#LoveYourLines

Love lines, battle wounds, mommy marks... whatever you want to call them, stretch marks typically get a bad wrap. We are often pushed every product under the sun in hopes of getting rid of the marks, but #LoveYourLines aims to highlight and remove the negative stigma surrounding stretchmarks.

Promoted as "two moms celebrating real women, real bodies and real self love" #LoveYourLines is making waves on Instagram as every day women submit photos showcasing their stretch marks.

To keep it all the way 100 the #LoveYourLines Instagram page is offering me a ton of inspiration. I have 2 stretch marks on my body that seriously drive me nuts. It's not something everyone can spot, but it's something I zero in on each time. Ugh. It's annoying. I've tried oils, butters, creams... if I could pay a reasonable price for a laser removal I would. However, nothing has worked and I'm at the point where I've had to accept the marks and #LoveMyLines.

It's SO easy to get consumed with the idea of body image and get down on ourselves, not to mention the idea of having stretch marks seriously makes my entire force crumble... but #LoveYourLines is showcasing just how common stretch marks are. Whether it's due to weight gain, weight loss, pregnancy, etc... stretch marks aren't the end of the world.

Do you have stretch marks? What is your relationship with them?

Unrealistic Beauty Standards (video)

I'm starting to feel that the beauty standards for women nowadays are not only out of control, but disgustingly cookie cutter. A quick scan of many fashion blogs or Instagram will show you that the ideal "beauty" is exotic, long hair, caked up face, small waist, big ass, top notch fashion... and that's just the outside... on top of that she needs to be smart, successful, not a gold digging bitch, have a good family, education, like sports, and not be annoying. She should cook, pop that pussy in the bedroom, and win your mother over with her smile and grace.

** insert crickets here**

Now, having the full package has never been a bad thing... for a man or a woman... but the standards of beauty for many women are just unrealistic. Stick with me for a moment...

I love makeup and hair. It's fun to play with your look and change things up, but I think people are starting to believe their caked up, weaved out look is authentic... Nah, son...

I was at a day party on Saturday and doing a quick scan of the room I thought most chicks brought their A game... but doing that much for a casual party at 2p? lol... No wonder men have it all wrong. The "done up" beauty has become the standard and what many people think is the minimum criteria. Yes, I've heard some men say they like natural beauties with no makeup... but guess what? Those same guys stay falling for the Okey Doke chick in the club "caked up and ready to get chose." How long can you really be with a person that avoids sweating, water activities, or anything that might ruin their makeup or cause their hair to sweat out! Enjoy the facade, but trust and believe that this is NOT how women look at the end of the day.

Maybe this is a PMS driven rant, but I think it's important for women to truly embrace who they are w/out the makeup and hair tricks. Yes, take care of your appearance and be proud... but when you wash your makeup off at night, love who is looking back at you. I feel like we're almost to blame for this shit. Folks think Kim K wakes up looking like that, failing to realize she has a 24/7 Glam Squad.

Sidebar: I prefer Kimmie Cakes without the makeup and high fashion. I think she's a naturally pretty girl that doesn't need the extra pomp and circumstance.

What are your thoughts? Are the female standards for beauty out of control and unrealistic?

Pizza & Pinot

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful dinner hosted by Ladies Lounge Columbia, a meet-up group for 20/30-something professional women in the Columbia, SC area. We all enjoyed Pizza & Pinot @ Terra in West Columbia and let me tell you - - I've attended meet-ups before, but this was by far the BEST event I've experienced while living in South Carolina. It was a diverse group of ladies, all full of personality and blessed with the gift of gab. I also had the pleasure of finally meeting fellow bloggers Shanika of Life is Pichey, and Ebony of Make Me Over Eb in person. I'm always excited to meet the faces behind the blogs I read, so putting an actual face with a blog/twitter/vlog is nice.

Pizza & Pinot @ Terra

One of the highlights of my dinner? Finding out I was sitting next to two fellow cancerians! June 25th, June 26th, and June 27th all sitting happily next to one another. I have a soft spot for cancers...

If you're new to the Columbia, SC area or have been living here for a while and genuinely interested in meeting other ladies, please take a look at this group. All the ladies are super nice, professional, and have PERSONALITY!!! It can be hit or miss meeting people online, but I assure you that this is a super fun group and I'm kinda sad I'll be moving. Seriously, why didn't I meet all of them months ago! lol...

This isn't a group that's interested in collecting a bunch of inactive members. If you decide to join please be ready to put yourself out there and have a good time. Participation on a monthly basis is expected, and after one event with these ladies you'll be eager to come out for more.

For more information on Ladies Lounge Columbia click here.

U by Kotex

I remember being in 6th grade, on a field trip and having the period from hell. I was new to the world of pads (my mom didn't want me wearing tampons) and besides feeling like I was walking around with the equivalent of a boat between my legs, I was embarrassed to talk about it with friends. Long story short - - I didn't know how often to change my pad, I didn't feel comfortable carrying pads around with me, and ended up with a bloody mess... literally! I nearly died of humiliation when I realized my saggy pad and period had oozed its way out to make a cameo on the outside of my jeans. I grabbed by sweatshirt and tied it around my waist as I spent the rest of the day eager to get home.

The summer going into 7th grade, as more friends started their periods, I was introduced to tampons. We were desperate to go swimming at the local country club but I had my period and felt like it was a death sentence. Summertime, periods and pads didn't go together. Luckily a friend told me I could wear a tampon and still go swimming. Looking back I know I didn't insert it correctly but it did the job and I was able to have a fun time.

Times have changed! U by Kotex is the latest campaign from Kotex aimed at changing the way women view their period. The company states:

Newsflash: It’s not the 1950s anymore. Talking openly about many intimate health issues is no longer taboo. In fact, it’s encouraged, leading to increased awareness and better health care for people everywhere. So why is it that society and the media still can’t get it together when it comes to women’s issues below the waist? Sadly, this secrecy and shame about all things related to vaginal health have a negative impact on a woman’s body image, self-esteem and overall health.

In a recent survey, 70% of women said they wish society would change the way it talks about vaginal health, but less than half feel like they can do anything about it. U by Kotex* brand wants to help women change the conversation about periods and vaginal care. By bringing it out into the open, we hope that every woman will learn to think differently, talk openly, take charge, help Break the Cycle* and begin to feel comfortable with her body and confident about her personal care.

I love their new "U by Kotex" campaign. Check out the commercials, they're refreshingly honest and pretty funny. Do you guys have any period horror stories?

Sexy is in the eye of the beholder?

Are you only physically attracted to someone because they have something you don't?

This is the question that was posed in an article I read yesterday

(http://redeye.chicagotribune.com/news)

and it got me to start thinking...do I find myself attracted to guys simply because they have something that is foreign to me? Unlike some, I don't go for guys with nice legs because I have no clue what it's like to have them...nor do I like a guy with a nice smile because it's completely unknown to me! I find myself attracted to people that share qualities which I myself possess and have, over time, placed a high value on. I was curious as to what others thought - male and female.