Monday, November 10, 2014

Fall Chill Out

IMG_5700 I've been in a total fall mood lately; believe it or not, I haven't even put up my Christmas decorations yet, which I'm pretty sure is some kind of record for me. I worked on lots of school projects on Friday, and I needed a good soundtrack, so I whipped up this Spotify playlist. I thought I would share it with you in case you need some good relaxing fall tunes too! Enjoy!


Thursday, November 6, 2014

Autumn Uniform

Call me a basic white girl if you want, but I love all things fall, and I apologize to nobody for this. I mean, seriously: cooler weather, gorgeous trees, cozy layers, and my birthday?! What's not to love about that? The temps and the trees were perfect last weekend, so I sweet-talked my mister into snapping some pictures in what I have officially dubbed my "autumn uniform." There may have been a bit of bribery with Elle's that happened, too, but who's counting, right?
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Striped shirt, plaid shirt, sweater, jeans: Forever 21 // Boots: Charlotte Russe // Necklace: Moorea Seal // Hindu-inspired ring: Nomad // Gemstone ring, midi ring: Francesca's 


Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Project Life: Week 44

Well, I'm behind on Project Life again, which I'm guessing surprises roughly zero people at this point. But you know what? I've stuck with it, despite life happening, getting behind and having to catch up a million times, and I'm pretty darn proud of that. Last week, I printed out all my photos and stuck them in pages in the album. Sunday I sat down to catch up, worked diligently for an hour and a half without getting up, and finished......one week.

Ugh. I know.

Things just weren't clicking for me, probably a result of being out of practice and the nagging voice in the back of my head that kept listing all the other things I should be doing. I also started from the most recent week with the intention of working backward, rather than my usual catch-up method of starting where I left off and working forward, so that may have had something to do with it. Either way, I'm hoping I get my inspiration back quickly. Left side: 44L Right side: 44R

Friday, October 31, 2014

October in Instagram

October has been a busy, busy month. I can't believe it's already over; months aren't supposed to fly by so quickly. Here are a few snapshots from the past few weeks.

IG1
1. Finally sweet-talked the mister into taking me out for Mexican food. // 2. I've been all about the chai this fall. // 3. Running cockroach experiments. Thankfully, I finally figured out what to do with that creepy little thing when I'm done with it--my tattoo artist is taking him off my hands because she thinks he'd be a cool pet! To each his own, man. // 4. A rare moment of free time.
IG2
1. I've been spending a lot of Fridays at coffee shops, and I'm roughly 150% more productive there than at home. Kingdom coffee has been my go-to spot. //2. I've been trying to get better about documenting our home, even if I never do anything with the pictures. I think I've been so bad about it because I'm just unhappy with a lot of aspects of our space, but it was our first home together, and I know I will always want to remember it regardless. // 3. My record player finally died for good (it WAS about 60 years old, ya know), so Tyler bought me a new one for my birthday! //4. Spent the better part of a day with Haley, and she snapped this photo of us. I love spending time with that gal!


Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Eleanor

I never planned on having three cats. I just need to get that out there. I feel like I've got the crazy cat lady neon sign flashing sometimes, so in introducing our newest (and last!) baby, I have to stress the fact that this was never in my original plan. I also have to stress that to my husband, because he was not the happiest about it. Oopsie.

Hear me out, though.

Tyler works with a lady who fosters cats through an agency, and over the summer she posted this photo of a kitten named Eleanor:

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I know. I KNOW. What a little fluffy mess, right? Some *expletive* idiot threw her away--literally. She was found in a trash can (WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!), and thankfully rescued. I remember seeing her over the summer and thinking that she was adorable, what had happened to her was so beyond awful, and surely she would be snatched up in a heartbeat. I mean, who could resist that story and that face?

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Catching up

Just a quick catchup. I'll most likely have a post for each of these little events, but in the meantime, I'll share a few snapshots of what's been happening around here lately: 

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Monday, September 15, 2014

Midwest S'mores Night.

