2016 Summer Gift Guide!
Check out these awesome creations for all your summer gift giving needs.
All Bodies Are Bikini Bodies BroochThese body positive brooches come in lovely summery pastels, and are hand illustrated by artist Grace of Pin Em Up Designs. You can also buy them as pin-back buttons, if you prefer.
If you scroll through Pin Em Up Designs' Etsy shop, you'll notice that it's full of fun pastels, confetti, and lots of body loving. You may find that you find that you love all their things, in which case I know exactly how you feel. |
You Don't Need Abs to be Fab Art PrintI am a sucker for body positive messages aimed at men (because people of all genders experience body shaming, but I don't usually see much support for men's body image).
Plus, the illustration on this is just too good! The heart nipples? The body hair? The varying yet cohesive lettering? The polka dot background? I love all of it so much! |
Feminist Ice Cream BroochNothing says "Pleasure Pie Summer Gift Guide" like a melty three-color ice cream cone with a gender equality message!
Esther, shop owner at The Sharp Box, says, "I find inspiration in my own experiences as a human, everything with a touch of cuteness & love!" "I love the face you make when you open the envelope!" - Esther, Spain |
Prickly Penis Greeting CardNeed I say more?
This card is titled "Dirty Things," but I think it's worth noting that penises and testicles (or as I like to call them, "the penis/testicle combo") are not necessarily dirty or crude. Though in this case, the phallus is technically rooted in actual dirt, so I can't argue there. |
Rock What You Got Art PrintThis little 4 x 6" illustration is so nautical and so body-affirming all at once!
Artist Valerie offers most of her illustrations in varying skin tones, which is great because human beings come in varying skin tones. "Frame it, hang it, or send it as a postcard!" - Valerie, Connecticut |
All Boobs Are Great Boobs BroochA friend recently asked me how many times a day I think to myself, "I love my boobs!" I won't go into the whole discussion here, but suffice it to say that her answer was four, which I thought was a great answer.
Now you can encourage your friends to be as happily boobalicious as my friend is with this nifty brooch! Also, an extra 25 cents will get you glitter on your brooch! |
Felt Penis OrnamentThis one of a kind wool felt ornament depicts a happy looking penis squirting its white seed into a heart-filled puddle of love.
Artist Suzanne McAleenan explains that she made this ornament four years ago, when she first started her line of felt genital ornaments (now called Vaginaments). It is a little lumpy and (beautifully) imperfect, since she was still getting the technique down. The point is that this penis ornament is a piece of sex-positive art history! |
The Breast Summer Ever! ZineThis illustrated zine delves into the wonderful world of breasts!
"The Breast Summer Ever is a comic about a young girl who suddenly notices that breasts are everywhere. Men, women and animals all have them -- but there is something strange about the way she sees them displayed in the media." - Artist Sarah Romano Diehl, Washington State |
Slut Is a Social Construct T-ShirtThe shiny pink bubble letters on this crop top are everything I could ever want from a femme-embracing, slut shame-erasing item of clothing.
Also available in this Etsy shop is a baby pink sailor dress with the word "Pervert" in large letters across the chest. I know there is some sex-positive femme out there who never knew that they always needed this dress, so I just thought I should mention it in case that femme is you (or someone you are looking to buy a gift for). You're welcome :) |
Leg Hair? Don't Care! Mini Art PrintThis 4 x 6" body hair normalizing illustration has a lot of admirable qualities. One, the little squiggly knees. Two, the detail put into the various kinds of socks. Three, the shop owner's affinity for roller skating (which will become apparent if you peek at the other items in the shop). That's my favorite sport, too!
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Sex Work EmbroideriesHer Made Co makes embroideries that say all sorts of sex-positive, body-loving, feminist statements. Some of my favorites are, "Sex work is real work," "Someone I love is a sex worker," and, "I'm asexual and A-okay!"
These are hand embroidered by Dimmie Danielewski of Australia. |
Floral Vagina BannerThis banner would look so good draped in front of a sunny window with the light streaming in, don't you think?
I am really into yellow right now. Another thing I'm really into is realistic depictions of vaginas in all of their wonderful and natural diversity! This bunting has both. :D |
Every Inch of You is Beautiful Art PrintDid someone say patterns on top of patterns? Anyone who has seen my Pinterest knows that pattern combos get me every time.
Artist Dorcas Magbadelo makes all sorts of melanin-positive greeting cards, art prints, brooches, and even tote bags. "I want my work to be as authentic as possible – so I decided to focus on the subject I’ve struggled with, fought with, cried over the most, the subject I’ve come to know very well; my blackness and how I identify around it." - Dorcas Magbadelo, London |
Body Love Watercolor PrintThis lovely, tropical watercolor print celebrates enthusiastic self love.
"When did you last approve of yourself and your self image? This painting was created to support a positive body image! We are all beautiful, no matter what our size or shape, history, skin color, occupation, etc." - Mahala Lewis, Winged Heart Creations |
Political Representation Tank TopThis shirt reads: "You deserve to see yourself represented in elected leadership. Political representation is reproductive justice."
You can get this shirt as a T-shirt, tank top, and all sorts of other styles and colors! This is one of many items made by artist Megan Smith of the Repeal Hyde Art Project, which aims to legalize the use of Medicaid (subsidized health insurance) to cover abortions. |
Domestic Badass Art PrintThis colorful, intricate illustration points out that culinary skills, first of all, are valuable, and second of all, are not limited to women.
If we (as a culture) decide to place value in cooking and domestic work, then people of all genders who do homemaking tasks (i.e. moms) will get more respect for the work they do. And it's always fun (read: freeing) to challenge the gender binary while we're at it! |
Bloody Panties BroochOh, you thought we were only going to have ONE menstruation themed brooch in this gift guide? Well I just don't know where you got that impression! Welcome to period-positive brooch number two!
Artist Sofia Schöön of Gentle Walrus actually makes several period-bleeding-through-undies brooches in varying body shapes, skin tones, and underwear fashions. Also, oh my god, how did I not see this before, you can get a bloody panties charm necklace! |
Girl Stache EmbroideryThe infamous girl 'stache. Countless teenage girls have nightmares about this. But it turns out that having hair on the upper lip is common for people of all genders. So what's the big deal?
As a way to overcome the taboo that is the girl 'stache, this one-of-a-kind embroidery celebrates it as a beautiful and enjoyable body feature. |
Ode to Self Love PosterThis cheery poster reminds us all to be kinder to ourselves.
The poster reads, "Love my body the way it is now (not after 5lbs!) And stop comparing myself to people on social media." I love the way this part is worded: "We all have flaws, we all are beautiful." We don't have to convince ourselves that we're perfect in order to love ourselves. |
Body Positive Notebook SetThis adorable little notebook comes in a set of four body positive notebooks, with the following cover messages:
"No more body policing. Period." "Vagina -- It's not a bad word." "Free the nipple." "Boobs are brilliant. Be a body positive babe." How can you resist that fancy upright standing fox? |
Ask Me About My Pronouns! EmbroideryThis embroidery is a handy reminder not to make assumptions about people's gender pronouns. For anyone who gets misgendered regularly, this could be a great way to get the pronoun conversation started, and get past any awkwardness that people who aren't familiar with this sort of thing may feel about asking.
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Uterus UndiesFor those hot summer days that you want to hang around the house in your underwear, these cotton panties are just the ticket! Breezy, comfy, anatomically correct -- what else could your butt want?
Artist Callie Garp "searched high and low, testing a bunch of different options before picking the underwear that met [her] comfortable and cute-factor requirements," so you know these are quality undies. |
You Are Not Defined By The Number of People You've Had Sex With JournalLet's stop obsessing over how many people we've had sex with! That number can often make us feel inadequate, and what seems embarrassingly high to one person may seem awkwardly low to another.
But there is so much more to you than your sexual history! And whatever your number is, it is OKAY! |
Why I Made This Gift Guide
Part of the reason that I make Pleasure Pie gift guides is because I love gift giving, sexual freedom, and art, and this is a fun way to bring all those passions together.
The other reason I do this is that there are so many people out there pouring their creativity, energy, and time into making awesome creations with sex-positive messages that are meaningful to them. I find it moving to see things made by people who share this passion for sexual freedom. I also find it exciting and encouraging! It's like, look, people care about this! And they're making really cool things! This keeps me optimistic about the cultural shift toward sexual acceptance that I think is already in the works. Thanks for reading :) Nicole |