Lynn Minney Designs: Giveaway and Interview

I recently did a fun giveaway over at Lynn Minney Designs and Lynn kindly reciprocated by agreeing to do her own interview and giveaway here! I love Lynn’s upcycled designs, which you can find at her Etsy shop – it always makes me smile to see people finding ways to give an old item a new life.

So here’s what Lynn and I “chatted” about, and read on to find out more about the giveaway!

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Hi, I’m Lynn of Lynn Minney Designs! I’m a wife, mom, graphic designer and crafter. My love of creating started at a young age while watching my mom, grandmas and aunts create beautiful things. I also love to garden and cook.

Tell me a little bit about your business. What green elements of your business make you proud?

I opened my Etsy store about 2 years ago. It all started from a magazine article about sewing felted wool sweaters into tote bags. I was hooked after making one! It’s been a lot of hard work, but it is so exciting! I’ve learned so much in such a short period of time. I am really hoping to start doing craft shows this fall. I’m really excited to get out there, meet new people & show them what can be done with re-purposed materials.

I sew accessories like bags, eyeglass/phone cases and brooches out of recycled & vintage materials. I truly love finding pre-loved clothing items and giving them a new life. I am proud to offer upcycled items that people will use for many years to come. I’m constantly working on making my items more eco-friendly. I’m constantly looking for ways to make my company more green whether it is using only re-purposed fabrics or recycled packaging.

What makes your business unique? How do you keep your creative juices flowing?

The most unique thing about Lynn Minney Designs is the unusual items I create from wool sweaters, jeans and neckties. My customers are always amazed that something so beautiful can be created from an old sweater or jeans that someone else no longer wanted. 

There are a many things that keep my creative ideas coming…

I view everything with my favorite materials in mind. I get inspiration from a bag that I saw in a store and turn it into a unique item with a history, more color & texture. I also carry a small sketchbook with me in my bag because I can’t remember all of my ideas Furthermore, I’m inspired by the clothing, fabrics & buttons that I’ve collected.

What makes someone truly beautiful, in your opinion?

I think beauty comes from the heart. An honest, open person is beautiful in my eyes.

What makes you feel truly beautiful (beyond makeup and hair care) and what does “true beauty” mean to you?

My husband & daughter make me feel beautiful. Seeing the love in their eyes is enough for me. True beauty has all to do with the person you are inside. I believe everyone is beautiful in their own way.

What do you think about beauty in today’s society?

Modern society’s perception of beauty is backwards and way too focused on external beauty. I think the world would be a much more beautiful place if it was the other way around.

What are your favorite natural remedies?

To be honest, I don’t know much about natural remedies, but now I’m really curious! I’ve been taking a probiotic for years to aid in digestion

And for the giveaway…………. Lynn is going to gift one of my readers with this beautiful, upcycled brooch:

Ways to enter:

::Visit Lynn Minney Designs and leave a comment here about your favorite item. (1 entry)

::Tweet about this giveaway. Make sure you include @5seed and a link to this post in your tweet. Paste the link to your tweet here in the comments. (1 entry)

::Subscribe to Lynn Minney Designs blog. (1 entry)

::Subscribe to Five Seed’s blog. (1 entry)

::Add Lynn Minney Designs to your Etsy favorites (or your “circle”). (1 entry)

::Add Five Seed to your Etsy favorites (or your “circle”). (1 entry)

::Follow @5seed on Twitter. (1 entry)

Please note: I have deliberately not included entries for following either Lynn Minney Designs or Five Seed on Facebook, as this is against their terms of service.

Each entry must be left as a comment here. Each comment counts as one entry (if you only leave one comment for all of the above, your comment will only count as one entry). Each person is eligible for seven entries, total. Only continental US residents are eligible.

This giveaway will end on Friday, June 10th, at 6 PM PST. The winner will be announced on June 11th.

Many thanks to Lynn for the giveaway! Good luck, everyone!

Good Seed: Lolailo

Since the Christmas shopping season has starting sparking up, I wanted to feature some small businesses here on Five Seed so you can find what you want while supporting small, sustainable businesses who offer handmade, green items. One such business is Lolailo owned by one of my Eco Etsy teammates, Gloria.

