Oops. 

Good morning!

Well…I meant to post this on the 19th, yesterday, and I even had it already to go in my queue. But lately I have been losing track of the dates, not the day (that would be disasterous in my business), just what date it is. And days seem to fly by. Is anyone else feeling this way?

Anyway…what can I say? Better late than to not recognize such an important day. For many, June 19th is just another day. For so many others, Juneteenth was Freedom Day.

From the Huff Po:

What Do We Tell Our Children About Slavery?

June 19th may not be as widely celebrated today as it was for more than a century, but it remains one of the most important dates in this nation’s climb from slavery to freedom.

In the late spring of 1865 — two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law, two months after the Civil War’s official end and within days of the president’s assassination — most slaves were still not free.

In Texas, the Confederacy’s southernmost hold, the task of informing the slaves went to Major General Gordon Granger. Riding into Galveston on June 19 armed with General Order No. 3, he made the announcement: from that day forward, all slaves would, at last and forever, be free.

June 19, or “Juneteenth,” as it is now called, commemorates African-American’s “independence day.” That this hard-won freedom has yet to be fully realized is no secret. That our images of slavery remain distorted is a surprise.

In this 150th anniversary year of the Emancipation Proclamation, two recent films pivot on the era: Lincoln and Django Unchained. In Lincoln, slaves are unbelievably absent; inDjango, they’re unbelievable.

On television, PBS aired a three-part documentary, The Abolitionists. In it, the role of slaves and free Blacks in abolition was — with the exception of Frederick Douglass (one of the most famous men of his day) — non-existent.

On the side of progress, a new biography, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, by Jon Meacham, is the first to unequivocally relate the relationship between Jefferson and Sally Hemings. The enslaved 14-year-old half-sister of his deceased wife, he took her to Paris and kept her at Monticello, where he fathered their six children.

In 2010, nearly two centuries after his death, for his transgressions, the Texas Board of Education removed the third president of the United States from the state curriculum. With Texas as one of the country’s largest textbook-buying blocks, that statewide decision cast a chill on the publishing industry and endangered historical accuracy nationwide.

Slavery. It’s complicated.

As Mark Twain wrote in Life on the Mississippi (censored and expurgated for decades by his publisher for observations as pungent as this): “I missed one thing in the South — African slavery. That horror is gone, and permanently. Therefore, half the South is at last emancipated; half the South is free. But the White half is apparently as far from emancipation as ever.”

He was half-right. 150 years after Emancipation — because the refusal to confront slavery’s wrongs plunged the South into Jim Crow segregation — slavery’s grip remains powerful and painful. Black and White, it haunts us all, keeping us bound to the past. Straining every institution and discourse, its wounds cut deep.

So, how do we heal and move on? What can we tell our children about slavery to prevent the continued spread of its toxicity for generations to come?

1. Tell them the truth (in age-appropriate doses).
Slavery is a system of institutionalized terror that denies freedom to some for the benefit of others. Slavery in America lasted 246 years (1619-1865) and destroyed an estimated one hundred million lives.

2. Rethink the phrases we take for granted.
No one is “born a slave.” Nature does not make people slaves; people enslave other people. Slaves were people tortured for profit; priced and bartered like furniture.

3. Be clear about your values.
We condemn and punish those who steal a watch or a car. Are human beings not worth the consideration due a watch? Don’t absolve George Washington as a slave owner because he freed some of his slaves in his will. If you were his slave, would that satisfy you?

4. Model healing, not abuse.
Every child knows what is fair and what is not. Demonstrations that divide children into groups of slaves and masters reinforce privilege and powerlessness. Educate them to justice, not to slaveholding.

5. Avoid easy explanations and stereotypes.
Not every Northerner was an abolitionist nor every Southerner pro-slavery. The North ended slavery decades before the Civil War, but profited from it to the end. The whips, lashes and chains used to enforce slavery in the South were manufactured in the North.

6. Celebrate the good.
The more I learn of slaves, the more I know of heroes. Among them, Arnold Cragston, a slave by day who rowed others to freedom by night. In her Midnight School, Milla Granson taught fellow slaves to read and to write the passes that would set their minds and bodies free.

Today, on Juneteenth, we are reminded that only by confronting what is wrong can we make things right. To see ourselves as part of the struggle is to empower ourselves as part of the solution.

