Category: My Stories

  • “Surround yourself with people who want to see you grow”

    “Surround yourself with people who want to see you grow”

    Okay, so at this point you guys have to know I love quotes (yep, I’m pretty cheesy). This quote is compliments of the Vallette Cleaners sign in my hometown – but it couldn’t be more true and completely stuck with me this past week. So heck, why not do a post focused on it?

    Since launching The Curve Confessions over a month and a half ago, I’ve seen copious amounts of love and support – extending from friends and family, to old peers and people on Instagram that I’ve never even met. It absolutely warms my heart to feel this kind of support in something so close and personal to me, and I’m sharing it with you all in hopes to make a difference. I truly hope it does in some way.

    Every single person I’ve talked to about the blog has been so supportive – and this is a shout out to all you beautiful people. I’ve completely found something that I love – and it’s exciting – but it wouldn’t be possible without you all. Seriously.

    This quote stuck with me because the people I love want to see me grow. And because of that, I am growing. So on this gorgeous Sunday, give some love to those close to you. Be grateful for everything you have and the people around you, and focus on all the good things in your life today. I 💜 YOU ALL.

    Shout out: to my colleague Alice, who helped me come up with this entire idea and helps me become a better writer every single day. 

    Shout out: to my colleague Meghan, who shot my first big photoshoot for the blog, and also keeps me so excited about it day in and day out. PS-don’t worry guys, more photos are coming 😉

  • A Random Mistook Me For Amy Schumer, And I Liked It

    A Random Mistook Me For Amy Schumer, And I Liked It

    The other day, I was sitting on the bus on my way home from work, when a woman sat down next to me and said, “Do you ever get that you look like Amy Schumer?!” I snickered, “No,” and she goes, “Wow, I literally thought I was sitting next to her!”

    So, of course, I was immediately flattered. And that’s because Amy Schumer’s freaking awesome – not only is she absolutely hilarious, but she’s making epic moves in the body image movement (and is gorg).

    If you’re unfamiliar, earlier this year, Amy did a photo shoot for Glamour Magazine. But to her surprise, when the magazine came out with the issue, she was featured as plus size. Schumer says Glamour did this without her permission, and included her in their special plus size issue in collaboration with Lane Bryant.

    Here’s how Amy responded on Instagram: “I think there’s nothing wrong with being plus size. Beautiful healthy women. Plus size is considered size 16 in America. I go between a size 6 and 8
 @glamourmag put me in their plus size only issue without asking or letting me know and it doesn’t feel right to me. Young girls seeing my body type and thinking that’s plus size? What are your thoughts? Mine are not cool glamour not glamorous.”

    Overall, I think she handled it well. She’s standing up for “plus size” women, while also defending her shape. I get it – it’s definitely not cool of Glamour.

    But you know what’s also not cool? The term plus size. Like Ashley Graham says, “I think the term plus size is outdated. It shouldn’t be about labels.” I think you’re damn right, Graham. The labels need to end. And the fact that Amy Schumer was offended is offensive in itself. Size is just a damn size, it doesn’t mean shit.

    I used to get all hung up on the size of clothes I was buying. I was embarrassed and ashamed, and could barely look at the sizes I was pulling off the rack. But then one day recently, I shit you not, I all of a sudden got so proud of my size. Why? Because the clothes I’m buying make me look amazing, beautiful and make me feel good, and it doesn’t matter that they’re not a “small” or “zero.” They’re MY size, no one else’s.

    Amy Schumer defending her size is okay, but she shouldn’t have to. No one should be labeled. But in today’s world, we all are, especially celebrities. Being scrutinized for your weight in the public eye would be nothing close to easy, and she handles it well.

    Unfortunately Amy has struggled with body image before, and this wasn’t her first run in with these kinds of issues. “It’s an emotional thing,” she told TODAY in a recent interview. “It’s been a struggle for me my whole life, and especially just being in the entertainment industry. Standing on a stage in front of people, I can’t perform my best or be confident if I’m not sure — if I’m pulling at something [I’m wearing]. And sometimes I would just want to throw in the towel and be like, ‘I’m not gonna go do standup tonight.’”

    It took meeting a stylist, Leesa Evans, on the set of her movie Trainwreck to turn her outlook around. She said before Leesa, she always dressed poorly and didn’t feel nearly as good in her clothes before. And that inspired her to help women find their style, and is why she teamed up with Goodwill of Southern California to educate and inspire women through fashion.

    Ultimately, Schumer says her goal across the board with everything is to “make everybody laugh and feel better.” And that’s where I want to end. I’m damn proud to be told I look like Amy Schumer, because she’s beautiful, empowering and making a point to be proud of her body. Not only that, she’s trying to help women be proud of theirs, and open about her own issues with body insecurity. That’s inspiring in itself.

    So random lady on the bus, thank you. Amy is beautiful, hilarious, and I’ll take your doppelganger comment and run.

    Photo credit: torbakhopper

  • Intro: The Curve Confessions

    Intro: The Curve Confessions

    First things first, thanks for visiting the Curve Confessions! Before diving into my posts, I wanted to explain why I created this blog.

