Inspire to BE Inspired!

So. I am super-duper sorry for the slack in posting, y'all! :( It's been a craaaazy train around the Southerner home front lately. Big changes came along with Mr. Southerner's new job, some expected, some not so much. Like the whole not seeing him as much, expected. Him working 19 days straight, NOT expected. o_O  To say it's been a MASSIVE adjustment for our little family is a complete understatement!

Anyway, with the added stress of running things around the homestead mostly by my lonesome, I have kinda had to let my crafting (and photography) take a back seat...which stinks, yes. :( But, fret not, my buttercups, because I have FINALLY seen the light at the end of the tunnel this week and should be back to the ol' grind this coming week, if all goes according to schedule. So, YAY!!!

On a serious, more profound note, I'm not the type of girl to have really powerful realizations just hit me over the head out of nowhere; I'm the type that's stubborn and has to be shown such things...lol Alas, you can imagine my surprise when this epiphany just dawned on me in the middle of an aisle of ethnic foods in a busy supermarket. Anyway, here goes...

As most of you know (and if you don't, you will, trust me ;) ), the Southerner is a proud, comfortable plus-size gal. I pride myself on not only embracing who I am & my size, but, the fact that I still remain true to myself and wear things I like, things that make me feel super-feminine, things that make me feel like a runway model, and things that make me feel HAPPY. I don't let my size define me. It hurts me to see other plus-size women put themselves down, or allow others to do so. It just irks me like you would not even believe! So, when I saw this lovely girl, about my age, on one of the motorized carts in the market, my heart went out to her. There was just something about this girl, you know? She just seemed kind of shy, like she was afraid to be herself and was trying to just get her things and hurry out of the store. I was honestly surprised when I ran into her on about the third time, that she spoke to me as I rifled through the tortillas.

With a genuine, friendly smile, she complimented my nail polish and we struck up a nice little chat right there about nail polish brands and such. Such a nice girl! I really enjoyed talking to her and it seemed like it did us both good. And as I left the market, I realized, "I like this feeling." The feeling of , "Hey, I think I made her day a little brighter just by sharing a common bond with her", and I know she made MY day brighter! But, the thing that stuck with me the most is, I want to help empower my fellow plus-size ladies!

I don't want myself or any other woman of size to feel alienated, shunned, or awkward just because of the size of our bodies! And, by the same token, I don't think ANY woman should feel that way, regardless of her size, the color of her skin, or any other factor of her life. So, it's now also a part of the mission of the Southerner to share these sentiments via this blog. I just want women to know that we all ultimately have common bonds with one another, we're not as different as we may look or seem. Remember that.

I challenge y'all to inspire at least one lovely lady this week. I promise, it will make you feel just as good as buying a new pair of shoes, girls! ;)

Alright. Time for this sleepyhead to sign off & enjoy the company of Mr. Southerner. Y'all stay tuned for new merchandise...hopefully in the coming week!

XoXo,