The "popular" Figure

You all, I am sure, are familiar with what is the "popular" figure for today's culture is. I am not sure what the real name for it is, but in my house we refer to it as "the stick", I prefer to refer to them now as "flappers." This is someone with little to know curve in their figure. Not that this is a bad thing, everyone is different and everyone is beautiful no matter what. Honestly can you imagine how boring society would be if we all looked alike, it is the differences in people that make them interesting. 

The whole preference thing in society is what bothers most people out there. We are told that we are not pretty because we are not up to the media's standards. Also that men only like one kind of figure. Really? Like I said above it is our differences that make us interesting. If all men only like one kind of figure, then men are really not very interesting. It really annoys me that people think that everyone fits into this box of sameness. They seem to forget that people are individuals, who all think different, look different, and act different from one another. 

Let us take a trip through fashion history for a moment to look at what was the popular figure in Victorian England. If any of you are familiar with Laura Ingalls Wilder (may I ask who isn't?) then you know that Laura wore a corset, as did ma. They didn't wear corsets to get stick strait figures. They wore them to have and hourglass figure. That was what was considered beautiful back then. I have to feel for all those girls who didn't have an hourglass figure(the sticks), it must have been as hard for them back then, as it is for us those of us to day who have more curve. 

Then there would have been the Edwardian period in which so far as I can tell, the popular figure stayed the same.

And then here comes the roaring 20s with the stick, or as I call it flapper figure. Really as far as I can tell this is the first time as figure with little to no curves seems to have been popular. maybe it was because of the rebel culture of the time. There were a lot of changes in this time, especially in the fashion world. I mean there is a dramatic difference. from what was worn before, and what was worn then, comparatively these people were showing a lot of skin. And if you have read Cheaper by the Dozen you will know how much a hot topic this was for families. (I am sorry the book lover in me cannot help but make book references) 

I really have nothing against any of these two figures. What I am upset with is that it seems only one of them can be popular at a time. Why is that? Does it really have to be that way? Why do we have to have only one at a time? I also don't like being presented with what I should be. Who are they that they can tell me what I should look like? If they really have an issue they should talk to God because he made us all different, and not everyone follows the fashion trends to the letter. In fact I think it would be unhealthy to do follow them that closely. 

It really is actually unhealthy for us on so many levels. First physically. Laura Ingalls wore a corset, the Victorians wore corsets, corsets have been used for many many years. Was it really healthy for women to squeeze  their rib cage in? For them to make their waists so small. And look at our own times, girls starve themselves. People do this for the sake of fashion. Is it really worth the harm we do to are bodies to look like those fake pictures that the media shows us and tells us we need to look like to be pretty? I don't think so. We don't have to look like what the media tells us, because who are they to define what pretty is? Everyone is pretty in their own unique way. 

Here we are at the 1950s where The hourglass is back. Is there really anything new? It just seems to be always the same body types cycling through. Does having the "perfect" figure really matter? or are there more profitable things that we can think about. The point really of this whole post is to say that it really does not matter what the media thinks we should look like, because the media is always changing. And what are people really going to remember about us? That we were one of the most gorgious people they had ever met? The things that people are really going to remember about us is how we treated others, confidence, and manners. Really if someone if confident, nice, polite, and treats other well it makes a world of difference in how we see them. 

Blessings

~Elizabeth 

PS. I do know I skipped a lot of decades in history, but I didn't think I could fit them all in. 

Book Review: The Last Olympian

Title: The Last Olympian
Author: Rick Riordan
rating: 4/5
 (read my reviews of the other books in this Series The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titian's Curse, and The Battle of the Labyrinth.)

The final book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. All the characters come together for one final battle! There is still the same humor, and adventure as in all the books. I must say that after reading this one and then reading the first book again I noticed that Rick Riordan's writing had improved. It was a just an observation. I liked seeing how his writing grows.

Always happy sad to end a series that you enjoyed so much. I was happy with the ending and I like to see so many things resolved. That is really all there is to say, so many of the things to say about this book are what I have said about the others. They apply to the series in general.

