This last week has been one of inspirational women, both very different, but both have had a massive impact. One of the women is an 82 year old English-Australian actress and the other an American author and journalist who inspired one of my favourite TV shows. Both hugely inspirational women who have made me think.
For the last 18 months, I've been running a writing club. Once a month a group of us get together and talk all things writing, we have guest speakers, share ideas and eat biscuits. Then someone asked if I could set up a book club, which would be similar, but instead we'd eat biscuits and talk about books. Two more of my favourite things, so I said yes.
The first one was at the end of January and we decided that rather than have everyone read the same book every month, which could expensive and you might up with something you don't like, we'd have a monthly theme.
First out of the hat was autobiographies. This gave me an excuse to take off the shelf "Oh Miriam" the Miriam Margolyes book that's been sat on my shelf since we went to hear her talk last September.
I love Miriam, (I feel after reading her book, that we are on first name terms) Every time she pops up on "Graham Norton", I love her a little bit more, I don't think I'll ever forget the look on Matthew Perry's face as the realisation that the rules on British chat shows are a bit different to those of American.
The evening with was hilarious, she'd dropped the "c' bomb within the first 5 minutes, offered to go around give someone a talking to who was bullying a young girl in the audience and not held back when giving her opinions on certain celebrities that she'd worked with who, in her words "had not been kind".
Reading "Oh Miriam" made me love her all the more. With chapters that had titles such as "The Joy of Bottoms", " I Won't Have It, "Better Out Than In" and "Why Life is Like a Cheesecake", I laughed out loud.
What I loved was how you could really hear Miriam's voice in all the stories, it was if you were sat having a cup of tea and a slice of cake and she were regaling you with the stories in person.
I took lots of things away from the book, one is that from now on I shall be referring to exceptionally short skirts as "pussy pelmets".
The other things are, that I shall try and be a bit more honest with my feelings when someone upsets me. I am really rubbish at saying when I feel hurt by something because I hate conflict and I don't like upsetting people. Miriam made me realise that if someone is mean and has hurt you, it's OK to say because firstly they might not realise that their behaviour has upset you and secondly if they don't care then you're probably better off without them.
Miriam Margolyses has lived her life her way, continues to live in a way that makes her happy and has made many friends along the way. I decided to be a bit more Miriam, just maybe only drop the "c" bomb when the situation is suitably fitting.
In complete contrast last weekend we went to see Candace Bushnell's one woman show, "True Tales of Sex, Success and "Sex in the City".
I have been obsessed with "Sex and the City" ever since Mr Big first wound down his window and said "Abso-fucking-lutely". I've re-watched the series a million times, I love the reboot and the films, and I want Patricia Fielding to style me one day. I'm pretty sure even she could work her magic with a chubby formerly blonde nor brunette girl originally from Kirkby.
So when the chance too see the creator of Carrie Bradshaw, Candace Bushnell presented itself, I wasn't going to say no! Me, my sister Lucy and friend Helen headed to Nottingham wearing something that highlighted our inner Carrie. I'm not sure mine was all that subtle, but a girl in the queue for the toilets told me she liked my earrings, so I'll take that for the win!
The show wasn't a normal "evening with" It was Candace telling her story surrounded by fabulous shoes, wearing fabulous shoes and even more fabulous outfits. She was honest, funny and didn't shy away from telling you about the bits of her life that hadn't been steeped in Manola Blahnik's and Gucci. She spoke about sleeping on a bit of foam on the floor when she first moved to New York, the men who'd lied to her and reaching such rock bottom that she entertained harmful thoughts.
She spoke about getting her big break and starting to write her column, the phone call that led to the TV show being made and how she feels like she'd honoured her dad's wishes that she should do something to change the world. She laughed that she might not have won the Pulitzer Prize, but she'd helped get women represented in a way that they never had been before and opened up conversations that hadn't been had on television before. It was fascinating and you felt like she was telling you the truth.
I found both Miriam Margolyes and Candace Bushnall hugely inspirational women and though they are both very different they basically said the same thing.
Never stop going for what you want.
Life won't always be easy and there'll be really rubbish bits, but that's OK.
Be honest.
If you don't like something say.
Believe in your own talent, if someone doesn't "get you", it doesn't mean you're rubbish.
Men lie (lesson 2)
Fashion is what you want it to be. Whether it's a knitted cardigan, comfortable knickers with a good gusset, a pair of life changing Manola Blahnik boots or a Gucci dress.
It's good to have pets.
You're never too old to be on the front cover of "Vogue"
So I live in hope that one day I'll grace the front cover of "Vogue". I'm on the hunt for a pair of life-changing Manola Blahnik boots which I'll probably wear with a lovely cardigan over my Gucci dress because I live in England and the weather is sometimes a bit rubbish.
But above everything I shall blatantly continue to live my life in a way that makes me happy and accepting the fact that I might be a bit odd, but that's OK.
I'd love to know who really inspires you?
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