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It seems silly to say that an app changed my life--but that's the truth. People scoff at social media, and it isn't without its shortcomings, that's for sure, but it can be such an amazing tool in bringing together people that would have never met otherwise. 50 years from now, if my grandchildren ask me what the big social media boom was like, those will be the stories I tell--stories of how I made friends like Haley, Tessa, Aimee, Emma, Lindsey, Ronnie, Ana, Jessica, Sarah, Madison.... Yes, social media can be addicting. Yes it can make you feel inferior if you let it. But if you take the reins, amazing things can happen. Lindsey and Ronnie made amazing things happen a couple weeks ago. They hosted an Instagram meet-up/ s'mores night at Lindsey's house. After months (or even years) of seeing pieces of each other's lives online, we would be face to face with our insta-friends, some of us for the first time.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Project Life: Weeks 34 & 35

I'm behind again...imagine that! Well, actually my Project Life is doing just fine thankyouverymuch, but I'm doing not-so-awesome at blogging my pages....or blogging in general. Grad school has me scrambling like you wouldn't believe. One of my classes was cancelled this week, so I thought I would toss up some of the pictures I snapped of my pages from the past couple weeks. Hopefully I'll get a firm routine established and things will pick back up around here soon.

PL34L


PL34R

PL35L

PL35R

P.S. Happy September! How am I saying that already?!

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Project Life: 25-26

Annnnnnnnnnnnd........We're caught up! Finally! Hope you've enjoyed all the Project Life stuff, and if you haven't, I hope you enjoy that it's over. Haha. Well, I'll still be posting my weekly spread on Mondays, but the overdose is finished. :) These last two spreads are minimalistic, color-wise. I think the embellishments keep them from being too simple, but I still don't know. I think I'm a bright-color gal in the summer. I could definitely see doing lots of these color schemes during the colder months. Feel free to leave any thoughts or questions in the comment box!

Week 25, left side:
25L

Week 25, right side:
25R

Week 26, left side:
26L

Week 26, right side:
26R

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

A Day in the Life

I've seen these floating around the internet for awhile, and always thought they'd be fun to do: a photo an hour for a whole day. The problem, as it turned out, is that I'm incredibly forgetful, so even if I remembered to start in the morning, I'd take about two pictures and then it would totally slip my mind for the rest of the day. I'm not one of those people who is always thinking about my blog content when I'm doing things, so a lot slips by undocumented (honestly, Project Life has helped more than anything else with that!). It's strange, though--the more I document my life, the more I appreciate it. When I was doing my Project Life pages for the week, most of the journaling talked about what an "awesome" day it was--even though it really was a very typical Friday for me. I'd like to do it again sometime now that I've started classes. Anyway, as crazy as it sounds, this was legitimately a challenge, but definitely a fun one!I If you do it (or have done it) yourself, leave me a link in the comments! I'd love to check it out (and I'm a total nosey Nancy).

I decided to do this a few weeks ago on one of my solo days off, since--although I think it would be interesting to show you a day at my work-- privacy laws won't let me take pictures of the cute kiddos I work with. So this is a pretty typical Friday for me. (*Note: These are all iphone photos, for the simple fact that I didn't feel like lugging around a DSLR all day and fielding questions about why I was taking pictures of random things.)

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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

5 Favorites: Face

I am far from a beauty guru. If we're being honest here, until a couples months ago, I had worn the exact same brand and type of foundation since high school. I've just been lucky in the skin department for most of my life, so there was really no need to fix what wasn't broken, you know what I mean? As I inch a little closer to thirty (eek!) though, my skin really is changing, and I've had to start experimenting a little to figure out what will work best for this next stage in life. I've added some new things to my skincare routine (you can read about some of my skincare faves here, and a part two is in the works!) and I've started trying to invest a little more in makeup as well. Here are a few current favorites in the makeup department.


