Lip Therapy

So the holiday season is here and whenever we think about Christmas, we think RED!! Now everybody cannot wear red lipstick. I repeat, everyobody cannot wear red lipstick, however there are some hot alternatives. Depending on your complexion, hair color, the color of your clothing, shoes, even the color of your bag can make a difference in how your lip color is presented.

I recently went shopping for lipstick and came across the Avon brand 24K lipstick line that had me very pleased. Although I almost always use lipgloss I decided to try lipstick for the first time in a long time and will recommend the 24K line at Avon and at $4.99 each, how can you go wrong! My very good friend and colleague is an Avon representative whose information is below. Happy shopping!

http://margaretjones.avonrepresentative.com/

Can there really be gay animals?

According to the article below, Yes! After hearing someone call into ABS Radio Station, an Antigua based station, complaining of his two lesbian dogs, I explored the possibilities of the question asked above. Can there really be gay animals? I went on a research spree to find the answer and suprisingly came across many articles on the topic as well as the recent article below.

Read and be entertained......................


Same Sex Couples Common in the Wild
By Clara Moskowitz, LiveScience Staff Writer
posted: 16 May 2008 05:10 pm ET

As gay couples celebrate their newfound right to marry in California and opposition groups rally to fight the ruling, many struggle with this question: Is homosexuality natural?
On this issue, Nature has spoken: Same-sex lovin' is common in hundreds of species, scientists say.

Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins at New York's Central Park Zoo, were a couple for about six years, during which they nurtured a fertilized egg together (given to them by a zookeeper) and raised the young chick that hatched.

According to University of Oslo zoologist Petter Böckman, about 1,500 animal species are known to practice same-sex coupling, including bears, gorillas, flamingos, owls, salmon and many others.

If homosexuality is natural in the animal kingdom, then there is the question of why evolution hasn't eliminated this trait from the gene pool, since it doesn’t lead to reproduction.
It may simply be for pleasure.

"Not every sexual act has a reproductive function," said Janet Mann, a biologist at Georgetown University who studies dolphins (homosexual behavior is very common in these marine mammals). "That's true of humans and non-humans."

Some scientists have proposed that being gay may serve its own evolutionary purpose.
"It could be a way that you strengthen bonds — that's one hypothesis," Mann told LiveScience. "Another is that it could be practice for heterosexual sex. Bottlenose dolphin calves mount each other a lot. That might benefit them later on."

Marlene Zuk, a biologist at the University of California, Riverside, suggested that gay individuals contribute to the gene pool of their community by nurturing their relatives’ young without diverting resources by having their own offspring.

One thing that does seem to be exclusive to humans is homophobia.
"It's a very interesting question as to why anybody ever cares," Mann said. "There are different theories about why people find it threatening. Some think it disrupts male bonds, like you're not playing for the right team. The funny thing is that people say homosexuality is unnatural, that non-humans don't engage in homosexual behavior, but that's not true. Then they'll say it's base and animalistic."

Humans' resistance to the idea of homosexuality extends even to research on the behavior in animals. Scientists who study the topic are often accused of trying to forward an agenda, and their work can come under greater scrutiny than that of their colleagues who study other topics, Mann said "It's kind of a shame because I think that probably is a reason why people don't look at it more," Mann said. "That's probably why we haven't gotten further. You would think we'd know more than we do by now."

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

As the title suggests your name is what takes you to where you want to go and it can make you or break you. Below is an excerpt from acclaimed author and financial adviser Suze Orman who explains the importance of establishing your name.

While growing up I was always known as 'Annie'. My family established that to be my name then and still to this day. I was determined to make that nickname go away, but the constant calls at work asking for 'Annie' to the countless of letters addressed as 'Annie' I realize I have allot of work to do. I would let my family know that my name is Anthea and their response would be "who?".

I also grew up with a very popular sister who was like an Antiguan Icon. Her name was Denise and she modeled, sang, did make-up for photo shoots, interior design. You name it she did it! For a very long time, besides being called 'Annie' my name also became 'Denise Sister'. My sister unfortunately passed away in 2001 however I am still known as 'Denise Sister'. I was and still is proud to be called 'Denise Sister', but I have a name.

So school came and I was registered under my true first name, Marilyn, so I was known as Marilyn throughout high school. But having another sister named Sharilyn was kinda a tongue twister. So I had to make a decision and I ended up choosing all of my names. Let me explain.....

To my family I am 'Annie', to my friends I am Anthea and when I want to be a star I am Marilyn (Monroe if you nasty!) and when I don't want my identity revealed I am 'Sunshine'!!!!!

