PROUD BODY

Homebase: Denver, CO

DESIGNER/OWNER: Wendy Tuey

One size kit provides enough paint or materials to cover any size belly; Wholesale price: $2 Baby-Safe Ink Pad, $2.50 TUMMY TATTS (temporary tummy tattoos), $12.50 Belly Painting Kit and $15 for the Belly Cast Kit

Forget hiding under a partner's oversized sweater or dressing in unflattering maternity tops. In recent years there's been a sea change in thinking concerning the pregnant body, one that views the shape as something beautiful. Think back 20 years ago. Did you see pregnant women on the beach in bikinis? No way.

Wendy Tuey, a former corporate securities attorney, launched Proud Body in 2001 to say 'Yes!' to the big belly and to commemorate those months before a new person enters the world. Her Belly Cast Kit allows a mother-to-be, either privately or with the help of friends, to easily create a plaster belly cast in as little as 30 minutes. Each cast includes non-toxic materials and a drop cloth for easy cleanup. Once the cast is dry, it becomes "A perfect 3-D memento of an expecting mom's belly or torso," says Tuey. The belly painting kit includes eight FDA-approved water-activated paints so the stomach and torso can be decorated and photographed. Baby safe ink pads in bright colors and a selection of TUMMY TATTS, 20 fun designs that wash off with mom-to-be's next bubble bath, can be purchased separately.

Unpainted belly casts

We are the world painted belly

Tummy with TUMMY TATTS

The idea of the belly cast has caught on big time: Tuey's Proud Body kits have been included in countless magazines and she's been featured on television programs that include "The View."

Proud Belly kits

Her clients, Tuey says, "range from the professional mom-to-be to the earthy mom-to-be. Each customer has a desire to remember this very special time in her life. We also have grandparents-to-be and dads-to-be as our customers." She's proud to offer a top-quality pregnancy keepsake at a reasonable price and she guarantees "second-to-none customer service." 

What's new for Proud Body in 2010? "We are in the process of developing both a Deluxe Pregnancy Belly Cast Kit as well as a Basic Pregnancy Belly Cast Kit," says Tuey. "These two new kits will be available in the first quarter of 2010. At the same time, we will also start offering different types of decorating kits to paint a belly cast. These kits are being developed as a result of customer demand. We also are in the process of adding a Pregnancy Fresh Henna Powder Kit to our wholesale product line."

Bellies never had it so good!

Tel: 877-972-1859,

E-mail: sales@proudbody.com

www.proudbody.com

Originally published December 26, 2009