And whew, am I tired! Ha-ha! It’s true though, and I’ve still got karaoke/going away get together tonight! It’s  been a whirlwind, but I was up for it and may have had the best weekend of my life, it was THAT fun!

Friday night my lovely friend Jeanette accompanied me to Big Moves Bay Area’s “Fatdance: What A Feeling!” featuring the fabulous Phat Fly Girls, Rubanesque Burlesque, Raks Africa and MCs Marilyn Wann & Amy Benson! It was so much fun y’all! I have a  hard time describing it because I think you have to live with fat stigma to feel the full effect of how beautiful and empowering and just downright powerful thing it is to see these incredible fat bodies Dancing!Dancing!Dancing! And every time I see Raks Africa I swear I will start belly dancing, but never do…until now! J & I are going to buy plus size hip scarves and a belly dance video for all sizes and we’re going to work it! =0)

Saturday night was a birthday/going away party for two very good friends. I got hella drunk and had the best time ever! I haven’t seen all of the pictures yet, but there will be many, no doubt. Oh man! Too much fun! And I was in a very saucy mood to boot! Hanging out and drinking and being silly and pervy with my favorite people in the world?! Oh yeah! It filled a void, I tell you what! Didn’t get home until 3! Woo Hoo!

Sunday night was a Birthday party/FUNdraiser for Marilyn Wann and her new project for a fat positive community center. We ate, we danced, we drank and some of us even sang karaoke with the live band “Nothing But Fun” and had a great time doing it! It’s always lovely to see and hang out with Marilyn, but there were so many rad fatties to chat and laugh with! And I got to network a bit and hopefully recruit some help for my big fat event in January! Woot!

All of this and I am pooped to say the least, but exhilarated by the experience and enjoyment of it all! I may be exhausted, but I just keep on going! I have a lot going on this week, too, but nothing specifically fat related. Ha-ha! I have my first job interview (since selling the cafe) on Thursday evening…Fingers crossed! I’m debating a haircut today or tomorrow? Hmm…I have a ton of errands to run and I’m just too tired, maybe. Ha-ha! I’m a little scattered I suppose, but I’m okay. I will manage, I always do. There is just something so healing and wonderful about being around other positive people, other fat people, other loving and hard working people! It makes me grateful to exist!

If you think organizing a fat event is hard or impossible or expensive, well, it’s not! It doesn’t have to be and it’s so very worth it! Think about it and if you’d like some help, hit me up! <3

Here’s one pic I love from Saturday night, I’m starting to own the “Bad Ass” title, ha-ha!:

My beautiful piggy got shipped out today, back to her home away from her decorator/designer/etc…and back to the loving arms of Amanda where she can do more good than she ever could here. And so, I introduce to you and the world, my lil’ Piggy babe (don’t really have a name for her…Body Activist Pig? Meh.):

Isn’t she lovely? I love her to pieces! I put a lot of time into adorning this little wonder, and I am so glad to see the end result. For more information about the project she was created for, check out: http://fatwaitress.wordpress.com/ and say Hi to Amanda! This is her project and her passion and commitment to positive body activism inspires me and gives me so much hope for the movement! Thanks Amanda! You rock my socks, lady! <3

You ever do something that surprises even you? Yeah, I did that! I had considered entering a model contest, for the club I go to about once a month, but chose not to…until yesterday (the last day for entries)! I entered my info, answers to cool fatty questions and pictures. And hit submit! WHAT?! I know!!! What?! I don’t know what I was thinking, but it really doesn’t matter. I mean, it’s a fun idea and if I get picked, awesome. If I don’t? No biggie. I just can’t believe I did it at all!

I have been really pushing back on the ideas of presentation and how women are “supposed to look” and all of that bullshit. I generally don’t do things like wear make up or high heels or anything one could identify with a model. But shit, dude, I can break down those standards of beauty and flaunt my own version of it! I can be a model and a bad ass, right? Secretly, being a model for something/anything is on my bucket list. So is joining a book club…and tonight I might just fulfill both! A good friend invited me to join her book club and after some questions I accepted! Woo!

I am all about getting the hell out of my comfort zone lately and repeating the phrase, “Why Not?!” So, can I be sexy in Doc Martens? You bet your sweet Asparcreme I can! (I miss those ads, always cracked me up!) And if I don’t get into the semi-finals or finals or whatever, so be it! I tried! Ha-ha! Today is about possibilities. Tonight is about fun with my gals! Right now is about nourishing my body with these  lovely fresh blueberry scones (Trader Joe’s Freezer Section, yo!) and espresso! YUM!

I am nearly done decorating my piggy for Love Your Body Day and have been surprised at how much fun I’m having while doing it. At one point I had it all planned out, something flubbed and now I swear to you it is creating itself! My ideas? Out the window! This piggy knows what she wants! My hands are merely the instruments she’s chosen to beautify herself into her truest and most authentic form (sparkly)!!! And then I shall be sewing/repairing the dress I’d like to wear to the club tonight! Woo! I’m terrible at sewing, but luckily the repair is on the seam and that should be about what I can manage. I had meant to do it yesterday, but piggy demanded more of my attention! Ha-ha!

It’s Friday and I’m in Love…with The Cure! I heard “Fascination Street” in the car yesterday and have been listening to their best of ever since…non-stop (okay, I slept)! They are so great! I can’t even handle their greatness! I’ve fallen for them all over again. I love when that happens! Like a couple of years ago and I “discovered” The Pixies! Oh man, one of the best bands ever! I’d just never been introduced to them back in the day. Oh well, still plenty o’ time to love! Now to start my own band…another bucket list item for sure!

Tomorrow we visit our local Renaissance Faire! We have a bogo coupon and the weather should be just right! Woo!