Enjoy this excerpt from Suze Orman's book, Women and Money.....

"Think about this.When I ask women to state their name, do you know what they say to me? They say which name? My maiden name,my married name, or my divorced name? When my mom got married, she became Mrs. Morris Orman.What happened to her first name, her last name? They were gone forever within a few vows. My dad died more than twenty-five years ago, and yet to this day mail comes addressed to Mrs. Morris Orman. My dad never had to think about whether he would keep his birth name or change it to his wife’s last name, or do a hyphenated combination of both. Men never have to think about that, but even today, it is still a question that gets put to every woman, young or old, who is about to marry—or remarry. Are you going to change your name? It’s hard not to see the persistence of this tradition as an unspoken agreement in our society that a woman’s name is not as important as a man’s.

As for me, I never thought my name would matter. I was born Susan Lynn Orman. But to my family and friends, I was always Susie. I thought Susie was a plain name that didn’t match my 244 WOMEN & MONEY adventurous spirit. I wanted to be different from everyone else. I wanted to change my name, but I didn’t want to hurt my mom’s feelings.When I was in college, I came up with a plan to change the spelling of my name to S U Z E. I thought it was cool and different, and best of all, my mom would never know about it, because when would she ever see my name in print? Who knew?

To this day, she has never asked me why I changed the spelling of my name, because to her I will always just be her Susie. Don’t you love that?"

Shoetherapy

So they say the best accessory besides a smile is a great pair of shoe! Try this! Put on a 'little black dress' and switch shoes around until you find the right shoe that compliments the dress best. You will see a big difference in the dress, I guarantee you. Shoes have always been a big part of my life. Always loved them and I always will. Also shoes for a size healthy girl should be bought with much thought. Although a slim heel is cute, it may not be cute on all women and make sure your toes are always done, even during the winter and that goes for you guys too.

Some websites that I recommend for shoes are:

http://www.eluxury.com/

http://www.piperlime.com/

http://www.bluefly.com/

http://www.nordstrom.com/

Some shoes that I think are really hot:

Hairtherapy!!!

Well hello girls! Lets get back to the reason why I started this blog in the first place. I intended to talk about fashion for the size healthy girls but what about the hair. One thing I will suggest to all you size healthy young ladies, make sure your hair is tight, banging, hot or however you would like to term it, but bottom line, make sure your hair is always in place and well done.

Some of you may ask, where can I go to get my hair done? Ask no more because you're prayers have now been answered! My stylist have mastered the art of hair care as well as hairdressing and you will end up looking like a million dollars. Attached are some pictures of her hair designs and her information is listed below for your convenience. Go get your hair done!!!!



















Wendy Maginley
91 Hanson Place

Brooklyn
646-508-9842

Cinematherapy

Well hello everyone! I have been missing for a short while but I am back. Had a shoot with comedian Chuck Nice from WE tv's Cinematherapy and VH1 Best Week Ever and had a blast. The movie I was interviewed about was Soul Food and he basically asked 6 questions ranging from "Would you ever lend your family member money?" to "Have you ever lied for a good reason?" and "What was my favorite Chick Flick?" The shoot was very short, about 10 minutes total.

My episode will air some time in February, but I am not sure the exact date. Once I get the information, I will be sure to share with you.

See you soon!

Need some extra money?

With this economy and the unstable financial environment who couldn't use some extra income. While web surfing, I came across some interesting work-from-home jobs that could possibly bring in some extra income. However it is very easy to get scammed out of money so beware of work-from-home scams. Click on the following link to get some tips on how to avoid work-from-home scams http://www.fraud.org/tips/internet/workathome.htm

I did come across some trustworthy sites that I would like to share with you. Hopefully you can become sucessful as well. Websites like http://www.ether.com/ and http://www.odesk.com/ are two that I highly recommend.

Some other recommended sites are:

http://www.academic360.com/

http://www.higheredjobs.com/

http://www.elance.com/

http://www.sologig.com/

http://www.guru.com/

http://www.craigslist.com/

http://www.backpage.com/

http://www.clicknwork.com/

http://www.ether.com/

http://www.ifreelance.com/

http://www.odesk.com/

http://www.hotjobs.com/

http://www.careerbuilder.com/

http://www.monster.com/

http://www.idealist.com/

http://www.mediabistro.com/

Start making money. Good Luck!

Who will win this race?

The presidential election is fast approaching and it is truely a race. No matter the outcome, this election will be marked as historical. It is however very important for all of us to go out on November 4th and vote. It is too late to register, but those of you who have already registered, please make the attempt to vote.

