flaw-ful and proud :)

Good morning my sweets! Todays post is actually one that I put together last night when I got home from my bbq-ed filled day (which ended up being quite the adventure...recap on that to come later today).. enjoy!

**********************
We all know the feeling of opening up a magazine or flipping on the TV and asking ourselves "why can't I have her eyes?" or "her stomach is perfect, I wish mine were like that". This pressure to look like the idolized celebrities is overwhelming and often times I feel as though we lose sight that even these beautiful individuals have *gasp* FLAWS.

as I was surfing the web I came across an article entitled "Imperfect Beauties" which speaks about the imperfections of some of Hollywoods most admired stars.

It seems that no matter how beautiful a woman is, people have to find a flaw. Right now the Internet is buzzing about Megan Fox's thumbs. Really? The girl could not be more drop-dead gorgeous, and people are taking time out of their busy lives to analyze the size and shape of her thumbs? It's no wonder that women, and female celebrities in particular, obsess about certain body parts or facial features. If we don't do it, it's almost guaranteed that someone else will.

Megan Fox doesn't seem all that concerned about her thumbs from what we can tell, but she did say in a recent interview that she is extremely insecure about her looks. She even joked (we hope!) about thinking she's an Alan Alda lookalike. And while we think Alan is adorable, Megan clearly wins out in the attractiveness department.

We also contend that some people's "flaws" are actually what makes them alluring, like Julia Roberts' wide, contagious smile. So we present a list of gorgeous celebrities who have criticized themselves or have been critiqued by others for being less-than-perfect.

Kim Kardashian's Cellulite
We think Kim Kardashian gets a bit of a bad rap. Sure, she had that "for adults' eyes only" Internet tape a few years back, and her reality TV show is a bit too voyeuristic for our tastes, but she's actually a successful business woman, and we think it's unfair that her backside is the "butt" of all her jokes (bad pun intended). As girls who are less than endowed in that area, we think she should continue to stand tall and proud and display her rear without shame. The stunning beauty was publicly annoyed when Complex magazine airbrushed her cover shot to hide some cellulite. Kim fought back by posting the before and after shots on her own website. You go, girl.

Most women have cellulite -- even Kim Kardashian!

Michelle Pfeiffer's Duck Nose
Personally, we think Michelle Pfeiffer is more beautiful today at 51 than she was when she first hit the big screen in the '80s. In 1990 she became the cover girl for People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People issue, and in the interview she said she thought she looked like a duck because of the way her nose tilts up and her mouth curls. Sorry, Michelle, we don't see anything in any way resembling any kind of bird. Thankfully, in more recent interviews, she's finally shed her duck-phobia and laughed at her own off-base critique.

In 1990, Michelle Pfeiffer told People magazine that she thought she looked like a duck.

Christina Applegate's Short Legs
Christina Applegate has said that her short legs and long torso drive her crazy and that she wishes she was built more like long-stemmed beauty Cameron Diaz. She says if she searches hard enough, she can find the right jeans to fool the eye. Well, we think Christina has found the magic fashion formula because we never would have thought in a million years that this beauty had leg issues.

Christina Applegate dreams of having legs like Cameron Diaz.

Drew Barrymore's Bad Acne
Drew Barrymore claims her #1 beauty problem is acne. We claim she's crazy. But when Drew is asked what her most important beauty item is, she says without hesitation: "zit cream." It must be really good, because we think her skin is flawless. Besides, Drew says she doesn't let any blemish stop her. She thinks happiness makes us pretty, and if someone is content inside, they reflect it outside. We'd like to second that emotion.

Drew Barrymore claims her most important beauty product is zit cream.

Audrey Hepburn's Big Feet
Audrey Hepburn: Classic beauty, fashion icon, stunningly perfect. Right? Apparently, even this drop-dead gorgeous actress was self-conscious about her appearance, in particular her size 10 feet. Funny, we watched her all these years and never even noticed her feet. Except, of course, for those classic flats that she brought into vogue with her pegged pedal pushers. Or maybe her big feet were just overshadowed by her enormous talent.