Here’s what she has to say about green business, creativity, beauty and natural remedies (yes, we covered it all!):

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

When I am not unemployed, I am a winemaker. But I have been a craftster for much, much longer. I grew up in Spain. My mom is a very creative person, and I’ve been crafting since I was able to hold a pair of scissors, pretty much. I live near the Napa Valley, I am married to a winemaker, and I must say we drink quite well at our house. In my newly found spare time I have reconnected with my crafts, which is something that had been falling by the wayside little by little. I also take classes at the community college by my house and practice kickboxing.

Gloria, owner of Lolailo

Tell me a little bit about your business. What green elements of your business make you proud?

My love for corks came through my job. I was fascinated by the typography and design that each producer used. I was dismayed at these very interesting and diverse corks ending up in the garbage after a tasting, so I started hoarding them. I investigated what to do with them, and of all the many crafts you can use corks for, the bulletin board was my favorite. I am a pragmatic person, so I like things that have a function. I go to thrift stores and garage sales and look for frames suited to become cork boards.

What makes your business unique? How do you keep your creative juices flowing?

Corks are a very irrelevant thing. Not all that many people drink wine on a regular basis. When you do, you open the bottle, drink it up, and the cork goes into the trash. I bring the cork into center stage for all those who never figured it could have a second, and useful, life.

I get a lot of inspiration from the frames themselves. There is nothing standard about creating something out of a “found object”, so when I’m ready to tackle a new project, I just throw some corks into the frame and start playing with them, forming a design, changing it, and eventually I come up with a plan.

What makes someone truly beautiful, in your opinion?

Tolerance, flexibility and quiet confidence.

What makes you feel truly beautiful (beyond makeup and hair care) and what does “true beauty” mean to you?

I am never more beautiful than when I come home after a good workout. I don’t exercise just to look good. I want to have the best health possible, and the strength and the reassurance I get from working on this goal is what is reflected in my face.

True beauty is a combination of qualities. Like I mentioned before, a kind view of those that are not like you, an ability to listen to those you may not agree with, and the strength to know who you are all come into play.

What do you think about beauty in today’s society?

We are a superficial bunch with collective ADHD and don’t have the time to reflect on what is artifice and what is real.

What are your favorite natural remedies?

During allergy season, my eyes get really puffy, so I save used tea bags in the fridge and put them over my eyes for 5 or 10 minutes when I feel like scratching my eyes out.

I have a glass cooktop, and the best thing to remove stubborn, burnt spots is to put a bit of baking soda on them, plus a few drops of water. Make a little slurry, walk away, come back in 10, wipe off with no effort.

Thank you so much, Gloria!

Look for more of Lolailo on Facebook, Twitter and Kaboodle!

Photos used with permission.

True Beauty…in the kitchen

Anar (aka Zedral Z), writer of the blog Witchin’ in the Kitchen, recently contacted me about doing a True Beauty post.

Here’s what she had to say:

Tell me a bit about yourself.

I currently live in Istanbul. I’m a teacher.  I’m hoping to move back to the U.S. in the next year or so, though, because I think it will be much, much easier for me to finish my Witchin’ in the Kitchen cookbook there.  It’s been in the works for a very long time now and it’s high time I get some actual work done!

My interests include cooking, reading, belly dancing, attempting some Indian dance here and there, music (classic rock, oldies, a little classic country, Indian, other world music, etc.), and playing around with polymer clay.

What makes someone truly beautiful, in your opinion?

Personality really does have a lot to do with it.  Of course physical attraction comes into play as well, but if a person only looks good on the outside, their beauty fades very quickly in the eye of the beholder.  I think an open mind, some sense of empathy, and a willingness to believe that there is some good in the world (without being naive), helps.

If you take away the traditional beauty props (makeup, clothing, hair styling, etc.), what makes you feel the most beautiful?

I think my personality makes me who I am.  Whether or not people find that beautiful depends on the person.  Many of my friends think I’m a beautiful person, and I appreciate that.  So many of my friends are gorgeous people that it makes me feel good, albeit slightly out of place.

