Category: Friends + Family

We All Bleed Red: Saving My Daughter from Suicide

Allison Hill

Suicide entered my life kind of the way spring enters with the change of seasons, in like a lion out like a lamb. Its grip caught hold of someone I loved and used all its power and might to try and take them from me. I did not let it Read more

Allison Hill

Allison Hill currently writes a blog called AccidentallyAllison. She has written and done speaking engagements on her work for the past year. Her blog is her chronological journey of transformation on her quest for never-ending love, making everyone feel normal; one disastrous relationship at a time. The funny thing about relationships is the fact that they seem to be a big factor in us defining our self-worth. This is where Allison's story begins.

Bergamot

Tennessee Hill

Our girl was seventeen, and she didn’t think we knew what that meant. The space between us and our girl is bridged by stories that feel like figments, to her they are not who we are. It is a dangerous thing to play, hopscotch across the lines that gate us Read more

Tennessee Hill

Tennessee Hill is a sophomore at Stephen F. Austin State University working toward her BFA in Creative Writing. She has been featured in Elke Journal, Kaaterskill Basin, and HUMID. She is also a featured contributor on Teen Collective (teencollective.me), Feminine Collective's blog written by teens for teens.

Living Life with No Filters

JR Roessl

If you missed HBO’s three seasons of the tragicomedy Getting On, you’re missing a glimpse of the future, maybe not yours but more than likely one or both of your parent’s. Starring the soulful comedienne, Laurie Metcalfe, and a stellar supporting cast, the series dishes up a brutally funny view Read more

JR Roessl

After more than thirty years as a model and actor, JR moved to the Hudson Valley in 2006. She lives in an 1880 renovated barn with her husband and young daughter and three crazy bengal cats. She received her B.A. in creative writing from NYU and has written a memoir about her teenage years spent sailing on the high seas. She is thrilled to be writing for the Feminine Collective.

Genetically Speaking, Who Am I?

Julie Anderson

My obsession to trace my family’s genealogical roots began when I was a little kid. I sat wide-eyed and all ears on the floor next to my Grandad Willard’s (my father’s father) chair, eagerly lapping up every story he told about his youth. Born in 1908, he had quite a few Read more

Julie Anderson

Julie Anderson is the Creator and Publisher of Feminine Collective. Julie was inspired to create this safe place for women to share their secrets, desires, triumphs and pain as the antithesis of what mainstream media offers women today. In her column Pursuit of Perfection, she explores the importance of rectifying the balance of inner and outer beauty through essays, poems and articles on self-esteem, shame, family, and self- acceptance.

How to Stop Nagging and Start Loving

SA Smith

We’ve all been there. We’re tired, overworked and can feel it coming on. We lash out at the people around us, knowing we’re doing it, and yet we can’t stop. That’s usually when the nagging starts. We nag at our partners, our children, hell we even nag at the family Read more

SA Smith

SA Smith has always loved the magical life. She is the bestselling Amazon author of FOREVER, her four part young adult paranormal romance series. She is an advocate for women of all shapes and sizes. Believing that we are all enough just as we are, and needing to spread that word far and wide. Having been diagnosed with CRPS over 12 years ago, SA also uses her writing to increase social awareness of the disease. Writing is her passion. She often tells friends that writing is a journey for her. It’s like spending time with friends. "I just follow my characters along on their adventures, like a fly on the wall, and see where they take me." SA currently lives in Florida with her best friend/husband and their one son.

Pitch Black

Renee DeMont

It was more like the crack of a shotgun, than an explosion. Breath caught in my throat. Flinching, I recoiled into a ball; my legs and torso bare; blankets lost sometime during the night, in a battle of siblings fighting for warmth. There was a storm raging outside our motel Read more

Renee DeMont

Renee DeMont is a SURVIVOR. She was born into poverty; spent much of her childhood homeless, living on the streets of Los Angeles, and in foster care. Renee learned early on: life is about adapting to adversity. The greatest gift she ever received? No one expected anything from her. By 18, she was ready to experience life on her own terms. First one in her family to attend college. After college, her focus and determination earned her a spot working at Paramount Studios, on the #1 show in television, "Cheers". At 29, Renee gave entrepreneurship a go and began a Biomedical engineering business out of her garage. Twenty years later, that risky venture grew into 8,000 square feet of success. She broke the cycle of poverty that plagued her family for generations. Recently, Renee turned fifty, filed for divorce (he declared WAR), and trudged through a debilitating nervous breakdown. Through therapy and writing, she reclaimed her sanity. Sold her half of the business to the ex, and now she has clarity and choices. Renee is personally and financially independent. With her new found freedom, she chooses to write in a sincere effort to reconcile her past with her present. Hopefully, through this cathartic process, the second half of her life will be led by her soul's desire, rather than by the fears and doubts of her first half. Currently, she lives in South Orange County with her teenage son and daughter, and her high maintenance yet lovable dog, Joe. Soon to be an empty nester, she plans to downsize the big house in the OC bubble, for a bigger life in the real world. Her days are spent gently launching her almost grown children into adulthood, and passionately penning her memoir. In the mean time, you can find her essays on pain, positivity, and empowerment at: onedropofgrace.blogspot.com

No Words To Say Goodbye

Liz Lalama

“They’re on their way,” my mom said. My heart sank. This was going to be painful. I didn’t know what I was going to say. One of my closest friends was coming over. We had very similar, although quite odd, interests for teenage girls, but, this time, we weren’t planning Read more

Liz Lalama

Liz Lalama is a blogger and freelance writer. She lives with her husband in Pittsburgh, PA. Together they tackle the snow in the winter and explore the many parks and outdoor concerts in the summer. Liz has a vision for fostering community and loves a good chat at the coffee shop, on a walk, or at the playground. She has been published by Scary Mommy and Sammiches and Psych Meds and writes honestly about life, mental health, faith, and society at her blog saladatmidnight.com.

10 Do’s and Don’ts for Finding Gold at Goodwill

Dori Owen

upcycle using ordinary objects to make something extraordinary —URBAN DICTIONARY Anyone who knows me knows not to mess with my every other Saturday at Goodwill. You heard me correctly–Goodwill. It’s their 50% off Saturday where not only are there fabulous finds, but honey, they’re HALF OFF. It’s become a major Read more

Dori Owen

Dori Owen is a storyteller, writing from small town Arizona, after living a few decades in California as an LA Wild Child, with a brief stop in Reno. She settled into grownup life as a project manager, collecting an MBA and a few husbands along the way. She is a shown artist and her favorite pastime is upcycling old furniture and decor she finds from thrift stores. She lives with the cat who came to visit but stayed. The love of her life is her grown son who lives in Portland, Oregon. Her essays and poems have been published in RAW&UNFILTERED VOL I, StigmaFighters Vol 2, and Love Notes From Humanity. Her blogs have been featured on The Lithium Chronicles, Open Thought Vortex, Sudden Denouement, and The Mighty.