You have the right to vote and it is a legitimate excuse from work on November 4th, but people, dont abuse the time off. So who will it be?

See you at the polls and we will find out!

Im too sexy for my shirt!!!!

So your's truely was recently involved in a photoshoot for acclaimed plus sized designer Qristyl Frazier of Qristyl Frazier Deisgns who was recently featured on Rip the Runway, the televised show on BET which is produced by P Diddy and features up and coming fashion designers.

Her photo shoot was for her fall collection which will be featured on her website http://www.qristylfrazierdesigns.com/QFD/Main.html on September 5th.

Here are some of the pictures that were chosen for the site.

See you there!

Where have I been?

So the summer is almost over and soon it will be back to school or work if you had a summer vacation. Speaking of summer vacations, I spent mine in Antigua. Although there were some bad press about the island this summer, my vacation went unscathed. Carnival is usually scheduled late July to early August and boy was it a blast! I got involved in most of the activities visiting the Local Carnival Queen Show and the Jaycees Caribbean Queen Show. The Party and Groovy Monarch Show and Lions which is a tradition for every carnival season.

I went on a boat ride and I was sailing the beautiful clear waters of Antigua and Barbuda. I visited Bird Island, went hiking and got a sun tan and a sun burn all in one day. Never forget to use sunblock, I did and it was not pretty. Anyway back to the boatride, it was amazing and is also recommended. For details on Antigua visit http://www.ab.gov.ag/ and more details on Antigua Carnival please visit http://www.antiguacarnival.com/.

So you gained a little weight...

What now? Guess what, the weight is already there so its time to work with it!!! I always say, why not dress to distract the attention from the negative parts and focus on the positive parts. If you have nice legs, let work with your legs. Lets highlight them with some heels to elongate the legs until the area that needs work is back to where you feel most comfortable. Also if your midsection is your area of concern, lets get some free flowing dresses or tops and cover it up! Remember, NEVER STAY HOME AND SULK! It only makes the situation worst. Instead, go out and get a new hairstyle, put on some make-up and make sure your fingers and toes are nicely polished. Once all of those positive "distractions" are in place, you have absolutely nothing to worry about! People will be so fucused on your new hairstyle that you will not have to explain the extra 5lbs or 10lbs you gained. So smile, love yourself no matter what and remember you ARE beautiful!

Hey where were you?

Hello my loyal readers. I was away from my blog for a while catching up on a few things and getting into alot of new career ventures. Since the last time I updated my blog, I was asked to model by one of the designers featured on PDiddy's Rip The Runway, Qristyl Frazier of Qristyl Frazier Designs. The story was a bit of a farytail where I accompanied a friend of mine to a show where plus sized models went to audition for a spot on DSE-TV a new television show for plus sized fashion, modeling etc. Qristyl Frazier had a sample sale where I was getting busy shopping and it happened just like that! I was asked to model for her. My first show is on July 18th at Wall Street. I will keep you posted of the time and exact location. In the mean time, check out http://www.qristylfrazierdesigns.com/ to see some of the clothing that I may be modeling.

Hey Sexy Lips

On numerous occaisions I hear the phrase "hey sexy lips"or "beautiful lips" and sometimes "those are some...." well you can imagine. Girls my secret is to always moisturize even when you are sleeping or I should say especially when you are sleeping. Please do not use chapstick! At least stay away from it unless you have nothing else. It is waxy and does not let your lips breath. If used in the day, it tends to form a 'spit line' around the lips which is not very attractive. My favorite lip gloss that I use for moisturizing is actually being phased out by Victorias Secret. However another recommendation is NARS which is sold by Sephora. It may be a little pricey, but is worth every penny. My lipstick recommendations are outlined in an earlier post below. For sleeping use good old vaseline and keep those lips succulent.

Negative or Positive?

You know there are some people who MUST say nasty things to you just to make themselves feel better? With friends like that you can do two things, you can choose to let the negative comments keep you down or you can choose to make the negative comments remind you that you are so awesome that you make someone so bitter. Guess what, choose the latter! If someone is constantly giving you negative remarks, that is someone you need to keep away from. Always remember that you must be something really great to make that negative person so insecure.

Love yourself and always remain positive!

Lets talk about the feet

Girls, get a pedicure! It summer time and the sandals are all coming out from the back of the closet. Before that happens, make sure your feet are ready. Speaking to a male friend of mine, he hates it when a woman looks unkept but mostly the feet must be prepared for the summer time, size healthy or not!