What do you think about beauty in today’s society?

I think it’s time for a change.  We’re sexualizing young girls and destroying the self-esteem of thousands, if not millions.  We need to show more diversity – in size, shape, color, etc.  Just because someone isn’t skin and bones doesn’t mean s/he can’t be seen as attractive by society.   One excuse is people don’t want to see what people *really* look like. They want an image of perfection, which usually means very thin, tall, and airbrushed to within an inch of her life.  I think some of us *do* want to see more of the “imperfect” people in television and magazines. Look at T.V. stars in Great Britain, for example. They’re average-looking people. Why can’t we do that in the U.S.?

I couldn’t agree more. Thanks, Anar!

Photo used with permission.

True Beauty with Good Green Witch

Meet Rhonda, author of the fiery, informative, Mother Earth-loving blog Good Green Witch.

I absolutely LOVE what she has to say about True Beauty:

Tell me about the Good Green Witch – the person and the blog. What is your background? What made you start your blog?

The Good Green Witch was “born” out of a desire to blend my spiritual Earth-based beliefs with instructing people on how to be a little greener. My love for Nature can be traced back to my favorite childhood television show, Hodge Podge Lodge. The blog came about because I wanted to be able to reach out more, to point out to people how they can be greener, and to try to raise awareness of what we do in our day-to-day lives that could be changed. It’s nice to have a place where I can say what I wish without censoring myself!

What were your greatest challenges and successes in greening your beauty routine?

Greening a beauty routine can be very challenging. There are a lot of plastics and chemicals involved in make-up and creams and skin products. That’s a nightmare for someone trying to be greener! I try to get around the greenwashing, find truly natural products, and avoid plastic when I can. For instance, why buy foundation in a plastic bottle when you can find one in a glass bottle? Jars, both plastic and glass, have many reuses once the cream is gone. My husband and I use baking soda for shampoo AND deoderant, and I use an apple-cider vinegar rinse instead of conditioner, so I feel pretty good about the plastic we are avoiding and the chemicals we are not using.

How do you define “true beauty?”

“True Beauty”… hmmm…. to me, someone who is truly beautiful lives in harmony with the Earth and Nature. It’s real. It’s not superficial. It’s within. It’s concern for the things around us. It’s something I need to focus on a little more. I tend to see too much ugliness around me, and I know it’s because true beauty is truly rare. But we see what we want to see, and we need to make sure we want to see the beauty around us. [YW: I added the bold here because this statement stood out so much for me.]

If you take away all the traditional props (makeup, hair styling, etc.), what makes you feel the most beautiful?

The thing that makes me feel the most beautiful is my husband’s expression when he looks at me with love, first thing in the morning, when my hair is all sticky-uppy and my eyes are all puffy and I need to brush my teeth. There’s just no marketing that! Plus, I can only improve on that after coffee and a shower!

Thanks, Rhonda!

Find more of the Good Green Witch on Twitter and Facebook.

Photo used with permission.

True Beauty with Melanie from No New Plastic

I recently “met” this wonderful lady in Cyberland. Melanie Parker is a prolific blogger (with THREE blogs – I can barely handle two!), a green activist, and a ray of sunshine. She has one of the happiest dispositions I have ever encountered, and it’s always a joy to chat with her. She recently embarked on a “no new plastic” challenge with her fiance, Mark. On her NNP blog, the two discuss their challenges and successes and it’s always a good read.

One of my favorite subjects is their progress in potty training their cat. Yes, you read that right! It’s so adorable – like Jack and his kitty, Jinx, in Meet the Parents! I always love the updates on the cat!

Here’s a recent chat I had with Miss Melanie:

Tell me a little about your project, No New Plastic. What inspired you to begin it, and what have you learned from your experience so far?