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Saturday, August 23, 2014

Project Life: 22-24

More Project Life weeklies! We're almost caught up! These were some that I completed on my binge-scrap day. I mellowed out a bit for weeks 22 and 23, then went right back to bright colors for week 24. Summer just does that to me I guess. Bright colors everywhere!

Week 22, left side:
22L

Friday, August 22, 2014

Things I Have Learned This Week.

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1// My brain does not function as well as it did the first time I went to grad school.

2// I am the worst at eyebrows. I can maintain, but when it comes to altering them whatsoever, NOPE. I thought about trying to shape mine today, and then freaked out and decided I couldn't do it (which was probably for the best, since I didn't screw them up).  Also, I'm glad the Benefit eyebrow bar exists--best decision ever.

3// One of my classes requires me to train a giant hissing cockroach. This was not a happy discovery.

4// Oliver loves Tyler more than he loves me, and it kills me. (Henry is still a mama's boy, though.)

5// High levels of stress don't incapacitate me, but they come pretty darn close.

6// Wine helps. So does organization.

7// Awesome coworkers who recognize when I'm struggling and rearrange things so that I get a break from more high-demand kiddos also help. A lot.

8// I get more excited about tattoo appointments than almost anything else.

9// I really really really love school.

10// I also really really love sleep. Sometimes I have to choose between loves.

11// I am much a much happier person after dessert.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Vinyl Love // Ultraviolence

VL1

Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey

In 3 words: glamorous, captivating, dark (in a very, very good way)

Favorite tracks: Brooklyn Baby, Pretty When You Cry, Ultraviolence, West Coast

Ultraviolence has definitely been my go-to summer album, and honestly, my very favorite record release so far this year. In the interest of full-disclosure, I must tell you that I'm an unabashed Lana Del Rey fan. I swear she moves in and out of decades. She's so polarizing; most people love her or hate her (though I also get the occasional "who?" or "she's alright"--my husband falls into the latter category, which pains me to no end). She's endlessly fascinating, a walking paradox, and this is reflected in this record--it feels autobiographical, yet hyperbolic; melancholy, yet beautiful;  profound, yet tounge-in-cheek; vintage, yet ahead of its time. It's complicated, messy, and perfect all at once.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Outtakes

Last week, for a post, I took some photos with my cats,who were not having it that day--especially Oliver (the Siamese), who had some hilarious faces. I thought it would be fun to share some of the outtakes, because they're pretty funny. It was honestly hard picking which ones to use here; lemme tell ya, it took a ton of shots to get the few decent ones I used last week. Usually my little guys are pretty cuddly and mostly okay with having their pictures taken, but I think together might have just been asking for trouble.

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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Homeward

A couple weeks ago, Tyler and I went back to my hometown to celebrate my brother's birthday with him. It had been over a year since I'd been back (and two since Tyler had) so it was definitely overdue. Here are a few of the highlights!



Monday, August 18, 2014

Project Life: Weeks 32 & 33

You might have noticed that I didn't post my weekly Project Life pages like usual last Monday. We took a little trip to my hometown last weekend and ended up getting home later than expected on Sunday. I suppose I could have stayed up late to do them, I guess, but I'm a slacker. Plus, you may not know this about me, but I really really really love sleep. Like, a lot. I'm back on track, though, and posting two weeks' worth today!

Week 32, left side:

32L

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Project Life:19-21

Just dropping by with more Project Life weeklies. Are you sick of these yet? :)


Week 19, left side:

19L

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

On Being a Cat Mom


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O2

I've become one of those annoying pet people (not only to other humans but also--judging by their faces--my cats, who apparently are not big fans of photoshoots. I promise they love me). I never thought I'd be the type to talk about my cats like they're my kids, but here we are. I have more pictures of my cats on my phone than anyone or anything else. I'm paranoid beyond belief that I'm going to roll over on one in the middle of the night (yes, they sleep with us). When they're sick, I'm a huge ball of teary anxiety, and I admit to worrying during the day if they're alright.

