Is Zoella a good role model for young girls- or is she too Disney?

My response to Chloe Hamilton's article in the Independent.  "Her eyes are enormous. She looks like a startled bird; albeit a bird with the gorgeous, flowing locks of Rapunzel, the high-pitched giggle of Tinkerbell, and a name so irritatingly Disney-fied it makes my stomach churn: Zoella."

Skinny Bitches- why thin shaming is just as bad as fat shaming

"I'm bringing booty back, Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that, No I'm just playing. I know you think you're fat"

While the F work is deemed as an insult and something we barely dare whisper the S word (that's skinny by the way) is deemed perfectly acceptable, but can both be just as hurtful? 

"You're too skinny"

O dear where have I been, I am so sorry I completely disappeared for 2 weeks I've just been beyond busy working on some super exciting things. I hope you will agree that its worth me not blogging for two weeks once I reveal the big surprise.

There is a clue at this Facebook page here: Creative Crafts that I have been helping out with. So if you are a crafter, DIY fanatic or have your own shop/blog shop go over and like it! There will hopefully be a craft fair in a few months so it will be a great chance for some of you to sell the things you make without even leaving your house!

OK so on to the actual purpose of this blog post...

Recently someone had the cheek to say to me “You’re too skinny, you need to eat more." YES they actually said this to my face. I was obviously rather offended by this, I'm not sure how the comment was intended or how I was supposed to take it but I certainly didn't take it well.

I have always been slim, I am just a naturally slim person yet people have always commented on my weight over the years. Why do people think it’s acceptable? If I commented on someone’s weight and asked them "Why are you so big, why don't you eat less?" all of you would probably agree that would be wrong. But for some reason society thinks it’s OK to comment on your weight if you are slim. 

When I was at school I vividly remember having to weigh ourselves at the front of the class, it was a science class and I think we had to work out what we would weigh in space (I can’t remember exactly but It was something along those lines). When it came to my turn I stood on the scales and the teacher just looked at me made me get off and then get back on the scales as if somehow this would change what they said. She then commented saying "O your small" as if I didn't already know that. I hit puberty late so I was short, shapeless and invisible in school. I was in a class where I had no friends as it was and here she was giving them something else to laugh at me for. Thanks for that. 

Over a year ago I went to the doctors because I had been being sick for the last few weeks, I've had problems with feeling sick for a while now but I was going through a weird patch of being sick in the night for a few weeks. I obviously went to the doctors (for the 100th time) and the doctor who wasn't my usual doctor asked me in a rude tone "you don't have an eating disorder do you?" I would like to clarify I was being sick not making myself sick and for starters this doctor won’t be receiving any awards for her sensitivity, what if I did have an eating disorder (I don't) she certainly didn't approach the issue in the right way. I left the doctors annoyed, frustrated and with morning sickness tablets; yes the ones they give to pregnant people even though I wasn't pregnant. 

I have since found out that I probably have an intolerance to a type of food and that's what makes me ill, and if the doctor I visited had actually weighed me she would have noticed that I have been the exact same weight for the last few years. 

Recently a friend told me something that actually angered me, you know in cartoons where their heads go bright red and steam comes out of their ears? Well that was me. A particular clothing store aimed towards curvier ladies won’t hire you if you are what they consider 'too slim' and can't fit into their clothes (they start at a size 14). Now part of me understands this as they want people that can advertise their clothes however as far as I’m concerned this is discrimination. Would it be OK if it was the other way round? I could be wrong but I don't think it would be. I can't imagine a shop like New Look saying to someone directly 'I'm sorry but your too fat to fit into our clothes so you can’t work here' yet this shop that I won’t name (I don't want them coming after me with pitchforks) directly said to someone I know "I'd hire you if you were bigger and could fit into our clothes." 

This really angers me, in fact to the point I have considered applying for a job just to see what they would say to me. Don't worry I reeled myself back, I'm no undercover reporter (although that would be an awesome job). 

So the purpose of this blog post is to say ‘skinny’ people and ‘fat’ people (I hate both of those terms) are the same. Neither generally likes having their weight commented on. 

Rant over

Tuesdays Newbie #5

Disclaimer: This post has not been written by me and all images are copyright of  from Brigitte from Miss DeVious Diva.

I'm Brigitte and I hail from the wild wild West Coast, more specifically Southern California. I rap and post freestyles on Youtube. I love hip hop. I'm also into nail art, beauty, makeup and fashion. I guess I just kinda love all things pretty and cute.

