Showing posts with label Michelle Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michelle Obama. 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.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

OMG! Michelle Obama Wore SHORTS!

Yes, seriously.

Imagine my surprise this morning when, barely awake, I opened my online newspaper of choice, and discovered an article on whether it was appropriate for First Lady Michelle Obama to wear shorts. Before reading the article, I thought "Huh, that's odd. She's usually so appropriate, why would she make such a poor choice when meeting a foreign leader?" I mean, would the media really be covering this if it weren't some major foreign relations snafu?

Evidently, yes, although it seems it wasn't an article, so much as a poll asking if it was appropriate for Mrs. Obama to have worn said shorts. It seems that she made this most egregious fashion faux pas while on vacation with her family at the Grand Canyon. You know, it's not exactly a temperate climate out there at the Grand Canyon. With an average daily temperature in August of 104, I'd say as long as folks don't go naked they are just fine and dandy with me.

I happen to be out of town this week, sort of on vacation, and it's hot. Damn hot. Drying my hair is optional and my makeup hasn't seen the outside of my suitcase. Now I understand that the First Lady is in a slightly different situation, but she's still on vacation with her family. Do people expect her to wear heels, hose, and a shirtwaist dress while traipsing through the Grand Canyon?

Since I'm on vacation, I haven't been paying much attention to the news, so I turned to MSNBC for more on this story. They called the shorts "short shorts" and they also had a poll and a video. Now I don't mean to argue with MSNBC, but these are short shorts:

And these are not:
Michelle Obama's shorts are age and body appropriate. They are also appropriate for the activity she is participating in.

To the media, I beg you. We've got real problems in this country. Health care reform, 2 wars, and an unstable economy to name just a few. Can we please focus on what's really important? This stuff just makes you look stupid and petty.

And if we can't do that, can we at least all focus on my major concern today? Should I have my nails painted "Overexposed in South Beach," "Kinky in Helsinki," "Vodka & Caviar," or "Feelin' Hot-Hot-Hot"? at my mani/pedi this morning?

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Commencement 2009

It's commencement season and yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama gave her first commencement address at University of California at Merced. Her speech is inspiring and the story of how she got there will make you feel confident in today's young people. Watch it and see if you're not moved to be just a little better than you are now.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3: