Grounded Narratives

Over the last two weeks I have diligently followed the storm that has erupted after unretouched photos of Kim Kadarshian's rear appeared online. If you don't know what I'm talking about do a Google search. Basically Kim K., who is known for her world famous rear, posted photos filled with "imperfections" and as a result she lost 100,000 followers on Instagram, had to take down the photos and apologise to her followers for putting up unflattering photos. I understand that she has built her brand around her seemingly perfect body but the sad thing about this is that women and young girls around the world have started developing unrealistic expectations of how their bodies should look like. Some go to drastic measures just so that they can have hips, bust, waistline or even lips like so and so. Sometimes the measures they go through are so severe that they end up destroying their appearance entirely. I recently went through a phase where I hated my body. I had p...

Some time ago, I came across the 'Accentuate the Positive Project' while reading one of my favourite blogs and I had to delve into it further. I wanted to share this with you in case you were going through a tough spot, trying to love your body as it is and not what you imagine it to be. Catherine is a 40-something fashion blogger at Not Dressed As Lamb with amazing style. She started this project to help women, particularly those of a certain age to share their struggles with self-image and to help them accentuate parts of themselves that they loved the most. So, you might be thinking that you aren't 40 so why is this relevant to me? It is my belief that self-love and showing off your best self should not be limited to persons of a certain age. Accentuating the positive is for each and every one of us. For this Body Image post, I thought I'd share with you my personal struggle. I never considered myself pretty while growing up. I have problematic s...

Before I became a mum, the topic on loving ones body was a no-brainer. I wondered what all the fuss was about because I couldn't understand why anybody wouldn't love their body. My naivete was centered around the fact that I had the body that I wanted. I felt great and got many compliments. Shopping for clothes was easy since I had so much variety to choose from and I didn't have to worry about bits and pieces of me pouring out of my waistband or my top. All this changed when I had my baby. I put on 20 kilograms when I was expecting. I lost the first 10 kilos quite easily (in a week). Then I started putting on weight. I remember reality struck me hard when on one of my post-baby doctor's appointments I found that I had put on a few kilos. I was so shocked because everybody told me that I would lose the pregnancy weight very fast since my baby was a good feeder. Shock on me! I hadn't realized that I was eating quite well and doing little to no exe...

I was reading a blog post on Already Pretty about how we speak to and treat our bodies and this episode of Glee came to mind. Sally of Already Pretty was comparing how we speak to and treat our bodies to how we do the same to our friends. It got me thinking. I should speak and treat my body as my best friend with all the things I consider "flaws" which are essentially not flaws but what makes my body uniquely mine. If I treat my friends as harshly as I treat my body, nobody will want to be around me. My body is my friend, I have to treat it as such. Love your body and be confident in it. Highlight what you are most proud of and learn to accept and love what you don't fancy. Happy Tuesday!! xo Audrey

Photo Credit I was perusing through the internet yesterday and came across some words from Beyonce that I thought I had to share.  "There's nothing more beautiful than a woman [who] takes care of [herself],..When you drink water, take care of your skin, work out, and work on your mind, body and spirit. You are going to be beautiful, regardless." "I really believe that everyone is supposed to be different, and whatever is a natural weight for you is usually what looks best." This got me thinking how we as women are always stressing about how we look and trying to change our bodies so that we look like some celebrity. What we often forget is that we are all different. We have different bone structure which, in the end plays a big role on how much weight is ideal for you. Lifestyles and diets greatly influence how we look. But as women we need to embrace who we are and how we look and even when we'll rant and rave about having a variety of flaws, th...

Ever observed how people are very careful about their wardrobe choices when they are going to a wedding? They take extra care to look their best from head to toe. The day before, said ladies will be found in the salon getting their hair done, maybe a facial and a manicure and pedicure too. The men too go extra lengths to make sure they are not left behind by the ladies.  I always marvel at how well turned out people are when they are going for weddings. However, being smart and stylish shouldn’t be reserved for celebrities or for special occasions, case in point weddings. Men as well as women can look elegant and stylish on a day to day basis. This doesn’t mean that you have to redo your wardrobe and reach further into your already tight budget and buy expensive clothes and accessories. If you are a wise shopper, you can ensure that any piece of clothing you buy can be worn in a variety of ways, both formal and casual. When I was studying in India, I always marvelled at how...