Category: woman

Woman Crush Wednesday: Stephanie Naman

stephanieHave you ever met that girl next door who juggles a million things so effortlessly you never even know what all she’s got going on? From your peripheral view it looks like her life is an easy, breezy Cover Girl commercial full of stylish clothes, a beautiful house and family, and the perfect job. You want to BE her.

That’s Stephanie Naman – aka Auntie Venom – for me. While it may look like she’s just breezing through life without a care in the world, the girl has got a lot going on under the hood. She’s a high level Creative at a national advertising and branding agency, keeps a beautiful home at the ready for spontaneous visits from friends (which happen often), she’s an advocate for fitness and health with clean eating and frequent exercise, she’s a published author with TWO books to her name, and she waxes on everything from Oprah to sex on her lifestyle blog.

She started the blog as a ‘book of lessons’, of sorts, for her teenage niece and the lessons are insightful, sometimes painfully honest, and often times hilarious. I find myself snorting while reading her posts, recalling that same situation in my young adulthood. Oh, to be that age and to have this blog wisdom would have been divine. I would have saved so much wasted time, money, and tears.

Besides being an amazing woman inside and out, I have to admit she’s one of my best friends and I often look to her for advice, comfort, and strength. Stephanie brings wit and general loveliness to everything she does and her blog is no exception. If you don’t know Auntie Venom, get to know her. And be sure to pass along the life lessons to young people in your life. We could have all used a little help back then.

 

 

 

 

 

Beauty of a Woman

“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It’s the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

Today’s #bloglikecrazy writing prompt encouraged us to answer the question “Why Do I Love Being a Woman?” That’s an interesting subject for me –  I wanted to be a boy during my younger years. I am not sure if I had a gender crisis when I was younger or if I just really enjoyed the more masculine toys and games, but I distinctly remember enjoying insects, playing with balls, super hero type games with the local chums, and being very upset that I was a girl. I recall one afternoon throwing a ball against the back of the house and crying for hours that I was born a girl and not a boy. I was a tomboy at heart and I loved it. I have no idea what brought that on, but it was there. I think part of it was not being as girly as all the other little girls in my class and kind of standing out (in the beginning). I was tough; I played tough and I liked it that way. I wasn’t a wuss and didn’t want to be around any. I was into bugs (most little girls were not), I was a huge nerd already (robotic arms and microscopes for Christmas), and I liked playing ball.

All that changed as I got older and I got into the dolls, makeup, clothes, and all that fun girl stuff. But it took me what I consider a long time. So yes, today, I very much enjoy being a woman for so many reasons..the main one being that all those things that made me long to be a boy when I was younger are now just as acceptable for little girls as they are boys. Girls, teens, women are achieving great things and erasing gender lines and boundaries every day. I love that we can now vote, work, even be President. How amazing is that? We are still striving for equal respect and pay in the work place, but we’ve come a long way, baby. We are the whole package – the soft femininity of beauty with the rock solid strength of brawn. There is nothing we can’t do; we can run families, corporations, causes…we can create anything our beautiful minds can think of…we can conquer anything we choose to…we can love like no one you’ve ever known….and we can leave the greatest legacy humanly possible – a child. What do YOU love most about being a woman?

Love yourself.
Find peace inside.
Share happiness.