Some tips for soft feet. Use a small bit of vaseline or lotion and massage your feet. Put some socks on and go to sleep. Once you wake, your feet will be soft and beautiful in the morning.

Whats the difference between size 16 and size 6?

Besides 10 size difference, does your mental state of mind change according to your dress size? After speaking to a friend of mine, going from size 16 to size 6 meant nothing to her. Her mental state of mind still told her that she was a size 16. She was literally blind to the changes people were seeing. With that said, all you size healthy girls, if you were planning on losing weight to make yourself feel better, then guess what? You will not feel any better until you learn to love yourself at any size.

Take time out one day to look at yourself in the mirror, examine who you really are and make an assessment. Point out what you love and what you hate most about yourself. If the bad outweighs the good, then you may have a problem. But if the good outweighs the bad, then you can handle a drastic change without being too hard on yourself.

Do me a favor, LOVE YOURSELF, nobody is going to love you as much as you will love yourself.

So where are the boys....

So what do men want? It is the age old question that plagues us all, even men sometimes do not know what they want. Where are the men that appreciate a strong intelligent 'size healthy' woman. Does everyone have to be a size 6 to be appreciated by men? Its time that we stand up and believe in ourselves and insist that we do not have to change for anyone. If we are not appreciated the way we are, then that person did not deserve us in the first place. Leave a comment and let me know, where are the boys that appreciates us all big and small!

Confidence...

Someone told me yesterday after reading my blog that no matter how hot the accessories, the greatest one is a smile. A smile exudes confidence and confidence wears better than any jeans, dress, shoes or bag. It is the one thing that differenciates you from the pack.

After a long conversation with a former work-study student of mine today she said to me "you may not be a victorias secret model but the point is to know how to dress for what u got and u do that well...." she also said "let me tell you something... its all about presentation. Men and everyone else around sees when you are self concious and it gives the wrong impression. A girl needs to be comfortable with her own body in order to be presentable. Like for example, my cousin is not fat, but neither is she skinny however she is really self conscous and acts accordingly. On the other hand her friend is twice her size and is comfortable w/her body. Whenever we go out her friend always gets more guys than my cousin meanwhile my cousin in like 20 times prettier in the face and body"

Confidence means alot and without it a person can appear ugly. So smile! Let your confidence shine through.

Speaking of Panties.....

Why do we think that a thong is the only sexy underwear? Not everyone can wear a thong and not every thong can be worn by everyone. Thongs are sexy, that is no question but there are other options that are just as sexy and still provides some coverage.



Lets take the boy shorts, this style is an option that can be just as sexy as a thong, it provides some coverage and it also leaves room for the imagination. Some of my favorite boy shorts can be found at http://www.lanebryant.com/.



Another option is the cheekies. This provides less back coverage but since its wider at the waist, it compliments your curves better. Some options can be found at http://www.hipsandcurves.com/ and their sizes go up to size 6X.



The boy shorts and the cheekies are, of course, for those days that you want to feel sexy and those special nights, but for those of us who may need all over coverage most of the time, may I suggest the Body By Victoria brand at http://www.victoriassecret.com//. It has the ability to stretch and hold you and they go up to size XL.

Can I have a bra to go with those panties?

Girls, before you buy your next bra, some tips for the right fit. Get measured by a professional bra sales person and buy your right size. It is not a bad thing to wear be a D or a DD, so don't squeeze your 'girls' in a C cup. The right bra can improve the look of your outfit and dramatically make you appear smaller.

My personal recommendations for those D's, DD's and DDD's the Playtex brand "Thank Goodness it Fits" bra. This bra is good for everyday use and is especially great on the shoulders. Although this is not a bra you want to wear when you want to feel sexy, it is practical and it does the job well. Some other well fitted bras can be found at www.curvation.com a clothing line introduced by Queen Latifah with bras ranging in different sizes, colors and that does different things from lifting, minimizing and smoothing.

For those bras you want to experiment with and feel sexy, check out the Very Sexy line at www.victoriassecret.com. They do carry sizes for those of us who are a little more endowed than others. Also check out www.fredericks.com to find some sexy bras (not for everyday use, of course!) and it also would not hurt to add matching panties for those special moments.

Happy Shopping!

Who says you can't be size-healthy and graceful?

Dont you just hate when someone who knowingly cannot fit in the seat next to you on the train tries to fit into it anyway? Size healthy girls, dont do that! Lets be graceful and either ask someone to move over or if you cant fit just stand.

Once you are hot, any man will get up and give you a seat. So you should not have to ask!

Never leave the house unkept!

Home clothes are for staying home. When going out, CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES! What could be so hard in changing into decent clothes to leave your house, even if it's just around the corner!!

