Quoting The Quote

Hi all,

I know you all have been waiting for a blog post for a few days now, but not to worry because here I am! 

I've been going around in circles deciding on what to write about this week. Not that I'm lacking topics; there are so many awesome brands out there that I'd love to show you and comment on. But, I guess what's been knowing at my brain the most is our perception of how we look in pictures. Let me get a bit more into this:

Why is it that we automatically have the most critical eye when we're looking at our own reflection? I gotta tell you, it's amazing how many of you all love my blog and tell me again and again how much you appreciate the work I do; but wouldn't be caught dead posing as my model for a day! Now why is that? I get the exposure factor; we all end up facing it from time to time when we go on our all inclusive vacations or at our annual pool parties, and we're happy to pose for pictures then. So why is it that the possibility of someone actually seeing us online make it so terrifying? 

Think about it: we have no problem posting endless pictures of ourselves on social media, a lot of times pictures that are less than flattering. But a little more skin exposure leads to a complete mental block... what exactly is it that we feel we hide behind our clothes?

Now, I know you all may not think that swimsuit pictures are appropriate for social media. And fair enough. Perhaps we don't want to be exposed in our most vulnerable outfit. But here's the thing: if we're willing to go out in public wearing our swimsuits, aren't we exposed already? And what exactly is the point of putting on a swimsuit? Is it to enjoy an activity around water, or to wait on other people's judgements?

All I'm saying is that I would love for you all to put your doubts and fears aside and rock your swimsuits. Always. Whether someone is taking your picture, or you're just out relaxing in the sun, your attitude should not change. And even if you think you look horrible (you don't!), I can guarantee you there will be more people who disagree with your opinion than you think. Again, we want to be friendly to ourselves, not critics.

Before I go, there's a quote I'd like to share with you all from an account I follow on Instagram called The Good Quote. Sometimes all we need is for someone to word things in a way we can understand and relate, ao I'm quoting the quote! Hope that, after reading this, you all understand where I'm coming from, and think about sunsets before criticizing your photos.

Wishing you all a fabulous week ahead!

Bring Out The Feel Great!

Apologies for the delay, I've been busy all week with many assignments. My favorite was writing one of my best friend's birthday cards! I don't know about you all, but I tend to write pretty long card messages... I think people appreciate the effort. 

About my friend: we have a very special history, one I feel is blog material. So I thought I'd write about that today. Hope you all enjoy it; I'm sure you all have that special friend that makes your life a lot brighter.

We've been friends for over 25 years, although we haven't lived in the same city for 21 of them. Yet we've always managed to keep in touch (yes, we're from the time people wrote letters on a regular basis), and throughout so many years we've shared many happy, and a lot of times many funny memories together. We were French public speaking champions at our school, actors in the Christmas play, pen pals for the longest time, lost tourists in Berlin and Prague, almost millionaires (I swear we came up with the perfect book title once, but couldn't remember it the next day), and we've also created a lot of our own traditions along the way. My favorite is our birthday card competition; it's been going on for ages, pushing us each year to become more creative and humorous. 

During our last trip together to Austin, Texas, we went to check out Barton Springs Pool. It was a very hot day and we wanted to get our tans going. While chilaxing in the sunshine, we started to chat about swimwear. OK, mostly me going on about other people's swimsuit choices. Not criticizing them, per se, but pointing out potential enhancements I thought could be made. That's when she started to tell me about her suit: where she bought it, how much she liked it, etc. She must have noticed my silence as soon as she finished talking, because she immediately said: "you obviously don't agree with my choice! " 

So, here's the deal. Yeah, I have opinions about which types of swimsuits look better against certain body types, certain skin tones, and all that, but none of that replaces the "feel great" attitude someone wears when they find what to them is the perfect suit. Sure, I could always give my opinion when asked, but that doesn't mean it's the the one and only truth. It is important to keep in mind that we each have our styles and preferences, and we're not always going to agree. The only thing I insist we agree on is finding the swimsuit that brings out the "feel great" attitude in you. So long as you rock whatever you decide to wear, we will always be good :)

And doesn't she look great? Happy Birthday, my dear!!

Some November Awareness

Happy November, you all! 

This month is filled with holidays and awareness causes. Did you know that, besides Movember, this month is also Stomach Cancer and Transgender Awareness month? 

Not that any of this month's causes less important than others, but today I'm doing my part in raising awareness for Transgenders. Although there has been so much progress made in the last few years, there's still a lot of work to be done, and a lot of respect to be earned. 

Lea T - You're Beautiful!

Since I started sharing my ideas with you all, the main focus has been to encourage self love and acceptance. Once we've mastered that, finding a swimsuit is the fun part. Now, take a moment to think of how many times we've looked at ourselves and didn't necessarily like what we saw, I'm sure it has happened way more times than it probably should have. But that aside, our blessing is that, although we were looking into a mirror and finding flaws, we recognized ourselves in the reflexion. We weren't looking at ourselves thinking "here I am in a girl's body, but really I am a man", or vice-versa. Yet transgender people face that thought pretty much every day of their lives, especially when living without any support or encouragement to become who they really are. And we haven't gotten to the part about the rejection they suffer from the outside world yet. 

I know that a lot of times it's hard for us to support what we don't understand. But the truth is, we could always use our imaginations to put ourselves in another person's situation and have a pretty accurate idea of what they're going through and how they may feel. And once we've reached that point, there's no going back, we can't help but stand by and offer our assistance to those who need it. So I say we take a moment today and put ourselves in Transgender shoes, just to see how we feel. I am sure a lightbulb will come on.

Here at OMS I encourage you all to find your beauty, strength, self love and respect. And I'm here to state that when I say all, I mean it! And I know that you are all out there finding beauty not only within yourselves, but in others around you as well. Make sure you keep on doing that; we never know how far a little support will go!

Wishing you all an amazing month of November, with lots of love and support!