My fiancé, Mark, and I have always been interested in eco-friendly living.  We took our cloth bags to the grocery store, used florescent light bulbs, recycled, and thought that was pretty darn good.  Then we saw the documentary, No Impact Man.  It was a real eye-opener.  Suddenly, we both wanted to do more to lessen our impact on the environment.  We wanted to do something BIG.  I had also just recently learned about Charity:Water, a charitable organization that raises money to provide safe drinking water to people in impoverished countries.  Scott Harrison started Charity:Water in 2004 with an idea to help people all over the world get clean drinking water.  In 3 1/2 years, they raised $19 million dollars and funded over 2000 water projects.  I was really inspired by Scott’s story, and I knew I wanted to do something that I was passionate about that would make a positive impact in the world at the same time.  Mark and I knew it had to be something with the environment, because we’re both so passionate about eco-friendly living.  After learning about and watching the videos about the Pacific Garbage Patch (about all the plastic in the ocean), I told Mark I didn’t want to buy anymore plastic, and he agreed.  We came up with the idea of a No New Plastic website that would document our month without buying any plastic.  Wanting to make it even bigger (because who wants to read about a month, right?), I suggested No New Plastic Year, and that’s how we came up with our website.  We created it to get the word out about plastic and its effects on our environment, as well as to document how we get around using plastic in our daily lives.

I just made a hilarious discovery.  I was just thinking, “How many months have we been doing this?”  I thought at least 3 or 4.  It’s been a month and a half.  I guess that says a lot about what I’ve learned so far — there have been some major adjustments in our lives!  Ha!  The biggest realization for me is that plastic is everywhere and almost in or around everything.  I didn’t realize the extent to which it has become part of everyday life before I tried to go without it.  Mark and I decided before we began that we wanted everything to improve our quality of life.  A lot of times, being eco-friendly is thought of as living a grungy lifestyle and not enjoying modern conveniences.  We believe in modern conveniences as long as they are enjoyed in a sustainable way that doesn’t harm the environment.  We have billions of people on the earth who have incredible creative and intelligent minds.  There is no reason why we can’t invent healthy alternative solutions to practices that harm the environment.  Mark and I have found that our alternatives actually increase our quality of life.

What are some of your greatest successes in the green beauty department?

One of my greatest successes was becoming comfortable not wearing makeup.  Part of the no plastic journey has been reawakening my appreciation and understanding of myself and my body.  I began to question what I’d thought was the way to live.  I have never worn a lot of makeup – usually just eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, and gloss – but going totally without day after day and meeting people was a bit uncomfortable at first.  I decided that before I allowed myself to wear makeup again (which I do occasionally), I wanted to feel comfortable and beautiful just as I am.  I stood in front of the mirror and thought loving thoughts about my face and my beautiful features.  Now I make the choice to wear some makeup occasionally, but I feel just as beautiful without it.

What’s the craziest/silliest you’ve ever done for the sake of green beauty?

I think several of the changes I’ve made so far might be considered crazy by some people, like using baking soda for deodorant, cloths instead of toilet paper, and the Diva Cup instead of tampons.  However, my most recent experiment is not using shampoo.  I researched for a long time about alternatives to buying shampoo and conditioner in plastic bottles.  I learned that many people use baking soda and vinegar or shampoo bars.  Then, I stumbled upon a few blogs written by people who weren’t using anything on their hair.  I decided that if going without shampoo works, I’ll go with that.  I’m currently on week 3 of no shampoo, and I’ve had great success.  When I take a shower, I rinse my hair with water and massage my scalp.  That’s it!  While it feels different when I first get out of the shower, after I dry my hair it feels great and super thick!  When I was younger, my mom used to say my hair was “flat as a pancake.”  Before this experiment, I used volumizing mousse and a gooey wax to make it look a little funky and edgy.  Now, I don’t need any products.  I blow dry my hair and it looks amazing!  I went to my grandmother’s just last night, and she is really into current fashions and high style.  She gushed about how great my hair looks.  I laughed so hard!  Finally, I confessed my new haircare routine.  I have heard that other people have to go through a transition phase before their hair looks good without using shampoo, and I’m sure results also depend on hair length and type, but my hair looks the best it ever has and is so easy to fix.

Overall, what are your thoughts on greening your beauty routine?

