Feminine and Fabulous!
June 2, 2010 | Category: Finishing School
Some of you have asked that I write more about beauty/confidence/being womanly and feminine and so forth and not one to disappoint here I am. I have decided, much to my surprise, to start a workshop which will take place every other Wednesday. The aim of this workshop is to give you the opportunity to try out some of the things I have tried and tested in order to turn around my low self esteem, confidence and body confidence. I really hope what I have learnt can help other women achieve the same.
I think, hope, that we are about to embark on a fantastic, fun and perhaps life changing journey and i’m hoping we can do it together, supporting one another and making a huge difference to our lives. This is going to be just as exciting and interesting for me as it is for you and I’m hoping to learn lots and lots from you fantastic ladies as I try to impart some of the things I have learnt over the years about how to be feminine and fabulous. Some of what I talk about might sound airy fairy and hippy but I assure you I’m none of those things, I’m most definitely a practical just do it kinda gal who won’t take any lame, wishy washy excuses as to why you can’t be fabulous! You can, you really can.
Welcome to:
Lottie Loves… Finishing School
the A-Z of how to be feminine and fabulous
Every two weeks I shall introduce you to a topic working through the letters of the alphabet that covers an element of how to be feminine and fabulous. I shall talk about the topic, my own experiences and leave you with a challenge to complete before the next workshop.
Complete the challenge if you dare, blog about how it’s gone and then come back here and link your blog post to the Finishing School post so that we can all share our experiences and support one another. Hopefully throughout this course you will find yourself growing in confidence and embracing being a feminine, beautiful woman. If, one week, you find you have already had experience of completing such a challenge tell us what happened when you did it, why you did it and what you learnt from it. We can all gain so much from sharing our experiences.
You male readers (I know there are some!) can also contribute by supporting us ladies in our quest to be feminine and fabulous by telling us what a wonderful job we are doing and how much it is appreciated.
Week 1 – A is for Attitude
How we think about ourselves and the attitude we have towards our lives has a huge bearing on who we are and what we achieve. You all know the theory, you’ve all heard it time and again; ‘think positive be positive’, ‘smile and the world smiles with you’. This, in reality is so much easier said than done but these clichés and adages exist because they are true.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that a positive attitude changes everything. We all have our shitty times, times when grief is unbearable, times when we’re too tired to move, times when we’re in so much pain we don’t know if we’ll survive, times when we hate the way we look, times when the world seems against us. We ALL experience bad times, granted, some more than others, but ultimately if you can find something positive to hang on to, something fulfilling to grab with both hands you WILL get through those bad times. ALL bad times come to an end, they do, they really do, and whilst they’re happening take one day at a time and try to smile, even if it’s just for 30 seconds a day. That one 30 second smile will make an enormous difference to your whole day and your future.
I’m not going to wax lyrical about the virtues of being positive. They’re fairly obvious, but if you can’t be positive, if finding something good in your life is a real struggle then please, please be brave, be strong and do something about it. Talk to someone, if you can’t speak to your partner/friend go and see your GP. Do not suffer a life of negativity or depression, it isn’t necessary. Such steps are hard but well worth the result. Don’t be afraid of counselling or anti-depressant therapy. Mental health issues are the same as any other physical issue, you have a hurt and it needs fixing. If it takes (legal) drugs to do that then take them. You can and will improve and life will get a whole lot better. Believe me, life is a truly beautiful thing if we’re able to embrace it.
I’m not a counsellor or therapist or anywhere near qualified to being, I have just been through my share of crappy times, resulting in my share of depression (PTSD, Post Natal and Post Operative) and have seen counsellors and taken anti-depressants. My life is happy because I work damn hard to make it that way and when the shit hits the fan I do something about it. Whilst the bad stuff is flying around I take it a day at a time, but my ultimate aim is to always get back to that happy place, which is always at the end of the journey, always.
Your attitude to this Finishing School will make a huge difference to what you take from the experience. Will you just read and ruminate over what I write or will you join in and embrace what we’re going to do? Will you write about your experiences and share them with others or will you read everyone elses experiences and support? It doesn’t matter what you do, we’re all different and we all approach our needs differently, but the important thing is that you do something, no matter what, that you take something positive from this workshop, learn something and please do use it.
Workshop Challenge – Week 1
Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I’m through with playing by the rules
Of someone else’s game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It’s time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!
It’s time to try
Defying gravity
I think I’ll try
Defying gravity
And you can’t pull me down!
(Lyrics: Defying Gravity from the musical Wicked)
My little challenge for you these next two weeks is to think about what makes you happy about yourself.
Which bits of you do you like, which bits of you do you love? What have you achieved that you look at with satisfaction and joy? What do you like about your body? What do you love about being the woman you are? I want nothing negative, no buts just pure ‘this is what I like/love because…..’
