It Took A Movie.....To Move Me

Hello!

It's been a long long time!

Why?

Maybe I'll tell you one day, and maybe not.

Today, I'm just happy that I have been inspired, I've been MOVED to write. I'm grateful.

I just finished watching W.E......The story of Wallis Simpson told from a different and interesting perspective.

I'm inspired.

I'm not here to write a commentary about the movie. Nope. I'm here to write about the feelings that the movie evoked and inspired.

Everyday, I think about what is important to me about being a woman.

It's simple.

My desire is to be beautiful
To be soft.
To be Love.
To love and be loved.
To be of service somehow....to my son, my husband, my family, my friends or the greater good.
To be adored. Yes, adored. This is a big one for me. And I'm not here to be politically correct or wise. I'm simply here to tell my truth. As a woman.

I love looking and feeling beautiful. I love dressing well. I love loving.....anyone. My son, my mother, my husband, my best friend, my friends. It's simple.

Again, I'll say it. I just want to be adored.

And ideally 'the best dressed woman in the room.' To quote Wallis.

Why is it so complicated?

Oh well.

My duty to myself is to never ever let my genuine desires die. No matter how the world would like to belittle and rationalize it all.

It's simple. It's what makes me a woman.

And I'm happy to be writing again. I hope I continue to be inspired. I have to inspire myself. Yep. Got it.

Thank you for reading.....whoever you are!

Love,

SA

And here's Wallis. She's now in my heart too.

 

"I have always had the courage for the new things that life sometimes offers."

Wallis Simpson The Duchess of Windsor

Leading Ladies Are Very Very Bad Girls

Today's post is dedicated to a very special someone who has been teaching me how to French Kiss Life! She's such a bad girl and I love her so much! You know who you are..........

I've been reading Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance for over 10 years . I always start the year with her. I remember to read when times are good and I don't even acknowledge the existence of the book when I'm not being my own Leading Lady. However, I know the good days almost by heart.

A Meditation for Bad Girls is my all time favorite. There's even a quote at the beginning written by a certain 'Anne Shirley' and so I've staked a personal claim on this one! I've read it over and over again. I've typed it out and printed it for many of my friends, attaching it to girly gifts that I like to give from time to time. It always tickles us all and keeps us happy! And so, today's inspiration is borrowed.

Enjoy!

"Meditation For Bad Girls

"It’s so easy to be wicked without knowing it, isn't it?" Anne Shirley

A friend and I were chatting away on the phone when she blithely confessed doing something totally outrageous but hilarious. “You’re so bad,” I admonished her with admiration (especially because 99% of the time she’s too good for her own good). After we stopped laughing long enough to catch our breath, she suggested that bad girls have something to teach the rest of us.

How to spot a bad girl.

Bad girls sip only champagne and cocktails- not beer, wine, sherry, mineral water, café latte, or Darjeeling tea. (Think Martinis, Stingers, Black Russians.) Bad girls prefer spandex, halters, high heels, fishnet stockings, silk, suede, leather, or white satin cut on the bias and black satin cut down to here. Bad girls have blond, raven or flaming tresses, red mouths and nails. Think Mae West, Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner. (But the baddest girls have mousy brown hair). Bad girls wear Capri pants, mules, cashmere or mohair twinsets, silk scarves covering their pin curls, and black sunglasses to the grocery, then don black tuxedos and silver fox boas at night.

Bad girls are in touch with their inner bitch because they run with Dobermans wearing studded black leather collars. Bad girls travel to Vegas with their ex’s gold card while their own name is still on it. Are passionately loyal to their friends. Have been known to torture those who break the hearts of pals. Bad girls call the psychic friends network. Have their own astrologer. Know a  cusp is not an intimately transmitted condition. Bad girls listen to Billie Holiday. Know the importance of regular waxing. Bad girls smell expensive and never leave the house without wearing fabulous earrings. Buy the National Enquirer. Can pronounce Goethe and recite Fleurs du Mal. Bad girls use cigarette holders; really bad girls attend cigar dinners.

Bad girls like disguise: they like presenting themselves as perfect moms, ice princesses, and librarians.

Bad girls are passionate while the rest of the world is cool.

 Prefer gold to silver. Bare their midriffs, never their souls. Bad girls make hay on Ralph Lauren sheets. Bad girls never marry for love, which is why they often change their names. Really bad girls have numbered bank accounts. Bad girls know it’s not the cards you’re dealt but how well you play your hand. Bad girls win at blackjack. Vacation at backgammon tournaments in Monaco. Frequent pool halls but shoot billiards. Bad girls send large checks to good causes and never take a tax deduction. Bad girls don’t just want to have fun, they make sure they do. Bad girls are committed to the philosophy of personal pleasure.

Most of us are only bad girls in our dreams. But there’s a pattern in the bad-girl lifestyle that deserves contemplation. Bad girls buy what they want, eat what they want to eat, wear what they want to wear, sleep when they want to sleep. Bad girls do not have therapists because they don’t need them. Instead, bad girls have housekeepers and masseuses."