    My entire life, I’ve struggled with poor body image (definition: the subjective picture or mental image of one’s own body). From a young age, I was bullied for being fat, and from that point forward, my perception of my body has almost always been negative. I’ve also witnessed countless incidences of other people’s bodies being criticized (from friends to celebrities). Some of that criticizing is done by other people, some of it is done by themselves.

    With obsession over Hollywood celebrity bodies and the media’s focus on people’s figures (women especially), this issue is getting bigger and bigger. There isn’t a voice out there advocating for and discussing body image in an honest and open way. That’s where the Curve Confessions comes in.

    I want to be a voice among the curves, empowering people everywhere who feel insecure about their bodies, who have witnessed someone else’s insecurity or issues, or simply who think it’s an important issue that needs to be addressed. And I don’t just speak for ‘curvy’ women, I am an advocate for all shapes and sizes (though I do consider myself curvy :)).

    Body shaming is defined as inappropriate negative statements made towards someone about their weight or size, and it happens to men and women everywhere. Honestly, we don’t even realize the extent we’re doing it. Passing judgment of someone on the street, talking about a celebrity who has lost or gained weight, thinking a negative comment to yourself when you’re about to get into the shower – these are all examples of negative body image and body shaming.

    There are so many stories to dig into around this topic and the Curve Confessions is my outlet to do just that. If you’re looking for inspiration, a laugh, a pick-me-up, or just simply a good read, you’ve come to the right place.

    But body image to me isn’t just physical, it’s mental. Mental health is so important, and is half the battle when it comes to how you see yourself in the mirror (and how you see others). To those who want to focus on keeping their mind in the right place, and are seeking solid advice to do so, you’ve also come to the right place.

    I want to be clear that nobody is perfect – we all make negative comments and wish to look a certain way at times. But it’s time to work together to start accepting ourselves for the way we are, and being happy and supportive of others in their own body journeys. We can always make changes for our health, our happiness, or any other reason we might have, but there’s no reason to talk down to everyone’s most precious and unique gift: their body.

    The conversation around body image is an important one to be had – it’s a part of our everyday lives and something that can, and should, be addressed. I love to write and I love empowering people – so I’ve put a lot of thought into the Curve Confessions. I hope it’s a blog you continually visit and find purpose in, whatever that purpose may be.

    Just remember a few things about your body… It’s yours. It’s unique. It’s worth worshiping.

    Thanks again for visiting – now read on and enjoy the Curve Confessions! Also follow along to see my posts on Instagram, @thecurveconfessions.

    -KP (creator of the Curve Confessions)

  • Surreal Moment: Skyping Meghan Trainor on the E! Red Carpet

    Surreal Moment: Skyping Meghan Trainor on the E! Red Carpet

    As most of my friends know, a recent life-changing moment happened to me: Skyping Meghan Trainor on the E! red carpet for the iHeart Radio music awards. My friend, Paige Thoreson, kindly tagged me in an Instagram contest (I was Meghan for Halloween last year and am obsessed, duh). E! Producers ended up contacting me, “interviewing” me, and I was chosen to Skype Meghan on the red carpet. It actually took a lot of prep and time over the weekend – but man was it worth it (see video here: http://eonli.ne/1W3Ke4G).

    In the clip, you’ll notice that I tell her she’s a huge role model to me (and girls everywhere). But there’s actually a story behind that. Meghan Trainor is a role model to me because she embodies everything this blog is about: She empowers women with her lyrics, embraces her curves, and on top of that has major talent.

    She wrote her first hit, All About That Bass, for other artists – including BeyoncĂ© — but they all chose not to record the song themselves. Trainor then recorded the song herself, which went on her first album, Title. This is how she got famous, but there’s so much more to her story than that.

    Meghan began making music when she was just seven years old, and wrote her first song at age 11. Woah. Not only that, but by the time she was 18, she had self-released three albums and scored a publishing deal. She then moved on to sign with Epic Records, where her career skyrocketed with Title.

    Even more recently, Meghan released an album called “Thank You.” For one of the songs on the album, Me Too, she dropped a video. This was the moment where Meghan made huge moves in the body image movement (yep, that’s what I’m calling it). She released the video, and people noticed she was looking particularly thin in it (of course they noticed). Meghan had no idea, but it turns out the producers of her video had actually used Photoshop to make her waist look much slimmer. When she saw all of the comments, she figured out what had happened. Like a true gem, Meghan ordered the video down right away and posted the original (she even snap chatted about how she was embarrassed and thinks her own waist looks just fine). Honestly, what a boss.

    I’m following her ”Untouchable tour” on social media and she is absolutely rocking it.  I’m so thankful I got the opportunity to tell her that her message does affect women in a positive way. She sends an important message that needs to be heard – that it’s important to love yourself, embrace yourself, and that curves are good, y’all (listen to her album if you haven’t, it’s woman power to the max).

    Even though she’s younger than me (22, how crazy)
 I still look up to her in major ways. She’s for sure a voice among the curves and is using her talent for good. Her public display of body image pride is one to be reckoned with and I my friends, will forever be a Megatron.

    Oh, also, whenever I’m having a bad day, I remember that Meghan liked AND commented on my Instagram post about the Skype experience (the photo with this blog). That is all.

    Photo Credit: My dear friend Paige Thoreson–this wouldn’t have happened without her!