Joyce Ballentine 1954 ‘Just an Inking’
Please think about it and write it down. If you’re willing to share your thoughts then please do blog about them, if you’re not willing to share your thoughts but would like to hear and support others who choose to share then please read the linked blogs and leave comments. Feel free to be as creative with this as you like, use pictures, poetry, stories, whatever it takes to illustrate what you love about yourself. I shall be writing my thoughts about myself next Wednesday as I intend to take part and share my experiences with you too. I know this challenge will take all of us out of our comfort zones, afterall who is that comfortable raving about themselves? I know I’m not (although i’m getting better at it 
) but it is an important start to putting things into perspective.
This is just the start, a deep start but a necessary one – there are some really exciting and practical challenges coming up so be prepared for a lot of fun over the coming weeks, some breaking down of barriers and many new and exciting experiences. I know you can do it so are you along for the ride?
Lottie -x-
*all photographs taken by my gorgeous husband at Bletchley this weekend
Please link your blog posts to the Mr Linky thingy below – I can’t wait to read them!
If you enjoyed reading this post please add Lottie Loves… to your reader or sign up to receive published posts by email just click on the buttons on the right of this post. You can catch up with me on Twitter @lottieloves1 or find me on Facebook by clicking the link on the left. I love to hear from you all so do say hi!
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shopaholicann
on June 2nd, 2010When I read this it felt as if you’d written it just for me!! Brilliant idea which is motivational in just the right way.
Lottie
on June 2nd, 2010I’m really glad. I hope you can join in. Do you tweet? I am getting a lot of similar messages on twitter. You and I are definitely not alone
Look forward to reading your post if you join in xx
shopaholicann
on June 2nd, 2010I do tweet under the ID of gsed, and I now follow you on Facebook, and this blog too!
Josie @Sleep is for the Weak
on June 2nd, 2010Sign me up! I think this is such a good idea.
You look GORGEOUS in your photos honey xx
Lottie
on June 2nd, 2010I’m so pleased. Can’t wait to read your post. I hope you include some photographs of you looking gorgeous like your post the other day – beautiful!
My husband is the only person who has ever managed to take a nice photograph of me.
Rachel
on June 2nd, 2010Hi guys I’ve wrote my piece inspired by this on my blog and it made lottie well up! so Im posting here too
http://polkadotstripes.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/1404/
Lindsey
on June 3rd, 2010I completed (and loved!) assignment A on my blog yesterday! Keeping it linked to Lottie’s Feminine Finishing School – i am also posting it here!
http://lindsey-living.blogspot.com/2010/06/feminine-fabulous.html
Kat Harrison
on June 3rd, 2010I completed the assignment!
http://www.fiercefrosting.com/pageID_9852910.html
Lottie
on June 3rd, 2010I can’t see how to leave a comment on your blog but I love your post – you sound wonderful, particularly for an 18 year old. I think it’s brilliant that you are taking part and helping to show other young girls that it’s okay to be confident. I wish I was like you when I was 18. It took me to get to 33 to understand myself at all. xxx
Livi
on June 3rd, 2010This is a fantastic idea, I’m so glad I found your blog in time to join in with this! I will most definitely be joining in and I’m really looking forward to it!
Lottie
on June 4th, 2010Hi Livi, I’m glad you found us too. You could have joined in at any time though as it it doesn’t matter when people start. I can’t wait to hear how you get on xx
Oh what a day… « Lottie loves…
on June 7th, 2010[...] – don’t forget to write those Blog pieces for the first Finishing School Workshop and join the ladies that have already linked [...]
A little I like about me…. « Lottie loves…
on June 9th, 2010[...] I figured that I can’t very well encourage you all to do tasks twice a month unless I have done them myself, so here I am ready to jump in and tell you what I like about myself courtesy of the first task of my Finishing School Workshop. [...]
Maryann
on June 9th, 2010I did it! I think this is just what I need right now! Thank you xx http://confessionsofacraftymummy.blogspot.com/2010/06/its-all-about-me.html
b4kersgirl
on June 9th, 2010I think this is a brilliant idea, and I’ve joined in too!
Finishing School | Livi's Little Bubble
on June 9th, 2010[...] posting twice today because I totally forgot about the lovely Lottie’s Finishing School Workshop and I absolutely loved the idea when I saw it. In fact, you know what, it’s my blog and if I [...]
Nikki
on June 13th, 2010Finally finished! http://nikkinakkilou.blogspot.com/2010/06/reflections.html
can’t wait for the next challange xxx
shopaholicann
on June 15th, 2010I’ve committed more to words than I ever thought I would but I’m determined to make the very best of myself!
http://shopaholicann.blogspot.com/
Thanks Lottie.
rhian
on June 16th, 2010Hi Lottie,
Really looking forward to it.
Such a great idea. Have 2 challenges to catch up on, but will def get there before the next challenge.
Good luck ladies! Time to be fabulous.
Rhi x
Lottie
on June 17th, 2010I can’t wait to read how you get on. Thanks for taking part and with such enthusiasm xxxx
Fearful Penguin
on July 8th, 2010I love the idea of Finishing School and have just finished this first task. I have added my link to the Mr Linky – hopefully it worked!
Xidia
on August 7th, 2010I’ve done A through C…D & E to follow shortly so I’m all caught up.