Category Archive

body image

4 steps to having a successful and body-positive boudoir shoot

A lot of people think that they can’t do boudoir photography; that they’re too big, too old, too awkward, not pretty enough, etc. That’s just not the case. Absolutely anyone on the planet can do boudoir. No matter what stage you are on your body-positive journey, doing a boudoir shoot can help boost your confidence! Here are my steps to having a successful and awesome boudoir shoot…

Why I’m ripping the minus sign off my calculator: the mathematics of women and body image issues

My whole life has been about taking things out of my life in order to make it better. Subtracting weight. Removing blemishes. Getting rid of the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. Reducing belly fat. Banishing negative thoughts. Taking this or that out of my diet. Ignoring my needs, lessening them for the convenience of others. Literally lowering the volume of my voice because too many people have scolded me for being too loud. To say I’m fed up with it is a gross understatement.

Being fat isn’t a sex-life death sentence: how to be body positive in the bedroom

Confession: I was a covers-pulled-up-to-my-chin, lights-off, minimize-jiggling-however-possible lover. I hated my nude body. I used to think somehow that if my partner couldn’t see the parts of me that I didn’t like, (s)he’d magically not know about them. Then, I met a partner who finally called me out on it. That’s the moment I had my great epiphany: Being fat isn’t automatically a sex-life death sentence; it’s SO possible to have mind-blowing sex and be overweight

Reclaiming a syndrome: embracing vs. cursing its existence

Lots of things get “reclaimed” — body shapes, offensive words, etc. Today I’m doing something bizarre: I am reclaiming disease. I’m going to present you with a narrative that is NOT popular with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: I am proud of and happy with me having PCOS. Because what it gave me is a beautiful, soft, warm, luxurious face and body full of curly, beautiful fur. I am not beautiful despite it. It is part of my beauty.

Become your own brand of fatshionista: finding the self-confidence to rock your curves

I don’t have a thigh gap; in fact, mine are full of cellulite. My hips are wide, my booty is enormous, I have a belly, my arms are big, and I weigh a solid 300lbs — yet people stop me on the street constantly to compliment me on my style. This is how I found the courage to come out from underneath baggy, shapeless clothes and embrace my curves, “flaws” and all.

My pregnant battle with Body Image Demons

Like a lot of people, I have a complicated relationship with my body. My body is wonderful. But due to not unusual hang-ups and high school experiences, I don’t treat my body as a friend of any sort. My body and I are were getting to a good place though. And, then I got pregnant. Though I was (and am) very excited to be pregnant, I was also now in full combat with the Body Image Demons™.

I (started to) defeat my body image issues with a sword

A few months after starting to run regularly, my fiance found a local sword fighting class. Even a year earlier I might have hesitated (“swords aren’t for people like me”) but thanks to my new-found confidence, I was ready to dive in. I’ve spent the last six months focusing on thinking of my body in new, positive ways. I focus on what I can do instead of my perceived flaws. I don’t wake up every morning feeling like the most beautiful woman on the planet, but I also don’t usually wake up in a cloud of self hate.

Feminism and the beauty industry

If you’ve been reading Offbeat Home for a while, y’all probably know and love Roxie Hunt (the How to Hair Girl) for her hair tutorials, and her armpit hair revolution. You’re going to love her even more when you read her open letter to women about feminism and the beauty industry.