© Janus Adams 2013

Janus Adams, author of Freedom Days: 365 Inspired Moments in Civil Rights History, is founder and publisher of BackPax children’s media. The newest title is STEAL AWAY: Escape to Freedom on the Underground Railroad – a book, audio, and board game set. Her website is: www.JanusAdams.com

*****

What did you think of the write? What does Juneteenth mean to you and yours? Blog me.

Social Butterfly: How are you? It has been a long time. How is the new job going? Thanks for posting that insane story. What is wrong with these women? Can they really be that dumb to put up with, and gladly accept this kind of sick behavior from men? I’m losing faith fast in womankind when I see women lower themselves to such a level – what a disgrace to strong thinking women. I have no words left to express.

Peace, Love, & Freedom for all…

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

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Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

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Good morning!

Yes, I’ve been watching the news and hearing all about this waste-of-a-time-far-reaching-anti-abortion-bill that the repubs are so focused on when it has been said that it will no way pass the Senate and Obama will veto it. Do we women need to be concerned? I don’t think so but one never knows. The politics are pretty crazy lately.

There are so many important things to be concerned about – legislation that needs their time…jobs…immigration…and as usual the sick repubs just can’t seem to keep their business out of our vaginas, with so much time spent trying limit our rights and freedoms. These are same repubs that claim to defend the constitution, yet they want to take away our constitutional right to choose.

And did you hear what Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) said on Monday? He stated that abortion should be banned as early as 15 weeks after conception because he has witnessed male fetuses masturbate at that stage.

OMG, if you didn’t think that men (s0me, not all) only cared about themselves and their sexual needs and self-preservation, this is a perfect example for you to take notice and go “hmmm.” If it wasn’t a crazy and true statement made by someone that represents a part of our country – Texas (ahh..that makes sense)…someone who was voted in by the people (of Texas), it would be funny.

Let’s not forget this when the mid-term elections roll around again in 2014. If Burgess is up for re-election, vote the man out, with all of the rest who are trying to take away our rights and freedoms.

I’m not going to give them any more time this morning – I’ve given it enough.

Let’s focus on something important…something that deserves time. How about “immigration?” I think this is the latest from ThinkProgress. If not, please enlighten me.

*****

Yw: I HOPE you and Ym will get together soon, if you haven’t already.

Zen Lill: Thanks for your comment. In my opinion, killing is never simple, even in theory.  Just to be clear, I am not condoning murdering one’s husband for no reason. Nor do I agree to make it “look” very self defense to condone murder. I won’t go down that path of thinking.  I am not saying you are either. However yes, I agree with you, about killing him. If you are protecting yourself and you do get the opportunity to shoot him before he tries to kill you, make sure you kill him, with one shot or many if necessary.

Readers: If I was not clear, let me get clear now. If you are being physically abused, or even threatened to the point where you fear your life, and the hairs on the back of your neck get raised, most likely your life is in dire danger.  Listen to your gut. Make sure that you protect yourself, and if necessary kill the man before he kills you. By not having a gun and leveling the playing field, you could be endangering your life, and your children’s lives. In my opinion the best way to protect your children is to keep them away from the abuser/perpetrator. If you’re dead, you can’t exactly do that.

Madeline: I used to go the movies all of the time. I can’t even remember the last movie I went to. I have no idea what is even out there. Your comment filled with conviction leads me to believe you are correct. And if so, we need more women writers. Speaking of…

Wendy: With your experience in the film industry, I think you have a new career in film writing waiting for you. Go for it.

Kady: Interesting. Thanks for enlightening me.

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

First of all, my apologies to all the fathers out there for not wishing you a happy father’s day yesterday. My father is out of the country so of course I didn’t celebrate him yesterday. The day began to slipped by like any other Sunday, until I got a call from my cousin who flew up from LA to be with his father, my fave uncle, inviting me to meet them for a walk in the Redwoods. Aha! Yes, it is Father’s Day! It was delightful. I HOPE those of you that celebrated with your father had a delightful day as well!

Once again the victim, a woman,  is blamed for something a man has done. Here’s the write from ThinkProgress:

California Teacher Fired For Being A Victim Of Domestic Abuse

California teacher Carie Charlesworth was fired for the “crime” of being a victim of domestic violence, according to letters obtained by NBC San Diego.

The firing was prompted by Charlesworth’s abusive ex-husband Martin Charlesworth, who invaded the Holy Trinity School parking lot after a weekend where Carie had called the police on him three times, sending the school into lockdown.

