Showing posts with label It Gets Better. Show all posts
Showing posts with label It Gets Better. Show all posts

Monday, July 25, 2011

Grant Mower: (Hopefully) Fashion Designer to Michelle Obama

This was designed by a 12-year-old for Michelle Obama. If you're like me, you were embarrassed to wear that t-shirt you were required to sew in 7th grade. Image from KSL.com (Utah).

My friend Susan finds the coolest stories. I don't know how she does it, but she does. It's just one of the super cool qualities about her. Oh, that and she writes an amazing blog that you simply must read. Well, after you read this blog post.

Anyhoo, today, she posted this story on Facebook. I. Love. It.

Imagine being 12-years-old and designing a dress for the First Lady?! When I was 12, I was just hoping beyond all hope that I wouldn't fail Home Ec (I almost did because I didn't know a strainer was really called a sifter or maybe it was vice versa. I still don't know.) But I digress. What I love about this is that no matter what the bullies say, Grant Mower keeps pursuing his passion. And his mom is 100% in his corner. Don't get me wrong, I hate that he gets bullied, but his success will show those bullies who's boss. And one day, I predict those bullies will be clamoring to wear Grant's fashions.

Trust me, you're gonna be on Team Grant once you read this story. Oh, and check back on Tuesday. I'll let you know whether Michelle Obama chose Grant's dress.

12-year old boy designs dress for first lady Michelle Obama
July 21, 2011
By Nkoyo Iyamba

PARK CITY -- Designers fight for the chance to dress high-profile women. A boy with Utah ties is hoping first lady Michelle Obama will wear his work during her visit to Utah next week. And this up and coming designer is just 12 years old.

Grant Mower beat out high school and college fashion design students in a contest in Texas where he lives.

"First I was just drawing little girls stuff, then I came up to where I am now watching Chanel shows and you know sort of a growth in fashion and maturity," said Mower.

He's grown a lot from the first dress he made of newspaper. Now he's designing a dress for the First Lady, Michelle Obama. The inspiration came when he saw an orchid while visiting the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. However, it's been a painful road to get to this point. His mother Moanna says bullies at school would tease him for wanting to be a fashion designer.

"He would look for validation, and not get it, so he'd come home from school and it would take him three hours for me to just get him back," said Moanna Mower. "And out of desperation I would do things like, do you want to watch a Versace fashion show? "

"When it came to sixth grade, because there's new people, there's also new bullies, and they come," said Mower. "And I don't care, I really don't care what they tell me."

Grant left for Dallas Wednesday and will come to Utah for the chance to schedule a fitting with Mrs. Obama at next week's Utah fundraising event for the President

"He's just so happy," said Mower's aunt Shannon Barton. "He's just so happy when he's designing. He's who he really is when he gets to do things like this."

Right now, Grant is an apprentice under a designer who has dressed former First Ladies: Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton. Mowers has kept those sketches under wraps until of course, as everyone is hoping, Mrs. Obama will make the big reveal in a Grant Mower gown on July 26.

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Now, go read Yeah, And Another Thing by my friend Susan. And make sure you read the cupcake post. Why? Because I told you to. That's why. This is my playground, so I make the rules. Just come back when you're done.

Friday, July 22, 2011

It Gets Better - Stephen Colbert Version

A few weeks ago, I posted the It Gets Better video by the Chicago Cubs. Tonight Lawrence O'Donnell took a few minutes out of his show, The Last Word, to play Stephen Colbert's It Gets Better video.

I love this video. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Of course you do! You're a bleeding heart liberal and you LOVE Stephen Colbert." To that I'd say you're right. I am. And I do love Stephen Colbert.

BUT you've never seen Stephen Colbert like this. He's not in character. He's just himself. Genuine, authentic Stephen Colbert. Not comedian Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report.

I love the story he shares with all kids who are getting teased for whatever reason. Words have power, but the power doesn't just belong to the bullies. We can disarm the bullies by not letting their words bother us, thus deflating them. When we do that, we take the power away from the bullies and things begin to get better immediately.

So watch Stephen Colbert. Because he's right. It does get better.

Monday, June 20, 2011

The Chicago Cubs: It Gets Better

Given their dismal record this year (29-42 to date), you might think this blog post was going to be an inspirational speech to help them emerge from their current 5th place position in the NL Central, but it's not.

The Chicago Cubs have joined with ItGetsBetter.org and The Trevor Project and made an inspiring video for LGBT youth who may be struggling. Started with a video by syndicated columnist Dan Savage and his partner Terry giving hope to LGBT youth, the "website www.itgetsbetter.org is a place where young people who are lesbian, gay, bi, or trans can see how love and happiness can be a reality in their future." The Trevor Project is dedicated to preventing suicide in the LGBT youth community and is a benefactor of ItGetsBetter.org.



The Cubs join the San Francisco Giants as only the second professional sports team to get involved with the It Gets Better project. Given how kids look up to professional athletes as role models, I hope all other sports teams will hurry up and get involved.

To quote Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, "Hatred, bigotry and intolerance have no place in this world."