Adolescence is a harrowing time for body image and self-esteem all around‚ but few milestones are as universally daunting as finding a prom dress. Whether it’s due to budget constraints‚ not being able to find a dress that fits‚ or both‚ what should be a fun event is often viscerally dreaded. This was certainly the case for Summer Lucille. Lucille told Today.com that growing up‚ “if you weren’t skinny‚ there weren’t many options‚ and it was devastating for me because I’ve always loved fashion.” She recalled‚ “I went to my prom looking like a church lady in a suit dress with a jacket because it was the only thing that fit. It was a very sad period in my life.” Wanting to ensure a more positive experience for others‚ Lucille opened up her plus-size-only dress shop‚ Juicy Body Goddess‚ in 2016. The boutique‚ based in North Carolina‚ features mostly Lucille’s own designs of formal dresses up to a size 6X.Juicy Body Goddess really started gaining traction when Lucille set up a TikTok account sharing truly joyful interactions with customers as they try on different styles. Besides having an eye for fashion‚ Lucille is a masterful hype woman‚ making others feel beautiful with her enthusiastic‚ heartfelt praises. She clearly loves what she does. Here's one of many‚ many examples: @juicybodygoddess I had to get her number so she can model🤩 #plussizefashion #plussizeboutique #birthday #plussizetiktok #juicybodygoddess ♬ original sound - JuicyBodyGoddess Juicy Goddess’s TikTok presence is how 18-year-old Elyse Monroe found out about the store. Monroe and her family drove nearly six hours for a consultation‚ determined to find the perfect dress.Lucille shared with People that Monroe was initially “nervous and shy‚” but after trying on a sparkly‚ form-fitting purple gown‚ everything changed. &;quot;When she got into that purple dress‚ she lit up‚&;quot; Lucille told People.There was still a budget problem‚ however. Monroe’s family could only afford to pay $400. The dress was $700. Thankfully‚ Lucille had one more surprise up her sleeve. A now viral TikTok video shows the Monroe family approach the register‚ asking how much the dress would cost. Lucille can be heard saying‚ “This dress is $700…but it’s free.” Yeah‚ as you can probably expect‚ this leaves the teen and her family a bit emotional. Watch below: @juicybodygoddess I didn't cry until I did edit #plussize #plussizetiktok #juicybodygoddess #plussizefashion ♬ original sound - JuicyBodyGoddess The video has had an overwhelming number of responses. Many commiserated with their own painful prom memories and applauded Lucille for her generosity. Some were even inspired to perform their own act of kindness by donating. Lucille told People that since posting the video‚ there has been $12‚000 worth of gift card purchases. Yowza.This is such an amazing example of what can happen when we celebrate uniqueness‚ spread generosity‚ and prioritize making everyone feel worthy of praise. If you’d like to purchase a gift card from Juicy Body Goddess‚ click here. Or‚ if you wanna just follow along on some gorgeous fittings‚ you can find the Juicy Body Goddess TikTok here.This article originally appeared on 3.15.23

Ever stop to think how bizarre it is that the United States is one of the only countries to not use the metric system&;#63; Or how it uses the word “football” to describe a sport that‚ unlike f&;uacute;tbol‚ barely uses the feet at all&;#63; What must our forefathers have been thinking as they were creating this brave new world&;#63;Wonder no further. All this and more is explored in a recent Saturday Night Live sketch that folks are hailing as an “instant classic.”The hilarious clip takes place during the American Revolution‚ where George Washington rallies his troops with an impassioned speech about his future hopes for their fledgling country…all the while poking fun at America’s nonsensical measurements and language rules.Like seriously‚ liters and milliliters for soda‚ wine and alcohol but gallons‚ pints‚ and quarters for milk and paint&;#63; And no “u” after “o” in words like “armor” and “color” but “glamour” is okay&;#63; The inherent humor in the scene is only amplified by comedian and host Nate Bargatze’s understated‚ deadpan delivery of Washington. Bargatze had quite a few hits during his hosting stint—including an opening monologue that acted as a mini comedy set—but this performance takes the cake. Watch: All in all‚ people have been applauding the sketch‚ noting that it harkened back to what “SNL” does best‚ having fun with the simple things.Here’s what folks are saying:“This skit is an instant classic. I think people will be referencing it as one of the all time best SNL skits for years.”“Dear SNL‚ whoever wrote this sketch‚ PLEASE let them write many many MANY more&;#33;”“Instantly one of my favorite SNL sketches of all time&;#33;&;#33;&;#33;”“I’m not lying when I say I have watched this sketch about 10 times and laughed just as hard every time.”“This may be my favorite sketch ever. This is absolutely brilliant.”There’s more where that came from. Catch even more of Bargatze’s “SNL” episode here. This article originally appeared on 10.30.23