As Leading Ladies, we may not be able to score a perfect 10 out of 10 here, however, it's something to aspire to don't you think?

There are going to be some Leading Lady Auditions opening up. If you would like to explore your inner Bad Girl, your Leading Lady, keep your eyes open....the invitation will be here soon.

And again, there's Mae........

Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often. Mae West

Be Careful What I Create

Leading Lady is my baby, my brainchild. It's the thing that really gets me excited about my work and I see how it fulfills my purpose in life.

However, it hasn't been as easy as sitting in a comfy couch watching a black and white movie!

Being a Lady is easy for me. It comes to me naturally. I'm actually most uncomfortable in situations where I feel I have to compromise on manners and ladylike things just to fit in.....I outgrew that problem a long time ago though.

Now there's 'Leading'.......the word implies so many things.

These Hollywood Leading Ladies who I have chosen to be our muses really were Leading Ladies. What they did looked exciting and glamorous, but it wasn't easy. In reality, most of them didn't even survive it all. I don't mean to be negative, but as they say, if it was easy, everyone world be doing it.

In my own life, upon creating this idea, I realize I'm being called to step up my game. In little ways and in big ways.

Am I being in integrity with myself?
Am I saying no when I want to say yes and yes when I mean no?
Am I living my truth?
Am I being bold, sexy, daring and exciting?
Am I listening to my feminine intuition and honoring her?
Can I look at my refection in the mirror, really look into my eyes and feel pride for the woman I am being?
And yes, how gorgeous am I being in every moment?

Am I truly being the woman that I know I am and I know I can be?

I honestly can't answer a firm yes to all of these questions. However, more and more and more, I know I am showing up as the Leading Lady in chief that I desire to be, that  know that I am.

It all begins with the truth. Am I being true to me? I think I am.

And are you?

These are my thoughts for the day.....well, for the end of the day as I go to bed.

Oh, one more, from the beautiful Ingrid Bergman.

"I was the shyest human ever invented, but I had a lion inside me that wouldn't shut up!"

......I think I have one of those too.........

Timeless........

I posted this image of Helen Mirren on my Facebook page last week and I received the most views on my little page ever!

Hmm, I wonder why?

Now, of course she's a Leading Lady! Without a doubt. However, there's just something so sexy and so inspiring about seeing a woman who isn't 20 (she's 68) really owning her beauty, her sensuality and her sexuality! That woman looks HOT every time I see her! She inspires me and gives me more than hope!

We want more don't we?

They say life begins at 40 and that at 50, a woman doesn't really care what anybody thinks anymore. That's what I see being embodied by our Leading Lady du jour.

Talking about her style. She knows what looks good on her. She's always dressed like a LADY, never trying to look like someone half her age. She obviously takes good care of her body even though she's not a size zero. These are the makings of what I described her as.....Silver and Sexy!

And a while ago, she wore 'hooker heels' and in contrast with the gown she wore, it really was sexy and sensational! The media went crazy!

It's not my place to talk about the Fashion industry and the age issue....or maybe it is, but today, I'm not in the mood to complain. Another day perhaps.


In the meantime, this woman is my role model! When I'm that age, I want to feel like her! And in the meantime, if there's anyone who doesn't feel that way, give me a call! We'll make it happen! Seriously! I'm committed! All women should look and feel like this AND look forward to looking and feeling like Ms Mirren at 68!

Or just drop me a line........leadinglady@leadingladybyshirleyann.com

And look, a Marks and Spencer ad....with Helen Mirren.....titled....Leading Ladies! Hmm, I may be on to something!

FYI, this won't be the last time we discuss Ms Mirren.

It's All In The Eyes......

Yesterday, I brought up the subject of what the Leading Ladies of the past used to say....what they actually said.

Today, I was doing some more research, on Pinterest and I'm in Leading lady Pinterest heaven for sure!

Pin after pin, image after image, I am reminded of why I fell in love with these women in the first place! There was just something about them! They were sexy, gorgeous, confident, feminine, glamorous......I could go on and on!

Here are some new favorites.....

Ann Sothern

Debra Paget

Bette Davis (remember, an entire song was written about her eyes!)

Elizabeth Taylor.....of course!

Carole Lombard

Greta Garbo

Eartha Kitt

Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo

Jane Wyman

Jane Russel

Yesterday, I talked about what they said, but today, as I look at their eyes, as I look INTO their eyes, I see confidence, I see mischief, I see sultriness, I see fire, I see passion, I see women who know who they are!

And I wonder.....what were they thinking? What was the thought behind the look in their eyes.....that's what I really want to know! My personal mystery to solve!

I will!

And I will pass my discoveries on to you!

P.S. One thing I know for sure is that they were making love with life! Wink.

Did They Really Say That?

I just love quotes from old Hollywood Leading Ladies! And it's not just the Old Hollywood Leading Ladies, there have been so many exciting women from the past and they are all Leading Ladies in my book. I usually come across these quotes on Facebook and they make me happy! But more than making me happy, these quotes are actually going to direct the conversation here in Leading Lady with Shirley Ann!

Sometimes, I wonder, 'did she really say that?' Of course she did! And then I try to imagine how and when.....

Was it during a conversation?
An interview?
Was it just a line?
An answer to a question?
A cheeky question?

Well, whatever the circumstances were, they did say some great things!

Here are some of my favorites.

Enjoy!

I hope they make you smile and tickle you too!

And......the conversation is just beginning!

When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad, I'm better.

Mae West

You don't have to be born beautiful to be wildly attractive.

Diana Vreeland

Emancipation of women has made them lose their mystery.

Grace Kelly

If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun!

Katharine Hepburn

There is more to sex appeal than just measurements. 

I don't need a bedroom to prove my womanliness. 

I can convey just as much sex appeal, picking apples off a tree or standing in the rain.

Audrey Hepburn.

I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I'm not afraid to look behind them.

Elizabeth Taylor

There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony. There is time for work. And time for love. 

That leaves no other time.

Coco Chanel

I don't mind living in a man's world as long as I can be a woman in it.

Marilyn Monroe

In conclusion, what are we saying? Is anyone going to remember anything we said? Definitely something to think about. I know for sure I would like that to be the case for me.

And these photographs! So much more inspiration for the Leading Lady experience! I'm so excited!

The Reveal will be here soon!

A Demain!

Do You Dare?

"What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open."
Muriel Rukeyser



Are you expecting some confessions?

I don't think I want the world to split open. In my case, the world would probably split in two!

However......

I will tell you a little about the life I desire, who I would like to be......my own version of my Leading Lady.

A couple of weeks ago, I experienced a Eureka moment. I was so happy! I even posted it as my status on Facebook!

I had been struggling for a long time with my identity as a woman, mother, wife, entrepreneur, designer, artist, business woman, friend......all these things. I had been going round and round in circles with exactly what I wanted to do with my business and more importantly, who I want to be.

There were all these titles; Designer, Couturiere, Artist, Florist, Flower Maker, Photographer, Coach, Mentor, Confidante, Consultant, Entrepreneur.......

And from the outside, it was really simple. Why couldn't I just design clothes, or homes, or events, like I used to do? After all, this had been my zone of genius for a long time.

But I wanted more. I wanted to integrate. More and more, our lives; work and play (or the lack of) are being merged and I knew I just didn't want to fall into the status quo. And what was my problem? The life of a designer is quite exciting.

I wanted more. So I've been resisting and I've been feeling stuck.

But then I got it! After months and months of searching for that something, searching for inspiration, I found it! I found my magic. My Eureka!

I declared to myself, I want to be a woman who makes love with life! And inspires others to do the same!

YES!

I mean seriously, imagine meeting me at a cocktail party or a business event, and you ask me the usual question.....'What do you do?' And I answer, with a slight smile.....I Make Love.

YES!

It's exciting, exhilarating, thrilling, confusing.....and so much more!

What it ISN'T is boring! And I said it yesterday, I'm done with being bored and being boring. This is how I want to live my life!

This is MY Leading Lady. She makes love. I'll figure the rest out. But for now, this is a GREAT start!

I had an opportunity to test it out a couple of days after at a BNI meeting I was invited to. In preparation for the event, I asked myself, what does a woman who makes love for a living look like? How does she dress? What does she smell like? How does she walk? How does she talk?

Maybe I would have ended up wearing the same things and the same perfume and hairstyle......however, I knew I felt different, I was tickled, I had an inner smile in my heart. That's all that really mattered! I felt more alive, more inspired.

There were all these gruff looking men and really conservative looking women. All much older than I was. It was at the tip of my tongue. But I won't lie to you, I couldn't say it. But I was THINKING it! And that was good enough! I did say, 'I teach women to fall in love with themselves and with life, through great fashion and exquisite design'......not good enough but much better......

It was just a few days since I had my Eureka, so I still needed some practice.

I'm getting there.....but like I said, I'm thinking it. It makes all the difference.

And the next time you meet me, after all the practice, I AM going to tell you I Make Love.

So now I dare you, who will you be?

What tickles you?
What will bring out your inner magic?
What will really make you feel like a woman?
Make you walk taller, sway those hips?
Enter a room like you owned it?
What do you have to tell yourself?

What have you been telling yourself?

I'm too big.....
My dress is too tight.....
I'm tired......
I'm not ready for this......
Maybe they won't like me......
I don't even have enough money in my purse......

Been there....done that.

I Make Love.

What about you?

I dare you.

Today it's Mae. It looks like I'll be dedicating an entire series to her! Oh how she dared!