I AM PROUD OF MY SIZE! NO, REALLY

I've been shooting a lot of beautiful women (with a camera lens, silly!) for the Lady Bookworms project and it is SHOCKING how every single one of these gorgeous babes will berate themselves in front of a camera. While taking "boob portraits" someone would say  "Ugh, I don't have much..." or "I don't have anything to show off" or "I'm so embarrassed that they're not perfect". It's hard to believe that almost every single person suffers from some sort of physical insecurity. What the hell?

Ladies. Listen. 

You're perfect. 

Every single one of you, just the way you are.

I've never had boob confidence issues because as a fat girl, boobs are the only part of your body that society allows you love. And, lord knows, I've got boobs until the cows come home. In taking these IPOMS pictures, however, I found myself inadvertently hating on my chin. Or rather, my triple chin. But thanks to these sequential photo-op experiences, I had to stop and realize that no one hates my chin except for me. And no one thinks that these boobs are sub-par except for her/them. It's a completely fabricated mental state of being. In other words: "If it doesn't get thought, it doesn't exist." It's really that elementary, my dear reader.

So I've made a promise to my face. 

I'll stop hating it, and start loving it instead. After all, it does some pretty awesome things.

One of my favorite lines from Regina Spektor says:

"I've got a perfect body, though sometimes I forget...

I've got a perfect body, 'cause my eyelashes catch my sweat."

You should probably listen to that song.

Thanks Rachele for inspiring ladies to love themselves just the way they are.

Amy too.

Oh, and Moorea, I'm wearing red lipstick.

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UNITE WOMEN!: PHOENIX RALLY AGAINST THE WAR ON WOMEN

Today there was a marvelous get together in Phoenix at the State Capital Building.

500 people gathered to gain momentum against an ever growing threat to crucify women's health care, everyday equality, and fundamental freedoms. This happened all over the country... did you go to one?

I think that this issue is particularly hot (pun!) here in Arizona, because on top of presidential candidates preaching about the gifts of rape, we have a female governor with tumbleweeds for brains.

I strongly urge you to research these issues. This is not a localized state issue; it is the beginning of the boiling point in which we fight back or get poached. Too many plays on words? Oh well.

I think that if you DO look up the proposed bills you will wonder a.) is this a prank? b.) this is the 21st century right? or c.) what the FUCK? I went through all three of these in subsequential order.

I wanted to dispel two myths that the general public might have about this sort of rally.

Myth: These women are crazed extremists and conspiracy theorists trying to cry "fire" in a crowded "theater"!

Fact: If wanting all humans to be treated respectfully and equally is extreme, then you're right. But I don't think of this as a meeting of Extremists, but rather Realists. The system is broken. There is article after article, bill after bill, tragedy after tragedy, injustice after injustice to prove this. Women make up half of the population and still make 77% of what men do in the exact same job. They want women to disclose the details of their sex lives to their employer, and men do not have the same mandate. They don't want women to have access to birth control,yet you're not allowed to have an abortion, but if you have the baby and can't afford to take care of it you're SOL. I could go on. Asking for an equal slice of the pie is not extreme, its a goddamn right. End of story.

Myth: This is not a fight for the young and hip.

Fact: WRONG. Some of the sexiest young ladies (and their boys) were there and involved beyond what was expected. I focused on photographing them, as they represent us in a strong and beautiful way. Many of the older women have already fought this fight, and brought signs today that said "I have to fight this shit AGAIN?". It's our future at stake and our turn to take the baton with their support. Let me be clear about one thing though: my generation hasn't dropped the ball like many say. It's not from lack of presence that politicians are pushing religious morals on everyone. This type of extreme oppression is relatively foreign to us young folks since we have been reaping the benefits of the 3rd wave of feminism our whole lives. It is only now as the shit hits the fan in a way it hasn't in decades that we have the opportunity to slap the oppressors in the face by telling them what we fucking think. And we will goddamnit. We will.

