Meet the Diva
I'm a neurodivergent, creative, 40-something lady living in the Pacific Northwest, seeking out the magic in nature and learning as I grow.
I often deal with mental health struggles, and survived an abusive childhood & thyroid cancer.
I want to live my life to the fullest and have no regrets. Maybe me doing that encourages others to do the same!
I reside in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband of almost 20 years, Sean, and our furry chihuahua children, Finnegan and Dobby. I work as an artist, blogger, and podcaster, and am currently writing a novel!
My passions include crafting, hanging out with my backyard wildlife friends, smoking weed, reading, walks in nature, building houses in Sims 4, going on adventures big and small, and singing really loud when no one can hear me. 😋
I love to try tasty, gluten-free recipes and am obsessed with putting chimichurri on everything!
I am crazy about boybands (New Kids On The Block, Westlife, and Backstreet Boys are my faves), Outlander, Star Wars, glitter/sequins/sparkle, all things chihuahua, and pigs with wings.
I am a thyroid cancer survivor! I had a total thyroidectomy in 2013 to remove a tumor that was wrapping around my vocal chord. Thankfully, I have been doing well since, with no recurrences! I’ve provided the Thyroid Health Resource page as a starting place for learning about all things thyroid, as well as a collection of my own blog posts talking about my personal experience.
Photo by Gray Feather Photography
Starting my blog, Discourse of a Divine Diva, in 2009 was my way of being a positive voice in the world. It gave me an outlet to talk and share about things I love, but it also helped me see my body from a different perspective, one of love and kindness instead of hate and judgment.
Having been raised in an abusive environment where I was constantly told how ugly, fat, and worthless I was (and made to believe all of those things were related), I was tired of feeling ashamed of how I looked just because I didn't fall into society’s narrow view of perfection. I was tired of all the women in my life feeling crappy about themselves because of the same pressures.
Learning to be a loving voice to yourself is an ongoing journey, but a very worthwhile one. Without discovering the online plus-size community and starting a blog of my own, I don’t think I would be where I am today in terms of the love and acceptance I feel for myself.
(But also, my husband has been such a supportive presence and cancer is a bitch of a teacher.)
Long Beach, WA
2023
Fresh out of thyroid removal
2013
Through the blog, I was able to do a lot of really fun things!
I was a member of the Kiyonna Blogger Brigade starting in March 2012.
I was also Catherines Style Ambassador for May 2015 and worked with the brand for their Art of the Mix (in which my ensemble was the top-rated look by Catherines' customers) and Denim Debut campaigns, hosting an in-store event as well.
In February of 2018, I started doing plus size fashion segments on my local Portland, Oregon station, KATU. I popped onto Afternoon Live each month to talk fashion and lifestyle!
I began my Her Universe brand ambassador journey when I introduced pieces from their February 2021 Outlander collection - the Tartan Cinch Dress and Thistle Cardigan!
In addition, I worked with brands like Simply Be, Foxcroft, Jord Watches, Smile Brilliant, and shoe brands Aetrex, Naot Footwear, and Propet.
Check out my Featured In page for more!
Change is inevitable.
Even at the height of my time blogging, I was still fully engulfed in trying to be everything that everyone wanted me to be, at all times. I put a lot of pressure on myself to try to attain or be something that wasn’t even making me happy. I felt like I was stuck in a box that I couldn’t climb out of.
It was exhausting.
With time, lots of tears, and intentional self-reflection, I’m finally starting to reprioritize my life for me. This means I’m more focused on the projects that light me up. I’m prioritizing my mental health and more aware of my body and energy. I don’t put unnecessary pressure on myself to meet the unknown expectations of the general public.
So much of my energy was going towards others’ idea of the “right” goals, but now I’m focused on MY goals. And I still get to share them with you.
-
While blogging has changed quite a bit since I started in 2009, I still find comfort and joy in sharing about my life, personal style, travels, and more.
Being an authentic, fat, neurodivergent woman trying to live her best life is hard work. I know that sharing my story can provide inspiration and insight in a variety of ways. -
In May of 2021, my husband and I started the Hailey Hates Everything podcast! It’s such a fun way to connect and laugh and share our thoughts.
While we’ve been on hiatus for a little while, we are excited be back in 2026! -
I started an Etsy shop in late 2021. I’m always creating and bringing ideas into the world.
I love working with paint, beads, glitter, ribbon - you name it! I’m often inspired by nature and look forward to sharing more of my art with you.
I will also be able to sell directly from this website in the future!
Glencoe, Scotland
2019
Contact me
Have questions or comments? I can’t wait to hear from you!