#BodyPositive January Roundup!

I enjoy using Instagram for a multitude of reasons and one of them is to share the progress I have made in the last few years in loving myself, and my body. At least a few times I month, I use the hashtag "#BodyPositive" and I find myself exploring other users who have done the same.

A few weeks ago I decided that the images and thoughts I come across from other users (women, in particular) who are sharing body positive messages deserve special attention in my blog! I've decided to start a monthly mashup of #BodyPositive images from Instagram, and those images will also be organized in to an album for the month on my Collec.to account.

I hope you are as inspired by it as I am. <3

See the whole #BodyPositive Collec.to album for January 2015 here, or keep reading below to see all the images and captions (including my own)! 

Please note that I have obtained permission from all Instagram users to highlight their photos in this post, and quote them. I do not claim the rights to any of these photos. Clicking on any image will direct you to that user.

____________________________________

glambitchhelen

"Before I start please excuse the pajamas. This is my body. My fat. I'm sick of feeling so ugly because of it and this year, I'm not going to hate myself, I'm going to love myself. The fat on my body doesn't define who I am. I'm beautiful and so much better than the people who shoot me down because of my body. This is a huge step for me,showing my stomach but it's the way forward. I'm Helen and I'm 'fat' #fat #plussize #curves #strong #bodypositive."

fullfigured_fashion

damerogue

"There is a saying that a girl without freckles is like a night without stars ... so my face must be a galaxy! #stonerthoughts #freckledfaces #bodypositive #theyusetohatethem #nowtheychasethem."

tattedyogi16

channystar

"Workin' on these calves, son. My goal is to run faster and crush bad guys with my legs. #bodypositive."

katebentham28

"My hangover isn't so bad when I think about how cute my outfit was last night. #BodyPositive."

h_griffith

"love yo selves ✌️ #bodypositive."

tashayoga

'"To love yourself as you are is a miracle, and to seek yourself is to have found yourself. for now. And now is all that we have. And love is who we are." - Anne Lamott #BodyPositive.'

Party In Your Parka 2015: Event Coverage

Lots of ice skaters were out on the maintained ice trails Saturday afternoon!

Party in Your Parka 2015 was a total blast this year!

There was a great turn out, and we really enjoyed walking around, drinking local beer and wine, and partaking in all of the wintery goodness that was all around, from ice-skating to snowman building!

The artisan tent was a nice break from the cold (though the weather was great and generally mild for a Michigan January!), and we had fun tasting gourmet jerky and checking out local handmade products, like the incredible beard conditioner we picked up from Wilder Beard Company. It smells EXACTLY like a mellow, vanilla-cherry pipe tobacco, and it feels amazing on the skin...I can't tell you how much I love the smell of this product! It's amazing. ;)

One of the tastiest aspects of the Winter Sports Complex...the yummy soft pretzels!

The Luge!

 

All in all, it was a great time, and I'm totally looking forward to next year! 

See you then!

 

#PartyInYourParka2015 With a Thrifted Hat!

 #PartyInYourParka2015 With a Thrifted Hat!

Check out the awesome vintage hat I thrifted for $2 at Muskegon Rescue Mission Thrift! You can easily go out and find yourself the crowing glory to any cold weather ensemble with an awesome secondhand hat. So many places I've been lately have everything from fur hats to knit collections that are just a few dollars and perfectly full of life!

This fur number was just asking to get paired with buffalo plaid and it's definitely what I'm rocking at Party In Your Parka this year! I'll be heading out to the festivities on Saturday during the day to enjoy some hot chocolate and FREE fun winter activities with the fam. Will you be there? 

(OF COURSE YOU WILL!)

Don't forget to hashtag your selfies and fashionable snow gear shots on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with:

#PartyInYourParka2015
^^^Check out what's going on anytime by bookmarking/clicking on the link above!

I'll be scoping out the situation online all weekend and posting a roundup blog, and I'd love to include your images! =)

SEE YOU THERE!

Sub-Zero Scarf Fashion: Party in your Parka 2015!

 

Image courtesy of www.CoatPant.com

Sub-Zero Scarf Fashion: 

Party in your Parka 2015!

Let's get down to business. You aren't going to want to miss Party in Your Parka 2015. Not only is it an outdoor winter wonderland at Muskegon Sports Complex where the event is held, but you get to celebrate the birthday of this beautiful state of Michigan in style, with tons of outdoor activities (family friendly during the day) as well as hang out in a heated tent, with local vendors and delicious microbrew. DID I MENTION IT'S FREE??? I can't wait!

 

Every year that I help out as the official stylist of the event, I always think: how can you look fashionable in sub-zero weather? (Often here in Michigan during January that is what we've got going on with wind chill involved). You really don't want to skimp on personal warmth or safety for fashion (unless you're Kim Kardashian or something). Of course, having a stylish winter wardrobe (namely, an awesome coat!) is important, but I think the true answer lies in ACCESSORIES.