I haven't hopped on the crazy-train, I'm the freaking conductor, and I'm taking this thing to My-Cats-Are-Awesome-Ville.

(Tyler's also on board, though, because he gives the cats heartfelt lectures about "playing nice" and "being safe"--AND when he leaves for work, he always makes sure to tell them which one of us will be home first. SO.)

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

A Bit of News...

Before I really get into the "news," I feel like it's important for you to know a little bit about what I do, work-wise. So, in case you haven't been following along very long--I'm an ABA Treatment Specialist working with children on the autism spectrum. "ABA" stands for "Applied Behavior Analysis," which is a very specific therapy that looks at the functions of behavior and determines how to increase specific behaviors and decrease others. The type of ABA I primarily provide is known as verbal behavior, and focuses on increasing communication. It's within the realm of psychology, but also sort of a different animal.

**I'm trying really really hard not to nerd out right now and go waaaay more in-depth than anyone cares about.**

Anyway, I'm involved in the direct-therapy aspect of that, and I also do treatment programming and other related things, but I do it all under the supervision of a licensed behavior analyst.

So, now that that's out of the way, here comes the news.

A few months back, I got an email that contained this message:
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I'm going back to school, ya'll.

Starting the 18th, I'll be taking a year's worth of online classes to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (I also have to complete 1500 supervised hours and knock out a beast of an exam with a 40-something percent pass rate, but I don't even want to think about that monster at this point!). Being licensed will not only allow me to make significantly more money, but it will let me practice independently if I choose, supervise other BCBA applicants and treatment specialists, do contract work with school systems and other institutions, have more control over treatment planning and decisions, and generally just provide better services to the kiddos I work with and their families.

So I'm excited.

I was really conflicted for a long time about doing this. If you've been reading along for awhile, you might have seen this post about my career panic and the feelings I had (and still have fairly often) about being on the wrong career path, wishing I had done something else with my life, and being panicked about changing course. The problem was (and is) that I have no idea what I would change my career to. As much as I would love a creative career, I am really becoming content with my job, and proud of the difference I make. So if I'm going to be doing this for awhile, I can at least be making more money while I'm doing it, and working at a level that really challenges me and reflects my capabilities. Besides, working as a BCBA for a year will completely pay (two times over) for the extra classes I have to take. So I honestly don't know why I waited for so long.

Anyway, I really say all that to say that I'm not sure what that means for this little blog. I plan on still blogging as often as I can, just because I love it, and I'm going to need something outside of work and school. But even though they're online, they're actual graduate classes from a state university, so it won't be a walk in the park. I just don't know how often I'll post, but I will definitely pop in here and there with Project Life posts, life updates, and such! Thanks in advance for being patient with me as I find my new normal. You all are the best.



Saturday, August 9, 2014

Project Life: 17 & 18

More Project Life! Fair warning: week 17 is the week we brought home Henry, so there are a LOT of cat pictures. Since Henry is a boy, I tried to make it a little more masculine, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. (Okay, I know how I feel about it--I don't really like it.) It's definitely less girly than most of my spreads, but it seems really generic. I'll probably go back and add some embellishments, but I'm still mulling over exactly what I want those to be. I feel similarly about week 18--of all the pages I've done this year, these two are probably my least favorites. Week 18 had a smaller insert though (busy week!) and I'm more okay with it. I don't know, maybe I was just in a funk or something? I'm definitely open to suggestions on these!

Week 17, left side:
17L

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

American Summer

How is it August already? Good grief. Fall is basically around the corner, ya'll--and while I will not deny my excitement about that happy little fact, I don't want to wish my life away either. So I'll celebrate summer for these next few weeks, and rotate in this short playlist to help me make the most of those warm hours. xo.

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**While I was adding songs to the playist, I kept looking for this one; it's one of my all-time favorites and just makes me so happy. But apparently this version doesn't exist on Spotify, so here's a bonus video. I feel like you really need to see the video to really appreciate it anyway--how else will you see Alex Ebert's crazy drug-induced dancing?

