“If this is it…Please let me know…If this ain’t love…You’d better let me go…” –Huey Lewis & The News
[Photos via hello ancolie]
7 Essential Accessories for All Women
The little nuances in life are often the things that matter the most, believe it or not. If you’re a woman who wants to feel like a style icon everywhere you go, then you should think about putting more thought into all of your accessory choices. Don’t forget that strong accessories can make an impact. They can make people turn heads anytime you walk by as well. These seven accessory categories can be game-changers for women who want to look and feel like a million bucks. Here’s how to take your accessories up a notch…
Jewelry Chains
You should look into securing jewelry chains by the foot if at all possible. These chains can be wonderful for women who adore tailored accessories. You can choose the exact length of your newest necklace. You can choose any eye-catching pendant your heart desires. If you want to walk around with a bespoke look, then the assistance of jewelry chains can do the trick.
Boots
Boots are amazingly versatile. If you’re a woman who wants to look carefree, sultry, and stylish all at the same time, then there are few accessory choices out there that can even come close to boots. You can choose between all kinds of striking boot categories as well. If you want to epitomize Americana, you can try your hand at cowboy boots. If you want to look chic and funky, you can try your hand at classic velvet boots.
Watches
Watches are becoming less and less common as time goes on — and with valid reasoning. People generally rely on their mobile devices as a means of checking the time. If you want to do away with that concept, then you should secure a classic watch. A watch can make you look responsible, cool, and classic. Don’t forget that watches are accessible in all kinds of appealing and enduring styles and colors.
Rings
Rings in no way, shape or form have to be limited to women who are married or engaged. That’s because rings also make timeless and cool accessories in and of themselves. If you want to make your hands “pop” visually, then few things can help you better than a traditional ring can. There are all sorts of ring styles that can flatter the hands and fingers. You can explore all of your choices in cocktail rings, birthstone rings, and puzzle rings.
Gloves
Gloves are accessories that can be simultaneously functional and chic. They can keep your hands snug and warm in times of severely low temperatures outdoors. At the same time, they can make your look a lot more appealing and cool. There are all kinds of exciting and contemporary choices in glove styles on the market right now. Don’t forget that gloves can hide your hands when they don’t look their best. If you have bleeding and dry knuckles in the middle of a particularly frigid winter season, then a classic pair of gloves can conceal them well.
Shawls
Shawls can keep you warm and cozy when temperatures inside or outside are a bit chilly. They can also help you make a major style statement. There are so many shawl options that embody all sorts of style preferences. If you want to look quirky and exotic, there are shawls that can serve you well. If you want to look elegant, sophisticated and refined, there are shawls that can help you get that look. You can find shawls that are made using all kinds of materials. You can find them in all kinds of pleasing and stylish colors, too.
Stockings
If you want to make your lovely gams look even more toned and fit, then there aren’t any accessories available that can come even close to stockings. Stockings can make your legs look their best no matter what. If you want to hide your lack of a tan during the winter or the spring season, the assistance of classic stockings can help. If you want to cover up any imperfections such as veins on your legs, stocking can assist you dramatically as well. Don’t forget about all of the stocking style categories that are out there waiting for you.
–Sara Stringer is a freelance writer who most enjoys blogging about lifestyle, relationships and life as a woman. In her spare time, she enjoys soaking up the sunshine with her husband and two kids. Compensation was received for the editing and publishing of this article.
[Photos via Unsplash]
Have a Restful Weekend
Congratulations, friends!! We made it to Friday, which seems like a particularly amazing feat this week!! I’m still thinking a lot about Elizabeth Warren and have a follow-up post planned for next week — there’s so much to discuss, isn’t there? In the meantime, I’ll be making sure my mom has a very, very restful weekend. She’s been having horrible back pain ever since she got the flu — poor lady!! I hope you all get a chance to rest as well, and here are my favorite finds from the wonderful Web…
13 romantic small towns in the United States.
Yes, I’m still thinking about how wonderful and grand Little Women was. Pure magic!
So cool: Writing prompts for every astrological sign. What sign are you??
I want ALL these stuffed animals, especially the unicorn ones!!! Aren’t they so cute??
Because I’m always up for an Etsy round-up.
Looking for some weekend reading? Check out these great pieces by women writers…
*”Taylor Swift and the Trap of Needing To Be Liked”
*”We Fell In Love Over the Phone, and It Gave Me the Confidence to Love Myself”
*”Emotional Support Animals Are Real”
*”Our Daughter Has Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder — Here’s What It’s Like”
And as always, feel free to connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bloglovin! See you there, friends! And enjoy the restful weekend! xoxo
[Photo via Unsplash]
On Elizabeth Warren and the Trap of Female Electability
When I woke up yesterday, I felt energized and hopeful. After all, it was Super Tuesday. People all over the country were heading to the voting booth to cast their vote in the Democratic primary and there was a palpable fervor of excitement in the air, especially when it came to Senator Elizabeth Warren. Here was a powerhouse, full of passionate ideas and plans to put those ideas into action.
I thought, “Finally, we just might be coming out on the other side of the disastrous election that was 2016” — you know, the one that haunts us on the regular.
Well, I guess I spoke too soon because I woke up today to the results of Super Tuesday and, friends, things most definitely did not turn out how I (and so many others) had hoped. As you can imagine, then, I woke up this morning feeling defeated and angry and frustrated. And, perhaps most of all, like nothing has changed.