I started blogging as a way to display my nail designs. I was inspired by other nail bloggers out there and it's a nice way to remember designs long after they've chipped off. I love writing, writing lyrics to me is soothing, but I also love writing in general, so my blog gives me a way to let me be creative with that.

My blog is a bit focused on nail art at the moment, but sometimes I do outfit posts and FOTDs. I also post new videos when I upload them. I've always thought art imitates life, so if there's something I'm really feelin' then I'll probably blog about it!

Thanks! :]

                                           http://www.missdeviousdiva.blogspot.co.uk/

Don't forget to email me your introduction blog posts for the chance to be featured in Tuesdays Newbie

Tuesdays Newbie #4

As I’m sure you are aware today is not Tuesday, I did schedule this post but it doesn't seem to have worked!? Sorry to Jessica for this! I have been super busy with work, and Tuesday was the end of my giveaway so between announcing that and finding out I got a 2:1 for my degree (woooo!) I completely forgot to check and make sure the post had gone up ok! Anyway this post isn't about me so I'll leave Jessica to do the talking... 

Disclaimer: This post has not been written by me and all images are copyright of  from Jessica from Girl On Film.

Hi everyone!! I’m so excited to be today’s Tuesday Newbie. I’m quite new to it all and thank you to Tanesha for letting me do this post!

Who are you?

My name is Jessica and I'm 16 from the UK. I love movies, books and writing about them and a whole bunch of other topics on my blog Girl On Film.

Why did you start blogging?

My hopes for the future are to become a writer or journalist and after reading so many amazing blogs I decided it would be a good idea to give it a go myself. It possibly wasn't the best decision I've ever made to start the blog about a month before my GCSE exams but I've made it work because I discovered I love blogging. At least my procrastination has been on something useful!

What is your blog about?

I started it as a place to write about the films I watch, which is something I do loads but I have written about other things such as my love for cupcakes and my attempts at nail art. I aim to write honest reviews and love discussing the films people have enjoyed and those they've hated. Let me know if you have any suggestions for films you would like to see reviewed. One of the best bits of blogging is receiving comments on the things I write; I love knowing that someone has found it useful or entertaining so please have a read and join in the conversation!

I'm so excited to keep blogging and I hope you can come and find out more over at Girl On Film. Thanks again for having me and have a lovely Tuesday!

Jessica x

http://jessica-girlonfilm.blogspot.co.uk/

Don't forget to email me your introduction blog posts for the chance to be featured in Tuesdays Newbie

Tuesdays Newbie

As i said on yesterdays post I have devoted my Tuesday slots for all of you lovely bloggers to introduce yourselves into the bloggersphere.  It's about time i got to know some of you a little bit more, and i think it will be a great way for my followers to find some lovely new blogs to join. So without rambling on any further let me hand the floor over to Lucy. 

Disclaimer: This post was not written by me and the images are all copyright and courtesy of Lucy at SlicesofStyle. 

Hello lovely readers!

Tanesha has kindly invited me to introduce myself to you all, I’m still very new to this blogging business and I’m so looking forward to knowing you all a little better!

What’s your name and where do you come from? (Bet you read that in Cilla’s voice!)

My name’s Lucy, and I’m a twenty year old literature student from the UK. My newly-blossomed blog is called ‘Slices of Style’ and I started blogging just last month.

Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging because I was becoming more and more inspired by other people’s creativity and enthusiasm for all things clothing and beauty. I’ve always loved anything which involved thrifting or a bit of DIY and now I’m a fully-fledged student on a budget, I find the hunt for a bargain even more satisfying…  I am swiftly turning into a more sophisticated cavewoman, stalking out clothes on a daily basis! Below are a few of my recent thrifty finds:

I was also lucky enough to be chosen as the fashion editor for my local student newspaper and have found that blogging is a fantastic way to find out what makes people tick in the fashion and beauty world. I am often inspired by my fellow student’s creativity on a low budget and I wanted a place where I could share what was going on in my corner of the world.

What are your future plans for your blog?

In the future, I hope to start including outfit and beauty posts (unfortunately I found out the hard way that toilets and cameras do not mix well… So as soon as I have my camera back, there shall be no stopping me!) I also want to try out some DIY posts, especially these gorgeous neon earrings over at Sandra’s blog, The Black Pearl ( http://www.theblackpearlblog.com/2012/06/diy-neon-earrings-with-rhinestones-and.htmlutm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FMwDeL+%28the+black+pearl%29) Aren’t they just gorgeous!