Martin was sent to prison, but Carie herself was also punished. On April 11th, the school sent a letter to her informing her of her dismissal. The grounds? Her husband was dangerous:

We know from the most recent incident involving you and Mrs. Wright (the principal) while you were still physically at Holy Trinity School, that the temporary restraining order in effect were not a deterrent to him. Although we understand he is current incarcerated, we have no way of knowing how long or short a time he will actually serve and we understand from court files that he may be released as early as next fall. In the interest of the safety of the students, faculty and parents at Holy Trinity School, we simply cannot allow you to return to work there, or, unfortunately, at any other school in the Diocese.

Charlesworth cited the decision as an example of the pervasive stigma domestic violence victims face on top of the abuse itself. “That’s why women of domestic violence don’t come forward,” she told NBC. “They’re afraid of the way people are going to see them, view them, perceive them, treat them.”

Though a recent federal study of gendered violence found that over a third of American women experience intimate partner violence over the course of their lives, the fear Charlesworth describes deters reporting of these crimes with depressing frequency. According to one survey of the relevant data, “because of the stigma associated with intimate partner violence, the fact that it is an illegal activity, and the very real fear of potential retribution from a violent partner, respondents perpetrating or being victimized are less likely to answer questions about intimate partner violence than those who are not.” What goes for answering survey questions goes double for reporting a crime.

Victims can even face legal consequences for calling the police. If a victim generates enough nuisance citations (as defined by the local nuisance ordinance), calling in the ostensibly-protective authorities will often lead to the victim’s eviction. A study of one such ordinance in Milwaukee found that roughly a third of nuisance citations were responses to domestic violence incidents, and the most common landlord remedy was to evict the battered woman.

Charlesworth is planning to challenge her dismissal in court, but the school appears to have the upper legal hand as a consequence of a broadly worded religious exemption.

*******

Readers: Because of the man, the woman potentially loses all around. The woman has been abused. She divorces him and gets a retraining order to protect herself. She is the victim. And yet, she loses her job because her ex-husband won’t stop harassing her, even though he is now in jail. Will she ever be rid of this man and live a happy normal life with her children, without her ex-husband affecting her life in some way, when her ex is out?

He has ruined her life. Her 4 children are affected by his bad behavior. His actions have gotten her fired from her job, and she has no idea how she is going to care for her children. Who knows what else may happen when he gets out of jail soon and seeks her out again.

Why isn’t more being done to the man to protect the woman? Obviously a restraining order isn’t enough, and doesn’t really work. We have enough evidence that shows that men don’t pay any attention to restraining orders. There obviously needs to be laws put into place that makes it more difficult for men – like he needs to be dropped off to live two states away - something.

How it is now is not working. The man should be inconvenienced. A mother and her children, the victims,  should not be the ones who suffer from any more pain or inconvenience to their lives from his abusive actions. The mother and children should be able to live a normal life without fear.

This man is like a disease that has no cure. And she, the victim gets blamed and she and her children suffer the consequences. In my opinion, she would have been better of if she had killed him in self-defense when he was abusing her. Listen to Robert, RT – Get a gun ladies, and level the playing field or you may suffer at the hands of your ex for many years to come, if you even make it away from him alive.

Sound harsh or extreme? What can I say, I read too many horrific stories where the ending is too tragic.

Thoughts? Blog me. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Yes, unfortunately this again.

Good morning!

This write is from ThinkProgress. It seems the GOP doesn’t think when it comes to women and progress. All they ever do is show us their sick misogynistic manner by taking steps that try to regress women back into the Stone Age.

GOP War on Women Heats Up

It never really ended, but the GOP’s war on women is definitely back and more misogynistic than ever. Let’s go through a few things that have happened just in the past week:

• House of Representatives to consider unconstitutional abortion ban: Today the House Judiciary Committee, whose 23 Republican members are all men, approved an unconstitutional ban on abortion after 20 weeks. The measure, championed by Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), is similar to one enacted in his home state of Arizona that was recently found unconstitutional by a federal appeals court. Franks’ present effort would apply nationwide, which is more aggressive than previous years when he only sought to force a 20-week ban on the women of the District of Columbia. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has promised that the full House will vote on it next week.

• Congressman revives Akin-like rape talk: During today’s markup of the aforementioned abortion ban, Rep. Trent Franks made comments echoing Todd Akin’s infamous “legitimate rape” remarks. Franks, who defended Akin at the time he made those remarks, explained today that the incidence of pregnancy from rape is “very low.” There are approximately 30,000 pregnancies resulting from rape every year in the United States.

