Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Full Bloom

What is a woman in full bloom like? Readiness, perfection, fragrance, magnetism. It is the hard part, done. It is the time-tested cake recipe, come out of the oven, out of the pan, sheared, frosted, and ready to drink in. She just goes and does, fears not, but walks in authenticity. Does anyone really know what the woman in full bloom is like? Who can describe her? She is the tree-ripened peach, in a world in which people neither grow their own fruit nor experience it unadulterated. She is not out of reach, yet just out of grasp. She loves!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Stop Ugly Boots Now!


These boots are made for UGLY / and that's just what they do. / One of these days these super ugly boots will make me spew!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Hips

If you are a woman, you should have them. The reasons for having a good set of hips are not only aesthetic but also practical! Of course, every woman has her own unique shape. However, the shape is the shape of a woman and therefore includes hips. No matter whether narrow or wide, hips are present. That is why this story is so incredibly disturbing. I am going to post a picture so that you can see that apparently the "ideal" of womanly beauty for Ralph Lauren's design team is something completely grotesque and UNfeminine:

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Knowing

Is there a problem with knowing you are beautiful? We often speak of the idea of a healthy self-image, but just as often we hear the caution to avoid vanity. My question has to do with the virtue, the mean between two extremes. I honestly think of myself as an attractive young woman, ranging from pretty to beautiful depending on the day. Though I don't always like what I see in the mirror, I think my own appearance must be such that it is generally pleasant and the opposite of ugly. Now, part of this notion may be conceit and part of it may be the result of over-flattery; nevertheless, I wonder about the practical implications of this view of myself.

By practical implications, of course I mean romantic implications. So many women are empowered to believe in their own beauty by a man who loves them and whom they love. In my case, I'm fairly certain this process began relatively early with my dad. As far as other men, however, I don't think my past boyfriends really helped. I know of my own beauty, and power, more from being on my own and "recovering" from these relationships. What is the problem, then? Well, frankly I feel I may have recovered too fully! Do not most women depend at least partially on a man for the blossoming of their self-esteem? If I already have an idea of myself as good-looking, won't that make it more difficult for a man have something to offer me? Just think: I could be walking with him and he looks deeply and soulfully into my eyes and says, "You are so beautiful"--and I smile back and say, "I know!" Is this romantic?

I jest, but perhaps the example of physical appearance is just one of a number of facets of my own self-confidence which occasionally trouble me. I know very well it is difficult for guys to develop that confidence; therefore, the fact that I have it in spades is a bit . . . well, limiting, to say the least. I also wonder whether the overarching thought in my mind connects to the perennial problem of feminine sacrifice: in what does it consist and how far must it go? The only answer that makes sense is that a woman must be the very strongest and very best that she can be, regardless of any circumstances or emotional attachments; and that any romantic or relational tie that leads her to diminish herself, on purpose or subconsciously, ought to be avoided like the plague.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Beauty and Change

How do we reconcile a healthy physical self-image and a deep knowledge of one's inner beauty with the desire to change one's physical appearance? How much of our idea of beauty comes from the things we do to ourselves rather than just the very fact of our being? Is beauty a transcendental, and thus, can it be applied to everything that exists? Do we experience beauty this way or do we think of it as an unknown standard to which everything, including our outward facades, must comply? Why do women wear makeup?

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Pierre-Joseph Redouté



Check out this fab post on Tea at Trianon regarding Redouté. Now you know where all those pretty flower prints come from!

Monday, February 2, 2009

The Perfect Wedding


As the special day approaches on which a woman will marry the man she loves, her heart starts to fill to bursting--with a multitude of concerns about her dress, the bridesmaid dresses, the church, the reception hall, the food, the flowers, the invitations, the relatives, the baby's breath, the utensils, the amount of alcohol, the honeymoon, the money to be spent, etc. Her feminine mind, though used to multi-tasking, may quickly be overwhelmed with stress!

It may truthfully be said that an engagement ring is a good test of a man. He must sacrifice a substantial portion of his income for what may seem to him a small and insignificant thing, a little ring; yet he puts the care and thought into it that he must put into the daily sacrifices he will do for the bride he has won. The wedding, on the other hand, tests the woman. She must somehow manage this grand event, with people everywhere--hordes of people!--unsavory relatives, anxious parents, restive bridesmaids, unknown future relatives. She has to coordinate all the little touches that will serve her guests. As she will be to her new family, she is now, the servant of all. Nevertheless, in the midst of much serving, she can never lose sight that everything has come about because of love.

Without love, there would be no marriage, no engagement, no courtship, and indeed no beginning to one's life at all. Can anyone ever say she made love happen? Love comes from above, given freely, never orchestrated or concocted. The demands of love are simple: love always, in every single moment. Thus, amid the multiplicity of cares and tasks a lady must tackle in preparing the solemnity of her wedding, she looks to distill them into one simple act. She will love. She will love God, love her husband, love her family, and love all her wedding guests. In this love, no matter the details of the ceremony or the reception, the most beautiful wedding possible will emerge.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Materialistic Girls' Club


Why is it that guys seem to invent everything useful and cool? I don't mean this as a blanket statement--so no need to bring up Madame Curie--but if the battle of the sexes includes a technological arms race, our side is definitely losing it! The problem is that girls don't always get that sense of awe and wonder at what we are able to achieve and build if we just put our minds to it. We have the same rational abilities as men, and nowadays the benefits of education are equally conferred on us. There is the unharnessed, raw power of the Internet at our disposal if we need any sort of information. I can find a bridesmaid gown online for $19.99--but what have I built lately? What have I contributed to the storehouse of weapons we use to subdue the physical world? Sure, this isn't really important in the grand spiritual scheme of life. However, if everything we do is straw anyway, perhaps some of the straw we leave behind can be gadgets, whatsits, devices that can help with some practical need. Women are great at pinpointing practical needs: we should also be great at solving and resolving them. Let's think of what we can do to come up with something new and original, something that will aid us or others in the humdrum tasks of our lives, and free us up for more fun things, like chatting on the phone with each other or watching a girly movie!