How do I love thee? Let me count the ways . . .

It should seem obvious that one of the myriad reasons that a person may be Super Curvy is that he or she loves to eat. Another reason may be that he or she hates to eat, or rather, hates to cook. Either way, there is no way to extricate our Cushioniness from our relationship with food and exercise, as well as genes and health and hormones and stress and all sorts of other issues we all come here to ignore in favor of fabulous shoes and clothing and wit, oh my!

But there it is, we have to eat, and yet the question of what we eat and how much probably causes most of us no small amount of guilt and shame, whether it should or no.

So Francesca is here to say: IT IS OK TO LOVE FOOD. Loving food, talking about food, cooking food, buying food, and going out to eat food can be a glorious part of life, and does not need to cause embarrassment. You do not have to eat in private or be afraid to openly admit that savoring a fresh neopolitan is one of your favorite pleasures. In fact, savoring the neopolitan bite for bite – really, truly savoring it — is probably a way to eat just one neopolitan, rather than two (or four, as Francesca has done many, many times. And loved. every. single. bite.).

In any case, there is an interesting article in today’s New York Times about cupcakes. Francesca adores cupcakes! Francesca loves all cupcakes, whether from the bakery or the Entenmanns box. She is an equal-opportunity cupcake lover. Do you know what is one of Francesca’s favorite desserts of all time? The St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes of Entenmanns. Yes, it is true. I love licking off that green frosting, and then slowly sucking the chemically-cream frosting out of the crumbly cake. The chocolate topping comes last, always. It is a messy way to eat a cupcake, which is why Francesca performs this sacred ritual only in the presence of Those Who Understand.

Of course, there are also Very Fancy cupcakes being produced every day at specialty bakeries and at the homes of women all over the world who enjoy baking cupcakes as much as Francesca enjoys licking and biting and savoring them. What is better, a cupcake or sex? you ask. Francesca says: Give me a moment to consider.

You can enjoy a daily homage to these tempting treats at one of Francesca’s Top 10 blogs, Cupcakes Take the Cake.

Happy shopping and HAPPY HAPPY eating!

xoxo,

Francesca

Many of our internet friends have written bemoaning the lack of boots suitable for the girl with the wide calf. Well gals, I have good news and I have bad news.

The good news is there are boots out there. The bad news is that it’ll cost you.

It is the mantra of the Manolo Blogs that instead of buying cheap footwear made with deplorable lack of attention to detail by whatever 8-year old Bangladeshi child was cuffed to that particular table, one must save up for the superfantastic shoes, lovingly made by handsome gruff men named Aldo who drive cool Italian scooters and get 90 minute lunch breaks.

Give Aldo a cow and a dream and he’ll make you a pair of boots that will last you until the cows –at least the ones who have not as of yet become court shoes– come home.

Some internet friends have had success with Sudini, whose boots come with a standard 14″ circumference and elastic goring for a better fit, like the mid-heel brogue-style “Tiffany” that goes all the way up to a 13 Wide.

But for my money, custom is the way to go. Duo Boots offered hand-tooled, custom fitted boots for calves up to 20″ in a variety of traditional and modern styles. Even better? Most boots ring in at under 150 pounds!

Here are a few of my favorites.

From Top: Moscow, Almeria,  Odessa & Versailles

Remember to order slightly smaller than your actual calf size because leather stretches over time. Happy shopping!

Lane Bryant is having a “buy one, get the other for $10″ sale.

If you buy one item at a cost of at least $59.50, you can choose any other item (which costs less than $59.50) and get it for $10. Not a bad deal, if you like Lane Bryant!

So, what items are eligible for the $10 sale price? Well, for starters, Francesca likes this Fuschia beaded top (not for herself, since her arms are too lumpy-squishy, but for women with arms to show off it is a very cute top – and the skirt shown with it is also available at the sale price!):

And here is a handsome cardigan, available in black, yellow, and pink:

And here is a versatile black knit skirt. There are also some handsome pants available.

And remember to treat yourself to something special for nighttime.

Happy shopping!

xoxo, Francesca

British Department store chain John Lewis announced recently that they will be introducing new, larger-sized mannequins at their Peterborough branch. If the mannequins go over well there, they will be used throughout the chain soon.

The current mannequins used by John Lewis are equivilant to a US size 10. The average British woman wears approximately a size 16. The mannequins are size 14. This means the mannequins will still be smaller than the average customer, but by a much smaller margin.

In response to recent criticism of unrealistic images being used to sell women’s clothing, the chain made the somewhat radical decision to use a size twelve model on the cover of a recent swimsuit catalogue. The model, Lauren Moller, was brought in from South Africa because none of the agencies John Lewis usually hires models from had a girl that large on their books. They were directed to agencies that work with plus-size models.

“We were astonished,” a representative of the company said. “Size 12 isn’t big. It’s still quite slim.”

The catalogue was a hit, sales skyrocketed, and the company has decided to see if more of the same approach will continue to be successful.

So if any Big Girl readers are in Peterborough anytime soon, be sure to visit the local John Lewis and weigh in on the new mannequins.

The Stuart Weitzman Benidorm slides with Swarovski crystals are on sale, 28% off, at Zappos!  Available in sizes 5.5 to 8.5, also in wide widths!

If you have been saving your money to treat yourself to some excellent shoes, now is the time . . .

Gold . . .

Silver . . .

Black . . .

A friendly reader recently pointed out an interesting site to me. It’s called VoluptuArt. I think their mission can best be expressed by this quote from the site about how they choose the pieces they sell:

We look for art & gifts that portray bodies of all sizes, shapes, ethnicities, ages & genders that “embody” a sense of aliveness through joy, contemplation, quiet movement, love, connection, sensuality, sexiness, self-love…. We’ve also chosen images of nature, animals & spirital symbology that represent curves & fullness. You’ll find full, round animals that bring forth a smile or a giggle, and spiritual symbology that encourges you to take a breath – to remember what is important in your life, and to be grateful for all that works in your life, including your amazing body.

Okay, it’s a little wordy and fuzzy around the edges, but the attitude is great. What’s more, the site is full of gift items, both practical and whimsically decorative that do celebrate a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and ethnicities, as well as both sexes. From Venus of Willendorf ink stamps, to Love Your Body tee shirts, to glittery pink scales that don’t read the numbers, but tell you you weigh ‘perfect’ or ‘sassy,’ to sculpures of beautiful, bountiful women of varying ethnicities, to mugs and towel hooks and bookmarks with positive images of large women of all ages, there are plenty of fun, practical, and attractive items to make you smile.

I think the attitude of the site is best summed up by artist Judie Bomberger’s image which is used as the logo for the site. If this lovely, curvy lady dancing in her red dress makes you smile, then go see what else is in store for you on this site.

New Yorkers! Don’t miss the Fat Girl Flea Market, details are at Fat Chic.

What former supermodel called :Make Me a Supermodel” contestant and aspiring size 12 catwalker Jen Hunter “fat, lazy and greedy“? Find out at Passionate About Plus Size.

Right Fit, wrong smell? Something’s funky over at Pretty Pear.

God save the Queen. Thick Misses gives us a peak at Queen Latifah’s spread in Ebony (and yes, I’ve already asked where to buy the coats)