Alrigggggght, I'm done now. If you want news coverage from today, go here.

If you're unsure what the war on women looks like, go here.

If you want to check out the Unite Women web page go here.

If you want to write an email to Jan Brewer telling her to kick rocks, go here.

If you want to contact Rick Santorum and suggest that he gets a vasectomy, go here.

Free speech right?

"We can not only be against the war on women, we can BEAT the war on women" -Senator Linda Lopez

"This is not a red issue, or a blue issue. It is a life issue" -Paula Pennypacker

 "I can't believe we're still fighting this shit" -Diane D'Angelo

 (I am) "...ready to roar because of being taken for granted" -Lillian Alverez

"Change does not happen in a vacuum. We cannot be separate and disconnected and expect things to change." -Lillian Alverez

 "(This) tradition is not the vision we have for the future." -Lillian Alvarez

"Polarization may have divided the Republicans and the Democrats, but polarization will not divide women." -Paula Pennypacker

Any thoughts from you?

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LIORA K. PHOTOGRAPHY: UNITE WOMEN

One issue that has a special place in my heart (and shouldn't even come near my uterus) is the latest woman health care bills. My friend Liora is a phenomenal and now famous photographer that hosted a lot of stunning images for the Unite Women rallies going on around the nation today.

I thought I would lend my fat positive body to the cause, showing that this legislation effects real women. Every woman in fact, and is something that can not be fought quietly or sitting down anymore.
Ever heard the story about the frog and the pot of water?

If you want to leave Liora a love note, you can do it here on this blogs, or here on her page.

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<<< REAL LIFE/RIFFRAFF >>> (WELCOME TO THE MILITANT BAKER!)

I read a fascinating article in the latest issue of Bitch Magazine yesterday about the integrity and legitimacy of most lifestyle blogs in the internet world these days.

It talked about how lifestyle blogs start out/are intended to be real portrayals of modern day life and inspire ladies with projects and everyday observations that are relevant to the real woman (men too, but the majority of bloggers are female).  The article touches on how as a blog becomes more and more popular (read: depends on advertising for income) it starts to lose it's candor and honesty as well as its individual humor. Becoming a false version of authentic life, instead of representing reality in a genuine way. The downfall to this of course is that women then compare their life to these disguised blogs and wonder why they aren't as happy/creative/problem free as the authors. Its really an anomaly, warped, and dishonest way of presenting a genuine journey through life.

SO, this caused me to re-evaluate my writings here. Should I omit the controversial or embrace the realities that a typical atypical woman faces?

I choose the latter of course.
I wanted "The Kitschen" to stay in its nice pretty box with it's nice pretty bow but I found that if I can't speak from the heart,  I'm both eliminating possible change in the world AND not being true to myself.

From now on, you can welcome the alter ego of The Kitschen,
THE MILITANT BAKER!

• good for your body cooking and good for your soul desserts
• anecdotes about the hazardous journey of self acceptance
• secrets and tips of being a professional baker
• "Feminist" food for thought
• kitschy and adorable items discovered in my hometown
• excerpts from a mental health professional
• how to start a small business tricks of the trade
• DIY projects galore
• "Baker Babes": interviews with my favorite baker ladies
• fashion for the bigger and the bakers
• personal experiments and reviews on popular interweb DIYs and recipes 
• radical ideas that should not be radical... they should be the norm.
• and tutorials on whatever I deem awesome (which is usually pretty awesome)
  
  and y'know...all of the other things found in other cute tattooed vintage dressed thrifting owl loving blogs, but probably with a touch more profanity and a few excerpts about banishing stereotypes and stigma.

If you can't take the heat, get out of the Kitschen!
 (that made me laugh)

But if you can (especially if you embrace the heat) WELCOME!
Welcome to the honesttogod reality of the beautiful world we live in.
Or at least, welcome to the world I live in:)

Glad you're here.

Jes

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