Let's look at some different (and super fashionable) ways to wear your winter knits!

Image courtesy of www.CoatPant.com	Over-the-Head-Infinity Loop  You'll need an infinity (or tied together) scarf for this look. Simply use one end as a hood and wrap the other section around your neck. (Work backwards on this one...neck first, then twist the scarf, then put head through).
Image courtesy of ThreeBirdNest	Infinity Loop with Added Flair As mentioned above, the infinity scarf can be a solid loop scarf, or one you've tied together yourself in to a circle and doubled. But what about this added flair? I LOVE the idea of tying off one side with a simple bow or ribbon. So cute. Also think about adding a brooch!
Image courtesy of www.themodestmomblog.com	Extra Chunky Pretzel Knots I love the standard pretzel knotted scarf but this takes it to the next level! Great texture and you can get the whole tutorial on how to achieve this look here: Woven Knot Scarf Tutorial on Youtube
Image courtesy of Ebay	Embellish Embellish a scarf by adding jewelry to it! This sliding ring was made to fit over a smaller or pashmina scarf, but how can you achieve this look with a thicker scarf? How about trying bracelets or necklaces...Hmm. I'm intrigued!
Image courtesy of www.FitFabFun.com	Twist it Up It's easy to achieve this look through a simple series of twists; check out the easy directions here at Fit Fab Fun!

What else can you come up with?

Don't forget to check out my Winter Coat Style pins on Pinterest, and my Five Best Cold Weather Beauty Tips from last year!

Upcycled Cloth Napkins From a Dress Shirt and a New Series: "Resolve to Repurpose!"

 Upcycled Cloth Napkins From a Dress Shirt
and a New Series: "Resolve to Repurpose!"

I'm always mixed on New Year's resolutions.
On one hand...goals are good, mmmkay?
But on the other, expectations are the devil.

This year, I've opted to continue the healthy self-care I've had in place for a long time, but that doesn't mean I don't have goals. In fact, I thought 2015 would be a great year to even further increase the ways I can up-cycle used and vintage things in to a new series called "Resolve to Repurpose!" 

There are many ways to do this without cluttering your home with toilet paper tubes and old coffee cans, and most importantly, you can do it with thrifted, gifted or free items!

So, without further ado, I present my first craft project of the new year: up-cycled cloth napkins! This project was so much fun and yielded a very useful product. If you have a few old dress shirts laying around then you won't need a thing--otherwise, you could easily pick up a large shirt at a thrift store like Hope's Outlet for around $2. Read the instructions below! 

HOW TO DO IT

Gather up your materials! You'll need:

-At least one large or extra large dress shirt 
(I went with plaid because I love it, but any dress shirt will work nicely!) Each dress shirt of this size will yield about 6 napkins using the measurements I've provided and that is without using the sleeves, which I saved for a future project. ;)

-Scissors

-Measuring Tape

-Marker 

-Sewing machine with zig-zag stitch setting (optional)

 

 

MEASURE AND CUT THE FABRIC

Using a soft tape measure, I marked off 11x11 squares wherever I could fit them in! (You could easily do slightly smaller or larger, but I was also leaving a small amount of room for a 1/2" hem on each side). 

I was able to cut two squares from each side of the shirt in front, and a grid of four squares on the back. 

The next step is optional...

read on to find out why!

HEM YOUR SQUARES

IF you are particular and precise, you would carefully press the edges of your napkins to make a 1/2 inch zigzag hem on all sides before sewing.  

IF you are a un-apologetically lazy seamstress like I am, then you get on your sewing machine and start the party! 

IF you don't have a sewing machine at all or simply don't want to mess with that aspect of things--good news! You can gently pull out vertical threads and skip this step altogether to create a pretty fringe border. If that's the case, carefully rip out the vertical thread on each side of your napkins with a seam ripper or needle until you see the fringe border you want, in the thickness you like. This is a little time consuming but does work nicely!

Then, get an ice tea and sit back and appreciate what a domestic, up-cycling goddess (or god) you are!

If you're thinking that these would make an excellent gift...how right you are! Trust me, I'm keeping this project on my radar for next year's handmade Christmas giving, because who wouldn't want an adorable setof up-cycled plaid napkins? You could even get fancy and monogram them. More on that next season... ;) 

The next step is to enjoy your super cute cloth napkins and relish in the fact that you are helping to reduce consumption of paper products! Cloth napkins feel so much more fancy and they happen to look exceedingly adorable, as well. 

STAY TUNED FOR MORE UP-CYCLED PROJECTS! 

Follow me on Instagram or explore the hashtag, #ResolveToRepurpose2015. 

What can you re-purpose today?