Translation: Today we learned (again!) that America really, really hates smart, capable women. Apparently, the worst thing you can be in 2020 is a smart women. I’d just like to ask America one question…
Why do you hate strong women so much?
The only thing that won last night was the patriarchy and misogyny. Again. The two things that have no place in our society keep getting top billing and, well, I just don’t understand it. I never will, either.
For the majority of the presidential campaign season, we’ve seen much discussion surrounding this notion of electability — who’s got it, who doesn’t and who needs more of it to win.
But here’s the thing: Much of that discussion has been squarely reserved for the female candidates in the race. And now, with Amy Klobuchar ending her campaign, all talk of electability is aimed at Elizabeth Warren.
This notion of electability is such a trap, isn’t it? Female candidates like Warren are held to these unrealistically high standards — standards that we don’t hold male candidates to — hi, Bernie and Joe.
Plus, don’t even get me started on Bernie Bros. Of course, in the lead up to Super Tuesday, their vitriol about electability only intensified. Especially online.
Let’s take Bernie, for example…
He ran in 2016 and DIDN’T WIN
He had a HEART ATTACK just months ago
If Warren had just had a heart attack, people would be imploring her to drop out. And yet, people aren’t questioning Bernie’s electability. So all this talk about how she isn’t electable? Let’s call it out for the sexism that it is. It’s code for “not as competent as a man.” It’s code for “only men can be president.” It’s code for everything that candidates like Elizabeth Warren (and Hillary Clinton before her) have been fighting an uphill battle against for so long.
As a woman, I’m tired and I keep asking myself: When? If not now, when? It’s time for a woman president. We need a woman president…
Call it identity politics if you want. I call it voting in line with my interests as a woman and I’m pretty sure another old white man will never understand the issues women face.
Elizabeth Warren does. We need Warren.
I swear, if one more Bernie Bro tells me that Elizabeth Warren can’t win and I should give my vote to Bernie. But guess what? Bernie — or any male candidate — isn’t entitled to my vote. This idea that a woman should just step aside and make space for a man is peak male entitlement. It’s the same type of rhetoric we heard in 2016 and a woman went on to win the popular vote.
I wasn’t here for this in 2016 and I’m not here for this in 2020. How much longer are we going to let history repeat itself?
So, yes, you can call her poor performance “just politics” if you want. I call it misogyny. And I’m really not here for the mansplaining I’ve seen today, y’all. Also, not any other day, for that matter.
My writer friend and editor Heather Wood Rudulph wrote a great piece on electability that gets right to the heart of the matter. As she writes…
Who has performed better under pressure and media-prescribed “ruin” than Elizabeth Warren? No one. Who has displayed more moxy and intellectual furor when faced with a belligerent white, male opponent whose last name starts with B? No one. Who has failed to cower even once, and has been able to articulate her many good ideas over and over again, admitting which ones still need work? Her. Who has ACTUALLY apologized for past mistakes or ignorance rather than excused them away like every other candidate? Her. Who calls her supporters, has the best one-liners on any debate stage, and befriends Jonathan Van Ness? Elizabeth Warren!
Reminder: She’s electable if you VOTE FOR HER.
In the end, what happened on Super Tuesday is about so much more than just the here and now in 2020. Unfortunately, something tells me that we’ll be feeling the ripples for years to come. And it’s the next generation that’s going to be particularly affected. Young girls deserve to see strong women in leadership — and especially in the highest office in the land. They need those role models. Elizabeth Warren is a wonderful role model. It’s a shame that so many people didn’t feel the same way…
P.S. My op-ed in The Independent about Elizabeth Warren on The View…
My Essay on The Week: “I Love Rom-Coms, But Where’s the Female Disabled Lead?”
When was the last time you saw a disabled woman as the lead in rom-coms?
That’s the question I explore in my latest piece for The Week, where I explored things like love and disability and the “disabled people are asexual” stereotype. I love rom-coms, but the lack of representation is staggering. It’s TIME to have a disabled woman as the lead.
In fact, I’ve spent so much time lately reconciling my love of rom-coms with their lack of diversity, especially when it comes to disability representation. Maybe it’s the result of being older? Because I certainly never asked these types of questions when I was a teenager watching my favorite love stories play out on screen. I pictured myself as the main character as she falls in love with the dashing male lead.
Well, not anymore, friends. Granted, I still watch said movies, but I no longer see myself in the female leads. And that’s a huge problem.
Here’s an excerpt of the piece, in which I remind society, YET AGAIN, of all the things disabled people are and what they’re not. You’d think people would catch on by now, but…
Of course I want to see people like me on the screen, but I also want the able-bodied world to see people like me on the screen. Contrary to that age-old stereotype, disabled people aren’t asexual beings who live in solitude. I would love for the whole world to see that, yes, we deserve love — and our own rom-com plot lines — just like everyone else.
Our society has a long history of telling people with disabilities that we’re not pretty. I was reminded of that recently when I was told I was too ugly to post selfies — I clapped back with this viral tweet. I can’t help but think that featuring people with disabilities more in mainstream culture — in movies, certainly — would counteract those ignorant, hurtful beliefs.
You can read the full piece here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo