Sunday Spotlight - Ellen Degeneres

So maybe spotlighting a celebrity is a little unconventional here on LCH. I tend to stick with lesser-known people to highlight but when Hope asked me if I'd like to elaborate on just why I thought Ellen DeGeneres was the Most Iconic Woman of the Decade, I couldn't say no! Many of you have agreed with me thus far that Ellen is a great role model for people, and a big inspiration to you. But what is it about her that just makes her so magnetizing? My answer: Because she's simple.

Give someone an arena filled with millions of people daily, throw in a corporate high-dollar budget, and sprinkle in some other big-name celebrities and sure, you can make a difference. You can give away cars and trips and scholarships. While Ellen does all of these things, she reaches more people using only her personality. She has an undeniably upbeat spirit that you can't help but catch. Her positivity is magical and contagious.

I think there comes a time when we all feel dwarfed by major motion pictures, reality tv shows, and even the humanitarian efforts of other people. The amazing thing about humans is how resilient we are. We bounce back. We know how to pick ourselves up, dust off, and get back on the horse. However it's sometimes easier with a friend. To me, Ellen always appears to be your friend. She's hilarious and can make you laugh. She's heartfelt and can make you cry. She's strong, unabashed, and determined. Thus making you feel empowered. She's the kind of woman who shows up and says "Here I am. Take it or leave it."

I wrote about Giving Away Happiness and practicing random (and not so random) acts of kindness last month. We all talked about how easy it is to just pay someone a compliment or smile when you walk by. I'm a firm believer in it being the "little things" that really make a difference. I guess that is why Ellen is such an inspiration. This blog has been a journey for me. Bouncing back from a failed 3 year relationship, battling an insane amount of personal pessimism, and just trying to find myself again. That's when I decided to make the change. I was going to think positively, act positively, and live positively. That's not to say that I haven't had my ups and downs and I don't battle with my "bad days" because I do. But when you make the conscious effort to live a more optimistic life, you give others the power to do the same. The most amazing part of writing this blog has been seeing, reading, and receiving emails and messages from girls who say that they want to love their bodies, their minds, and their lives... no matter what the situation may be. You never need to be ashamed of who you are, where you come from or what you look like. Ellen is a great example of someone who is proud of who she is, even though there are plenty of people who would love to see her fall.

She's also a great "girl's girl." I just wrote about International Women's Day and banishing "lady hate." She empowers women to be strong and brave. She fosters the creativity of kids through her record label and celebrity. She gives back those who are deserving and in need. To put it simply: She's just awesome.

Ellen Shapes What's To Come every single day, and you can, too! You don't need never-ending resources to make your mark and help change the way society views women (and how we view ourselves!).  Check out these great ways to do something in your community!

• Grab a pack of Post-It Notes and leave encouraging messages on random mirrors, fitting rooms, and clothing tags! (i.e.: Operation Beautiful)
• Snag a pack of the You Are Beautiful stickers and leave them all over town or on the back of receipts. (i.e.: what I did in Wilmington!)
• Become a mentor or Big Sister for girls in your neighborhood. Help foster their positive attitude and self image from the very beginning! (i.e.: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America)
• Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or rescue mission! (i.e.: Nashville Rescue Mission)
• or just go out on your own, volunteering your time and energy where it may be needed at that time. There are so many things that you can do as an individual or with your friends and family as a group. 

Keep the female empowerment strong! And always remember that passion, positivity, and happiness are contagious. Those are the things we need to focus on spreading!

I really loved reading about your Most Iconic Woman of the Decade submissions! They were truly heartfelt and original! We should continue to treat all of the amazing women in our life like the Most Iconic, because they truly are! Every single of them (and every single one of us, too!). Thanks for letting me blab about why I think Ellen is such a rockstar! xo

Shape What's To Come & IWD Recap!

Here comes the fun part! The part where I got to fly to NYC to take part in the Levi's and Vogue International Women's Day celebration at the SoHo House! After 5 solid days of traveling, road tripping, and having a grand ol' time, I was tired. We pulled into our driveway Monday night and all I wanted to do was sleep. But instead we stayed up far too late to try and find Mike a plane ticket to NYC with me so he could accompany me. Pages and pages of $600-$700 tickets later, we realized we simply couldn't afford it. Not for a a day and a half. Still, I was determined I'd have a great time (Uh.. duh!). 5:30am came incredibly quick, and up I was! Mike drove me to the airport and sent me on my merry way. My first flight was delayed. And then my second flight. And even if they had been on time that would give me roughly 30 minutes in my hotel to get ready for the party. I shared a taxi with a nice lady from JFK to Manhattan, and I was stuck in that thing for about an hour and a half. Obviously making me late. Then there was a bit of a hold up in checking into the hotel (The Ace Hotel, by the way! Kudos Levi's!). I got up to my room and realized that my dry shampoo had broken in transit. So here I was. Stressed, crying in my hotel, greasy/frizzy hair and in dire need of an outfit and a taxi. Luckily I had my blazer and dress from the Business Casual Bedazzual outfit and seeing as it was wrinkle-proof I threw it on and tossed on my new pair of Blowfish Garrens! I ran out into the street, down a block and hailed a taxi. On my way! I lucked out and was only about 20 minutes late, but all was well. I made my way to the Library in the SoHo House on the 5th floor and it was like I never missed a beat.

Tammy Tibbets, Gabi Dolceamore, and me

I quickly recognized Gabi, the (new) Levi's Girl, and Tammy. I was asked to snap a quick photo and even though I was worried about how grotesque I looked, it quickly became apparent that we were there to celebrate what women were doing... not what they were wearing. My nervousness subsided and while I felt slightly anti-social being that I had my iPhone at my nose, I realized that I was doing exactly what I had been asked to... to tweet my experience with the hashtag #SWTC. I was able to share in-the-moment events with my Twitter followers (so I hope you read along!). I snapped some photos, shook off any shyness that I may have let linger, and I introduced myself to several women at the event. I found myself involved in some truly wonderful conversations with women who have been working toward the advancement of our gender for decades! Holy cow! Of course I didn't have any business cards with me but they were ever so polite to offer me theirs and asked that I definitely follow up with them via email. Something I'm totally looking forward to!

Levi's was also doing custom fittings for their new Curve ID jeans! One of the things that made me laugh about the whole experience was how ironic it was that I won... a self proclaimed "jean hater"... Still, in the spirit of the event I went and got measured. Found out that I am a "Bold Curve" (aka my waist is much smaller than this "badonkadonk"). Not telling me anything I didn't know! ;) Upon getting measured I received a card good for a free (!!!) pair of Levi's from one of their Manhattan stores. Hey, why not?! Levi's is obviously the pioneer in denim so why not give it a go!

The Shape Whats to Come campaign from Levi's features 50 incredible women who are shaping society in the best of way. There are athletes, designers, entrepreneurs, inventors, etc. On the agenda for the night was a showing of Chiara Clemente's documentary, Shape What's To Come. The documentary featured 8 of the 50 women and I'm pretty confident in saying that there were few dry eyes in the house.



For instance, take the first interviewee, Katie Spotz. Katie is a 22 year old woman who rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in support of clean drinking water for millions who go without. I know right? Her contribution to the world is so incredible, and so profound, the rest of us seem to scoff at the idea that we could do the same. But that is the beauty of the Shape What's To Come campaign. It's not necessary to row across the Atlantic, or invent a water cooling system... you can contribute simply by inspiring other women to just do something! Anything! Anything to advance our society as a whole.

By the end of the 7 minute documentary, it was impossible to not feel inspired and fueled with motivation. These are ordinary women who have decided to do something powerful. They don't have celebrity to back them up. They don't have trust funds to pay their way. They are living proof that all you need is ambition and perseverance. They also showcase a collective awareness of global causes. They are not merely living in the here and now. Rather than worrying about what they're wearing or where they're going in the next six hours, they focus their sights on helping people they have never met.

The busy excitement of the party was welcomed with open arms. When quite possibly everything went wrong on the way there, it made up for it in more ways than one. The only way it could have been any better is if Ellen had been there herself! It was great to see so many people out to support such a worthy cause. After the party I was done for. I quickly caught a cab back to my hotel and retired for the evening. The bed was so cozy and the shower so warm. I won't lie... I may or may not have slept in until noon the next day! (And can I just say again how stellar the Ace Hotel was?! Definitely the best "Levi's" hotel in the city. The energy, the location, the "theme"... It was a definite treat!

Wednesday was much more low-key. It was my free day in the city so I took advantage of popping around some shops and attempting to meet up with some friends in the city. Overall it was a whirlwind, but exhilirating, adventure and I'm so so so fortunate to have been able to take part! Many thanks go out to Levi's and their Shape What's To Come campaign. And to Miss Hope Kitterman for being a great go-to when I needed her! I guess I can't forget Ellen DeGeneres! Without her constant source of inspiration and positivity, this trip wouldn't have been possible!

Oh! I went and picked up my Levi's in Times Square on Wednesday! I know I always said that you'd never see jeans on my blog but they're kiiiind of awesome. I wore them to work last night and they get two big thumbs up from me! Finally! Jeans that aren't gapping at the waist and too-tight in the thighs!

I'll be back tomorrow with my Sunday Spotlight featuring a SWTC and IWD favorite, along with a few great (and oh-so-simple) ways that we can all Shape What's To Come! Until then, immerse yourself in the inspiration that can be found from checking out the profiles of some of the other Shape What's To Come candidates!

International Women's Day! "Eff Yeah, Girl Power!"

It's been quiet around these parts, but I can promise there is a whole slew of amazing reasons why. Don't worry! I'll get to those soon! For now, let's focus on Girl Power, shall we?! I'm not sure how many of you are aware that today marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day, but it does! It's true! In 1908, 15,000 women took charge and marched through New York City while demanding shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights. Then in 1911, International Women's Day was recognized for the first time in several countries! Sadly only a week later, the Triangle Fire of NYC took the lives of over 140 female workers. This drew an incredible amount of attention to labor laws and practices, and women began to rally with a fervor in hopes of establishing equal rights.

If you've read the blog lately then you'll know that I was presented with an absolutely incredible opportunity to fly to New York City and take part in Levi's partnership with Vogue to bring the IWD 2011 Celebration to the SoHo House. I tweeted on behalf of Levi's Shape What To Come Campaign and I had a blast, to say the very least! I'll definitely be going into more detail about that later this week!

Right now I want to share some "eff yeah, girl positive" quotes and inspirations that I've come across! I get several emails a week asking for more quote posts like I used to do, yet no one really asks for anything specific so here you go! Here are some rad words to make you want to go high-five your best lady friend and say "heck yeah!" to being a woman!

Despite the fact that half of the world's population is female, women's rights have become marginalized as a "minority issue." Many young women feel that the label of "feminist" is, at best, irrelevant to their lives and, at worst, a stigma to be avoided at all costs. Sullied by stereotypes of hairy, arm-pitted man haters, the concept of feminism and its principles of equality and anti-sexism need to be refreshed and reclaimed by a new generation. Feminism shouldn't be an F word. We should embrace it. ~Annie Lennox

The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power.  You just take it.  ~Roseanne Barr

Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.  ~Cheris Kramarae and Paula Treichler

I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naïve or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman.  ~Anaïs Nin

You don't have to be anti-man to be pro-woman.  ~Jane Galvin Lewis

No woman is required to build the world by destroying herself.  ~Rabbi Sofer

One of the things about equality is not just that you be treated equally to a man, but that you treat yourself equally to the way you treat a man.  ~Marlo Thomas

Women are not inherently passive or peaceful.  We're not inherently anything but human.  ~Robin Morgan

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

With that being said, I wanted to touch base on something. It may be a bit "controversial" of me to say here on the blog, but sometimes just putting it out there is good for everyone involved. I've noticed a lot of "lady hate" lately... between our own gender. Some things that saddened me today were tweets about International Women's Day not being a big deal and that we basically shouldn't keep pushing for equality. Yes, we do have the right to vote. Yes, we do have the right to run the country. But do you know why? Because we fought for them. We still don't get equal pay. We still don't get the upperhand. And the only way to make that happen is to continue to rally for equality on all ends of the spectrum. We cannot just become sitting ducks and let this continue to happen. Yes, it is 2011... you're right... but instead of asking everyone else why they continue to support equality, maybe you should ask yourself why you've become so resigned to what is given to you. There are still women out in the world who are forced into marriage, prostitution, labor. Our sisters have their bodies mutilated and exploited. They have no choice of freedom. No options for education or escape. Did you know that women still only earn 77 cents on the male dollar? I've seen lady hate live in blogs, I've seen it in schools, I've seen it in work places. Fits of jealousy, snark, and all around just ugly attitudes. We need to focus on building each other up! Not tearing each other down! Be it a "You Go Girl!" (Community reference, anyone?!), a kind email to your favorite blogger or professor, a little note of gratitude left in a public place... we need to focus our energies on empowering each other. We are a force to be reckoned with!


Feminist is not a four-letter word. It's not dirty. It's not radical. It's merely the collective voice of females who are ready to step up to the plate and be a team player. Men are not the enemy! It's so easy to get wrapped up in thinking men are the sole reason that we're still where we are today. Sure, some can be sexist. Some can be jerks. But some can also be incredibly kind and compassionate. They can be uplifting. Sometimes we're our own worst enemy. Sexist thoughts and gender discrimination are not solely restricted to the minds of men. So rather than getting envious when you see a gal donning a fierce pair of shoes, tell her you think they're awesome, and build her up! Be classy and tactful always! 


IWD is also a great day to celebrate the women that inspire you! I won my trip to NYC based on my nomination of Ellen Degeneres for the most iconic woman of the decade, and I stand by that thought! I think Ellen has such an amazingly contagious spirit and she's full of positivity. She builds people up, and makes them smile and laugh. She's not only a wonderful ambassador of equal rights for the LBGT community, but she's also a great example of an inspiring woman who won't let anything stand in her way.


So I want to know... Who is the most inspiring woman to you and why?!


I can't wait to share more from the Levi's/Vogue IWD Celebration!