Girls, size healthy or not, please make an effort to comb your hair, change into proper attire and as always, never leave the house without something on the lips. Some plain colored lip gloss works fine and yes! even if its around the corner.

Some lip gloss for your trip around the corner:
Shinylicious by Maybelline www.maybelline.com
Juicy Tubes by Lancome www.lancome.com
and one of my favorites Nars Duo Lipgloss only at Sephora www.sephora.com

Where is it?

There were a number of you that loved the idea of wearing a two-piece even though you are not Naomi or Heidi and wanted to know where is it?

They wanted to know where can they find plus sized swim cover-ups.

Well below are a number of links to sites where you can find the right swim cover-up to compliment that two-piece and enhance those curves! Happy shopping!

http://www.jessicalondon.com/Plus-Size-Cover-Ups-and-Accessories.aspx?DeptId=14468

http://www.obxsunwear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=PC

http://www.alwaysforme.com/coverups2.html

http://www.generousfashions.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=73

Whats in a Jeans?

The answer: Everything! Pair a nice Jeans with a blazer and a tshirt with the right accessories and you will be a winner! To make it casual add flat sandals a tank top. For those who are self concious about their arms, add a shrug or a blazer.

Visit http://www.mvm.com/ to try your clothes on a virtual model. Put in your statistics and voila! Your replica does all the work for you!

1. Try on your Jeans


2. Try on your top


3. Most importantly ask yourself, what look am I going for?


4. Pick the perfect shoe that compliments the jeans and top


5. Add a blazer or a shrug


6. Throw on some accessories (Remember keep accessories at a minimum, keep the hair and shoes hot!!!)

You Look Fabulous!

What to Read?

So you are relaxing on the beach or trying to enjoy a long train ride. What to read? Well I got Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert as a christmas gift and it is one of the most memorable gifts I have received. It grabs your attention from beginning to end and gives you a look into the life of somebody with as many problems as any one of us. Although we cant all go to Rome, India and Bali, reading this book will help us fanticize about it!



Happy Reading!



Reviews:
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
“If a more likable writer than Gilbert is currently in print, I haven't found him or her...Gilbert's prose is fueled by a mix of intelligence, wit and colloquial exuberance that is close to irresistible, and makes the reader only too glad to join the posse of friends and devotees who have the pleasure of listening in.” by Jennifer Egan
TIME MAGAZINE
“An engaging, intelligent and entertaining memoir…her account of her time in India is beautiful and honest and free of patchouli-scented obscurities.” by Lev Grossman
LOS ANGELES TIMES
“Gilbert’s journey is full of mystical dreams, visions and uncanny coincidences…Yet for every ounce of self-absorption her classical New-Age journey demands, Gilbert is ready with an equal measure of intelligence, humor and self-deprecation…Gilbert’s wry, unfettered account of her extraordinary journey makes even the most cynical reader dare to dream of someday finding God deep within a meditation cave in India, or perhaps over a transcendent slice of pizza.” by Erika Schickel
SEATTLE POST-Intelligencer
"This is an intriguing and substantive journey recounted with verve, humor and insight. Others have preceded Gilbert in writing this sort of memoir, but few indeed have done it better." by John Marshall

Spanx

I know we all are happy with the way we look, but sometimes we may need just a little help! My suggestion: Spanx! To help keep everything smooth and tight, put Spanx under your clothing and who could tell?

My favorite one to wear is the high waisted mid length Spanx although there are many different ones you can choose.

Visit http://www.spanx.com/ and find your perfect fit.

Here is a picture of my favorite Spanx....

Who says a size 16 cannot wear a two-piece swimsuit?

So the summer is here and you are preparing for vacation. You need to pack swimsuits for that trip to the Caribbean. I hate those swimsuits with the skirts attached and I always wanted to wear a two-piece but how can I when I am not Heidi Klum or Naomi Campbell? Well all you 'size healthy' girls, stop whining!!! Help is here!



You CAN wear a two-piece even if you are a size 16. The key is to choose a cover-up that enhances your curves. Make sure it is sheer and it can be long or short. Here are a few ideas...

What to wear?

So you have a party to attend where your classmates from 1988 will be. You want to look your best but the years have been cruel and you may have gained a pound here or there. Do you stay at home sulking in fear of not facing your old classmates or do you pick up the pieces and pick out an outfit that says "Look at me Im still beautiful!".

Here are some 'size healthy' outfit ideas for your class reunion. Remember accessories are key but keep them at minimum and make sure your shoes and hairstyles are hotttt!