Yes!

I love all the inspiration and beauty I get online. Working in a very text-oriented, black-and-white-print job, beautiful blogs are necessary eye candy for me. BUT, I think the authoe of tehis Jezebel post hits the nail on the head when she talks about the sometimes pernicious effect of the "populist" ethos of these blogs-- as if you, too could have a life this beautiful, if only you applied yourself a bit more. And doesn't that turn "attainable" into another form of "aspirational"? How, then, are these blogs any different than Martha Stewart or Dwell or any other Aspirational Lifestyle media? I think they're not. Which is fine. Aspiration has its place. People want some fantasy and escapism in their lives. But, as I reminded myself upon opening Martha's May issue this morning, let's remember that all such media is created to present an image. And an image is never the full story, so let's not look at the aspects of our lives that aren't "blog-worthy" and feel we don't measure up, okay?

Jezebel: The New Decornographers: Bloggers With Beautiful Craftsy Lives

Here are my some of my crafty/lifestyle "inspiration" sites:
Young House Love
Design Sponge
Heart of Light
Ink on My Fingers
Oh Happy Day
Not Martha

Happy Friday!

Ummm, no thanks.

Inspired by Joslyne's post this morning about her no-ass swimsuit woes, and by the fact that it's supposed to be in the 80s (80s!) here this weekend to hang by the river, I started thinking about my own swimsuit situation, which falls on the opposite end of the spectrum. While I won't go into great detail about the changes pregnancy has wrought on my entire body, suffice it to say that I do not think any swimsuits from previous years will fit the 6-9 months-pregnant me. I am rather more... rotund around all kinds of parts these days. Some days I am more okay with that than others, so I need a swimsuit that will embrace that and make me feel like a sassy mama, not a freakish cetacean-woman. So, frugal little shopper that I am, I went over to see what Target had to offer me.

You guys, this isn't helping. That suit is hideous. In fact, pretty much everything in the Target maternity swimwear line sucks. First of all, most of it is straight black, and what prints there are are mostly BAD (see left). And they're all tankinis. Not sassy. This is seriously the best one:
Doesn't really scream "fun in the sun!", does it?

Even worse, though? are THESE:
Yes. Swim skirts and swim SHORTS. Target, I'm pregnant, not disfigured. Is it too much to ask for swimwear that accentuates and celebrates the curviness, rather than hiding it away in the matte black fabric of shame? Where's the sassiness? Where's the retro-glam that flatters curvy women?




Maybe that mojo only exists in the regular swim section? Maybe, just maybe, can I mix and match pieces from the regular swimwear in larger sizes?


Um, no. I know this SAYS it's for women and all, Target, but I'm gonna need a little more coverage than that. Well, more like twice that much fabric.




Sigh. What to do? I'm caught between a tankini and a skimpy place. Send help soon!
Love,
A