Women’s Leather History Project

By searah | February 8, 2010 – 3:58 pm

Women’s Leather History Project

The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) launched a new project on January 1, 2010 to collect, preserve and exhibit women’s leather history. After just over a month of spreading the word, the Women’s Leather History Project (WHLP) is off to a great start. Artifacts and collections from women have already started making their way to the vaults and exhibits of the LA&M including:

- Personal papers from Vi Johnson

- Books and fetish wear from Kat Sunlove

- Memorabilia from Jan Lyon

We need your help!

In addition to your financial support of the project, here’s what you can send to the LA&M to be a part:

- Papers

- Video recorded interviews

- Personal histories-oral, film, and written

- Art and visual resources

- Media-books, magazines, films, and digital media

- Artifacts - organizational and personal

Spearheading the WLHP for LA&M will be Sarah Humble and Leigha Fleming. Says Humble, “I am so excited to be involved in leading this project. I have my video recording equipment ready. It’s so important that as women we take the lead in collecting and preserving our own histories!”

Says Fleming, “We will be present at events, scheduling interviews and soliciting donations to make this project a reality. Vi Johnson & Jill Carter have become our first individual donors and SouthEast Leatherfest has become our first event donor. ”

Sarah and Leigha have already started traveling with the project and collecting oral and video histories. They appeared at Southwest Leather Conference January 22nd - 24th in Phoenix, AZ.

The WLHP will be at SouthPlains Leatherfest in Dallas, TX from February 26th - 28th and will be interviewing and collecting history there. Please email women@leatherarchives.org if you’d like to speak to Leigha or Sarah about the project while they’re in Dallas!

Donations can be made via the LA&M website or by mailing a check/money order to:

Leather Archives & Museum
6418 N. Greenview Avenue

Chicago, IL 60626

773.761.9200

Please mark your contributions “women” or “WLHP.” If you have any questions, please email women@leatherarchives.org

You can visit the Women’s Leather History Project on the LA&M website for information on donating your materials and upcoming oral history opportunities.

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What turns you on?

By eden | February 6, 2010 – 12:51 pm

Here is a GREAT exercise that any of us can do, courtesy of Cory Silverberg at sexuality.about.com, with the idea being that you become more cognizant of what turns you on, thus making you more aware of your sexuality and, ideally, that of your partner.

Some, but not all of us, are aware when something turns us on. We might find ourselves just slightly more tuned in, or note a change in our bodies. It might be sudden and shocking or slow and subtle. Whether you’re aware of it or not, how often do you spend time thinking about why something turns you on? What it is, specifically, that gets you hot? And when was the last time you shared those thoughts with a partner?

Cool idea, right? Check out the details here and get busy!

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Valentine’s Day Coupon!

By eden | February 4, 2010 – 4:36 pm

Use online or print it out and bring into the store until 2/14/10!!!

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Jealousy and Gender

By eden | February 3, 2010 – 12:43 pm

I’m just going to throw this quote out there from a Scientific American article that I just read:

Studies from around the world have reported that men are more jealous of sexual infidelity than emotional infidelity. And women are the opposite—they’re more jealous of emotional cheating than sexual cheating. Experts often lean on an evolutionary cause for this gender difference: men can never be sure they are the baby-daddy and women are most concerned with securing a genuinely loyal father to care for the children.

Well, authors of a recent study in Psychological Science question the strength of the evolutionary just-so theory—realizing that there are men who find emotional cheating far worse than sexual cheating.  The study reports that personality patterns, shaped by one’s relationship history, can have an impact on jealousy.

I can’t tell you how many people, usually men, frankly… have used this “evolutionary evidence” to justify their own jealousy or to illuminate differences between the emotional states of men and women. It’s nice to hear a reasonable voice out there saying “be careful”… saying “ask the right questions.”

Article and podcast at Scientific American online.

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Valentine making party TONIGHT!!

By eden | February 2, 2010 – 10:00 am

Don’t forget!

Give your sweetie/friend/relative/self a little homemade love! Stop by Early to Bed from 7:30pm until 9pm on Tuesday, February 2nd for a Valentine-making party! We’ll have some supplies, but feel free to bring your own too. We’ll also have beverages and snacks!

This event is free, and there is no need to RSVP… just bring your creative self and whatever artsy goodies you can’t live without!

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Sex and relationship education — could it happen here??

By eden | January 31, 2010 – 12:30 pm

This is just… astonishing. The UK’s Department for Children, Schools and Families just opened a three month consultation period, in which teachers, parents, health professionals, and young people are encouraged to contribute to a new in-school program to teach about sex and relationships. Country-wide.  Says the DCSF:

The purpose of this consultation is to gather views on the draft document, Sex and Relationships Education Guidance. This document provides guidance to maintained primary, secondary, special schools and pupil referral units (PRUs) in England on all matters relating to SRE, including how good quality SRE can be planned and delivered, how to develop an SRE policy and how to support the health and social needs of all pupils with regard to sex and relationships. It is relevant to all staff, particularly senior managers and those responsible for co-ordinating, teaching and supporting the delivery of SRE. Headteachers and governing bodies are required by law to have regard to the guidance.

If you live in the UK, I would encourage you to participate (see link below). For those of us in the US… what do you think the odds are of getting this sort of thoughtful, collaborative programming in our schools? And how amazing would that be? Maybe if this project works well in the UK, we can import it. That would be my new favorite British export (after Liquid Silk, of course).

via Dr. Petra’s blog (link to program in the article)

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Diddling to the dictionary

By eden | January 29, 2010 – 12:29 pm

You know what really helps me get my rocks off? Reading the dictionary. No joke! When I need a little help getting in the mood, I just flip my old Merriam-Webster behemoth to “O” and get myself all worked up reading their “oral sex” entry.

Which is why I was not surprised at all — nay, I was GLAD! — when the smart-thinking school officials in southern California yanked this salacious tome from their libraries. Because if there’s one thing that’ll stop students from having sex, it’s getting rid of the dictionary.

Update: The return of the dirty book! Oral sex experimentation runs rampant once again!

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New stuff!

By eden | January 28, 2010 – 5:23 pm

Check it out! Cool new stuff! Click on the pics for details!

Boss Cockring - $12 (from Early to Rise)

Ride On - $70 (from Early to Rise)

Fresh Paddle - $16

Johnny - $65

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Introducing…Earl

By searah | January 27, 2010 – 8:38 pm

Wow. Seriously WOW.  If you want to impress the man in our life with one incredibly amazing toy, you must check out Earl! Made from stainless steel, this gorgeous butt toy even comes with cuff links. CUFF LINKS!

And guys… your ass is a wonderful place, isn’t it time you treated it so?

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Lower Prices? In this economy?

By searah | January 27, 2010 – 2:22 pm

Yes, it is true!

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we have lowered the prices on some of the best-loved Lelo products!

Gina was $109.. now is only $100!

Iris was $135..now just $125

Pebble was $130… now only $120

And Nea who was $85 is now only $82.

So grab one for yourself or your special lady!

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