Pets are wonderful‚ loving‚ innocent creatures that add so much pure joy into our lives.They also have an unruly penchant for eating things they shouldn’t be eating‚ find heinously bad places to go potty and are weapons of mass destruction when it comes to shoes‚ fragile knickknacks and furniture. If you’ve had a pet‚ then you have at least one story involving one of these sins‚ if not all three. No matter how egregious the act‚ it’s pretty hard to stay mad. After all‚ much of the time animal misbehavior is merely a natural reaction to stress or boredom. Plus‚ one look at their sweet little faces is all it takes for anger to be subdued. Most of the time. A Reddit user recently asked pet owners‚ “What’s the worst thing your pet has ever done&;#63;” and boy‚ some critters really know to act out. Whether its fur babies or feathered friends or scaly companions‚ pets are capable of some truly horrific-slash-hilarious antics. We love them anyway‚ of course.Below are 22 of the best responses from traumatized pet owners. And though their stories don’t necessarily paint the best picture of their beastly bestie‚ it’s certainly an amusing read‚ if not an all-too-relatable one.1.“My dog dug up my neighbors cable line on Super Bowl Sunday when they had a big crowd coming over.” -@Living_Departure_2652.“My parrot has learnt to swear and will not stop. The weirdest thing is that I don't even know how he learnt to swear. Maybe he overheard the neighbors or something.” -@Pizza-pen3.“As a kitten‚ she managed to get hold of‚ and tear to pieces‚ a dried flower my mother took from my grandmother's funeral as a keepsake. Literally irreplaceable.” -@Catstrudle4.“My dog‚ then teething‚ chewed through and broke the beanbag chair he used to sleep on; which was filled with styrofoam pellets‚ each about 3mm dia. Tens of thousands of them. There is no effective way of picking them up due to their attraction to static and propensity to fly at the slightest change in the wind. The vacuum cleaner just pushed around more than it picked up. It took ~3 hours to clean up. We were finding pellets for years in random places.” -@Darthfloyd5.“I used to have this ball python. I wake up one morning and take him out of his cage because he's looking restless. I throw him on my bed and lay back down. He'd often crawl on me and curl up for warmth. On this particular occasion he came sniffing around my face right as I yawned. When I did‚ a small tear came out of my eye‚ which he licked. A second later he latched onto my eyebrow like it was some furry little rodent. I sat right up‚ holding the four foot snake straight off my face. He let go after a few seconds and we didn't talk for the rest of the day. Left two bloody holes right on my eyebrow. Jerk.” -@Stevel-Knievel6.“Baxter once pooped in the refrigerator and ate an entire wheel of cheese. I wasn't even mad‚ it was amazing.” -@ryclarky7.“My boxer knocked over a statue of the Virgin Mary. Her head broke off‚ and my dog was running around with the head.” - @Motherinlawdouche8.“As I lay down for a much needed nap the other day‚ I heard a crash in the living room go out to check what fresh hell...my Calico had climbed a desk and knocked over a small shelf containing a case of small silver thumbtacks alllllllll over my living room. I made it about 5 steps in before I realized I was surrounded by tacks.” -@slumvillain9.“I filled a cup to the brim with fruit punch and walked away to put the bottle back into the fridge. When I turned back around I saw my blind cat standing on the dining room table feeling the cup with his paw…he winds up and swats it off the table. Got fruit punch everywhere.&;quot; -@colethefatcat10.“Back in 2014‚ my parents owned this vase that had been passed down 4 generations to the youngest in the family. It sat on top of the cabinets‚ like higher than the refrigerator. Our family went on a 4 day vacation to Disney World and had our neighbor feed our 2 cats. On the 2nd day of our vacation‚ my father gets a text saying that our vase shattered on the floor and both our cats were next to where it once sat. We believe our cats were able to jump up there with the help up [by] climbing on our air fryer we left on the counter.” -@mittiens11.“We bought our first house and the first time we left our dog alone he ate through the trim surrounding all the doors‚ the drywall behind it‚ and almost through the exterior. Needless to say I wasn’t pleased.” -@Fuzzy-Ad5756 12.“I’m a caffeine addict and I admit it. I start out every day with an energy drink and pop Diet Mountain Dew all day. In college I was very‚ very broke and at one point was down to about 14 ounces left in a 2 liter of Mtn Dew poured into a cup. My cat came to check out what I had‚ sniffed at it and I guess the popping bubbles tickled her nose and she sneezed directly onto the surface of it.”-@LatterTowel940313.“Got a new dog and wanted them to be happy and acclimated to a new home. Gave them a pig ear to chew on (already a fairly disgusting treat) and they happily take it. A short time later‚ where did the dog go&;#63; On my bed‚ chomping away on the pig ear‚ with a large pile of drool and pig ear bits‚ now quite possibly a permanent part of my sheets. Not the way I wanted to start off a relationship with a new dog. Silver lining‚ my sheets smelled like bacon for a while even after washing them&;#33;” -@ItsGotHeart14.“My beta killed 3 fish in a week.” -@Tox1cShark715.“My dog was still a puppy and has never seen a baby bird. One night I was taking her for a walk and there was a baby bird on the ground. It was chirping and it really caught her attention (probably cause it sounded like her squeaky toys). I started reaching for the bird so I could try and put it back in its nest but my dog jumped towards the bird. I just heard a loud squeak and silence. My dog's expression changed when she realized what she had done. The rest of the night she was not herself‚ I'm sure she felt really bad.” -@justanotherperson21816.