What are you stoked about today or this weekend? What was the last thing you did outside of your comfort zone that you’re glad you did? I wanna hear all about it! Let’s celebrate something, shall we?! Woo!

“God, it took me forever to be able to wear something without sleeves, but when I started, I really threw myself into tank tops, tube tops, spaghetti straps and halter tops. I’m not sure at what point I stopped wearing 3/4 length sleeves in the summer (with long jeans I might add)…. in North Carolina. I know it was before I knew anything about fat acceptance, but damnit, I wanted to just be able to wear clothing like everyone else! I think when we moved to an apartment with a pool and my (then) 4 year old son insisted on going up every single day that the pool was open and I had to dust off that bathing suit I got more comfortable with my body even before I knew that that was a thing. Yeah. Speaking of my son.. I am constantly aware of and grateful for the fact that I discovered body acceptance before I had a chance to rub off any body hate onto him. When he finally asked me why I was fat (and he and daddy weren’t) I just said “because my body is really good at storing energy!” and “everyone’s body is different- isn’t it awesome that people come in all shapes and sizes?” This is from my son’s first day of school.

Lovely picture & dress, Heather! Thank you so much for sharing this with us all here. I love your ability to rock magenta hair, too! Ha-ha! Just proves that we (fats) can do anything. We can be mothers/fathers/aunts/uncles/etc…and still lead happy and healthy lives, too! Woo!

I am taking submissions from anyone who wants to exercise their right to Bare Arms for future Tank Top Tuesday posts! Email your pics here: notblueatall@notblueatall.com, please include the name you’d like in the post, a blog or etsy shop you wanna plug, your thoughts on bare arms or other fatty philosophies. It does not have to be in a tank top, so long as your arms are bare. Have fun with it!

Also, feel free to still treat comments as TMI topic/discussion/venting area! Feel free to ask TMI questions or just vent/rant about your own stuff. I love it! We all do! =0)

**Friend of the blog Erylin, has a clothing swap coming up in Kansas city mo. we will be having one on September 25th at the north Kansas city library right off of armour and I-35. (if you need more info leave a reply and we will connect you somehow). **

Yesterday I was headed out to a fatty meet up across the bay and as per usual, I was stressing on what to wear. WHAT TO WEAR!?!?! It is the question that never truly gets answered. We are left constantly unsatisfied with our own wardrobes and styles and long for some mythical perfect outfit of splendor! Psshht! I’m slowly but surely getting over that concept, but I still struggle. I am always fearful of over or under dressing. I am usually a jeans and cute top type of gal, but have begun to explore, experiment and play with fashion more than, well, ever before! I am loving it, too! Overdressed? Oh well, ain’t like I’m doing manual labor, it’s just a meet up after all, so I went for it. I went and tried to put together the nuttiest thing I could with what I had. Mind you, I love lots of colors, but usually don’t go for anything super bright. But I’m getting there. I tested the waters of the color Hot Pink with great delight. So, yesterday I really dove in head first into colors…no, I mean COLORS!!! Prepare your eyes, babies, prepare them, shield them and remember that fashion and fatshion should be fun!

Bam! COLOR! But I felt like a little kid and maybe not in the best way. So I asked my husband to snap a pic and I text it to Nicole to ask if it was too much (I also had a yellow cardigan to go with it, ha!). She responded that it may be bit too much but that she liked it over all. My husband said it did in fact look like I was trying to dress and as a kid and I did feel a tad silly in it. Perhaps if I had a specific occasion for this type of technicolor outfit I would rock the hell out of it, but I just didn’t feel that the meet up (first impressions being what they are) was the right time or place.

So I headed back to my bedroom for a  wardrobe change and I actually love what I ended up wearing even more than the mega-brightness you see above. All of what you see in these outfits are mostly newly swapped or given pieces and I am so grateful for such opportunities when I am out of work and without the moolah. And yes, the TEGGINGS!!! The hot pink ones above as well as the black ones below are made of awesome sauce! I can’t say enough about them and feel compelled to own all of the colors they come in! Oh yeah, the outfit:

I friggin’ love this dress (it has pockets)! I got it at the Cupcakes & Muffintops event last month and it fits like a glove! It’s so me! I love daisies! And that gigantic purse is actually a “bocce” bag from Tokidoki for Le Sport Sac in “arancia.” I’m a major Tokidoki fan and lusted after the Le Sport Sac stuff for ages before finally tracking down this little baby for myself when I opened my cafe two years ago. Who knew it would fit so perfectly with this outfit?! I love it! And yes, the wingtips are Doc Martens (via eBay). You can’t see it, but I have the black flower headband rockin’, too!

Best of all, I had a great time hanging out and meeting new fatties, catching up with good friends and just enjoying a lovely Sunday afternoon in Oakland. Woo! Thanks to Lisette for organizing the meet up! Thanks to Jeanette for driving me all over the place! Thanks to Nicole for the help, the dress and for hanging out even though you got blisters from having to walk so much, and hanging out with me. Thanks to Marilyn Wann for being so rad and kind and just a great listener and advice giver! <3

Now, for more fatty events!!! I am hitting Club Anton in Oakland on Friday for their Full Figure Entertainment night! Then on the 23rd is Big Moves Bay Area’s “Fat Dance: Oh What A Feeling!” in Oakland. And what I truly cannot wait for (but in a way I’m nervous because I’m gonna sing some karaoke, y’all) is Marilyn Wann’s “Squak & Gobble” B-day & Fundraiser bash in Oakland on the 25th! Woo Hoo! I suddenly fucking love September! Ha-ha! It’ll be the fattest month of my 2011, that is for sure! Thanks for reading. Hope you have a fat-abulous day! <3