I’m so excited for what the future of blogging holds for me and I hope you’ll pop over and see me at Slices of Style J

                                                                           Lucy

                                                  http://slicesofstyle.blogspot.co.uk/

                                                                            -x-


Please don't forget to go and say hello to Lucy on her lovely blog! Grab yourself some munchies, get comfy and click the above link... go on, you know you want to! 

Proud to be British

1,2,3,4,5,6

As I am sure all of my followers/readers from the UK will know this weekend we have been given a whole 4 days off work (all of us that don't work in retail that is, although double pay woop!) So why four days off work you ask? This weekend marks the Queens Diamond Jubilee as we celebrate her 60 years on the throne. 

Now I will admit I'm not the biggest royalist, and I'm one of the few that don't have the weekend off work. So why do I care? Well I love the concept of tea parties, tiaras, cake, bunting and celebrating Britain! 

Above are my favourite pieces from the high-street that will be perfect for celebrating. Originally I was going to pick a selection of pieces from different high-street stores; however Topshop have out done themselves so much that i never made it past their website! 

How will you be celebrating the Diamond Jubilee? 

Tanesha x

Why having a penis pays 10% more

On average women get paid 10% less than their male counterparts that work equally as hard. On average a female executive will earn a £93,434 a year while a man sitting in the next office working the exact same job with the same job title will get paid £103,230 on average. The wage gap of nearly £10,000 a year seems hardly fair and could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds over your career.

Although discrimination towards women is prohibited within the work place statistics show the alarming rate in which women are increasingly get paid less to do the same job.

So why is it women get paid less than men? Manager of a retail store Wilkinson’s claims that this is because women are more afraid to demand a higher pay even if they feel they are entitled to it whereas men will demand higher pay for the same job. So is it in fact women’s fault for getting paid less? Should we be less afraid to ask for it?

Statistics provided by the Chartered Management Institute suggest however that female executives start off earning just as much as men, but as soon as they start having children the wage gap starts to show. After maternity leave is over many women arrive to find that their job has been filled by a man who the company manages to pay more to do the same job. The Charted Management Institute claims that this is because companies fear that women with children won’t be able to commit the same amount of time to a job as a man.

Discrimination towards women goes beyond wages, on average women are forced to pay more for the same services as men. Women often have to pay more for a haircut then men. Although it seems fair to charge a woman with long hair more than a man with short hair, what about a woman who has equally as short hair to an average man? Surely it should cost the same price for the same service. Hairdressers Tony and Guy claim that the reason they charge up to £40 more to trim a woman’s hair is because they often use more products and styling time takes longer. But do they really use £40 worth of product on our hair?

Women are also often forced to pay higher fees for dry cleaning then men, while most Johnsons dry cleaners offer to dry clean a man’s shirt for just £2.50 it costs £3.50 for the same service to a woman’s blouse. They claim that this is because it takes more time to press a woman’s blouse because of the curves and stitching. So what if a woman wants a plain shirt similar to that of a man’s dry cleaned? Johnsons claim that this will still cost more than a mans because the service of £2.50 is only open to male customers.

Although the price difference for haircuts and dry cleaning may not seem like a lot, when teamed with earning on average 10% less it seems that women stand the chance of missing out on a lot of money. Women are also charged on average a higher fee for life insurance because they are deemed more likely to be ill than men… maybe it’s the financial stress that makes us inclined to be ill.

Do you think it’s fair to charge women more? Do you get paid less than your male colleagues?

Tanesha x

Don't ever f****** bully

Hello my lovely bloggers, as promised I have a different kind of blog post today. For those that read my blog regularly you will know I usually focus on fashion and beauty related posts. When I started this blog I wanted it  to be somewhere for me to express my thoughts of anything and maybe even everything, yes I’m a beauty and fashion blogger but there’s more to me and even my blog than that.   

Before I started my blog I was really apprehensive due to the mean comments I’ve seen on other people blogs, the idea of writing a blog meant really putting myself out there for the world to read.  However I’m glad I took the plunge, I’ve been greeted by nothing but lovely people with nothing but positive things to say. 

Today I share a sort of secret with you something I’m usually to ashamed to admit... as school i was bullied.