I think the biggest thing we can do to green our beauty routines is avoid any advertisements and people who say we’re not perfect the way we are.  Most of the products sold are to fix our “problems”.  When we recognize our innate beauty and perfection, we will stop buying wrinkle creams, age-defying products, and trying to cover up all our skin with makeup.  Makeup should be used to enhance our natural beauty, in my opinion, not to cover up our faces.  Also, what we put on our skin and in our bodies should be natural and nurturing to ourselves and our planet.  There are so many great, eco-friendly products available, and it feels good to use them.

What does true beauty mean to you?

True beauty means loving yourself and appreciating yourself just the way you are.  When we see the beauty in ourselves, we can see the beauty in other people and the world around us.  When we treat ourselves well, we treat other people well.  Spreading love and peace within and without is truly beautiful to me.

If you take away all the traditional beauty props (i.e. makeup), what makes you feel the most beautiful?

My spiritual connection.  I have a deep spiritual connection to myself and the Universal Loving Energy that I believe is in everything.  Whenever I loose track of who I really am and start feeling fearful or judgmental, I can meditate and connect with that loving source.  In my meditation, I am reminded that I am a spiritual being, and I feel such incredible love from the Universe.  I feel connected and grounded, beautiful, and appreciated for the amazing being that I am.

Thanks so much, Melanie – it was a pleasure, as always!

Be sure to check out Mark and Melanie’s progress at No New Plastic. You might also be interested in her inspiring blog, My Magical Journey, and her sewing blog (The Laughing Princess Sewing Diary), where she’s documenting her journey on making her own wedding dress – from an old duvet cover she found at Goodwill! (Cool, huh?! And it’s a gorgeous dress. Seriously.) You can also find Melanie on Facebook and Twitter.

Photos used with permission.

True Beauty with Elizabeth from Yogic Dancer

I have recently fallen in love with yet another blog. (I’m a blog addict, I admit it.) Yogic Dancer is written by Elizabeth, an American currently living in the Republic of Georgia, studying dance and anthropology on a grant. Her posts are beautiful and thought-provoking. Whenever I visit her blog, I feel so peaceful.

Elizabeth graciously consented to answer the following questions about True Beauty:

Tell me a little about yourself.

I am a dancer, yogini and movement arts teacher. For the past nine months I’ve been living in the Republic of Georgia, studying Georgian folk dance on an independent research grant. It’s been an amazing journey so far- nothing like living in another culture to completely rock your Self! Learning about others is mind opening and can intrinsically cause deeper understanding of multiple things, Self included.

Over the past year, my personal yoga practice has grown deeper roots. I started my blog Yogic Dancer as a means to share my evolving path, and I am grateful for the world-wide mindful community it has connected me to, including A Green Spell!

What have you learned about beauty from your adventures abroad, your dancing, and/or your yoga practice?

Cultural standards vary from place to place. Yet a thin figured woman dressed in a certain way with styled hair/makeup is regarded as beautiful in more cultures than I anticipated. That image is shared worldwide through the film and television industries (and even the internet). Yet in my experience, authenticity is valued as well. Different cultures have different norms for when it is appropriate,
but smiling, for example, can really be beautiful, well received and provoke greater relaxation and deeper trust between people.

In dance, beauty standards differ from style to style. However, across many genres one thing is an essential element: the commitment/submersion of the dancer into the dance. This has little to do with “knowing the steps”! It is the commitment of the dancer to the particular dance they are dancing at that moment. This could be a trance dancer as easily as a professionally trained ballerina- if they are committed to their dance, it is beautiful. I think this is a lesson in yoga, too… those times when I have been truly “present in the moment” have resulted in the most beautiful moments of my life.

What makes someone truly beautiful, in your opinion?

People being truly and completely themselves are gorgeous to me. When people are fully listening to their Selves and acting on that, they radiate happiness because they are content with themselves… and that happiness is glowingly beautiful.

If you take away the traditional beauty props (makeup, clothing, hair styling, etc.), what makes you feel the most beautiful?

Sunshine. Dancing. Experiencing the beauty of Nature. Moments that remind me to “be here now”.

