by Glitter | Jan 31, 2016 | Life
So I did two things today I’ve never done before.
- I took photos is my underwear
- Was part of a fashion magazine photo shoot
It’s kind of a big day. Usually I steer clear of taking photos is my lingerie. This is mostly because I really don’t have an opinion on it. I am not sure how exactly it furthers my cause in the the self acceptance movement to show myself in underwear or nearly naked, but at the same time I understand why it is important to other people’s message. Needless to say getting photographed in my next to naked state is something kind of important to me. It’s not something I did lightly. However, when FashX Magazine asked me to be part of their “Love thy self” article, it seemed like the right time to step out of my comfort zone.
The shoot was a bit intimidating. I didn’t know how exactly I was going to feel half nakie in front of a gaggle of people. I thought about this as this spitfire red head from Lash and Lip Make Up did the most amazing make up on me ever. I thought about it even more when I heard the thinnish girl to my left talk about about how people judged her body. How she’s been told to gain weight and lose weight to fit in the modeling world. Body issues aren’t just a fat person’s problem.
The photographer Theresa Lollis totally put me at ease. Actually I kind of wanted Theresa to move to Austin and form a bad ass girl crew with me complete with matching jackets and a sweet handshake. She was- as Anne of Green Gables would say- a kindred spirit, a busom buddy. I was surprised how natural and at ease I felt in front of the camera. I kind of wished I got to do this everyday- look pretty and make art. I guess I kind of do, just in a low low budget way.
In the end I feel like I realized just how comfortable I am with myself. Something that seemed scary or out of my comfort zone, wasn’t really. I just needed that little push to try. When I did I realize the only thing I really feared was doing something new and failing. I can’t wait until the magazine comes out so I can have a permanent memory of these two big life firsts.
by Glitter | Aug 15, 2015 | Fashion, Fitness, Inspiration, Life
I am so so so excited to kick off the first day of my first Instagram challenge! It isn’t a yoga challenge. This isn’t a fashion challenge. It’s a life challenge! The idea is simple. Take something something that scares you, pushes you, challenges you, makes you uncomfortable or might even seem impossible… and give it a try. Wear that crop top. Try that head stand. Talk to your manager about that raise you deserve. Stop lying to the food delivery guy, there is no roommate.
And don’t just do it. Do it with gusto. Do it with sass. Do it because none of us should wait to live. It’s time to make the impossible, possible.
One thing I’ve learned over my journey is that the first step is ALWAYS the hardest. We want to encourage you to take that step with some extra sassy motivation and prizes. Because every body loves presents. EVERYBODY.
We have some super rad sponsors:
So how do you enter?
You don’t have to post everyday for a chance to win, just at least once during the challenge period – August 15-31. Each new challenge you take on is a new entry. Simples!
by Glitter | Jul 3, 2015 | Fitness, Life, Workouts
So when I made my life list eons ago I snuck on there something I thought would finally give me the va va voom I was missing. Pole dancing. See what I didn’t know then, but definitely know now, is that sexiness isn’t a dance move. It’s confidence in who you are and trust in your body to express how you are feeling. So if you’re feeling like a sex cat in heat, you’re body is going to radiate sexy like it’s holding a neon sign that says “this girl needs to man to worship her.”
I put these images in black because they feel like they should be. I mean when I think of sexy french burlesque I think of black and white and corsets. Sister child has a straight policy against underwear posts- that’s a really long and possibly really heated debate I shall spare you from today- so no corsets for you. However black and white filter? I got this.
Pole Dancing was surprisingly plus size friendly. I didn’t feel like I was exhausted after class and I feel I learned some new erm * cough cough* useful moves for my non-existent life partner to enjoy. I can now crawl like a sexy tiger, go down a fire man’s pole like I’m J LO pre-record deal, and have learned how to close out a routine like a fine as freak fantasy female and most importantly “collect my money.” You know with this booty, the money collection part would likely take forever. I was surprised that as I finished that the others in class could resist the urge to shower me generously with paper. Holler for a dollar.
I took my pole dancing class at Brass Ovaries, pretty much the best name for anything woman centered ever. Also their mascot is a unicorn: double score. And for the triple layup- they’re saying is “Glittter, Guts, Glory.” In short, I was meant to move my body like a snake in this studio. IT WAS DESTINY. SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY.
by Glitter | Apr 19, 2015 | Inspiration, Life
I have a new theory. If a woman needs to love their body or feel better about themselves, they should do a photo shoot. I am not talking about a tripod in your bedroom or an awkward selfies with outfit changes in the bathroom mirror. I am referring to letting someone else take the reigns and giving up a bit of control. There is something about forcing yourself to let go, putting your image in someone else’s hands and getting comfortable being you in front of a camera that is uber de duper liberating. It forces you to stop thinking about working those angles and allows you the rare opportunity to see yourself through the eyes of someone else. I think it’s a genuine recipe for all kinds of self love and Facebook profile picture updates. 
This weekend I had the awesome pleasure of hanging out with my rad friend, Allyson and her adorable nuclear family. I mean look at that little sassafras in the photo. ADORABLE. Look how she works that inflatable dolphin like it’s her job. Anyways, these super amazing friends [read saints] agreed to put up with my insane ideas and help me snap some sassy shots for a little swimsuit company’s competition. Because, Bermuda. Because, vacation. Because, I have sun, beach, and tropical cocktail needs.
I should mention every single one of the outfits I post daily on instagram, I take myself with my iphone on a tripod. I know my angles, and I must admit look uniformly (damn) good. I am a master at working the hell out of that $15 amazon budget photography investment. However, most of these shots are not me hanging out in real life. Sure some of my quirk comes through (there’s a little too much sass in this ole body o’ mine to shut it out), but at the end of the day, it’s the manufactured version of me. The me I want you to see.
I love these photos because they show a side of me I rarely see in pictures. I still look rad… I would even venture to say better then I do in my ooh la la, white backgroundy, artsy selfies. They show a quiet confidence, versus a loud in your face “I love who I am for all the internet to see” version of me. I love how they capture both my insatiable curiosity and my uncontrollable silliness. I didn’t manipulate my body into just the perfect pose and she captured beautiful ways I move and exist on film ( err photo card?) for the first time. As a result, I now see myself a bit differently. And, that’s a good thing.
I think all women to deserve to find a special beauty in who they are. Maybe allowing someone else to take the reigns of how we see ourselves is another step in loving ourselves just lil bit more.
(Both bikinis are from swimsuitesforall.com. They didn’t give me anything for this post, I just have a excellent trigger finger when it comes to cute swimwear.)