“He (dog) broke my mother's nose with his big head by jumping around too excitedly.” -@mortokes17.“A few nights ago‚ in the middle of the night‚ my monster cat brought in a live pigeon through the cat door and released it in the living room. Feathers EVERYWHERE.” -@effieokay18.“I have a roomba. I set it to clean at 7:30 AM every morning… because I am always out the door for work by then‚ and my dog has just been walked. One morning‚ apparently‚ the 7 AM walk was not enough‚ and my dog shit on the floor. Then‚ like a good little robot‚ my roomba took off. I came home to poo circles all over my carpet and a dead roomba.TL;DR--My dog teamed up with a robot to create an abstract art piece made out of feces.” -@SleepsontheGround19.“Whilst walking my friend's dalmation‚ Stripey‚ one summer's day in a park filled with happy picnickers and laughing children‚ she spotted a birthday party. A river separated the party from us and‚ underestimating her love of food‚ I kept her off the [leash]. I'm not sure how she even saw the birthday cake wrapped in tinfoil but she leaped into the river before I could stop her. She tore apart the tinfoil like a savage and devoured the cake before quickly moving on to the BBQ where she managed to eat every sausage‚ burger and chicken leg she could see whilst the birthday boy watched in terror. I stood awkwardly on the other side of the water‚ shouting her name and apologizing profusely but she only listened when she'd decided her meal was over after which she swam calmly back over the water and pranced into the distance whilst the entire family stared me down. I am sorry‚ birthday boy‚ I hope your day wasn't too badly ruined.” -@Tanyabee20.“One time I was running to the basement to grab an ingredient I had forgotten to add to dinner. Like an idiot‚ I kept the burner and hot pan going because I figured that running to the fridge in the basement would only take a minute. Instead‚ I tripped over my dog before reaching the first step and tumbled down into the basement. I stared up to see my dog looking down and smiling as I scrambled frantically to run back upstairs before my stupid dinner set the entire house on fire.” - [deleted]21. “Maybe not ‘worst’ for me‚ but definitely for my mom. She pissed off the cat… kicking her out of the bedroom before bed because she hates animals sleeping on her bed or next to her…Apparently in the morning‚ she was running late for work. Rushed to put on her shoes and found vomit in one of them. Out of all her shoes‚ and of all the times in the day‚ the cat had decided to revenge-puke in the ones she wears to work almost every day.” -@badguywindow22.“My 55lb dog ate an entire tray of pot brownies.” -@karmavorousThis article originally appeared on 8.9.22

Artist Haley Morris-Cafiero describes herself on her website as &;quot;part performer‚ part artist‚ part provocateur‚ part spectator.&;quot; Her recent project‚ titled &;quot;Wait Watchers&;quot; has elements of all her self-descriptors.In an email to us‚ Morris-Cafiero explained that she set up a camera in the street and stood in front of it‚ doing mundane activities like looking at a map or eating gelato. While she's standing there she sets off her camera‚ taking hundreds of photos.Later‚ she looks through them and sees what is happening around her. Morris-Cafiero finds that people are often looking at her body‚ or commenting on it with their gaze or body language‚ at times even appearing to mock her.&;quot;I then examine the images to see if any of the passersby had a critical or questioning element in their face or body language.&;quot;&;quot;I consider my photographs a social experiment and I reverse the gaze back on to the stranger and place the viewer in the position of being a witness to a moment in time. The project is a performative form of street photography‚&;quot; she writes.Her work has been exhibited across the U.S. and abroad.She also published her book‚ The Watchers‚ which shows her photo collection and includes comments made to her about her body from passerby.You can see that even people in positions of authority‚ like this police officer‚ feel comfortable mocking her just for being out in public.Though she's not looking at the people around her‚ Morris-Cafiero's photographs capture a split second in time that really crystalizes how people relate to one another on the street and the judgment she receives from strangers.In galleries‚ with the words beside them‚ the photos are even more pointed. She also includes the positive words she receives from people who have experienced discrimination for their size or any other aspect to their body that is consistently bothered by the dominant culture.Though we all theoretically know that people‚ women in particular‚ are discriminated against for their size‚ seeing it captured in photographs is gut-wrenching:The project has gone viral as people identify with Morris-Cafiero's experience‚ which means a lot of people relate to being stared at and commented on by folks who should mind their own business. Does that include you&;#63; You can check out more of her incredible work here.This article originally appeared on 11.28.22

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