Thanks, Elizabeth!!

Don’t miss Elizabeth’s articles on Elephant Journal, either!

Photos by Daniel Winters. Used with permission.

True Beauty with musician Erin Cole-Baker

In mid-April, I had the pleasure of interviewing two lovely local businesswomen for Examiner.com. I love kombucha and wanted to learn more about a kombucha company right here in my town. When I went to their office to take pictures, I met their delightful staff of employees, including Erin Cole-Baker.

I always Google the people I interview, just in case they have any businesses, blogs, etc. that I can link to within the article. In my search, I found out that New Zealand native Cole-Baker is a very talented musician. I contacted her and asked if she would be willing to answer a few True Beauty questions, and she kindly consented. Since then, I’ve listened to the songs on her website and am just enchanted by her music. It is, well, truly beautiful! Take a listen for yourself.

Here’s what Cole-Baker had to say about True Beauty:

What makes someone truly beautiful, in your opinion?

I see beauty in people who embrace the skills that they have been given, work at them and share what they have with people. Life with purpose and passion is beautiful.

If you take away the traditional beauty props (makeup, clothing, hair styling, etc.), what makes you feel the most beautiful?

I feel beautiful when I am playing my songs and connecting with an audience. I find beauty in sharing life with others, the good days and bad….all scenarios put out there to be understood and to understand.

Thanks, Erin!

Find Cole-Baker on Twitter, and MySpace. Get her latest album, Talon and Spur, here.

Pictures by Josh Cordell, used with permission of Cole-Baker.

Here’s a great video – what a pleasure to see my current hometown in a music video!

True Beauty with Mrs. B!

Mrs. B (Photo used with permission.)

I am delighted to share with you True Beauty thoughts from one of my favorite bloggers, Mrs. B. This lovely lady writes Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom where she shares her thoughts and experiences on everything under the sun including cooking, spirituality, autism, and gardening. She also hosts numerous giveaways, most of them from small, home-based Etsy businesses like mine, which I think is very cool.

Speaking of giveaways, she happens to be hosting one for 5 Seed, if you want to check it out. You have the chance to win yourself a lovely Sankalpa Scent!

Here’s what Mrs. B. has to say about beauty:

What makes someone truly beautiful, in your opinion?

I think what makes someone beautiful is that inner spark of passion for something, whether it’s a passion for cooking, or the environment or for their family. Having a passion about taking care of something and learning more about it gives a person a real inner glow that makes them shine.

If you take away the traditional beauty props (makeup, clothing, hair styling, etc.), what makes you feel the most beautiful?

This might sound cliche, but my husband makes me feel beautiful! Whether I’m dressed up for something, or sick with a puffy nose, hacking cough and laying around in my bathrobe! He never fails to make me feel like the most gorgeous thing ever! (That’s why I’m keeping him! ;O)

What do you think about beauty in today’s society?

Over all, I’d say that there is a false view of what beauty is – that whole “Hollywood/model” image of what beauty is. I know very few real men who like the stick thin girls who eat half a salad for dinner. I feel horrible for all those girls out there starving themselves trying to look like that. Thankfully, I do think that there is something of a change coming around on that. Women like Christina Hendricks, from the show Mad Men, who has some seriously killer curves, are starting to get attention and take over the covers of magazines. I hope that trend continues!

If you want to check out more of Mrs. B’s lovely writing on the web, try her Examiner columns, The Domestic Witchery Examiner, and The Newark Cooking Examiner.

Don’t forget to hop over to Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom and enter the giveaway!

True Beauty with Caitlin Boyle of Operation Beautiful

A blogging friend recently mentioned a wonderful blog she had stumbled upon called Operation Beautiful. When I looked it over and saw what it was about, I had to contact the author, Caitlin Boyle, and learn more. Here’s what she had to say:

Tell us a bit about yourself, and what inspired you to start the Operation Beautiful project.

