national eating disorders awareness week

unrelated photography. it just makes me happy.

this is gonna be one crazy week, but a blessed one, no less. i have four size ate shows this week at various schools in the area.

i'm SUPER-EXCITED!!!

(i always used to have a little meltdown in acting class, just before i was about to perform. "i'm so nervous/scared!!!" i'd proclaim. my acting teacher would respond in a very wise, Earth Mother sort of way, "okay... so i'm hearing you say that you're excited." she said that for the most part, the feelings of scared and excited physically feel the same way - butterflies in the belly, a racing heart, a rise in body temperature. it's just that "scared" has a negative connotation while "excited" has a positive connotation. so, when you feel "scared" about taking a healthy risk, try saying out loud to yourself and to others around you that you are excited. it works. i pinky swear.)

as you might already know, this week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. that means lots of body-positive events. if you're not in the NYC area, you can go here to find out about events in your neck of the woods, but here's two that i know about in NYC that i heartily recommend.

"Turning the Lens on Eating Disorders" Film Screening
Thursday February 26th, 2009 7:00pm
Pace University, Lecture Hall West, 1 Pace Plaza, 2nd floor
Seating is limited, RSVP by February 25th, 2009 to nyfilm@myneda.org

Mix, mingle, and join NEDA at the movies as we screen two films that explore the impact of eating disorders. A Panel Discussion follows, led by Eating Disorder expert Sondra Kronberg, MS, RD, CDN, and featuring Arol Jahns and Stephanie Schweitzer, writer/producers of Swept and Carla Precht, co-producer/co-director of Beauty Mark

i did this Fearless Eating Workshop last year, and it really helped me get over some residual food fears. and fyi? the food is delicioso! even if you can't go (but you should! i'll be there too!), you should check out Susan Weiss-Berry's website.

Fearless Eating Workshop
Saturday February 28, 2009 12-2 PM
Employees Only Restaurant
510 Hudson St. (between Christopher and W.10th)
$50.00 /seating limited to 20

Join Susan and Julia Jaksic, Executive Chef of Employees Only for a fabulous five-course progressive tasting. Come and challenge your food fears with Mindful Awareness, Writing and Meditation. Experience eating EVERYTHING without the freak-out! To register: swb@evolvedeating.com and we will email information about sign-up and payment.

what can you do for yourself and for others this week to honor National Eating Disorders Awareness week?

for others, i'm going to perform my show in hopes of getting people thinking and talking about the issue. that is the first step, i believe, to recovery.

for me? well, i'm going to do my best to take exquisitely good care of myself this week. it's gonna be a full one, so i'll need all the self-care i can get. long hot showers; wholesome meals; hugs, hugs, and more hugs from The Cute, and taking a moment every day to reflect upon why i do my show, and how lucky i am that i get to.

love letter to my body

i ignored you.

i starved you.

i called you names.

i pinched you.

i plucked you.

i tried to make you disappear.

i hated you, i told you so, and still, you stuck around.

i have no idea why.

i would have broken up with me a long time ago if i were you. i would have tossed my baggage from the fourth floor window onto the street, screamed expletives from the top of my lungs until i went hoarse, and let me fend for myself in the world.

but no.

you stayed. you stoked the fires, you kept the soup warm, and the sheets clean. it's almost as if you knew, somewhere deep, deep down, that i'd come home one night, surrender, crawl into your lap, and let you feed me buttered bread and hot chocolate. you knew you'd cradle me while i slept, my hand resting upon your soft belly, loving you, like you knew you deserved to be loved.

thank you.

and spritz it with your favorite perfume...

from one of my fave photogs and ban.do-makers, jen gotch

valentine's day is coming up! write your body a love letter on pretty stationery, and mail it to yourself the old-fashioned way, with a stamp.

not up for penning a whole letter? then at the very least, a card! you can even download adorable valentine stationery here at etsy, my new obsession.

i'll share my lettre d'mour to my body this week. feel free to share yours. i'll publish them here if you give me the go.

checking in.

my friend took a few snaps of me in hopes of capturing a new shot to use for size ate stuffs.
we got a few, but not until we got quite a few of me being uncomfortable in front of the camera... like-a dees one.

hi lovelies!

great news! up from three to five shows confirmed plus two tentative this spring!

here's the schedule* so far:

Drew University, Monday, February 23
Caldwell College, Wednesday, February 25
SUNY New Paltz, Thursday, February 26 (2 shows)
Immaculata College, Thursday, March 19

the tentative shows i'm gonna keep mum about lest i jinx them, but i'm keeping my fingers crossed, and gonna bake a batch of these cookies tonight to bribe the booking gods.

*if any of you live in the area and would like to attend one of these shows, please let me know. i'd love to have you, but i would need to check in with the schools first to confirm that outside guests are welcome. understandably, security is tight on college campuses these days.