Promo 2

Mad and I spent some time working on promotional flyers and handing them out at local Albertsons/ Walgreens. From what I gathered, people were excited about our message.

Our flyer reads:
"Beauty is the movement is a non-profit organization dedicated to representing and recognizing beauty in a culture responsible for glorifying eating disorders and unhealthy self-images. Our mission is to change the face of  beauty presented to young women by a curvy nation obsessed with weight loss.
But we can't do it alone.
As young women, it's part of our obligation to set facts straight about beauty. Websters defines beauty as "...a work of art, something in nature, an attractive person (esp. a woman)". Knowing this, we are called to spread the message about the freedom to be beautiful.
During this season of preparation for the coming of Jesus, focus on making a sacrifice for the sake of our savior. Rather than deprive your body, consider it a temple of the Holy Spirit--the best Christmas gift you've ever received. -BITM Admins."

 

BITM'S Beautiful Face for December

Already making knitting/ reading plans for the Christmas holidays and I'm not even finished with all of my Christmas shopping. But exciting news from Grazia Fashion about the rise of plus sizes appearing on the catwalk. With luck, we'll soon start seeing faces like Lizzie Miller modeling the latest Jean Paul Gaultier, or Hayley Morley strutting her stuff on the runway.
This month's Beautiful Face [a spur of the moment decision, I confess, to recognize natural beauty in both expected and unexpected places] is Crystal Renn--a then-anorexic model who has written her memoirs about her struggles with body image and ultimate acceptance of who she is.
And why should she struggle? She's drop-dead gorgeous!

-Happy Holidays from BITM!

Happy Christmas!

Christmas time is always stressful--exams, shopping, trying to shave off those Thanksgiving calories still and resisting the call of pumpkin pie and eggnog {both of which are my greatest weaknesses}. And in times of severe stress, self-image woes will rear their ugly heads. Rather than exert your holiday efforts in bettering yourself, however, spend some time in reflection about the reason for the season. "For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6-7). So make some time between nose-to-the-grinder studying to take a break, drink some cocoa, enjoy your Christmas time--after all, it'll only come once a year. Happy Christmas, friends!

Bring us some figgy pudding...

Not that we'll eat it or anything. Statistics now available on Elle about holidays affecting anorexia and bulimia. Studies point to the presence of family monitoring consumption of holiday goodies as a trigger for stress and consequent unhealthy eating patterns for those suffering. And that takes away from the happy in 'Happy Holidays'. 1 Corinthians says that "...Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
During this season of preparation for the coming of Jesus, focus on making a sacrifice for the sake of our savior. Rather than deprive your body, consider it a temple of the Holy Spirit--the best Christmas gift you've ever received.

The face of anorexia.

Anorexia and bulimia isn't just the models who look like they've come from POW camps. And it's not just people attached to tubes in hospitals who've had heart attacks because their bodies can't take the strain of their disease. Eating disorders include everything from self induced vomiting to over-exercise to starvation dieting to addiction to diet pills to skipping meals. An eating disorder is when you look in the mirror and tell yourself that you're not beautiful just the way you are. More and more, teenagers are succumbing to the influence of the media who strive with every commercial to tell us that we're not good enough unless we're a size zero.

Another boycott!

This Friday, November 20th, celebrate your beauty and that of a cherished friend! At school, we'll be handing out hearts for distribution and I believe a tea party is planned somewhere... Time to go cut out hearts--None down, a thousand to go. Oh Mon Dieu!

That time again...

School time. Pencils, pens, laptops, essays, stress. We all know and love/hate it. But I like to think of a new school year as a fresh start--a viewpoint which usually backfires by Mardi Gras break when stress and lack of sleep has gotten the better of me. I'll try to keep this short--but spend some time this school year with an internal focus; make sure that you're getting enough 'you' time to rememeber what a precious creation you are. You are beautiful! Enjoy the year.

Well...

We've gotten a lot of good responses about the Beauty Boycott--remind your friends and family--it's never too early to plan for this. And we're really happy that our friend in WI is getting involved in the Movement too.

To me, this is imperative, not just a summer project for a bunch of unsatisfied, self-conscious teenagers. Maddy and I are working on getting buttons to send out anonymously when the school year starts up again. Don't think that the summer's going to wash out our mission--we'll still be going strong even if we're going to be on opposite sides of the country for about eight weeks.

For now, ciao--must go study for exams before it gets too late.

Beauty Boycott

On July fifth, protest tabloids by spending a day celebrating your natural beauty that is unenhanced by new-age glamor products, makeup, self-tanner, and magazines degrading beauty by boasting weight loss and so-called 'perfect bodies'.

July fifth:
-Celebrate the ways that you are a beautiful creation.
-Wear no makeup.
-Protest tabloids.
-Celebrate beauty with your friends and family for a day.

Beauty

'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.'

- Ode to a Grecian Urn J.Keats

The truth about beauty is scary--almost 700 out of 864 girls are dissatisfied with themselves. What does that say about our curvy nation obsessed with weight loss? That we're hypocrites? That we're setting ourselves up for failure? Have we ever stopped to ask ourselves why beauty has to be a photoshopped model that weighs an unhealthy amount? Why is beauty defined by weight or height or skin color or the product that we use in our hair? Why is beauty not how we celebrate our lives day to day?

Why Now?

It really is never too late to start something. It's also true that the end of junior year is a random start but the thing is, we got this going as soon as the idea popped into our heads. So we have planted a seed in all the girl's heads by starting this now right before the summer, and next year as seniors we'll bring it back in the beginning of the year and carry it on till the end. Hopefully we'll be getting some followers (that sounds creepy I don't mean it like a cult or anything) that will be able to continue the movement over the next few years at SJA. It's never too late to start something so here we go.

The Movement

Our promotional video. We need all of your support.

Beauty

Hello, friends. I suppose if you've stumbled or Stumbled into this site, you're wondering what Beauty is the Movement is all really about. I won't waste your time, but some explanation is needed if our mission is to be understood.
Beauty is the Movement is a silent revolution of American teenagers who are tired of fitting into the size 00s that the media shoves us into. Beauty is the Movement is a rebellion against our culture, a rebellion against everything that tries to make us into something we're not. Beauty is the Movement--a choice to accept ourselves the way we are and take off the masks.

You are beautiful today, celebrate it.