My name is Caitlin Boyle, I’m 26 years old, and I live in Orlando FL with my husband and two dogs. In addition to Operation Beautiful, I run the popular health blog, www.HealthyTippingPoint.com and work as a freelance writer.  I stared Operation Beautiful in June 2009. I was at night class and having a really bad day, and I was inspired to post a positive note for a stranger to brighten their day.  I wrote “You are beautiful” on a scrap piece of paper and posted it on Healthy Tipping Point.  I asked others to participate, and it snowballed.  That’s how Operation Beautiful was launched!

Describe Operation Beautiful.

Operation Beautiful’s mission is to post anonymous notes in public places for other people to find.  The notes mainly focus on cultivating a positive body image and healthy outlook on life.  People take pictures of the notes they post or find, and I put them up on the website for thousands of others to read and enjoy.

I noticed you have an Operation Beautiful book coming out in August. How did that come about? How does it fit in with the rest of your project (blogging, etc.)?

A literary agent read an article in the New York Daily News about Operation Beautiful and contacted me.  The book will be published in August by Gotham Books and is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Indie Bound.  It’s an extension of the blog and features 125 of the best never-before-seen notes and accompanying stories.  The book is full of tips from me, other women, and professionals on how to live a more balanced and happy life.

I am especially intrigued by the topic of “Fat Talk” on your blog. I have noticed this more and more – how often we complain about being or feeling fat, and how we compliment one another by saying, “Have you lost weight?” instead of, “You look beautiful.” What are your thoughts on Fat Talk?

Fat Talk is damaging mentally, physically, and spiritually.  Fat Talk isn’t about being overweight. In fact, Fat Talk has nothing to do with your size at all.  Fat Talk is extremely triggering of unhealthy behaviors, whether the comments are consciously processed or not. Putting yourself down verbally creates reverse inertia in all aspects of your life. Instead of getting healthier, Fat Talk will motivate you to overeat, skip your workouts, and stay involved in toxic relationships. Additionally, even if you don’t ‘hear’ your own Fat Talk, your friends and family members will, and it harms them emotionally, spiritually, and physically as well.  As Jillian Michaels said, “Fat talk is transcending….  It affects your reality and damages you professionally, personally, and physically.”

What do you think “true beauty” is? What makes you feel the most beautiful?

I think true beauty is being balanced mentally, physically, and emotionally. I feel happiest after a healthy dinner with my husband, laying on the couch with our dogs.  Treating myself with kindness makes me happy!

How can others get involved in your project?

You can participate in Operation Beautiful by posting a note, taking a picture, and e-mailing it to me at seebriderun@gmail.com.  Each note goes on the site!

Thanks, Caitlin!

Be sure to participate in this wonderful project. It is such an easy way to spread compassion and love to others – to strangers! What a wonderful gift!

Photos used with permission.

True Beauty, anyone?

I’m always looking to feature real people in my True Beauty posts. I post on celebrities, sometimes, but as often as possible, I want to post about the girl or guy next door, about what makes them feel beautiful, about what true beauty truly is.

I would love to hear from you, and hear your story. If you would like to participate, please submit a photo, a link to your blog or business, and brief answers to the following questions to my email: five5seed@gmail.com.

1. What makes someone truly beautiful, in your opinion?

2. If you take away the traditional beauty props (makeup, clothing, hair styling, etc.), what makes you feel the most beautiful?

3. OPTIONAL: What do you think about beauty in today’s society?

Remember, keep your answers brief, but please answer in complete sentences. Your answers will be copied and pasted directly onto this blog. Answer as if you are writing to an audience (you are!).

In your email, tell me how you want to be identified (using your whole name, just first name, just first initial, both initials…??). Please include your general location (city & state/province, if you like, or just state/province).

Submissions without a picture will not be printed. Submissions that do not meet the above guidelines will not be printed. Please don’t forget to submit a quality photo of yourself with the answers to the above questions.

Need a little incentive? The fifth person to send in a viable submission will receive a free tin of lip balm (North Americans, only). And the fifth Oregonian to send in a viable submission will also receive a free lip balm.

And speaking of submissions, if you are interested in writing a post for this blog on any topic in the eco-beauty/fashion realm, or on self-esteem, body image, etc., please email me with your ideas. I would love to print some guest posts!

True beauty?