People can be mean, and not in the funny mean girls movie kind of way. I never really fitted in at school, I think I enjoyed learning far too much, I was never what people would consider pretty, the boys never asked me out and I was shy for a very long time. People took advantage of the fact I wouldn’t speak up, I was an easy target for girls and boys that needed to show off in front of their friends.  Every time I moved up a year and into a new school I used to tell myself that things would change, I would get a new hair cut, new school shoes and I would fit in I would be cool. If I’m going to be honest (and this blog post is nothing but honest) things only got worse... people didn’t mature as we got older they simply got meaner and insults become more ‘witty’. 

My friends never seemed to notice, or maybe some chose to ignore it? (Some on the other hand where close to fantastic). At school I really felt alone. Bullies pick at everything, nothing you do is ever good enough, and one of the main things I have learnt is don’t even bother trying.... bullies will always find something to pick on, cruelty is embedded in them. Harsh, but in my experience true. 

At school I was bullied for my hair, the way I spoke and the fact I was apparently a ‘boff’.  Originally I wasn’t planning on saying why I feel I got bullied or the ‘trigger’ as I suppose you could say but the more I think about it the more I can’t help but think why not? What’s the worst that can happen... I’m not longer at school after all. And should I really worry about protecting those that never did the same for me?

When I moved to secondary school I had a best friend, she had always dreamt of popularity... something I had never even thought of at that point. I think she soon learnt that I simply wasn’t cool enough to hang around with the crowd she longed to be friends with, I was shocked at the talk of drugs and sex... after all I was 13! Soon she started to say mean comments, spread rumours and genuinely not be very nice. It felt like some sort of initiation test for her. 

At one of the worst times I have had groups of girls screaming abuse outside of my house, had my hair pulled, been spat on and made to feel worthless. I now know that this is however not true... I am worth something.

School was a miserably time for me, I couldn’t tell you how many times I went home crying.

When I look back at photos of my 16^th birthday my face is red from tears. I would go home from school with people shouting at me, throwing things at me; the moment I made it through the front door I couldn’t hold the tears back.  When people call you mean names enough times you start to believe it, and that’s exactly what I did. I started to think that maybe they were right?  Why would so many people call me ugly if I wasn’t? 

It took me a long time to begin to realise that most of what they said had no truth to it what’s so ever, I’m not stupid I have 12 GCSE’S, 5 A levels and hopefully soon to have a honours degree. And so what if I was stupid, did this give people a right to be mean? No! Because if you want my opinion (I’m going to give it anyway) those that feel the need to say mean things are the ones that are stupid. 

I don’t want this post to be overly miserable, and it’s not something I’m writing for attention or even for sympathy. The main moral of my story is that it genuinely does get better. If anyone is reading this that is being bullied my message to you is “I can almost be certain that what they are saying are lies, that most people don’t agree with what they are saying but are too scared to speak up. YOU are better than them, those that bully are not worth your time. And if it makes you feel better most of the people that bullied me have so far succeeded nothing with their lives.”

In 2012 I am happy, I still wake up and think thank god there’s no school anymore and thank god I survived... because school can be hell sometimes. 

Back onto the conversation of bloggingblogging community. 

You might wonder why I posted this post and to be honest I suppose it’s therapeutic.

The Tiger and Me

The Tiger and Me use a twist of indie-pop mixed with European Folk songs to create a truly unique sound.

Unlike anything the 21^st century has to offer The Tiger and Me are a band that should not be missed. 

This Month I am pleased to announce my first ever featured artist The Tiger and Me, with their refreshingly unique approach to music The Tiger and Me are soon becoming one of our top indie-pop bands of the year. 

What makes The Tiger and Me truly spectacular is the way they twist Indie-pop with European Folk songs to create their own unique sound that struggles to be compared to any band found this century. 

Bursting onto the Music scene just over one year ago The Tiger and me are inspired to create ‘Lively and exciting’ music which also focuses on ‘reflection and meaning’. 

It is truly refreshing to hear a band with as much raw talent as The Tiger and Me that refuse to be drowned by synchronizers and special effects and rather yet concentrate on pure instrumental riffs from piano and the banjo to the ukulele The Tiger and me certainly has lots to offer for those with a pure passion for music. 

Similarly the vocals offer a pure and enchanting quality that leaves you feeling hypnotized by the cabaret/circus feeling found in many of their songs. 

For those that have not yet listened to The Tiger and Me I recommend you head to www.thetigerandme.com.au