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

July's Favorite Posts

JulyFaves

Just a few of my favorite posts from July, found around the ol' internets.

1. "Today I'm Not Okay, and That's Okay" and "She As a Wanderer" at Caylee Grey. Sometimes I swear Caylee lives in my brain. She so often writes the words I wish I could come up with.

2. "The Problem With Body-Shaming" at Haley Tucker. It's 2014, you guys. Can we be done with the ridiculous standards of physical perfection and just love our bodies and treat them well?

3. "The Arduous Road to Actually Liking Myself" at Smile Me Pretty. This is an insanely brave and beautiful post.

4. "To Write a Letter" at Deer Circus. I love everything about this. Even though I'm the worst penpal in the history of the known universe and my only penpal is a close friend that I've had a million real-life adventures with, I love the first line of this post so much--it's how I feel about a lot of my "online" friends. It does make me want to go write a letter right this moment though!

5. "Make This: Sweet Peach Iced Tea Popsicles" at Paper & Stitch. Um, YUM.

6. "Sun/Food/Dog/London" at essiebutton. Haley recommended this blog/vlog to me when we hung out a couple weeks ago when we were talking beauty stuff, because she knows how I feel about England. Sure enough, I like the beauty posts, but it's the lifestyle/life-in-England posts that I obsess over. That gal gets me.

7. Every single post at The London Project.  Because, obsessed. Duh.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Project Life: Week 31

Our local scrapbook store got a shipment of new stuff in, and it is gooooood, you guys. I think I'm getting closer to developing a personal style with my Project Life (although I still need lots of practice with embellishments); it makes it a lot easier when you have access to things that fit perfectly with what you like.

Side note: I stumbled upon this blog through an online rabbit trail earlier today, and I am enamored with Maria's layouts. That is what my Project Life wants to be when it grows up, ya'll. *Sigh*

ANYWAY, here are my week 31 spreads! I used an insert this week because I took lots of pictures (plus I really wanted to use some of the new stuff I bought!)

Left side:

31L

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Project Life: 15 & 16

Just another Project Life catch-up post! Between weeks 14 and 15, I inserted an additional spread dedicated solely for the weekend my mom visited for her birthday (although looking at it now, I want to add some more embellishments to some of the 3x4s. Don't judge me). We packed so much into it that it seemed impossible to cover all that in the weekly. I make my own rules. :)

Mom's weekend, left side:
14LB

Friday, August 1, 2014

Life Lately

Man, it seems like it's been forever since I've done one of these. I've been a slacker the past couple of weeks--which is doubly lame because the past couple of weeks have been pretty great, relatively speaking. Hopefully I'll do better in the coming weeks! Without further ado, here's what I've been up to:
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1. I met up with the lovely Tessa at Elle's for some coffee and conversation. Her father passed away recently, so we spent a lot of time talking about grief and telling stories about our dads. It's just a very different thing to talk about those kinds of experiences with someone who really gets it--not that I would ever wish it on anyone. I'm not one of those people who necessarily thinks that everything has a deeper meaning or purpose, but I will say that sometimes suffering has the effect of allowing you to connect to others in a way you wouldn't have been able to before. And for that, I'm grateful. Also, we talked about makeup and faith and we laughed a lot, too. :) // 2. Started trying to eat healthier, then went to Five Guys twice in a week. I think I do better when I don't try to make resolutions. // 3. We have been hitting the library hard lately--which is awesome, because books, but also not awesome because I'm not reading any of the hundreds of my own I haven't yet read. // 4. Oliver has been super into watching Tyler play video games lately. He also tries to play along--there's a hilariously adorable video on my Instagram of him batting at the tv.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Currently

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Feeling: like I need about 10-gazillion hours of sleep.

Eating: roasted chickpeas. New addiction.

Drinking: chai lattes. Not-so-new addiction.

Watching: our little kittehs sleep. I'm trying to talk Tyler into Midsomer Murders, but he's pretending he can't hear me. Punk.

Reading: a Dominique Moceanu autobiography. #gymnasticsnerd

Thinking about: planning a quick trip to Portland sometime in the fall. I need to travel. ASAP.

Loving: that I finally have a date scheduled to visit Miss Sarah!

Excited about: going to Poplar Bluff next week. Normally that is not something I'd be thrilled about, but I haven't been home in over a year. I'm ready for some pink lemonade and gravel roads.

Stressing over: our apartment. It's bummin' me out right now.

Listening to: lots of the new Sia album. I mean, I think it's great, but Tyler is borderline obsessed.

Worried about: our little Henry--he's showing some signs of health problems again. :(

Obsessing over: this link that Haley sent to me on Twitter. WORLDS COLLIDE.


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

A Segment of the Rainbow

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“If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal- that is your success. All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated. We easily come to doubt if they exist. We soon forget them. They are the highest reality. Perhaps the facts most astounding and most real are never communicated by man to man. The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.” --Henry David Thoreau

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

5 Favorites: Skincare

Today I'm kicking off a new monthly series called 5 Favorites. Each month I'll feature five of my favorite items in a specific category (betcha didn't see that coming, didja?). It will cover everything from beauty products to television shows to Etsy shops, and will run until........well, until I run out of ideas. :) Let me know if there's something specific you'd like to see! In the meantime, we'll start with my five favorite skincare products:

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Monday, July 28, 2014

Project Life: Week 30

It's not often that I can say that the majority of my pages came from a single collection, but that's what happened this week-- the Market Street collection by My Mind's Eye.  I'm okay with it; it is my favorite, after all :)

Left side:
PL30L


Right side:
PL30R

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Project Life: 13 & 14

Just popping in with Project Life weeks 13 & 14. As always, if you have questions about any of the items used here, just leave me a comment or shoot me an email, and I'll get back to you!

Week thirteen, left side:


12L

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Vinyl Love: // Bon Iver, Bon Iver

Starting a new little series here on the ol' blog about the vinyl records I love so dearly. First up is this little gem:

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Bon Iver, Bon Iver by (you guessed it!) Bon Iver.

In 3 words: poetic, emotional, monumental

Favorite tracks: Holocene, Wash., Towers

I hesitate to call any record my "all-time favorite"--it's just such a huge label to live up to--but especially a record as recent as this one. Every time anyone asks what my favorite album is, though, this is the one that pops in my head immediately. So I think it has claimed that label for itself, and I'm okay with it. I can honestly say that no other record has ever emotionally moved me as much as this one--"Holocene" made me cry the first time I heard it. It wasn't a sad cry; it was like seeing the mountains for the first time, or coming back home after a long bout of homesickness--when you just cry because everything seems so beautiful and so much bigger than yourself.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

On Selfies

I'm just going to lay it out there: I'm pro-selfie. My husband (and undoubtedly other people) think I'm ridiculous, but I'll get over it. I think selfies are misunderstood as vanity, when the vast majority of the time, they aren't. They're an all-too-rare statement of confidence and contentment from women (and men) whose self-esteem and body image is assaulted constantly by impossible societal standards of beauty and constructs of perfection.

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This is a candid photo of me in high school. I was a pretty average looking girl who made above-average grades and had never been in serious trouble. I didn't smoke, didn't drink, and didn't do drugs. I was a shy kid--an introverted bookworm who tried to act extroverted--who was non-confrontational to a fault.

When I was younger, I tried to figure out what part of that led people--family, friends, acquaintances, complete strangers--to assume it was acceptable to comment on my appearance or my body. I blamed myself for awhile, thinking I needed to be more assertive. I thought maybe people were trying to take me down a peg, and that I needed to stop trying so hard to be perfect. As I grew up a little, though, I realized that even well-meaning people can be a-holes and make comments or "jokes" that are immature and hurtful--and that none of that was my fault.


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