I was raised Catholic so Shrove Tuesday it is.
It is the last day before Lent where you are supposed to give up something until Easter.
The last day to get all your bad things in...like egg/butter/syrup etc that you commonly see in Pancakes.
When I was little I remember being so excited that I would eat Pancakes virtually all day (at school) and my mum would make them for Dinner. Breakfast for dinner=amazing!
Wikipedia does the job of explainging it pretty well here.
I used to want to travel to Olney, England
Rumor has it that here it is restricted to women who have lived there a minimum of three months.
So my guilty Catholic conscious has me trying to come up with what to give up until Easter.
And I'm stumped. Previous things I have given up in the past include chocolate chip cookies (at age 8), potato chips (at age 14), wine (at age 23) and now at 29 I'm stumped! I don't really have a diet high in chocolate chip cookies or potato chips or wine for that matter. And you are supposed to give up something that is difficult for you to do. Maybe I should give up talking to Jacob haha. (I said difficult not IMPOSSIBLE!) Hmmm I'm going to have to think about this for the day before I commit to anything.
Elle Woods from Legally Blond
I totally identify with her (character). Being not taken seriously sometimes just because I like style and fashion and girly things. I am smart but sometimes I pretend I'm not (that's a whole other ball of wax). I need to be confident in myself and trust my gut more. There is likely more strength in me embracing myself and who I am (purse dog, pink laptop sleeve and all) then in trying to be something I'm not.
Monica Wright from Love and Basketball.
For the pure simple fact that things worked out for her probably better than she ever imagined...she got the guy, the career and the family she always wanted (so jealous).
Brooke Davis (duh someone from One Tree Hill!)
Smart and independent love her (character) on this show!
Think troubled relationship with her parents but finds the strength to pursue her dreams and become hugely successful while having AMAZING friends who love and support her (do I identify much? Of course!)
Julia Styles Character in Mona Lisa Smile.
I don't particularly love the movie but when it's on I have a compelling urge to watch it all and I totally root for her character and enjoy that she is/was a pioneer of pushing herself further in a male dominated profession/world.
Okay Okay I feel guilty not including "real women" so here are the ones I admire...
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (I think I want to read more about her...I wonder if there is a good biography out there).(3) I love her style (see trench below haha) and I want to learn how she gained strength in the face of such sadness in her life.
Lilly Pulitzer (4)
I wrote about her in this post here. I love her and her independence and the clothes are pretty much amazing too!
I totally look up to her as a style icon and as someone I want to be like. I grabbed some things from her Huffington Post Interview that totally clicked with me. It doesn't hurt that I'm DYING to own one of her wrap dresses. I would love to read her biography as well.
Do you think that personal style is a professional asset?
Yes. But it doesn't just have to do with your appearance. It's your character too: Who you are, how you present yourself, how honest you are. It's your voice, the way you speak, the way you write. All of it makes you; therefore, you have a style.
What do you think the professional benefits are of making a statement with your wardrobe?
I think the wardrobe is an accessory of who you are. You absolutely do not make a statement on the outside independent from the inside. Or independently of your capacity.
What advice do you have for professionals seeking to create their own brand identity?
You make sure that what you do, how you present yourself, from your voice to your hairdo to what you wear, all fits with who you are. Because the more natural you are, the more comfortable you will be in your skin and the more confident you will be. The more confident you are, the more beautiful you are and the more successful you are.
Seriously can you get any more genius than that?
Lauren Conrad (6) (ummm hello huge influence on me!) wrote about her here.
Love her style, her clothing and her fun personality (from what I know from reality TV obviously!)
Kim Kardashian (7) She makes me feel better about my own body. I can deal with my complete misproportions when I look at how beautiful she looks. Total inspiration. I am trying to embrace my Kim K body type.
Tinsley Mortimor (8) I recently watched a marathon of her reality TV show. I was totally addicted! And I could appreciate how she was able to go against what a lot of people thought was "right" and followed her heart. Her and her mom have an interesting relationship (identify with much? Yup I do). I think she handles most things with pose and I hope to come out as unscathed and mature and she does.
Gail Vaz-Oxlade (9) She is kind of Canada's version of Suzie Orman except not so annoying. She totally has me on a cash budget and using her jar system which has helped me start to save for retirement and have an emergency fund (things I'm embarrased I didn't start doing until this last year!)
There you have it my 10 most admired/interesting women in honour of International Women's Day. If I could be a little more like these women I would be on my way to something great...of course I have to embrace the things that make me ME too. How fun is it that it is International Women's Day AND Shrove Tuesday?! Just a coincidence I guess but a fun excuse to enjoy pancakes at some point!
PS. I love all things girly and it seems way more fun than being a stinky boy. Thank goodness I'm a woman! Especially a woman from Canada versus so many other countries where I wouldn't have access to education, travel, and even something as simple as clean water or food. I am a lucky woman and I need to remind myself a lot more of that.
