Kathryn Bigelow chose the right time to become the first women director to win an Oscar because today is International Women’s Day.  

First proposed in 1910 and launched in 1911, International Women’s Day came about because of a woman named Clara Zetkin (leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for Germany’s Social Democratic Party), who thought every country should mark an annual Women’s Day to press for her gender’s demands.

1975 was designated ‘International Women’s Year’ by the United Nations, which officially sanctioned the day and started sponsoring it. Annual events are now organised by various bodies that work for the welfare of women and campaign for gender equality.

Though it originally came into existence because of women’s fight for better pay, voting rights and an end to discrimination, the annual celebration is now largely dedicated to inspiring women worldwide and celebrating their achievements.

March 8th also has poignant memories for me too. It would have been my 24th wedding anniversary if my first husband had survived his cancer.

Wishing all women, wherever you are in the world or your life’s journey, a fabulous day.

A date for your diary!

Wednesday 14^th April 2010

7-9pm

Bricket Wood, Hertfordshire

Colleen Oakley, a lovely colleague of mine, will be hosting the launch of  Silpada Designs UK. Beautiful sterling silver based  jewellery – at prices to suit all pockets , seasons, body shapes, personality types. You could be among the first people to be introduced to this new UK business.

If you cannot attend but would like a party, to discuss the business opportunity, or to order some of this gorgeous jewellery, please call Colleen Oakley 07930 324034

Click and have a look at the website!

Click and have a look at the website!

http://www.silpada.co.uk/index.html

Then you need to listen to my being interviewed by the fabulous Karen Knott. Karen is also passionate about women in their 50’s and is instrumental in coaching them to grow, develop and realise their ambitions.

To find out more, hear what we had to say by clicking on this link

http://bit.ly/aSxbzN

Colour is the most amazing subject and I believe we know very little about how it affects us visually, emotionally and psychologically. I just know that it does. Haven’t you ever felt weighed down when wearing black, felt blue when dressed in navy or felt uplifted when you don something bright?

An online experiment has recently been undertaken by half a million people associating words to colours. The results formed part of a fascinating article in the Saturday Times magazine last week.

Obvious associations are diagnostic in nature - danger with red for example (think of traffic lights and other warning signs). Others are physiological. Humans have three colour receptors, red, green and blue while other animals only have two, so we could easily distinguish ripe fruit in trees back in the days when that was our main food source. What was a surprise was how perception differed according to your native language. Russians, for instance, have two totally separate categories for light blue and are more adept at distinguishing different shades of blue, not because they are highly perceptive, but because of their mother!

We 50 somethings have now become officially part of a new collective according to Celia Walden, Feature writer for the Telegraph - Quintastic.

There are, of course, categories because we obviously can’t all be the same.

The Inverted Adolescent - eg Sharon Stone & Madonna

The Professional eg Julianne Moore

The Enigma eg Kristin Scott Thomas

The Action Woman eg Sigourney Weaver

The Humorist eg Jennifer Saunders

Want to find out which one you are? Here’s the link to the article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/7084717/Quintastic-50-is-the-new-30.html

I’m being interviewed tomorrow morning by Karen Knott, the Mid Life expert and coach - can’t wait. She’s really warm and lovely and looks pretty good too (sorry Karen, you look more than just good).  If you have a dilemma and don’t know which way to turn, she’s your woman. www.midlifematters.co.uk for more details. You’ll also be able to get details of how to access our interview so you can partake of my pearls of wisdom too.

It’s time for me to have a break and get ready for the festive season, so I’m going to sign off until the new year.

Thank you for supporting me and what I’m trying to do for all of us lovely ‘mid lifers’. Without you, there is no Feel Fab at 50 so please keep sending your emails and comments so I can continue to provide you what you need to look great and feel fabulous, in a truly authentic way.

Enjoy yourself this Christmas time. I hope both Santa and 2010 bring everything you wish for.

One of the highlights of the last year for me was joining the Peakirk Pageturners. I am an avid reader of any kind of literature, so when I heard that a new book club was setting up in my village I jumped at the chance to join. In the past 12 months I’ve read some great books and some not so great, ranging from Salman Rushdie to Celia Ahern, presented Molly Fox’s Birthday (an Orange Booker Prize contender) to an audience at the central library, entered the local pub quiz and met some great new friends. The wine and homemade treats don’t go amiss either, especially as the others in the group are fabulous cooks.

The most current read goes straight to my passion - shopping. If you want a really good, holiday type read over the Christmas period then this is for you. The Secret Shoppers Revenge by Kate Harrison is an easy to read novel which also concentrates on my other passion, customer service. Needless to say, I loved it.

Buy from Amazon or any good bookshop.

I was invited to present  a session on Personal Branding (Look the Business) at a recent business event and the organiser, the lovely Amanda Carlin, looked perplexed when I showed her my Feel Fab at 50 business card. The reason? She thought I was 32.  Do I LOVE this woman - I so do!

For more information on Amanda and the great work she does for small to medium businesses go to www.amandacarlin.co.uk or www.get2business.co.uk

…….  or should that be rottweilers? This is what the 3 presenters of a BBC morning show call themselves as they will be fighting hard to right injustices to which we are are all privy. Actually, Angela Rippon, Gloria Hunniford and Jennie Bond have impeccable pedigrees and I’m thrilled that Auntie Beeb has listened to the nation and brought back broadcasting with older women at the helm. Perhaps equality isn’t yet dead.