• GOP governor revives forced ultrasounds: Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) became the latest Republican governor to embrace forced transvaginal probes for women seeking to exercise their constitutionally-protected right to have an abortion. In addition to forced ultrasounds, the legislation Walker has promised to sign would also close abortion clinics across the Badger State.

• Senators suggest offensive explanations for military sexual assault crisis: Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) blamed the growing problem of military sexual assault on “the hormone level created by nature.” His colleague, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), instead suggested that perhaps pornography is to blame.

• GOP governor attacks working mothers: Gov. Phil Bryant (R-MS) was asked to explain why the American education system “so mediocre.” Bryant responded that working mothers were to blame. This came just days after several Fox News commentatorslost their minds over the record number of women who are the primary breadwinners in their household.

BOTTOM LINE: Republicans didn’t learn a single lesson from their string of outrageous attacks on women last year and instead appear to be doubling down on their extreme views and offensive legislative proposals.

******

Additionally, in the same vein, this was on the Chris Hayes show on MSNBC last night:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Right on Chris.

Readers: The republicans will never learn. They have no intention of being supporters of women. My question is, “When will the women learn and stop voting these men in?” THAT is when change will happen.

On an up note…I’m delighted everyone loved the ladies yesterday.

Thanks for reading. Blog me. Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

This blog is not a personal blog in the sense that it is not a blog focused on touting my career talents. Hence, I hardly ever speak about my work here. Yet what I do is such a huge and important part of my life, and something that I am very passionate about.

Lately, I have been working with women with fuller figures and I absolutely love it. In my opinion, women are beautiful in all shapes and sizes.  It makes doing what I do even more exciting and interesting when the canvas and the challenges change between my varying clients. Plus, I just love the feedback I get when women who don’t have the “runway” and “magazine” style slim body type, that is so not what every woman looks like, are thrilled with the results. No matter if my clients are not their ideal weight, shape or size, I help them to feel beautiful and confident. And because the results are practically instantaneous, compared to so many other things that can take a while to bring about change or make an impact, it makes what I do for women (and men!) one of the most rewarding things I do in any single day.

I bring my work up today as an opening to an article that I recently read about Plus Size models. I thought it would be nice to share with you by giving these lovely ladies some blog time.

Best Plus Size Models: Who Is Dominating The Industry Right Now (PHOTOS)

Sometimes, it seems like everything is about being skinny — juice cleanses will cut calories, yoga will keep you in tip-top shape and there’s always a new diet to try. But all the attention placed on being thin is exhausting, not to mention dangerous. That’s why we are so inspired by the rising profiles and embrace of plus-size models in the fashion industry today.

From penning articles about the public’s severely unhealthy obsession with size to creating model workshops aimed at helping girls of every shape reach their runway dreams, plus-size models are shaking up the fashion game and redefining the rules of modeling. It’s about time.

Here are ten models making a major impact today.

1. Jennie Runk

Runk is pretty new to the modeling scene, but she is already making headlines. In April, she modeled for H&M’s swimsuit line and became the company’s first plus-size model to sport its clothing. Pretty impressive, especially considering she was modeling the typically curve-resistant category of swimwear.

H&M’s choice to use Runk created quite a stir, enough that Runk decided to pen a moving essay for BBC about the shoot. She stated in the essay that all the attention the campaign received was an “awkward surprise.” She also offered possibly the best advice we’ve heard yet to young girls struggling with body image issues:

“I feel compelled to show girls who are going through the same thing that it’s acceptable to be different. You will grow out of this awkwardness fabulously. Just focus on being the best possible version of yourself and quit worrying about your thighs, there’s nothing wrong with them.”

2. Saffi Karina

In April, it was announced that British model Karina would be starting the UK’s first-ever plus-size model workshop. Curve Project London features mentoring, hair and makeup sessions, photo shoots, runway lessons, casting tips and experience working with stylists for girls who want to make it in the biz at any size.

We can’t think of anyone more fitting for this role, given that Karina is a former “regular” model who decided to switch to plus-size after her agency dropped her for her changing body. Karina explains her goal wonderfully:

“I want to strive to endorse a positive body image and act as a role model to young women who previously thought ‘thin’ was the only way to get a foot over the fashion threshold.”

3. Crystal Renn

We have so much respect for models who switch from “straight-size” to plus-size to improve their health (and their grip on reality). Case in point: Crystal Renn, who said that she switched to the plus-size game after realizing traditional modeling had saddled her with a crippling eating disorder. She’s since spoken out about her experience and the problem with fashion’s challenging standards.