Blessings
~Elizabeth

Mo Ghile Mear & A Riogain Uasail

So on an exploration of an artist I just found, Julia Fowlis, I heard a song that with a tune that sounded extreamly familiar. So after making my sisters listen to it we figured out what it was. The tune was exactly the same as that in Mo Ghile Mear. It inspired me to do a little research. so far. I have found very little on the second song, but what I did find out for sure was that they were by the same author Sean Clarach Mac Domhnaill. He wrote Mo Ghle Mear  and several years latter wrote A Riogain Uasail as a response to the first song. That is all I could figure out for sure. I was not able to figure out what the second song was about but here are the two for you to listen to side by side.


 
I adore Oral, and I like her version a lot better than Celtic Woman's version. I love the Irish bag pipes that I am hearing. I am pretty sure they are Irish bag pipes, they don't quite sound like the Scottish ones.






I really really like this song. It is so pretty, sad, and soothing. I have fallen in love with it! :)

Blessings
~Elizabeth

another year gone by

So yesterday I turned 17. It feels like a huge jump to go from 16 to 17. I don't know why. Maybe it is all the changes that are just around the corner. Graduation. College. Such things that I knew would happen, but didn't become a reality to me until a couple of month ago.

When I was little it seemed to take forever to get to my birthday. I so badly wanted to get another year under my belt so that I could be like to big kids. Now I am a big kid. It is funny to be on the other side of that now, and to look back and see what I was an who I am now. There is more change that you basic growing. I have changes. I have learned. I also know that I have a lot more to learn.

Life is flying by so fast now. I wish I had a button that could make things go in slow motion.

It was a wonderful day. I got to see an aunt that I have not seen in 5 years. and I played games with my family. Overall a very nice day. I now have a spray bottle that I can use when I cut hair.

Blessings

~Elizabeth

So cute!

Baby Platypus!!! So adorable, I just want to have one myself. :) oh oh oh!! I want to kiss them, they are so cute! 

Mostly this is about the picture above, but I will share with you some pictures of the animals that live at my house. 

 This is one of our cats. She is so sweet, and really jumpy. She makes the sweetest faces. 

And this is our monstrosity of a cat. He is so fat, but because he is fat he is also great to cuddle. These two are littler mates. 

Really my cats can be super cute sometimes. 

Blessings

~Elizabeth 

Book Review: The Battle of the Labyrinth

Title: The Battle of the Labyrinth
Author: Rick Riordan
Rate: 5/5
 Please read my reviews of the other books in the series The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, and The Titans Curse.

I think this might actually be my favorite of all the books so far( although it is tied with The Lightning Thief). I think I like it because it involves one of the first Greeks myths that I heard, and it might be one of my favorites too. I also liked that some one other than Percy was "running the show" so too speak. It is still Percy telling the story.

I would very much like to say more, but all the things I want to say I have already said the same things about the other books. I think if you want to get a feel for the series in general my Lightning Thief Review is a good one to read.

 Blessings
~Elizabeth

Elinor, Marianne, and I

As my blog readers must all ready know, I am an Elinor person. I love and adore Elinor, I admire her strength and if I could pick an older sister I would want Elinor to be my older sister. However, even though I relate more to Elinor that does not mean that there are not things that I like about Marianne . At first glance Marianne drove me nuts. She was so dramatic and overly romantic, but when I looked closer I found I had somethings in common with her. But as I got to know her more I found things that I had in common with her. 

For starters music. I love music. I love to play the piano. Marianne loves to play the piano. Marianne also loves poetry, and Shakespeare. I adore poetry, and am head over heels for Shakespeare. In these things I must agree with Marianne. I cannot imagine life with out either of them! The world would be very very dull indeed! However I must say I could do without Marianne's ideas of romance.

I would like to consider myself a combinations of Marianne and Elinor. Having Elinor's sense and steady character, but also Marianne's love for poetry and music.

Blesssings
~Elizabeth

Book lovers enjoy! :)

Isn't it just terrible when that happens! :) 

I think this would be my dream world. :) 

Blessings

~Elizabeth 

PS. The SAT went well to day. None of the things in my nightmares happened. I hope I got a good score! 

Tomorrow

I am taking the SAT tomorrow. I am super nervous. I really cannot wait for it to be over. I am really super nervous! I think I want to hide.I can do this, and then go hide. Did I mention I was nervous?

Yeah. How does one relax for the SAT?
Blessings
~Elizabeth