Tag: friendships

Mix and Maxi (Featuring Dia&Co.)

4 Comments

Back in April I put in my order for my first Dia&Co. box and I received a beautiful windowpane print ELOQUII dress that I loved but would did not fit very well. Devastated I asked my friend, Jonquel, body positive plus size fashion illustrator of JonquelArt, if she wanted to try it on only to find that it fit her perfectly.  That particular dress was a more conservative style than what she normally wears so even though it fit her very well, we ended up sending it back anyway. Needless to say this started our semi-monthly Dia box parties. We now order our boxes around the same time so that we can go through our individual pieces together, giving our honest opinions on how things fit, providing style recommendations as well as giving each other the opportunity to try anything that interests us from the other’s box.

Continue reading →

Real #SquadGoals

1 Comment

I’ve never been good at making friends. For one thing I come from a conservative religious background that can sometimes make it hard for people to relate to me very much, bu more importantly I suffer from social anxiety. In my mind I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to be my friend. After all, who would want to be friends with someone who doesn’t go out on Friday nights? Someone who struggles with slang and preferred research in the library over shopping?

Growing up, I  made the effort  to be the friend people would want even though the people I befriended didn’t provide me with the friendships I deserved as most of them would take advantage of my generosity for their personal gain. I had conceded to the idea that I just should take what I was given if I ever wanted to have any friends. Looking back it honestly was a subtle form of self-harm (which is not surprising to me given my deliberate self -injury behavior as a teen) that stopped once I met my best friend Jaden* during freshmen year of high school, who really got me out of my shell by encouraging me to  just be myself to the point that started to open up more.

2013 End it Now March Against Abuse and Domestic Violence with 4RWI

Now as an adult friendships are a bit more complicated with the added responsibilities of family and making a living, yet I have found that these mature relationships, especially with women, are more significant as it isn’t about being a part of an “in-crowd” or anything like that, instead it is about  building life-long relationships with purpose. From gaining real world mentoring from the women of 4 Real Women International, INC (4RWI) while working to empower women both in the US and abroad to meeting and collaborating with influencers that I had long admired from my computer, I pretty much a member of quite a few “squads”.  Granted adulting results in people entering different life stages and/or reaching significant milestones at different times that could lead to envy and/or competition, nevertheless, when you meet the right people that is never an issue.
Continue reading →