspired by Diabetes."

Video spoof of girls playing with Britney, Paris, and Lohan dolls is quite scary

This is supposed to be a video spoof of an imaginary line of dolls for girls called, "Role Models" in which elementary school aged girls are playing with dolls representing the train wreck lifestyle and image of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan. Now, I get the humor in the video. But, in a very scary sad way, if little girls are really playing dolls like this in real life, then we need to get our youngsters some new role models ASAP.

From Crackle: Role Models

Did you stop doing girlie things because you gained weight?

One of the first things that many of us do when we start gaining a significant amount of weight is stop with the girlie things like putting on make-up, wearing cute strappy sandals, donning pretty colorful outfits, and wearing sexy undies. We trade the thongs for granny briefs. We swap out the form fitting velor track suit for the baggy sweats and XL t-shirts. We stop "dolling up" leaving the make up, manicures, and highlights for that time when we reach our goal weight.

In essence, we put the girlie stuff on hold because we gained weight. It's as if gaining weight means that we can't glamorize any more. We can't indulge in the make-up, clothes, and salon dates because we've let our body go, and because the body went, everything else look-wise went with it.

So, why? Why did you stop or cut down doing the pretty girlie things just because you gained weight? For me, when I gain weight, I stop wearing any color other than Black, Grey, or Dark Blue because the dark colors minimize my widening girth.

It never occurred to me that my wardrobe goes dark when I gain weight until one day before I started my most recent weight loss effort. I was going to a wedding and I wanted to wear something festive and fun, but alas there was nothing in my closet that fit the bill. In fact, I noticed the closet was dark, everything was in the black and dark blue family, and most notably devoid of body cling. Yup. The last thing we want to do is emphasize the muffin top. But, just because I'm wearing some bigger sizes doesn't mean that the Oh-la-la has to go with it, but somehow it had.

If you've stopped doing the darling girlie things because you've gained weight, take a look as to why, and then go out and get yourself something with VA-voom. You don't need to wait until you've reached your goal weight.

[picture "Double Vision" by Katie Tegtmeyer]

Scientist shares the secret to perfect boobies

So, the lab coats have figured out a scientific formula to determine a perfect rack. Are you panting with anticipation? Of course you are. According to Patrick Mallucci, a founding surgeon of Mybreast.org who spent countless hours pouring over pictures of boob after boob of popular naked women, summarized:

"The model mammary apparently has a nipple that points slightly skywards, and an upper half just a bit smaller than the bottom half. The key aesthetic elements are nipple position and the proportion between the upper and lower halves of the breast. The ideal is a 45 to 55 per cent proportion - that is the nipple sits not at the half-way mark down the breast, but at about 45 per cent from the top."

Are you busting out your tape measure now? I sure hope not. Model Caprice Bourret is deemed to have the ideal set of hooters, and Victoria Beckham gets deemed the worst. However, if Posh can land a hubby like David Beckham, I don't think her rack is quite so awful.

[Daily Mail]

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Back in skinny jeans is getting some new blog friends

All of you know how much I love blogging. I love it so much that I am adding three more blogs to the mix, so that Back in Skinny Jeans is not alone. Below the header, you will see the links to the new blogs: Tinseltini (celebrity gossip), Simplr (technology), and Noshotpia (food).

I like writing about so many things that trying to make them fit onto one blog would be just too much. Now, with the new blogs, I can spread out and eventually retain others to contribute. Blogging is so much more fun when there are others to bounce ideas off and laugh with. As well, expect to see more video with me in it because I think it adds another dimension of richness to the blogs.

To those of you who have been around for awhile, Simplr, "A simple eye for the everyday internet" and Noshtopia, "A splendid place about healthy snacks" are not new blogs. I had them up for awhile and then they sat because of various reasons. Well, I'm reviving them, and this time they will have a better chance of staying alive because I have some wonderful help.

Simplr this time though will focus more on how the internet can help you live a thriving life, and Noshtopia will feature my food photography, as I am getting better at it everyday. I'm having a blast learning more about food photography.

I hope you enjoy the new blogs, and as always, I value your opinions and insight!

Welcome Maria to the skinny blogs

I want to introduce you all to Maria de los Angeles Lemus and on her shoulder, Samba. Maria is one fantastic and witty writer with a sense of humor and lifestyle similar to my own. I met her through her fabulicious blog Sex and the Beach about the life of Manola, a single woman living in South Beach Miami. I sware, soda sprays out my nose every time I go read about Manola's adventures. 

I have the great honor of having Maria contributing to the blogs, since there are 4 blogs now. I can't possibly do it all by my lonesome. Maria's insight and spirit will add a great deal to the blogs, and I hope that you all enjoy her as much as I do. A warm applause for Maria!...

Maria's personal Site
Maria's Flickr page  

"Can we eat without the skinny smugness?"

Many moons ago, I visited a Caribbean island with a group of fellow travel writers. We soon learned that the public relations specialist who hosted our stay was more concerned about divulging her eating habits instead of promoting tourism.  This twenty-something woman wasn’t quite tall enough to be a model, but acted like she was God’s gift to the cover of Vogue.

I’ll never forget our first lunch.  We sat under the shade of a beautiful, colonial portico, silently enjoying cool beer and conch fritters, a local specialty.  Out of the blue, without any prompting, Ms. Public Relations Professional blurted out the following statement, as if she had been interrupted mid-conversation by an invisible friend:  “I never eat fried crap.  That’s why.”

The table remained silent, and those of us mid-bite exchanged quizzical glances.

“I’m sorry. That’s why what?” one writer asked.  And she smugly replied:  “That’s why I’m so skinny! Duh."

We ignored her answer; this group of seasoned writers didn’t give a rat’s ass about the size of hers.

Sharing a meal with others is a sacred, nourishing experience and if you refuse to partake, at least don't spoil the appetite of others with idle chatter about your body.  Sometimes, food tastes better in silence.

Texas media pulls "too much naked" Alicia Silverstone PETA commercial

Apparently, Alicia Silverstone's new commericial for PETA to help promote the vegetarian lifetsyle is a bit too saucy with the side boob, and butt crack shot for the Texan censors. They gave the thumbs down to showing this commercial on TV. Personally, I don't think the commercial is naughty, but for Bible belt territory, I can see why they pulled it.