Kate Hudson's Flat Chest
Unlike Audrey Hepburn, Kate Hudson likes her feet. In fact, she once told People magazine that they are the only part of her body that she's never been self-conscious about. She also said that after she's through with having babies, she might think about a boob job ... but then went on to say probably not. She says she likes being herself. We couldn't agree more, Kate, as we look at you in those stunning belly button-baring red carpet dresses. Remember, the grass is always greener.

Apparently, Kate Hudson's feet are the only part of her body she hasn't been self conscious about.

Shannen Doherty's Crooked Face
If you look at pictures of Shannen Doherty, there's no denying the critique of her face that runs rampant on the Internet: she is ever so slightly crooked. Studied carefully, there is little symmetry to her face. And though there's no record of her responding to the criticisms, she does pose most often with her head tilted just a little to one side (perhaps to even the scale?). Still we defend the actress' attractiveness. Until it was pointed out to us, we thought of her as just another pretty starlet and contend that isn't it these imperfections that give us character? We should all be so lucky as to have Shannen's "flaws."

Shannen Doherty became a star despite her crooked face.

Madonna's Tooth Gap
OK, Madonna has a gap between her front teeth. There we said it. We also say, so what? With arms like that, is anyone looking at her teeth? And although the space has seemed to shrink in recent years, we commend her for keeping her signature "flaw" even while trying to perfect everything else about her body. We think it just adds to her charm.

Madonna's tooth gap gives her character.

Julia Roberts' Big Mouth
A few years back, when Hugh Grant was on Oprah he joked about his past co-star Julia Roberts' big mouth, saying that when he kissed her there was a slight echo. Of course, he was teasing, but as any picture will show you, her mouth is disproportionately bigger than her other facial features. But is there anyone alive who hasn't been infected by Julia's wide smile and hearty laugh? Her mouth and everything that goes with it is what makes her Julia. And as for Hugh, she forgave him for his cruelty and hopes to act with him again.

Julia Roberts may have a big mouth, but she certainly lights up the big screen with her smile.

Eva Mendes' Overbite
Believe it or not, even the stunning Eva Mendes has a few body hang-ups. As a kid, she used to get teased about her mole ("Hey, Eva, there's some chocolate on your face!") and considered having it removed. She's said that she thinks her hands look like they belong on a little boy. And she also has compared her overbite to a bottle opener and revealed that her family used to call her "Bugs." Still, Eva, who nowadays is known as one of Hollywood's greatest beauties, says she's come to terms with her "flaws."

It warms my heart to see that these celebrities are so open about embracing their flaws and makes me hopeful that more woman, teens, and young girls will follow this trend.

I am a firm believer that not only do flaws make us special and unique - they make us HUMAN. Perfection is impossible.. the main reason being because perfection is in the eye of beholder. We convince ourselves that if we had "her legs" or "her breasts" we would be perfect, when in reality that woman we are admiring is more than likely wishing she had someone else legs or breasts. Ultimately, the pursuit of perfection becomes an ugly cycle of comparison and overwhelming feeling of inadequacy. Would it not be more productive to embrace what we have? accept our flaws, learn to live with them, and focus more so on appreciating the things we love about ourselvses? I'll be honest.. i have my dads nose - slightly crooked with a bump in the middle. I used to HATE it and wonder why I wasn't fortunate enough to get my sisters perfectly slender nose. But you know what? my sister had a very similar feeling when she told me she wished she had my long eyelashes. Point of the story being we both spent so much time desiring what the other had that we lost sight of the fact that we possessed our own beautiful qualities.

I encourage you all to give yourselves a good look in the mirror and notice your flaws. Look at them and remind yourself that they make you who you are! My crooked nose and mole on my chin are beautiful gifts from my parents. Without them, I wouldn't be who I was!

What are some of your flaws?! Have you learned to embrace them or do you still have a difficult time accepting them? What are some features that you love about yourself?!

"Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one"

- Chinese Proverb

never forget, we are all precious and valuable just the way we are!

**********************

Alright well I am off to spend this beautiful day working at the golf course..enjoy your Sunday gorgeous gals!

lots of love,

♥ Jenny