At the “Inside the Modeling Industry: A Conversation About Health and Beauty in Fashion” panel in February, Crystal stated that designers should change the sample size to eight instead of zero:

“By having a size 8 sample, you are giving freedom to a designer. Most of the models are going to be size 6s and 8s, and you could have 10s, and if a really amazing model walked in who was a size 0, you would tailor the dress down to her.”

4. Justine LeGault

Oh, how refreshing it is when major fashion magazines take the plunge and put a beautiful model with a fuller figure on the cover. Elle Quebec did just that when it cast LeGault for its May 2013 cover. The Canadian model expressed her joy at the magazine’s decision on her Facebook:

The fact that I only got positive feedback about my ELLE cover truly makes me happy. It seems people aren’t so shocked anymore to see curves in the medias [sic]. This is great news!

5. Robyn Lawley

Lawley just might be the supermodel of plus-size models. She has graced numerous magazine covers, including Vogue Italia, Marie Claire and Elle France. Moreover, she is the very first plus-size model to star in a high-end designer campaign: In September 2012, Lawley announced on “Good Morning America” that she had signed on to model in a series of ads for Ralph Lauren.

“There are so many plus-size models in New York doing so well at the moment,” she told “GMA,” “and it’s only going to get better.”

6. Tara Lynn

You know you’re doing something right when a major magazine puts you on the cover specifically to positively highlight your curves. In February 2012, Elle France’s cover declared Lynn as “the body,” meaning she represented an ideal all women can look to. We couldn’t be happier. Lynn’s ravishing beauty is cause for celebration for curvy girls everywhere.

7. Ashley Graham

Graham fired back at critics after this Lane Bryant ad was reportedly banned from Fox and ABC airwaves. She said the whole idea of banning the ad was “sad” and went on to denounce the companies:

“The Victoria’s Secret girls can flaunt around their panties all day long. But when there’s a bigger woman with a little bit extra, they snipped it out immediately.”

We’re totally on Graham’s side.

8. Tess Munster

Among the multitude of fashion blogs crowding the web, it’s nice to see one one gain popularity for showcasing plus-size fashion. Munster, the brains behind the blog The Plus Size Life, poses for the site wearing bathing suits, body-con dresses and other enviable styles. Munster proves that you don’t have to be rail-thin to look great in trendy clothing.

HuffPost was so impressed by Munster, we asked her participate in our “One Size Doesn’t Fit All” live segment in November 2012. You can check it out on Munster’s blog here!

9. Candice Huffine

Leave it to Huffine to show us how sexy plus-size girls can get! In May 2012, she covered S Moda completely in the nude. Inside the mag, Huffine gave an in-depth interview in which she offered insight on how plus-size models are influencing people’s perceptions of the female body:

“[The Vogue Italia] editorial opened the eyes of the industry and proved that we are beautiful, sexy and good models. Now people want to see more. Past disputes [over Photoshop] have made the industry understand the people what they want to see is real girls.”

10. Velvet d’Amour

d’Amour initially gained fame in 2006 as the plus-size model who walked down Jean Paul Gaultier‘s 2007 Spring/Summer runway show in Paris. However, she has also been an outspoken advocate for the transformation of the fashion industry, pushing for magazines and designers to embrace fuller figures.

She currently runs her own magazine, VOL•UP•2, that allows readers to “revel in their every ‘imperfection’ and celebrate their bodies in their glorious entirety.”

In June 2011, d’Amour gave an inspiring interview with Frockwriter in which she commented on the Vogue Italia spread that featured Lawley, Lynn and Huffine. Here are some choice comments:

“The way I see it is, that we need fashion to catch up to women of size, in order to make a stunning FASHION orientated editorial. If you were to take the average Vogue Italia editorial, and attempt to dress these same models in the clothes, best of luck to the stylist to find their size.”

“The true meaning of FASHION in all likelihood it encompasses and revels in Change, in decadence, in obscurity versus ordinary, in risk-taking. While fashion beckons followers and innovation creates fashion, it’s those who deviate from accepted norms who create so much of our fashion from the get go.”

“I don’t look to fashion magazines for advice on health, I look at them for fashion. We need to start looking beyond the simplistic and dig deeper. If you want to have a health debate, then let’s tackle mental health, which is the stimulus, more often than not, affecting one’s physical health.”

Readers: Although not all of these women featured are technically Plus Size, I do appreciate that these lovelies in varying shapes and sizes are given the spotlight! Beauty comes in all sizes. We need women of all sizes to be an inspiration to girls of all sizes. Thoughts? Blog me.

Peace & Love.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

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